Saturday, May 5, 2012

The Ozark Folk Center State Park

This is a craft village just outside of Mountain View, reflecting the arts of years ago - soap-making (we bought lye soap), candles, leather, lithograph printing, and on and on.  The people here were like retired educators who come for the summer and educate.The buildings were log cabin style and laid out on the hillside.

A highlight was listening to a legitimate bluegrass band playing.  I swear these guys were college professors.  It was a nice way to end the trip.

Friday, May 4, 2012

Mountain View, AR - a real kick!

We finally arrived in Mountain View, Arkansas, and this really topped off the trip.  The motel clerk said some folks would be playing music in the park that night, and they certainly were.  Six or eight different groups gathered here and there, with four to six players in each.  Fiddles, banjos, guitars, bass players, all sitting in circles playing to each other, all bluegrass.  We were amazed, and enjoyed it thoroughly.  We should go back.

This is just one of the groups playing.  When the video starts you can hear Lonna talking to a fellow we sat next to.  He is a car dealer from Louisiana, as I recall, a real nice fellow who was "coming back for more" of this entertainment.  What you don't learn . . .

the Clinton Presidential Library

Next stop - the William J Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, AR.  We've gone through several now, starting with the Gerald Ford Library in Grand Rapids, MI, and found each to be memorable in its own way.  My favorite continues to be, surprisingly, the Ford Library.

In any event, since we were already in Arkansas it made sense for us to stop here, and wander around reading, looking, and taking photos.  As we peered into the mock Oval Office, the security guard told us that Clinton often just "shows up" and will sit down to visit with people . . . but he wasn't there on this day.  The other presidential libraries we have visited seemed respectful of the times of the president, and quietly horrific of the responsibilities.  The Clinton Library leaves me cold.  Maybe it would improve with the passage of time but this seems clearly to be an honorarium to Clinton without much acknowledgment of the roles that others may have played.

In the photo here, Lonna is looking at one of the center displays and on the left, stack after stack of files, and to the left of them, documentation regarding specific events or themes during the time of his presidency.

Thursday, May 3, 2012

Vicksburg National Military Battlefield

Today was the tour I'd been pointing towards for most of this trip, visiting the site of the Civil War battle memorialized in numerous books including April, 1865 by Jan Vinik.  Recommended reading.

The tour of the Field includes the option to view over 1300 monuments, and battles and locations marked 150 years ago by Veterans of the war.  A "Blue and Grey" Association was formed post-war, so those who had fought could climb specific hills to document exactly how the Illinois 5th Regiment had advanced, for example, or the exact dip where another regiment attempted to break the Grey line but was turned back.

We bought a CD to accompany us on the tour of several hours but often go too far ahead or behind of the instruction.  I don't even know where the CD is as of this writing and I'm not sure I'll ever listen to it again, but the information was extensively laid out.

The cannon in the photo at right shows the placement above the bluffs overlooking the Mississippi, enabling the South to control the flow of goods along the river - until Grant's troops won the battle.  There is a reason for the large and small headstones in the cemetery view but I don't recall what it is.

It was just a remarkable experience.  An orientation film and battlefield review in the visitor center were helpful.  Towards the end a museum which houses and "is" the actual USS Cairo, an iron-clad ship sunk by a mine, was an impressive tour.  It is believed to be the first ship ever sunk by a "mine" although the mechanics for doing so included a ropeline extended to soldiers hidden behind bushes on an island.

It was raised from the bottom of the Yazoo in the '60s, after being "located" by the efforts of Edwin Bearss, a civil war historian providing much of the information for the PBS series we watched while in Florida.  It was a laborious task given the deterioration of much of the ship.  The artifacts raised with it were numerous and revealing.  The ship's "doctor", for example, was a butcher from Pennsylvania.

This photo shows the ship is covered by a canopy to protect it from the sun's rays.  It deserves protection given it is in the best condition of the three remaining ironclads from the Civil War.

At the end of the day we ate at the Walnut Hill Restaurant, some fine food in another antebellum home.

Wednesday, May 2, 2012

the Natchez Trace

Meriwether Lewis Monument near Grinder's Inn

Before we left for the vacation in Florida I had read Undaunted Courage, the story by Stephen Ambrose of the trip engineered and executed by Lewis & Clark.  I found the story to be fascinating, and learned that Meriwether Lewis died near Grinder's Inn on the Natchez Trace.

My thought was to visit Grinder's Inn on the way to Florida, and view the marker pictured here, but timing and distance got in the way.  Little did we know that my good friend and HS classmate Chuck Helgeland is now living in Franklin, TN, very near the Trace, so we missed out on two opportunities.

The photo is from a postcard, which says on the back The broken shaft design of this monument symbolizes a life ended in its prime.  Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis and Clark fame, died under mysterious circumstances at Grinder's Inn, 300 yards south of here on the night of October 11,1809.  Lewis was Governor of Louisiana at the time of his death at age 35.

Perhaps because of all the remedies taken by Lewis during his trip to the West coast he eventually became incapable, and apparently some type of struggle occurred at Grinder's Inn, and the jury is still out as to whether he killed himself or was murdered by some assailant.  That debate continues today and we may never know.

Click the photo for a larger view
While in Natchez we gathered more information and found the Trace was originally an Indian Trail from Natchez to Nashville, and as boating on the Mississippi pre-steamboat became a source for transfer of goods, the boatsmen would travel from as far as Nashville, perhaps by way of the Cumberland River, and on down to New Orleans.

Once there they used the Trace for their return trip home.  Along much of the Trace the soil is loess, which is very silty, and in many places the horses and wagons actually carved out ditches as they followed the path.

We drove the Trace for 20 or 30 miles out of Natchez, just a small portion of the total 444 miles.  There are no services directly on the Trace but numerous historic sites including the Lewis Monument, further north in Tennessee.  The drive is more like a parkway, winding and speed-restricted, so you can't want to get somewhere in a hurry.  Along the way we stopped at a cabin used 200 years ago and visited with the docent who, with his wife, are at the service of the National Park Service, traveling the country and recounting the history at each location where they stop.

I have a goal to stand at Grinder's Inn at some point, but moreso I want to stand on the trail of Lewis & Clark, for as Ambrose wrote, one really needs to stand on the trail they followed at least once in a life to feel the trip that they took.  It's on my bucket list.

Natchez, MS - multiple antebellum mansions

I'm happy we chose to return home through Mississippi, and to take our time to hit a few of the sights.  On this day we toured the Melrose House on that plantation.  We learned much, and this video captures some highlights.  (The videographer is very much into details so you don't get a big picture view of very much. The narration by the docent begins about 25 seconds in. The tour is about one hour and the video about 5 minutes, so the story is fragmented.)


Ceilings in the home were 15 feet high, and the house was designed to give slaves access by way of "side entires" so as not to interface with owners and guests.  The slave homes were 20 x 20 for 5 or 6 slaves, including a fireplace for cooking.  You'll notice what looks like a paddle hanging over the dining table in the video.  As I recall, that acted as a fan for the guests, driven by a rope tied to the top and pulled by a slave.

Music was a major source of solace and entertainment, especially in a "call and response" style.  "Go Down, Moses" was a favorite since it was a parallel to their own fight for freedom.  Any historical accuracy as to slave treatment is questionable since owners had their prejudice, slaves would not likely speak out for the record, and slaves had been prevented from learning to read or write, so there are no journals to access or review.

Natchez has numerous antebellum homes and an excellent Visitor Center.  A highlight was lunch at Fat Mama's Tamales, where I enjoyed a Po'Boy and Lonna the Gringo, tamales smothered with chili, cheese, onions and jalapenos.

A memorable day.

Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Destin, FL to Natchez, MS

We left Destin at 8 AM, driving west on the coastal barrier islands to Gulf Stream.  Amazing high rise towers are scattered throughout the area, awaiting hurricanes, I suppose.  By accident we discovered a National Park, the Gulf Islands National Sea Shore, and used our lifetime pass (for seniors) to visit.  For free.

At the visitor centr we learned about the live oak tree, with its natural habitat along the gulf coast with its salt, warmth, and water.  The live oak is exceptionally dense so it was perfect for use in warships since cannonballs would bounce right off it.  It should also make beautiful furniture.

On to Pensacola and Gulf Shores. Another vacation area, especially for retired military.  We went west to Mississippi - Biloxi, et al - and stopped at the John Stenis Visitor Center where a lunar module used for training was on display.  The module was procured through the efforts of John Haise, a native of Biloxi and the Lunar Module Commander for the ill-fated Apollo 13 moon mission.

We didn't go into the Stenis Center but instead visited the ante-bellum style museum that was more the travel center.  But we knew we were in Mississippi.

We were 30 miles from New Orleans when we headed west across Louisiana to Natchez Mississippi, our destination so we could follow the Natchez Trace.

Today meant two unplanned but VERY interesting stops.



Monday, April 30, 2012

Bradenton to Destin, FL

Our return was calculated to go a different route than the trip down, so on this day we said goodbye to beautiful Bradenton and headed to the Florida panhandle.  As we were driving through the panhandle, in the Tallahassee area the temps got up to 95 degrees.

Then we dropped south to Freeport, wound up going into Destin where we stayed at at a Days Inn and at for the first time ever at Chick-Fil-A.  Their meals are healthy, so we finished with their mini sundae, which was delicious.

As I recall, Destin was the destination that Jana was looking at when she was considering the scuba diving career.  Right on the Gulf, it could have been perfect.  A nice place to vacation while she worked!

Things learned this month

Some things learned were a bit goofy - like the origin of well-known phrases, but even they were something new.

At the DeSoto National Park we sat in on a presentation by a fellow in period dress, during which he fired off a musket.  And told us:

  • The firing of a musket has 3 elements, the first being powder in "the pan" that is ignited by the "lock", setting off round 2 (can't remember, probably a firing mechanism) that ignites the powder in the barrel.  Sometimes the pan powder does little more than flash, thus creating a "flash in the pan."
  • A musket is made by three manufacturers, a locksmith, a wood smith, and an iron worker, who make, respectively, the lock, the stock, and the barrel.  Thus when the gun is fully assembled it is "lock, stock, and barrel!"
The photo is a panorama display of DeSoto "coming ashore" when he did.

At Gamble Plantation, once a slave plantation:
  • Old rope beds included a mattress lying on a rope frame.  As the ropes stretched over time, the owner or his slave would utilize a wooden post at the foot of the bed to which the ropes were tied, and a hole drilled through the post atone end.  A rod would be inserted into the hole to act as a crank.  Spinning the post to tighten the ropes would enable a person to "sleep tight."
  • A bathtub was seldom used more than once a week, need it or not, and since carrying the hot water to its location was difficult, the entire family would use the same water, husband first, then wife, oldest child, and so on, down to the baby.  Thus, when finished, all were warned to be careful not to "throw out the baby with the bathwater."
Plantation mansions were typically 2 separate buildings with a common roof, the second building added as wealth was generating, and the first then used primarily as working quarters for upper tier slaves.  The space between the two buildings was used, among other things, as a walkway for the slave boys to carry and deliver food at mealtime.  Dogs also tended to concentrate here, especially at mealtime, since the kitchen was located on this walkway, in the slave quarters.
  • The walkway between buildings was known as a "whistle walk" because the slave boys were required to whistle while delivering the food, to prevent them from eating/tasting the food.
  • To keep the dogs away, the slaves cooking would would deep fry cornbread then thrown out to the dogs to keep them quiet, thus earning the name of "hush puppies."
A missed opportunity - a young black family joined the tour shortly before it started, and left before I had a chance to visit with them.  As we walked about and stories were told I couldn't help but wonder what was going through their heads, especially the parents, who were nicely dressed, so presumably were earning a good income.  It had to be bittersweet.

Friday, April 27, 2012

St. Armand's Circle

In an earlier post I mentioned eating at the Columbia Restaurant in St Armand's Circle, located south of Longboat Key, the entry to Sarasota.  It's purely a shopping experience on an island of wealth.

As we walked about on this beautiful 82 degree day we saw several restaurants that were inviting, but Lonna's friend Carol made a strong recommendation to go to Columbia, and we were not disappointed.  As mentioned, Lonna had the 1905 salad, named for the year the Cuban founders opened their first restaurant in Tampa, and I enjoyed the Roast Pork a la Cuban.  Damien, our server, was a pro.

Of all the shops and stores on the Circle, the one that caught our eye and offered our first purchase was Key West Hammocks.  And all we bought from them, albeit a significant purchase, was a swivel hook for our sky chairs at home.

Their sky chairs feature a slide-out footrest that swings back under the chair when you leave it.  All for a measly $469, although I think it was on sale the day we were there.

(You ought to see our swivel hooks.  They're really neat, and only $14.95 each.  A bargain.)

Otherwise it was just a straw fedora for me and a zippered sweatshirt for Lonna.  On a beautiful day.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

a day at sea

On our first visit to the Mote Museum we had not noticed their Sea Cruise offering so when we discovered it we circled back to take advantage.  It's advertised as a chance to see dolphins and manatees. We saw 2 or 3 of the former but none of the latter, which I suppose is not unexpected.
Exploring a Blowfish

It was a beautiful day and the marine biologist who was our tour director/docent was an excellent teacher.  Jennifer did a netting to pull up numerous species including 2 puffer fish and a sponge-like tunica that is being researched for a possible cancer cure.

The youngsters on board were enthralled with what she found and all the background information she provided to us.

The other half of our plan for this beautiful day was lunch at Sharky's in Venice.  I had been told to walk the beaches and pick up shark teeth there, but we didn't.  The food was good there and I purchased one of their nifty shirts.

Monday, April 23, 2012

the Ringling Circus Museum

We had to take a tour of this museum to honor our friend Zerelda, who invited Lonna to run away with her to visit the circus.  We hit the museum, the Tibbals Learning Center, the Original Museum, Ca'd'Zan, the John & Mabel Ringling Home, and Mabel's Rose Garden.  To put it in perspective - in the year(s) when the home was built, John gave Mabel $250,000 to build it.  That's an astonishing amount of money for that year, and she went a bit over budget, like $1,000,000 over budget.
The detail and craftsmanship of the workers seemed clear indication to me that they didn't just round up some locals to complete it.  As I recall, they did use several local natives for some of the heavy lifting, but the  skill work belonged to a number of Italians who were brought over specifically for the task.  It's all extraordinary.  I don't think I have a single picture that really reflects the quality, but the front view here gives some indication.
On the back side there is a beautiful terrace with inlaid stone.  It gets rented out for weddings and such.  An example is at the blogspot of Limelight Studios.  Just guessing - the rental probably exceeds $1,000 . . .
Along the way, at the Museum and at the Ca'D'Za, we met a couple of terrific docents (Wikipedia: a title used in the U.S. for educators trained to further the public's understanding of the cultural and historical collection.)  Both of them were knowledgeable, but more important were passionate about their topic, and we learned much.  It was worth the minimal cost.  This is a sitting room in the middle of Ca'D'Za.  Our house would fit inside it, I believe.
In the Tibbals Center we also viewed the scale model of a circus complete with menagerie, Big Top, Ford Tent, etc.  It was laid out over 3800 square feet that took 50 years to complete.  It was amazing.  Having read Water for Elephants before we got there made everything in the scenery make sense.  I have no photos but here is a video.
It was a beautiful day.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

Places to eat

We chose not to go on the wagon ride at Robinson Preserve as planned.  Today was one of those rare days when rain fell, and the Mango Salsa Grouper that Lonna ate last night at the Sandbar didn't sit well, so she chose to "set" it elsewhere about noon.

Columbia Restaurant
But here are some great places to eat on or near Anna Maria Island -
  • The Sandbar, in spite of Lonna's experience.  Michael Connelly references it often in his books.  It is located on the gulf shore towards the north end of the island where it provides a nice view of the sunset.  When we ate there a wedding was taking place on the beach.
  • Fire & Stone Pizza - on Cortez Road.  All day buffet for little or nothing.  Like many places, they accept checks, and their only bounced checks are local.
  • Beach House - very nice, like the Sandbar is on the beach also, owned by the same fellow, who also owns MerVista on Longboat Key.
  • Oma's Pizza on Gulf Road was very good.
  • Columbia Restaurant on St Armand's Circle, Longboat Key, is outstanding.  Founded by Cubans in 1905, we emailed for reservations and continue to get their email propaganda regularly.  I enjoyed the Roast Pork "A La Cubana" and Lonna had the Original 1905 Salad.
  • The Mexicali Restaurant had very good fish tacos.
  • Rotten Ralph's on the end of the dock had a great breakfast.
  • Star Fish Seafood Market - on the beach south of Cortez Road.  Fresh fish, down home fixin'.  You order and pay at the bar, leave your name, and a server brings out a dozen or so at a time, yelling the name of the owners.  Good soup, sandwiches OK, ambiance very local.  Penguins swoop back and forth.
One place we found to be far less than suitable was the Rib House bearing the name of LeeRoy Selmon, a retired linebacker with the Bucs.  We discovered why it wasn't very busy, although the fried green tomatoes were good.  Selmon had been a positive role model and community philanthropist after his retirement, and unfortunately died not long before we were there.

Tuesday, April 17, 2012

Getting a haircut - and a tip

We ran over to Fantastic Sam's on Cortez Road where Lonna's stylist asked if we knew about the Robinson Preserve.  We did not, so decided to check it out that day.

At noon we had fish tacos at the Mexicali Restaurant on Cortez.  They were excellent.

Then we trucked out to the Robinson Preserve, where there are miles of biking/hiking trails in a restoration project for wetlands along Tampa Bay.  It's a great place to walk, with wildlife all around, and several kayakers.  On Saturday morning we can go back for wagon ride about the area, and a docent to tell us what we saw today and will see again on Saturday.

This shot, on a gloomy day, shows the boardwalk that conveniently carried walkers across the water.  The shot was taken from a tower located in the middle of the wetlands, built like a fire tower.

Sunday, April 1, 2012

the trip to Florida

It was a four-day drive, across Illinois and Indiana, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia.  Usually it was overcast, and it was rainy in Tennessee.  In the past year I have read the story of Lewis and Clark's trip to the West Coast, culminating in his death just off the Natchez Trace, and April, 1865, the month that was the difference maker in the Civil War.  That led to this trip being, in large part, a study of the South and the War.

Somewhere along the way we saw a sign marking a monument to Jeff Davis, and though we drove 3 or 4 miles in both directions we never found it, and moved on.

Bypassing traffic in Nashville, we drove past Lookout Mountain and it's novelties.  in Atlanta there was heavy traffic on the south side, at the rate of 2 miles in 10 minutes.  Then we pulled off to find a station where we could relieve ourselves, and it was the worst bathroom ever.  In general, the bathrooms are low maintenance.

We rolled into Bradenton about 1 PM on Sunday and Randy was waiting.  If I could throw a rock I could probably hit the ocean from our front steps.  I was disappointed to find we were on the opposite side of Gulf Road from the ocean, but the price is right.

We settled in, prepared for a whole month here.  It will work!  So what did we do?

Hit the beach 3 or 4 times a week, for a couple hours each time.
Went to Mote Aquarium - it was great.
Rode the trolley to either end of Anna Maria Island - for free.
Visited the South Florida Museum and it was great, too.
Toured the Mixon Fruit Farms - it was impressive, but the oranges are for juice, not eating.
Viewed the junk at the Red Barn Flea Market.
Observed very artfully displayed junk at the Sea Hagg on Cortez.
Walked all over the fantastic Robinson Preserve.
Walked to the end of the historic Anna Maria Pier.
Rode the train and observed a Civil War battle re-enactment.
Spent a day at the Ringling Museum and Mabel's Rose Garden.
Ate lunch at the Columbia Restaurant - founded by Cuban immigrants.

Photos would be suitable if I can find them.  Here's one from the Sea Hag.

Wednesday, March 28, 2012

Meeting the Edgars

Today was the first day of our trip to Florida and it happened to coincide with the first gathering of Project McNamara.  The guests at the Ann and Dale Johnson farm included the Edgars, Everharts, Amber Carberry, Nancy Hengesteg, Tanna Moretz, Jan Mielke, and Art Kuennen.

During this time the photos were shared and the story laid out more fully, the conversation uncovering a variety of notes.  I took along the photos that were later added to the NK62 blog when we arrived in Florida.

The emotions of the day included meeting the son of a Marine killed in Viet Nam, his family, and our hosts the Johnsons.  The moment to remember was the moment when I touched the Purple Heart.

This was a once-in-a-lifetime event.  Shane, Kim, then Amber Carberry.  Shane, whose father died in Nam, was having so much info thrown at him that it had to be overwhelming.  I took h is photo with the Purple Heart, so impressive because the name Donald McNamara is on the back.  I said, "That's an expensive metal."  He said, "I know."  After I snapped the photo he gave me a bear hug, and we both teared up.

It was an emotional, celebratory day.  Donald McNamara was in the room.

Marv - what a fine fellow.
Ann - the straw that stirs the drink
Shane - a favorite son
Nancy - knows the truth
Art - "Whatever else I had to do today was not important."
Amber - tried to smother Shane, her cousin.

from left: Ann, Dale, Lonna, Lee, Kim, Shane, Marv, Shirley
A room full of strangers who bonded deeply.

The photo at left was taken in May after we returned from Florida, but includes the principals from the story.