Lafayette Square

Posted on March 28, 2017March 28, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

The tour bus came to a stop near Lafayette Square. Joey told us we were going to walk across the square and meet the bus on the other side. Time to hustle because Joey doesn’t let any grass grow under her feet. She couldn’t really. Lafayette Square is a total of 7 acres! I’m kind of glad we didn’t explore the whole thing.

The Square is directly north of the White house on H street, Jackson Place is on the west and Madison Place is on the East. The 4th side is Pennsylvania Ave. The square was designated a National Historic Landmark District in 1970.

Like a person who has had many different jobs, one could say that Lafayette Square has a truly varied history. Over the years it has been used as a racetrack, a graveyard, a zoo, a slave market, an encampment for soldiers during the War if 1812 and many political protests and celebrations.. Some of protests continue to this day.

We stopped at the Statue of the Marquis de Lafayette since the square bears his name. Although Lafayette is singled out the square actually honors all the foreigners that have supported and helped the US, especially in the early days as our country was being born.

Today’s plan contains five large statues dating from the 1930’s. In the center stands Clark Mills’ equestrian statue of President Andrew Jackson, erected in 1853; in the four corners are statues of Revolutionary War heroes: France’s General Marquis Gilbert de Lafayette and Major General Comte Jean de Rochambeau; Poland’s General Tadeusz Kościuszko; and Prussia’s Major General Baron Frederich Wilhelm von Steuben.

The area around Lafayette Square became one of Washington’s most upscale Neighborhoods. The White House, small and unprepossessing, anchors the neighborhood which includes The Blair-Lee House, Old executive Office Building, the Department of the Treasury, St. John’s Episcopal Church and the Renwick Gallery.

Major General Winfield Scott Hancock Statue

Posted on March 25, 2017March 25, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

There I was…standing in the icy rain. A cold wind was blowing. I looked around for something to do for an hour plus while I waited for the tour. Nothing seemed to be open but as I turned to head back to the subway (where at least it was warm) I spotted a man riding a horse. Well actually a statue of a man riding a horse.

The monument stands next to the elevator to the Metro and across Pennsylvania Ave from the National Archives.

It’s also very close to the US Naval Memorial.

I looked at the engraving identifying the rider as General Winfield Scott Hancock. I’d never heard of him. General Winfield Scott (Old Fuss and Feathers) was a Civil War general but this fellow had a “Hancock” added onto his name. I looked both Generals up and both served in the Civil War for the Union. This general’s nick name was (“Hancock the Superb”).

There were a few similarities : both Generals ran for president and both were defeated. But more specific to General Hancock was his reputation for integrity which was rare in the corruption of the era. Hancock was only narrowly defeated by James Garfield in his run for president in 1880.

General Hancock lived a storied life with much of it committed to the service of the country. He served as a second lieutenant in the Mexican War, joined the Union Army and was rapidly promoted to brigadier general. He was a new corp commander at the Battle of Gettysburg.

Hancock’s corp was crucial in the battle at Cemetery Ridge (Pickett’s Charge). Hancock himself sustained wounds in that battle that continued to plague him for the rest of his life.

The Memorial that stands on Pennsylvania Ave was dedicated May 12, 1886 right after his death. President Grover Cleveland commissioned the memorial at a cost of $50,000.00 which was a lot at that time. The statue is a dedication to the Civil War as well as the General. Before his life ended on Feb 9, 1886, General Hancock had dedicated forty years of his life to the United States Army.

Seems to me he earned that statue!

The #1 Vacation

Posted on March 4, 2017March 4, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 4 Comments

It’s so hard to chose one vacation as the best. Every vacation has a high point, a sight or event that makes it special. Some have several but as I sit back and review the places I’ve been so far I keep going back to one particular vacation. It may come as a surprise to you when I tell you that my #1, absolute favorite vacation so far was our trip to South Dakota.

Maybe it was because I had no expectations for it so it couldn’t fail to live up to anything.

As Sandy and I prepared for the trip my friends all asked me, What’s in South Dakota? What could I say at that point? Mount Rushmore? I really had no idea.

We stayed in Rapid City. I remember that even though we were tired from the time zone changes and plane travel, I insisted we start exploring right away. We were burning daylight and thus started a jaw dropping adventure where each day was better than the one before.

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Our first view of the Badlands was as an afternoon sun was dropping toward the horizon. The lower angle brought out the colors and made the whole scene surreal. Throw in some animals, deer, rabbits, pronghorns and it was magical.

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Wait, was that a Unicorn?

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The vacation continued like that.

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Buffalo herds in Custer State Park along with some silly wild “beggin'” burros.

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More pronghorns, prairie dogs, wild horses, big horn sheep even dinosaurs.

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We laughed ourselves silly on what we named “the longest dirt road in the world” when we got lost on the reservation looking for a Pow Wow.

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We passed through beautiful land and saw more animals and very few people.

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We road an 1880’s steam train and went deep underground in Wind Cave National Park.

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And oh yes, we did see Mount Rushmore. That was pretty awesome too but not the main event by any means.

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So you see, I get excited just reliving that vacation. Even though I love Hawaii and Florida and so many other places I’ve been, this one is still the #1 Vacation.

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The Last 5

Posted on February 24, 2017February 24, 2017 by Dusty Roads | 2 Comments

I thought I should finish what I started. Of the top 10 things to do in Boston, I only got to 5 yesterday. Now I’m sure everyone has different things on their top 10 list. This is just the one Trip Adviser suggests So here we go. Starting with number 6.

#6, North End

A pretty cool neighborhood especially in the summer when they have all the Italian Festivals like the Feast of St Anthony’s.

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#7 Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum

I haven’t been in to visit this attraction although I have walked past it. It’s my understanding that the tour guides are in period dress and walk you through the events of the Boston Tea Party.

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#8 John F. Kennedy Presidential Museum & Library

Ok everyone knows the Kennedy’s in Boston. They are like a Dynasty. John, Bobby, Teddy, Joe, Patrick. The Mom, Rose, has a stretch of “Greeenway” named after her. Yes they are a Dynasty. And Thanks to JFK we have a Presidential Library.

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#9 Boston Public Library

This is an amazing building and that’s just the outside. Inside there are statues, Marble work and Murals. They have a lovely courtyard where you can find a spot to just curl up and sit. (once again a summer activity) A nice break from the usual rush , rush , rush.

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#10 New England Holocaust Memorial

This is a pretty unique memorial. I’ve walked through it and around it many times. It’s not a large Memorial but a lot of thought went into it. It has 6 tall glass towers. Each tower has 1 million numbers etched into the glass, each number representing a person who died. By the time you have walked past all 6 towers you realize that they represent the 6M people that perished during that horrible genocide. It really makes you think.

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Maybe if it’s nice this weekend I’ll make a trip into town. Then I can tell all of you what I think of the list. Have you been to Boston? What do you think should be on the list? The Old North Church? The TD Garden? Old Ironsides (In dry dock right now)? Don’t forget the “Cheers” Bar!

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7 Wonders of the United States

Posted on January 23, 2017January 23, 2017 by Dusty Roads

I love traveling but so far I’ve stuck to US travel. I figure as much as I would like to see some of the sights in Europe and Asia and South America or go on a Safari in Africa, I want to know my own country first.

So I was tooling around the internet and stumbled on the Seven Wonders of the United States so I wondered if I’d seen any of them.

Well, here’s the list:

1. Brooklyn Bridge – Crosses the east river at Park Row, Manhattan to Adams St, Brooklyn. Work started in 1870 and the bridge officially opened in 1883. It still has the 44^th longest main span among the world’s suspension bridges. Today the bridge is a National Historic Landmark.-–I’ve driven over it but did not know it was a “wonder”. I need to go back again and appreciate it.

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2. Empire State Building – 350 5^th Ave. NY,NY. The iconic building has seen its share of cinematic fame , from King Cong to Ghostbusters. It was a marvel of depression era building, a work of determination and pride. Construction began in March of 1930. This is also a National Historic Landmark. —I’ve been there too but so long agao that I don’t remember much about it. I think it was a high school trip. Will have to make a day of it and go back again.

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3. Golden Gate Bridge – Located on US highway 101 in San Francisco, CA. One of the most photographed landmarks in America I have yet to visit San Francisco or see the Golden Gate Bridge. Construction began in 1933 and the Golden gate bridge welcomed its first visitor in 1937. To everyone’s surprise it opened under budget and ahead of schedule.—Once I finally take my California vacation this will be on my bucket list.

4. Hoover Dam—Located 30 miles south east of Las Vegas on US Highway 93. (Nevada-Arizona Border) t took over 60 years from the time Maj. John Wesley Powell began to conduct geological studies of the Colorado River in 1869, to the concrete being poured in 1933, for Hoover Dam to be materialized. During this time the 7 basin states had to go through lengthy negotiations on how the water would be distributed, and of course, there were bidding wars on what construction company would get the job. In the end, a group called Six Companies was awarded the contract — the winning bid was over $48 million. Despite the long years of bids, planning, site inspections and more, it took just five years to complete the mammoth structure. Today, the dam is a testament to the dedication of the country’s ability to construct such a structure, especially during the years of the Depression. Hoover Dam is also a National Historic Landmark.—Been there, been there, been there. Great Experience. I highly recommend it.

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5. Mount Rushmore- Located in the Black Hills of South Dakota along Highway 244-Mount Rushmore has a truly interesting history. Sculptor Gutzon Borglum designed the enormous sculpture after he abandoned the Stone Mountain, GA relief under a cloud of suspicion and accusations of fiscal mismanagement. Sculptor Borglum arrived in 1925 to begin carving. The monument was officially completed on Oct. 31, 1941. Today, Mount Rushmore sees over 2.6 million visitors per year….I’ve been there. Amazing monument.

6. Seattle Space Needle- located 219 4th Avenue N, Seattle, WA
Designed for the 1962 World’s Fair by Edward E. Carlson, this 605-foot-tall structure was to represent the future but quickly became a symbol for the city of Seattle. The structure is designed to withstand winds of 200 miles per hour, but earth tremors and storms have caused the structure to sway occasionally and close for a day or two. Today, the Space Needle is getting a face-lift as the city of Seattle begins to revitalize the entire centerpiece, including the observation deck, restaurant and surrounding grounds.—I was there in 2013 and it quickly became my favorite place to photograph the city of Seattle and Mount Rainier.

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7. Washington Monument – 15^th St SW Washington DC… It doesn’t matter what part of the world people come from, one sight of this obelisk design and they know they’re in America. Similar to other memorials such as the Taj Mahal or the Great Pyramids, the Washington Monument is a celebration of 1 person’s life or legacy — in this case, the life of America’s first president, George Washington. Work on the monument began in 1843, and was completed in 1884. It is 555 feet tall and contains over 36,000 blocks. …I was there a long time ago. I want to go back during the cherry blossoms in the spring.