Best article about the rally here on CNN (and lots of good signs mentioned here).
Video clip of the "keynote speech"
Some of the signs we enjoyed:
The Rally to Restore Sanity
Saturday found us leaving the RV park at 7:30AM (it was still dark!) and making it to the Mall by 8:30ish. Crowds poured in all morning. We heard horror stories of subways breaking down, people walking miles and only arriving as the rally finished. Thank goodness we only experienced delays getting back to the RV (2.5 hours!). But all that fades when we think about how very great the day was. Hundreds of thousands of people poured onto the Mall to show support for moderation, reason, and civility. Humor (and politeness) abounded. And the music was outstanding. But nothing beat the cleverness and creativity of the signs.
Best article about the rally here on CNN (and lots of good signs mentioned here).
Video clip of the "keynote speech"
Some of the signs we enjoyed:
Best article about the rally here on CNN (and lots of good signs mentioned here).
Video clip of the "keynote speech"
Some of the signs we enjoyed:
Touring Our Nation's Capital
We played tourist on Friday, seeing things we didn't see last October when we were last in DC. (And that was a plane trip, so no blog post, but just to keep track, on that trip we visited, or revisted, Arlington Cemetery, the 911 memorial at the Pentagon, the Library of Congress, the Museum of the American Indian, Museum of American History to see Julia Child's kitchen, and then we participated in a march for equality down Pennsylvania Avenue, past the White House, and on to the Capitol.)
This visit had us going to:
Supreme Court
There was a very nice exhibit on Sandra Day O'Connor, who is one of my favorite Justices of all time. She was not only really, really smart and tenacious, but also quite funny:
View from the Court to the Capitol:
National Archives (no photos allowed)
We got to see the original parchment versions of the Declaration of Independence, the 4-page (!) Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Very moving. And the only photos we could take with the iPhone were outside. Love the compact flourescents ;-)
International Spy Museum (no photos allowed)
A very hands-on, interactive private museum that we were, I'm afraid, a bit too full-up from reading exhibit signs to appreciate this last place fully. But if you have kids, this would surely be a must-visit. Lots of spy devices to play with.
We had lunch at the place I used to hang out in when I was but a lowly Congressional intern back in the day: the Tune Inn on Capitol Hill. Little did we know that Guy Fieri had just been here (look for his review on DDD this fall). I just had to have what he had. Oh my, it was tasty. And the sweet potato fries were substituted for "health." Yeah, that's the ticket.....
Next time, we're thinking we should plan ahead far enough and get tickets for the White House and perhaps an oral arguments session at the Supreme Court. (I did both of those things back in 1982, but I'd sure go again, and Lisa would like to see 'em for the first time.)
This visit had us going to:
Supreme Court
There was a very nice exhibit on Sandra Day O'Connor, who is one of my favorite Justices of all time. She was not only really, really smart and tenacious, but also quite funny:
View from the Court to the Capitol:
National Archives (no photos allowed)
We got to see the original parchment versions of the Declaration of Independence, the 4-page (!) Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. Very moving. And the only photos we could take with the iPhone were outside. Love the compact flourescents ;-)
International Spy Museum (no photos allowed)
A very hands-on, interactive private museum that we were, I'm afraid, a bit too full-up from reading exhibit signs to appreciate this last place fully. But if you have kids, this would surely be a must-visit. Lots of spy devices to play with.
We had lunch at the place I used to hang out in when I was but a lowly Congressional intern back in the day: the Tune Inn on Capitol Hill. Little did we know that Guy Fieri had just been here (look for his review on DDD this fall). I just had to have what he had. Oh my, it was tasty. And the sweet potato fries were substituted for "health." Yeah, that's the ticket.....
Next time, we're thinking we should plan ahead far enough and get tickets for the White House and perhaps an oral arguments session at the Supreme Court. (I did both of those things back in 1982, but I'd sure go again, and Lisa would like to see 'em for the first time.)
On the Road from Memphis to DC
From Memphis, we hightailed it to DC, with two memorable stops.
Swett's cafeteria in Nashville. Oh my. The squash casserole really WAS worth a detour. However, the Lorman, MS, fried chicken still stands as the best. (This was tasty, though.)
You know you're in the South when you see bumper stickers like this:
And President Woodrow Wilson's Presidential Library in Staunton, Virginia, where we saw a yard sign that I should have co-opted for the rally. It's now my desktop wallpaper, lest I forget....
A favorite political cartoon:
Some early 20th century hyperbolic propaganda, aimed at convincing men from the South not to support women's suffrage. Read this and consider the parallels with some of the overblown rhetoric (from both left and right) on the cable TV channels. Fear-mongering is fear-mongering, no matter what the era or topic, and it just is harmful. (Nothing can be gained and everything may be lost by allowing women to vote??!?)
And here's Wilson's beloved car, which he enjoyed driving after his presidency. The car fell into terrible disrepair over the years and when folks wanted to restore it, they found the side lanterns on eBay in 2006 (!). Love that story.
And the orange on the tires is a nod to Wilson's New Jersey alma mater.
An aside: Because it wasn't an RV trip, we didn't mention here that we scored two more presidential libraries this past summer on a car trip to LA: Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. Very interesting places in large part due to the fact that both were staffed with volunteers who were personal friends. Gave the places a very distinct atmosphere, to say the least. Here's one fun photo from Reagan's library, just to show we were there!
Swett's cafeteria in Nashville. Oh my. The squash casserole really WAS worth a detour. However, the Lorman, MS, fried chicken still stands as the best. (This was tasty, though.)
You know you're in the South when you see bumper stickers like this:
And President Woodrow Wilson's Presidential Library in Staunton, Virginia, where we saw a yard sign that I should have co-opted for the rally. It's now my desktop wallpaper, lest I forget....
A favorite political cartoon:
Some early 20th century hyperbolic propaganda, aimed at convincing men from the South not to support women's suffrage. Read this and consider the parallels with some of the overblown rhetoric (from both left and right) on the cable TV channels. Fear-mongering is fear-mongering, no matter what the era or topic, and it just is harmful. (Nothing can be gained and everything may be lost by allowing women to vote??!?)
And here's Wilson's beloved car, which he enjoyed driving after his presidency. The car fell into terrible disrepair over the years and when folks wanted to restore it, they found the side lanterns on eBay in 2006 (!). Love that story.
And the orange on the tires is a nod to Wilson's New Jersey alma mater.
An aside: Because it wasn't an RV trip, we didn't mention here that we scored two more presidential libraries this past summer on a car trip to LA: Ronald Reagan and Richard Nixon. Very interesting places in large part due to the fact that both were staffed with volunteers who were personal friends. Gave the places a very distinct atmosphere, to say the least. Here's one fun photo from Reagan's library, just to show we were there!
Revised Southeast Plans
Took the "opportunity" of a head cold to hang out in the RV today, cleaning, doing laundry and planning the next week. Now that the rally is over, our heads are clear for the next leg, and here's what we're thinking. If you have any other suggestions, we're all ears!
Monday: Assateague National Seashore (camping on MD side where the wild horses are, apparently, frequent visitors to the campground)
Tuesday: First Landings Seashore State Park near Virginia Beach (with the potentially white knuckle drive in the RV across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. Hope it's not windy!)
Wednesday: Forecast is for rain, so we think we'll tool our way over to I-95 and catch some NC BBQ trail for lunch and stay somewhere around Fayettesville.
Thursday: On the way to Charleston, take a hike through Congaree National Park, weather permitting. Too bad we haven’t bought that kayak we keep talking about...yet. But the hike will be nice.
Friday and Saturday in Charleston, staying at the county park, which has a shuttle into town. Possible activities:
Then it's on to Orlando and St. Augustine the following week, where we're all set with campgrounds and activities. So, let us know if you have any suggestions for the MD-VA-NC-SC leg!
Monday: Assateague National Seashore (camping on MD side where the wild horses are, apparently, frequent visitors to the campground)
Tuesday: First Landings Seashore State Park near Virginia Beach (with the potentially white knuckle drive in the RV across the Chesapeake Bay Bridge/Tunnel. Hope it's not windy!)
Wednesday: Forecast is for rain, so we think we'll tool our way over to I-95 and catch some NC BBQ trail for lunch and stay somewhere around Fayettesville.
Thursday: On the way to Charleston, take a hike through Congaree National Park, weather permitting. Too bad we haven’t bought that kayak we keep talking about...yet. But the hike will be nice.
Friday and Saturday in Charleston, staying at the county park, which has a shuttle into town. Possible activities:
- Top Chef Kitchen Tour
- Gullah Tour
- Museum Mile
- Rent a bike
- Fort Sumter
- Graveyard walk--my dad says that there's a particularly good tombstone, where the fellow couldn't afford a headstone for his wife, so he used the headboard from their bed ;-)
Then it's on to Orlando and St. Augustine the following week, where we're all set with campgrounds and activities. So, let us know if you have any suggestions for the MD-VA-NC-SC leg!
Safe Harbor in Memphis (UPDATED)
How lucky are we? We arrived in Memphis yesterday afternoon, before rush hour, and before the severe weather: high winds, thunderstorms, and tornado alerts. The trifecta! And we are happily ensconced in a beautiful brick home with family. Off to play tourist in the weather....
UPDATE: Here are a few photos of the fun we had this time.
The "formal" living room (as opposed to the "casual" Jungle Room, which was too dark to photograph well...at least for me. No flash allowed in Graceland.):
The surreal basement pool room:
Walls and walls and walls full of hit records. Can't believe Elvis only ever had one Grammy.
In the "meditation garden"--
One of Elvis's two planes, which we got to tour. 211 trips flown in this puppy.
One of the plane's two gold-plated sinks.
We also had fun at the Williams Sonoma OUTLET (who was a very happy girl shopping for 30-50% off cooking items right before Thanksgiving?!?) and a most wonderful cupcake shop, started by a recent grad from Dana's daughter's high school.
There was only time for a quick game of Hearts (to 50), but I'm happy to report that I finally won a game. So great to see all of the Buford family, including oh-so-cute Scout, who made us want a puppy very badly.
On the list for next visit: R&B spots, like Sun Records, and perhaps more BBQ....
UPDATE: Here are a few photos of the fun we had this time.
The "formal" living room (as opposed to the "casual" Jungle Room, which was too dark to photograph well...at least for me. No flash allowed in Graceland.):
The surreal basement pool room:
Walls and walls and walls full of hit records. Can't believe Elvis only ever had one Grammy.
In the "meditation garden"--
One of Elvis's two planes, which we got to tour. 211 trips flown in this puppy.
One of the plane's two gold-plated sinks.
We also had fun at the Williams Sonoma OUTLET (who was a very happy girl shopping for 30-50% off cooking items right before Thanksgiving?!?) and a most wonderful cupcake shop, started by a recent grad from Dana's daughter's high school.There was only time for a quick game of Hearts (to 50), but I'm happy to report that I finally won a game. So great to see all of the Buford family, including oh-so-cute Scout, who made us want a puppy very badly.
On the list for next visit: R&B spots, like Sun Records, and perhaps more BBQ....
Makin' Miles (and Some Smiles)
Three days into our adventure we find ourselves on the eastern side of OKC, perfectly positioned for an early AM departure to miss rush hour. We have traveled about 1580 miles in 3 days--not my brother's clip (he's a professional driver who regularly can do 900+!), but much more than we typically like to do in a day. And we've still managed to have some fun--mostly by way of entertaining Podcasts and delicious one-hour breaks from the road at lunch time. (Joe & Aggie's again in Holbrook, AZ,
and a new dive in Amarillo today on a very cute artsy section of old Route 66.)
We are very much looking forward to getting off the road tomorrow afternoon in Memphis at Lisa's sister's beautiful home. I've even put in a request for a Graceland visit, since I resisted it during our last visit ;-) So, yay for upcoming tourist fun. As we pass favorite places (ABQ!) and new ones (so many cool state parks), we keep reminding ourselves of our current cool itinerary and its demand that we get ourselves across country PDQ. We can always come back to explore Roman Nose State Park and revisit Palo Duro Canyon and the very cool shops on 6th street in Amarillo....
No photos--yet. The gorgeous hot-pink sunrise this morning in Albuquerque (with full moon at our backs) just didn't come out on the iPhone as we were driving. Soon, I'll have full use of the real camera!
and a new dive in Amarillo today on a very cute artsy section of old Route 66.)
We are very much looking forward to getting off the road tomorrow afternoon in Memphis at Lisa's sister's beautiful home. I've even put in a request for a Graceland visit, since I resisted it during our last visit ;-) So, yay for upcoming tourist fun. As we pass favorite places (ABQ!) and new ones (so many cool state parks), we keep reminding ourselves of our current cool itinerary and its demand that we get ourselves across country PDQ. We can always come back to explore Roman Nose State Park and revisit Palo Duro Canyon and the very cool shops on 6th street in Amarillo....
No photos--yet. The gorgeous hot-pink sunrise this morning in Albuquerque (with full moon at our backs) just didn't come out on the iPhone as we were driving. Soon, I'll have full use of the real camera!
The Next U.S. Sojourn
We've been tending to Rocksie's maintenance--sanitizing the water tanks, cleaning the solar panels, checking the appliances, replacing alarm batteries (it's that time of year to do it in your house, too, hint, hint), cleaning, stocking up, etc., etc., etc., because we are hitting the road in a few days.
Highlights of this year's fabulous fall odyssey:
A dash to the East Coast, with a rest and recreation stop with Lisa's sister's family in Memphis, before we meet up with a slew of college friends to attend
Then southward through Raleigh and Charleston and down to Orlando to visit
before we spend a week with my parents in St. Augustine. Then, it's north through Atlanta, Chattanooga, and
By Beatrice M (http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/152399860/)[see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons
Northward for an Indy visit with Lisa's parents before we move on to a big Cason Thanksgiving (at least a dozen of us) in central Illinois.
And then it's (yikes) time for my 30th high school reunion!
If time allows, we'll make a cousin stop in St. Louis, but then we've then got to make the mad dash back across the country (please think warm thoughts so that the weather cooperates) to get home a day or two before my cooking class starts.
Only about 7000 miles in 6 weeks. Shoot, we've done that before. We expect to be able to make more miles this trip without (sniff) Nick....
Highlights of this year's fabulous fall odyssey:
A dash to the East Coast, with a rest and recreation stop with Lisa's sister's family in Memphis, before we meet up with a slew of college friends to attend
Then southward through Raleigh and Charleston and down to Orlando to visit
before we spend a week with my parents in St. Augustine. Then, it's north through Atlanta, Chattanooga, and
By Beatrice M (http://www.flickr.com/photos/blmurch/152399860/)[see page for license], via Wikimedia Commons
Northward for an Indy visit with Lisa's parents before we move on to a big Cason Thanksgiving (at least a dozen of us) in central Illinois.
And then it's (yikes) time for my 30th high school reunion!
If time allows, we'll make a cousin stop in St. Louis, but then we've then got to make the mad dash back across the country (please think warm thoughts so that the weather cooperates) to get home a day or two before my cooking class starts.Only about 7000 miles in 6 weeks. Shoot, we've done that before. We expect to be able to make more miles this trip without (sniff) Nick....
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