Sept. 25-30 Washington, DC (Part I)

By on October 3, 2023 in The Pearl
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture are like a tree without roots.” — Marcus Garvey

We took one last trip with our Pennsylvania family…we spent five days in our nation’s capital. We rented a nice townhouse on Capitol Hill. It was within walking distance of many things, but after walking over five miles the first day we learned how to take the Metro. Even with that we racked up a lot of miles this week. 

The house
The first floor was the entryway, dining room, half bath, kitchen and breakfast nook.
The second floor had the living room and children’s room with an ensuite bathroom.
The two larger bedrooms were on the third floor along with two more bathrooms.
After dinner the first night we walked to Whole Foods for dessert.
There was a wonderful park across the street from the house where the kids ran and played each day. If you have to live in a city…this would be a great place to live.  
We spent our first day walking…walking and seeing a lot. Our first stop was at the United States Botanic Garden. This is the oldest continuously operating public garden in the United States. During the late 18th century, George Washington had a dream of a national botanic garden and was instrumental in establishing one on the National Mall in 1820. The gardens came and went some until The Victorian Conservatory opened to the public in 1850 and the U.S. Botanic Garden has been in continuous operation and open to the public since this date.

This lady taught all of us about bees. She knew more about bees than anyone I’ve ever met.

We truly were impressed with the gardens, but our favorite section was the Orchids.

After lunch we headed to the National Museum of American History. Along the way we saw the Capitol and walked through the National Sculpture Garden. Unfortunately between the weather, construction, road barricades and a cultural festival on the National Mall getting good photos of any of the iconic places was impossible.

The sculpture garden offers a relaxing, year-round setting ,an oasis, in the middle of the National Mall. It was opened in 1999.

The National Museum of American History opened in 1964 as the Museum of History and Technology. It was renamed in 1980 to represent its mission of the collection, care, study, and interpretation of objects that reflect the experience of the American people. Some of the displays include the famed Star-Spangled Banner, First Ladies gowns, Dorothy’s Ruby Slippers, Muhammad Ali’s boxing gloves and presidential artifacts.
Our last stop of the day was walking up to the Washington Monument. There are at least 160 monuments and memorials in Washington DC and the Washington Monument is perhaps the most famous. It pays tribute to our nation’s first commander in chief, George Washington. A world-renowned structure, the obelisk-shaped memorial sits in the center of the National Mall, in between the U.S. Capitol and the Lincoln Memorial and was completed in 1884. 
Washington Monument Fun Facts:
  • The 555 foot tall obelisk is the tallest building in DC and by law, no other building in Washington is allowed to be taller.
  • The Monument is built of free-standing masonry which means there is no cement holding the blocks together.
  • When originally built, the Washington Monument was the tallest building in the world at 555 feet tall. This record was broken in 1889 when the Eiffel Tower was built.
  • The original elevator ride took 8-10 minutes. Currently the elevator ride to the top takes about 70 seconds.
  • The trowel used to lay the cornerstone of the Monument was the same trowel used by George Washington to lay the cornerstone of the Capitol in 1793.
  • The cap at the tip of the Monument is made out of aluminum which was a new and rare process at the time.
  • The words “Laus Deo””Praise be to God!) are inscribed on the aluminum capstone. 
Looking towards the Lincoln Memorial from the Washington Monument.

Sept. 25-30 Washington, DC (Part I)

By on October 3, 2023 in The Pearl
“A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture are like a tree without roots.” — Marcus Garvey

We took one last trip with our Pennsylvania family…we spent five days in our nation’s capital. We rented a nice townhouse on Capitol Hill. It was within walking distance of many things, but after walking over five miles the first day we learned how to take the Metro. Even with that we racked up a lot of miles this week. 

The house

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

Fall Foliage

By on October 2, 2023 in The Pearl
“The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go.” -Unknown
This is a repost of one I shared several years ago, but the trees are changing and we are transitioning away from our summer home to our winter home and thought I would share the info again…and the beautiful photos.

The fall colors are taking over in upstate New York and Pennsylvania. It truly is a beautiful time of year. Our trees in Texas change color, but we don’t get the colors you find further north. Do you know why? Here is an explanation…Although temperature and rainfall influence the colors, the onset of longer nights is the most important factor in leaf color change. The daylight hours in the south stay more consistent so we have less color.

So why do leaves change color? Changes in leaves’ plants have three primary pigments that are important for the color changes we see during autumn: chlorophyll, carotenoids and anthocyanins.

Chlorophyll, the pigment that gives plants their green color, is necessary for photosynthesizing light and creating sugars that feed the plant. Carotenoids assist in photosynthesis and are responsible for the oranges and yellows color. Anthocyanins, acts as a protective “sunscreen” for leaves; they produce the red colors we see in leaves. Anthocyanins are produced only during the fall when chlorophyll levels start to drop.

During the growing season, chlorophyll takes center stage as it’s repeatedly produced and broken down again, making the leaves appear green. As the days become shorter, there is less available sunlight for photosynthesis. This slows chlorophyll production until none remains. The carotenoids and the anthocyanins are then left allowing the leaves to bare their brilliant colors.

Temperature and moisture are the main drivers of the amount and brilliance of the colors. Warm, sunny days with cool (but not freezing) nights allow for lots of sugars to be produced during the day, which are then trapped in the leaves as the cool nights close the leaves’ veins. This extra sugar leads to the production of more anthocyanins, boosting the reds, crimsons and purples in the leaves.

In most parts of the temperate world, 15% of tree species will turn yellow and only 10% will turn red. In certain regions, however, like New England, 30% of the woody species will turn yellow and an incredible 70% will turn red. You’ll find some of the most brilliant color changes in trees such as maple, dogwood, sumac, oak, poplars, birch and elm.

My friend Julia took this picture of the marina right after we left…thanks for the wonderful picture.

These pictures were taken by a local photographer in upstate New York. His name is John Kucko. Just out his Facebook page.

Fall isn’t all about the foliage…there are plenty of pumpkins, Indian corn, mums and gourds too.

Fall Foliage

By on October 2, 2023 in The Pearl
“The trees are about to show us how lovely it is to let things go.” -Unknown
This is a repost of one I shared several years ago, but the trees are changing and we are transitioning away from our summer home to our winter home and thought I would share the info again…and the beautiful photos.

CONTINUE READING HERE…»

San Juan Islands 2023

By on September 30, 2023 in Idyll Time

Our first stop in the San Juan archipelago is Stuart Island.  We find Reid Harbor busy, but the spacious bay accommodates many boats so finding a spot is no problem.   Stuart Island is one of our favorite spots.  We enjoy several days of hiking on this remote island. It is always good to get off the boat […]

Blind Chanel to Vancouver:

By on September 24, 2023 in Idyll Time

Homemade cinnamon rolls are baked each morning at the Blind Channel store.  They are so popular that the marina limits boaters to two per boat.  We secure our pair of tasty pastries as soon as the store opens as they sell out quickly.   We have a short travel day of 31 miles to our next anchorage of […]

2023 Cruise Summary

By on September 21, 2023 in M/V Alpenglow

Fortunately, we do not suffer from “Triskaidekaphobia” otherwise we might of skipped this year. The cruise was without mishaps and relaxing.  We changed our fishing strategy by moving the salmon fishing the until the southbound BC portion of the trip.  That freed up days which we spent on additional port days or days at anchor while reducing engine hours and miles traveled.

The cruise was 139 days/138 nights long from Saturday, April 29 until Thursday, September 14.  We spent 84 nights at anchor (61%) and 54 nights at a dock.  Of the nights at anchor, for 46 nights we were the only boat in the anchorage (55%).  During the cruise, we traveled 3023.6 nautical miles and put 510.4 hours on our engine.  We ran our generator 22 times totaling 36 hours.

By coincidence, last year’s cruise, 2022, was also 139 days/138 nights.  Compared to 2022, in 2023 we spent 7 more nights at the dock, 103.2 fewer hours operating the engine, traveled 560 fewer miles and operated the generator 18 additional hours.  These numbers document our slower pace and more time spent on docks or multiple days at anchor.The additional expense from days on the dock is offset by the reduced amount of fuel burned.

We still manage to find new (to us) places to visit and anchor. In 2023 we used 14 new places to anchor (alphabetically –  Baker Cove, Chichagof Village, Dorothy Cove, Fancy Cove, Forit Bay, Kah Shakes Cove, Kinahan Islands, Lake Anna, Luck Dragon Cove, Otter Cove, Russell Island Passage, Sundew Cove, Sunny Bay, and Waterfall Cove). We also visited one new marina, Mill Bay Marina on Vancouver Island.

Below is a map of our stops in the 2023 cruising season. Clicking on one of the “dropped pins” will pull up some information about the stop. At the top right of the map is an icon which will open a separate window that may be easier to navigate.

2023 Cruise Summary

By on September 21, 2023 in M/V Alpenglow

Fortunately, we do not suffer from “Triskaidekaphobia” otherwise we might of skipped this year. The cruise was without mishaps and relaxing.  We changed our fishing strategy by moving the salmon fishing the until the southbound BC portion of the trip.  That freed up days which we spent on additional port days or days at anchor while reducing engine hours and miles traveled.

The cruise was 139 days/138 nights long from Saturday, April 29 until Thursday, September 14.  We spent 84 nights at anchor (61%) and 54 nights at a dock.  Of the nights at anchor, for 46 nights we were the only boat in the anchorage (55%).  During the cruise, we traveled 3023.6 nautical miles and put 510.4 hours on our engine.  We ran our generator 22 times totaling 36 hours.

By coincidence, last year’s cruise, 2022, was also 139 days/138 nights.  Compared to 2022, in 2023 we spent 7 more nights at the dock, 103.2 fewer hours operating the engine, traveled 560 fewer miles and operated the generator 18 additional hours.  These numbers document our slower pace and more time spent on docks or multiple days at anchor.The additional expense from days on the dock is offset by the reduced amount of fuel burned.

We still manage to find new (to us) places to visit and anchor. In 2023 we used 14 new places to anchor (alphabetically –  Baker Cove, Chichagof Village, Dorothy Cove, Fancy Cove, Forit Bay, Kah Shakes Cove, Kinahan Islands, Lake Anna, Luck Dragon Cove, Otter Cove, Russell Island Passage, Sundew Cove, Sunny Bay, and Waterfall Cove). We also visited one new marina, Mill Bay Marina on Vancouver Island.

Below is a map of our stops in the 2023 cruising season. Clicking on one of the “dropped pins” will pull up some information about the stop. At the top right of the map is an icon which will open a separate window that may be easier to navigate.

Whistler Blackcomb

By on September 19, 2023 in M/V Dirona

The Whistler Blackcomb ski resort, about a two-hour drive north of Vancouver, Canada, is frequently ranked as one of the best ski resorts in North America. It also is one of the largest and busiest in North America, has the greatest uplift capacity, of 65,500 skiers per hour, and annually draws more than two million…

Sept. 15-16 The Captain’s Birthday Part II

By on September 19, 2023 in The Pearl
“Earth and Sky, Woods and Fields, Lakes and Rivers, the Mountain and the Sea, are excellent schoolmasters, and teach some of us more than we can ever learn from books.”  –John Lubbock
We had a great time in Canandaigua, but after a few days we decided to drive down to Corning to visit the Corning Museum of Glass. In the seven seasons we’ve been here we have visited Corning several times, but never seemed to have the time to get to the museum. I’m glad we finally made the time. It’s a beautiful place.

Our dock neighbor worked for Corning most of his life and has filled us in on how involved they’ve been in scientific discoveries and things that have made our lives better. They don’t just make dinnerware. The fiber optics we use, the glass on our phones and TVs, huge telescope lenses and items for space travel are just a few of the things they have developed. There was so much to see and learn, like most museums it was too much for just one day. We had some great leftover pizza, cheese and wine so we had another picnic today. I wish I had taken a picture, because instead of our usual beautiful setting it was in the parking lot of the museum…in our car! It was just too breezy and chilly outside today.

This photo shows the museum and the beautiful area around Corning, NY.

The Contemporary Arts and Design section of the museum.

The Netflix series Blown Away is filmed at the Corning Museum of Glass. I’ve watched some of it, but I may need to check it out again. This little guy was created by John Sharvin in episode 6: Under the Big Top. It’s called Walter’s Audition.

While you are at the museum you can see many hands-on demonstrations, take a class or even make something of your own. During this demo they made a pretty blue water pitcher. It took him 15 minutes to complete and it sells for $162 in the gift shop.

Some of the fun things we saw at the museum. The orange bowl depicts the skyline of San Francisco.

Dale Chihuly’s style is unmistakable. We visited one of his museums in St. Petersburg, Florida years ago and I fell in love with his work. This piece is called Fern Green Tower. It stands over 15′ high and has 712 handmade elements.

It’s pumpkin season in New York and Corning.

The store at the museum was amazing…glass from here and everywhere else in the world.

Corning is a beautiful little town along the Cohocton River. Market Street is full of shops and nice restaurants.

We actually chose to come down to Corning at this time so we could enjoy their Harvest Festival. There were tons of vendors and musicians along Market Street.

We had dinner at an Italian Restaurant called Sorge’s. We both had the Milano dish served with artichoke hearts, tomatoes and capers in a creamy garlic butter sauce. Stan of course had salmon and I had chicken. 

While we were in Corning we heard about another event going on this weekend in Hammondsport, NY. We love visiting this little village on Keuka, so on Saturday morning we drove up to check out the Wings & Wheels: Seaplane and Car Show. It was a wonderful fall day and it was a highlight of our trip. The event was put on by Glenn H. Curtiss Museum and featured seaplane demonstrations and more than 60 vehicles in the car show. 
Just a few of the neat cars on display throughout downtown. 
Glenn H. Curtiss was an American aviation and motorcycling pioneer, and a founder of the U.S. aircraft industry. He designed and built the first successful pontoon aircraft in America and his aircrafts were the first to take off and land on the deck of a ship. Curtiss built the first U.S. Navy aircraft and trained the first two naval pilots.
We sat on the wall next to the boat ramp. We had a front roll seat to all the action.
Some of the boats had pontoons and wheels, some had just wheels and others had just pontoons. I’ve only seen seaplanes with pontoons before now.
This little plane only had wheels.
And took off quickly.
This little piper cub is just like the one that Stan’s Daddy had, except it had pontoons instead of wheels. It brought back a lot of great memories for him.
These little guys came in like a boat…
and drove right up on shore.
The seaplanes showed how they take off and then did a bombing demo. Each plane was given grapefruits which they had to drop between the two yellow buoys. It was harder than it sounds…can you see the splash in the water? This plane was the closest to the target. The next thing they demonstrated was landing precession. They came around and had to touch down between the same buoys. That seemed to be difficult too. It was a lot of fun to watch.