RussLeona Trip 10/29/12 Decatur, IN

I thought we should give you an update.  We are in Decatur, Indiana at the American Coach Service Center getting our windshield replaced.  It is in really bad shape.  We were lucky to get here.  When you arrive if you don't have an appointment, you go on a waiting list.  Hopefully they will get to us soon.  We are ready to get on to Arizona but still have 1800-1900 miles to go.  We got our motorhome aligned and the oil changed today at another service center.  It was good to get it done, but costly.
It is cold, 35 this morning, and windy but much nicer than along the east coast.  We were so lucky to have good weather while we were there.

RussLeona Trip 10/25/12 Flight 93

We left Washington, D.C. late about noon.  Pennsylvania is very beautiful.  We drove over the Allegheny Mountains.  We noticed that we were passing within 30 miles of the Flight 93 crash site.  We drove over to it and was really glad we did. It was sad but very interesting.  They have built a nice Memorial with the names of everyone lost.  They have plans for a visitor center.
We are heading on to Decatur, Indiana to the American Factory to see if we can get our windshield replaced.

Pennsylvania from the top of the Allegheny Mountains. (2900 feet elevation)

The Flight 93 Memorial as you walk up to it.  The plane came over the hill to the right and hit close to the Memorial.

The Flight 93 Memorial.

The marble wall with the names of those lost.  After seeing the Capital, it was so special they were brave enough to save it.

RussLeona Trip 10/24/12 Capital/Pentagon

We met at our Senator Baucus' Office for our Capital tour.  Two members of the Senator's Staff took Leona and I on a personal tour.  We rode the underground trolley from the Senate Office Buildings  to the Capital.  That was really a rare experience.  We had a great tour of the Capital including the Old Supreme Court Chamber, the old Senate Chamber and both current chambers.  The two young men did a great job showing us around and helping us to better understand how Congress works.  Congress is not in session due to the election so we weren't able to see any action.  We took the train to the Pentagon for our tour.  After passing security, we were supervised by two soldiers on a walk around and through the complete building (1 1/2 miles).  The told us about the building and pointed out the many exhibits throughout the building.  We were able to spend some time in the 9/11 Memorial.  It was very emotional.  We weren't able to take photos in most of the Capital and none of the Pentagon so we don't have many photos.

Looking up at the Capital

The trolley from the Senate Office Buildings to the Capital.  Leona and the two Staffers are seated, waiting for me.

Leona and I behind the Pentagon podium.

The Enduring Freedom Tribute in front of the Pentagon.

RussLeona Trip 10/23/12 Museum of Natural History

We had a tour of the White House at 7:30 am, which meant we had to get up at 5 am to ride the train into town.  The tour was very interesting and the White House is beautiful.  Leona, especially liked the gardens.  Oh, we got to see the 1st dog "Bo".  A guy was taking him back from a walk.  We couldn't take photos.  We went to the Museum of Natural History.  A person could spend a week in this one museum.  We saw the Hope Diamond, large gold nuggets, dinosaurs, every stuffed animal, one could imagine, along with so many other interesting things.  We stopped at the National Archives so we could look at the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights.  It was so neat to look at the actual documents and the signatures of our fore fathers. The trees continue to color so I included a photo of our motorhome in our campground.

Early morning photo of the White House.

Not a very good photo but the Hope Diamond.

Amazingly big gold nuggets.

So many stuffed animals, many were with their young.

Triceratops.

The trees are so beautiful.

RussLeona Trip 10/22/12 Monuments

We went on a National Parks Tour of the monuments today that started at 8:30 am.  A very knowledgeable Park Ranger took six of us in a van.  As we toured each monument, he explained the designer, what he was trying to convey and how we should view it.  It was very interesting and he greatly added to our experience of touring the monuments.  We finished the tour at 3:30 pm.  The tour was scheduled by our Senator's staff.

We weren't able to go up in the Washington Monument as the damage from the recent earthquake is being repaired.  However, almost everywhere you go the monument is majestically standing up over the Mall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Being one of the largest, the Lincoln Monument recognizes President Lincoln for his part in reuniting our country and freeing the slaves.  He knew that reuniting the country would be a challenge and his monument shows his concerns.

The President Jefferson is very beautiful.  He played a very important part of our country's development.  He wrote the Declaration of Independence and worked on the development of our Constitution.

The beautiful new World War II monument recognizes the ~400,000+ that lost their lives and the sacrifices of the families from every state and territory.

The Korean War Memorial shows soldiers from every branch of our armed forces moving through a field in front of a beautiful reflection wall.  South Korea was saved and has developed into one of the World's leading economies.

The Vietnam Memorial Wall lists the names of 58,000+ people that lost their lives in the war.  The  Memorial, as a whole, represents the entire country.  The wall represents wound that was gouged from our heart.

The President F.D.Roosevelt Memorial is one that our guide added a great perspective.  President Roosevelt led us through the recovery of the Stock Market Crash, World War II,started the United Nations Organization,  implemented Social Security, Federal Deposit Insurance, Farm Programs, and other key programs.  He was one of the most popular Presidents who significantly impacted our lives today.

The Martin Luther King Memorial is a representation from one of his speeches when he says "out of a mountain of despair, a stone of hope".  You have to respect the achievements of this great man.

RussLeona Trip 10-21-12 Arlington

We learned a little about the big city today.  We left early, thinking it was Sunday and it would be quiet at the Arlington National Cemetery.  Wrong, there was an Army run with ~30,000 runners.  The roads were blocked and there were cars and people everywhere.  We could see the cemetery but we couldn't get there.  We drove out to the Pentagon Mall and took the train to the cemetery.  The Cemetery is huge, there are so many grave stones, it is very impressive.  It is very pretty with the leaves changing.  We walked up to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier which is awesome.  We were able to watch the changing of the guard.  It was so quiet and very sobering.  I got a movie but it is too long to send.  We saw President John F. Kennedy's grave site with the Eternal Flame.  We remember that day so clearly.


Another great day.

The Cemetery is very pretty but so many graves.

The Tomb of the Unknown Soldier from below.

The Guard.  He is so precise.  It is such a view, looking down on the Capital.

Another photo of the Tomb from below.

President John F. Kennedy's grave.  Jacqueline is beside him.

RussLeona Trip 10/20/12 DC-Annapolis

We are at Cherry Hill Park, just into Maryland, outside of Washington, DC.  The first day we took the subway into the Capital.  We toured the Aeronautical and Space Museum.  It took us most of the day.  It is an unbelievable collection of the history and development of anything that flies.  We touched a moon rock, saw John Glenn's first space capsule, the lunar module, a copy of part of the space station and more airplanes than you can imagine.  We watched a couple great Imax movies.  The next day we drove to Annapolis.  It was a beautiful drive as the trees are really coloring..  The town of Annapolis was pretty with alot of old, beautiful buildings.  The Naval Academy was probably the coolest campus, I have ever been on.  The buildings were gorgeous.  I took a tour where I learned alot about the history of the school.  We took a scenic rural drive home.  The drive ended with a really hard rainstorm.  It is easy to see why it is so green here.

Cherry Hill is a nice campground.  The trees are really coloring, so pretty.

A nice man took our photo in front of the Capital.

The lunar module.

This is the main Naval Academy Hall.  It is a huge continuous building built in the shape of an "H" that covers 33 acres.  The Memorial Hall, that you are looking at is in the bar of the H.  All  the ~4000 cadets live and eat in the building.  They all eat at the same time.  They are served in 5 minutes and have 25 minutes to eat.  There are Doctors, Dentists, Tailors, and everything they need in the building.  They even have their own zip code.

A photo of part of the Memorial Hall.  The name of every graduate that was killed in action is displayed.  Every graduate that served in action is listed on the walls.  It is a gorgeous.

The inside of the Naval Academy Chapel.

RussLeona Trip 10/16/12 Gettysburg

This has been one of the soberest experiences of our trip.  It is a beautiful area but a sadness seems to linger everywhere.  107,000 soldiers battled here with ~50,000 casualties.  We watched several movies and attended a couple spectacular dioramas on the battle.  The bravery, loss of life, and suffering is beyond believe and very emotional.  The Confederacy and the Union soldiers lined up and rushed each other all around the battlefield, until less than half remained. General Mead's Union Army was so tired and short of supplies that they could not immediately chase General Lee's shattered army.  General Mead was able to quickly replenish his supplies and General Lee was not. General Lee's wagon train of wounded as he retreated after the battle was 17 miles long. The town of Gettysburg was left with thousands dead and wounded. The outcome of the battle would determine the outcome of the war.  If just a couple things had went differently the outcome of the battle and the war might have been different.  One must ask himself, if that would have happened how would our country look today.

This is looking down onto Gettysburg from the top of Culp's Hill.  The first day of the battle, the Confederate forces drove the Union forces through the town.  They reorganized on this hill and the Cemetery Ridge to the left.

Monuments like these are all over the battlefield.  They were put their by the Brigades on the site that they fought.  Small concrete markers mark the edge of their battle line.

Looking down from Little Round Top. This was called Death Valley because of the great loss on both sides as the Confederates tried to take this hill from the Union Army.

This is looking across what became know as Pickett's Hill.  The Confederate forces attacked across this field towards the bunch of trees on the ridge that the Union Army held.

This is looking down Pickett's Hill from the Union line.  The trees on the left are the ones that the Confederate forces were attacking.  Greater than 50% of Pickett's forces were killed, wounded, or missing.  The bodies were stacked up at the fences and walls.

RussLeona Trip 10/11/12 Amish

We are in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which is home to many Amish.  We took a drive through the beautiful farmland.  The farms are small but very neat and well kept.  Many have dairy cattle.  We took a 4 1/2 mile buggy ride through the countryside.  We had a great driver that was Mennonite.  He grew up in this area and understood the way of life very well.  The Old Amish don't use tractors but will use auxiliary LPG or diesel motors to run their balers or other equipment.  They have diesel or LPG generators at their farms for their milking machines and to run an air compressor.  The houses don't have electricity.  They use LPG or naphtha lights.  An air line from the barn compressor runs to the house.  The housewife has mixers and other kitchen tools that have air motors and run on air.  The men wear dark clothes and a straw or felt hat, the women wear conservative blues and whites and always have their heads covered.  They don't drive cars, only use horses and buggies.  You see many buggies traveling on the roads, sorry I didn't get a good photo as I wanted to be respective as far as pictures.  The kids can't have peddle bicycles but two wheel scooters.  The young Amish live similarly but will use tractors and some have solar generators for some equipment but still don't have electricity in their homes.  It has been very interesting.  We didn't realize how many Amish lived in this area.  We were told that there is 18,000+ in this county.

A covered bridge out of Lancaster built in the early 1800's.

Beautiful countryside.

Our tour guide and the horse and buggy that took us around the countryside.

Amish horse and buggy.

RussLeona Trip 10-10-12 Valley Forge

As we left Philadelphia on our way to Lancaster, we toured Valley Forge.  It was very interesting to see where George Washington and the Continental Army spent the winter.  They built 2000 small cabins (12x16) each housing 12 enlisted men or 2 officers.  They were all built to George Washington's specifications.  Contrary to some perceptions, the men had adequate shelter.  They did experience shortage of supplies at times.  In spite of the fact that there was never a shot fired against the English at Valley Forge, 2000 men of the 10-12,000 died of disease during the winter.  The camp was very muddy and concentration of people encouraged disease.  The troops were intensely trained and their moral remained good..  The house in the photo was George Washington's Headquarters.  The covered bridge was built in the 1860's and was in the park.  It was another great day.

There were rows and rows of cabins like these.

These were cabins for George Washington's guards that set behind his headquarters.

The typical interior, except that there would be six beds on each side, three high.

George Washington's Headquarters, the building on the side was the kitchen.

A covered bridge in Valley Forge National Park, built in the 1860's.

RussLeona Trip 10/9/12 Philadelphia Mint

We drove into Philadelphia so we could tour the Mint and the Constitution Center.  The Mint was real interesting.  No cameras were allowed.  We were able to follow the complete process from coin development through distribution.  We were able to walk behind windows above the actual working process.  We watched them load large spools of flat metal onto the machines that punched the blanks out.  The blanks were annealed, imprinted, inspected and loaded in large sacks for distribution.  We were able to watch the entire process.  We toured the Constitution Center.  We watched a great presentation on the development of the Constitution.  There were many displays, videos, etc.covering the history of the development and evolution of today's Constitution.  George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Samuel Adams, Benjamin Franklin and the others were very brave and did an unbelievable job. We were able to sign a copy of the original Constitution.  If you look at the photo below, you can see our signatures.  I was unable to rotate the photo.  As we were driving back to our motorhome, Leona and I were saying that after touring Boston, Lexington, Concord, New York, Philadelphia and the 911 Memorial, a person would have to be extremely hard not feel a great surge in Patriotism.

The front of the Philadelphia Mint

The copy of the Constitution with Leona's and my signatures.