West Virginia - Sort Of

Last November, when I stayed with my cousin Bonnie and her husband, Joe (part of my 2-month trip around the country), I told Bonnie that, as a result of that trip, I now had only 5 states left to visit. She rolled her eyes a bit (wasn’t I being a little anal? Was it really necessary to visit all 50?) but was curious enough to ask which they were? I said, “West Virginia, Georgia (I don’t count numerous stops at their airport), Arkansas, Oklahoma and Michigan.” She thought about it for a minute and said, “If we fly into Nashville, I could show you Kentucky on our way to West Virginia.” She knows Kentucky. She moved there after college, it's where she met Joe, they lived in the Louisville area for a few years and his family came from the western part of the state.

I thought about it for a nanosecond. “Let’s go,” I said, mentally crossing one state off my list. Then a problem arose. You can experience it yourself by goggling WEST VIRGINIA and ATTRACTIONS. Go ahead, try it. The results are pretty discouraging. Try other key word combinations. Nope, apparently there is nothing of interest in the entire state short of a no-longer-functioning gothic penitentiary and a black velvet-painting museum. That’s about it.

Okay, I KNOW there must be more but oh does West Virginia need better marketing. I have since heard, from people who have visited, that it is indeed a beautiful state – but then they pause and mention something about being careful as to which holler you wander into, oh, and when they stayed there, their car was broken into, and yes, the people were warm and friendly – well, most of them. Then they gaze off into space with funny looks on their faces.

How to do this? Could I drive through Kentucky, cross into West Virginia, have lunch somewhere and drive back? Would that count? Well, yes, but it meant a 250-mile round trip, crossing the Appalachians, from the easternmost part of Kentucky that we planned to visit. Really? A day spent driving that many miles to cross a state off my list?

I am now home from my trip and, let’s cut to the chase, I never made it to West Virginia but I certainly had a wonderful time in Kentucky. We put it off til mid-May so Joe could join us (he is a professor at Whittier College) and I am so glad we waited. Quite frankly, I adore the man. He is kind, patient, knowledgeable, funny and full of what one thinks of as “Southern charm and hospitality.”  I could not have had a better guide around a state he loves.

It was all simply wonderful.  So what more did I learn about the South from this trip?

1. Politics:  Is Kentucky part of the South? Some said yes; some said no. Yes, it was a border state in That Recent Unpleasantness (my favorite Southern euphemism) but many fought for the Confederacy. There are Confederate monuments and remembrances. On the other hand, many parts are economically tied to the Midwest (Illinois, Indiana, Ohio). I found discussions of Kentucky identity fascinating.

2. Geography:  It is a beautiful state.  We spent the first 4 days in western Kentucky in the area called the Land Between the Lakes and in Paducah, right on the Ohio River. Its historic area is charming - full of galleries and the fabulous National Quilt Museum. We spent the next 5 days in the eastern part, in the Berea area, a college town and center for Appalachian crafts. To get to it, we drove through the horse area around Lexington – green and luscious. 

3. Southern food…Yum.  I simply love fried catfish, hush puppies, fried green tomatoes and everything else I ate – barbecue, biscuits and gravy, grits, greens – wonderful.

This is southern extreme - the meringue was at least 8 inches high.  I must admit the pie wasn't much to write home about but the physics and chemistry of the meringue was awe-inspiring.

4. Southern drink: Let’s talk about Mint Juleps - I had my first at Jerie Milici’s house in Connecticut back in the late 1970’s. Jerie, a true daughter of the South (Alabama, in her case), knew how to make them. I remember reaching for the glass, anticipating something sweet – after all, this is the drink of all Southern novels, the drink that little white-haired Southern ladies sip while rocking on their porches. And then I took a taste - and almost spit it out. I never dreamt it was straight bourbon (okay, yes, they add simple syrup and muddled mint but it is mainly bourbon). Given the strength of the drink I now realize those Southern ladies were soused! I hadn’t had one since but made up for it in Kentucky. I love them.

Ale 8 - non-alcoholic drink sold only in the South.  Good.

5. Religion: While we were in the Berea area we stayed in two very different and fascinating places, both associated with religion. The first was the residence of a former student of Joe’s. Kent is the pastor of Union Church in Berea. He bought an old 14-bedroom two-story retreat center (next to a Quaker assembly house) in the countryside outside of Berea that he is slowly renovating. We stayed upstairs. It was easy to get lost as one winding corridor led into another. He, by the way, made the best mint julep and provided the best view while rocking and drinking - watching lightning bugs dance in the evening light in the hay field in front of his property.

We attended Sunday service at Kent’s church and, quite fortuitously, four young people were confirmed and baptized that day. Two chose to be baptized in the church but the other two opted for an immersion baptism in the creek nearby. I couldn’t believe it. How lucky was I to get to witness this? I happily joined in singing “Down to the River to Pray” while the two young women walked into the creek for the ceremony. Loved it.

The second Southern religious experience was at the last place we stayed –3 nights at the Shaker village in Pleasant Hill. It was built in the early 1800s, abandoned in the early 1900s and then gently restored, beginning in the 1960s. Today there are 30 of the original 200 buildings. Our room was in a building that the women of one of the five “families” (each family was about 50 people at the height of the movement) used for weaving and spinning. Our room was classic Shaker – with their simple furniture, peg rails around the walls, undecorated windows, and the absence of trim.

I love the simplicity of the Shaker style.

Bonnie, sitting on my bed.

We left the village each day to tour surrounding areas but returned to eat dinner and enjoy the grounds at night. It was gorgeous serenity. I had visited the Hancock Shaker Village in western Massachusetts but never thought I would be able to stay in a Shaker building.

Similar and yet different from the meandering stone walls in New England

A favorite memory? The afternoon we arrived, I asked the dining staff if they served mint juleps? No, they said, they were out of mint but then they found some and, voila, our drinks arrived. Joe carried them up two flights to the top story of the old Shaker building where Bonnie and I found two rocking chairs under the eaves on the attic floor. I toasted the Shakers as we rocked and sipped. I suspect mint juleps were NOT part of Shaker life but they certainly enriched my experience of it!

Attic storage - have to love it - so simple and functional.  The Shaker way.

6. Shopping - My apartment where I now live is so small that I have everything I need and have no room for anything new so shopping was restricted to a lot of looking and buying things for others.  But I love Appalachian crafts so this was such a treat. My sister Mary’s traditional broom that she bought in Arkansas 30 years ago had finally worn out so I had the fun of buying a new one made in the Appalachian style. I watched Berea College students make brooms and bought two for Mary – one, a traditional broom, the other for sweeping cobwebs away. 

Branches waiting to be turned into broom handles. 

The Berea College student making the broom.

The tricky part - weaving the top.

Ah, the finished product - on its way to Portland.

And then, right at the end, West Virginia came back into the mix. I spotted a pile of rag rugs in a store in Berea and asked about them. The clerk said that a man showed up the day before with the pile of rugs in the back of his truck. He said his mother had made them in West Virginia - and did the store want them? I took it as a sign and happily bought a small one for my bathroom. A bit of West Virginia made it home with me. Now can I count this as a trip to West Virginia? Can I cross that state off my list? I suspect not.

After 9 wonderful days, we drove back to Nashville and caught planes back to LA and Portland.  Bonnie has already discussed plans with me for a trip to Oklahoma, one of my other missing states. She knows someone in Texas, near the Oklahoma border. I look forward to this and other trips with her as we knock off my five states. In reality, I expect that each may end up like this one – I will get within a hundred miles of the destined state and then find something more interesting in a neighboring one. In reality, who cares? It is the adventure of it all that makes it so interesting and, quite frankly, Bonnie plans a terrific trip. I will follow her anywhere.

The Dead People's Store

Yep, it has been quite a while since my last entry - 4 months to be exact. Hmmmm, what excuses can I offer? Busy? Enjoying life? Sick? Well, actually, bits of all three, but knowing that I love to write, how have I allowed this to happen?

One reason is my great involvement with what I initially called the "Dead People's Store." This is our community's resale shop stocked with resident donations. When I moved in, a bit more than 2 years ago, I assumed donations were leftovers from residents who had recently died (after family members removed what they wanted) - hence my name, "Dead People's Store." Through the windows of the shop I could see vases and cards, partially used bottles of detergent, old irons and toasters, mismatched dishes and glasses and lots of what I labelled "old lady clothes." Because I was so busy babysitting my grandchildren during the day I was rarely here when the shop was open. The few times I did go in,  I was struck by how very little I was interested in purchasing. What especially disturbed me was the pile of used (but clean) underwear for sale. ICK. Double ICK. Was this even legal?

When 2014 rolled around, when I had been here almost one year, I was approached by a resident who asked if I (together with two other friends, Cindy and Elise) would share management of the store? I almost fell out of my wheel chair (this happened right after the staph infection invaded my knee and started my year of difficulties) Really? Are you kidding? Manage those piles of used underwear? Of course not. But then, as often happens, my good ol' Catholic guilt reared its head as I reviewed how very much residents had helped me cope with my new, unexpected disabilities. It was time to give back. Somewhat reluctantly, I and my two friends, agreed.

The first thing we did was toss out the underwear. When the previous manager explained that the people who bought them were residents who live in Assisted Living or in the Health Center - and couldn't get out to shop in town - I declared I would personally set up Amazon accounts for anyone who wanted underwear and order correct sizes for them. It was great to watch the underwear disappear.

What I didn't expect is how very much I would come to enjoy this new volunteer job. We divided management into three parts, each of us tackling one. Elise runs the actual store - training new volunteer clerks, keeping everything looking nice, handling advertising, dealing with the unexpected. Cindy handles clearing the apartments of residents who have died - taking what can be used in the store. I handle the third part - sorting all the donations that arrive in my work space - a large area in the basement called the Cage.

I have learned many things during this first year of store management:

#1 Only about 40-45% of our donations come from residents who died; most come from current residents who are downsizing. Some are new residents who brought too much with them when they moved in. They over-calculated what would actually fit in their units. Others are from existing residents who are tired of tripping over too many belongings. We all wonder why we keep accumulating stuff when we have finite space?

#2 Only about 20% of the total donations end up in the store. Most are more than gently used and go directly to charity. We support the homeless, low income housing residents, local service organizations and charities. For example, in 2014 we donated more than two tons of clothing to the homeless in Portland. Our goal is to keep things out of the landfill - we try to find a home for anything we can't use in the store.

#3 It isn't best practices to sell used underwear (duh!) or partly used bottles of detergent. One of our administrators met with us soon after we took over to review our practices. He agreed - nope to underwear and nope to partially used items (can we be certain that Tide is actually in the partially used Tide bottle? Or has the resident used the bottle for something else? As he said this, I must admit, I mentally reviewed how very often I did exactly that without changing the label - hey,  I knew it had the rat poison in it!).

#4 It is really fun to put into practice many of the concepts we discussed in the Econ classes I taught at Carmel High. It does indeed matter where you place things on shelves, the colors and designs of displays, cleverness of ads, etc. And pricing - oh my goodness. Former students of mine out there - I have actually found myself muttering, "hmm, this has elastic demand, we should lower the price."

#5 Because I control supply (it's all stored in the Cage), I usually determine the next sales event - whatever is piling up in my storage area. It is fun to use sales to entice residents into the store. For example, our latest event was on April Fool's Day. I put on display all the items from my mystery box - the donations whose function I could not figure out. There were odd pieces of carved wood, large convoluted metal pieces that defied description, weird looking tools and molded plastic forms that seemed inexplicable. At the end I displayed 22 items with paper beneath each for suggestions as to their uses. We awarded the pieces of junk to those who came up with the best ideas. It was lots of fun and, incredibly, most winners wanted the stuff! Go figure.

By the way, I no longer call it the Dead People's Store. Its real name is the Carousel. Although it was probably selected as a cute name,  I think it also reflects the revolving ownership of its merchandise. I must admit, I laugh when I get a donation that still has a Carousel tag on it. Then I check the price. Does it still work or do I need to change it?

I have lots more to say about the store but will save it for later entries. Look forward to reading about the problems with the naked mannequin, surprising items that people drop off, how working in the Cage saved my sanity during the worst moments of my knee difficulties last year, and the challenges of meeting the needs of retired male residents.

Last leg - San Francisco Bay Area

I spent the last two weeks of my almost 9-week trip right where I started life - with my family in the Bay Area. It was, of course, wonderful, culminating in Thanksgiving at my cousin Loretta's house. While staying overnight with Loretta's sister, Pattie, I almost killed Pattie's dog, Mojito. Mojito is an inquisitive 15-pound Havanese dog, getting on in years. I helped move him toward death by leaving my bag of pills within his reach - and reach he did. He downed most of my remaining 8-days of pills. Thankfully they were supplements but many were NOT good for a dog, and even if one of the supplements may not have been harmful eating 8 multivitamins, 8 vit C, 16 calcium, 16 fish oil, 8 iron and 8 vit D is NOT desirable in any way. Pattie and I took him to the 24 hour ER for animals and, many dollars later, Mojito will see more years of life. And, incredibly, I THINK I can still come stay with Pattie in the future. She is good-hearted and forgiving.

I was able to fit in visits with friends but most time was spent with family. I saw cousins-by-the-dozens, my three siblings (and spouses) and all 4 of my precious nephews. There was not enough time with Lee and Michelle (or Leanne and Marlena) but hopefully in the future.

Stephanie and Dan and the two boys flew down for Thanksgiving. The best sight was Wesley running toward me from the car, shouting, "Gramma, Gramma." It had been so long since I had seen him and held him in my arms and we had so much to catch up on. And then, almost 2-year old Finn, came tumbling toward me. When I left in October, he couldn't say "Gramma" but now he can - and did.  I was thrilled.

Then it was time to head back to Portland.  I flew this time - made this trip by train many years ago. When I arrived I went to the curb to meet the Blue Star shuttle to be told they no longer take fares to where I live. They did that route 2 months ago but apparently not any longer. I stood there, flummoxed, pondering how to get home. Here I had traveled through 21 states, in 4 planes, 7 trains and many car rides - and suddenly I wasn't sure how to get home! I ended up catching a private shuttle and, 30 minutes later, I was home in my sweet unit.

It was a GREAT trip, a celebration that I am, once again, mobile after a tricky year. The first thing I did was donate my cane for someone else to use. I no longer need it. I am home, walking, with a heart and mind full of the most delightful memories of my journey around the country.

I was right to do much of it by train - it IS a fascinating and beautiful country that we live in. And I didn't have to drive; I just let the engineers take me over hill and dale. As I look out the window of my unit down to the Willamette River below, it is definitely winter. The leaves are gone from the trees, the river is still but my head remains full of Autumn - not only in breathtaking New England but in the south as well. The Carolinas were stunning in Autumn as were the woods behind Gina and Jay's house in northern Alabama. And then, surprise, although it is more subtle, autumn in California has its own beauty. October and November are good months to travel.

The folks here at the OFH (Old Folks Home) welcomed me home. A few whispered to me that I had stayed away too long; they missed me. They also suggested that I may be the "slut of the century" for mentioning that I slept in 16 different beds over the past 9 weeks! My thanks to all the hosts and hostesses who allowed me to sleep in those 16 guest beds. You were all so gracious and thoughtful.

And I recognize that I have become an Oregonian - I welcome the gray skies and misty rain of Oregon. Who knew? And so now I am happily ensconced back with the grandchildren and my activities here in Oregon looking ahead to the most wonderful of holiday seasons.

Leg 10 - Pacific Grove

Oh it was great to be "home!"  Of course I love my new life in Portland but PG will always tug at my heart. I split my time between two houses - with across-the-street neighbors Robin (who did all the work to sell my house in May) and Greg and kitty-corner neighbors, Sharon and Warren. I was a bit nervous as we drove up to Robin's house, passing the home I recently sold. Would it be painted shocking pink with all the trees chopped down? No, not at all. It looked exactly the same. Phew.

I have had almost perfect weather on this trip - one day of rain, the rest sun. What I wanted now was the typical PG thing - a nice damp, drizzly morning with wisps of fog caught in the trees. And, sure enough, when I looked out the window of Robin's guest room Monday morning, there it was in all its glory. It soon wore away but, while it lasted, I took a lovely stroll around my old neighborhood.

In earlier segments of this trip I visited with just one couple per stop. Not this time. I saw as many friends as time would allow. Members of all three of my bookclubs (I do love to read), colleagues from Carmel High School, neighbors, dog-walking friends (and their dogs), shop and gallery owners, MSQLP clients - if I knew 'em, I saw 'em. And loved each conversation. Ah, that is something shared with earlier portions of this trip - we talked and talked and talked. Oh it was good to catch up.

In addition I was driven all over the place. Besides thoroughly enjoying the Peninsula, ocean and Monterey Bay views, I also loved noting the progress of local crops. I have missed watching artichokes, strawberries, lettuce and brussel sprouts grow - and they are all doing quite well. This reminds me of a wish I have - based on many glimpses from train windows - wouldn't it be nice if farmers put up signs that identify crops? I figured out most of them but some stumped me. I know - totally impractical - but it would be nice.

And that reminds me of another wish. If anyone reading this has not travelled on the Coast Starlight between Los Angeles and Salinas I urge you to find time to do it. It was the most spectacular of my six train rides and that is saying a lot because I really enjoyed each one. It was the diversity of the California environments that was so amazing. Soon after we left urban LA, we entered "cowboy territory" - they must have filmed those old Westerns here. I expected Dale and Roy to come galloping around rocky hilltops. I could see Sky King searching for landing space.

We veered out to the coast as we neared Santa Barbara and then hugged the coast north of it. I watched surfers and kayakers in the water. South of San Luis Obio we travelled through farmlands, cattle ranches and vineyards. But what I thought was most stunning was the first twenty minutes north of the town. We moved to the east, away from the roads, to travel through gorgeous oak studded hillsides. The long 180 degree horseshoe turn was the icing on the cake. Utterly spectacular. My only regret was that the sun set 90 minutes before we pulled into Salinas. Although I have driven this stretch many times, I wanted to see it from the train's elevation. All those crops and hillsides. Next time.

But now onwards to the San Francisco Bay Area.

Leg 9 - LA (or Whittier to be exact)

I have been staying with my cousin Bonnie and her wonderful husband Joe for almost a week. First I cannot believe how much I have slept. You would think I have had an exhausting month traveling along the Eastern seaboard instead of sleeping really well at each stop along the way. But, sleep I did and it was rejuvenating.

Joe and Bonnie live in a house perched at the edge of a canyon that lets out onto the football field of Whittier College (where Joe is a professor). When you stand by their swimming pool you can look across at the hills that line the canyon or turn to the right and look down at the football field (where the players look like ants) and then beyond to the LA basin stretched out as far as you can see. The view is breathtaking and, although I have visited many times, I never tire of it.

The view of the hills that line the canyon

Incredibly bad sunset photo of the field and the view beyond.
I KNOW, it is an absolutely horrible shot,
but try to imagine it as it is - the view goes forever.

The weather has been spectacular - in the 80s. Last night, as I looked up at the almost full moon, I thought about the last full moon I saw - looking out from my upstairs window at the  woods around Stu and Jayne's cabin in the Berkshires.  So very much has happened since then.

It is wonderful, as always, to be back in my home state and LA has sparkled. We have had so much fun. As usual, we indulged in long talks over lovely slow meals. It has been several years since I have visited so I had to catch up on changes in their lives, in their home and in their hillside garden. Is there anything more lovely than slowly walking through a garden whose evolution you have witnessed?

Just like at the start of my trip, when I sat in on Lynne's writing class at Wellseley, Joe invited me to sit in on the Freshman writing class he teaches. The students discussed a play they had seen the night before, Angels in America, (performed at the College). And again, just as at Wellesley, the students discussed an era as historical that I had lived through. These students were equally delightful and, I must admit, I experienced the tiniest twinge of regret that I am no longer teaching. Then I reminded myself that, if I were still teaching, I would be in the classroom instead of out seeing the nation. No, I am glad I am right where I am.

As far as touring LA - I have been here so many times that there isn't a lot I haven't already seen - with one exception. Those of you who are architecture fans may know of the work of Greene and Greene, associated with the Arts and Crafts movement of early 1900s California. The Gamble House in Pasadena is a classic example of that style and I have wanted to tour it for probably 30 years. I have driven by it and even visited the gift shop - but each time the actual home was closed.  Not so yesterday.

The exterior of the Gamble House

It was perfection. The weather was gorgeous, we had a perfect guide and we were the only two who showed up for the 2:00 tour. It surpassed my expectations - and they were sky-high. The architectural details were stunning, the furniture was beautiful - I especially loved the lighting fixtures. By the time
we left,  I was so overwhelmed by it all that I begged off going to the next museum on our list - I just had to process what I had seen.

I can't believe the week is almost over. As always I hate to leave. I have loved every minute with Bonnie and Joe, enjoyed meeting their friends, luxuriated in their hospitality (as has been the case with each visit on this trip) but I also can't wait for my next stop - Pacific Grove. I will be staying with next door neighbors (from the house I sold in early June) and look forward to seeing friends. I take the train up the coast tomorrow morning, the last of my 6 train rides. What fun they have each been.

So, farewell Southern California, hello Central Coast.

Leg 8 - Crossing the Country By Train

I love train travel! All my other rides have been 5-7 hours; this one was 44. Yes, it is a bit odd to sleep while hurtling down the tracks and I awoke several times fearing sudden lunges would toss me onto the floor but, even with these interesting phenomena, I am a fan. Well, actually I had a little trouble falling back to sleep after one sudden lunge wondering how I would get up if I were to fly out of the bed. You see my "roomette" was itty bitty. When the two facing seats (up during the day) were pulled together to make a narrow twin bed it left a 9-inch gap between the door and the bed and that 9 inch space was only the width of the door opening. The rest of the  9-inch space was used for storage. If I had flown out of the bed I would have ended up wedged in a most interesting position into that narrow space. I pictured myself reaching up to release the door then spilling out into the passageway and THEN getting up and back into bed. Thankfully it never happened.

Okay, it's hard to "read" but the room is just so tiny that it is impossible to photograph.
My feet are at the end of the narrow twin bed. This will unfold to be 2 seats facing each other.
My red bag is stored in that 9-inch space and the doorway opening is immediately to the
left -  you can see a bit of the hallway outside.
Teeny-tiny.

What I loved was watching Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona fly by outside my window. Sometimes I went up to the observation car (my roomette was on the lower floor, the observation car on the upper - it had a broader view) but I liked relaxing in my own space. Also the train does bounce. I quickly learned my cane was a detriment - it was safer to pass down the jostling cars holding on to the backs of seats. It was safest to stay put.

The geography teacher in me loved watching the Spanish-moss draped oaks of Louisiana give way to the drier lands of Texas. Texas surprised me (I see this as my first visit in that I cannot count many landings in Dallas). Friends have complained about the monotony of driving through Texas - and that it never ends. True, it IS huge, but I didn't have to drive; I could just look out the window and I found the land stunningly beautiful. It took little imagination to see the cattle and cowboys (and those nefarious rustlers) of our past crossing these lands. I loved it.

I have one major regret - based on my absolute stupidity. When planning this trip I entered start and stop Amtrak stations for each leg. I never looked at the stops along each route; I only cared that it delivered me where I wanted to go. I learned how careless I had been when I looked at the list of our scheduled stops along this route. At 10 pm, on day #1, we would stop at San Antonio. San Antonio! I have always wanted to go to San Antonio. My friend Barbara lives there. I could have arranged to get off at San Antonio and re-board two days later, when the train next passed through on its way to LA. I was almost sick that here I was, at the cutest Amtrak station of the whole trip, stuck ON the train, while San Antonio stared back at me. Painful. And lesson learned. Barbara, I will return.

When we crossed into New Mexico I spotted my first tall mountains since leaving Oregon a month ago. Ah, there is something about the geography of where you grow up. I AM a Westerner. I like mountains in the distance. I was home.

New Mexico and Arizona (well I had to squint to see Arizona in the dark) were equally magnificent and then we were in Palm Springs and soon to LA. It was a great trip. I loved eating in the dining car. You fill up booths so you never know with whom you will be eating. We shared stories of our trips - and this being the age of smart phones - apps that were useful. My favorite new one was a speedometer app. I placed my phone on the arm of my chair and, while reading or enjoying the view, would note the speed we were presently going. The highest was 85 mph; it was usually around 70. No wonder we bounced.

It was a stupendous two days. The departure city was remarkable (my 14 hours in New Orleans on Halloween was delightful. When geisha girls and pirates asked me why I wasn't in costume, I replied that I was really 24 but dressed as an old woman with a cane. They laughed) and I found a place selling beignets so I could board the train with a bag of them in hand. And Palm Springs assured that my entry into California was golden. Such a gorgeous landscape. My cousin Bonnie and her husband Joe met me at the station and I now start the sceond half of my trip in my beloved California.

Leg 7 - Alabama and New Orleans

i really hate to leave the South. It took me 66 years to get here so it seems just down right wrong to leave after only two weeks moving among several states. I find myself trying out Southern sounds - not out loud, mind you. And I promise I will not start dropping Southern expressions or a poor attempt at a drawl. I leave that to the experts. But I have loved it.

This is actually from the piazza at the Palmer Home B&B but it
remains my favorite "Southernism" so added it here.

Alabama was wonderful. Gina met me outside my gate as soon as I stepped off the plane. Such a surprise. Here was my clue that Huntsville is not a huge airport. Gina was a college friend of my sister's. She brought Gina to Thanksgiving dinner way back when and she soon became part of the family. When you love someone, you hope you will love her spouse as well - and she chose well. Jay is equally charming, interesting and fun.

As always on this trip, we had many long conversations over scrumptious meals. I also added to my collection of Southern foods. I liked the contrasts. One lunch was at an outdoor table in a restaurant in the historic section of downtown Huntsville. It was new South cuisine, a Southern twist on paella. And then the next day, at a restaurant in the historic section of Fayetteville, Tennessee, I had my first taste of fried catfish and fried okra. I thought they were both fabulous and Jay and Gina, who have had both many times, agreed. That great combination of succulent and crispy was exquisite.

We were busy (well, outings were nicely balanced with conversations over wine). We saw a performance of the Westminster choir from London (23 darling little boys and 12 adults), toured the space museum in Huntsville (where I crashed landed two space shuttles in the simulator. Oh dear. My grandsons need to visit and maybe attend space camp?), visited a recreation of the early Huntsville settlement where Alabama's constitution was written, did a fascinating tour of the Jack Daniel's distillery in Lynchburg, Tennessee and enjoyed drives through the countryside of northern Alabama and a bit of Tennessee.

Gina snapped this photo just when I realized I had crashed the second shuttle.

The tour of Jack Daniels was one of the best tours I have ever taken - it was well managed, you saw
every step in the process, not overly complicated.  Great tour.
When you are next in Lynchburg, Tennessee - go.
Oh, and it's free - both the tour and the incredible scents associated with the process.

Jay and Gina were troopers, driving me 2 hours to Birmingham to catch the Amtrak train. It would have been far easier to take me to their nearby airport but this was the start of my cross-country train trip and the nearest station was 100 miles away in Birmingham. 

The train station had many passengers joining me for the trip to New Orleans and quite a few were already in their Halloween costumes. My favorite was the tall woman dressed as Dorothy with 6-inch glittery red platform shoes. She minced around the station. 

Loved the 7- hour trip through Alabama and Mississippi. The route was mainly rural where the train station is part of the small downtowns. All too soon we were suddenly surrounded by the water of Lake Pontchartrain. I knew it was big on maps but didnt realize quite how HUGE it actually is. Sunset over the lake was spectacular. 

New Orleans on Halloween is doubly full of interesting characters and they surrounded me while I sauntered through the French Quarter, right near my hotel. The iron balconies, charming buildings - you have all seen the photos. I veered a bit to walk along the Mississippi on the way back. 

I am now waiting for my train to LA.  44 hours of train travel through Louisiana, Texas, New Mexico and Arizona await me. I have never driven through these states so am looking forward to it. I have a wee roomette which will be a new experience. 

And so farewell to the first half of my trip, exploring states from Cape Cod down to New Orleans. What fun it has been. Now onwards and upwards to the second half in California. 

Leg Six - Florida

Now I know what to do when you discover - just as you are getting ready to deplane - that you  left your phone in the lunch bag you threw out early in the flight.

1. You panic
2. Then you tell the people lining up in the aisle, ready to deplane, what happened. They pass the word up to the attendants standing by the exits.
3. You also tell the attendants that you will go through the garbage; they don't have to.
4. They tell you to go to the back of the plane as quickly as possible before the garbage is unloaded.
5. You wait impatiently while everyone who is deplaning passes your seat.
6. You then move to the back of the huge plane, don the white gloves they give you, while they dial your phone - and hear no ring tone (it's in airplane mode, of course).
7. You start going through the bags and, voila, at the bottom of bag #1 (out of at least 10) - is a bag with your phone in it!
8. Tell the attendants helping you that you love them.
9. Run off the plane while they yell back, "Glad you found it!"

Phew!  I would have been in trouble without that phone!

That happened this afternoon on the first leg of my trip out of Florida - so let's go back a bit.

My friend Andrea met my late morning plane in Orlando. I know Andrea through my work at MSQLP in Monterey - she was our social worker while I was a volunteer Executive Director. We had much fun working together. Soon after I moved into my retirement community in the Portland area Andrea moved across the country to a huge retirement community about an hour outside of Orlando. She lives at The Villages, the largest retirement community in the US. Get ready - it has 100,000 55-and-older folks living there.

The Villages covers many square miles with numerous neighborhoods, pools, golf courses, and themed squares with shops and entertainment venues. You need a bank? Grocery store? Gas station? Restaurants? Theaters? It's waiting for you at The Villages. The daily newspaper lists all the activities available each day. It's overwhelming how many choices you have.

I thoroughly enjoyed our drives among various neighborhoods, especially in her golf cart (much fun!). I sat in on her book club meeting - what interesting women. I liked them all. We listened to a great band, had lunch overlooking one of lakes and, as always on this trip, we talked and talked.

We even attended a polo match of visiting professional teams.  It was an easy sport to follow and oh the horses were beautiful. I most enjoyed their long gallops down the field, watching the players wield those polo mallets (is that the right word?)

I had a wonderful time and look forward to a return visit. This one wasn't long enough and there is so much of Florida to see. And then it was time to leave for Alabama - and the adventure of my lost telephone. Thank goodness it all worked out!

Leg Five - The Carolinas

Charleston is breathtaking! I am staying in the bright pink 160 year old Palmer Home B&B in the historic section of Charleston, right on the Battery, at the tip of the peninsula where the Cooper and Ashley Rivers meet. Not in one of the grand bedrooms in the main house, mind you, but in what I call the "Lean-To-Attached-To-The-Original-Carriage-House" in back. It is charming with a (wasted on me) golf theme.

No, my room was NOT in the gorgeous main house (well, it was a bit shabby to be truthful but
 I cannot imagine how you keep up a 160-year old home).

And not the carriage house which was all one "room" in the back.

Look to the far left - the lean-to part. THAT was my room!

But, arriving in the dark from the train station, the light left on for me was such a welcoming sight.

Imagine sitting on either the second or third floor piazza (pronounced" pee-ah-za", not the Italian "pee-at-za"), with coffee cup or glass of wine (morning or late afternoon) in hand, gazing across the water at the island that houses Fort Sumter (where the first shots of the Civil War or War of Northern Aggression or, my favorite, "That Recent Unpleasantness" were fired.). The weather is perfect - 75-80 degrees, blue skies, no humidity. Everything sparkles.

Such a lovely place to eat a delicious southern breakfast, sip a glass of wine in the afternoon or just gaze away.
One set of tourists called out to me, "You have a lovely home!" I thought about it just a bit then waved
 and said, "Thanks!"  A bit of pretend is such fun.

You stepped into this room from the piazza.

Then add an historic town center filled with beautifully restored homes. They are gorgeous, some more than 300 years old. Gracious, charming, picturesque; block after block after block. I enjoyed meandering. I believe that Charleston has been my final exam of walking ability. I navigated cobblestones, uneven brick walkways and cracked slate sidewalks - all without problems.  The challenge was keeping one eye on the uneven walkways while, at the same time, gawking at the beautiful homes.

Many of the streets are so narrow I could not get good photos. This is just one tiny
house tucked between other large houses.

DiAn joined me on Thursday (she worked with my husband at Connecticut Audubon Society). There is no better guide than someone who has lived in Charleston for 10 years. She drove me in and out of narrow lanes, shared favorite homes, restaurants and bakeries and got me beyond the area I had walked. It was marvelous.

All too soon it was time to leave for Charlotte, North Carolina where DiAn now lives with her husband, Joseph. The drive was fascinating. We had lunch at a gorgeous South Carolina beach, toured a plantation outside of Charleston, and drove through miles of farmlands and pine forests. Charlotte is the modern South, banking headquarters, a rapidly growing city. They live in Chantilly, a current "in" neighborhood of Charlotte whose small downtown is filled with pubs and interesting shops. I liked Charlotte - their challenge is managing its rapid growth. They drove me around the city and small neighboring towns. Truly lovely.

I am utterly charmed by my first real visit to the South (I can't count my many landings at the Atlanta and Dallas airports or 5 days spent at Disneyworld in Florida).

And southern food? Yum.

In my 7 days in the Carolinas I have eaten:
Several bowls of she-crab soup
Grits and shrimp
Corn fritters
Hush puppies
Mud bugs
Raw oysters
Fried shrimp
Hoppin' John
Fried Pickle - does that count as a vegetable?

She-Crab soup!

I can't believe I didn't eat any barbecue (Jeff Wright, I hear you gnashing your teeth!) - just no time.

And I finally saw a Piggly Wiggly - mentioned in so many Southern stories.

Tomorrow, onwards to Florida.

Leg Four - Washington D.C.

Don't you just love Washington D.C.?  It is one of my favorite cities on planet earth - and so much is free! God bless our tax dollars at work. It feels great to swing open the doors of a Smithsonian museum (in this case, American History) and enter MY museum, an American who has paid her taxes to help this institution flourish.

I love the sense of expectation in the air. It's like the energy I feel when walking in New York City. You just KNOW important things are happening here. My friends Barb and Jim (Gary taught with Barb in a high school in Connecticut) actually live in a suburb of Maryland, a 25-minute subway ride from Union Station where I arrived on Friday, but we have spent most of our time in D.C.

I love driving through the city - oh look, there is the Lincoln Memorial (my children remember how, on our trip in 1987, I missed the entrance to the Memorial and ended up crossing the bridge to Virginia - again and again and again), there is the White House and so on. Everywhere you look is something remarkable, somewhere significant, some reminder of recent or past history.  I truly love this place.

I unintentionally happened to be here on one of the two days a year that the White House gardens are open to the public. The weather was gorgeous as I strolled by the Rose Garden, Jackie's Garden and the newest addition - the vegetable garden that Michelle and school children planted. Their tomatoes look quite good for so late in the season.

The veggies are looking good!

We toured the South garden (the part that abuts the huge elipse out back, not the grounds in front of the White House) so had perfect views of the Washington Monument as well. I am glad that, whichever president is in power, he has such beautiful and surprisingly serene spaces at hand for possible relaxation. I mean anyone who has the power to set off a nuclear weapon should have the possibility of bits of serenity.

I am somewhat embarrassed that I have never visited Washinton's monument in all of my trips to DC so made up for this on this visit. My you get great views from way up there. We also visited the statue of Einstein that stands outside the American Academy of Science. Great sculpture - he looks so old and rumpled and approachable that you want to sit down and chat. Many people climb in his lap for a photo op and it is considered good luck to rub his nose.

Check out the nose!  I couldn't quite reach it myself so the cane came in quite handy.

One incident of my visit stands out. Each month local members of their church (meaning those who live closest to them) gather for a shared dinner and this month it was at Barb and Jim's house. Over dinner discussions I learned that one of the members who works for the Department of Agriculture has figured out a way to turn the trillions of chicken feathers from Maryland's chicken industry into biodegradable flower pots. The Econ teacher in me was delighted. A local resource, repurposed, providing jobs and it's biodegradable. Win, win, win. Who ever knew? I won't look at flower pots the same way.

And of course Barb and Jim and I talked, talked, talked as we caught up over long leisurely meals and glasses of wine.  It was indeed wonderful.

Next on to Chaleston via Amtrak.  I am finally entering states new to me.  I have never been in either of the Carolinas and I will be spending several days in each. Yippee!