Travel Tips & Adventures

It’s the Capitol of Virginia, but it has also been the Capitol of the Confederacy, a claim no other U.S Capitol can come close to.  Although the Civil War has been over for 144 years, the past lives on alongside the present.

As a former resident of the city for several years, it’s always interesting to come back and re-visit just why you lived somewhere, and maybe even why you left.  In the case of Richmond, I relocated there for a job and left for the same reason. 

Richmond is a mix of a modern and also a “stuck in the past” city.  The latter would be their Civil War heritage.

But, that shouldn’t stop anyone from visiting as there are many things to see and do and you don’t have to see a single battlefield, Civil War or Revolutionary War, if you don’t want to, and still have a great time.

Are you into literature?  Edgar Allen Poe lived in Richmond for over 13 years.  The Poe Museum is located on Broad Street (Poe didn’t actually live in the house, but nearby).  Furniture from his home, as well as manuscripts, first editions and personal belongings, are on display.

www.poemuseum.org

Architecture?  How about a 15^th century English estate (Agecroft Hall) that was bought at auction, crated and shipped from Lancashire, England to Richmond, and reassembled on the banks of the James River.

www.agecrofthall.com/

Famous speeches?  Revolutionary leader Patrick Henry wasn’t shy about speaking.  He gave his famous “stick it to King George” speech,  “Give Me Liberty, or Give Me Death” at St. John’s Church in Richmond. 

www.historicstjohnschurch.org/hist_main.htm

Monuments?  How about … Monument Avenue?  Northwest of downtown Richmond you’ll find Robert E. Lee on a horse … J.E.B. Stuart, on a horse … Stonewall Jackson, on a horse … Jefferson Davis (President of the Confederate States of America), not on a horse.

Anyone notice a theme … and we’re not talking about the horses.

And then, there is Matthew Fontaine Maury.  Who?  Seriously, WHO? 

And finally, a slightly controversial choice for an avenue with statues of Confederate soldiers — we have

Arthur Ashe, professional tennis player, born and raised in Richmond. 

Even if you don’t like statues, the architecture along the avenue ranges from English Tudor, Georgian, Italian, and Art Deco on either side of center islands of huge trees and green grass.  It’s the kind of street they don’t build anymore.

Historic Theatres with a Pipe Organ?  The Byrd Theatre in Carytown, a retail shopping area northwest of downtown was opened in 1928.  Included in its 1,300 seat configuration is a balcony and a Wurlitzer Pipe Organ that opens the show on Saturday evenings by rising from the basement to the stage in front of the screen.

You can’t buy tickets ahead of time, they don’t show previews, and the movies aren’t first run … but at $1.99, I’m not going to complain!

http://byrdtheatre.com

http://www.visitrichmondva.com/

NEXT TIME: We’ll take a trip back in time and look at the Civil War history of Richmond and what remains today.

Oregon State University is a great example of a northwestern campus – a cross between imposing Greek-style buildings and some modern facilities.

 
With almost 22,000 students in over 200-plus different disciplines in undergraduate and graduate programs, OSU is training a lot of minds! Majors range from forestry – a natural with those tall pines – to oceanic and atmospheric sciences as well as education, business, agricultural sciences, veterinary medicines and more.

Memorial Union - "dining establishments," library and more

 
The environs around the campus have some heavy-hitters in the technology world as the Hewlett-Packard campus is nearby as well as other large companies.

More than academics

Reser Stadium scoreboard

And, then there are the extracurricular experiences – may I interject – Go Beavs! The OSU football team (Pac-10) is known as the Beavers, conjuring up kindly, but intrepid creatures, gnawing away at the opposition. When we last looked, their season was at 7-3, so they are winners!

"Football"outside of Reser Stadium

Reser Stadium is just across the street from the Hilton Garden Inn where we were staying, but the campus was very, very empty, so we didn’t see ANY students. That felt strange. We passed by Reser Stadium, the athletic center and the student union, but they were locked tight. But, trust us, it was a great campus that honors both the modern and classic traditions.

 
We were also eager to see their “award-winning” library, but it, also, was closed.
Visiting a campus during intersession has mixed blessings. Getting around was easy, but we didn’t get the full flavor of what the campus and Corvallis are like with the thousands of students in session.

We’ll be going back.

Another Campus

Another campus we wandered onto in Corvallis does – apparently – top secret agricultural research.  We were just looking for the covered bridge shown on the map. (See Irish Bend Covered Bridge below.)  We were told that we weren’t supposed to be on this campus in the western part of the City, but lots of others were riding bikes in the vicinity.  Be aware that a road shown on the map as a through road, isn’t.  We took pictures quickly and headed back the way we came.

Irish Bend Covered Bridge

(The bridge had been relocated from elsewhere, but it is one of the wider covered bridges we’ve seen.)

We invite you back tomorrow for some Corvallis dining and entertainment experiences…

After traveling on the “Over the River and Through the Woods” Scenic Byway, we arrived in Corvallis, Oregon rather worn out.  (The Scenic Byway was, indeed, scenic, but with numerous hairpin turns, it was wearing – just to observe.)

We had originally planned to stay in Corvallis for only one day, but decided to stay two and arrived a day early.  We’re so glad we did!

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By Guest Author Peggy Bradshaw; Photos by George Bradshaw

There are things to do and see in Las Vegas besides the casinos and the machines that take your money or the expensive shows that you have to wait in line for hours to see. There is a free show every night in downtown Las Vegas called the “Fremont Experience” and it is just that. They have erected a screen covered with thousands of LED lights that goes from Las Vegas Boulevard to the Plaza Hotel at the other end of Fremont Street. Every hour on the hour they produce a light show, each one with a different theme with different special effects and soundtracks. Las Vegas is trying to draw tourists from the Strip to downtown to rejuvenate the area. It is a very neat “Fremont Experience” and is worth getting a crook in your neck to look up and see.

Fremont Street Experience - Las Vegas

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On my recent trip to New York, I had only four hours to spend before it was time to catch my plane back to Phoenix.

Since I hadn’t been to visit in several years, I pondered the best use of my time. Should I head to a museum? Stroll through Central Park? Shop? Visit a landmark?
The only thing time wouldn’t permit would be a Broadway show – sigh!

 
So, given my four hours, I decided to reacquaint myself with NYC by just walking around. I did not head to a museum or to Central Park, but chose to travel a multi-block path that had some major highlights to see.  It was an overcast day, so the brilliant blue skies I was hoping to see just weren’t there.   But Manhattan is still impressive, no matter what the weather.

Macy's - The largest store in the world

Coming up from Penn Station, one of the first sights was Macy’s, “the largest store in the world.” I didn’t go in, because I might never stop myself in time to catch my train to JFK.  

Instead, I headed over to…

A Photographer’s Dream…

A major landmark for photographers is B & H Camera. Located on 9th Avenue between 33 & 34th Streets, B & H is THE place for cameras and photography equipment. They’ve got it down to a science and have probably every imaginable piece of photo equipment. The most wonderful part of the store is the knowledgeable staff because they really know their stuff.

 
Want a flash attachment for a camera? I showed them what I have and they gave me three options! The prices were right and I could leave with my choice, at a good price.

And, no, this is not a paid endorsement for B & H, but it was my second visit.

They’re impressive and also very security conscious. Be prepared to leave large bags at the entrance to claim when you’re ready to leave.

Onward…

Saddled down with a suitcase, my next stop was Schwartz’s Travel Service where I could leave my suitcase. (Located at 357 W. 36th Street near 9th Ave.) Taking the small elevator to the second floor, I paid $10 to leave my suitcase for the day. Ultimately, I left it for less than two hours, but it gave me the freedom to move quickly.

The Sights

New York Public Library

 Next, I headed over to 5th Avenue to see the sights: The New York Public Library with its lions guarding the entrance (stone, not live), and both the Empire State Building and Chrysler Building in the distance. I considered a trip up to the top of the Empire State Building (now the tallest building in NYC since the devastation of 9/11/01), but that would have required several hours.

Empire State Building - the tallest building in NYC

Chrysler Building

I wandered into a street fair on Avenue of the Americas (6th Avenue) that stretched from about 34th Street to 42nd Street. Traffic was closed down for the entire length of the fair with people sampling food and buying the vendor’s wares. There were a lot of people selling jewelry, scarves, and NY T-shirts. The aroma of the food finally made me break down and try an arepa.

 
An arepa is a corn cake sandwich fried with mozzarella cheese melted between the two corn cakes. I chose a poor representation because, while it tasted good, it was very thin. As I marched and munched along, I was seeing the profusion of people and remembering the energy of NYC that I have missed.

Carousel in Bryant Park

Strolling through Bryant Park behind the giant New York Public Library, I viewed the glorious, recently refurbished carousel, a permanent fixture for anyone young or young at heart. The NY Public Library is getting a facelift on the outside with the back face totally clean and gorgeous, but the front has coverings to protect passersby from the cleaning. It is an impressive building and many people stop for a photo op near the lions guarding the entrance.

Street scene in Manhattan

That’s one of the best things about New York City and, especially Manhattan; there is so much energy! The colorful signs, places to see, food choices from street vendors to fine dining, and excitement, can’t be topped anywhere.

 
I know, some might contest that last statement, but I never run out of enthusiasm for NYC and the many opportunities to enjoy. Times Square, entrance to the joys of Broadway, is one of my favorite places in the universe, but this time, the schedule just wouldn’t work.

 
Colorful, thought provoking and dynamic with events and experiences, New York City is the place where I’d spend a week if I could be in any city in the world. But I only had four hours, so I enjoyed what I could and share it here.

If you decide to go to NYC, get a guidebook like DK or Frommer’s to give you the many choices that you’ll have. And, there are many.

Web sites to review:

I Love NY
http://www.iloveny.com/home.aspx

B & H Camera
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/

By Guess Author Peggy Bradshaw; Photography by George Bradshaw

Since my paternal grandfather immigrated through Ellis Island in 1902, I was really looking forward to going there. It seemed like something pretty magical that I could walk where he had walked more than a hundred years ago. I think I half expected to see his ghost walking through the building.

A small ferry, jam packed with people, delivered us to the dock, and as the throng of people disembarked and walked forward, I wondered if this was what it was like when he got off the ship from Germany.

Staten Island Ferry to Ellis Island

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Portland’s Saturday Market is misnamed – it is also open on Sunday. Unlike most craft fairs that come and go, the Portland Saturday Market is open from the end of February through December 24.

Portland Saturday Market - or part of it

And, this is one of those places that is a must-see if you’re coming to Portland. The array of hand-crafted items to see and purchase is dizzying. Creativity abounds! (more…)

We admit it. We love books.

Powell’s – For anyone who loves books

Probably the most exciting place for a person who loves books is Powell’s City of Books. “City of Books” sounds like an exaggeration, but by the time you explore the main location, with its multiple floors and many nooks and crannies, you feel like it could be a city.

At Powell's entrance - "sell books"

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One of the best things about Portland, Oregon is just getting around!  Especially if you are in the downtown zone  – “Fareless Square,” where you ride for free, Portland is one of the most accessible cities in which we’ve traveled. (more…)

Last Friday we went Old School in Portland to McMenamins Kennedy School, now it’s time to go Rogue!  

Rogue Ales

Unlike someone who recently wrote a book entitled, Going Rogue, I actually had the opportunity to go to the Rogue Distillery & Public House, one of the many pubs that are scattered throughout the city of Portland, Oregon. (more…)