Guilford Courthouse National Military Park
Growing up in Massachusetts, what I learned in school about the Revolutionary War largely centered around events in my home state.
All posts tagged: travel
Sailing Disenchantment Bay
Oftentimes, locations are named by the person who first discovered them. They may make sense at first, but as time passes, some of the names bestowed on lands and landmarks lose their meaning and no longer make sense. This is definitely the case for Alaska’s Disenchantment Bay. It was originally named by Italian explorer Alessandro Malaspina in 1792, after he traversed the entire length and discovered that it was not the entrance to the northwest passage. For me, sailing past the snow capped mountains lining Alaska bay before turning into the greenery on either side of Disenchantment Bay was fairytale like. And finding the awe inspiring Hubbard Glacier at the end of the journey was a perfect ending, not disappointing at all.
5 New Traditions to Start This Summer
Here in Charlotte the stay at home order has been lifted, but there are still many things that I used to enjoy each summer that either haven’t reopened, or I’m just not comfortable doing yet. So instead of wallowing, I’ve come up with a new list of traditions to look forward too. This summer may be different than last year, but there are still ways to enjoy it. 1. Visit specialty stores and try a new food I’m using the phrase speciality store loosely. Farms, bakeries, ice cream shops, a Korean grocery store, any small business selling food. Make a habit of visiting (or ordering online from) a few you’ve never been inside before, and try something new. You might discover a new favorite food, and if your a writer, unexpected inspiration from owners and other patrons. Given the recent events in the news, now is an especially good time to search out and support black owned businesses in your community. The first new place my husband and I are testing out is a dairy …
Rainy Days
It has been raining relentlessly in the Carolinas. At one point the meteorologist on the morning news declared that we had received a months worth of rain in three days. It’s definitely put my evening walks on hold, and washed out most of the long weekend. I may have been stuck inside, but I passed the expanding my photo editing skills. I tested a few apps used for adding motion to photos, and once I picked one, I was adding special effects to all my old vacation photos. The one above is from a rainy gondola ride in Juneau, Alaska.
Rooms With a View
Like many people my summer vacation plans have drastically changed. I’m taking a nostalgic look back at this vacation post from last year while I brainstorm some new ways to enjoy the warm weather in 2020. *************** If some of my recent posts haven’t tipped you off, I’ve been on vacation this week. I spent part of this past week at Myrtle Beach with my husband and some family, and it was a fantastic, relaxing beach vacation. One pleasant surprise on this trip was discovering upon arrival at the hotel that although we didn’t have an ocean view room, we had wound up with a balcony on a side of the hotel that had a partial view. A small bonus, but I did really enjoy sitting out there in the morning to write before heading out to the beach, and star gazing before going bed. So this week I decided to dig out other pictures I have of hotel views from past vacations. Some are more glamorous than others, but all of them hold special …
Off the Coast of Bermuda
The sun is long gone and the stars are being outshined by the brightest moon of the year The air is cool but the spray from the waves is warmer then I expected The boat speeds us out to the edge of a mystical realm Known for mirth and mayhem We peer through the glass bottom, looking for coral, sea creatures And the bones of ships Sunk long ago **** Written in response to Dverse’s Take Me With You prompt. Drop by to visit even more exotic places!
The Red Dog Saloon
When my husband and I originally visited the Red Dog Saloon in Juneau, Alaska, I took an excessive amount of pictures in a moment of tourist indulgence. Now that going out to eat isn’t even an option I’m happy to have them and look back on the luxury of going out to eat, having a beer, and listening to live music in a restaurant. The restaurant itself has all the appearances of being a goofy tourist trap, but it’s actually a genuine historical fixture in downtown Juneau. Built during Alaska’s mining era, the memorabilia on the walls is genuine, carefully moved and rehung as the restaurant as the restaurant has moved locations several times since opening. One of the most interesting things I learned about tourism in Alaska is that there is a hard shut off in mid fall. For cruise ship stops especially, everything closes down around mid September. The cruise that I was traveling on was the last of the season for Norwegian in Alaska, and most of the employees you see in …
Early Morning Arrival in Juneau, Alaska
I’m not sure who stacked all of these shipping containers by color, but I definitely appreciated the aesthetic value the arrangement gave when our cruise ship pulled into Juneau, Alaska early in the morning. You can’t see them in this picture, but the musical calls of bald eagles were ringing through the quiet harbor.
The High Water Mark
In addition to taking in the history of Ocemegee Mounds National Park, one of my last forays out before North Carolina’s stay at home order, I was able to explore some of the wetland trails in the park. While exploring, it became apparent that the area had recently experienced some major flooding. A coating of dried clay covered the vegetation, drawing a line at the high water mark. Technically, the boardwalks were closed, but I snuck past the rope to take a few pictures of the clay coated grasses and tree. The thing about any high water mark is, you can’t see it until the flood recedes. We are still watching the flood waters rise as Covid-19 advances in the US, hopefully we will see the high water mark soon.
Treasure Hunt at Purser-Hulsey Park
The trails at Purser-Halsey Park are scenic and relaxing on their own, a series of loops that lets visitors decide if they want to take a short walk or a 3 mile trek. It’s the hand paint rocks hidden Ali g the trails that give it a little extra magic. Adorned with everything from Japanese cherry blossoms to silly dad jokes, they were nestled in tree branches, tucked behind roots, and scattered on the forrest floor.
