Cemeteries Are Hot! (Ohio)

And I mean that in the most literal sense possible.

View of the larger of two lakes at Lake View Cemetery

The last time I visited a cemetery, I completely underestimated how much walking (and beaming sun exposure) I would be subjected to. Thinking I would be better prepared this time, I packed a bag with two bottles of water, fresh fruit, and some granola and had napkins to wipe sweat away. Silly me forgot that full water bottles and fruit weigh a LOT when you are lugging them around all day, so although I wasn't as thirsty or fatigued, my shoulders were not very pleased with my decision!

But don't let my poorly thought out plan sway you from the facts- Lake View Cemetery   is absolutely beautiful. I saw some unique and ornate tombstones. Many people will come here to see the graves of Cleveland's former elite class- I'm not from Cleveland so most of the names didn't mean much to me. There were some exceptions. The John D. Rockefeller Monument (yeah, THAT Rockefeller) is right next to the Garfield Tomb. Garrett A. Morgan, famed African American inventor, is also buried at Lake View (sadly too far out of the way for me to walk to it and back to the front gate in time to catch my train to my next stop).

The Rockefeller Monument at Lake View

There is a more detailed list of who's who and where on the Lake view website, but the most ornate and prominent of these burial sites is James A. Garfield, 20th President of the United States.

Garfield Memorial in Lake View

Statue of President Garfield in the main hall of the Memorial

Although the building was a bit over run with flies, you can't deny the very detailed artistry put into this building (My non-sensical mind was just waiting for a zombie Garfield to pop out with maggots and flies buzzing around him. More realistically they were just trying to escape the heat like the humans were.) As ornate as the upper levels dedicated to his life and achievements are, the actual burial room/crypt is simple and plain (in comparison). I'm sure you can make some super deep reference to the fact that no matter what we do in this lifetime, we all are but simple dust in the end- or something like that.

Compared to the upper levels, the burial chamber was extremely plain

I know this entry is getting a little long and stuffed with pictures, but there was one more major thing I saw in Lake View- the Wade Memorial Chapel.

Wade Memorial Chapel in Lake View Cemetery

Built in 1901 in honor of the industrialist Jeptha Wade (who was a founder of the cemetery), this is a very simple and elegant building. It serves as the receiving chapel for new burials- and is rented out for small weddings according to the very informative guide that was stationed there.

Center stained/painted glass window done by Louis Tiffany- son of the founder of Tiffany & Co.

The walls are covered with delicately colored glass mosaics that depict a bunch of guys rowing while some other folks look on. This was explained to me as the left side representing the creation of God's Law in the Old Testament and the fulfillment of God's Law in the New Testament on the right.I was also told that these mosaics were assembled by Tiffany Glass Company (Louis' company founded before he joined back in with Tiffany & Co. in 1902 upon his father's death) and transported to Cleveland via the Erie Canal.

Right side of the Chapel walls, representing the New Testament

That pretty much sums up my time at Lake View. I have at least two more Cleveland entries left for you, as well as a review of a neat website I found of a guy who has visited every Presidential grave. Every. Single. One. Pretty interesting if you ask me! My pictures are still on my Facebook page (feel free to thumbs up me if you like my photos or just want to be nice!), and as always, I'll see you on the next adventure!

She's So Fly! (Ohio)

Logo of the IWASM of a glass window

My first official museum gig (if you haven't learned by now, museum (and other cultural non-profit) work is what I do for a living) was at the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.  I didn't grow up with any inherent interest in planes or military history, but my nearly two years there certainly sparked one. It's amazing how beautiful not only the air and space craft can be, but also interesting to see the pop culture that sprang up around aviation and space travel. I (being a black woman) am particularly interested in how women and racial minorities have contributed to our ever developing knowledge of flight and space. I'd heard about the International Women's Museum of Air & Space Museum doing some research at work at the time, and said that if I ever got the chance, I wanted to take a gander at what they had to offer.

Illustration of a purple flight suit worn by Harriet Quimby-
not very practical now, but pretty dope she wore pearls to fly in!

If you are ever in Cleveland, you HAVE to check this place out! It's right down the street from the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame (which I didn't visit because per my own rules set forth in the first few entries, I'd already visited there in 2006 or 2007 with some friends), the Cleveland Science Center, and the Browns' football stadium. That whole stretch of lake front touristy stuff could take your entire day up easily, but make sure you keep trodding down along the road to the Burke Lakefront Airport, that is the host building to this wonderful collection.

I was confused at first, because there is no clear marked "entrance" to the museum (it literally takes up the lobby/waiting area of most of the airport) so it was difficult to learn where to start. I eventually just picked an end and worked my way down, taking notes and pictures as I went. Of course you have your "celeb" aviatrixes like Bessie Coleman and Amelia Earhart who are among the more famous of their peers, but there was a lot of detailed information about the personal lives and accomplishments of not-as-well known women such as Amy Johnson and the Mercury Women. I loved that next to the Quimby flight suit (yes, they re-created it using the above picture as a guide) was the launch/re-entry suite worn by Wendy Lawrence. It sort of juxtaposed the past with the present to show how far women in flight have come.

Wendy Lawrence's launch/re-entry suit

Of course, every aviation based museum has at least one plane on display, and the IWASM doesn't disappoint. The absolute cutest plane, the "Pretty Purple Puddy Tat" is on display. It took me back to my time at NASM, when you are just amazed at the craftsmanship of these machines, and stand in awe next to them. There are also "retro" flight simulators on display as well.

The Pretty Purple Puddy Tat

Now, to be fair, the museum does need a little upgrading. Betty Skelton and Sally Ride both have passed within the last two years, and no mention of that is in the museum. It also was VERY hard to photograph some of the displays because of the smooth and rounded cases they were in. But a woman (I regretfully forget what her name was!) told me that not only are they aware they are in need of some exhibit improvements, but they had four interns helping them out to get the improvements done. Kudos!

The tiny gift shop was jammed packed with neat trinkets related to aviation and women, but also had some hefty sized plane models (which I think were a part of the offices also located there and not for sale) and a case full of old aviation trophies. While I didn't purchase anything (I was on a super tight budget for my day trip) I would think anyone would be able to find something they'd like to have.

All of my pictures are up on Facebook so you can see what else I saw at the museum and in the rest of the city. More blogs coming soon!

See you on the next adventure!

In The Military? Go See America For FREE!!

More accurately, go see many of America's museums and cultural centers with your families for free. It's available through a program I just learned about called the Blue Star Museums Initiative. It was first launched in 2010, and every summer since then starting on Memorial Day and ending on Labor Day active duty military members can take advantage of the program. I did some quick clicks through and haven't found a state yet without at least a strong handful of museums and organizations to choose from.

For more information and to see where you can go in your neck of the woods, click here.

26 Secrets to Save on Travel

Yahoo! often has publishes articles on how to save money on vacations and travel. While it usually tends to focus on expensive and very long international vacations, I found one article that had some really great suggestions for sites and apps to check rates and fares. Below are some highlights from the article, but I encourage you to check it out for your self!

26 Secrets to Save on Travel (highlights)

1) Fly when no one else wants to. Fares rise and fall with air traffic -- so says the law of supply and demand. In general, plan to fly on a Tuesday, Wednesday or Saturday afternoon to bag a cheaper plane ticket. If you're taking a weeklong domestic trip, depart on a Saturday and return on a Monday and you'll score a 16% discount on your airfare, according to Kayak.com, the travel Web site. For weeklong international trips, departing on Tuesday and returning on Wednesday of the following week saves 21%, on average. **Quite true! In planning my trip to Washington/Alaska this August, I am finding that flights to Seattle are up to $100 cheaper coming back (on a Tuesday) than heading out (on a Monday morning).

5) Make sure you're buying at the right time with Bing Travel's "price predictor." Just enter your itinerary, and the site will return a list of fares with a recommendation to either buy now -- because it expects the fare to rise -- or wait for a soon-to-come fare drop. And note that domestic airfares are cheapest seven weeks before departure, according to CheapAir, an airfare booking site.

8) Keep an eye on fares, even after you book. You have the right to change or cancel your flight plansfor free within 24 hours of booking, thanks to rules introduced by the Department of Transportationin 2012. So if you find a better fare within that window, you can snatch the savings with no penalty. After 24 hours, if you find your booked fare has dropped, some airlines may be willing to refund you the difference. Use Yapta.com to track any price changes on nine major airlines and score any cash back you deserve. 

16) Switch hotels mid stay. Say you're booking a hotel for a five-night stay starting on Saturday night. If Saturday and Sunday are more expensive than Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, you'll typically pay for all five nights at the highest price. Consider switching hotels midway through your trip if you can find a comparable hotel for a cheaper weekday rate. 

 21) Price it a la carte. To see if a package makes sense, research prices for all of the elements before you commit. For example, a cruise package typically charges per person for hotel rooms at the port of departure. See whether you would save by reserving a double-occupancy room outside of the package. If you can, consider dumping the package or opting out of the hotel portion. **I do this ALL. THE. TIME! I always research how much things cost seperately to a) help set my travel budget, and b) see if there are any specials for bundling things together- or if the bundle I'm eyeing is really worth purchasing. This isn't just for flights and hotels though. If you know a handful of the sites you want to visit charge admission, see if the regional tourism office offers a discount rate or package deal. Most of the time, they do, and can recommend other spots you may have overlooked!

Sometimes it's better to shop around for your trip elements!

That's it for now. I am so excited about my trip to Cleveland later this month! I'm even more excited about knocking FOUR more states off of my list by the end of this summer! 

See you guys soon!

Bus Balderdash (Update 1- Peter Pan Responds!)

I received a response from Peter Pan (which tells me my written letters arrived at their destinations!)

In a nutshell, their response was that they apologize for the rate discrepancy, but that they do indeed have the correct price on their website and that they will communicate with Greyhound about advertising the correct prices for Peter Pan routes in the future.

A very polite way of telling me that their rate is the only rate that matters. I can respect that, and I am very thankful for a quick and professional response.

Now, let's wait and see what Greyhound has to say...

Picture Perfect

When I started my blog, the only camera I had was the camera phone on my Blackberry Curve. Needless to say the photos I took were pretty craptastic, and the battery died very quickly. I soon upgraded to an iPod Touch, and later a Sony Cybershot digital camera thanks to a very generous friend of mine.

The pictures and battery life are great with this camera,
but I often got tired of lugging two expensive electronics wherever I went.

Later, nervous about carrying around too many electronics in cities I wasn't familiar with, I recorded all photos and videos with my iPhone 4S. It was easier to upload for sure, but again, battery life was something that concerned me because in addition to taking pictures, I was checking transit routes on Google Maps and live sharing my adventures via Foursquare and Twitter.

I have since gone back to this very lovely camera, and look forward to taking more awesome pictures later this month when I head to Cleveland.

However, for those of you still confident in the charge-life of your phones, I found this helpful pictorial article featuring bloggers' and photographers' tips on taking amazing pictures with your phone. I'm sure that even using a digital camera I can utilize some of the advice given. Enjoy!

Better travel pics with your smartphone

Bus Balderdash

Because I do not yet drive, I am reliant on public and private transportation to get me where I need to go. I plan EXTENSIVELY (one day I will have to show you exactly how precisely I plan things...it's a lot of work but it gives me peace of mind) and try to save as much money as possible. After all, my career isn't being a professional traveler (yet). I financed every trip you have read about here with my own earnings and wages, so even saving a dollar means something to me. With that, I wanted to share with you the letter I just mailed to Greyhound and Peter Pan Bus Lines regarding a frustrating experience I just endured while trying to buy two bus tickets.

Greyhound Lines, Inc.
PO Box 660691 MS 470
Dallas, Texas 758266

And

Peter Pan Bus Lines
Corporate Headquarters
P.O. Box 1776
Springfield, MA 01102-1776
RE: Unfair/deceptive Pricing Strategies

To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing to convey my recent unpleasant experience with my recent attempt to purchase two one way tickets online. 

The first trip I attempted to purchase was Newport, RI to Boston, MA at 2:00pm on Friday July 26 of this year. First, I noted Peter Pan had this trip listed at $27.00. I checked Greyhound, and saw the identical trip listed for an advanced rate of $16.00. Naturally wanting to save $11, I tried to purchase the Greyhound ticket only to be told I cannot purchase this ticket and was given a phone number to call (800-231-2222) to try to find out why I couldn’t purchase the ticket. Thinking I could just call after I purchase the second ticket I wanted (Springfield, MA to Boston, MA on July 28th 8:15am) I again checked both prices (Peter Pan listed at $23.00, Greyhound listed as $18.00) and attempted to purchase the Greyhound ticket. This time I was met with a message that I could only get this rate by going to the Will Call station- in Springfield, MA. Seeing as I live in Pittsburgh, PA you can understand how that isn’t possible. Even if I had to go to the station here I wouldn’t have been as upset, but to say I have to go to another state is ridiculous. I prefer to print and have my tickets in my hand well in advance, which is why I am also shocked print at home tickets weren’t available for either option.

So, I called the 800 number given to me by the Greyhound website. The woman quickly told me that since the website was involved, I had to call the web division for help. Unable to transfer me herself, I called the number she gave me (800-846-0754). I had to repeat myself several times to the man who answered on that line, but eventually his explanation was that I couldn’t purchase and print the tickets because they were Peter Pan routes, and not Greyhound routes, that were advertised on the Greyhound website and I would have to go to Peter Pan’s website in order to purchase them now. I went to the Peter Pan website, and had an online chat conversation with an agent named Bill (which I have included along with Print Screens of the Greyhound prices) who was not helpful and said the prices on the website were already on sale and that Greyhound’s prices listed were incorrect. Then I guess he left the conversation because he didn’t respond to my request for an address to write this letter to.

So why have I included both of you on this letter? I am not sure of how the parameters of your business relationship works, but it is completely unfair that I have spent the last hour getting the run around about such drastic price differences for companies that are supposed to be in a partnership. A total of $16.00 may not seem like a lot in the eyes of large businesses, but it is enough of a difference that I felt the need to write (it would be more if I was able to use my 10% Road Rewards discount). Greyhound, if you are going to advertise the routes of Peter Pan or any other bus company, you should allow your customer to purchase them! They also should be the prices that the original companies agree to. Peter Pan, I hope that now you see your routes are being advertised at much lower rates than you are selling them for, and will either match these prices, or rethink where your route information can be found.

I will be traveling in this region for business as well as my travel blog- a blog that has had thousands of readers. This letter WILL be posted on it, and I hope that a helpful solution is reached quickly.

Respectfully,


Terri 

So, what do you think readers? AM I justified in being miffed about these prices? Or am I over reacting?

Yes, You Can Road Trip Alone

She's ready to go!

As always, I like to highlight travel blogs that have really interesting articles pertaining to getting up, getting out, and getting on with life and travel. This article by Britni Danielle (who is more than just a travel blogger- she's awesome sauce all the way around and an excellent motivational blogger!) gives simple tips and the encouragement that YES you can go places by yourself. She specifically speaks to road trips but between her and the majority of my blog thus far, if you can't shake your fear of traveling alone I don't know what to tell you!

Yes, You Can Road Trip Alone