And Back to Michigan

And then we went back to Michigan. But stopping in a couple of places.



-The Springfield Armory Organ. Yes, made of rifles. Stopped here because it is a national historic site, but mostly because this is the place that (Springfield, MA...also the home of Dr. Seuss!) made 45-70 Springfield rifles and Krag-Jorgensens, both having been and being used at Fort Mackinac.










-Still have some buildings, but most of the complex has been turned into a college campus.





-We missed out in visiting Seneca Falls, NY for the Women's Rights Memorial, but we were close enough to stop by Niagara Falls for a bit the next morning.

Horseshoe Falls.








-American Falls















-Mary and all the falls (from the Canadian side).






-A close up of the American Falls.
















Then it was a quick drive through Canada (and stopping in Sarnia for fruit bars and cookies) and back to Michigan.

The Cape and (mostly) Kids

On to the Cape. Mostly kid pictures though...

-Bradley.








-The star, with my sunglasses on, Alexandria.
-Justin at the beach with his metal detector.



-Bradley enjoying the beach.



-Grandma walking with Bradley and Alex in the back.




-These kids can't stay out of water! Justin in the 40 degree stuff. He was cold afterward, but didn't care now!

-Alex, Justin and Bradley.












-Visiting Chris at the Woods Hole CG base.













-Alex and the tender, Ida Lewis. After we went to the Woods Hole Aquarium.













-Grandma and the kids. One of the few times she wasn't reading "Heckedy Peg" or "The Grey Goose!"



-Bradley, waiting to wave to Justin's bus.
-I stayed home with the younger two while everyone else took Justin to the busstop. So we wrapped up in blankets and waved from the house. Alex waited in the driveway, wrapped in her blanket to wave to Justin's bus on the way back.



-Touring around Sandwich. This is the end of the Sandwich boardwalk on a cold and blustery day.
-Alex and her doll cake for her 4th birthday (a few days early)!













- The family.














-Alex (dressed as a princess unicorn) and Justin.



-Justin and the world. Finally we got the puzzle done. And the kid knows where most everything is. Pretty good for a 6 year old...
...in first grade!
-Of course, flowers. Some of Sherry's crocus.


-Bradley shoveling up some of the driveway before we left.













Some more of the way back in a couple of days...

Presidents and Inbetween

Some small stuff inbetween, including see some glassblowing at Jamestowne (note the "e," this denotes the original site with the archaeology) and general Jamestowne area viewing.


If you know Stephanie and myself, you know that we are addicted to US presidents and all that goes with them (see "Presidential Hotties" site on right side of the blog for further proof). So, on the last day in the Williamsburg area we went to the Presidential Park, a haven for us with an obsession. I think the older group of two couples were briefly confused by us, then impressed and listening to us banter about the prez-es and then tired of us. More pictures on the presidents blog. Some highlights:

-Yes, the grand daddy of them all, George himself, who has an high upstanding deportment.







-John Adams. Read the McCullough book and you understand him much more (sneak peek: they are making a movie of that book with Paul Giamatti as John. Steph knew a lot and we saw a set at Williamsburg). He's a fiesty one.



-Stephanie's thoughts on Andrew Jackson.






-Abe.


-T.R. looking at me from a far...










-James Garfield, who we decided has one of the best beards of the bearded presidents.


-Theodore Roosevelt and my feeling for him.










-To-the-point Harry Truman.



Stephanie and I with the hometown boy, Gerald Ford. (Side note: best billboard at his funeral in the G.R. area? Gerald "Our" Ford).

-The strange land of them all.

-We left that afternoon and go on the Chesapeake Bay-Bridge Tunnel, about 18 miles of bridges and tunnels connecting Virginia and the peninsula of VA by Delaware/Maryland. Here's a freighter passing over one of the tunnels. Notice the bridge continues just on the horizon.








-We traveled through 7 states the next day (Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusettes) to get to the cape.

-Going over the Geo. Washington Bridge in New York. We saw NYC from afar (looked kind of small and dingy, but that was from far away) and I actually can say now I've driven through the Bronx.

Williamsburg

The second day was spent in Williamsburg. The evening before we saw the longest running motion picture of all time in the theatre. It was made in the 1960s and is still showing. I remember it from the 1993 expedition with Isla, Bruce, Michelle and Todd to Wmsbg, VA. All I could remember is that George Washington could crush a walnut with his index finger and thumb. Very classic.

-Some of the food at the Gov's Mansion.





-Mom and Mary at the gate to the gardens at the Gov's Mansion. This is where the flower infatuation started.












-Flowers, flowers everywhere. I won't put all of the pictures here, but let's just say there's a lot. Spring!

Johnny Jump-ups.

















-Anemone.


















Steph and mom walking through the arbor in the gardens.














-The lady's discussing the upcoming ball.










-A chair at the Wythe (pronounced "with") House. Mr Wythe involved with state politics and also a teacher of Thomas Jefferson.











-A basket maker on the Wythe property.
















-At the milliner's shop. This lady was very good and all of us crafts-people were very interested in the sewing, fabrics and apparel.












-T.J. himself. Not a fan of 1st person interpretation, but in this format it works. He was very good.














-The start of "Revolutionary City," which we were not staying for (1st person galore), but my mom was very nice to the lady walking down the street saying that her husband couldn't tell any lady apart once they had their aprons and caps on.










-The shoemaker.

















-My mom trading all kinds of gardening secrets with the gardener at Williamsburg. She really liked his hat.









-An example of the different colors of bricks (some harder, some more porous).

I did try to find Marshall and Justin, but Justin just left for "Revolutionary City" (which I believe he bemoaned on his last visit to the island, about how he has to leave his regular interpretation station to be part of that) and we were just minutes late to see Marshall. Maybe next time.