The Adventure Nickel goes to Washington - Day 1

We chose this contract in Richmond largely for the history of the area.  A huge part of that was the proximity to the nation's capital.  Since we only had my mom in town for a little bit longer and the government finally decided to get its act together, we made the trip up to D.C.

Being the big old nerds that we are, our first stop had to be...

Mr. Smithson?  You would think, and you would be wrong.  Mr. Joseph Henry, first Secretary of the Smithsonian.

Yup, the Smithsonian.  Oddly enough, we never made it inside the old building pictured above. It is now the visitor's center and we just went straight to the first place on the bucket list: The Natural History Museum

The kids below a full model of a Right Whale.  Damn they grow conservatives big here.

Danny loved dinosaurs.  He wished he could play with one.

Zombie T-Rex wants your brains!

We looked and looked and looked around at everything, there is just so much interesting stuff there to see.  We checked out the oceans exhibit, dinosaurs and then made our way upstairs to see some more spectacular exhibits.

The Hope diamond.

Of course, all the gems and minerals bored the kids to tears.  We drug them through the geology areas and then succumbed to the calls for a potty break.  I'm pretty sure the potty break was a ruse to get us to go somewhere more interesting to the grade school set.

The Hall of Mammals.  I usually don't like taxidermy, but I know good work when I see it.

Saving it for a midnight snack.

Always reading.

The Hall of Mammals was a big hit and ended in a little movie theater where I got to snuggle up with a distant relative.

Why are you always so cold to me?

This ancestral snuggle led us into the display on evolution, which was great.  The fossil record depicted here is awesome and it also explores some of the other evolutionary offshoots that weren't as successful.  Interesting things for the kids.

After all of this, it was finally time for lunch...way past time actually.  We had been up and running since 0600 and it was near 2 in the afternoon.  We left the museum and started tracking down reasonably priced food in the DC downtown.  We ended up in the basement food court of the Ronald Reagan International Trade building.  If in town on a budget, I do recommend it.  The walk let me take some scenery pictures. 

Still in the museum, neat stairs

Dum dum gimme gum gum.

Those halls of power you always hear about.

Then we went back to the bucket list and went to the American History Museum.  Michael wanted to see one last thing in the Natural History Museum, but we convinced him we would probably be back. 

The American History Museum was cool, even if half of the building was closed.  They were renovating the West half of the building with an expected completion of 2015.  There was plenty to see on the East side though and we didn't really have enough time to see it all anyway. 

Harry Potter's robes, they stole them while he was in the shower after Quidditch.

Old school RV'ing

Not a great picture, but I love this clock

This was made in time before electricity and indoor plumbing.  It is amazing.  Google it and be amazed.

Lincoln's life mask, watch and a medal.

Hi Ho, the original Kermit the Frog.

Archie Bunker's chair. 

Dorothy's ruby slippers.

There is just soooo much cool stuff there.  The coolest thing though, was something they wouldn't let us photograph. 


It was the Stars and Stripes.  Yes, THE Stars and Stripes.  They have the actual flag that was hanging over Ft. McHenry during the bombardment that inspired the national anthem.  It was much larger than I thought and just took my breath away for a moment. 

Progressing through, we got to yet more historical artifacts.  The gunboat Philadelphia that was built and launched and then sunk in 1776.  They raised it in the 1930's. 

 You know, this town was named after someone.  Turns out they kind of admire the guy and saved a lot of his stuff. 

He wore this outfit for ceremonies, paintings and special occasions.

So they saved it.

Notice the sword he is wearing in the painting.  So freaking cool they have this stuff.

Eventually they kicked us out.  Yup, we closed down the Smithsonian.  Don't care where you go, you just can't stay here.  That was the end of day 1.  We walked back to the train station and rode the train back to the car where Max promptly fell asleep and missed our IHOP dinner.  That was OK though because the next day was an early wake up to head back and do it all over again. 

We were tired, but happy to have seen all this stuff.  

Did I say Monticello?

I meant to say Jamestown.  Yeah, that's it.

We got started today with the plan to get to Monticello, but the weather check revealed showers and thunderstorms moving in from the West.  The coast, however, would be sunnier.  So we did a last minute change of plans and turned east.  I think we made the right call.

Jamestown is the first permanent English settlement in the United States. We find important and charismatic historical figures there like John Smith and Pocahontas.  There was starvation, cannibalism, tragedy and triumph.  The archaeological history is dense there too, with many artifacts and records from the early 1600's.  We came to Virginia largely for history.  It made sense to start at the beginning.

We passed through the visitor center and gathered the required materials for our junior rangers to complete for their junior ranger badges and found the smashed penny souvenir machine (our collection is the envy of all who see it).  Then we crossed the pedestrian bridge over the swamp and into the park where we were greeted by the Washington Monument.

OK, so it just looks kind of like the Washington Monument.  It was actually set up at the 300 year anniversary of the landing.  We were just in time to catch a ranger program.  The very enthusiastic ranger led us around the New Jamestown part which is owned by the National Park Service and told us about the people that had lived there over the years and how they came to be known.  He detailed archaeological findings and historical record and how those two factors worked together to enrich the history of the area.  It was a neat tour.  While we walked the grounds, a herd of deer fed off in the distance.

After the tour, we walked over to the old Jamestown, on the other end of the island.  That part is owned by the Preserve Virginia organization.  There were tours, but we missed them.  So wandered around and read the signs and eavesdropped the tours in progress.

The Trip East...Let's just finish this thing already.

OK, OK. 

I have been to work two days already and I haven't even finished the trip reports. 

We left Old Fort, where we parked for three days while we went to the Biltmore and drove to a park near Winston-Salem.  We had an unremarkable overnight stay and then drove through Richmond and into Ashland where we settled. 

There, done.  That last bit was just about as exciting as I made it sound. 

No, no, no, I haven't forgot about the mistake post, I will get to it.  First I have to adjust to this new schedule.  Getting up at 0530-0600 is hard after not using an alarm clock for 3 months or so. 

I had to post a finish to the trip though as we are probably going to Monticello tomorrow and I will want to post pictures and what not.  I hate to get to far behind, so this is a shoddy little catch up. 

Soon we will be back to the quality work you have begun to expect from the Adventure Nickel.  :-)

Tomorrow. 

The Trip East South....Uhhh..North Carolina.

Since the government was shut down, we decided to not stop and see the closed sign at the Smokey Mountains National Park.  Seemed like we need not spend two days there, we read fast.  Instead we spent one of the extra days with Dad and one of them extra in South...wait, North Carolina.  For some reason, I couldn't get it into my head that we were in North Carolina and required frequent correction. 

The roads through the Great Smokey Mountains are exactly as twisty and steep as they sound.  We were going to stop just east of Ashville, North Carolina.  Sarah had found a nice little RV park a few miles off the highway.  We crossed over the Eastern Continental Divide, and at the same time I learned there was such a thing as the Eastern Continental Divide.  Then we started the descent.  It wasn't much fun.  The grade is steep and long with three runaway truck ramps.  One of those ramps showed the furrows of recent use.  I was sweating when we got down.  First exit down was ours and it led us on to a winding and narrow country road with lots of trees lining the road.  I found the first opportunity to pull over and we let Sarah scout ahead with the smaller car. 

Good thing she did.  Her first attempt at getting to the park, following the directions of the park owners, led her up the side of a mountain on a dead end dirt road with branches hanging 5 feet over the road.  That would have been stressful.  Then she found the place and had serious enough questions about our ability to get in that she drove back and took me there in the Honda.  No way.

Despite the owner's assurance that "We get 40 footers in here all the time." I declined.  Then we searched for another park.  Turns out there was another one a few miles further down the road that Sarah though we could get into.  We called, they had room, and we went.

We fit.

There was no wifi, no TV and little to no cell service, but we fit.  And it was close enough to what we wanted to do that we liked it.  After all the stresses of travel, we decided to take it easy.  I mean, if you had a nice, quiet scenic area like this all to yourself, wouldn't you try to relax a little?

Maybe you would take the time to play some football with the kids, even if their version of football is a weird and modified tackle the man.

Our purpose here though, was to visit the Biltmore Estate in Asheville.  Mom had always wanted to go there and it seemed silly not to since we had the time and were going right past it.

So we went.

Whoever thinks there isn't an American aristocracy hasn't seen this place.  It was built by the son of the man who earned the fortune.  I won't let my personal politics get in the way too much though.  There is some interesting architecture here.  We weren't allowed to take pictures inside the place, only on the grounds.  So we didn't take as many pictures as we might have otherwise.  Take my word for it when I say that opulence doesn't really even begin to describe it, especially when you take into consideration the time in which it was built.

It was a neat place and a nice visit.  It was a little expensive for my taste, but Mom wanted to go and had already bought tickets.  The estate is situated on 8,000 acres of the North Carolina mountains.  The house has over 250 rooms, about a third or so of which are open on the tour.  It features a bowling alley and a 70,000 gallon pool in the basement. 

It is a beautiful place.   We were tired from wandering the grounds all day so we went home to rest before taking off for another leg of our trip.

The Trip East. Tennessee part 2.

I know you are all waiting to hear about my stupidity.  And, in time, you will.  For now though, you will have to settle for a continuing narrative of the trip before I forget it.  You see, I type this from our campground in Ashland, VA.  We have arrived and are going through our process of figuring out where we buy groceries and take the dog potty. 


So, back to Tennessee.  I'll skip the actual driving to Knoxville. 

We arrived and started setting up in time for my dad to show up and give us a hand.  We got settled in at the Soaring Eagle RV park before Dad and I went out for a wine run.  Dad has a tendency, on infrequent occasions, to purchase a touch more wine than is technically required for the number of people present.  This might lead to over-consumption of the part of his guests.  Of course, theoretically speaking, this could lead to long and incoherent philosophical debates for some parties involved while other pass out on the couch.

Hypothetically, of course.

We had originally planned to leave the next day and go to the Great Smokey Mountains national park.  What with the park shut down, we decided instead to stay an extra day at the beautiful Soaring Eagle and recover. 

We needed it.  Lunch the next day was a little later than usual thanks to some uncharacteristically sensitive children who decided to just sit in their room and play instead or rousting their parents first thing in the AM. 

We didn't do much the next day, watched the Sooners play a close game.  Then it was bed time. 


After an alcohol free night (well, except for just a little scotch) we woke the next morning refreshed and ready to hit the road again.  It is always great spending even a little time with my dad.  It was really neat to see his motor home and where he spends so much time.  Pretty place.  It is surrounded by some really pretty places too, as we were to find out the next day on our drive into North Carolina. 

The trip out East. Tennessee, pt 1.

Good grief we do a lot of stuff.


Last we left after our arrival in Little Rock, AR. The RV park there is the North Little Rock RV park which is a city owned and operated park situated on the bank of the Arkansas river. Just above, and I mean almost looming above, the park is an old drawbridge which has been converted to a pedestrian bridge with the transom always raised. The bridge leads over the river to a park near downtown where the William Clinton Presidential library resides. Of course, thanks to the government shutdown, is closed.


Oh well, who needs a stinking presidential library anyway?  It is a pretty bridge though.

And that was about it.  Just a simple overnight visit, nothing fancy.

Our next day took us across the state of Arkansas and stopped just before we left.  We had to stop though, because it was the Tom Sawyer RV park and it was on the banks of the mighty Mississippi river.  I mean literally a stone's throw from the water.

They also had fishing ponds on the property that were occasionally stocked by the flooding river.  That meant that you could catch anything in there.  I caught a small gar and Max caught two turtles.  Mostly it was just relaxing for the kids and changing bait, tying hooks and lures for daddy.

Eventually Nana decided just relaxing and watching the river traffic glide by was good enough for her.

The next day was back on the road with a destination of Lebanon, TN.  We were staying in a state park there, Cedars of Lebanon.  No phone, no wifi, no TV.  It was a pretty park though.  And I am glad Sarah made reservations because the government was shut down.  That meant that all the national parks were closed and the campers who would be staying there flooded into the state parks.  Sarah made reservations a week or so before, so we had a spot.  The initial spot we chose was too tight of a fit, but they were able to shift us before the crowd arrived.

Before long, we had a visitor. Our friend Ken lives in Nashville.  Sarah has known him since high school and I met him when I met Sarah.  He is a great guy we don't get to see often enough and we spent the night laughing.

The next morning presented a challenge or two that we hadn't really expected and I almost made a colossal, unforgivable, idiotic mega mistake.  Luckily and innocent bystander was there to prevent catastrophe. 

That, however, deserves its own blog post.

Till next time.