Well, this Thanksgiving was different. Fortunately though, we got a visit from Mary Anne’s brother Joe on Thanksgiving day. The original game plan was for the three of us to take a ride over to Great Falls National Park in McLean and hike around a bit.
It turns out that we weren’t the only ones with that idea. It seems that pretty much everyone in Northern Virginia had the same thought. The line of cars to get into the parking lot was so long that we abandoned that plan and headed over to River Bend National Park, which also runs alongside the Potomac River.
Joe and Mary Anne
Mary Anne and Joe Conversing
There we had a chance to look over the Potomac, and take a walk on one of the trails in the woods and catch up. Later, we went to Lake Anne and looked around, before ultimately heading back to Reston Town Center for a not-so-traditional, but delicious, Thanksgiving dinner at Morton’s Steakhouse.
A kayaker rows out on the Potomac River
Joe McDonald looks out over the Potomac
Morton’s Steakhouse in Reston Town Square
Some photos from our walk and a Kayaker on the Potomac are posted here.
Thanks to Joe for stopping by on Thanksgiving.
Great Falls, Virginia, USA — November 26, 2020. A woman rows a kayak toward the sunlit far shore of the Potomac.
The Shenandoah Valley, with its spectacular vistas is a wonderful place to visit in Autumn as the trees begin to change colors. There are small towns and farms to visit as well as B&B’s wineries, breweries, campgrounds and RV parks. We prefer to do our camping in hotels with nice bars, so the campgrounds are not in our plans.
We recently took a short trip to Shenandoah Valley and stayed in the Iris Inn. The Iris Inn describes itself as a luxury retreat overlooking the Shenandoah Valley.
The Iris Inn
It’s an apt description. We stayed in the Main Inn for a night so we could walk around the various paths in the woods of the valley. Unfortunately we were met by pouring rain, so that idea was scotched. Nevertheless we did see some of the spectacular sights of the Shenandoah Valley and will return someday.
Here (below) are a couple of landscape photos from the trip.
A landscape photo taken in the forest in Shenandoah Valley on a rainy morning,Photo of Ttees in Shenendoah Valley as they begin to shed thier leaves in Autumn.
We headed out to Baltimore over last weekend to see our long time friends Ethel, Rich and Anne Marie. Rich and Anne Marie were in town from the coast to visit with their daughter Jen, her husband and their 7 month old daughter Loretta. It was great to see everybody although tinged with some sadness because Ron Thau had passed away in May.
Baltimore (or Bal’mor as some locals pronounce it) has a population of about 600,00 making it the 30th largest city in the U.S. measured by population.
The five of us headed out to the Fells Point section where we had some lunch. Then we eventually made our way to Patterson Park where we met Jen and her baby daughter Loretta.
At 137 acres it is not Baltimore’s largest park, but is impressive all the same. Among its attractions are numerous ballfields, a duck pond, war memorials, and a pagoda that served as a lookout in the early 1800s. The locals refer to the park as the best back yard in Baltimore. Here below are some shots from the park as well as a photo of a brightly painted row house, complete with campaign sign in the window.
A wide angle landscape photo of Patterson Park taken on an autumn afternoon in Baltimore.A wide angle landscape photo of the duck pond in Patterson Park, Baltimore MD.The Gang and Loretta Baltimore, MD, USA — Oct 4, 2020. A wide angle vertical shot of the pagoda style Observatory in Patterson Park, Baltimore MD.Baltimore, MD, USA — Oct 4, 2020. Vertical photo of a brightly painted row house in Baltimore.
We got a chance to get away for a quick trip over the Labor Day weekend, so we took a drive to the Virginia Countryside. Virginia is a fairly large state by area, but not densely populated like the North East. The landmass is just under 43,000 square miles with a population of about 8.5 million people. For comparison purposes consider New Jersey, the most densely populated state in the nation. NJ has a population of about 8.8 million, (about the same as Virginia) but a landmass of only 8.7 million square miles—which is only 20% as much as Virginia.
The upshot is that there is a lot of beautiful unspoiled country to see in Virginia. For instance, forests cover 62% of the State. There is quite a bit of wildlife. There are over 1 million white-tailed deer. Carnivores include black bears, bobcats, coyotes, foxes and skunks. The skunks can generally be seen on the beltway heading toward the district.
Photo of farmland in Virgina with the morning fog burning off.
There are lots of parks in Virginia, both State and Federal. The bigger ones include Great Falls Park, the Appalachian Trail and Shenandoah National Park. Almost 40% of the Shenandoah National Park has been declared to be a wilderness preserve. A particular interest of ours is the Virginia Natural Bridge State Park.
An old barn in a Shenandoah Valley meadow; the Blue Ridge Mountains are in the background.
The park includes a 215 foot arch that serves as a natural foot bridge over Cedar Creek, a tributary of the James River. It is estimated to be almost 500 million years old. In 1774, Thomas Jefferson bought 157 acres of land, including the Natural Bridge, from King George III for 20 shillings. Jefferson built a log cabin with a guest room on the land and had many famous visitors including John Marshall, James Monroe, Henry Clay, Sam Houston and Martin Van Buren. (Note).
Photo of a woman tourist walking toward the landmark Natural Bridge in Virginia.Natural Bridge, Virginia, USA — September 7, 2020. Tourists walk along a hiking trail by a stream under the landmark Natural Bridge in Virginia.
On our trip we saw the spectacularly beautiful countryside of the Shenandoah Valley, visited the Natural Bridge, took a ride along the Skyline Drive, and stayed in the small town of Lexington, VA.
Blue Ridge Mountains from the Skyline Drive
The Shenandoah Valley and its surroundings are sights that should not be missed. Here are a few photos of from the trip.
Thanks to the COVID-19 outbreak our travel plans have changed quite a bit. The 2 month trip to Florence and Rome—well that didn’t happen. Three cheers for British Airways and Road Scholar for promptly sending us refunds after Italy shut down the country. The same can not be said for Hotel Adriano in Rome. After initially promising a refund, they tried to back out until we reported them to American Express. After that they saw the light.
On a happier note, we traveled to the outer banks and stayed in Duck, North Carolina for two weeks. What a spectacular place–for instance, see the image below.
A beautiful pastel colored sky reflects soft morning light onto the beach in Duck, North Carolina
The Outer Banks are a series of barrier islands located between the Atlantic Ocean and Currituck Sound. There aren’t any cities on the 100 miles + of the Outer Banks. Instead the islands are mostly populated by small seaside villages and towns. It is a favorite vacation spot, attracting visitors from the Northeast as well as Virginia, Georgia and the Carolinas.
We rented a house for a 2 week stay in Duck, a tony village with plenty of gorgeous beaches, fishing spots and restaurants. That’s right. Restaurants you can actually go to and sit inside and have cocktails and dinner. Or you can get a table outside and relax over food and drinks.
There are other places to go to as wee—for instance Kitty Hawk, where Orville and Wilbur Wright made their first historic flight in their flying machine back in December 1903. And then there is Corolla Park with the architectural masterpiece Whalehead and its Museum.
If you get a chance, visit the Outer Banks and the town of Duck. You’ll be glad you did.
Here are a couple of photos from our trip (below), taken with a Leica Q2 camera. Click on a photo to enlarge it. They can be licensed at Evocative Photos.
Virginia Governor Ralph Northam who re-emerged into public view after the midterms announced a series of public health measures related to COVID-19, among them steps to encourage social distancing. The measures were directed at “non-essential” businesses. Fortunately, that definition does not included pharmacies like the CVS across the street which sells wine. So all is not lost; we are keeping hope alive. With Cabernet Sauvignon as it happens.
But it is eerily quiet on the streets in Reston Town Center as well as RTC Park. The Bow Tie Cinema is closed, as is the Apple store. And retail merchants have shut their stores for the time being. But the restaurants in town have take-out menus up and running, so that’s a win.
We had planned to 2 month trip to Italy, primarily to Rome and Florence, beginning April 8. Needless to say, that has been cancelled. The good news is that if we had scheduled the trip 2 months earlier we could have been caught in Italy in the middle of the disaster with no way to get out.
Anyway, I went out and took a few photos around the neighborhood because it’s so rare for the streets to be so empty, especially on a Saturday afternoon. The photos are posted below. I guess we’ll just have to wait and see how long this lasts.
Reston, VA, USA — March 21, 2020. The streets are eerily quiet in Reston, Virginia as Covid-19 social distancing takes effect.Reston, VA, USA — March 21, 2020. A wide angle photo looking over an empty Reston Town Center Park.Reston, VA, USA — March 21, 2020. Photo overlooking an empty Reston Town Center Park.Reston, VA, USA — March 21, 2020. Photo overlooking Reston Town Center Park from the second floor of the Midtown building in Reston.Reston, VA, USA –March 21, 2020. Market street in Reston Town Center is still as people stay home and practice social distancing.
“With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation’s wounds…”
When Abraham Lincoln uttered those words in his second inaugural address the end of the Civil War was days away and slavery would soon be ended in the United States. The war was waged at an immense cost. Estimates of fatalities directly attributable to the Civil War range between 650,000 to 850,00 thousand men, women and children. The population of the United States at the time of the war was only 31 million.
It is hard not to think of that sacrifice when you walk by the Lincoln Memorial on the Mall. Similarly, a walk past the Washington Memorial, Capitol Hill and the White House brings a stark reminder of the toil and sacrifice of the founders and signers of the Declaration of Independence. People like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
Perhaps Donald Trump and Nancy Pelosi might consider taking a walk around town for a moment’s reflection before launching the next round of juvenile behavior.
Photos of the Lincoln Memorial, White House, Washington Memorial and Capitol are below.
Washington DC, USA — February 3, 2020. A wide angle photo of the Lincoln Memorial with visiting tourists walking up the stairs.Washington DC, USA — February 3, 2020. A photo the Washington Memorial that includes tourists posing for a selfie by the reflecting pool.Washington, DC, USA — February 3, 2020.
Photo of the White House on a crisp and clear winter morning.Washington, DC, USA — February 3, 2020. A photo looking down Pennsylvania Avenue toward the Capitol Building on a winter morning.
We spent a busy weekend in the nation’s capitol. Among other things we saw an absolutely terrific performance of My Fair Lady at the Kennedy Center. Shereen Ahmed, a 26 year old graduate of Townson University was perfectly cast as Eliza Doolittle. She lit up the stage with an astonishingly versatile voice which she combined with first rate acting. The Kennedy Center revival performances of My Fair Lady are the beginning of a national tour. Don’t miss it if it comes to a theatre near you.
We stayed at the Watergate for the weekend which now advertises that you don’t have to break in to enjoy the place. We also got a chance to stop in to see the exhibits on display at the Phillips Collection of Modern art and the National Geographic Museum. The National Geographic had an exhibit featuring Jane Goodall, known for her path breaking field work on chimpanzees in Africa. Both the National Geographic and Phillips Collection Museums are certainly worth a visit when in DC. Finally I should mention a very good French Bistro, the Opaline Bar and Brasserie, where we had dinner. Good food, great atmosphere and a fine Martini can be had there.
Some iPhone photos from our jaunt are below.
JFB
Photo that focuses on one of the buildings in the Watergate Complex in Washington, DC
Photo looking out a window in the Phillips Collection Museum of Modern Art to a Washington DC neighborhood.Washington, DC, USA — 1/18/2020. An iPhone photo of the exterior of the Arthur and Sara Jo Kobacker building that now serves as a home for the Religious Actions Center for reformed Judaism.Photo of a painting that takes up an entire wall in a Phillips Collection exhibition.Photo of the outside of the Cosmos Club in Washington DC.
