Ate at restaurant ? In REI shopping center
Rode southern half on Sat to Southport Mall then norther part to Durham on Sunday
Went to Durham Bulls game great lightning show game canceled
Old American Tobacco complex is really cool, with the stadium, restaurant, waterfalls shops etc.
We stayed at a B&B - up a steep hill from downtown Cumberland
From three different starting points, we all met in Meyersdale for lunch
We then all rode (mostly downhill) 25 miles to Cumberland
Salisbury Viaduct (1908' long), Eastern Continental Divide, Big Savage Tunnel (3294' long), Mason-Dixon Line
Dinner - downtown Cumberland Restorante Ottaviani
Plans for Sunday - a ride east on the C&O Towpath - scrapped due to rain
Visited C&O Canal National Historical Park and Visitors Museum
I drove from Ohio and met everyone else there
We stayed at the Spring Hill Suites (best bed ever, according to Emily)
This ride was during Tom's recumbent phase (see photo)
We rode Deckers Creek Trail to Reedsville (where we found a Dairy Queen)
We encountered a thunderstorm on the way back, just as Tom got a flat tire
A good samaritan let us use his garage to get out of the rain and fix the tire
By the time we got back to the hotel, there was a beautiful double rainbow
The hotel manager didn't want our bikes in our rooms (perhaps a little muddy for his taste)
The next day we rode the Mon River Trail to Prickett's Fort (where Emily joined us for lunch)
Another flat tire (David?)
Emily scouted-out a place for dinner while the rest of us rode back to Morgantown
It's January and time for our annual train trip to DC. Leaving on a Friday this year, our 7:30 a.m. departure from Lynchburg may have propelled the Morgan's to set their 2014 record for the earliest hour to rise from a night's slumber. We arrived in DC over an hour late. Why you ask? Well, the train's whistle stopped working and the engineer had to slow down at intersections because he could not blare the whistle at its normal volume. A repair crew caught up with us south of Manasas and there after, we blasted our way right into Union Station. After checking into the Washington Court Hotel, we ate a quick lunch at Union Station, were befuddled once again by the subway ticket machines and headed to the National Geographic Society. The main attraction was an exhibit by female NG photographers called "A New Age of Exploration - Women of Vision. It was a wonderful show with many photos depicting the life (plight) of women around the world. One photographer's comment really struck me as she alluded to the fact that she could be any of the women in her photographs had she not been born in the United States.
Next stop was the Eastern Market area south of the Capitol. A quick walk through the neighborhood from the subway station brought us to the Market for a tour. However, a cold drizzle was enough to make us realize it was probably a really, really good idea to hit happy hour at Cafe Cava where we had dinner reservations in less than an hour. Subsequently, we had a nice tapas style dinner before heading back to the hotel.
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| Mount Vernon |
Saturday, we headed to Mount Vernon, George Washington's estate on the Potomac River. Gretchen and I don't think we ever went on a tour of the estate even though we have biked to the gate several times on a trail that winds along the River. Gary, Laurie, David and Emily have all been there before but it was many years ago. It's a wonderful place to visit. The grounds and view of the Potomac River are grand, the docents do a fine house tour, and the education facilities are first rate.
Lunch at the Mount Vernon Inn is excellent, particularly when your tour guide arranges for a private dining room with a roaring fire. Good job Gary! The weather forcast for the day was for heavy rain, which thankfully fell around but not on us. However, due note that Mr. Helms can look quite dapper even on the most rainy days!
On our way to dinner we stopped by the National Portrait Gallery. The Gallery is worth a visit just to walk through its atrium! We wanted to see the current exhibit of presidential portraits. Dinner tonight was down the block at Zaytinya, a superb restaurant featuring small plates that highlight Greek, Lebanese and Turkish cuisine. Every "mezze" we had was delicious. Great choice Emily!
Following dinner we headed to DuPont Circle to see the play Our Suburb, a production of Theater J in the DC Jewish Community Center. The play is, to paraphrase the playbill, a homage to Our Town, set in suburban Illinois in 1977 as two families prepare for Christmas and Hanukkah and the Nazis threaten to march on Stokie. It was a serious drama, very well performed by a talented troupe.
Sunday, we hit the museums on the mall. But oh, that American History Museum! Why do I torture myself by visiting it? Several years ago we saw an exhibit of technological progress where we found that the kitchen appliances we grew up with are now historical relics. OK, that was from childhood. But to discover that a staple from my early career days is also now a historical museum relic, one must surely ask the following question. If these are relics, then what in fact am I?
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| Apple computer surely taken from my room at NCHS. |
Escaping from the American History Museum, Gretchen and I found the beautiful clear winter day and a walk through the Sculpture Garden was tonic for our spirits. We met Gary, Laurie, David and Emily for lunch in the new building of the National Gallery which is closed for renovations entirely except for the lobby!
We ate lunch at the cafeteria in the underground connector between the old and new buildings, then walked through the light tunnel on our way to the National Building Museum to see the House and Home exhibit which was very cool.
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| National Gallery light tunnel |
Alas, the hour was late and it was time to get our luggage and head to the train station bringing another great trip to an end. We have done this trip for many years now and continue to find new things to do, see and eat in Washington, DC. Always a great time, and many thanks to Gary for serving as our perennial tour guide.
2013 Blackwater National Wildlife Refuge, Cambridge, MD - Blog
2012 Schuylkill River Trail, Schuylkill Haven, PA - Blog
2011 Amish Country, Millersburg, OH - Blog
2010 American Tobacco Trail, Raleigh, NC - Blog
2009 New River Trail, Pulaski, VA
2008 Great Allegheny Trail - Blog
2007 Virginia Creeper Trail, Abington, VA
2006 Oxford - St. Michaels - Cambridge, MD Loop
2005 - Morgantown, WV - Blog
2004 - Williamsburg Weenie Ride
2003 - Washington DC Trails
2002 - Shenandoah Apple Dumpling Ride (Fall Foliage)
2001- Wilderness Road Ride, Pulaski
Between the Waters on Eastern Shore although we did this ride twice, Gretchen and I don't think that it was the second ride of the year, not the official Double Nickels ride?
The holidays were a busy time with family visiting in two shifts. First, the Alexanders and Sally followed ten days later by the Hills and a return of Katie and the kids. It was chaos....in a good way of course! Henry was into presents, distributing them to everyone and helping anyone who would let him, unwrap their presents. Maggie knew all about presents but needed help opening them...much to Henry's joy. Audrey liked grabbing the paper but is a year away from getting into all the present stuff. Katie and David's favorite gift was Henry's electronic snap kit! Getting home Christmas Eve in time for Santa's visit to his house was always on Henry's mind during his first visit!
All of the great holiday culinary treats were enjoyed by everyone. We visited playgrounds, the local microbrewery, watched movies before bedtime and had a great time playing FISH with Henry.
The kids were fascinated with all the deer in our yard...a phenomena that doesn't happen at their houses. They constantly went to the window to check for deer.
It was great to see all of the "cousins" together. The kids really enjoyed playing with each other and believe me they were always in motion. We went next door to the Clark's to see their Christmas decorations. Maggie and Audrey were entranced by the singing angels in the Angel Room! Henry liked the animated toys and the train the best. Katie and Kelley loved visiting the Clark's at Christmas as well, a tradition that started when they were little girls.
As the photo below shows, it's hard to get a picture of Audrey sitting still. She is a feisty little one with a loud verbal presence...so we labeled her "Mona Lisa" after Gretchen's niece who was very feisty as a two year old. I keep reminding Katie how well Lisa turned out. Oh, and how acorns don't fall far from the tree! Maggie is a two year old who knows what she wants as well! She is always in motion and babbling constantly. Maggie and Audrey will have a great time growing up together.
On his return visit, Henry was enthalled with his present from Santa, a Kindle Fire! The best thing about the new Kindle is the parent controls that are part of the operating system. Henry uses up his daily game time, then his app time but he is not at the point where he can read enough to use up his reading time!
Many thanks to Kelley and Seth and Katie and David for coming to Grandma and Grandpa's over the holidays. It's great having the house bustling with activity. Seth, hope you feel better on you next visit. It's not fun being sick. Sally, great seeing you as always. We'll have to make a pledge to get together more often this year. Hope everyone has a great and happy 2014!
In a USA Today article, Robin Roberts paraphrased the writings of Lao Tzu shown below. I really like the message and will try to live more in the present....not easy for a guy who has spent most of his life oriented to the future! But becoming an "official" senior citizen makes me think about how uncertain the future can be....and the need to love and enjoy what I do each day.
“If you are depressed you are living in the past.
If you are anxious you are living in the future.
If you are at peace you are living in the present.”
Gretchen and I are looking forward to another great year in 2014; spending time with family and friends, watching the grandchildren grow, walking, biking, traveling, sailing, and volunteering. Retirement is busy but we'll try to enjoy it day by day....in the present!
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