My First Fjord

Fjord. Such a funny word to say! But what a beautiful sight to see!

The entire first day of my Carnival cruise to Alaska was spent slowly sailing up this majestic water canyon that is the Tracy Arm Fjord. A woman was announcing over the sound system when whales or other interesting wildlife would come past and say hello to our ship passing by. (It wasn't very helpful. For some reason the whales didn't realize it takes a few seconds to whip out a phone or camera to snap a pic or video to show all of our friends and blog readers that "Look, I saw a humpback whale!!" and would dip back into the water very quickly).

This was my first look at Alaska as well. It was relatively warm (mid 60s on August 28, 2013 when we were there) considering I was expecting it to be frigid and snowy the entire time. I mean, isn't that what those of us in the continental 48 are told to expect from Alaska?

Let me be the first to tell you that was hardly the case. The only time the air was really biting was when the wind blew, but with a corduroy jacket I was fine.The water was just as turquoise and sparkling (though not see-through) as any Caribbean waters I've seen- and I've been to seven of the islands down there. The trees on the cliffs were a rich but earthy green. Speaking of the cliffs, they were very steep and only at the very tops were covered in snow. We saw chunks of blue-looking glacier ice float past us (hopefully not breaking off due to global warming!) and occasionally saw eagles or goats living their lives oblivious to the 2000+ people gawking at them from a big white ship.

We ended at Dawe's Glacier at the end of the Fjord. You could pay ($400-500) for excursions to take a smaller boat up to the glacier and see the wildlife up close and personal. I didn't have $500 to spare so I watched from the main ship with the majority of the other passengers and shot a pretty nifty two minute video that I uploaded to YouTube. I few couples my god mother and I befriended did take the excursion and they showed us pictures of seals chilling on rocks and glacier chunks. Pretty neat.

Nothing left now but to leave you with the pictures I was able to snap while in the Fjord and other waters of Alaska as well as my YouTube vid I mentioned earlier.

As always thank you for joining me on my journey across America.

Saxman...No Charlie Parker

I was originally going to write this entry about a place I visited in Skagway, Alaska, but I see for some reason the photos from that city were not uploaded onto my Facebook photo album. I'll look into that later, but in the meantime I wanted to get an Alaskan entry onto the blog.

Charlie "Bird" Parker, Picture from Wikipedia
Just in case some poor soul doesn't "get" the title of my entry

Saxman Native Village was my only tourist stop in Ketchikan, Alaska. It was important to me to spend at least part of my trip learning about the Native Americans of the Pacific Northwest. I was especially interested in learning more about totem poles, and this port offered the most options to do so. Carnival offered several excursions to visit the handful of parks that had totem poles (some authentically made by Native Alaskans, others reproductions made in the 1930s during Roosevelt's Works Progress Administration). The problem I had was that I wasn't sure I wanted to pay that much money, with prices starting at $40 and up. Good ol' Trip Advisor came through and several of my fellow travellers gave advice that there is a bus that costs $1 each way to many of the parks, and that admission at each park ranged from free to $10 depending on which one you decided to go to. $2-12 bucks sounds a lot better than $40+, so as the Queen of Public Transportation, I convinced my godmother to hop on the bus with me! The buses run on time and only every hour or so, and we'd missed the bus going to Saxman by about ten minutes, so we caught a cab for the three miles or so trip there. We paid a man in a booth $5 to enter the site, and I paid an additional dollar for a "guide" to the meanings of the totem poles.

If you choose to catch the bus to Saxman, look for this eagle statue.
The bus stop is right next to it.

First, I wanted to point out that the totems at Saxman are all Native made- no reproductions- and were carved at different points between the early 1800s and the 1940s. You can read a description of them here but hope you will still buy a guide on site as the money goes towards helping preserve the poles and the village. My favorites were the bird poles, because to me they looked more serious than some of the other shapes (such as frogs, beavers, and random people- oh yeah- and Abraham Lincoln).

One of the bird-shaped guard poles

The view walking towards the Village

For $5, we got the privilege of walking around, taking photos, and shopping at the gift shop. We were not permitted to enter the Clan House to watch dancing or into the carving station to learn about the traditional tools and methods used to create the poles. We were told that even though the Natives own the land, they lease out tourism rights to various companies and have agreed to not let non-excursion paying guests participate in activities other than taking photos. While I understood the rationale, I was a little bit disappointed.

The Clan House

Looking down to the gift shop and lake from in front of the Clan House

Unrestored beaver totem inside the gift shop

While not bad for less than $10 (if you don't count the cab ride which only totaled $15 with a generous tip), I would have been extremely upset had I paid $40+ to come here. There simply wasn't THAT much to do. I really wanted a mini bird totem to take with me, but the gift shop on site was even more overpriced than the shops near the cruise ships. One highlight, that only a few people who know me personally would understand, was a magnet of a bear totem image decorated in orange and brown. See, my high school (which is now sadly closed) had the brown bear as a mascot, and our school colors were orange and brown. Even though I graduated in 2001, I still have love for my alma mater!

David B. Oliver High School February1925- June 2011
Bears For Life!

Well, things are slowly coming together back at home. Again, I'm 99% sure I am done traveling for 2013, but plan to have a very active itinerary for 2014 and 2015 (it will be August 2016 before you know it!).

Thank you everyone for following along. More entries to come, and I will see you on the next adventure!

The Most Famous Fish Market In America

I'm still super busy at work, but I wanted to get at least one entry out there.

I spent 8 days in Washington and Alaska- my longest vacation in two years. I took more than 300 pictures and experienced some really beautiful and unique things. This was my first time traveling in the US past the Mississippi, and I must say I was extremely pleased with my first city on the Left Coast- Seattle. I like Chicago. I really like Boston. But so far Seattle has won me over as a super cool city.

For one, they are the ONLY city thus far that has heckled me in my Steelers shirt (a big kudos point from me- as lots of people apparently hate my team, but few dare say it to a fan's face! That took some chutzpah!) I remember looking out of the window as I landed and thinking how GREEN everything looked, just before the stewardess welcomed us to the "Emerald City". When I got off the plane, I immediately felt like I was out of shape and was killing the Earth: everyone there was thin, dressed like a 1990s J.Crew catalog, with biking gear in hand and a recycling bag in the other. They even have COMPOSTING at the airport. Seriously. Even though I felt like a fish out of water, I was in complete awe and excited to learn more.

Seriously.

Speaking of fish, one of the first places I stopped at in Seattle was the famous Pike Place Market. Now, the only prior knowledge I had of this place was The Real World: Seattle and a book I was forced to read (but enjoyed) at a part time job I once had. My godmother and I took the five minute walk from the Monorail to the market and I fully expected to see a bunch of fish and guys in bloody aprons throwing lobster tails around. There was some of that (well, they weren't bloody anyway) but there was SO much more! Pike Place of course has fish mongers, but also has fruit and produce stands, flower shops, cafes and diners, novelty shops, and all sorts of things made by local business owners like cakes, jellies, candies, even chocolate noodles (which I actually tried. They weren't bad, but I don't see how practical they are). Here are some highlights of my visit:

Sosio's Produce

This was one of my first stops in the market. Sosio's was the best looking produce stand that I saw, and they were generously slicing up peaches and mangoes for passersby to sample. I like fruit and all, but generally am not hugely pressed to eat peaches, and while I like mango flavored stuff, the actual mango itself has proven to be...unpleasant texture-wise to me. Not so at Sosio's! Before I could even say "No thank you," I had a huge chunk of peach in my hand that tasted...like candy! It was crazy sweet. I literally said "Oh my God!" when the woman who had given me my piece smiled and pointed to the sign posted above their peach display:

Apparently I wasn't the first to say that after tasting this fruit.

After my cruise (to Alaska...more on that later!), my godmother and I went back to Sosio's and bought peaches to take home with us. It was then that I got a chunk of mango that was melt in your mouth good. Seriously. From someone who doesn't even like mango. If I lived in Seattle they would be my exclusive fruit provider- not only are the products tasty, but they LOOK and SMELL good. And there is a wide variety- I saw huckleberries in real life for the first time (but I wasn't that brave to taste them as well) as well as homemade fruit candies and vegetables too. I really loved this place!!

We were starting to get a little hungry, and almost all of the cafes and diners were crammed with people, so we rushed into Le Panier for a quick snack and drink. I love food, but French food has been something that I just can't really bring myself to say I LOVE. And while French bread is tasty, the pastries I've had have usually only been okay. However, since we learned the market was soon to close (we got there around 4 on a Monday, and by this time it was nearing 5pm), I didn't have room to be picky. Most of the staff was friendly- even if you could tell they were a bit annoyed at the last minute rush of customers that my god mom and I were a part of. Not being very familiar with the scant offerings they had left, I picked out a pastry I had at least seen before (a croissant aux fruits abricots). I also tried a macaroon- even though I've had them before and can say that I truly am just not a fan but I was willing to give them another shot- and at an employee suggestion picked a pistachio flavored one.

My pastries

While I enjoyed the apricot pastry (allowing for a little hardness because it was the end of the day and they had been made early in the morning), I am still not a fan of macaroons. There were people looking to get into the shop after the employees had closed the doors, and that was when the staff  started to get a little sarcastic and borderline rude with the remaining guests. I personally felt very rushed as a guy sweeping right next to our table blatantly ignored my godmother as she asked him a question about the pastries. Not the worst service I've ever received (no, that honor still belongs to Marble House in Rhode Island) but it took away some of the magic of being able to say I ate at a quaint place in Pike Place.

What made up for it was being able to say that I went to the FIRST Starbucks just a few doors down. I picked up some coffee and mugs for friends that are coffee addicts- me myself if I drink two cups of coffee a year I'm doing a lot...I'm a loyal tea drinker. But I loved that it didn't look like every other Starbucks you've ever seen anywhere. No forest green fabric awning, no hipster music blasting out with CDs to be hawked at the register. It was completely unlike my normal experience with Starbucks, and I loved it!

But I can't mention Pike Place without talking about fish at all, right? Well, my godmother spent $300+ dollars on lobster tails and crab legs to be shipped to her home from one of the less famous fish sellers (who were nonetheless friendly and eager to fill her order), but the stand everyone knows about is the Pike Place Fish Market. I was hoping to get a recording of them throwing fish around and happily interacting with customers, just as I had read in the book and read about on travel site reviews, but since it was so late in the day there weren't many people buying fish and I'm sure they don't toss around their products just for non-buying tourists to take their photo. And they had a LOT of fish and seafood on display. One in particular was a weird flattened out looking fish that I wanted to get a closer look at. It had a sign above it that said "I am a monk fish". Just as I was getting ready to snap a photo...

It moved and a loud noise came from it! Those jerks at Pike Place fish had it hooked up to a wire and when unsuspecting folks walk by it they scare the begeebers out of you with that trick. Needless to say everyone around us looked at me like I was a complete fool because I yelled so loudly, but I'm not worried about that.

from http://erincooks.com/pike-place-market-hello-im-a-monk-fish/
That thing is terrifying!!

Well, I have quite a few more adventures to type up for you, and slowly but surely I will get them done! In the meantime, all of my photos are up on Facebook. Feel free to take a gander, and "like" my page while you are at it!

Thank you for reading my blog, and as always, I'll see you on the next adventure!

Gettin' Iggy With It

First, I'm having a few technical difficulties getting the last of my photos to go from my camera to either my work or personal computers (something about the USB not being recognized- even though it JUST worked the other day *sigh*) So the rest of my Massachusetts pics are coming shortly!

Second, I want to say that with the exception of one site in particular, I had a good (if not exhausting) time in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. I'll discuss my negative experience later, but I wanted to start off on a positive note.

These two states represent my first blog-related treks into New England. When I think New England, I think pilgrims and colonials. I think cold and dreary weather. I think largely of sports teams I either have no strong opinions of- or extreme hatred towards. And I think of chowder, lobster, and other seafood.Well, it was a bit cooler than expected the weekend I went, and I got rained on my first two days ending up with a pretty soggy suitcase. I did do three sports related excursions, but we'll get to those later (once my pics are uploaded to my Facebook page). So I'll focus on my first entry on the food I ate, specifically at Iggy's Doughboys and Chowderhouse.

No seriously, I hate these cheating bums.
Image from www.roosterteeth.com

I already knew that yes, there is the traditional New England clam chowder that's white and creamy, and yes, there's the Manhattan version that's red and tomato based. But I learned in this clip from CBS's 'Taste of America Tour' that there is indeed a third version of the Northeast's signature soup: the Rhode Island Clear. Since several travel sites all agreed that Iggy's was THE place to go to try Rhode Island seafood, I decided to give it a go.

Iggy's...and my $45 cab

I took a cab from the TF Green Airport (after getting to Rhode Island by train from Boston), down to Iggy's- a round trip ride that ended up costing me $45.00 with tax and tip! (Yes, apparently Rhode Islanders pay tax on cab rides, something I learned from my driver is highly disliked by those in the business. I gotta say I agree with them- I've never heard of such foolishness.) But it was worth it. I ordered a little bit of everything that I had either never heard of or was told was a specialty of the region/restaurant. Way too much food for one person, but most of it was tasty.

Here's a pic of my Rhode Island Clear chowder. It isn't on the menu (only Red and White are), so you have to ask for it specifically. Slightly too salty, but otherwise well flavored.

Clam cakes and Rhode Island Clear chowder

The bowl is next to an outpouring of clam cakes. I was least impressed with these. My cab driver said you're supposed to eat them by dipping them into whatever chowder you have. This greatly helped because these things were a bit dry, and I'm not 100% sure I had any actual clam inside of the ones I ate (though admittedly, I only finished like 2 or 3 of them). It may be hard to tell, but they were slightly larger than a golf ball.

An Iggy doughboy, covered in powdered sugar. HUGE but tasty!
The taste reminded me of funnel cake/donut hybrid.

Above you'll see one doughboy- a near hand-sized patty of fried dough topped with a topping of your choice (my cab driver said powdered sugar is the most popular- I personally would've gone with cinnamon sugar otherwise.) I got six of these for free using a coupon I got for signing up for their emails. I think a few solicitations is worth saving three bucks and some change.

A Famous Iggy Burger and Iggy root beer

I got a hamburger on the off chance that I hated all the seafood I got and was still hungry. The most popular burger is the Famous Iggy Burger and it comes with sauteed peppers and onions, mustard, relish, and optional cheese (which I gladly accepted). It was just okay- not horrible by any means, but not super amazing. But, what do you expect from a place that specializes in seafood, not landlubber fare? The root beer is made by Iggy's (they also sell a house made raspberry-lime pop as well...oops, I guess I mean soda for those of you not from a pop-saying city). It was probably the best root beer I've ever had- smooth, not too harsh or metallic tasting. It was great.

A Rhode Island "stuffie" or stuffed quahog

Now this was my favorite part of the meal. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter (and really, why wouldn't you?) you would know that trying to say "quahog" without sounding like a total tourist was something I wanted to accomplish. (Think co-hog, or watch a few episodes of Family Guy and listen to them say it). Nearly every Rhode Island tourism website I found said that visitors should try a "stuffie" while they are there. I only ordered one, partly because they were $2.50 each (sorry, but that's not a lot of chewing for nearly $3) and partly because I wasn't sure if I would like it.

What a quahog that's alive and in the wild looks like I can't tell you (though I'm assuming that's its shell they serve it in), but what it tasted like was a very delicate seafood taste, with stuffing and other goodness, drizzled with lemon juice. My cab driver told me that locals eat theirs with hot sauce. It was such a warm and comforting taste! I don't know what the stuffing is, how they chop it up and cook it or anything, but I DO know that I was very pleased. While waiting for my order to be finished, I saw people sitting at tables with trays full of these empty shells. I guess I'm not alone on liking them.

Well, I'll update you on my four day adventure (my most ambitious outing yet itinerary-wise) every couple of days over the next few weeks. Alaska and Washington state are next month, so I'm gearing up for that, and you know, I do have work and other responsibilities here at home.

Thank you for reading along and following me on my journey!

Tennessee - Part I (Memphis)

I'm back! I had an amazing time in Memphis. I was in town for an event filled weekend with friends, sorority sisters, and fraternity brothers, and managed to get my inner nerd fed in between outings at several museums and sites. In fact, I actually had to pare down my list of things to do because of social and financial reasons- but what I found I am more than excited to share with you!

The now-defunct Memphis Pyramid.
Soon to be a Bass Pro Shop (lame!) it was the building I was pretty geeked to see.
I mean seriously, how cool is it to have a PYRAMID in your city?!

Having never been to Memphis (well, I passed through the airport once on my way to Alabama several years ago...but that doesn't count), there were four things that I heard that defined the city: Great music- especially the blues, Beale Street, amazing barbecue, and Elvis/ Graceland (technically the fifth thing I always heard was an abnormally high crime rate-- but I'll keep the blog positive and not dwell on that). For a detailed history (which I found interesting!) of the largest city in Tennessee, you can click HERE, but for the fun touristy things I did in my three days there, read on!

W.C. Handy Memphis Home and Museum

W.C. HANDY MEMPHIS HOME AND MUSEUM

Hidden at the end of the touristy end of Beale Street, the W.C. Handy Memphis Home and Museum, tells the story of W.C. Handy- the Father of the Blues. I was the first visitor of the day, getting there right as the lone attendant/ tour guide opened the door. He actually seemed a little surprised I was there, saying that other than tourists from Europe and Asia, and the occasional school group, few people (and especially not locals) came to visit. Quite sad because it sets a beautiful tone for enjoying and seeing everything else on Beale Street and the general music history of Memphis, and it only costs $4 to see. No pictures are allowed inside, but there isn't really much to take pictures of anyway it's only two rooms big. The first is set up with some period pieces and a few artifacts that actually belonged to him, and the second has pictures and sheet music covers framed in (cheap) frames, and a table with merchandise for sale. There's a bathroom and I'm assuming an office or closet that I was told was added on later. While not thoroughly impressed with the presentation (I understand that money is tight for places like this, but I think a fixtures upgrade and thorough dusting is very much so doable) I loved the story of this place and the important life and history it preserves.

Gibson Factory in Memphis

THE GIBSON RETAIL SHOP AND FACTORY

Another no-photos-inside location, this isn't Gibson's headquarters, but actually their third (and newest) manufacturing plant. The lobby had a piano, a few juke boxes and guitars, and what looked like a rentable ballroom that was being aired out- but nothing super notable. Tours cost $10, sell out quickly, and last about 40 minutes give or take. If you're lucky (as I was on July 14th!) you'll get to see the actual employees working on making guitars- a much more labor intensive process than I originally thought! You walk into a large warehouse like facility stacked floor to ceiling with cases and a rainbow of various guitars. As you are guided through carefully marked off walkways that snake between different work stations, you learn about Gibson's special methods for preparing and cutting wood, assembling different guitar shapes, and getting them painted, polished, and ready for purchase. If you are there when the workers are using their tools and equipment, it gets pretty noisy, so it's best to stick as close to the tour guide as possible so you can actually hear what's going on. 

Sun Studio

SUN STUDIO

You know how Graceland is supposed to be the Mecca of all things Elvis? Yeah, well, I refuse to pay $30+ to tour that place- even if I wasn't on a budget I just think that's a little astronomical. Luckily, there's another way to get your Elvis fix in the city that has such a deep connection to "The King"- Sun Studio, the place where Presley was discovered. But that's not all Sun was known for. In fact, one of the first artists to record there was B.B. King. Howlin' Wolf, The Prisonaires, Jerry Lee Lewis, Johnny Cash, and more, all recorded in this building- and there are photos, records, documents, and other memorabilia all over the place, telling not only the history of the physical place, but the evolution of blues and rock by Sun Studios. This was another two room tour (and cost about $13 after taxes), but the second room is certainly the highlight: the actual studio where all that musical magic happened! According to my amazingly awesome tour guide, the floor, wall and ceiling tiles, and reception area are all original. People still record there today, and at the end of the tour you have the option to take a picture with the microphone that Elvis actually used to record with- in the same spot he stood in while recording. It should be noted that while I didn't utilize it, there is a free shuttle to and from Sun Studio that also goes to Graceland. Good option for those of you not afraid of that Graceland admission fee!

Stax Museum of American Soul Music

SOULSVILLE USA: STAX MUSEUM OF AMERICAN SOUL MUSIC

This was actually the last place I went to before going home, and was the only place my friends decided to tag along to. I can honestly say this place was probably my favorite. With a student ID I got into Stax and the National Civil Rights Museum (more on that later) for $18. The tour starts with a 20 minute video of the history of the Stax label and soul music in general. While in the theater, you also learn about the charter school and other charitable work done through the Soulsville organization. Then you enter the galleries, which have an actual old Baptist church (to talk about the gospel music at the roots of soul music), and the history of the genre and label through instruments, costumes, awards, and even Isaac Hayes' blue and gold plated Cadillac that rotates so you can see the white fur interior. There was a section that had clips of Stax artists that appeared on Soul Train on a mega screen, complete with a dance floor so you could dance along. 

Isaac Hayes' Cadillac

Towards the end of the tour there's a room with a huge green screen where visitors can play dress up with costume pieces from the 50s and 60s, and be superimposed onto different backgrounds- including a disco dance floor and the front of Stax with the blue Caddy parked in front (of course the option we chose!)

Entrance to the National Civil Rights Museum

THE NATIONAL CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

I'll be honest about this museum- it is EXCELLENTLY executed. It's immaculate, easy to navigate, informative about well known and lesser known issues in the struggle for African-American equality, and has probably THE friendliest staff of any place I went to the entire time in Memphis. However, if you've ever been to any other civil rights themed museum (as I have), the only selling point that makes this place a must-see is the fact that it is located at the hotel where MLK was assassinated. That sounds incredibly harsher than I mean it to be- but it's the truth. With that in mind, the highlights of this place for me where being able to look into the room King stayed in, and seeing the balcony where he lost his life. A newer expansion has also purchased the property across the street from the hotel, and allows you to see the gun that James Earl Ray used to snipe King, as well as look into the bathroom he stood in to complete this crime. Very surreal indeed standing in both places, seeing things from both the perspective of victim and murderer, and to be honest I didn't take a photo of either direct view because I just felt it would be a little disrespectful.

Outside view of the balcony where MLK was shot

Another selling point for my fellow museum-hoppers is the fact that you can save a few bucks by purchasing tickets for both this place and Stax. But honestly, you can take a photo of the balcony outside without having to pay admission if you just want to see this historic spot but not pay to go inside. 

Doormat to the hotel

THE PEABODY HOTEL DUCKS

Apparently, in order to be a really cool old school hotel, you have to have an animal mascot and tradition that goes back in history a really long time. My first experience with this was The Jefferson in Richmond, Virginia who used to keep gators in their fountains ans still uses them as a logo to this day. In Memphis, this is accomplished by The Peabody Hotel and it's world famous duck march! Pretty much four ducks get treated like royalty for a few months, and twice a day (at 11 and 5) they "march" from their penthouse, to an elevator, down a red carpet, and into a lobby fountain where they play and pretty much ignore the hundreds of people that photograph and film them (like myself! I even got a picture with their Duckmaster!) The event is actually pretty quick, but upon the advice of a hotel employee, I watched the ducks from the upstairs balcony, and filmed this footage:

My footage of the Peabody Ducks

Mind you, I didn't actually STAY at The Peabody- it's a little pricey. I actually stayed at the Econolodge two blocks up the street, but perhaps next time!

EATING IN MEMPHIS

Okay, so I ate a LOT my two and a half days in Memphis. In an effort to wrap this up I decided to lump them all together. I had dry rub barbecue ribs at Rendezvous- and loved the flavor so much a brought a jar of the seasoning home with me.  I ate chicken and waffles for breakfast at Miss Polly's Soul City Cafe on Beale Street before my Gibson tour. And for lunch one day, I had sauce-drenched take out ribs from A&R BBQ that was actually right next door to my hotel. A&R was the favorite (of the two rib places) of my friends actually from Memphis- who all especially demanded I avoid Corky's because of it's "touristy flavor". 

Rendezvous dry rubbed ribs with slaw and beans

Miss Polly's Chicken and Waffles

A&R take out BBQ ribs with baked beans and green beans

Well, that concludes my time in Memphis. I had an amazing weekend, even outside of the places you see here- I WAS in town to fellowship with my fraternity brothers and sorority sisters. That was fun too, but I'm glad I got to get blog things accomplished as well. As always, check out my Facebook page where you can look at all of my photos and "like" my page. Take a gander at my Pinterest page where you can see state themed pics I gather on the internet. Finally, see all my videos on my YouTube channel, and subscribe. Thanks for reading, and I'll see you next adventure!

Florida - Part I (Miami)

After three months of waiting for my next adventure into my homeland, I am finally able to present a new installment into my personal journey: a brief visit into Miami, Florida!

Settled by Americans in 1825, and formally incorporated in July 1896, the city has roots that go back thousands of years when the area was inhabited by the Tequesta Native Americans,  the 1560s when it was claimed by the Spanish, and 1763 when the Spaniards surrendered the area to the British. Miami is the largest metropolitan area in the southeastern United States, and the fifth largest metro region in the entire country. It is also the number one passenger cruise-line port, and just like in my visit to Puerto Rico, it was a cruise to another country (this time the Bahamas with my two sisters and oldest niece) that brought me to the city. I spent one day before and one day after the cruise in the city, and here's what I saw:

A fountain at the Lincoln Road Mall

LINCOLN ROAD MALL

     I only spent about two hours or so in this area of Miami with my sisters and my niece, but I will say it seemed to be a very happening place! There were lots of chain stores (like Victoria's Secret, MAC, etc) and a few specialty boutiques, so if you just want to be able to say you bought something in Miami but not be pressed about if it is reflective of the culture or region or if it is overly catered to tourists, this is where you would go. Lots of folks walking dogs, sitting at the ample outdoor seating in many of the restaurants, and a few people with creative hustles that were very entertaining (for example, I gave a dollar to a man who was painted and dressed in all white holding an all white guitar and not moving, who would dance and move to Elvis songs when you dropped a dollar in his guitar case). I had sangria and chicken fajitas with my family at The Cafe at Books & Books. Laughed, sang, danced around, and enjoyed my evening there.

Alligators in part of the Everglades

EVERGLADES NATIONAL PARK

     What else can one say about the Everglades but "Wow!" One of America's most famous natural wonders, it is the third largest National Park. I took an airboat ride and tour at the Everglades Safari Park as a post-cruise excursion, and I learned a lot about the Everglades, including that the Everglades are not a swamp like many people think, but actually a massive slow moving river system. Water from Lake Okeechobee flows into the Everglades at a rate of about a mile each day, and the water is optimally around two feet deep most of the time.

     As we lined up to board our airboats (which we were told do minimal damage to the park because they literally float on top of everything- the water, sawgrass, and even harmlessly over animals!), Hector, one of the two dominant male alligators, and about ten different birds of varying species greeted us at the walkway towards the vessels. We were given earplugs to drown out the sound of the loud engines (and you need them!) and were on our way! At first, we went pretty slow as the airboat operator told us random facts about the park (sawgrass is edible and looks like a small onion at it's roots! String lilies are one of many flowers and plants native to the Everglades!) but we sped up to about 50 mph as the tour went on. It was surprisingly fresh smelling and cool out on the water, and there was no shortage of birds, gators, turtles, and other animals to see and take photos of.

     

     After the thirty minute airboat tour, we got to see an alligator show hosted by a man named Jeff who told us how to differentiate between alligators, crocodiles, and the rare caimans. He also showed us how quickly and powerfully their jaws can snap shut, and after a few more demonstrations and factoids, allowed us to take pictures holding a "baby" alligator named Snappy (of all things!) Probably the coolest thing I've done so far this year!

Me holding Snappy...and Jeff nearby in case he lives up to his name!

     Also on site at this particular part of the Everglades was a short walking tour with pens holding different types of gators, crocs, and caimans, and a small circular one room "museum" with Native American crafts and histories, and tanks with snakes, turtles, and baby alligators. It was dark, cobweb riddled, and looked like it hadn't been visited in months if not years. But if you could look past it's shabby presentation, the information included was quite interesting!

The Versailles Restaurant in Little Havana, Miami

VERSAILLES RESTUARANT

     After the Everglades excursion, I was dropped off at the Miami International Airport, where after charging my phone a few minutes (thank God I keep my charger in my purse!), I caught the 37 South Miami Station bus and after about a 10 or 15 minute ride, found myself a block away from what Lonely Planet, Yelp, and my friends who are from the Miami area all say is the best Cuban cuisine in South Florida- the Versailles Restaurant. Although I felt a little hesitation to give me a table and menu, I'll chalk it up to not being everyday a black girl with a giant afro, beaming smile, and a suitcase come sashaying into the place asking how everyone was in Yankee-accented English, but after I sat down, I was totally fine. I ordered vaca frita de pollo - grilled shredded chicken with onions, served with white rice and sweet plantain. The food came out in less than ten minutes (seriously, closer to five) and was THE best food I'd had all weekend! Flavorful, and more than your money's worth, it was all excellent!

Vaca frita de pollo from Versailles

     It should also be noted that they had an extensive dessert menu, and a bakery connected to the restuarant next door, however, because the person I was traveling with had a bit of an attitude, I felt rushed out of the restaurant and didn't get to try any of those buttery, flaky looking pastries. *insert sad face here*

   
VIZCAYA MUSEUM & GARDENS

     My last stop in Miami was the Vizcaya Museum and Gardens. In case you haven't gotten the gist of things by now, I have a nerdy fetish for antiques and old architecture. Something about the history of a place or object makes me fall in love with it, it's like walking into another world or time- and that's how beautiful Vizcaya is. Sure, it cost $15 to come in (and sadly, no photos are allowed inside the mansion, but are allowed outside), but I didn't know places like this really existed in America. It was like an old Spanish or Italian villa had found itself lost on the tip of Florida. Since I'm a little tired to paraphrase the history of this gorgeous location, I'll let you read it straight from their website:

Vizcaya was the winter residence of American industrialist James Deering from Christmas 1916 until his death in 1925.  Deering was a Vice President of the International Harvester Company, which produced agricultural equipment for a worldwide market...The house was intended to appear as an Italian estate that had stood for 400 years and had been occupied and renovated by several generations of a family.  It has 34 decorated rooms with 15th through 19th century antique furnishings and art objects. The house appears to be only two stories high but between the main public rooms and the bedrooms, there is an intervening level with 12 rooms for servants and service...Over the years the effects of South Florida’s humid climate and salt air have taken their toll on Vizcaya, necessitating continuous restoration.  Although the house’s design allowed the free flow of breezes through the open courtyard, the need to preserve the building and contents required the installation of a climate and humidity control system, including enclosing the open courtyard in glass. Today we can only imagine how Vizcaya felt as an open-air house, with the sounds of birds and the bay, the sudden rain showers, and the fragrance of flowers.

    

     The house rooms are each designed to pay homage to various European nobility or events, and there is an Asian inspired tea room that overlooks the Biscayne Bay. It had a round dining room table with large statues of a man and woman inside, guarded by four blue stone dragons at the outside door. A giant organ, hidden in the walls somehow, played music that could be heard throughout the house. And whereas before in my visit to Mount Vernon I thought Washington had the best back yard ever- Vizcaya took that idea and shattered it into a million pieces! I literally gasped out loud when I saw all that water, architechture, and grandeur in one place. They were setting up for some lucky girl's wedding, and the staff informed me that early spring and late fall are heavy wedding times for the Museum- and frankly I can see why! Anyone who's ever dreamed of having a princess fairy tale wedding- or even thought they looked pretty- would die a million deaths at the sight of this place!

Well, the photos are up on Facebook, so don't feel shy about hitting that "Like" button, and if you haven't started following me on Pinterest, please feel free to do so. I'll be doing a vlog about Miami public transportation within the week, and as always, will be on Twitter tweets US history facts, and other travel information. Feel free to comment, email, etc., and I'll see you on the next go round!

Virginia - Part III

I started my Virginian adventures with the attitude that I was not a fan of the state, but I've actually had a lot of fun exploring and learning within the commonwealth. I've fallen in love with the city of Richmond, and learned that the best way to learn about people who I may not think I have anything in common with (IE, NRA members and those who fondly remember the Confederacy) is to be bold and learn as much as I can about them. I actually had to force myself to stop finding neat things I've never tried before so that I could focus on other activities and states. I'll end with my last two stops- the Alexandria Black History Museum and Mount Vernon. (Sorry this didn't get posted until after the New Year- I hope everyone is off to a great start in 2012!)

Across the street from the Alexandria Black History Museum

THE ALEXANDRIA BLACK HISTORY MUSEUM

So, when I think of Virginia, particularly Northern Virginia (or NoVA as those of us in the DC metropolitan region sometimes refer to it as) I honestly rarely think about African Americans- even though I know they have been around in the area for centuries. I think of government retirees, and young buppies clutching their Starbucks, both fearing going beyond their borders to venture into DC and unable to even fathom what it feels like to step into Maryland. I learned about this museum while trying to find an internship for grad school sometime in 2010. While the timing for internships didn't work out, my curiosity about this place stayed put.

A ten minute or so walk from the Braddock Road Metro Station found me at the front door of the museum. The structure itself actually used to be a library that was built for blacks who were not permitted to use the "regular" library. When you enter you see Welcome Desk in a small room crowded with merchandise, with jazz, blues, and gospel-inspired music playing. It costs two bucks to enter the museum, and if you go to their website, you can print a coupon that gives you 10% off in the gift shop. To your left is a gallery that discusses the journey to NoVA blacks faced from slavery from before America became an independent country up until fairly recently. I learned that at one point Alexandria had a thriving sugar industry, and the gallery showed artifacts from archaeological digs in the area. It also discussed how blacks fared after slavery, and highlighted prominent African Americans from across the 400 or so years covered, including Benjamin Banneker. I was very impressed with the quality of the exhibit design, and was glad that there was plenty of learning to be had for all- bright colors and simple sentences for younger visitors and more complex, lengthier passages for adults to pull information from.The second room is a temporary exhibit space and room that I suppose can be rented out for meetings or special events. Currently, there was a photography exhibit (In Black and White: Photography by Nina Tisara and Peggy Fleming) that has pretty neat shots of African American church life, and of an unofficial league of black chess players.

Worker takes a water break from molding sugar cones and wrapping them in paper

Altogether I spent about an hour in the museum. When I asked a question about the Alexandria sugar mills to the woman at the Welcome Desk, she called upstairs to a curator. I think I accidentally got her reprimanded or fussed at because you could hear the person on the other end sounding loud and irritated that she called with a visitor question. I hope that wasn't the case, because it would be a shame that the people "in charge" would be "too busy" in such a small museum to answer one question from someone interested in their subject. Otherwise this was a really quaint place- a good start for anyone interested in learning niche areas of African American or American industrial history.

Washington's Mansion

MOUNT VERNON ESTATE, MUSEUM, AND GARDENS

On an unseasonably warm December day (Mid 60s the week of Christmas? In the Mid Atlantic? Yeah, that's crazy warm) I ventured to Mount Vernon- my last stop in the commonwealth of Virginia. I know there are tours available- Gray Line bus tours costs $40 or $50 dollars- but I refuse to pay that much money to go on a tour of a place I technically live near. Not when public transportation is available and I am still its Queen! I rode the Metro to Huntington Station (that's the very end of the Yellow line) and caught the Fairfax Connector bus to Mount Vernon. Now, there are several ways to do this- as I learned the hard way. The 151 and 152 Connectors drop you off directly at the Estate, and you have to go to the upper level of the station to catch them. The 101 takes you close to the Estate, but stops about a block and  half away from the entrance. The signage at the station isn't very clear that there are two levels the Connectors stop on, and I waited for an hour on the WRONG level for the 151 or 152 until I finally called the customer service line printed on each of the buses and asked what the issue was. I was quite irritated, but I ran down to catch the 101 that was turning the corner. I paid with my SmarTrip card (a re-loadable fare card) so I don't know exactly how much I paid- but I'd guess it was a total from my house to Mount Vernon of less than $5. Much less than the tour buses!

Washington's snazzy and crazy big back porch/yard/view

Admission for adults is $15, and you are handed a small stack of papers including maps and daily events. I happened to have visited during the Christmas season, which means there were lots of special events going on around the Estate. I missed a demonstration and tasting of 18th century chocolate making that only lasted for 30 minutes (thanks a lot confusing Connector signs!!), but did get to see most everything else. Basically split into 3 attractions (Museum, Mansion, and the Grounds), this place is huge! When they say wear comfortable shoes, they are NOT kidding. The museum is split into two sections- an actual exhibit space and an interactive education center. Photographs are not allowed in the museum, but inside were tons of personal items owned by the Washingtons. My favorite artifact was the seed pearl brooch in the shape of a flower that was owned by Martha Washington (I love brooches!). In the education center, you learn about Washington from birth to death (including a reproduction of his coffin), and how his legacy has impacted America all these centuries later. A highlight was a wall sized map of the US, showing the cities, counties, landmarks, schools, and other things named for Washington in every state of the Union. Pictures were allowed in there, but not of the General's famous teeth.

In the mansion (which is actually pretty huge considering how small houses used to be back then), you are grouped up and sent room by room with tour guides in each major section explaining the space and what would have happened there. Because of the holiday season, the 3rd floor of the mansion (which is normally closed to the public) was opened and we were permitted to tour it as well. It was kind of surreal looking into THE room where George Washington died. One cool thing I remember was that Washington had been gifted a key to the Bastille, and it is still on display in the front room of his home. I also see why he picked this particular location for his home- in the back of the house, there is an absolutely stunning view of the Potomac River. The entire tour took about 20 minutes or so.

No one came over to pet the camel until I got over there :-/

The grounds are amazing. Because of the holidays, the turkey that President Obama pardoned at Thanksgiving and the annual "Christmas Camel" (this one was named Aladdin- Washington paid 18 shillings one year to bring a camel to the grounds to show his guests an exotic animal) were in makeshift pens. I've never been that close to a camel before, and Aladdin is massive! I got to pet him, but avoided his big camel kisses that he seemed determined to give me. Many of the work houses (such as the smoke house, the carriage house, the spinning room, etc.) are still standing, with mock ups for what they would have looked like in Washington's day. Also still standing were some of the slave quarters, with stories about specific slaves on display. You can still walk through Washington's "fruit gardens" (basically a  mini-orchard), go down to his wharf (where people still fish), and visit both his old and current tombs. There is also a memorial for the slaves of Mount Vernon, and a vague mention of their burial grounds, which is unmarked. The gift shops are amazing- and very large. they have a wide variety of items you can purchase, including regional foods and whiskey made at Washington's distillery about 3 miles away. There is also a restaurant on the premises, that I assume serves colonial food but I didn't have time to explore.

Mount Vernon Slave Memorial

Overall I enjoyed my time here, and I hope I can come and visit when I am not stuck at a Metro station for an hour trying to figure out how to get there. I loved how knowledgeable everyone I met was about the property and history. I also liked how much obvious care is given to maintaining the property, and how many different things there are to do. I disliked the poor crowd control in the mansion. Already dealing with small spaces, I felt not enough direction was given by staff to not only keep people going in the right direction, but also to have them be mindful of traffic flow and the others on the tour. One family had a son who was loud and kept running around, and they kept going against the flow of traffic after entering spaces. Another couple lingered in front of rooms having intimate conversations with each other for so long that anyone in back of them had to do quick glances of the same spaces before being hustled along. I think had the attendants asked them to keep it moving everyone would have had equal amounts of time to take everything in. I also was a little miffed at a comment one of the guides said on the second floor of the home- that slaves sacrificed their freedom to keep the home running, but the Washingtons sacrificed their privacy because of the influx of visitors they had. Um- excuse me?? I don't think anyone would equate the woes slavery with having too much company...I get what she was trying to say, but comparing the two was slightly offensive and probably should have been worded differently.

Did I mention this place was huge? I actually broke out into a sweat hoofing it from the wharf back up to the main grounds and was slightly out of breath. This place is not for those who would wear cute sandals or high heels, but is a definite must see for visitors to the area.

Washington's wharf...a lot further away than it looks I'll tell you that!

Finally, I want to comment on the fact that I did not include Southern or Western Virginia (as in the west of the state, not West Virginia the actual state) on this blog. One, I said early on that I have lots of friends from Virginia, and based on their suggestions, I saved myself a lot of time and money from going down into Smithfield to try and find Virginia ham. What I did get, though, was a fat can of Virginia peanuts- specifically Feridies peanuts from Courtland, Virginia. I had no idea that Virginia was also famous for growing peanuts (but have always known about it's tobacco and ham). Virginia peanuts tend to be larger and crunchier than peanuts grown elsewhere, and the honey roasted variety I purchased certainly fit that description. (By the way, peanuts are actually legumes- and not nuts...just another interesting factoid I picked up.)

So, Virginia is done. I hope you enjoyed my adventures into the state! Make sure you check out the Facebook page for more photos, and follow me on Twitter. We'll see you next adventure!