Friends & Fall Colors Tour 2018
Part D (Ocean City, MD to Chicago)
Unless you're from Northern California (specifically, Sacramento area), these first pics won't mean as much to you. But it's an interesting story, nonetheless.
About 40 years or so ago, a Maryland highway engineer thought it'd be fun to put up a sign to commemorate the start (or end) of U.S. Highway 50, which stretches almost the entire length of the continent from Ocean City west to the western end of West Sacramento:
Sacramento Ca 3073
Someone in Sacramento (Jack Cropper, the head dude for highway maintenance for CalTrans, to be exact) saw it several years later on a trip to coastal Maryland (to visit his cousin, who was a former mayor of Ocean City), and he thought it'd be nice to reciprocate. As you came off of the Causeway from Davis, right at the split where Interstate-80 heads NE toward Reno and Business I-80/U.S. 50 continue east toward downtown Sacramento, a sign was posted stating:
Ocean City, MD 3073
It lasted several years, but eventually it was stolen (it wasn't positioned as high as the sign in Maryland). They put up another. Two years later it, too, was stolen. I don't think they put up a third small sign, but someone at CalTrans came up with a solution: Make the sign a lot bigger! Instead of just Ocean City, CalTrans listed three cities on the sign. Unfortunately, the manufacturer of the sign inadvertently flipped the last two digits; the distance was listed as 3037. Someone noticed that (after it was erected, of course), but instead of requiring the company to re-make the sign, they spent $10 on a plate to make the sign correct.
A stickler might note that if the length of U.S. 50 really IS 3073 miles, then the Maryland sign is incorrect because the city of Sacramento is several miles east of the terminus of U.S. 50. But far be it for me to make a stink.
Thought you wanted to know.
The big adventure comes next, so please...
...proceed to Part E
Below, looking east toward downtown of the very tacky tourist town of Ocean City, MD.
Our next stop: North Carolina, specifically Wilmington (we went through several similarly-named cities this trip) to see old friends Melinda & Dave. For those of you not aware of the dynamic duo, I've known Mindy for 54 years (8th grade), and she lived across the street from Tracy in Coronado for several years before that. Dave is a terrific addition - and doubles as webmaster for my golf (and football) pools.
This delightful city is right on the banks of Cape Fear River and worth a visit.
M&D recently emigrated down from Northern Virginia and had a house built in a brand-new subdivision. Frankly, I so loved their floor plan (master suite on the first floor!) that I've unabashedly asked for their architectural plans. Snickers & Callie (right) complete their household.
As in many disasters, the positive community spirit made a remarkable impact on the area's recovery. There are plenty of piles left to be disposed of, but the neighborhoods seemed well-organized. Note: M&D's subdivision saw some damage, but they clearly picked the best of the builders because their damage was quite minor. Life moves on; Wilmington will survive. And Melinda & Dave are happy!
We took the short drive to the ocean and boarded a car ferry to Seaport; the wind was fierce!
Below, sunset over their lake; right below, the blackwater Cape Fear River as it meanders past downtown.
When Hurricane Florence made landfall a month ago (September 14, 2018), its target was Wilmington. Fortunately for Wilmington, the storm downgraded a bit before it made land; unfortunately, it stalled over the city, and 23 inches of rain fell in 72 hours over an already waterlogged area. Between the wind, rain and soaked soils, Florence did its damage. While the area looked remarkably clean for only being four weeks out, remnants of the damage were evident.
...On to Virginia & Maryland...
After a lovely time in Wilmington (NC), it was time to invade our next friends' home: Dave & Nancy of Accokeek (MD), who had just returned from their Left Coast home in the Sea Cliffs area of NW San Francisco. They recently sold their D.C. suburban home and moved to this idyllic spot (which they've owned for almost 20 years) across the Potomac River from Mt. Vernon.
Dave still works (part-time) as a D.C. lobbyist (which is how I got to know him 30 odd years ago); Nancy retired from her day job, but she continues to plow away at her lifetime passion, synchronized swimming (her excellence landed her in the International Swimming Hall of Fame in 2006). Her more than 100 medals at senior events attest to her continuing abilities and staying power.
Right across the lane from their home is the site of the Alice Ferguson Foundation, a land trust set up more than 60 years ago dedicated to environmental education for teachers.
From the rolling hills to the riverside, the Ferguson Foundation shares the wonder and excitement of the farm, woodlands, wetlands and waterways of the Potomac River watershed with thousands of students, teachers and citizens every year.
It's adjacent to Piscataway Park, a part of the National Park Service. It's a different kind of NP in that its primary purpose is to protect the viewshed of Mt. Vernon, several miles across the Potomac.
The above photo was taken from near the admin building of the Alice Ferguson Foundation, looking west across the Potomac toward Washington D.C. The white bridge center right is the Woodrow Wilson Bridge; if you took a magnifying glass to the photo you would see the Washington Monument above the left end of the bridge and the U.S. Capitol above the right edge. Trust me.
Below right, Dave walks along the boardwalk next to the Potomac River. Below that photo is the Potomac River; the buildings across the river on the left side are Mt. Vernon. Below right is the gravesite of the last known member of the Piscataway Tribe, Chief Turkey Tayac (1895-1978). The Park Service was reluctant to bury the chief on the grounds of the park; however, one angry, profanity-laced call from then U.S. Congressman Phil Burton (D-SF) convinced them otherwise.
After attending a lecture at the Smithsonian Thursday night (by the author of a new biography of Hubert Humphrey), we returned to a baseball theme on Friday: a tour of the ballpark of the Washington Nationals.
Right: A rare photo of Robert F. Kennedy & Yankee great Mickey Mantle at Yankee Stadium.
Below right, seats from D.C. Stadium (white) & R.F.K. Stadium (yellow); for those in the know, it's the same stadium. I attended the Opening Day game at D.C. Stadium in 1963 with my dad; JFK threw out the first pitch. The stadium was renamed in 1969. The white seat was hit by a Frank Howard home run (Senators); the yellow seat by a Ryan Zimmerman home run when the Nationals played at RFK before their current ballpark opened in 2008.
The visitors' locker room and a press pass to the only World Series ever won by a Washington team.
The Nats did an outstanding job of decorating the walls of the park with memorabilia; they even honor the Negro League ballplayers who played in D.C. (Cool Papa Bell of the Homestead Grays!).
Right, I warm up in the Nats' bullpen under the watchful eye of my pitching coach, Tracy.
Apparently the Nationals do not commemorate the seat that Brandon Belt hit with his 18th inning home run in the playoffs in 2014. I looked.
Right: Nancy seriously thinking of calling Battman in from the bullpen. No!!!
Williamsport (PA), then on to Seneca Falls (NY)
When in Williamsport (and it's raining cats and dogs), you fork over your $3 (if you're old) and visit the Little League Museum. They've done a fine job; worth your time. Upper right, Maria Pepe was the little girl who played several games for her Hoboken (NJ) little league team in 1972, until the international league office found out. Threatened with the loss of their charter, the local league backed down - but in stepped the National Organization of Women. The final judicial result - too late for Maria though - allowed girls to play on little league teams starting in 1974.
It brought back memories of when I played minor little league ball in 1961 in Coronado (age 10); my friend Tim Hacker (9) was on the team, but it was his sister (Susie, age 12) who was the real star...of our practices. She was a big left-handed hitter, and she hit it hard and long. Even back at that tender age, it made no sense to any of us that Susie couldn't play with us (heck, she wouldn't have been on our team; she would have been the MVP of the major leagues!). Bottom left, a Nigerian glove made out of cardboard, complete with a baseball card of Von Hayes!
Onward to Seneca Falls to visit our Orange County (CA) friends, Beds & Kelly, at their second home (The Clary House, built 1895). Beds is a state appellate court justice; Kel is a senior staff attorney with the same court. They were in high spirits the night we arrived...because Cal upset highly-ranked Washington on the gridiron (they're rabid fans)! They bought this place four years ago and have done a fantabulous job of renovating it with their exquisite tastes. And what a view they have out the back! That's the Trinity Episcopal Church across the Van Cleef Lake (not really a lake; it's the river/canal that connects Seneca Lake to Cayuga Lake).
The church is one of the most photographed buildings in New York; Kelly admits to adding to that total daily; I helped. (You can see the chuch right over the cars, bottom right - and in the next couple of pics.)
The surrounding countryside is classic upstate NY: rolling hills with forests and farmland, small towns and lakes everywhere; this area is also an up and coming wine district. Oh, and maybe John Fogarty WASN'T stuck in Lodi, California after all!
We drove down to Corning to visit the Glass Museum. Absolutely worth a visit! Tracy just finished making her birthday glass pumpkin, right. Bottom left. Kelly working on her glass flower.
We stopped in Mountour Falls (just south of Watkins Glen; known more for their NASCAR events) for a brief visit to Chequaga Falls. It's right in a local neighborhood; imagine the thunder, 24/7!
Back to Seneca Falls for a little hiking loop down the river and through town past million dollar homes (sans their church view). The homes were gorgeous, and the fall colors helped frame them. Kelly & Tracy below.
The museum can be exhausting, there are so many exhibits and information to digest. Bet you didn't know that the first indication of glass making is from Egypt, 3,500 years ago! Or that CorningWare (a glass-ceramic product) was invented in 1958 by a glass-maker who accidentedly left a sample in a kiln overnight.
Just north of Watkins Glen is one of several large waterfalls heading down from the surrounding hills to Seneca Lake below. Thundering! This one (Hector Falls) is, at least, out in the country.
Early morning reflective view with their coffee, right out the window over their kitchen table. This is NOT blown up; this, seriosuly, is what they see. Beautifully photographed by Ms. Kelly McCourt.
Tracy's pumpkin to the right.
Right: In 1851, Amelia Bloomer (a women's rights activist in her own right) introduces Susan B. Anthony to Elizabeth Cady Stanton on a Seneca Falls street, and a movement was born. Note the church under Tracy's umbrella; it's the same church (built in 1885) in the following photographs.
Then it was back towards Chicago. When we had lunch in western NY on our way east, Tracy discovered that we were close to the Lucille Ball Museum in Jamestown (NY), so it was no surprise that she wanted to incorporate a visit on our way back west. Lucy was born in Jamestown and returned on occasion; she had great affinity for her hometown roots. As cheesy as it was (we agreed), Tracy loved it. Happy birthday!
Tracy enjoyed reliving the antics of Lucy & Ricky, Fred & Ethel. We even drove a few miles to Celoron (NY) to the Lucille Ball Memorial Park and the house she lived in when they moved from Jamestown. Gorgeous lighthouse on Lake Chautauqua - and a statue for Tracy to pose with.
Then it was back on the road to Chicago!
Seneca Falls (NY)