Bam, Bam, Bamberg

 Bamberg, a town in Bavaria, is another town cited as one of Germany's most beautiful towns. In Bamberg's case and based on my rather limited knowledge of most of Germany's towns, I would say that Bamberg does live up to it's reputation. It doesn't hurt that the old town of Bamberg has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site since 1993. Bamberg is known for it's medieval streets and buildings.

Do Something Every Day That Scares You!

 Another day, another German Medieval Town. Rothenburg ob der Tauber (hereafter called plain old Rothenburg) is one of Bavaria's top tourist destination. It is one of only three towns in Germany that still have completely intact city walls and many people consider it to be the best-preserved medieval town in Europe. The Nazis called Rothenburg “the most German of German towns” and when the Americans arrived, the order was given not to use artillery during the taking of the town because of it's history and beauty. It also has one of my personally most scariest times on this trip.

Wertheim

 

Traveling the three rivers, many sights are seen.  The rivers have been dammed (they have dams on them) and as a consequence the rivers have been tamed.  Instead of rapids and waterfalls, there are many different water levels.  Nowadays, to navigate these waters, a ship has to go thru an extensive lock system.  I'm not sure of the exact number of locks that we went thru but the number 52 sticks in my brain.  The locks are extremely narrow, and when we are in the locks, there are only a few inches on each side of the ship. For safety reasons, we were told that we should not touch the sides of the locks.

The Man Who Changed The World

 

While Michael and Marina decided to do the Gondola ride overlooking the vineyards and Rudesheim, I opted for the Mainz Walking Tour. Mainz is another ancient Roman city but it is also the birthplace of one of the most important men in our world's history.

ABC (Another Bloody Castle)

 

From the ship's dock, we had to take a 45-minute bus ride to get to the town of Cochem, another typical Medieval German town. The main reason to stop here was to visit Reichsburg Castle, a mighty castle located on a hill above the town. We will finally get to actually go inside a castle. Woohoo! 

Trier and Bernkastel

 

We are traveling on the AmaCerto, another one of those river boats (I've been told I am supposed to call them ships, but oh well). The particular cruise we are doing is called Europe's Rivers and Castles.  We will be on three different rivers - the Moselle, the Rhine and the Main.  Each one of these rivers had a very differene distinct feel. The Moselle - a smaller river but home to Riesling Wine, The Rhine - 32 miles with 35 castles (or maybe 35 miles and 32 castles) and the Main, a very small, very rural feel.  

We came aboard in the afternoon, got settled in our staterooms and attended the mandatory safety meeting. After dinner and an evening classical concert, I came back to my room to find the customary chocolate on the pillowcases. Yup, I think I am going to like this. It seems that I am going to have to get used to everybody calling me Ma'am or Miss Cindy. Around 5am, the ship set sail for our first stop in Trier.

The Devil's Throat

 

Just down the road from the Dinosaur Park, was Naturparkzentrum Teufelsschulucht, also know as Devil's Gorge/Devil's Canyon/Devil's Throat. It was a nice little walk with many people wondering “Where is the gorge?” We found it and I decided that we should just go down and take a peek. Corolla was wearing fancy shoes and decided that she shouldn't go off-roading with us. The idea was that we would go look and then come back and collect her. Well, an hour later, we still had not returned. The path went on and on. We finally caught up with her back at the car. Needless to say that Corolla was a little bit peeved and perhaps rightly so. Myself, I have to say the hike was glorious. Steep rock walls, narrow crevices...it felt really good to walking out there in Mother Nature.

Off We Go Into The Wild Blue Yonder

 How many chances do you get to go to Luxembourg? Luxembourg is a Grand Duchy, the only one remaining in Europe. It is the seventh smallest and the least populated European country. Luxembourg may be small, but it is mighty. It is one of the richest countries in the world.

Is It Breezy In Here?

 

My last stop was in Indianapolis, Indiana. Last time I came thru here, a couple of years ago, I was pretty impressed with the town. It just seems like a very livable town. I had several touristy things to see, but I pretty much vegged out. After a couple of days of doing nothing, I thought I had better get out of the camper and at least do something. I decided that I was going to go to the Antique Fan Museum – not the fancy Victorian lady fans, but actual mechanical fans. I figured it would probably take me about 15 minutes to see it all – due partly to lack of interest and also – how many fans can there be in a museum? I mean you have blades that whir around and move air – what else can you say? Boy, was I wrong.

Fallingwater

 Frank Lloyd Wright has been heralded as one of the greatest architects of all time. He was a pioneer in the Prairie School of architecture and designed over 1000 structures over a period of 70 years. Wright not only designed buildings, he designed the furniture to go in these structures. While I admire his talent and I find his work interesting, it really doesn't ring my bell. The furniture always seems rather uncomfortable and the houses that I've visited, with few exceptions, don't seem to be very livable. That said, for some reason, I never seem to pass on visiting a FLW building. Fallingwater, located in Mill Run Pennsylvania checks all of my reasons that I don't care for the architecture, but boy – this place is stunning.

Decorative Arts

 

Henry Francis Du Pont (1880-1969) was born at Winterthur (an estate in northwestern Delaware) with a silver spoon in his mouth. The Du Ponts had made their fortune in the manufacture of gunpowder. H.F. was a sensitive boy who clashed with his authoritarian father who was a mover and shaker. All H.F. wanted to do was raise his prize Holstein-Frisian cattle and garden. When he was 43, he discovered a passion for antique furniture and went nuts (my words).

Blood, Guts And Cheese Steak

 

Most tourists go to Philadelphia for the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall. Not me – I needed to go to Philadelphia for the Mutter Museum. It is a medical museum that contains anatomical and pathological specimens, wax models and antique medical equipment. The museum is part of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia. Ok, that doesn't sound all that exciting until you look a little farther and see what some of their exhibits are about. How can you not go when you see exhibitions titled “Spit Spreads Death” or “Dracula and the Incorruptible Body”?

Fear The Goat

 

Located about a half hour drive southeast of Washington DC is the quaint little town of Annapolis, Maryland. Tiny little narrow streets and colonial architecture belies the fact that Annapolis is the capitol of Maryland. The one-way streets are so narrow that if you open your car door to get out, you will be stopping traffic. They will all have to wait until you are out and about. Annapolis is also the home of the United States Naval Academy, the second oldest service academy in the U.S. I have a special place in my heart for the Academy as both my father ('49 Marines) and my brother ('75 Navy) attended this institution.-

We arranged for a tour in an electric car that they call Gem. It is a cute, weird little car but the Naval Academy (called the Yard) is huge and we were able to see so much more than if we had taken a walking tour.

Picture from the USNA website

I was so impressed as I learned all that these Midshipmen have to go through to graduate and become officers. High academic, physical and moral standards are expected.

The Chapel

John Paul Jones is thought to be one of the greatest naval commanders in the history of the United States. He is also credited as being "the father of the American Navy". The quote "I have not begun to fight" is probably what is remembered most by civilians. Interesting fact:  John Paul was his name at birth in Scotland.  After killing a couple of sailors(he claimed self-defence) he fled to America and assumed the last name Jones.  

Jones died in France and his body was doused in copious amounts of alcohol, surrounded by straw and placed in a lead coffin.  He was buried outside of Paris and for 113 years, there he remained.  In 1905, his coffin was found and the mummified remains were compared to the bust shown below.  It was determined that it was Jones and he was brought back and interred in the crypt under the chapel.  

John Paul Jones crypt

John Paul Jones himself
Our guide showed us a picture of the mummified body of Jones. 
He pretty much looked like this bust(except 115 years older).

Herndon Monument
Site of the Plebes-No-More ceremony.  A  plebe's (first-year student) hat is placed on top of the monument.  The monument is greased with lard.  The plebes then have to work together to climb the monument removing the plebes hat.  When this is accomplished they are Plebes-No-More.  

The only reason this picture is here is because I was impressed that this building is so large that they have a regulation size football field which can be rolled up when not in use.

Bancroft Hall: Housing the entire brigade of over 4,000 Midshipmen, it is considered to be one of the largest dormitories in the world (it even has it's own zipcode).There are a total of 1,873 dorm rooms, 4.8 miles of corridors, and 33 acres of floor space.  From a plaque on a wall inside

 

The entry into Bancroft Hall
Not too shabby.

A sample Midshipmen's room

Bill the Goat - mascot of the USNA

Words, Words, Words

 

There are so many world-class museums in Washington DC that it is hard to pick where to go next. There are also so many people who want to visit these museums that some of them have resorted to reservation systems. Gone are the days of being able to walk into the front door and wander around. A lot of the museums even have security check points now. I really dislike visiting places where the crowds are so thick that you have to wait in line to view some type of exhibit.

Cherry Blossoms - A Time of Renewal

 

No matter how many times you go to Washington D.C., you can never see it all. You could hang out there for weeks and weeks and just scratch the surface. It is really a problem for a completist like myself. This time, I spent almost a week here and the time whizzed by. I will say, though, this time my timing was really spot on.

Whirligigs!!!!

 

About an hour east of Raleigh, North Carolina is the small town of Wilson. At first look, it didn't look like there was much going on in Wilson – but oh no, don't be fooled. Wilson has it going on! They have an entire city block with giant whirligigs. Can you even imagine? This has got to be one of the more feel-good spots that I have ever stopped at.

Classic Tourism

 Every child takes field trips with their school. They go to focus on an important subject, increase their awareness of the world around them and to get the day off of school. If you don't go and see these sights with your school, many times your family vacation trips will make sure you see these sights. Well, I guess many times in my travels I am playing catch up trying to see these very same sights.

Old Stuff

 

The R.J. Reynolds company is based in Winston-Salem North Carolina. It was founded by Richard Joshua Reynolds who, in 1913, had this crazy idea that he should sell packaged cigarettes. Up to this point in time, most people would roll their own cigarettes. Nobody thought there would be a market for pre-packaged cigarettes. R.J. created Camel cigarettes (they used Turkish tobacco) and within a year the company had sold 425 million packs of Camels. Yup – he became one rich dude.

Art, Birds And Automobiles

 Now why would I go all the way into the wilds of South Carolina? Well, for a rather unique experience of course. Way up in northwest South Carolina is a little town of Greer. It just so happens that it is the home to the Spartanburg BMW plant and …..they offer factory tours!!!!  

Glamping

Leaving the marshes and sea islands of southeastern South Carolina, it is time for sand, sun and the ocean. Surfside Beach is south of Myrtle Beach – in fact it is so close that it probably should be called South Myrtle Beach. I am staying at what is now called a 'Mega Resort' – Ocean Lakes Resort – a metropolis with 850 RV sites, grocery store, laundromat, wave pool and water park. One of those places where you never have to leave because all of your creature comforts are here.

It's Bew Fort Not Bow Fort

Beaufort South Carolina is located on Port Royal Island, one of the largest Sea Islands along the southeast Atlantic coast of the United States. It is one of only a handful of U.S. towns that has had its entire downtown designated a historic district by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. Beaufort was one of the only Southern towns chosen to be occupied by Union troops, rather than destroyed. The story of how this came about is fascinating and even more impressive than the beautiful mansions that were built by the wealthy plantation owners before the Civil War.

The Drys Vs. The Wets

 

It is interesting to note that the Landmark Historic District in Savannah has a very lenient public drinking policy which allows open alcoholic beverages every day of the year. This is noteworthy because Savannah is home to the American Prohibition Museum. Let me rephrase that – the ONLY Prohibition Museum in America. Rather ironic wouldn't you say?

Savannah - Second Best City In The South

 

Next stop was supposed to be St. Augustine, Florida. I was previously there in the 90's and I just couldn't get up the gumption to go there again. So, it was on to Savannah. Nothing says genteel like Savannah with it's old world charm. Southern Living named Savannah the second best city in the south after Charleston.  I would beg to differ - Savannah is like a grand old lady whereas Charleston, which has it's own charm, is more like a painted up debutante.

Tiffany Joy

 

Being in Florida, how can you not go to Orlando? Ha, not for the 'Mouse' but for the Charles Hosmer Morse Museum of American Art. The Morse Museum is “noted for its art nouveau collection, houses the most comprehensive collection of the works of Louis Comfort Tiffany found anywhere” plus a major collection of American art pottery.

Old Florida

 

There is more to Florida than the big theme parks or bike week or the overcrowded Spring Break beaches. Old Florida still exists – the Florida before all that craziness started. The Florida of the early twentieth century with its mom and pop fruit stands, real life mermaids, manatees and crystal clear springs is mostly in the northern part of the state. It has almost been forgotten, but I think there seems to be a resurgence in interest recently.

Sunsets And Whales

 After the sobering intensity of Montgomery, there was a need to defrag. I lucked out big time and found some waterfront sites in a Corp of Engineers Park back in Georgia called East Bank. Two nights and a day of sitting in lawn chairs go a long way in restoring the soul.

We Shall Overcome - Hopefully

 

The Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration in Montgomery provides a comprehensive history of the United States with a focus on the legacy of slavery. It is situated on a site just blocks away from one of the most prominent slave auction spaces in America. It was quite the immersive experience. There are wall size videos and interactive exhibits all in a series of room tracing the history of bondage in the United States. Over 12 million captured men, women and children made the Middle Passage to the New World with about 10.7 million making it alive. The numbers are mind boggling.

The Bus Lady

 Rosa Parks – we have all heard her name. I have always thought of her as just the woman who refused to give up her seat on the bus and sparked a civil rights movement. I was set straight when I visited the Rosa Parks Museum in Montgomery Alabama. She was an early activist and in 1955, when she refused to give up her bus seat to some white passengers and was arrested, she became an icon. It lead to a year long bus strike which brought the Montgomery bus system to its knees. 

The Way Of The Future

 

Eddie Owens Martin (aka St. EOM – pronounced Ohm) was a visionary – a person who had a template for the direction that the human race should endeavor to go. From a sharecropper's child to a sex worker, drag queen, drug dealer, fortune teller to the unsolicited leader of a movement, St. EOM was ahead of his time. 

Up In The Air Junior Ranger!!

 

One of the great aviation success stories is the story of Delta Airlines. Delta is one of the world's oldest airlines in operation and it is second among the world's largest airlines by number of passengers carried, passenger miles flown and fleet size. And to think that it had such humble beginnings.

Chairs R Us

 

I've always liked places of worship – they can tell you a lot about a community from the sparse Puritan spaces to the ornate Eastern Orthodox churches. I'm not even going to mention the non-Christian holy houses – wait, yes I am. Let me tell you about BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir.

Cyclorama and Puppets

 

I left those crazy mountain roads and headed further south to that grand old lady of the south – Atlanta. The very first time I came to Atlanta for work. I had the great honor of meeting Fran Tarkenton, the great Vikings quarterback. Minnesota people will know just how cool that was.

On The Waterfall Trail

 

I am not a fan of mountain driving especially with a 36-foot fifth wheel trailing behind me. Narrow curvy, curvy roads with nothing but big ditches on each side. Of course those ditches are only there when there are no cliffs along the way that you can fall off of. I am not even going to mention the massive uphills or the mega downhills that I had to deal with. I almost felt bad for the lines of cars behind me, because of course there is no passing on these roads and I'm probably only going 25 mph. Oh well, my survival instincts are strong. Those poor cars are just going to have to deal with it.

Rock Garden

 I was planning on spending the whole winter in Minnesota. Then it got super cold. Then it snowed and snowed. I said, I give up – I'm outta here. I fired up the old camper, loaded it with food, wine and other essentials and headed out. No more ice and cold for this girl.

We Ran Out Of Water

 

We Ran Out Of Water!!!!! Many parts of the world have been experiencing drought conditions and the Danube in Europe suffered also. Captain Rado told us that we had to stop our journey 60 miles from our scheduled end point. AmaWaterways were quick to make alternative plans for us for our last day on the cruise which lead to one of the more interesting tour days of the trip.