us-presidents

Grand Ole Opry

Published November 11, 2018

Shower, fresh clothes – and cameras. Post-marathon. Traded running shoes for boots Saturday afternoon & quick-toured Music City with Sis & family. Common theme: UP ⬆️ Whether the State Capitol or food apps on Broadway, no less than 3 flights of stairs. Good stretch after 26.2 miles of morning asphalt.

first post-LUNCH climb: Tennessee’s State Capitol Building. Located downtown, high hill kitty-corner from the weekend’s rented digs. 3 US Presidents from the Volunteer State. $20 Jackson, James Knox Polk & Lincoln’s VP Andrew Johnson. All prominently memorialized on Tennessee’s state grounds. Capitol Building: lotta Old World charm/columnar architecture, flag-topped dome. Window-peek downstairs showcased a 19^thcentury courtroom re-purposed for present day press talks. Building poised high, surrounded by glass skyscrapers & multiple sports stadiums (football/hockey/baseball). Pretty view of Nashville. HUGE growth in Music City.

Next up: wild Honky Tonkin’ Broadway. Soooo many people & competing noises (not my scene) – but today an improved attitude, flanked with FAMILY. Thanks Stephen, Sis & Paul. Friday: ‘I can’t eat here, it’s too loud.’ Today: smiled, nodded (still couldn’t hear) & ate my apps. Pack eater I guess. LOL> Frown upside down 😊

TRIP HIGHLIGHT: the GRAND OLE OPRY. No Nashville trip complete without THIS experience. Sis pre-purchased tickets at the Ryman, first shows of winter. Performances return every November after summering in nearby Opryland. Original building, same wood floor, same church pews – circa 1892. Rustic seating bit rough on the rump/big memory flood of childhood revivals past. 1950’s ’60s ’80s and American Idol, Scotty McCreery – Opry had it all tonite. Hillbilly talk, square dancers & Opry laughter. Nashville HIGHLIGHT ❤️

2 long hugs & the weekend done, magic over. Goodnite Music City. Bye, Sis.

: post-marathon stair climb

: $20 Jackson

: US President #11

: Lincoln’s VP successor

: Nashville ‘MUST’ experience

: Ryman Auditorium, 1892

: MUSIC City

: Idol headliner

: Colorado Welcome ❄️

Welcome to the Opry

Opry Pt 2: Scotty McCreery

Posted in South | Tagged capitol-domes, concert, us-presidents | Leave a comment

D.C. Capitol Tour

Published October 29, 2018

Union Station

Marathon by morning, Capitol Tour by night.

Can’t take credit for tonite’s MAGIC under lights. Stephen pre-purchased two 7pm tickets while I was still flying DIA to Reagan. Early in from New Hampshire, he half-day toured the Smithsonian History Museum – met up at the Expo. Post-marathon, fancy lunch’d together; Lyft-commuted to Washington’s Union Station quarter-past 6. Life’s BEST moments are oft better shared 🙂

‘Don’t be late’ – first come, first serve seating on Sunday’s double-decker BUS.

Lite rain. Wore Bismarck beanie swag, all part of the adventure. Poncho & a seat in the open air. Ready, ready to see D.C. Element-exposed but BEST spot to soak up our Capitol under lights.

Never EVER toured before at NIGHT. AWESOME experience & Sunday night, notta lotta traffic. Historic DC drive-bys, short White House stop, half-hour Lincoln Memorial walkabout.

LOVE LOVE our country. SUPER FUN nite.

Let it rain, Let it rain. I won’t melt, it’s only water ☂️

: Jefferson Memorial

: U.S. Capitol Building

: WWII Memorial

: the White House

: Lincoln Memorial

: Honest Abe

: Gettysburg Address

: National Mall

: AWESOME at NIGHT

Posted in Northeast | Tagged capitol-domes, museo, us-presidents | Leave a comment

dirty Jersey myth

Published October 20, 2018

Jersey marathon weekend. Blog preview: no Hazmat required, all a myth.

Mobster crime & industrial pollution, their past. dirty Jersey, the slur. My holiday? Jersey GREEN, Atlantic Ocean GREY.

Friday post-work flight to Newark. Eastern Time touchdown, rental car traffic, hotel pillow 1am. Fast 6 hours later, two mile shake-out run. Stretch goal met, BIG smile. Gonna be an AMAZING day 😊

Ivy League START, quiet Saturday morn. ‘Welcome to Princeton’ settled 1683. Craftsmen-carved/Revolutionary-era buildings, varsity oars cutting thru Lake Carnegie, bricked clock towers, hushed chapel architecture. Pitched arch, footstep echoes, stained glass glory. WOW!

2nd stop: New Hope PENNSYLVANIA. Parked in downtown Lambertville (New JERSEY). Pedestrian-crossed the Delaware. Riverside LUNCHED in PA. Watched paddleboarders trek UP the river – ski beanie & shorts, chilly water sport day. Mussel feasted. Warm broth, crusty bread. YUM!

History NERD ALERT. Post-lunch walkabout at Washington Crossing Park. Yep, that Washington. General George’s infamous Christmas-crossing of the Delaware. You’ve seen the painting. Toured Johnson Ferry House, only original still standing. After Washington’s icy river crossing, ferryman-Slater moved Washington’s troops, horses & 6 remaining cannons. Soooo much history!

[Thanks Nat’l Park folks for the private tour, very much appreciated!]

Tick, tick, tick. Same state, same day, third destination – the AC: Atlantic City, Jersey’s casino-riddled Monopoly. Boardwalk, Park Place, all the red properties – that Monopoly. Inspired HERE.

Bib pick-up at Bally’s, check-in at the Claridge (casino-free sleeps), ocean walk. Two miles of sunset. Stared out into the Atlantic, wave hypnotized. B-I-G, my life. Dinner: oysters & octopus.

Rethink the slur, folks. Much to see & do. America’s secret vacation destination.

Princeton University