Old age is an excellent time for outrage. My goal is to say or do at least one outrageous thing every week.

zipping through South Carolina

One of the many things that I like about the South are the massive oak trees.

While we were in the Charleston area we toured one of the old mansions open to tourists.

This one has been left un-restored, better to see the original construction and decorations. I was especially impressed with the ceiling and molding decorations.

Some of it was plaster work.....

But a lot of the room decorations were hand carved from wood as this piece below was. Each of these larger pieces were about the size of a large dinner plate.

...as was this wall trim.

...and staircase moldings.
I suppose that my idea of a southern mansion was formed from watching movies and television. I was expecting lots of space and large rooms. So you can understand my surprise at the actual small size of the rooms. Yes, the ceilings are high and the windows tall and wide but this was done mainly for coolness. The basement kitchen had more room in it than the main living areas. And the bedrooms were minuscule! Where did they hide the chamber pot? ...and hang their clothes?...no built in closets and not much room for a cabinet either. And another worry...how did the women manage those narrow stairs while wearing long skirts? It is a glamorous thought....living in a southern mansion....but I feel that the reality would not be so wonderful.

East Coast

Journal Entry...13 July 2008

We have reached St. Augustine, Florida.....which was our goal when we started our trip three weeks ago from northern California. This town is the oldest continually European occupied community in North America. The Spanish used it as a supply base for their galleons coming from Central and South America.

The Spanish used a local stone for their construction called coquina. It is a mixture of sand and shells that have formed under pressure into a stone-like material over eons of time. Whenever cannon balls would hit the fort walls they would be absorbed into the coquina without much damage. In effect, it just made the walls stronger by the addition of the metal balls. Along one edge of Anastasia Island are the remains of an old quarry where the blocks of coquina were quarried for many of the buildings and fences in the area. I would imagine that this material would be very good security as the sharp edged shells are like so many knives.

There are so many interesting things to see in and around St. Augustine that you could spend weeks just playing tourist. Start with the old fort which has been repaired over and over through the last 500 years. Take a walk through Old town which is now a shopping district with working artisans, antiques, curios, souvenirs and restaurants. The buildings composing the college alone are a well preserved beauty of another era that you must see. It seems every building has a story to tell. I highly recommend taking the tram tours. The driver/guides were very knowledgeable about the local history and old gossip of the area. Plus you will get to see much more of the town than you would walking about in the heat and humidity.

There seems to be something for all tastes here. From the formal hotels, to crafted souvenirs, historical tours and silliness made especially for tourists.

Ponce de Leon discovered a spring here in 1533 that he believed to be the Fountain of Youth. According to the guide at the Fountain exhibit, when Ponce de Leon's ship arrived in Florida he found 7 ft. tall natives greeting him on the beach. This was amazing to the Europeans since de Leon was only 4ft. 3 inches and he was the tallest in his crew. The average life span for Europeans at that time was only forty years. So when de Leon found natives that could prove they were in their 70s and 80s he was sure that he had finally found the genuine fountain of youth. Granted the water is healthy, modern testing has shown that it contains over 40 minerals. Yes, the Spring is still producing and it is documented to be the actual spring discovered by Ponce de Leon. The spring has been enclosed in a well as you see above. The grounds of the exhibit are beautifully landscaped and had several gorgeous peacocks strutting around. The plant in the photo is a sago palm. It is believed to be the oldest type of living plant. It isn't really a palm but a cyad which is more closely related to an evergreen tree. The feathery looking fronds and center "ball" make it very attractive, but the whole plant is thorny to touch.

We were able to camp just moments away from St. Augustine at Anastasia Island State Park. Our camp site was in a grove of trees within walking distance of the beaches. The sand on the beach is like fine white flour. Even in the sun it was cool to our bare feet. TThe long, white, drifting dunes are lovely to look at but you are not allowed to walk across them or pick the flowers. A long wooden boardwalk has been constructed over the dunes so that you may reach the beach.

The dunes are planted with sea oats to help hold the sand in place. Erosion control and beautiful too.
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Wrong turn? Wrong place....

When we started out from California on our road-trip we had decided to stay off the Interstates as much as possible. Zipping by at 75 mph is no way to see the country. So there we were, Mom and I, riding along the northeast corner of Louisiana on a "scenic" road. The road was in good shape, just narrow and crowded by fields of growing stuff. Don't ask me what kind of stuff....it was green and leafy stuff. OK? All of a sudden there was this tall, white, leggy water tower sticking above the trees. And on the tower was painted a huge bat! We might have been driving a little fast as we were in and out of the town in a blink, but then it was a tiny town so I'm not admitting to anything.

Did we really see a BAT? I slowed down and looked for a place to turn around. No road shoulders, no wide spots, just muddy fields full of vegetation. Finally, two miles past town was a muddy driveway....a really narrow, tiny driveway with potholes full of water.....and deep enough to harbor life. I had to play back and turn, back and turn for a bit. Meanwhile in the house at the end of the drive, curtains were tweaked to the side and eyes were following us, wondering who these strangers were with the wrong color on their license plate. Finally we were turned around and headed back to check out this strange sight. And here is my proof that I was not spacing that day.

Transylvania, Louisiana We didn't get a chance to buy a souvenir as it was Sunday and everything was locked up tight. But we did get photos...and thus proof of once having been in Transylvania.

Nothing seemed to be open in Louisiana on that Sunday...nothing! We did not even see an open grocery, mini-mart or gasoline station and very few people. We were getting to the point where a gas station could be needed. My GPS was even lost...or maybe it was taking the day off. Yes, it was Sunday and not the time to travel in unknown territory without a map. We had been stopping at the State welcome centers as we entered each new state, picking up maps and facts about the areas. Our plans were to have been in Louisiana on Tuesday but since we had totally blown through Arkansas, we were ahead of schedule.

As we entered the outer edges of Tallulah, Louisiana, the GPS said turn left. So we did, oh yes we did, trusting ignorant souls that we were. That left turn took us along a road that got narrower and rougher, with no shoulders or driveways to turn around on. The road side was bordered by wide, green-scum covered, water-filled ditches....that had bubbles and moving things in them. On the other side of the ditches were ten foot tall corn or cane.....or swamp bamboo for all I knew. It was tall enough that I could not see what, if anything, was on the other side. It was a tunnel of green bordering a broken road. No houses, nothing living in sight. Nervous? Was I getting nervous you ask? Honey, I was past nervous, and there wasn't even any cell phone reception if we needed help. We were both trying to make light of the situation for each other. We were making sick jokes about two old women disappearing in the swamps, never to be heard of again, and some gator hunter driving a nice white van with a roof vent and built in bed.

In our nervousness, it seemed like it took us hours until we came upon a cross road. In the distance, we could see semi trucks racing along an interstate. I don't know if my van could do a wheelie but it sure felt that good to find that highway. Later when I did have a map I discovered that we if we had turned to the right at Tallulah we would have been on that interstate highway within a few blocks. But if we had, we wouldn't have had our tale to tell. Funny what tension can do to your time sense. It seemed like we were driving for a really long time. But later when I had a map I discovered that we had only traveled about 10 miles.

One of the greatest pleasures in life is doing what people say you cannot do.

Tired, cranky, hot, sticky and limping too!

Route 66 rolled northeast from Springfield, Missouri towards Illinois. But due to reports of extensive flooding there we dropped off and decided to go south through Arkansas. We had been pushing ourselves pretty hard on this trek and it was catching up with us physically. It was hot and the high humidity was hard for us California Gals to get used to. Northern Arkansas was wooded and hilly. The farther we went south the more agriculture was in evidence. But we pretty much ignored Arkansas except for the scenery we could observe from our air conditioned van's windows.

Little Rock, Arkansas

We had planned on staying in Arkansas for a couple of days. But by the time we actually reached Little Rock neither one of us were feeling like playing tourist. All we were thinking of was to get across country to lie on the beaches of the Atlantic. As we crossed the Arkansas River we did slow down to observe President Clinton's library....from the outside. Located in a 30 acre city park in the downtown River Market District, the library contains 20,000 square feet of library and museum space, including an authentic replica of the Oval Office. It is a long, narrow, silver colored building and is said to have cost $165 million to build. Clinton wanted his library to be a bridge to the future. But....I swear it resembles a silver mobile home on stilts....sorry Bill.

http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/

Fantastic Caverns

I love caves.

I love the beauty, I love the mystery and I love the chance to tour them. I sincerely thank all the intrepid, curious folks who saw a hole and just had to see where it went. With that said, here are some of my pictures from touring the Fantastic Caverns near Springfield, Missouri.

This is a cut-away diagram of the caverns. It might give you a better idea of the shape and length of the caves. The entrance and exits are at the top right hand corner of the picture. Click on the picture to get an enlarged view that you can actually read. The cave was first explored and mapped by twelve members of a mid-nineteenth century hiking club.....all women! Isn't that amazing and wonderful for that era? You can still see their names written in candle soot on a slab in the cave. I can't imagine trying to explore in skirts. I would love to be able to see photographs of that group in their working gear.

Fantastic Caverns is one of only four caves in the world that you can ride through and the only one in the United States. The cave has been used for many things in the past 150 years. It was even a dance hall and speak-easy at one time in the 1920s.

I had thought to include a bit of the cavern's history in here but I think if you are curious, you can find much more detail on the Roadside America site. http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/13068 and on the official cavern site http://www.fantasticcaverns.com/ >

You ride into the cave on trailers pulled by propane powered jeeps.

This the old steam engine sitting outside the cavern that was once used to power the cave lights. In the demonstration it powered up with a loud bang that had everyone jumping.

As you approach the cave you wonder if there is enough head room. I looked around and many of the passengers were already ducking their heads. Some of the interior passages were a bit narrow but our heads were safe as long as we kept them inside the tram edges.

Pools and dripping walls are some evidence of the large amount of water in the cave.
This formation reminds me of a huge, gaping, tooth filled mouth.

Crystals were growing from the ceiling and walls.
Looking back at the Exit

Oklahoma - Route 66

Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
This city strikes me as extremely culture and history based. For a city of a little over one half million people they seem to have a wonderful excess of museums, as I counted 22 different ones listed on the Convention Center website.

http://www.okccvb.org/index.php?submenu=ac_museum&src=directory&view=partners&view=partnerslistertodomuseum
We chose to spend our day in the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum. http://www.nationalcowboymuseum.org/
This beautiful building contains fine art, pop art, firearms, Native American art, historical gear and many other western based displays. As one pamphlet stated it is; "filled with spirit, passion and grit." We spent around five hours wandering from one exhibit to another and still didn't see it all. Pure physical exhaustion finally forced us to leave.

This visit was pure pleasure from the moment we stepped in the entrance. The first object we saw was "The End of The Trail" James Fraser's 18ft.tall plaster sculpture, which was made for the 1915 Pan American Exposition in San Francisco.

It won a gold medal over 1500 other pieces in the exposition. Fraser had hoped that his sculpture would be cast in bronze and placed on a cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean. But with World War I starting the money needed to cast the sculpture in bronze and purchase the land was not available. The piece was thrown in a dump with most of the other statues from the exhibition but was eventually rescued by the city of Visalia, California. There were plans to cast the piece in bronze but it was in such bad condition is was just placed in a corner of a park and left to crumble for the next 48 years. In 1966 National Cowboy Hall of Fame rescued the sculpture by trading a bronze casting of the original statue to the city of Visalia.

I only wish that I could show you some of the paintings and sculptures showcased in this museum. It made me greedy.....wanting some of it for my own and yet it also made me want to run home and try my hand at creating something that would give others that same feeling for my work. Dreams...

Claremore, Oklahoma; Is a neat little town with a 100 year old University and the Will Rogers Museum and lots of antique stores. The Rogers museum covers his life and career in great detail. He was an interesting man and the museum is well worth a visit. But the weather was hot and we were starting to drag a bit so we didn't get to do this town justice. Maybe on our next trip....

White Oak, Oklahoma
There may have been a lot more town off the main highway but we didn't search for it. No slur intended, we were just in a hurry. This abandoned mill and auto wrecking yard caught my eye as we flew by. So much in fact that I turned around after about five miles to return and take these few photos. Vinita, Oklahoma; As you travel US44, you can't miss the Worlds Largest McDonalds restaurant. It is built on the overpass suspended over the highway.

Miami, Oklahoma; is one of the many old mining towns in the region. It is in a lot better condition than the majority of them. The main street buildings are well kept and the town appears to be thriving. Route 66 goes through the main part of town. The historic Coleman Theater, was built in 1929 and contains it's original Wurlitzer pipe organ. I understand that regular performances are still held here. Steve McQueen's motorcycle collection is now displayed here in Miami in the Vintage Iron Museum. It is contained in a business on Main street that sells motorcycle clothing and accessories. Entrance to the museum is free but they do accept donations. There are many more bikes than what I have shown here. I wouldn't want to spoil your visit. The couple in the shop were so helpful to us. So when you stop please tell the folks hello from the two California women who locked their keys in their van. Afton, Oklahoma; another old mining town and there's not much going on now. It has a small population and not many stores. But they do have a little gem of an auto collection.The Afton Station and Packard Museum is located in an old gas station and garage.
The mechanic/docent was knowledgeable and extremely friendly. He loved his work, and my Mother grew up with these models so they had a basis for a long and interesting conversation. Of course her favorite was the yellow one with the rumble seat.
Check this link for a lot of information on the history surrounding Route 66
http://www.theroadwanderer.net/route66.htm

Oklahoma Totem Poles

We were back to following Historic Route 66 through Oklahoma when I remembered reading something about totem poles in Foyil. Checking in my notebook on things to see......

..... and after a few wrong turns discovered these amazing pieces of Folk Art standing in a grassy park.

Ed Galloway (1880-1962) built these totem poles and other whimsical structures out of concrete placed over a skeleton of scrap metal and sandstone. The largest of the structures is claimed to be The World's Largest Totem Pole, it is 90 feet tall and 30 feet around the base. It is supported on the back of a turtle with side art including Indian Chiefs in full head-dress, owls, lizards and other American Indian decorations. The door to the structure was closed and locked but I am told that there is a winding staircase inside to climb to the top.
After years of neglect, the structures have been restored so another generation can admire and marvel at them.
Located 4 miles East of Foyil, Oklahoma on Highway 28A, the totems are a few miles off the main highways but well worth searching for.

(If you look at the middle photgraph you will see my white van in the background.)

For additional information on these totem poles and Ed Galloway:
http://www.legendsofamerica.com/OK-TotemPolePark.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ed_Galloway's_Totem_Pole_Park

What's in a Name?

Do you enjoy unusual words and names as much as I do? Odd items of any sort tend to catch my imagination. I was looking at a map of Texas one day last week and began to wonder about the names of some of the smaller towns. Then this curiosity lead me to Google for further research. I am continually amused at the imagination and sense of humor these folks had in naming their communities. You may well ask "what's in a name?" when seeing some of the names chosen for some of these Texas towns.

Of course some Texans think their state is a bit of Paradise which was formed for their Welfare and they are generally Happy and Jolly to claim this plot of Earth. You can go Halfway, Quarterway or Threequarterway to visit Frog Not, Bug Tussle and Bee House. Or enjoy a day at Cat Springs, Alligator School House, Muleshoe, Possum Trot and Deer Run. You don't have to dig into your Dimebox or Squeezepenny for some Comfort and Energy at Hot Coffee, Pancake, Oatmeal, Rice, Noodle, Raisin, Turkey or Ding Dong. If you are interested in guns, try Cut and Shoot, Gun Sight, or Point Blank. You say that you are Uncertain about Granny's Neck ? Then use a little Gasoline and run over to Paint Rock, Round Rock and Enchanted Rock for a more Concrete experience. For now, say Farewell and head for the Rainbow.

<Laughing> Yes this is a quite a bit of silliness but no one promised you seriousness from me.

For more on these towns and other unusual names, check these interesting websites:
http://www.texasescapes.com/FEATURES/Texas_town_names/naming_of_names.htm
http://www.americanprofile.com/article/21119.html