Days 297 & 298 (Tue 5/14/13 & Wed 5/15/13)- Dayton, OH

We started the day at the Cincinnati Art Museum and managed to see everything, but only because Isaiah gave me a pep talk halfway through and the third floor was closed for renovating. I especially enjoyed the Grecian statues, religious paintings and an entire wall somehow sub-planted from another time.

Leaving Cincinnati behind we drove to Dayton where we spent the remainder of the day exploring the Wright Brothers National Park. Though the brothers first flying experiments were in Kitty Hawk, NC it was actually Dayton that they called home and where they perfected the art of flying within a borrowed cow pasture.

Being avid innovators and businessmen the brothers first had a printing press and then a bicycle shop before taking on the conundrum of flight. They certainly weren't the first to try, but both were extremely tenacious and spent years and years honing their knowledge until they got it right.

Dayton was also home to the nationally acclaimed African American poet Paul Dunbar. Beginning at just six-years old he wrote many incredible poems that charmed those who would otherwise be inclined against his success and sold an unprecedented amount of books, not just for an African American, but for any man.

Finishing our historical day watching the movie Lincoln we found ourselves, much like the Civil War, divided. I was enthralled but do have a hearty love of history and Isaiah appreciated that the movie focused just on a short period of Lincoln's impressive life but thought that it had so many characters it was at times confusing.

The next day in Dayton was preceded by a rough night's sleep and made our first task a little overwhelming (though with five separate wings the Air Force Museum would probably be overwhelming no matter what). Finishing in just under 2 and a half hours we enjoyed this museum a little more than the Pensacola version but still had trouble getting fully engaged.

The story of the Wright Brothers (and Paul Dunbar too) included the brothers first printing shop, first bicycle shop, two movies and a two-story visitor's center. The exploration continued to the one time cow pasture where the brothers truly changed aviation. There in the field was a second smaller and more interesting visitor's center delved into the actual logistics of the early flights, showing how the brothers had spent much of their time and money learning about the mechanics of flight by actually recording how model airplanes acted in their home made wind tunnel.

Ending the day at the Dayton Peace Museum we were able to quickly explore the three story building which was a touching testament to human compassion but with little funding to have much in the way of high tech displays.

 

 

Cincinnati Art Museum

 

 

 

 

The Wright Bros bicycle shop

 

 

 

Air Museum

Day 296 (Monday 5/13/13)- Cincinnati, OH

Stopping first at the President William H. Taft National Park we met a lovely local couple celebrating their wedding anniversary (who also happened to be a carnivore/vegetarian duo) and apparently wishing they had pursued jobs as tour guides. Before our tour even began they had loaded us up with maps and recommendations that would have taken us days to do.

A Ranger who reminded us of Jackie from Roseanne led us through Taft's childhood home detailing his lifelong dream of becoming a Supreme Court judge. If you can believe it even becoming President did not surpass this ambition.  He did at last achieve his goal and became the only President in history to serve on the Supreme Court following his term at the White House.

Teddy Roosevelt was dear friends with Taft and his biggest supporter, wanting Taft to replace him as President. Taft, however, was his own man and a staunch constitutionalist and the two men's friendship became strained when he didn't continue Teddy's plans for the country when he took over.

Though he certainly accomplished quite a bit as President, it was his work on the Supreme Court that was Teddy's strongest legacy. First he ensured that there was a building for the highest court in the land and then gave freedom to the court to choose the cases it hears, thus eliminating years of backlog that had been commonplace before his appointment.

We tried to follow all of the couple's eager recommendations but ran out of time and meters, but we did cross the famous Roebling bridge (famous especially for the Brooklyn Bridge) and toured the breathtaking St. Mary's Cathedral Basilica of the Assumption in nearby Covington which boasts one of the largest stained glass windows in the world. 

Next we tried some OH chili at Skyline which consisted of chili beans piled on top of spaghetti and topped with a gigantic helping of shredded cheddar cheese. It was good but probably not for the health conscience.

  

Taft House

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Roebling Bridge

 

 

 

 

 

Basilica

 

 

 

 

 

Day 295 (Sunday 5/12/13)- TN, NC, KY, VA, OH

Starting out in TN we drove into the Great Smoky's park in NC, crossed into KY, briefly stepped into VA and then ended up in OH. An impossible feat in the West but rather easy to do in the East.
Planning to hike the Great Smoky's we arrived and realized the road to our destination was made of poorly maintained gravel. Fearing for Vandrea's long-term health we opted to skip it (though considering all the junk food we ate last night it probably wouldn't have been a bad idea).

In Kentucky we stopped at the Cumberland Gap National Park where KY, TN and VA meet. This is also the historic pass through the Appalachian Mountains which prior to the addition of railroads was the only way that made settling the Ohio valley possible. It was a lovely scenic drive on a beautiful day.

Later we drove through eastern Kentucky and ended up in OH for the night.

Day 294 (Saturday 5/11/13)- Andrew Johnson National Park

Not all presidents are equally trans formative and I certainly can't say I was all that excited about the Andrew Johnson National Park. Actually he turned out to be pretty fascinating.

Beginning his life as an apprentice Johnson ran away at 15 trying to escape some petty charges that had been lobbed at him. Later settling in Tennessee and marrying Eliza McCardle in a ceremony presided over by Abraham Lincoln's cousin, he opened a tailor shop and earned notice as a great debater.

In 1862 Johnson earned the title of Military Governor of Tennessee thus securing his place as future vice president. It was a very difficult position as he was the only Senator who remained in Congress following his state's succession and living in Confederate occupied Eastern Tennessee proved trying on him and his family.

Following the assassination of President Lincoln ,Johnson was thrust into the Presidency during the most difficult time in our nation's history. It became his job to unite the splintered country and restore peace. It seemed as if everyone had a reason to hate him; Northerners because he wanted to re-admit Southern states to the Union without any prosecution of war crimes and Southerns because he was seen as a traitor during the war. Congress impeached him, yet he retained his Presidency with one vote deciding his fate. Returning as a Senator in 1875, Johnson died just 6 months later.

The museum suggested that Johnson deserves credit for the country re-uniting following the war. His other legacy is not so positive. Congress' unsuccessful attempt to kick him out of office set the precedent for the Impeachment process ever since.

 

Day 293 (Friday 5/10/13)- Blue Ridge Parkway Part I

Starting the day getting the van's brakes and weird shuddering noise checked out we were relieved to find out the issue was minor and we could continue our travels.

Before leaving the area we stopped at the Folk Art Center to browse folk crafts including furniture, quilts, weaving, as well as dolls made out of corn husks. Folk art almost disappeared as people were able to afford to buy clothes rather than having to make them themselves. Non-profit groups helped bring the traditional crafts back to the region in the early 1900's, empowering the local economy through tourism.

Blue Ridge Parkway draws 16 million people each year earning it the title of America's most beloved scenic highway and also the longest, stretching between three different states. Unfortunately timing is everything and this rainy, extremely hazy day made for a terrible and at times dangerous drive. The irony here being that we had spent over a week killing time trying to make sure we drove the parkway in good weather.

Watching the documentary Searching for Sugarman with a bag of chips and candy bars made for an enjoyable evening and though the documentary itself was more good than great, the story is incredible. It is unbelievable to think that Rodriquez was as big as the Beatles in South Africa and no one in America had heard of him until the documentary came out.

Days 291 - 292 (Wed 5/8/13 - Thu 5/9/13)- Asheville, NC

This was as close as we have come to the Northwest yet. Asheville recently topped Portland as Beer City and we thoroughly enjoyed this forward thinking and beautiful town.
Starting our adventure at the Highland Brewing Co. we got to see their brewing and bottling area, outdoor stage which hosts huge concerts and sample their staple beer; the Gaelic. (Interesting side note: they have no actual connection to The Highlands, their owner is Japanese but thought it would be a good gimmick).

Right next door is the Troy and Sons Distillery where we got another tour and more samples, this time two whiskeys and their founding product-moonshine. Nothing like what Troy had received from her neighbors as a house warming gift, this good smelling and tasting liquor did warm up our insides but didn't make us go crazy from paint thinner and radiator fluid. The tour guide took a liking to our travel and ended up taking our picture for their website, as well as unsuccessfully trying to sell us $60 bottles of whiskey.

Hiking the "Urban Trail" through Ashville's lovely and historic downtown we enjoyed many beautiful buildings, but none could compete with the Basilica of St. Lawrence. Every angle of the church was picture worthy and is the only free standing dome ceiling in the U.S.

Ending at the University botanical gardens we saw a lush green scape but were disappointed that the word "garden" was applied a little loosely.

Basilica

 

 

 

 

Day 290 (Tuesday 5/7/13)- Cherohala Skyway

Driving this lovely scenic road we meandered through gentle twists and turns and enjoyed the lush greenery of eastern TN.

Stopping briefly at a rushing waterfall we spoke with a woman who lived in Tennessee until she was 12 and now visits as often as she can. Telling us about how they would visit this area before there was a campsite, her father and brothers would sleep on a picnic table and she and her sisters in the car, it made us appreciate the van even more. 

 

 

Days 287 - 289 (Sat 5/4/13 - Mon 5/6/13)- Knoxville, TN

Over the weekend we divided our time between the towns of Maryville and Knoxville, avoiding the rain and trying to keep ourselves busy.

Sunday this was easier, utilizing all of the allotted two hour parking at the East Tennessee Museum. The museum explored the area's wealth of history, beginning with the war of 1812 when Tennessee got it's "Volunteer State" nickname, with many of the army's volunteer soldiers hailing from the state. During that time the U.S. Army ranks had only 7,000 men and welcomed all the help they could get.

During the Civil War Tennessee was a unique state with the eastern portion of the state (having worked alongside their slaves if they had any) opposed to slavery and in support of the Union. This certainly led to high tensions and caused much bad blood even after the war ended.

A more current display detailed how Americans have a wrong impression about the mountain folk of eastern TN. They claimed this was a stereotype initially exaggerated by the media and in turn by the people themselves to help bring in tourism. We did not personally get to see the hill people of the Appalachians but did see close enough approximations at Walmarts to think the stereotypes might be more than just a fabrication.

Before heading back to Maryville we got to take a shower at one of the best pools yet. Though difficult to find, it was well worth the trouble as it was quiet and the lifeguards were so friendly they introduced themselves and offered us coffee.

Day 286 (Friday 5/3/13)- Great Smoky Mountains

 

 

Now understanding why the mountains are both great and smoky we spent the day driving through this amazing park.

We could have easily spent days in this vast landscape but managed to see the best of the mountains in the time we had available. It was only by luck that we managed to get any good pictures at all as "smoky" is no exaggeration and, if ever clear, as soon as you breathe the mountains are again engulfed in mist.

We stopped first at a historic mill and saw creek water fuel the milling of grain and explored several historic buildings left behind by early mountain folk who used to live here before they were forced out to establish the park. This was followed by a hike up to a lovely waterfall where we stood underneath it's spray and by proximity ended up thoroughly soaked. Then a steep drive back. Apparently Vandrea couldn't take the park's greatness and the mountain's weren't the only thing smoking.

After the brakes had cooled we continued our drive and were treated to the best sight all day; a black bear. Possibly even a baby, the adorable animal captivated all who crammed the shoulder to watch it completely ignore everyone. This ended up being just the first of two sightings, the second being a little bigger in size and a little closer to the road.

An interesting side note: As sweet as these bears looked, it was surprising to learn they must also be relatively tame. In the north any bear sightings come with warnings to cover your head and pray, whereas the warning here was to act aggressive and run at the bear.

At the end of our day we drove the Cades Cove scenic drive...which was a scenic nightmare. Judging the cautious 20 mph speed limit as wildly excessive, all the cars in front of us not only went no more than 5 mph they also stopped for every damn turkey along the way, who were all, coincidentally, faster than the gawking motorists. We eventually made it out but not without having gone red in the face from resisting the urge to ram someone. We would have had no problem scaring off a bear.

 

 

 

Day 285 (Thursday 5/2/13)- Marietta, GA

With the exception of lunch, today was a little rough.

Our taste buds buzzed from a delicious Caribbean buffet. Tossa Roti was a vegetarian's dream, me being able to actually sample most of the food!

After driving hours out of town I realized that I had left the debit card at the buffet and we had to drive back for it...in rush hour. This tripled the time it took, most of the drive spent waiting for lights to change and traffic to thin out.

Following such a frustrating afternoon we both needed a pick me up. I got some frozen yogurt and we watched the movie The Impossible. Being so down in spirits, it was the worst movie to pick. The horrors this family experienced during the 2004 tsunami in Thailand are unimaginable and though it was beautifully done it did the opposite of cheer us.

Day 284 (Wednesday 5/1/13)- Atlanta, GA

Today was incredible, right from the beginning. At the Dauset Trails Nature Center we found a completely free mostly outdoor wildlife area with cages of animals along a beautifully forest trail.

Otters were first and we received an exuberant greeting, followed by beavers, owls, an eagle, a black bear, a toothy coyote, two little bobcats, an anxious cougar and a field where a bison cuddled with an antelope while turkeys gobbled in the background. There was also a farm area with goats, cows, horses and pigs and an indoor reptile room with an alligator, snapping turtle and all kinds of snakes.

Next we visited the Monastery of the Holy Spirit and learned about the lives of their monks. Choosing a celibate life, the men cherish silence, work and each other. Each day allows many opportunities for silent reflection, prayer, to work in many different capacities on the property and to live quietly with one another. They currently sustain themselves by making specialty foods, producing panes of stained glass, burying people on their land (we might explain here that this is not as ominous as it may initially sound. The monastery offers natural, coffin free burials)

When raising funds to build the monastery the monks attempted every conceivable way of making money to be self sufficient, including selling milk and beef cows but ran into trouble when one brother kept giving the calves away to needy families (apparently it is now policy to not give away free specialty chocolates to people who live in vans). The early monks built the monastery themselves, despite being almost completely inexperienced in construction, laboring silently for hours each day. In the end they created an incredible property that is mostly open to the public with bike trails, a park and their education center.

Arriving in Atlanta we spent the rest of the day (which was easy to do) at the King center learning all about the man who changed a nation. This collection of historic buildings included the Ebenezer church where Dr. King preached for many years (and where his mother was gunned down in 1974 by a crazy woman), his childhood home and multiple visitor's centers dedicated to his work and life.

Though much is known about Dr. King's public life it was touching to learn more about his personal life, particularly his wife Cora Scott. This courageous woman still deep in the grieving process somehow found the strength to march with the striking sanitation workers in place of her husband following his assassination. She spent the rest of her days on earth fighting for equality.

We also got to see a completely different side of Dr. King that shaped the man he would become. Touring his childhood home with an enthusiastic, if not conventional, Ranger we learned that young Martin (named Michael until the age of 5 when his father changed both their names) was a bit of a mischief maker, or at least so says his sister. He would listen in on discussions between his parents and important guests about racial equality until one night he was discovered eavesdropping when he fell over the balcony and landed at the bottom of the stairs.

He was also daring, leaping out the second story window on at least two different occasions. He came from a very strongly rooted family who had family dinners every night and expected nothing but the best behavior from their children at all times. His mother and father were deeply involved in civil rights, as were his grandmother and grandfather and in this family tradition he would follow, becoming the man who changed America.

 

Dauset Trails

 

 

Antelope, Bison and turkey

 

 

 

 

 

 

Monastery

 

 

 

 

Ebenezer Church where MLK preached

 

MLK's childhood home

Day 283 (Tuesday 4/30/13)- Ocmulgee National Monument

Losing most of the day driving from Jackson, we arrived at the Ocmulgee National Monument with 45-minutes until they closed.

A kind but unobservant Ranger spent about 10 of those minutes explaining the park history and then urging us to "hurry so you can see it all." In record time we blew through the two-room museum and raced along the pathway to see the park's real treasure.

The Earthlodge was built into the side of a huge mound and used as a ceremonial site about 1000 years ago. With the exception of the original clay floors and built in seating surrounding the circular room, the site has been reconstructed and is thought to have been a meeting place for political and religious leaders of the Native tribes.

We finished our visit with a quick drive to the other historical mounds (not quick enough since a guy on foot managed to beat us) and made it out just before they closed the gate.

Day 282 (Monday 4/29/13)- St. Augustine, FL

 

 

We've had an incredible week of wildlife viewing and today was no exception. After having to get two new tires and after that had no effect on lessening the horrible noises the van has been making, we continued on to Fort Matanzas.

Now a National Park, it was originally built by the Spanish and used in conjunction with the Castillo de San Marcos to protect Spanish interests, namely their ships that sailed to Spain full of captured treasure.

Taking a free ferry to the island, where the fort is located, we got to see dolphins swimming along us. Just as friendly as we've always heard them to be the ferry captain referred to their frolicking as the "Dolphin Show." So distracting were the dolphins that we missed perhaps the best Ranger history lesson yet and caught only the final half of the talk. Though what we caught was fascinating. Apparently forgettable, but fascinating.

Next exploring the Castillo de San Marcos which flanks downtown St. Augustine we made sure to catch the history lectures, though this entailed following around lecturers speaking at a third grade level to student groups.

The Castillo is North America's greatest remaining example of Spanish colonial fortification. Made of coquina (a material made up of shells) it was built in 1672, replacing 9 wooden forts before it. The Spanish held the fort for over 120 years and it was eventually surrendered to America in 1821.

Spending the night in Jacksonville we were ambushed by a rain storm featuring bone jarring thunder, though it poured itself out before long so that we could sleep.

A kiss off to Kissimee and all the rest: horrible driving conditions, expensive beaches, the worst bug bites ever and to top it off, getting ticketed trying to escape-I was not sad to say goodbye to Florida.

 

 

Day 281 (Sunday 4/28/13)- Merritt Island Refuge, FL

Driving through the Merritt Island National Wildlife Refuge we found the one free place to view wildlife in the area. Lucky for us it was the manatee viewing deck.

The refuge is home to roughly 600 manatees or about a third of the total population (almost all the world's manatees live on the Florida coast). We tried to wrangle these incredible creatures onto film, but with our reflexes and shutter speed this was impossible. Manatees are air breathing and have to pop up every 2-4 minutes to suck up some air (or 20 minutes when they are inactive) but instead of posing, they stuck no more than their noses out of water and resubmerged as quickly as possible.

Several were feeling playful and spun in the water as they dove. The others, the lazy ones, actually looked like giant rocks.

Though camera wary they were a delight and a highlight to the drive and the day. 

 

Day 280 (Saturday 4/27/13)- The Florida Keys

Starting out early we reached The Keys before most of the traffic and got to enjoy an incredible view driving from Key Largo to Key West. As we drove along the water became more and more green, changing from a brilliant blue to aquamarine to turquoise and then to a light green as we neared the end of the road. It was breathtaking.

By the time we reached Key West the traffic had picked up significantly. We turned around and pulled off a couple of times, near Bahia Honda State Park and then again at the Veteran's Memorial Park. Both spots had incredible views, the first perfect for collecting tiny little shells and the second for viewing parasailers and wading into the warm water.

Words aren't sufficient to describe the beauty here. It was enchanting. The traffic was not. As we had started out early we had no issues driving back but gazed across to those on the other side heading for Key West in standstill traffic. At least they had a good view.

 

 

Day 278 & 279 (Thu 4/25/13 & Fri 4/26/13)- The Everglades

 

Well known as a great place to see alligators, it didn't come as a surprise to run across some. What was surprising was Isaiah's talent of spotting one in every ditch along the drive as we sailed down the road (I am terrible at finding them). They were everywhere, but the biggest group was outside of the Oasis Visitor Center. We saw about ten there, in a small lake with several sunning themselves along the bank. They are deceptively sweet looking when they lounge and Isaiah had to remind me that the "kind smiles" on their faces would signify something else should I fall into the water.

We drove the lower portion of the park on day two in the Everglades and ended up at the Flamingo Visitor Center. While we had light on our side we ventured out to find a hiking trail we had heard good things about. Walking through an eerily half deserted camp ground reminded us of the T.V. show "Lost" and set a foreboding tone.

The sinister feeling heightened when we entered the trail and were immediately attacked by a storm of mosquitoes, of some sort of superior mutant breed, seeming to thrive on our bug spray. Their biting grew with every step. Thankfully for our skin we weren't able to go far since the trail was washed out, just far enough to see ominous animal tracks (bear, I think). Heading back to the Visitor's center we were able to catch glimpses of the endangered American crocodile that lives in the marina canals.

We spent hours upon hours circling Miami like a hungry crocodile. We could not penetrate past the outlying towns. We came at it from all sides. We tried three different park and rides. The only option we could find would have us getting off at the downtown station with enough time to re-board the bus back to the park and ride. There was copious amounts of sweat and swears and near tears. Oh, and there is no friendly Walmarts for like 6 hours, the whole eastern shore it seems. By far the least accessible city in America. It's the only major city we've had to abandon. Some are surprisingly easy to navigate, other not nearly, but we've always been able to find a parking lot or park and ride and take a rail or bus in. We did get an amazing Cuban buffet though.

Doesn't it look kind of sweet?

 

 

 

 

Day 277 (Wednesday 4/24/13)- Tampa, FL

As we began to near the city of Tampa we started to see a change in traffic. Though traffic had been consistently busy, as we neared the southern portion the roads worsened from bad to terrible. Florida was simply not designed for a cumbersome 23-year-old van-or anyone who wants to live a long life. How it entices seniors with RV's or golf carts is a mystery.

After we watched our projected travel time more than double we finally arrived at Sawgrass park. This lovely city park offers an abundance of wildlife and is known for it's alligators. At the observation tower we were able to see several, two were babies and one fully grown. Later, along a walking path we saw another baby alligator, this one actually in motion. There was also the biggest turtle we've ever seen.

Trying to distance ourselves from Tampa we ended up at a library well outside city limits and relaxed to some Comedy Central. This was not the only show that evening. Right outside the window in front of us we saw a large, black snake stalk and devour it's prey.

On our way to Walmart we passed the city of Punta Gorda. Now our Spanish isn't superb, but that can't possibly mean what we think it does, right?