Becoming American, without Losing Roots OLA: Maryland

Carol, contemplating her move, at the American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore, Md.

Greenbelt Park, Greenbelt, Maryland
just 12 miles from Washington DC

We passed through Maryland, visiting the Annapolis Naval Academy in 2008. But we discovered a lot more last week, exploring Baltimore and camping in Greenbelt Park in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Park, part of the National Park Service, is truly a hidden gem, just 12 miles from Washington and only a mile from the Greenbelt Station of the DC Metro. Nice serene, green space from which we toured DC!

Fort McHenry National Historic Monument

But Baltimore is truly the highlight of our Maryland experience. Fort McHenry is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812. Nearby towns having fallen, a 25-hour continuous bombardment of Baltimore was launched by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay. Seeing the American flag still flying from his ship in the early morning, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write a poem that began:

Francis Scott Key's statue looking at
the flying American flag at Fort McHenry 

O say can you see, 
by the dawn’s early light?

What so proudly we hailed 
at the twilight’s last gleaming.

The Star=Spangled Banner House

                                                      Yes, his poem became America’s National Anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner. So we proceeded to visit The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House. Built in 1793, it was the home of Mary Pickersgill and where she sewed the 15-star garrison flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore. The museum features a 30 by 42-foot window in the same color, size, and design as the original flag.

USS Constellation, the Pride of Baltimore at her Inner Harbor

Going to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor (previously the largest sea port in the US), we also had quite a time trying to get the best shot of the Pride of Baltimore, the USS Constellation. Commissioned in 1855, it was strategically used in the Civil War and served many purposes until 1933. She came to Baltimore in 1954 and is now a floating museum near the National Aquarium and the Baltimore Maritime Museum.

the WAshington Monument in Baltimore, Md

At the center of Baltimore, one cannot miss a towering monument, completed in 1829 to honor Washington. The 178 foot Doric column holds a ground-floor museum. Climbing the 228 steps to the top provides an excellent view of the city. The Washington Monument in Washington DC is much taller at 555 ft but was completed much later in 1884. Both monuments were designed by Robert Mills.

Edgar Allan Poe Memorial at the Westmister Burying Grounds

Edgar Allan Poe lived in Richmond, Virginia for about 14 years, hence the Museum that we found there. But he died in Baltimore and we went to the Westminster Church burying grounds and there we found the tomb of Edgar Allan Poe, beside his grandfather’s and alongside many more of their era. The Memorial to Poe, however, is located at the corner of the church grounds, visible to the streets.

the first line of the Star-Spangled Banner on the wall
of the American Visionary art Museum

The American Visionary Art Museum was also a nice find, its exterior proudly bearing the first line of the national anthem. We found a set of artsy chess pieces, each as big as I am! The car art caught my attention...it is like colorful artsy jeepneys that ply Philippine roads. This made me realize that I am still a Filipino, despite the intense American education I am getting cruising North America in an RV.

the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption

car art, much like the colorful jeepneys that ply Philippine roads

Finally, we could not miss visiting the 
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption. Completed in 1821, it was the first Roman Catholic cathedral ever built in the United States, and was the first major religious building constructed in the nation after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. It is considered the masterpiece of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the "Father of American Architecture". 

Such is the short trip we made to Maryland. But one is left with a definite sense of the significant role the state had, like Virginia, in the making of the great nation that America is! As a newly naturalized citizen, I am indeed very fortunate to be able to visit such places that bring to life the American story!  More and more I am becoming American...without losing my Filipino roots!

Washington DC...Making Me Tired and Sick! OLA

a different view of the US Capitol...in bloom with azaleas!

the reflecting pool in front of the Washington Monument
is undergoing repairs...

Not politically, that is, and only half-sick in fact! Bill and I spent 2 days at the nation’s capital but I apparently got so tired the first day that the next  day I had to stay at the RV, down with the proverbial hives again (lupus has been eliminated, further tests will be conducted to unravel this chronic condition!)  Thus, half of the story and photos here are Bill’s.  We both agree: a trip to the nation’s capital is an intellectual, political, and spiritual journey.

Day 1, Carol’s Day

the Smithsonian Castle

the Museum of Natural History

The intellectual part is always satisfied by a visit to the Smithsonian Institutes. This trip, however, we focused on the Smithsonian Castle, the headquarters of all the 19 museums, and the premier museum, the Museum of Natural History. The two face each other and, eerily, when you look to the right facing the Cathedral, you will see the Washington Monument and to the left is the Capitol Building.

the Coelacanth, ancient fish back from the dead in African waters

tentacles of the 36-ft preserved giant squid

Some of the new things we saw at the Museum are a replica of the Titanoboa, the world's largest-ever snake whose fossils were found in Colombia between 2007-2010, the Ocean’s View with a 36-ft. giant squid, the bones of giant whales, and the rare ancient fish, the Coelacanth, and the Egyptian mummies exhibit. But I also could not resist another visit to the Hope Diamond and all the other giant gems, secretly hoping that Bill would notice that my jewelry collection needs upgrading! The largest polished topaz in the world (my birthstone), the American Golden Topaz, is also one of the largest gems period. Hint! Hint!

the only thing Bill needs to get for me
the American Golden Topaz, almost 23,000 carats!

the White House on the right; its veggie garden on the left

Then we went right on to the political aspect of the trip with a visit to the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court, and the White House. For the first time, I am visiting the grand buildings where the seat of American governance resides…as a US citizen. Did I feel patriotic? Undoubtedly…this and a lot of other  changes that I am starting to feel and whisper to Bill…why and how I think I am becoming an American!

where Lincoln was assassinated...the Ford Theatre

our fave...the Lincoln Memorial!

The spiritual aspect comes from the inspiration that wells when one visits the few great men who led the birth and growth of this great United States of America.  First, we went to the Ford Theatre where Lincoln was assassinated and the house across the street where he was taken and died.  I was speechless at the Lincoln Memorial but I was also so tired and so disappointed. The cab driver said it rained the very first day of the Annual Cherry Blossoms Spring Festival and they were slowly going away the following days. Sigh.

and then she got tired...and the following day, sick...

the Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception

Day 2, Bill’s Day                                                                                  
The following day, I woke up to another flare-up of hives (the days have turned too cold even for a spring day). So I asked Bill to go on with the visits scheduled for the day so that this post may be complete! And the nice guy that he is, he did!  The next two paragraphs then are courtesy of my co-photographer, traveling companion, now co-writer, and co-conspirator in all things big and small!

the Washington National Cathedral

‘The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is one of the top ten Basilicas in the world.  Tour groups arrive throughout the day, admiring the sacred art as well as the magnificent architecture.  I visited the many side chapels, and the holy rooms below, many places to spend time in meditation and prayer.  The Washington National Cathedral, the sixth-largest in the world, also has a number of chapels and rooms for prayer. An observation tower on the 7th floor allows visitors a view of the area for miles around. The gothic style cathedral is also where Woodrow Wilson is buried.

the Jefferson Memorial

After these wonderful places of worship, I went on to the memorials we missed the day before. I am a big fan of Thomas Jefferson and was glad for the opportunity to visit it again. This time I found the area downstairs where more information about the man and his times are on display.  But I still found Jefferson’s masterpiece of a home in Monticello, Virginia to be more interesting. Finding a place to park to visit Grant’s memorial was challenging.  But the view was worth it, looking across the reflecting pool to the Memorial and then to the Capitol Building beyond.’

the Grant Memorial

I surely missed the pilgrimages of the second day…and Bill…whom I thank for writing half this post. I got instantly cured upon reaching the Hershey Campground in Pennsylvania, noticing the fine aroma all around!  But I also enjoyed the Greenbelt Park, a NPS campground in Maryland, which is just 12 miles from Washington DC. What a hidden gem. We will feature more of it in the next post on Baltimore!

the Titanoboa, world's largest ever snake

OLA: Rediscovering Virginia

the only president the Confederacy ever had, Jefefrson Davis,
at the Davis Circle in Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Virginia

In 2008 and 2010 we made short trips to Virginia; the latter one with our current RV, M’A ‘turn. We thought we had covered the state well. This 2012 trip was supposed to be just a stop for our observance of Holy Week on our way to Nova Scotia for summer. Our Visita Iglesia (visit of churches during Lent) in Richmond, Gloucester, and Williamsburg was spiritually satisfying but this visit surprised us with historic sites we did not even know were there!

the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, Richmond, Virginia

Our 2012 Virginia Visita Iglesia

The capital of Virginia is Richmond, an hour away from our campground, Thousand Trail’s Chesapeake Bay. So on Maundy Thursday, we went to the Sacred Heart Cathedral, the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Richmond. It was begun in 1903, completed in 1905, and consecrated in 1906. It is now on the National Register of Historic Places. What a beautiful place of worship and rest at the center of this metropolis of 1.2M!

Church of St. Therese, Gloucester, Va

On Good Friday we visited the Church of St. Therese in Gloucester about twenty minutes from the Chesapeake Bay resort: population, 35,000. What a very charming place for parishioners to gather for bingo, a dance, a dinner fund-raiser, etc! Though very charming, the chapel was quite small so we decided to celebrate Easter Mass in Williamsburg, 45 minutes away, at the chapel of the College of William and Mary, the second oldest educational institution of higher education (1693) in the US  (Harvard is the oldest, 1636). The University of Santo Tomas in the Philippines was founded in 1611!

inside St. Bede Catholic Church, Williamsburg, Va

The Chapel, constructed for the college community in 1932, is now called the St. Bede Catholic Church.  In early Georgian in design, the chapel’s brick was handmade from local clay according to 18th century methods.  The memorial pathway, to the left of the main entrance, is lined with marker stones from different states and foreign countries. The mass was celebrated at the Parish Center (too many parishioners attended) but the chapel is extra beautiful with its spring flowers blooming!

   

The White House of the Confederacy

The Seat of Confederate Governance and Education

But, as usual, we hustled around to see some historic sights after visiting each church. Richmond, after all was the seat of the Confederacy. So it shouldn’t have been a surprise to find the White House of the Confederacy, the main building in the Museum of the Confederacy. It was a house loaned to President of the Confederacy, Jefferson Davis for four years, 1861 to 1865 when the Civil War was raging, so he could govern the confederacy better. What an educational discovery…how truly deep the division of America was during the Civil War.

  

Presidnt James Monroe's tomb at the Presidents' Circle
Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Va

Memorial to the Confederacy, Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond Va

Nearby is Hollywood Cemetery, named after the holly bushes that dotted the property. Overlooking the James River, it is the resting place of two United States Presidents, James Monroe and John Tyler, as well as the only Confederate States President, Jefferson Davis. It is also the resting place of 25 Confederate generals and 18,000 soldiers, more than any other cemetery in the country. So, 20 years after it opened, a 90-foot granite pyramid was built as the Confederates’ memorial in 1869. What an intriguing discovery…the pride of the confederacy even if it lost!

President John Tyler's tomb at the Presidents'A Circle
Hollywood Cemetery, Richmond, Va

The College of Willliam and Mary, founded 1693

The College of William & Mary (current student population, 8,000) educated U.S. Presidents Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, and John Tyler as well as U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice John Marshall, Speaker of the House Henry Clay, and 16 signers of the Declaration of Independence. The Wren Building is the oldest college building in the United States. Its Wren Chapel can be used exclusively for functions of members. What an interesting discovery…this community of scholars in such a historic and pretty campus!

Wren Buiilding, College of William and Mary
Williamsburg, Va

Six discoveries, three churches and three historic sites in three Virginia cities, make us ponder: ‘Should we spend more time in each place to make such discoveries or try to cover as many different places as possible given that we are already sexygenarians?’ We should have started the cruising lifestyle earlier! We are just glad that more than tourists, we can also be pilgrims!

OLA: Being Blown Away by the Outer Banks!

the outer banks, off the coast of North Carolina

Literally and figuratively! Barely the start of the tourist season (April 1-3), we braved those more than 25 mph winds that made it seem colder than the 59 degrees high (we had to dig out our winter wear). The Outer Banks jut out as barrier islands 26 miles from the US continental shores off North Carolina (about 200 miles). I had always wanted to see how people live there. The proper winds, the lights that guide, the shifting sands of time, and the three postscripts are what blew us away in North Carolina's Outer Banks in just three days!

The Proper Winds

This kind of constant wind was what the Wright Brothers lacked in their Dayton, Ohio home. So they selected the winds in Kitty Hawk at the Outer Banks to make history. The Brothers succeeded in making four flights there on Dec. 17, 1903. With the winds just a bit stronger than those we felt, on the fourth try they flew their plane for 852 feet in just 1 second short of a minute. It was exhilarating to walk those grounds.

grand memorial to the Wright Brothers' the conquest of space
Kitty Hawk, Outer Banks, NC

And so it is fitting that a grand memorial is there on 90-foot high Big Kill Devil Hill from where they made the launch, even preserving the cottages from where they lived and engineered the dream. It is even more fitting that a Memorial to a Century of Flight was erected commemorating 100 years of aviation achievement since the Wright’s conquest of air space. There is a monument to each decade laid out as a circle with a 120-ft. circumference. The Memorial holds a time capsule, to be opened in 2103, by the heroes of the next century of achievements. Who knows what and who those might be? 

The Lights that Guide

These barrier islands are so important to maritime history. The very first colony was braved on Roanoke Island by about 115 white settlers led by John White in 1585. Historical distrust between two races, leadership crises among the settlers, or succumbing to natural diseases may have stricken those left behind when White returned to England to ask for more resources. They were all gone when he returned 3 years later. This preceded the Jamestown Colony in Virginia in 1607 and the Plymouth Colony in Massachusetts in 1620. However, it didn’t survive like the other two. It is now fondly called The Lost Colony. Interesting to know,

This bit of history highlights the geographical significance of the Outer Banks. In the 19^th century, four lighthouses were built to aid maritime commerce: the Ocracoke Lighthouse built in 1823 and still operating, the Bodie Lighthouse built in 1846 supposedly named after bodies washed ashore from shipwrecks, the Cape Hatteras Lighthouse, also known as the American Lighthouse, built in 1870 and the tallest (160 ft.) brick beacon in the world, and the Currituck Beach Lighthouse, privately owned and built in 1875. The four make for a beautiful collage of important history. Sad to note, however, that so many shipwrecks still happened in the waters there such that it was called the Graveyard of the Atlantic and a museum so-called stands at Ocracoke.

The Sands of Time

Jockey's Ridge State Park, Nag's Head, Outer Banks, NC

The 2-lane Highway 12 that connects the islands of  Outer Banks is separated from the ocean in large stretches by sand dunes. But at the 426-acre Jockey’s Ridge State Park, the highest active sand dune (estimated 30 million tons) in the East Coast of North America lives. It is called a medano—a massive, asymmetrical, shifting hill of sand which the notorious winds cause to continually shift, making the dunes move about one to six feet to the southwest each year. Thus, hang gliding, hiking, and kite flying are great to do there. Bill loved capturing the artistry of the sands on his D5000. I got scared, though...don't know why!

the Inn at Rodanthe, featured in the movie 'Nights at Rodanthe', Outer Banks, NC

The Three Postscripts

Our Lady of the Seas at Buxton, Outer Banks, NC

Three other moments on this short trip are memorable: 1) hearing a Spanish Mass at the Our Lady of the Seas Catholic Church right at the edge of the Sound for Palm Sunday, 2) finding the Inn at Rodanthe where Richard Gere and Diane Lane created for all of us their memorable but tragic love story, and 3) choosing to dine at Carolina Seafood just because it was named after me. There we found Sandra who guided us to a reasonably-priced Carolina Seafood Platter (what else?) the only condition for which was to eat at the bar. What luck. She is the paragon of a gracious host and best of story-tellers in the Outer Banks!

Sandra's Carolina Seafood Sampler at Nag's Head, Outer Banks, NC

In three short days, we truly got blown away by the Outer Banks of North Carolina, literally and figuratively,...its proper winds, the lights that guide, the sands of time, and the three postscripts. We wished we had more time to do some of the activities the unique environment had to offer.    

OLA: Visiting with Family and Friends in SC

the sprawling Southern retirement home of the Thiesings in Mt.Pleasant, South Carolina

view from their 3rd floor deck, witht he boat at the end of the walk

So we just left Florida after 5 warm winter months and are now here in Low Country USA…South Carolina… on our way to Nova Scotia for the nth reunion of the DUs, Bill’s high school gang. This is one of the several visits we will make along the way. Jim, one of the DUs, has decided to retire here to be near his grandkids. Erika, my darling niece who married the eldest nephew of Marty, her mom and my sister Julie’s husband (who passed on in 2009), has also decided to relocate here. Time for special visits!  

Carol walking on the boardwalk back to the house after our boat ride

a Nerd Clock, very apropos in Jim's home office

The Thiesings of Mt. Pleasant

Jim Thiesing just retired last year as Group Vice-President, Federal Operations of Jacob’s Engineering, a Fortune 500 company providing technical, professional, and construction services globally with 200 offices in over 25 countries in Aerospace and Defense, Automotive and Industrial, Buildings, Chemicals and Polymers, Consumer and Forest Products, Energy, Environmental Programs, Infrastructure, Mining and Minerals, Oil and Gas, Pharmaceuticals and Biotechnology, Refining, and Technology. Jim was primarily involved in its nuclear clean-up operations including the 3-Mile Island and the Oakridge facility.

spacious second level living quarters

Jim and wife Carol are obviously very comfortably happy in their sprawling 2-level 5,000 sq. ft. Southern home (yes with porches all around) that reaches out to where his boat is moored on the Toomer creek that leads into the Atlantic Ocean through Wando and Cooper Rivers.The 2 guest quarters, Jim’s office, the middle lounging area, and a recreation area make up the lower level while the couple lives in utmost comfort at the second floor. They decided to stay near the grandchildren (don’t we all?) and are truly a picture of shared blissful contentment.

Bill's fave banana cream pie
 baked from scratch by Jim's Carol!

Bill, Jim, and Carol were off to the beach early the following day for Bill’s 2-3 mile daily walk and her bike ride. Then the 2 friends fished  while the two Carols watched the quarterfinals of the Miami Sony Ericson Tennis Open (yes, we are both fan-addicts). What a grand vacation for Bill and me. Carol is a perfect host. Meals were always fine dining…from soup salad, entrée, and dessert! We could not have enough of the cola brisket slow cooked to perfection...and the shrimp pasta salad...and the chcken wild rice mushroom...and even the apple/ham/cream cheese sandwiches!!! But the killer was Bill's
banana cream pie, something he had been pining for for years! 

the co-pilots, Jim and Bill

Bill and Jim at Vickery's at Shrimp Creek
where we stopped for lunch on our boat ride 

The following day, all of us went for a lovely boat ride to the great Atlantic. We had a traditional Southern lunch at Vickery’s, a local favorite resto with its own dock, right before the bay. Back home, Bill and Jim went fishing again and the 2 Carols watched the last set of Quarterfinals. The next morning Bill and Jim braved the walk on the 5-mile loop on the Arthur Ravenel Jr. Bridge and then, sadly, we had to say our goodbyes. The stay was truly fun but we will see them soon enough in Nova Scotia, although it will not be at their lovely home!

the Ravenal Bridge, signalling that we had arrived at the Charleston Harbor!

Jesse and Erika with Bill while dinner was being readied

The Sellers of James Island

Erika is my sister Julie’s youngest child. She married Jesse Sellers, nephew of Marty, Julie’s husband who passed on in 2009. She now baby-sits two little kids while Jesse is in partnership with friends in a construction company. Erika was former Philippine Idol finalist and is currently expecting their first child in September!  I wanted to see first-hand the joy on her face! It was certainly there…perhaps permanently etched, after waiting for almost five years!

we have missed Erik'a snging!

We stored the RV for 3 days while we stayed with Jim and Carol but we wanted to show Erika how we camped so we booked at the Charleston KOA just beside the storage facility. We had Jesse and Erika the first night at the RV. Bill grilled pork loins and I made green beans and mushroom medley and simple baked potatoes for sides and some Italian bread with cream cheese chocolate cake for dessert! And of course, we set up the karaoke equipment so we could once again hear Erika’s melodious voice singing some oft-forgotten OPM (Original Pilipino Music)!

digging into the sumptuous Southern dinner!

The next night, it was Jesse and Erika’s turn to show off their culinary skills so we drove to their lovely, cozy home. Dinner was excellent Southern cuisine: grilled porterhouse steaks courtesy of Jesse, Kajing made extra special (we brought home the left-overs!) dinner rolls from Jesse’s family’s secret recipe, Caesar salad, and mashed potatoes. Oh for appetizers we had veggies and ranch and deviled eggs! Bill and I brought the couple nice oranges and grapefruit from Florida and a small box of Mexican mangoes from the Carolina Coast Flea Market, the state's biggest!.

Carol's turn to sing!

the four...happy together!

We ended the night singing karaoke favorites again and, though we wanted to linger on for we might not see each other again for another 5 years, we had to bid our reluctant  goodbyes. In the morning, Bill and I will proceed to a short vacay in the North Carolina Outer Banks! But surely we left with hearts full of wonderful memories.Visits to family and friends, especially this one to South Carolina early in the spring of 2012, are truly special! RVing makes it all possible for us.