Washington, DC–Part 1

I am now only a few weeks behind in blogging!!  

I have been to DC a couple of times before, but typically just for 2 – 3 days, so I never really had time to do much.  This time, I wanted to take my time.  I had planned on about 8 days, but ended up staying 2 weeks.  I stayed at Cherry Hill RV park in College Park, Maryland.  This is one of the most expensive campgrounds that I have stayed at, but it is the closest to DC and very convenient to the Metro. 

If you ever get to this area, go to the Dutch Country Farmers Market in Laurel, MD (about 15 minutes from the campground).  This is an Amish Farmers Market, very popular and yumm!!!!  The best baked goods – fresh cheese bread, pumpkin rolls….  Smoked Chicken Wings, great salads, and of course produce and much much more!!

First a quick review of the clues I gave to this trip over the last couple of weeks.

Above was taken from the DC Metro Archives/Navy Memorial Station.  Most of the underground train/metro stations had this similar look.   One afternoon  (obviously before rush hour) I became intrigued by the design of the ceiling and walls.

This is a small part of the Albert Einstein Memorial outside of the National Academy of Science.  This is a statue that many people miss.  I’ll post the whole statue in my next blog.

This sculpture is in the Hirshhorn Museum and is very realistic.  It’s listed as Untitled, but has “Big Man” in parenthesis.   link to Big Man info on Hirshhorn site

One of the Pandas from the National Zoo.

Above is one of several sculptures in the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial.  (along with a tourist!)

The main entry hall of the Natural History museum.

Part of the Washington Memorial.  The difference in shading in the marble came about because the construction was halted due to funding and the Civil War.  When they started back the marble was a slightly different color.

The first day (and then again later in the trip), I went to my favorite museum, the National Museum of Natural History.  I ended up spending about 5 hours here the first day.  On my first trip, there were a lot of kids there.  But I quickly saw that they started off downstairs (with the dinosaurs), so I went upstairs first.  This worked out great because the Geology, Gems and Minerals exhibit is on the second floor – my favorite!!!!

Hope Diamond – 45.52 carats.  I sent my mom a postcard and told her that they wouldn’t sell it to me so she would have to do with the picture on the postcard! 

I have always liked Rhodochrosite, but did not know that it is sliced from a stalactite.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I spent hours looking at the different rocks and gems.

All types of Agates-

I had to include this since it was from Georgia.  Plus it’s interesting how it was created.

They were having a special exhibit of Nature’s Best Photography, the Windland Smith Rice International Awards.  I really enjoyed this exhibit.  This wasn’t the winner, but probably my favorite.

I’m glad these snakes no longer exist!  Titanoboa lived 60-58 million years ago, they grew to about 45 feet long, 2500 lbs.  The life size replica below shows one eating an alligator.

Since I include a lot of pictures of birds, I thought I would included this – a woodpecker.

And other skeletons-

I also enjoyed the fossils exhibits -

More on my DC visit in my next blog.

Fredericksburg, VA

I am not really a history fan, but Fredericksburg was on the way so I thought I would check it out. 

 

Approximately 3,000 Confederate infantrymen were lined up behind this stone wall for about 600 yards, and another 3,000 were on the slope behind it during the Battle of Fredericksburg in the Civil War.  Only a small portion of the wall is original.

Notice the house in the above picture.  It is the Innis House.  Most of the exterior was replaced, but the interior is still pockmarked with bullet holes from the fighting that was all around it.

As I mentioned, I’m not into history, so even though there were more battlefields, I decided that this one was enough.  I do like stories about people during the war.  Such as the one about Richard Kirkland   http://www.brotherswar.com/Fredericksburg-6.htm

But part of the Fredericksburg National Military Park was a bit more “green”.  I did a bit of walking, and saw a few more interesting  historical things.

It’s a bit hard to see in the picture, but this is one of many confederate trenches.  Some of them were fairly large and long, while others you could barely tell they were there.  In looking on-line, there is a debate as to if they have been  restored.  Many believe that there was some restoration done in the 1920’s and 1930’s (perhaps by the CCC) , but what I read was there was no wide-spread restoration.  And I saw a lot of trenches.  I can’t image, 1) building these by hand and 2) using these as protection from battle.

Cannons on Dead Horse Hill.

I was only in this historical area for a couple of days.  My next stop was Washington, DC.

Virginia Beach, VA

This year I am having some difficulty in determining where to go.  I ended up just slowly working my way up the east coast since I had to be in Wisconsin in August, but with no real plan.  I knew I wanted to spend some time in Washington, DC.   While looking at the map, I saw Virginia Beach.  I had never been there and saw a couple of parks and wildlife refuges nearby so I figured why not!

I thought about staying at one of the local state parks, but if I remember correctly they were basically first come first serve and with it still Spring Break in some areas I was concerned so I made reservations at the Hol-i-day Travel campground.  The day I got there they were having a huge Orange Crush Festival.  There were a lot of people there (not camping, just for the day) and it was loud! Luckily it was just for the day and ended about 7:30.  I think they had the best bathrooms that I have ever seen in a campground.

This may be a first for me, a picture of a campground bathroom!

The Naval Air Station was not far from the campground, so I saw a lot of jets.  I did learn a good place to watch the jets, so I went one day to get a better view than the quick fly over that I saw from the campground.

I was across the street from some of the runways on the base, where “they” had made a spot for 3 – 5 cars to park.  I passed this spot several times and I think every time there was at least a couple of people watching.

The guys above crossed the street to get a closer look, after they left another guy was there and the cops stopped and made him cross the street back to the parking area. 

One of the reasons I came here was Back Bay National Wildlife Refuge.   There is a trail/road along the marsh that I was interested in biking.  It leads to False Cape State Park.  The only way to get to that park is to bike, walk or boat in.  As I was unloading my bike I noticed quite a few black flies, so I put on more insect repellant.  After only a mile of biking I debated continuing because there were so many flies. If I stopped to take a picture there would be hundreds (at least it felt that way) of flies swarming around me.  I decided to continue, but I didn’t stop to take too many pictures. 

I had planned on turning around at the sign to False Cape, but I decided to go the extra mile to the visitors center.  I stopped for a while and decided to bike another 1/2 mile to the beach.  I thought the flies would be better as typically it is a bit breezy at the beach that helps keep them away.  NOT THE DAY I WAS THERE, THEY WERE WORSE!!!

It’s a bit hard to see, but all those little dots are shadows of flies.  (with the exception of 2 – 3 actual flies).  I was reminded of Pig-pen from the Charlie Brown cartoons. I’m guessing the flies are one of the reasons that nobody else was on the beach.  I was there less than 2 minutes.  Unfortunately, I had to climb back over the dunes to get to where my bike was, with flies swarming the whole time.  Back on the bike it wasn’t too bad at least compared to the beach.  Even with the flies it was a fun 11 – 12 mile ride.  But I think next time I might wear long pants and sleeves or at least check on the fly situation first!

Also while there I visited First Landing State Park and I biked the bike trail downtown at the beach.  (Hotels/restaurants on one side, beach/ocean on the other side. 

My next stop was Fredericksburg, VA. 

Wanchese, NC (the Outer Banks)

Now I am only a month behind in my blog!! 

During the second week in April, I decided to stay in Wanchese, NC at The Refuge on Roanoke.  It was a nice, quiet campground.  I had thought about staying at one of the National Park campgrounds on the beach in the Outer Banks, but thought with spring break still going on they might be a bit crowded and loud.  I later found out I was wrong, but I liked where I stayed.  Most of the sites (except those who lease annually) are on a small lake.  I was just a few feet from the lake, see view from RV below.

This was a view from my site one evening-

On the first day, I took a drive down the Outer Banks and was surprised how clean the roads were, even though the sand dunes were right next to the road.  When I was here 8 or 9 years ago there was sand all over the roads.

A few minutes down the road, I realized why they were so clean--

I guess these guys have a full time job just keeping the sand off the roads.  My first day on the beach is below.  Sitting on the beach watching the waves -  it’s a rough life!!

The next day, I went hiking at the Nags Head Woods Ecological Preserve. I enjoyed it so much I went back a few days later.  I’ve been doing mostly beach walks or walks on sandy trails along swamps so a hike in the woods was what I needed.  Actually this area is part of the old dune system that has been forested.   Below is a Luna Moth on the directional sign to my first hike (Sweet Gum Swamp)--

Finding this on the trail was a bit of a surprise -

One of the things that the Outer Banks is known for are the lighthouses.

Bodie Island Lighthouse and Currituck Beach Lighthouse

  

Cape Hatteras Lighthouse

Some type of bird must have been migrating.  A couple of days, I saw thousands of birds, usually somewhat organized headed south.

I also visited Jockey’s Ridge State Park hoping to see some people hang gliding.  I saw a few from the road, but wouldn’t you know the day I decide to walk the sand dunes, I only saw one and by the time I was close enough the people were leaving. They left the hang glider, but did not come back while I was there.

Kids have so much fun at the dunes.  But I still think it is easier to walk down the dunes rather than tumble down the way this kid was.

I went to Pea Island National Wildlife Refuge twice.  I had read that there is good bird watching there, but I saw many more turtles than I did birds. 

I also drove through Alligator River National Wildlife Refuge.  I saw no alligators, but a lot more turtles.

I am still headed north up the coast.  My next stop was Virginia Beach, VA.

Wilmington, NC and New Bern, NC

I was in Wilmington for a couple of days in early April. 

One of the places I visited was Airlie Gardens.  Because of it being warmer than normal this year, I missed the peak time by a few weeks.

Airlie Oak dates back to 1545 -

 

 

USS North Carolina – I didn’t go to the ship, but in walking around downtown, I got this view.

I saw several mansions while walking around.  The one below is Bellamy Mansion.

My next stop was Wanchese, NC.  Wanchese is on Roanoke Island in NC.  This was my base while visiting the Outer Banks.  But before getting there, I stopped for a couple of days in New Bern, NC.  This was just  a “layover” stop.  I did some spring cleaning and relaxed a bit.

It was Easter while I was there there and campground had an easter egg hunt for the kids.  My camp site was next to where the young kids (I think under 6)  “hunted” for the eggs.

This was how the eggs were hidden!!  Basically just thrown on the grass.  It was fun watching the kids find them.