South Carolina

Blossom of Camellia Sinensis
 

In the fall of 2012 I was with a group of relatives on a vacation which included a stay in Charleston, South Carolina.  Like most vacations, this one was too short to see everything we were interested in seeing.  I am a tea drinker and requested that we visit the Charleston Tea Plantation on our way into town.  It is the only tea farm in the United States growing the traditional Camellia Sinensis.  We were able to view the process of tea making even though it was past the harvesting season.  We also enjoyed samples of tea and a stroll through the gift shop. 

Rainbow Row on the waterfront in Charleston

Charleston itself is a charming city.  It is one of the oldest eastern seaports, located on the Atlantic Ocean; it is a true Southern city with many antebellum homes.   Middleton Place includes one of the oldest landscaped gardens in the United States, a museum and a working stableyards.   I enjoyed the trolley system in Charleston which is free.  It allows you to travel easily from one area to another.  We enjoyed the central market which has been in existence since 1800 and features many local crafts.  Fort McHenry is located on an island nearby with ferry and tours several times each day.  Like most cities, museums, art galleries, and other attractions are available.

Tybee Lighthouse

South Carolina is much more than just Charleston of course.  There are several other large cities including the capital of Columbia.  One of the most famous places is Myrtle Beach.  The area around Myrtle Beach is known for the crowds of young people who flock there for Spring Break each year.  The Grand Strand stretches for sixty miles, includes continuous white sand beaches, two state parks, both fresh and saltwater fishing, plus unique shops and restaurants . The island of Hilton Head in the southeastern corner of the state is known for its golf destinations but also offers gorgeous beaches, unique shopping experiences and many other activities.
 

Besides the cities and the beaches, South Carolina has a gradual elevation of the land as you travel inland through foothills until you reach the highest point in the state, Sassafras Mountain, in the northwest corner of the state.  Much of the state is deciduous forested land and is especially beautiful to see in the fall of the year when the leaves begin to turn colors.

Sunrise on the waterfront
 

As one of the original colonies, much history is found throughout the state.  Situated in the south, along the Atlantic Ocean, South Carolina is a wonderful place to explore any time of the year.  To find the perfect getaway place for you in South Carolina, check out their website at http://www.discoversouthcarolina.com/#

 

 

Rhode Island

Vintage card from Misquamicut Beach

Rhode Island is the smallest of the United States.  When I was a teenager, if you said Rhode Island, my brain immediately thought “Beach!”  It was only a few hours away from where we lived to Misquamicut Beach which was our favorite.  Some of my best (or worst) sunburns came from our trips there.  I remember one in particular.  My husband (boyfriend at that time) and his two sisters and I went on the bus to the beach.  It was an overcast day and of course we didn’t think we would even get a tan.  It didn’t feel very hot because of the cloud cover so we lay on the beach for much too long.  The rest of them have darker complexions since they are French and German but they also burned.  I am one of those very fair skinned people who burn easily so the trip on the bus home was miserable for all of us.



Rocky beach in Rhode Island

During that time one of my best friends invited me to accompany her family for a week at their camp on an inlet off the ocean.  I’m not sure exactly where it was located but we could walk down the path to a tiny wooden dock to go crabbing.  The water was shallow there and you could lie on the dock to grab the crabs with a net.  We sometimes could get permission to take her Dad's boat for a short ride in the bay.


Narragansett Bay is a large part of the eastern portion of Rhode Island and has many miles of sheltered beaches and coves.  There are about thirty islands within the bay and of course wonderful access to the ocean.  There are many beaches along the western section of Rhode Island directly on to Long Island Sound.

 

Rhode Island Junior College in Warwick RI

Providence is not only the capital city but the largest city in the state.   It boasts the first Baptist Church, the first fully automated Post Office and a capitol building made from white marble.  Providence is also home to Brown University and several other higher education institutions.  Summer visitors can enjoy WaterFire, a musical delight held in WaterPlace Park along the downtown river.   



Lighthouse Point - Watch Hill/Westerly RI

Newport showcases the mansions built by the industrial founders who chose Newport for their summer “cottages”.  Many of them are open for tours and provide a glimpse into the luxurious life of these families.  The Blackstone Valley is considered the home of the Industrial Revolution in Pawtucket at Slater Mill.  You can enjoy a twelve mile ferry trip to Block Island off the southern shore of Rhode Island for a wonderful day trip.  Beaches, shops, nature trails, two 19^th Century lighthouses and lots of fresh ocean breeze make a memorable adventure.  For further information on Rhode Island and the many things to do and places to see, check out their website at  http://www.visitri.com/

Pennsylvania

 It has been a long six weeks since I had my foot surgery.  It was both better and worse than I thought.  I don’t know when I will be able to wear real shoes again or drive or walk normal.  I am a little old lady but it is not nice to actually walk like a little old lady.  I’m sorry it has been such a long time that I have not posted anything.   My husband has also had health issues contributing to the delay.  Hopefully I can get back on schedule and post about once every week to ten days.

Multi view card from 1980s

Pennsylvania is one of the larger states in the eastern part of the United States.   Harrisburg is the Capitol city and other large cities include Allentown, Erie, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia.  The state has a border of about 50 miles of coast on Lake Erie and about 50 miles on the Delaware Estuary.   Although there are several large cities, the majority of the state is farmland and smaller towns. 

I remember Pennsylvania as green – lots of fields of green crops, green trees lining the residential streets in the cities and green forests in the mountainous areas. The Appalachian Mountains run through the middle of the state and provide hikers and outdoor lovers with a wonderful experience. The Pennsylvania Turnpike is one of the oldest toll roads in the US streamlining travel across the state. It was originally opened in the 1930s, featured seven tunnels, and is a part of the Interstate Transit System now with only four remaining tunnels. 

1960s card from "The Pennsylvania Dutch Country"

One of the largest areas of Amish settlements is found in the southern part of the state.   Lancaster is a town where you can explore this alternate culture.  In Lancaster County,  the Pennsylvania Dutch Convention and Visitors Bureau provides information and arranges tours of the Amish farmlands nearby.

Independence Hall

Philadelphia is the largest Pennsylvania city with a history going back to colonial times.  Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell are just two of the many interesting sites there.  If you are a “Rocky” fan, you will want to view the famous statue and the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  The Reading Terminal Market is the oldest farmers market in the United States.  In Philadelphia your lunch should be an authentic Philly Cheese Steak sandwich which consists of thinly sliced roasted beef, topped with melted cheese on a long crusty roll.

Lincoln Gettysburg Address Memorial

Gettysburg and the Underground Railway were important during our Civil War and their history provides more interesting places to visit.  The Johnstown Flood Museum chronicles the famous devastating flood of 1899.  These and many other attractions are just waiting for you to discover.   Websites for Pennsylvania and Philadelphia are found at http://www.visitpa.com/ and http://www.visitphilly.com/

Note to anyone reading this blog

I apologize for the slow down on my postings.  I have had computer issues, holidays and quite a few doctor apointments.  My husband had eye surgery this week and I am having foot surgery tomorrow.  I do not know if I will be able to post again soon or if it will be a few weeks until I can try to get back on a schedule to post about once a week.  Think good thoughts anyway!

Oregon

Antique card showing an Oregon Fir tree

When I think of Oregon I think of trees.  Early postcards that my Dad had were of giant trees in Oregon that were exchanged between his mother and friends of theirs who had moved to Oregon to work in the forests there.  When I was a little girl I enjoyed looking at his postcard collection and was fascinated by the huge trees.  I could not believe there were trees that large. 



Antique card showing grapes grown in Oregon

I traveled by train to my Mother’s home in Eugene around 1991.  It was snowing along the train route which wound through the Cascade Mountains. The snow made the view almost magical as I watched out my train window at enormous snow covered trees.   I was fascinated by the tall firs as they do not grow in Louisiana where I was living at the time.  There were also small waterfalls coming down the mountainside with icicles fringing the edges.  I spent the entire trip looking out at this wonderful landscape.

A few years later we helped my Mother move closer to family, so once again I was in Oregon.  This time we traveled by car (and moving van}.  Oregon is divided by the Cascade Mountains.  From the Pacific to the Cascade Mountains the climate is normally moist and there is a large area of rainforest near the coast.   A great amount of produce is grown in this part of Oregon because of the fertile soil, long summer sunlit days and abundant moisture.  The eastern side of the state has a high desert with little vegetation.  I was awestruck by the beauty of the forests as we traveled across the mountains and then I was shocked to see how desolate the high desert was in comparison.     

The Phantom Ship (island) in Crater Lake National Park

Crater Lake National Park has a lake with the most intense blue water I have ever seen.  The lake was formed by the prehistoric explosion of Mount Mazama.  The volcano erupted and collapsed in such a way that it formed a circular area of cliffs almost two thousand feet high which enclose the lake and a couple of islands.  The lake is the 9^th deepest lake in the world.   http://www.nps.gov/crla/index.htm



Hood River Valley with Mount Hood in background

Oregon has several spectacular mountains including Mount Hood and The Three Sisters, part of the Cascade Range.  The Columbia River forms the northern border between Washington state and Oregon and was the route traveled by Louis and Clark on their exploration of the Louisiana Purchase.  For outdoor exploration, history or beautiful scenery, Oregon is a great vacation destination.  Websites for more information:  http://www.oregon.com/ and http://traveloregon.com/.

Oklahoma

National Memorial and Museum
Oklahoma City, Oklahoma

Oklahoma is the state directly west of Arkansas, where I live.  It is in the center of the United States from East to West.  It is a state that has a little bit of everything geographically.  It shares the Ouachita and Ozark Mountains with our state but also has a large area of prairie grasslands since it is in the southern edge of the Great Plains Region.  There are 50 State Parks, 6 National Parks or regions and a total of 11 different ecological areas.  Everything from scuba diving to rock climbing is available for outdoor adventure travelers.

Holy City Easter Pageant Ground
Lawton, Oklahoma - Vintage card

Route 66 – the legendary highway that linked the eastern states to the west from 1926 until 1985 – had over 400 miles in Oklahoma.   It has been called the Main Street of America, The Mother Road or the Will Rogers Highway.  It was the road used by many who migrated to California during the Dust Bowl years when severe drought struck the southeastern part of the United States.  Museums about Route 66 are in Elk City, Chandler and Clinton. 

Native American Dancer vintage postcard
 

The Trail of Tears ended in Oklahoma.  This was the largest forced migration of Native American peoples during the 19^th Century.  You will find museums in several cities in Oklahoma that chronicle this sad time in the history of our country.  There remains a large Native American population in Oklahoma who continue to follow their traditions.   Native American gatherings are held throughout the year with many of them open to those who would like to learn about their unique culture.  The Red Earth Festival in Oklahoma City is held annually, a gathering of 100 or more Native American Tribes from all over the United States.  Exhibits of art are on display along with some ritual dances to observe.

The International Rodeo Association headquarters are in Oklahoma City and rodeos are major sporting events in the state.   You can find many other interesting places to visit in Oklahoma and their website is interactive so it allows you to quickly locate the places that are waiting for you to visit.  The website for tourism in Oklahoma is http://www.travelok.com .

    

 

Ohio

Church of the Steps in Cinncinnati

The New Year has arrived and I finally have my computer working again.  It still has some problems but is greatly improved.  I must tell you that Ohio is one of those states that I have driven through many times on the way to or from other places. I have never made Ohio a vacation destination although I have visited relatives living there. There are a few places that I would like to see if I could so this is another wishful thinking trip!

Like many of the States in America, the majority of Ohio is rural, small town America, surrounded by good farm land.   There are a few large metropolitan areas showcasing all the “big city” attractions – museums, art centers, theaters, sports arenas, shopping malls, zoos and other family oriented features. There are beaches along Lake Erie which forms much of the northern border of Ohio. The southeastern part of Ohio is bordered by the Ohio River. 

Vintage view: Goodyear Zeppelin Factory in Arkron

One of the most interesting places to me is the National Museum of the United States Air Force located within Wright-Patterson Air Force Base.  Among many other interesting exhibits, the Air Force One Presidential Plane that was used by President John F. Kennedy is on display.  Ongoing construction will provide a new building to house the entire collection of Presidential airplanes that have been retired along with exhibits of many of the space program vehicles.  Admission is free and you might want to check out their website to see what the museum offers.  http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/

Baby Carriage, Zoar Village

The place my husband would love is the Pro Football Hall of Fame.  It is the ultimate destination for any true (American) football fan and is located in the Northeastern part of Ohio in the city of Canton.  The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame is located in Cleveland and would be my preference since I grew up during the early years of Rock and Roll,.

Many states have populations of Amish or Mennonites. Ohio has an area in north eastern Ohio where you can enjoy various tours to learn more about their culture.  They have luncheon tours to sample many of the foods that are their pride and joy.  There is also a Zoar Village south of Cleveland that was established by German Immigrants in the early 1800s.  The original buildings are open to those who are interested in seeing typical village life in earlier times.






Fountain Square - Cinncinnati

Among many other interesting places to see I would especially enjoy a visit to Ravenwood Castle and Medieval Village near New Plymouth, Ohio.  There is a Great Dining Hall, a pub with craft beers and various accommodations including suites in the castle, Village cottages, Gypsy wagons, and fairy tale cabins .  Their website is http://www.ravenwoodcastle.com

I would also enjoy seeing the Underground Railroad Freedom Center, located in Cincinnati.   To find the spots that intrigue you, visit http://www.discoverohio.com  and explore all that Ohio has to offer.