It has rained 9 days in a row. We have only been here two days and have been able to see 3 of the 19 Smithsonian Museums, took a nice long stroll down King street in Alexandria and today visited the Natural History Museum and took a 40 site bus tour of DC and the Arlington Cemetery. We stood in the rain to watch the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. It was very moving. An evening seafood snack and back to the B&B. It has been storming for about the last hour or so and the thunder is rolling for 20-30 seconds at a time.
Tomorrow morning we will be heading out of Alexandria and back to the same cabin in the woods that we stayed in on Sunday night. After all of this walking we are looking forward to the jacuzzi tub. My calves are killing me. James' knee isn't faring too well either. Ibuprofen for us tonight. We will stop at Washington's home, Mt Vernon, on our way out tomorrow. They are predicting rain again.
It's getting late so I will try to download some pictures tomorrow. Good night...
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Day 21 JEST Morning
This funny thing has happened. As we are heading east our clothes are shrinking. It must be the humidity..................................ha! ha! You would think with all the walking that we have been doing that we would be dropping the weight but oh no, not us.............................You can't travel and not eat the foods of the region-OK, that's an excuse but a good one!
We decided to take our time this morning. We are tired from yesterday's long and rainy day and James' leg/back needs a rest. We have decided to take the Tourmobile today so that we can see as much as possible as we are leaving in the morning to head back towards Texas. 20 days to get here and 4 days to drive back home. I will have to keep James from stopping at all the sights. We really needed another month to see more but we have already done our part for the economy. We'll be eating beans and taters for awhile but it has been worth it.
The sun looks like it is trying to peek out and it is warmer today so we will be able to enjoy more. We have to get on the subway to get into DC and that is quite an experience in itself. We'll write more this evening.
We decided to take our time this morning. We are tired from yesterday's long and rainy day and James' leg/back needs a rest. We have decided to take the Tourmobile today so that we can see as much as possible as we are leaving in the morning to head back towards Texas. 20 days to get here and 4 days to drive back home. I will have to keep James from stopping at all the sights. We really needed another month to see more but we have already done our part for the economy. We'll be eating beans and taters for awhile but it has been worth it.
The sun looks like it is trying to peek out and it is warmer today so we will be able to enjoy more. We have to get on the subway to get into DC and that is quite an experience in itself. We'll write more this evening.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Day 20 JEST
The Smithsonian museums were on the agenda for today. There is just so much to see and do we have to be very choosy about how we spend our time. We took the Metro into DC. We met a nice couple from Arizona that helped us navigate the metro system. We managed to get through the National Museum of American History, American Indian Museum and Air and Space Museum. We finished off the evening with a walk in Olde Towne Alexandria on King's Street down by the water. Ate at the famous Fish Market and got back to the room in time to watch American Idol. We are exhausted and should sleep very well tonight. Another long day tomorrow-we still have to decide what to do.
Day 19 JEST
It rained all night long and the sound on the tin roof of the cabin was peaceful and gave us a good excuse to lay in bed awhile longer. Not to diminish the other B&B's, but the mattress was the best we've slept on so far. We left around noon for another day of driving in the rain.
We stopped to visit Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, near Charlottesville, Va. It was quite interesting and very beautiful. The flower gardens looked and smelled beautiful. It quit raining long enough for a much needed walk around the grounds. We tried to travel on the Skyline Parkway (an extension of the Blue Ridge Parkway) but the weather was just too bad so we headed for Alexandria, Va., a suburb of DC. The homes here are mostly 3-5 stories and at least a hundred years old. The landscaped yards are full of many species of flowers and shrubbery. All of you gardners would be in heaven. We are staying at www.yesteryears treasures.com . Moina is a wonderful hostess. We have the Queens bedroom with a nice sitting area, large walk in closet and a bathroom. We took a nice stroll around the neigborhood and James met some of the neigbors - what a shock!
We stopped to visit Monticello, the home of Thomas Jefferson, near Charlottesville, Va. It was quite interesting and very beautiful. The flower gardens looked and smelled beautiful. It quit raining long enough for a much needed walk around the grounds. We tried to travel on the Skyline Parkway (an extension of the Blue Ridge Parkway) but the weather was just too bad so we headed for Alexandria, Va., a suburb of DC. The homes here are mostly 3-5 stories and at least a hundred years old. The landscaped yards are full of many species of flowers and shrubbery. All of you gardners would be in heaven. We are staying at www.yesteryears treasures.com . Moina is a wonderful hostess. We have the Queens bedroom with a nice sitting area, large walk in closet and a bathroom. We took a nice stroll around the neigborhood and James met some of the neigbors - what a shock!
Day 18 JEST
It rained all day. We did 't stay on the Parkway too long because the clouds were covering the mountain tops. Also, because Kari was freaking out with the curvy mountain road. I had a pretty good time with it. We made it just before dark to a very nice cabin in the middle of the Blue Ridge Mountains. We're a long way from civilization here in the most comfortable cabin you can imagine. The 7 ft./two person tub with Jacuzzi jets just in the right spots was a welcome relief after a few days on the road. The fireplace was loaded and ready to go as well as the outdoor fire pit. Dimmers on all of the lights, thick towels and robes, covered balcony with large comfy rockers, a bottle of red and no T.V. was a nice touch... www.chelseycreekfarms.com
Sunday, May 3, 2009
Day 17 JEST
This part of the country is absolutely gorgeous but I am starting to get homesick. I miss my "babies" Sammy and Ladybug. We started traveling on the Blue Ridge Parkway today and has been misting rain all day. Spent 9 hours traveling a little over 200 miles. Every turn we took was more breathtaking than the one before. We stopped every chance that we could and took lots of pictures but they just don't do justice to the real thing. Being on top of a mountain that is over 5000 feet offers you an amazing view. We felt like we could reach up and touch the clouds they were so close.
We found Dutchies B&B www.dutchiesview.com to spend the night. We were treated to a blueberry crisp for a bedtime snack and a great breakfast with homemade apple butter to spread on the homemade breads that our hosts baked. There are two dogs in residence, Daisy a weinie dog and Dutchie a Swiss Mtn/Gordon Setter mix so I got me some doggie lovin' this evening.
Friday, May 1, 2009
Day 16 JEST
Congratulations to Nick-he was accepted into A&M to finish his last two years. Go Nick-we're so proud of you!
We spent the day in Asheville, NC at the Biltmore Estate. It is the largest private home in the country and was built by George Vanderbilt in the late 1800's. It is an 8,000 acre estate with many types of plants, flowers and trees. The formal gardens and greenhouse were amazing. James took a few pictures with his camera and we are hoping to get those posted soon. There was also a winery where James really enjoyed the wine tasting. The house itself looks similar to a castle. The foundation of the home covers 5 acres and it is a 4 story house.
We're staying at a hotel in Asheville tonight and will head out early on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It rained last night and this morning and there is a 40% chance for the weekend.
I finally found a charger for my camera so we will be posting pictures soon.
We spent the day in Asheville, NC at the Biltmore Estate. It is the largest private home in the country and was built by George Vanderbilt in the late 1800's. It is an 8,000 acre estate with many types of plants, flowers and trees. The formal gardens and greenhouse were amazing. James took a few pictures with his camera and we are hoping to get those posted soon. There was also a winery where James really enjoyed the wine tasting. The house itself looks similar to a castle. The foundation of the home covers 5 acres and it is a 4 story house.
We're staying at a hotel in Asheville tonight and will head out early on the Blue Ridge Parkway. It rained last night and this morning and there is a 40% chance for the weekend.
I finally found a charger for my camera so we will be posting pictures soon.
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