Dolphins?

North of Ormand Beach, FL, from a WWII watchtower, we saw these. Can anyone help with an ID, please?

Toy trains

We stopped at several toy train places throughout our travels. One especially nice one in Lancaster PA was put together initially by a man for his children starting about 50 years ago. He recently passed away, but before that had moved everything to a small mall (maybe it's actually in Strasburg) where Mike spent an hour or so looking at it. There is much more than is evident in this photo -- marching bands, circuses, parks, etc. -- and includes a firetruck and firemen in action putting out pretend flames with real water.

Rest stops

There's been some really nice rest stops and welcome centers to various states in the last three years. We now look forward to the welcome centers and will get back on an interstate, if necessary, to visit them. They've gotten more and more sophisticated, even in the short time we've been traveling about. We have seen a few, having been to 47 of the lower 48 during this time. (Some several times.)

Here's one in Florida entering along the Panhandle.

Sometimes there are downsides to these, however.

Earlier in the trip, one welcome center had posters of ten or so poisonous snakes so that we would know what they looked like … as if we were going to try to pet any other snakes we came across.

Letchworth Park

Western side of the Finger Lakes, near Geneseo NY. Spectacular place that way too few know about, including students at a college 15 miles away. We didn't until our motel asked if this place was why we were staying there.

In 1972 the water behind this dam rose to within inches of the top, filling a great wandering valley behind it. Back up the river maybe ten miles, a man signed the final papers purchasing an old hotel that morning. That afternoon it sat in 12 feet of water.

I heard from several sources that the dam (Morris dam) is 500 feet high and is the biggest east of the Mississippi. Below is one angle on the enormous valley that gives you a little perspective on how much water it took to fill the dam that high. It's really hard to believe when you're standing there that such a thing could ever have happened.

The silt at the base of the dam (it is a "dry" dam … meant only to control water in extreme times, otherwise it allows water to flow normally) is 50 feet deep.

Turkeyfoot, U.S.A. Yes, Places like this ...

… do exist. Northern West Virginia or southeastern Pennsylvania. (Check out the reflection in the car mirror.)

And not terribly far away, pretty close to Shanksville PA, where we visited the newly update Flight 93 Memorial, was one of the biggest and neatest auto junkyard I've ever seen. No disrespect meant by mentioning the two in the same caption. In fact, I think it shows how life goes on and no matter how far you think you are from everything, the world can suddenly be focussed on your backyard.

This shows only part of the yard. If you look slightly up to the extreme left, you can see how it keeps going and going. Here it is from Google:

The bridge nears completion

Addison County, VT

We headed for home via the new bridge. Almost, but not quite done. "Soon" they said.

Our welcome home

This is a miserable, pale comparison to the rainbow we saw as we approached Essex Junction … but it's the best photo we could take at the time. The purple was sharp and clear. Hard to see it here.

rough route map and stops

Due to limitations of Google Maps and Mapquest and my brain, this represents a pretty good outline of our general travels, but leaves out about 2,000 miles of wanderings, detours, and just plan getting lost.

J = St. Pete's Beach

Tiffany chapel stain glass, Auburn, NY

Active video link below. Almost certainly worth the click.

Tiffany chapel, one of a kind

History All Around Us

Can anyone identify this clouds? I know they look like jet contrails, but I quite sure they aren't.

The Johnstown Flood of May 31, 1889

The actual count is uncertain, but over 2,200 children, women, and men lost their lives when a dam built in haste for super rich "sportsmen" collapsed after heavy rains. The Civil War, Lincoln's assassination, and the Johnstown Flood are considered the biggest news stories for years 1800 to 1900. The tales of individuals and families are heartbreaking and horrifying. The National Memorial to the flood is well worth a visit if you're near Johnstown, PA.

Our annual pilgrimage to Horseshoe Curve, Altoona, PA. There was a Nazi plot to destroy this key location bringing coal and supplies all around the country during WWII.

Three dams step down from this unique site. The purpose of the wide sweeping horseshoe shape is to allow trains to climb up and over the Alleghanies with their sometimes precious cargo. A four percent grade is pretty much the maximum for standard freight trains ... and that's pushing it.

At the Shanksville, PA, Flight 93 Memorial. My estimation is that there were several thousand people there on this beautiful autumn. Several locals told us that it was very much like the day on which the passengers on board attacked back. Thousands of people and nearly total silence. Very emotional.

The passengers and crew of 93. Remember them, please.

This rock marks the middle of the crater created by the impact at around 560 mph. The plane was inverted when they hit.

One the way to the wall with the names of the passengers and crew.

The Haunted Inn

We stayed at the Green Park Inn in Blowing Rock, NC, the highest incorporated city in the state. The ancient inn, one of the buildings in the National Registrar of historic places, is said to be haunted by several ghosts.

When asked about ghosts being there, the innkeeper said, "The only thing we are allowed to say is that we protect the privacy of all of guests ... whether they've ever checked out or not."

It's a beautiful inn in a great location with balconies for every room (I think). Ours overlooked the adjoining golf course where deer came out at dusk. The town itself is very wealthy with amazing homes scattered throughout the many hillsides.

This is the bridge in WV where base jumpers once a year (third Saturday in October) leap with their parachutes to the river some 900 feet below. Later I'll add a picture I did not take that shows a much better perspective on this bridge. It is closed for that day. I can't imagine how frustrating that must be for those unaware of the closure trying to travel on this main highway.

Here's a better perspective on the base jumping bridge in WV. I grabbed this photo off the internet.

It -- or one very much like it -- is used on a postcard available at the gift shop near the bridge.

Sunset in Morgantown WV.

Mike and the Momma Bear

Apologies for getting behind ... again ... on this. Here's some photos and a few words more -- more or less in the order in which they occurred.

Blue Ridge Parkway, NC.

Sunset at Little Switzerland, NC. At first I thought what an overblown name, but it's very pleasant there. Very much like Trapp Family Lodge is a little bit of Austria.

It was at the pool here that Mike saw a momma bear with two cubs about 40 feet away. He was sitting by the pool. I was in it and couldn't get out in time. I stood quietly for about half an hour afterwards trying to pick up their movement through the nearby woods. Some motorcyclists also staying at the lodge in Little Switzerland (actually the town's name ... population about 150 year round -- as much as 400 in the summer) coming back were the cause of the bears disappearing into the trees ... but not before the bikers saw them, too. One waiter at the adjoining restaurant has lived there six years and never seen a bear.

I also met a very thoughtful young woman who worked at the desk of the lodge. She is starting online graduate school this fall. No big deal, you say? She's the first in her family to graduate from high school. That's correct. No typo. High school. Chew on that for a while. Her father, in particular, is not happy about her "getting educated." He does not understand why she's doing this. I suggested to her that he might be afraid of all the things he doesn't know about this undertaking and that he's losing his daughter. (His wife, her mother, died just about two years ago.) On the other hand, as I mentioned to her, his work is done. He raised a great young woman. It's time for her to leave the nest. Other reasons for his position will have occurred to you, I'm sure. And those probably factor in, also.

Before I forget ... again

Some trip notes that might be of interest, if I can remember more than one:

St. Pete's Beach ... really nice. Not terribly expensive. Parking just awful at nearly every hotel. Even the assigned spaces are way too tightly marked. The Beachcomber where we stayed was safe, secure, two pools plus the beach, outdoor bar and restaurant, but the room was smaller than it looked online. Don't forget to do the Stingray Shuffle to keep from getting barbed.

Right next door to it, we discovered a little seafood restaurant with crab cakes that rivaled the best I had in Maryland, and those were the best I ever had. Also Brent and Paige who work there are very, very pleasant young people. I'll try to look up the name later, but it abuts the Beachcomber and is somehow connected to a HoJo's, but isn't anything like that. Not really fancy -- just great food and people.

Lancaster ... try the Red Caboose diner for breakfast and don't miss the nearby Strasburg train, PA State RR museum, and the toy train exhibit next to the Red Caboose.

Lexington ... drive the scenic horse farm route marked by signs.

Louisville ... don't miss the Louisville Slugger factory and Churchill Downs. Generally speaking, signage throughout the south leaves much to be desired. Among other things, twice we were tricked by construction areas where a key sign was missing, sending us far, far away. But that's part of the adventure.

I'll get back to this later. Can't remember lots of more interesting stuff at the moment.

Asheville

Nice place. Interesting people. From long haired hippy types to high fashion strutters. Lots of street muscians. Finally got to go in the Tupelo Honey Cafe, but there was too much of a wait on two different occasions.

Asheville is where I became confident about the western North Carolina vs the rest of NC rivalry. There are some stores that exclusively offer folk art and craft from WNC as they refer to it. And that work is really excellent: glass blowing, jewelry, wood carving, knitting, sculpture, and lots more ... but often with a twist that's best described as WNC.

One of the street bands was set up almost immediately outside an Asheville PD substation.

Charleston, NC

The scene of the Jacuzzi Incident (see the earlier "Accident" post):

Charleston is famous for its wrought iron railings, over 600 of which were done by one man.

A celebration of the culture of India was taking place in a park.