May 6, 2012 by Rae

Mariners’ Museum, Newport News, VA

I have to make a note of technological importance before I get into the details of my day. One of the things that irks me about my otherwise wonderful camera is that it has to be plugged into the computer to transfer photos over. If I forget to eject it and turn the camera off, the battery becomes drained very quickly. Plus, I’ve been known to forget the transfer cord. It would be so much easier to be able to put the memory card directly into the computer.

The problem is that Apple is always ahead of its time and the 17″ Macbook Pro does not have a slot for memory cards but rather an ‘Express Port’. That port is versatile and can hold a number of cards that do different functions. One of those cards is a memory card reader. I couldn’t justify buying the card just to transfer my camera pictures over. But now I have a wand scanner and a cell phone with memory cards, too, so in the interest of saving my sanity from cord overload, I went ahead and got a card for my Express port that can read memory cards. The card was just $10. The last time I looked at getting one they were $50, so please don’t call me cheap. 😉

Below are the photos transferred over to my computer in this method. I am never going back to cords; this is so much easier!

So today. I glanced through all my tourist info material for the area and determined that whatever was open on a Sunday was only open noon to five. So I decided to pick an activity that could occupy the whole afternoon rather than trying to squeeze in a bunch of things. I’d been wanting to drive the James River Bridge on my own, so I decided to look up Newport News attractions on Trip Advisor and see if anything fit the bill.

The number one attraction was the Mariners’ Museum. The comments were consistent: amazing and so much to see that most didn’t have time to do it all. Add to that my interest in the topic and my desire to see the USS Monitor‘s turret and this was an activity tailor made for my day. Oh, and I found a coupon for $1 off admission in my Newport News guidebook!

The Mariners’ Museum is actually several museums. There is a section devoted to maritime history in the Chesapeake region. The main attraction is the exhibit about the USS Monitor. I won’t pretend to being an expert on this part of US history, but I knew what I was getting into. The USS Monitor was an ironclad Union ship that went head to head against the Confederate CSS Virginia during the American Civil War. The battle was a draw, but it changed naval warfare. There is a lot more to the story than that, but I definitely went in knowing more than the average visitor to the museum. There is also a section about cartography, the Battle of Trafalgar, the American Cup, and the Titanic. Next are two model ship exhibits. Next to last, there is an impressive collection of boats from around the world. Finally, there are some exterior exhibits, including a replica of the USS Monitor, and a lovely 5 mile trail around Lake Maury.

I arrived around 12:30 and by the time I felt I’d seen everything it was 4:30!!! I decided to go for a brisk walk around the lake to make up for being indoors all afternoon. That walk was a balm to my soul, scented with honeysuckle and oh-so-pretty.

There was way too much information today to do justice to the museum. I’ve put some information below the pictures, but you’ll have to do your own research for more details. Or come to Newport News and see this incredible museum for yourself!

While I studied the American Civil War in university, I have to say that having read Gone With the Wind gave me more context to the history of this part of Virginia. I don’t think you need to know anything going in to appreciate the museum, but if you don’t and find yourself interested, you might not have time to get through all the material.

random “my boy is hilarious” pic

James River Bridge

Newport News

Mariners’ Museum

lovely grounds

I first encountered this type of lighthouse at Heceta in Oregon

18th century drafting tools

18th century drafting tools (shark skin case)

no ship building guilds meant innovation could flourish

the legendary Blackbeard, a pirate

map of the region showing Chesapeake Bay

we have yet to invent a machine that can shuck oysters as effectively as does a human

oyster shuckers stood in these boxes

clams are left in clean water for two weeks to remove impurities before being brought to market

wooden ship innards

ironclad innards

when a commercial ship enters Chesapeake waters, it must surrender command to a local experienced commander who climbs up one of these ladders

when a commercial ship enters Chesapeake waters, it must surrender command to a local experienced commander

heading up to assume command

an 1897 log book, “Crew all well and employed”

May 18th, 1897

notice the date, 128 years from when the US became independent

giant ship’s wheel

combine your automobile tour with a pleasant steamer trip

this steamer trip menu looks delicious

varsity rowers had to wear a special uniform and there were strict rules for girls

typical boat school boys would have rowed

satellite image of the Chesapeake region

I was impressed that this image was taken in the ’80s

USS Lancaster Eagle Figurehead

entering the USS Monitor exhibits

the first artifact found was the anchor

letter from a USS Monitor officer to his wife

he begged her for a picture until she sent him this one

entrance to the exhibit about the Monitor in pop culture

news article claiming the Monitor was fine, when it soon floundered into the depths of Cape Hatteras

the name Monitor was used for advertising

Welcome to the world of Monitor madness

points about a GE refrigerator; I like the “electric, so modern” comment

all about this innovative fridge design

refrigerator with the mechanism located at the top and with legs “for easy cleaning”

more about the Monitor Top fridge

funny cartoon: “a bad day on a boat is still better than a good day at work” “you must really hate work”

scenes from this movie were played

scene from Hearts in Bondage

information about a lovely mixed-medium painting

“The Battle of Hampton Roads”

one of the Monitor’s nicknames made me laugh, “cheesebox on a raft”

the fates of the Virginia and Monitor

I thought this effect of walking over water was neat

just one gorgeous exhibit after another

a Korean turtle ship, perhaps the first ‘ironclad’

about the turtle ship

it was only after the Industrial Revolution that enough metal could be produced to clad ships in iron

The first ironclad? (ie. the turtle ship)

life aboard ship was crowded and segregated

ironclads meant the end of close naval warfare where enemy ships were boarded

“I believe this government cannot endure permanently half slave and half free.” A. Lincoln

Agriculture vs. industry. This was the most basic difference between the south and north.

the south was aristocratic while the north favoured free enterprise

the south felt that the states had more rights while the north felt that the Union should take precedence

was slavery right or wrong?

slavery was a hot political issue

“the incommunicable experience of war”

Gosport Navy Yard

the Blockade

the strategic significance of Hampton Roads

escape Virginian slaves were deemed contraband of war and not returned to their owners after Virginia seceded

Gosport Navy Yard

this fun interactive exhibit had us designing our own ironclad

I used what I’d learned from the exhibit and built the perfect ship on my first try!

will it float?

about my ironclad

more about my ironclad

I picked big armaments

I used what I’d learned from the exhibit and built the perfect ship on my first try!

the USS Awesome!

I used what I’d learned from the exhibit and built the perfect ship on my first try!

it took 100 days to build a warship

giant propeller

doctor’s cozy quarters

the Monitor had a lovely interior

rosewood, black walnut, damask, lace…

cozy

the USS Monitor had flush toilets!

both north and south claimed victory, but it was a draw

giant ship’s wheel

enlisted crew schedule

the food wasn’t always palatable but, “a good apatite makes up for that. Mustard too.” LOL!!!

mustard and salt bottles

archaeology of the Monitor’s turret

replica of the Monitor’s turret, as it was found

human bones

replica of the Monitor’s turret, as it was found

an upside down time capsule

replica of the Monitor’s turret, as it was found

looking out to the replica of the Monitor

replica of the mechanism that made the turret spin

two bodies were found in the turret

this ring was on the hand of one of the skeletons; it had no identifying marks

about the gold ring

this spider-like device pulled the Monitor’s turret out of the ocean

about the “spider”

the “spider”

standing on the deck of the Monitor replica

lovely grounds

standing on the deck of the Monitor replica

I wonder if he would have worn a shirt had he known what would happen to this photo!

the Monitor’s engines were horizontal so the ship did not need to be so tall as others

glass plate showing the engines

more about the engines

since the living quarters were underwater, the ship needed flush toilets

the assistant surgeon had trouble with the head and turned it into a fountain!

the mechanism that spun the turret

shrunk down plan of the Monitor

below the replica of the Monitor

you can see the turret (sort of) in the lab

new discoveries in the lab

you can see the turret (sort of) in the lab

I’m sorry that I’m a couple of weeks early for this exhibit

about the art of cartography

a 17th-century map of the world (no Antartica)

about the map

EXPLOITING new worlds

for the KING (LOL)

Le cap. Jacques (James) Cook

The Nelson Touch

qualities of a great leader

another gorgeous exhibit

surgical kit

surgical instruments (shudder)

list of equipment (in French)

a group of sheep led by a lion can win, but a group of lions led by a sheep is likely to lose

another lovely exhibit

inside the ship

I am at the hotel again tonight and will be going home in the morning after checking out since my room isn’t available past tomorrow. However, there are other vacancies now this week, so I have reserved another room for Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights. I am thrilled seeing as the next closest hotel to my friend’s place is in Suffolk, meaning an extra half hour from the rig. This hotel is just over an hour away.

September 12, 2011 by Rae

Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park

Jody wanted to give me something special for my three-year RVing anniversary. But what do you give an RVer that won’t end up as clutter? The answer for this RVer is obvious: give her an experience. So Jody got together with Donna and planned an adventure for the three of us that would take us deep into the southern Alberta Badlands to a place where history is literally carved into the landscape: Writing-On-Stone Provincial Park.

So early Sunday morning (September 11th), Jody and I set off eastwards to Taber to pick up Donna, then we swung south to Milk River where we veered further east into the park. The weather was perfect and hot. It was about 11:30 when we arrived and we decided that lunch was the first priority. So we headed down into the campground area to tuck into the picnic Gary had packed for us.

There was still a couple of hours before our guided tour of the rock art, so we explored the hoodoos, which really put Drumheller to shame! The Blackfoot who traveled this land felt it was sacred and the place thrummed with its immense power. I am absolutely in love with the Alberta Badlands. Both Writing-On-Stone and Drumheller feature amazing landscapes, but Writing-On-Stone’s hoodoos really do give this more remote location an edge.

The only way to access the archaeological preserve that is the site of the rock art is to take a guided tour. It started from the still new visitors’ centre where you get onto a minibus that takes you to the start of the hike. The hike itself isn’t too difficult, but it does require sturdy closed-shoes because of the uneven terrain and cacti, and a wide-brimmed had and plenty of water (at least one litre) is needed on hot days. It was 45C (113) along the trail mid-afternoon Sunday!

Our guide, Bonnie, was a formidable woman whose love and respect for the area and the Blackfoot people shone through every word. She was a great storyteller and interpreter. Even though the hike only covers about three city blocks, it lasts about two hours.

After our unforgettable afternoon, we gals piled back into Jody’s van, returned to Taber to pick up Ken, and made it to Lethbridge where Gary had another delicious meal waiting for us.

I couldn’t have asked for a more perfect way to celebrate my three years on the road but to spend it with two of the dearest friends I have encountered along the way. Thanks, gals!

Donna getting into trouble at the Milk River info center

Donna leading the charge through the Milk River info centre

it was too hot for snakes that afternoon 🙁

more of the hoodoos that make me wonder why anyone bothers going to Drumheller

a tiny part of the spread that Gary prepared for us

Jody and Donna heading down a path with the Milk River in the foreground

more of the hoodoos that make me wonder why anyone bothers going to Drumheller

I loved this badly-located sign. Yes, RV parking was thataway. No, RV parking was not accessible down this trail.

our transportation to guided hike trail

heading up to the sandstone cliffs housing the rock art

modern graffito

this petroglyph of a guy with his legs just about crossed amused me

the three amigas freshening up after an afternoon under a broiling sun

July 17, 2011 by Rae

Thunder (and Lightning and Hail) In the Valley

Yesterday (Saturday) evening Jody, Gary, and I drove out to the Crowsnest Pass to witness the annual fireworks show known as Thunder in the Valley. What makes the show so special is that the noise from the fireworks echoes in the mountains.

The fireworks are launched from the town of Blairmore, Alberta. There is always a large delay to get back to Lethbridge because of the number of cars so Jody thought it would be best for us to camp in the area. The nearest campground that would allow a single night stay was Mountain Shadows in Sparwood, BC. So we drove there (2.5 hours from Lethbridge) first so I could set up a tent (they sleep in their van) and also meet up with some of Gary’s family (the wonderful one whom we visited in Humboldt) who had gone on ahead.

Tent set up and dinner eaten, we headed back to Blairmore (45 minutes east of Sparwood) and found a spot up a dead end road. We set up chairs and within minutes I felt big, cold drops of rain hit me. Before long, the drops turned to a downpour and we ran back to the truck! The rain came down for a bit then stopped, giving us hope that the show would go on, but then it started up again. What a downpour!!! It was so violent and hail came down in loud plunks. Many people thought the show would not go on, so they left. We stuck it out and at about 11:30 the first fireworks went off.

The echoing effect was spellbounding! It was definitely worth going even if it was cold and wet!

We headed back to Sparwood after the show and I was glad to discover my tent and its contents were still dry. I did a quick toilette, crawled into my PJs, and went to bed.

The ground was hard and the noise from the highway was deafening, but I was warm and snug, so I was quite satisfied that I fell asleep immediately at 1AM and awoke at quarter to six. That’s actually a pretty decent camping night for me. We weren’t meeting up with Gary’s family for brunch until about 11AM, so I knew I had plenty of time to kill. I laid in bed and listened to an audio book for about an hour and then crawled out of my tent to use the most luxurious outhouse in the world: it has a flush toilet! There was no point crawling back into the tent so I literally wandered around the campground for three hours listening to my audio book.

This was such a pleasant morning. It was a trifle damp, but not cool, and the air felt so fresh. I took pictures of flowers and wandered up and down trails for a bit. At about 9, I headed back to our site to start dismantling my tent and packing up my gear, then sat on a dry corner of the picnic table to continue listening to my book. I decided to give Gary and Jody till 10:15, but they got up shortly before that.

We made quick work of packing, then drove out to meet up with Gary’s family. We had a nice ‘brunch’ (from the lunch menu) at the excellent restaurant attached to the hotel in Sparwood, then we headed home.

Like the first time Jody and I were in Sparwood, we stopped at Lundbreck Falls and we made a few other stops. So it was past five when we pulled in to home. My cats were happy to see me but we didn’t hang out for long since I got invited over for another Gary dinner. Yum-yum.

There’s nothing like a sleepless night away from home to recharge my batteries! 🙂

canola (rapeseed) fields

this cloud formation looks like an angry gorilla stomping around!

I love the big open skies of southern Alberta

beautiful valley (between Lethbridge and Fort McLeod)

into the Crowsnest Pass

Blairmore

my ‘one night only’ tent

I saw almost a half-dozen Royal Classics in the last day! This is a 1980s model.

to find our site I had to turn right at the outhouse with the flush toilet 🙂

path leading up behind our site

the strange tree/snare setup in the middle of our site

I bet that’s their bathroom window 🙂

petrified tree

two roads diverged in a yellow wood…

mushroom

antique truck and trailer combo

re-entering Alberta

Lundbreck Falls

bathers at Lundbreck Falls

Lundbreck Falls

wind mill at Lundbreck Falls

Lundbreck Falls

I liked the combination of the class A coming down the highway with the bus conversion in the foreground

crazy guy jumping into Lundbreck Falls!!!

striking image of canola fields!

near Cottonwood campground

May 16, 2011 by Rae

Around the Lake

Hard to believe that I’ve been in Lethbridge about six weeks and have yet to post about the city! It’s a city that has been very slow to make an impression. Between all the travel around southern Alberta and the desperate search for income, there hasn’t been energy left to discover this city with a most peculiar layout. But there is one thing I can say about Lethbridge is that when it shakes me out of my complacency it’s to stun me with a beautiful view.

Such as that of Nicholas Sheran lake, just a couple of blocks from home. I love going for a stroll around it. The lake’s placement in the middle of suburbia is just so surreal that I’m always surprised that it’s so close by.

Tonight I actually thought to bring my camera!

pathway to Nicholas Sheran lake

Nicholas Sheran lake

pathway around Nicholas Sheran lake

Nicholas Sheran lake

bridge over troubled waters

duck enjoying a swim even though…

cheeky little fellow, no?

lovely bridge

bridge to an island

the house on the far right of the picture is the last on one of my flier routes

The colours – two shades of blue, a red, myriad greens – were particularly stunning tonight with the sun low in the sky. It was very windy, but not too cold, so I was happy to do a full lap around the lake.

March 25, 2011 by Rae

South of Florence on the Oregon Coast

Tuesday morning, I was expecting Joan who was driving down from Salem two hours away. She hadn’t confirmed her arrival time, but I didn’t think she’d arrive before noon. So, I got up around 8:30 and went to the Starbucks where the wifi was misbehaving badly. It wasn’t a lost morning, though, since they ran out of dark roast and I got an espresso for the same price. Love when that happens. 🙂

I finally decided that the universe was telling me to get my butt back home, which I did, and there was Joan at about 9:30! She hadn’t slept a wink because yesterday she closed on the sale of her RV! I have been ‘mid-wifing’ the process since I got here but haven’t written about this in any great detail, waiting for Joan’s ‘I bought a rig!’ post.

Joan had an adventure with the security detail while she was waiting for me and I am sharing this story with her permission. She walked up to security to let them know she’s my friend so they wouldn’t question her about being parked by Miranda. This conversation ensued:

Joan: I’m here to see my friend Rae, but her car’s not here!
Security: Then she’s not home!

Bwa ha ha ha.

Neither one of us had had any breakfast (I rarely eat at Starbucks; the food is crap and overpriced) so I suggested we head over to the Dune Diner at the corner of 101 and 126, a little cafe I’d noticed on my outings.

I had some of the worst coffee of my life there, but the pancake (singular; they are HUGE in the States!) was very delicious, as was the sausage. We lingered over our meal and eventually headed out. I was driving and pointed the car south since I’d been north on Monday.

The drive south from Florence is more inland, making me very glad that I went north on Monday. We got to Coos Bay, where there is a Walmart, and Joan had mentioned wanting to stop in a Walmart if we passed one, so that’s where we spent the rest of the morning. The sun was shining and I just knew that this utterly ridiculous start to the day was going to bookend an extraordinary adventure. I figured that looking at curtains and sheets with Joan was karmic payback for subjecting Donna to that in Omak in the fall! 🙂

My GPS has been acting up and took us south of Coos Bay from the Walmart, but the detour on Seven Devils Road was worth it. It was a scenic, twisty route with no businesses whatsoever that was a ton of fun in my zippy subcompact. It actually reminded me a lot of being on the back roads of Dawson City!

Joan had mentioned possibly doing a dune buggy ride, so we decided to pull into Sandland Adventures just south of Florence to find out if and when there were tours and then schedule lunch around the answer. There were two options; rides in the small dune buggies for $25 per person, or on the giant one for $12 a person. Neither one of us was too sure about doing the little one so we tentatively booked a seat on the bigger one, with the understanding that the tour would only be a go if two more people showed up. We decided that if no one else showed up, we’d take a chance and do the little buggy.

We had less than a half hour to kill, so we agreed to have an early supper (or linner, as I like to call it) and forget lunch. We both had enough of a snack to tide us over. We went down the highway a bit to a state park so that I could get an idea of what the dunes look like. I was amused to find people sitting in the sun on the beach of a lake. Kids were actually wading in the shallow water!

We went back to Sandlands and tons of people had showed up so the ride on the big dune buggy was a go. I’ve never been on a sand dune of any importance and ‘riding in a dune buggy’ has been on my bucket list, but doing the little kind really wasn’t important. As it turns out, I’m glad I started with the big one; it was plenty thrilling!

I can’t even describe what it felt like to ride out into that landscape, to emerge from deciduous forest into an arid playground. There were tons of people out on the dunes in ATVs and dune buggies enjoying the gorgeous weather and performing all manner of stunts.

The half hour ride felt like an eternity in the best way possible. Our guide gave us a fantastic ride, the highlights of which were when he took us down nearly 90 degree face cliffs! I can honestly say that the last time I had a rush like this was in the summer of 2002 when I went white water rafting for the first time and went over a 16 foot waterfall! Oh, this didn’t have the jolt of that, by far, but you still get that sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when you go over the edge, especially the first time when you don’t know what to expect.

Near the end of the tour, we stopped and had a chance to walk on the dunes for a bit. Joan got a picture of me and I have to laugh; I am SO not dressed for hiking around the dunes and look completely out of place!

This was a half hour that will be seared into my memory. It is the kind of half hour that reminds me why I have chosen to live this life. Thank you so, so, so much to Joan for initiating me to the Oregon dunes. I don’t think I would have thought to do the tour on my own. Doing it with a friend made it even more memorable.

It was coming on to five when the tour was done, so we headed back to the casino to have dinner at the buffet. It was steak and shrimp night. I don’t eat steak, but there were plenty of other offerings, like shrimp linguine, mustard salmon, and BBQ chicken so it was still worth my eating there. I really ate more than I should have, but I hadn’t had lunch! I gave my steak ticket to four guys sitting at the table next to me. I happened to cross paths with them later and they admitted that even split four ways, the extra steak was a bit much for them, but thank you!!!

Dinner came with $4 in free slot play. After Joan and I made our goodbyes, I decided to head up to play the slots. I actually enjoy playing slots and have played an average of $5 a night since I got here, not counting my $10 in free play. $5 to $10 a day is my limit on the penny slots; I can usually stretch that into a good half hour to forty-five minutes of fun. I don’t play slots every time I can (I’d have been broke doing that in Dawson!), but since I’ve been dry camping here I felt that $5 to $10 a day was more than fair for my spot.

By then, I knew which machine I liked, so I went straight to it. I had to put $1 of my own money into the machine to get my $4 in play. Within a minute and a half, I’d won $20. A minute after that, I won another $20! I played down my $4 in free slot, got my balance back up, and cashed out at $42.20! A perfect end to a perfect day with a wonderful friend!