Getting Back to the Midwest

Sept. 13-14, 2011

Never did see an MD welcome sign...so this will have to do.

Never saw a bear, either.  :(

Missed the official sign; saw this one done in rocks at the

rest stop.

Oh look - RAIN!  As though I hadn't seen

enough on this trip!

After my visit to Arlington National Cemetery on Tuesday, it was time to head west.  Getting out of DC was the hardest part of the drive.  Yeesh.  Two lanes that split to 4 that split to 6, round-a-bouts, traffic going in every direction at warp speed.  And me, caught in the middle.  Of course, I missed my exit for I-495 and ended up, uh, where?  Too far south out of my way, which resulted in getting caught in a construction jam once I got back on track.  I made a brief stop at Antietam Battlefield and Cemetery - very interesting, and sad bit of Civil War history.  Closer to home on Wednesday, I also got in a major construction jam on I-65 just north of Indianapolis.  At least I knew the back roads there and although it was slow going, I found my way to Rt. 47N.

It was a hectic trip, many one-night stays (no, that does not say one-night stands) and unfamiliar roads. 

The stats:  13 days, 19 states (counting some more than once as I went in/out/in): 

Illinois to Missouri to Arkansas to Tennessee to Mississippi to Alabama to Georgia to South Carolina to North Carolina to Virginia to Maryland to Virginia to Washington, DC to Virginia to Maryland to West Virginia to Pennsylvania to Ohio to Indiana to Illinois!

Total miles:  3,225

New states not previously visited:  VA, MD, DC (yes, I know it's not really a state) WV, PA

Worst traffic - tie between Atlanta, GA and Washington, DC

Worst weather - Mississippi

Best weather - VA and DC

Best food - Bertucci's in Alexandria, VA (artichoke pizza - yum!)  And hushpuppies at Etta's in Chincoteague!

Best drink - Chincoteague Bay Breeze (coconut rum, cranberry and pineapple juice - yum2)

Best sightseeing - DC of course

Best for birdnerding - Chincoteague, VA

Worst for mosquitoes - Chincoteague, VA

Worst hotel - Quality Inn, Meridian, MS

Best drive - nature:  Cumberland, MD to Morgantown, WV.  Rolling green hills, mountains, Eastern Continental Divide - beautiful!

Best drive - manmade:  Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

Best graffiti - seen on boxes at an OH rest stop:

Best exit sign - Ohio seemed really glad that I was leaving

Best audio book on the road - "The Prince of Frogtown" by Rick Bragg

Best gas price - $3.29/gal in Mississippi.  Even DC has cheaper gas than IL!

Best thing about being back in IL - getting out of the car.  And OTIS!!!

Getting Serious

Tuesday, Sept 13

There was no point in attempting to leave DC during rush hour, so I headed out to see Arlington National Cemetery.  Here I go, looking for adjectives again.  Moving?  Serene?  Heartbreaking?

In every direction, row upon row of graves.  Most simple headstones, others more elaborate.  Row upon row.  Tree-lined lanes, gently rolling hillsides, row upon row.  Upon row...

Happened to be at the Tomb of the Unknowns when the changing of the guard took place.  An amazingly precise and solemn ceremony.  This is done every 30 minutes in summer and every hour in winter.  A new wreath was put in place, adding to the ceremony and including the playing of "Taps."

        

Seeing JFK's grave and the eternal flame were "a must," and I was impressed with the simplicity of the graves of both Robert and Edward Kennedy.  Simple white stone, plain white cross.

I did not know that wives and children of some service members were also buried in Arlington.  The cemetery is running out of burial space.  And the wars go on.  Row upon row...

In another case of being in the right place at the right time, there was also a ceremony at which the "Patriot Flag" was displayed.  This huge American flag was flown in 50 states in 50 days to honor the victims and heroes of 9/11.  The flag was attached to the ladder of an Arlington, VA fire truck and raised high above the grounds just down the hill from the Tomb of the Unknowns.  The flags of all 50 states were in place, and even tho I missed whatever speeches took place, I did have a chance to see the beautiful sight of this flag waving in the breeze.

Getting to see DC

Monday, Sept. 12

A beautiful morning in the nation's capitol and after a brief Metro ride in the wrong direction, I was on my way to take in as much as possible.  Overwhelmed?  Blown away?  Awestruck?  My vocabulary does not seem to contain any adjective that would adequately describe all that I saw.  I knew I would not have enough time to really do the museums or anything else in much detail, so I concentrated on the monuments and memorials.  I did take a brief look inside the Museum of the American Indian - the architecture (inside and out) of that place is breathtaking.

If you have not been to DC, I highly recommend it!  Fast and efficient train system (despite aforementioned misdirection - completely  my fault), and so many things to do and see.  I doubt I'll ever have the chance to return and am grateful for the time spent there.  Photos and videos cannot do justice to the sights and certainly can't convey the emotional impact.

The White House:  Did not appear as big in person as expected; quite beautiful; wish I'd been able to get more close-up views than sticking my nose and camera through the fence.

Do I look like a tourist?  Leslie asked if I could see into the windows with my binoculars.  I could not, but I did get a good look at the sniper on the roof!



The Washington Monument:  interior is closed due to damage from the recent earthquake.  It can be seen from many locations in the Federal Triangle, so I have pictures of it from almost every angle.  I'll just include this one:

Looking through the columns of the Jefferson Memorial

and across the Tidal Basin

World War II Memorial:  A great history lesson just by walking around and reading the inscriptions...

This wall contains over 4000 stars, and each one represents

 100 killed/missing soldiers from World War II. 

Korean War Memorial:  Haunting.  I could just feel their misery...

Vietnam Memorial:  stark, devastating - so many names...

 Jefferson Memorial

 Lincoln Memorial          

That cool "reflecting pool?"  Under construction!

 



The newly opened memorial honoring Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.  This particular place was more goosebump-inducing than any.  Perhaps because it is so contemporary?  In my lifetime as opposed to all that stuff learned in long-ago history classes?  A simple, elegant design.  Dr. King faces the Tidal Basin and a 450' granite wall is carved with quotes from speeches.

I'm including this shot to show the scale of the statue...

In the background/left, you can see the two stones through which you pass to enter the memorial.  These are called the "Mountain of Despair."  The section holding Dr. King's figure is called the "Stone of Hope."

Elegant architecture of the Museum of the American Indian

U.S. Capitol

All of the above were seen in one day.  I hope to figure out how many miles I walked - my sore legs were a small price to pay for this experience.

Getting off the Island

Sunday, Sept. 11

I was not in a hurry to leave Chincoteague, but had been warned about traffic heading toward DC.  After one last, brief look at a couple of ponies in the marsh, it was time to head north.

                              Those two specks are ponies

Despite driving into/out of the state of Maryland several times, I never did see a "welcome" sign.  They need to do something about that.  Or perhaps they don't care if you show up...had to settle for a pic approaching the Bay Bridge.

The traffic approaching and on the bridge was not terrible - but then...

I could never do this on a regular basis!  I was very happy to arrive in Alexandria and spend a relaxing evening far from cars!



Getting Misty

Saturday, Sept. 10

Woke to...sunshine!  Bright, beautiful sunshine!  I had to do a "Snoopy Dance" to celebrate the return of the sun and blue skies. 

Had a fun boat tour of Assateague in the morning - a gorgeous morning to be out on the water (and away from the mosquitoes!).  Saw 4 ponies, lots of birds - including the American Oystercatcher which was tops on my birdnerd list.

                      All aboard the Assateague Explorer

Two ponies along the shore

There are duck blinds out in the water and ospreys have built nests atop them.  The gulls seem to like the location as well.

Enjoying the ride

Assateague Lighthouse

After the boat ride, it was back to the beach - this time for some fun in the sun.  Seems everyone else on the island had the same idea, but there was room for all.  It was fun to play in the surf, search for shells (mostly found remnants) and walk along the beach.  I stayed for hours, enjoying the sights and sounds of an environment which I rarely visit.

                       The view from under my little umbrella

Beach view - and beautiful sunny sky!

I was greatly entertained by Sanderling antics along the shore

A few more shots from out and about in Chincoteague.  Saturday evening was a block party in town - Main Street was closed to traffic, a terrific band played and people danced in the streets.

There were stacks of oyster shells and some

of them were used as mulch in gardens and on pathways.

A sculpture of "Misty"

For local friends who may not know this, turns out that Marguerite Henry (the author of "Misty of  Chincoteague") owned the real Misty and lived in Wayne, IL for a number of years.  Misty resided there as well, and at the corner of Army Trail and Dunham roads, there is a small natural area named for Misty!  Guess where I'll be headed soon...

Getting Eaten Alive

     

        Thursday, Sept. 8 - headed for Eastern Shore of VA             

It was hard to say goodbye to dear Teresa in NC.  Our visit was much too short.  She had many things to do, and I had many miles to go.  The drive up to the Eastern Shore of VA was rather pleasant.  The drive across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel was a shriek-inducing experience!  This 17.6  mile engineering marvel was spectacular.  Just before the first tunnel, there's actually an island that holds a gift shop, restaurant and fishing pier.  The views were amazing, and every light pole had a gull perched atop (wish I could remember what I learned at Gull Frolic!)

There are 2 mile-long tunnels that I will say are a bit freaky - single lane, no shoulder - heck barely enough room to get through.  High rise bridge near the other side, crashing waves and birds soaring by.  Loved it! 

First Chesapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel

              Nearing the Eastern Shore on the CBBT

Best town name on the Eastern Shore

After checking in to my hotel, I high-tailed it for the refuge which was just a few miles up the road.  Ponies, I saw a few ponies in a marsh! It was getting dark and a thick fog had rolled in, but I could see them.

Pony in the mist

Went to the end of the road at Tom's Cove and walked along the beach. Enormous, crashing waves and a wonderful breeze. Aaaah, the smell of the ocean and the cries of the gulls...

Day 2

Ok, having spent my early years in Louisiana, I thought I had seen mosquitoes.  Jumpin' Jackalopes, I was not prepared for the numbers and viciousness of the blood-suckers at the wildlife refuges here.  I have never seen anything like it.  Despite deadly (to me, but apparently not to mosquitoes) quantities of nuclear-strength OFF, I soon found that getting out of the car was as risky as climbing over guardrails at the edge of a cliff.   My first stop was the lighthouse trail and I had to run to the lighthouse, take a couple of quick photos, and run back to the car.  Safe inside.  NOT.  About 100 of them got in with me.  Swatting and slapping and swearing.  Not necessarily in that order.

Assateague Lighthouse - in the mist

Back to the beach.  Lots of cool birds, still foggy, big waves, but the breeze kept the mosquitoes away.  New bird for the life list - Black Skimmer.  Yay!

Stops at both visitor centers - very nice.  Back to hotel to don long pants/sleeves.  Back to the trail.  I'll thwart those skeeters.  Not.  Arms, legs, head covered - they go for the face!  I decided that the only way I'd see any wildlife this trip was from the car.  Or if they knocked on my hotel room door.

I spent a pleasant afternoon in downtown Chincoteague.  A few cute galleries and shops; picked up lunch.  Back to change clothes again, back to the beach.  Enjoyed a fabulous sandwich, watching the crazy sanderlings race about the shore as the waves crashed behind them.  I waded in, used my scoop net and hoping for shells.  Instead pulled up a few teeny crabs and some weird bugs - which I later found out were "sand crabs" - also known as "sand fleas."  EEK!  I was told "don't let them get in your pants."  Oh thanks - I'll try to remember that!

Beach - in the mist