Road Trip Vacation, Summer 2015 Version (part two)

Conjure up the beginning of the Batman TV series from the 1960’s.  When the second episode of the week began the narrator would recap the highlights with each scene going into freeze-frame, accompanied by a tone that got higher as the cliffhanger neared.  

So, with that explanation:

“When we left our traveling family, first there was departure” (tone)

“Lunch in Omaha” (tone)

“Tall cornstalks” (tone)

“University” (higher tone)

“Detour!”  (higher tone)

“A low tire” (even higher tone)

“In search of compressed air” (real high tone)

“Will the air be enough?”  (highest tone so far)

Segue into Neal Hefti’s “Batman” theme….

I woke, showered, went downstairs for coffee, then checked the car.  

Flat tire.  Not just low, flat.  F-L-A-T

Therefore I grab some breakfast in the hotel’s reception area, then go back out to change the tire.  Unfortunately this vehicle, like most in its size/class, comes only with a doughnut for a spare.  Since this is a Sunday morning and we’re in a city with a population of about 27,000 I didn’t think I would be able to get a new tire today.  

But I was wrong.  Turns out their Wal-Mart does do tires and was open even this Sunday a.m.  

About 90 minutes later (and a little lighter in the wallet) I returned to the hotel and the gals were ready to go.  All of us were delighted we would not have to drive on the spare all the way to Chi-town, which would require a lower speed than the 70-75 we’ve averaged so far.  

So then it’s across the Mississippi into Illinois.  Soon we’re on I-88 and hoping to see some Chicago sights this afternoon.  

Originally we hoped to see the Cubs play at Wrigley Field this Sunday afternoon but the tire issue put us behind schedule.  No matter!  We’re on our vacation, on our own time.  No schedule to keep.  

Besides the Cubbies will also play an afternoon game on Wednesday.  (Seems wrong to go to Wrigley at night.)  

Then we see the iconic skyline, visible through some haze.  We’re just about here!!

Stop-and-go traffic doesn’t keep us from finally reaching downtown.  Park the vehicle and start exploring the urban environment.  Grab some Mediterranean food at Falafel Island (great hummus!).  

Now what?  

How about the Art Institute of Chicago?  Remember this?:  

We do see most of the works shown in the clip.  But for me the highlight of the whole place was seeing “American Gothic.”  And I wasn’t the only one who wanted to take a long look at this picture of Americana. 

But back to Ferris Bueller.  Turns out the Institute embraces their appearance in the flick and even has a flyer for visitors with limited time:

I also enjoyed the view of skyscrapers through the slightly opaque and very large windows.  

We finally tire of seeing “priceless works of art” and head outdoors.  We see “The Bean” and the living gargoyles.  And no visit to this section of town would be complete without Buckingham Fountain.  

We’re exhausted.  Time to head out to the ‘burbs and our hotel.  Yet we still want to fully immerse ourselves in Chicago culture so we drive a few blocks to Portillo's and enjoy a Chicago dog.  

Geoana wasn’t so adventurous and just ordered chicken tenders.  This will come back to haunt her.  Stay tuned for the next day’s details.  

Road Trip Vacation, Summer 2015 Version (part one)

First, some appropriate music:

Most every time I looked at landmarks in the Windy City the beginning chords of the above tune began knocking around my brain.  

Yes, the Geofamily journeyed to Chicagoland this past week.  Geogal’s been here before, both times were business trips back when we lived in Chandler.  Yet despite the nature of her travels she never hesitated to play the “I’ve been there” card when anything downtown-Chicago-related flashed onto a TV or movie screen.  And after her last visit she brought back two posters from The Art Institute of Chicago, they now are framed and grace our living room walls.  

Why Chicago this summer?  Why not?  The sole time Geoana and I were in the vicinity was a layover at Midway Airport on our way to D.C. not that many weeks ago.  

I cannot remember an occasion where I was at an unfamiliar city’s airport then had the chance to make a real visit shortly afterward.  

Even before leaving one acquaintance, upon hearing of our destination, asked out of which airport we planned to fly.  Omaha or Kansas City?  

“Neither,” and I told him we would make this trip by car.  His answer?   “Sounds like National Lampoon’s Vacation.”  

Never mind we were going in the reverse direction than the Griswalds.  

We began our sojourn the same way most of them start, on a 2-lane Kansas highway headed for Interstate.  Once at I-80, turn right.  The route to Omaha is familiar to us.  Then in Iowa the slog eastward to Des Moines isn’t new either (did it twice last year as part of the journey to the Mayo Clinic).  

But after the pig state’s capital city it’s all new.  We chose to take a little side trip and see the campus of the University of Iowa.  Just to be fair, after all.  Last summer we did the same thing in Ames, home of Iowa State University.  Yes, I made the joke that since we have nearly all of the Big 12 schools/cities visited or at least driven through, let’s start on the Big Ten!  

University of Nebraska, Lincoln?  Did that years ago.

Minneapolis, home of the University of Minnesota?  Took care of that last summer.  

Now we have Iowa City covered.  

Shoot, had we really taken this seriously we could add Northwestern and Illinois, but decided instead to just focus on fun activities once we got to the Windy City.  

Since we learned from our experience last summer to not assume hotel rooms will be available, particularly along an Interstate, Geogal reserved us a room at the Clinton, Iowa Hampton Inn, which wound up being not far off the main route.  Not very exciting but then neither is the Quad Cities.  Check-in was routine and we are all familiar with the get-settled-in-hotel-room process.  Upon returning to the vehicle to head out for supper I make an unpleasant discovery.  

The right rear tire is low.  Not just a little low, real low.  Geogal grabs the tire pressure gauge, it doesn’t even register.  

So, even before we can eat we need to air the thing up.  Finding compressed air in an unfamiliar town isn’t the best way to wrap up a day on the road.  However we do locate a place to air up, only set us back a quarter.  

Then return to the hotel after supper and hope the leak is a slow one.  Goodnight!

Beauty, but not how or where you would expect

Scenery in western Kansas might be boring 99.7% of the time but it's downright incredible when Mother Nature goes to work!

Where Am I?

Actually when I first started the truck at the end of the workday the thermometer read 126.  

Truth is, the temp outdoors at that time was more so in the high 90's.  

But seeing a reading such as the above brings back some not-so-fond memories of the desert.  No euphoric recall for me!

The Wisdom Of Red Green

We're at something of a lull this warm season.  

County Fair is next week.  We're through the summer girls basketball league.  We as a family had the first big getaway of the summer (see previous entry).  

There's another vacation/journey on the horizon, you'll get the travelogue here just as you've had them in the past.  I'm still following my usual interests, just with a bit less verve as usual.  

However that doesn't mean all is totally quiet at the Geohouse.  In fact over the past many weeks I've unclogged a disposal, repaired a hole in the entryway drywall (left courtesy of a previous owner, something involving a wall-mounted phone back in the days of corded landlines), bought a small air compressor and actually learned how to couple air hoses, and brought new life into an old lawnmower.  

Never hurts to follow the Red Green philosophy:

"If the women don't find you handsome, they should at least find you handy."  

Now we're in July

That means 2015 is half-over.  

The holiday weekend was a low-key one for us.  We did enjoy the fireworks out at the lake, the first show the local organizers have had for about two or three years.  Dry springs and summers put the kibosh on anything that might cause a wildfire.  

Now, the weekend before that I took a few vacation days and turned it into an ultra-long getaway weekend.  That's right, Geofamily took the camper to the foothills of the Front Range.  

Backing into the site was something of a challenge but staff and other campers were tremendously helpful in having me jackknife the thing in.  Our site was not exactly level (seems to be a common problem in the mountain areas where there's been much rain and runoff) but it was level enough for the refrigerator to work.  

Actually everything on the rig worked perfectly.  I even was able to stretch out the awning and enjoy plenty o' shade.  

Gals loved having a toilet inside the camper and the A/C was pleasant on a few hot afternoons.  The furnace was nice to have a couple of the mornings (still can get a bit chilly).  And Geodad will be tremendously jealous to learn the water heater is both gas and electric and using the gas doesn't even require me going outside and manually lighting the pilot.  

So far, money well spent.  

Our hope is to take it on at least two more trips before the summer is over.  And perhaps I can get some use out of it come fall, before temps force me to winterize the plumbing.  

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In the "insanity-seems-to-be-ending" department, I was at Cabela's in Kearney a few Sundays ago and noticed .22 LR ammunition on the shelf.  

Plenty of it.  I did pick up one box.  

I since visited another retailer who also had some on hand.  

And Cabela's seems to have more on the web site.  Used to be you had to long in very early in the day and hope the inventory wasn't yet sold out.  

For those of you unfamiliar with this topic, .22 ammunition has been very hard to get a hold of for about the past 2-3 years.  Maybe longer.  

Plenty of theories about what this was all about but all I care about now is being able to get some without having to be clandestine.  Or quick.  

Now, time to take the ladies out to the gun range and do some plinking!! 

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For my kinfolk in Texas and Arizona, we will have a very mild night here on the prairie.  Low of about 57!  We're sleeping with the windows open tonight....

And no more firecracker noise from the neighbor folks.  Last day to legally shoot those off here in town was yesterday.

Here's to cool peaceful sleep.

Summer's here???

After quite a bit of mild temps and rainy days it seems true summer finally arrived here in our part of Kansas.  The forecast calls for temps in the upper 90s with little to no chance of precip for the next several days.  

That's fine with me.  Helps with some things and too much of anything isn't good.  

And it's fun to play the "I lived in the Arizona desert" card with locals.  

Just this morning I was at a local retail establishment and the sales guy made the obligatory comment about our temps and I answered that at least here we do endure warm temps through August/early September then the thermometer starts going way way down.  Which makes summer much more tolerable.  

And anyway, let's remember days like these come January when we're all complaining about the wind chill and covering up any exposed skin.  

_______________________________

I certainly want to share more here than just the weather.  Work still keeps me busy and the child is even more occupied than I.  There was the whirlwind trip to D.C., followed by a week of Discovery Days at Kansas State University (courtesy of 4-H).  Once she returned from that then she did a basketball camp/clinic which led to a weekend tournament in Kearney.  From there she immediately went to 4-H camp after being recruited to be a counselor at the last minute.  

I don't think I even know what she looks like now.  

Really Wrapping Up!!

I should never make promises.  

I meant to write yesterday’s entry to be truly a wrap-up to the D.C. trip.  Just some unattached thoughts that didn’t really fit into my recounts of the journey already posted.  

And in my mind’s ear these musings justified only one entry.  

Until I sat down to write the thing late yesterday.  I then realized I had enough material still to do one more blog entry.  

So, I promise, here is the last of the cross-country sojourn.  

I did bring my DTV stick and my MacBook Air with me.  The intent was for me to check into the area’s TV stations should the opportunity arise.  

Yet I didn’t get this chance until the third night.  All of us were back in Northern Virginia (Falls Church) at the Marriott.  I grabbed the trusty radio and headed out to the parking lot.  (Gotta get away from all that wi-fi and other RF noise.)  

My hope was to listen to blowtorch heritage AM stations on the East Coast.  I can’t receive these even at my home listening post almost smack in the center of the contiguous 48 states.  

New York:  WABC.  WCBS.  And others.  

Yes!  770 WABC was well audible.  As was 880 WCBS.  

But my joy didn’t end there.  I also heard 660 WFAN (the old WNBC), 710 WOR, and 1010 WINS.  

I heard a couple of stations from Baltimore but given this market is so close and practically local I wasn’t shocked.  

However one of B-more’s AM stations was broadcasting on 680 which prevented me from hearing Boston’s WRKO.  

And given the time constraints (and my level of fatigue) I didn’t do any research on powerhouses from Philadelphia or any points west of my location.  

I didn’t have nearly as much luck or fun with the TV end of things.  Since my hotel room was pointing away from the Tenleytown area of the District my channel scan yielded nothing worthwhile.  I had to settle for the hotel’s cable-fed feed of the local stations.  With no subchannels.  

Can’t win them all.  

I could sum all of this up by stealing a phrase from our tour guide:  This trip whet our appetite for the nation’s capital.  We are encouraged to come back on our own and spend more time at the places that caught our interest.  

I just might.   

Wrapping Up

Now that the play-by-play detail of the Washington D.C. trip is posted I will share some last thoughts.  After this, it’s back to the trite accounts of the mundane life I live.  

Was it nice to recall some memories from early childhood?  Sure.  My recollections of living in Vienna, Virginia and Baltimore, Maryland are overall pleasant.  

Visiting our nation’s capital as an adult versus the things I remember from decades past?  Well, when we went to the Lincoln Memorial I recall Lincoln being much bigger.  The National Mall was a bit different in years past and the war memorials didn’t exist way back when.  

I remember a lot from the young years but not everything.  After returning to the Sunflower State I had a phone conversation with Mom and Dad.  They told me I have been in the capitol itself and even watched the Senate while in session.  I also ate in the Senate cafeteria.  Sadly I don’t remember either.  I’m sure our family drove down Pennsylvania Avenue in front of a certain house whose color is white numerous times but I don’t have specific recall of those car trips.  

Then there’s the family-famous story of Dad’s attempt to get The Perfect Picture.  He kept backing up and backing up until Mom mumbled: “Your father’s going to step back just a little too far and fall right into the Reflecting Pool.”  

Dad stopped just short.  

Traveling via a luxury coach (that was well air-conditioned) was a plus.  For a few days I was willing to give up my independence and control for the convenience.  But after returning home I gladly again enjoyed getting behind the wheel.  

I ended the last entry with my going down to crash on the queen bed in guest bedroom.  When I woke some three hours later it took me well over a minute to get my bearings.  

That hasn’t happened since I-don’t-know-when.

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Now, esoteric broadcast/technical stuff that no one really cares about:

Although the Geohouse family ventured across the Mississippi River into a small smidge of Wisconsin last summer this journey to D.C. and Virginia was also noteworthy for me in that I was in the territory of broadcast stations that use “W” as the first call letter.  

First time since leaving Baltimore to move to Houston.  

I enjoyed the view of the Windy City (out of the airplane window) on the first leg of the trip.  Yet just as exciting was firing up the radio once I had some breakfast in front of me.  However since airports nowadays have so much RF the reception isn’t the best.  Chicago’s powerful AM stations (670, 720, 780, and 890) came in acceptable but the lesser-endowed Ancient Modulation stations weren’t so audible.  

Then I switched to FM.  Sadly with corporate ownership they sounded much like the stations I can hear in any city.  One exception was WFMT, still playing classical music in the commercial part of the dial.  At the time they were playing Ravel’s “Bolero,” certainly a memorable tune.  One by which I can enjoy my sustenance of corned beef hash and eggs.  Washed down with orange juice.  

I didn’t begin listening to the District’s stations until much later in the day when we were on the road to Williamsburg.  Nothing too interesting on the AM dial, then I just got plain sleepy and put the device away.  

But not before tuning in to 1500, once the home of news station WTOP, one of the heritage stations of the area.  It’s now WFED and information I read online indicates its programming is targeted to federal employees.  

Just like everything else associated with the government, this station was colossally boring.  I didn’t need to be put to sleep like that.  

More to follow….    

Day Four! (Get 'er done!)

Last day!

By this time I have the morning routine down. Wake up early, shower, dress then get downstairs and grab a coffee. Also, packing this morning was easy because later today it's the flight home.

I travel light normally anyway, so packing and unpacking during this trip was no issue at all.  And unlike yesterday morning the bus was right on time.

On this rainy morning it's off to Mount Vernon. This is another place I remember visiting as a child—for that trip we actually caught a boat all the way to Washington's home. Fortunately since we are going against the traffic we made good time and picking up our guide didn't take long at all. Unfortunately the rain does not let up and it's unpack the rain ponchos and umbrellas before you get off the bus.

Fortunately for us we get a chance to tour the mansion. After that it was walk downhill a ways (a muddy ways) and visit the grave of George and Martha. After that our group had a choice to either return with our tour guide to the main museum or go down further to the farm area. I chose to go with a group going down to the farm. Even though we got rained on the entire walk for me it still is better than being in the museum with wall-to-wall people.

However you go back up the hill and you do wind up in the museum. How many student groups such as ourselves were there?  Answer: a whole lot.

I did look at a lot of the exhibits and before I knew it was time for group to meet up. The rain let up a little by this time but we still needed our wet weather gear. I stop keeping track of how many luxury coaches we walked by before we got to our bus.  It was well over 20.

Then shake everything out and it's off to the Air and Space Museum.  Problem was, since today was rainy there were a whole lot of people in this place. Yet I still had fun!  Not only did I get to see several historic aircraft and spacecraft but I got to spend a fair amount of time with my own child, something I hadn't done the whole trip. I tried my best to get pictures of the truly historic items but with remodeling some of those were on the ground and it was simply hard to get a good picture. Case in point: Chuck Yeager’s Bell X-1 jet.

But not all of the items were difficult:

After standing in the longest line for a meal I can ever remember, Geoana and I enjoyed a meal of roasted Boston Market chicken.  Once that was over it was time for us to head out the door and hotfoot it down to meet the bus. And before we go out the door, yes rain ponchos go back on.

Fortunately the rain did let up a bit so our several-blocks walk down the National Mall wasn't as unpleasant as it could've been. We got to the bus with no problem and then it was off to Reagan National Airport.

From that point forward it's the same old routine.  Get tickets check baggage go through TSA and then wait. Since we are flying American Airlines at least the seats are assigned. Then I’m delighted to learn I have a window seat.  Then I’m crestfallen when I realize the weather won’t allow me to see anything once we climb.  

Sure enough, I get a good view of the Pentagon right before clouds envelop our aircraft.  Then I don’t see anything other than the tops of nimbus cumuli until we are over Arkansas.  

Our landing is somewhat historic/meaningful for me.  Since we are on American the airport is DFW.  

In all my years of Texas residency, Texas visits, and Texas family-and-friends connections I have never flown into or out of the largest airport in the state.  Going through this area I always was on Southwest Airlines so the airport of stops and connections was Love Field.    

Once I mentally note my arrival here it is then time to deplane and seek out sustenance.  Since this is The Lone Star State I am specific about my wants:  Tex-Mex or BBQ.  

I hit pay dirt with the latter.  The terminal houses a Dickey’s BBQ Pit.  The child and I enjoy sliced brisket with some really good sides.  

It's time to wait. And wait. And wait some more.  We were originally supposed to be here only an hour. But before we left D.C. our head teacher found out we all were bumped to a later flight tonight.

So when do we pull out of the gate?  20 minutes before midnight.

Here's another first for me. I slept on an airplane. I have flown red-eye flights before but was awake just about for all of them. I might drop off a few minutes here and there but nothing I will ever call sleep. But this flight we take off, climb, and I decide to rest my eyes.  Next thing I know a fair amount of time has passed.  I decide “hey this isn’t too bad” so I rest the eyes a little more.  

When I open them again it seems we're descending, sure enough the lights of Omaha are visible.  Nothing too exciting after that, get off the plane, get the baggage, wait for our bus to take us back to Northwest Kansas. 

I'm happy to say the bus ride back, even though it also was in the middle of the night, found this guy asleep. That's right!  Get on the freeway in Omaha and again I make the effort to rest my eyes.  By the time I open them were already on the other side of Lincoln. I do that routine of couple more times

Then the next thing I know we're a little over an hour from home. I do stay awake after that but one of the best sights I saw this trip was Geogal in the school parking lot waiting for her two beloved ones.  Arrival time back at the school?  6:05 a.m.  

After getting to the house I head downstairs to the guest bedroom bed.  (The gals decide to chat in the master bedroom.)  

And begin what would be several days of catching up on needed sleep.

Day Three! (Heroes, Heights, History)

Plan for this morning was a straightforward one. Get on the bus and spend time at Arlington National Cemetery.

However as with many things in life things don't always go according to plan. The coach our group used had a mechanical issue and needed to be looked at so the company elected to send a different one.

Problem is the coach and replacement driver didn't arrive until about an hour behind schedule. We all get on the bus with no problem then it’s head to Arlington. Given this was weekday traffic going from Northern Virginia into DC you can guess how congested it was.

Not only did we get started an hour late but then it took us an hour just to get to Arlington. And once we actually arrive it takes quite a while to get in due to all of the other tour buses heading the same way. By the time we’re on foot and walking into the cemetery it's wall-to-wall people, primarily student groups such as ours. As were running behind schedule we were told we can't spend too much time here. After instructing us on cemetery protocol our guide takes us to the JFK grave then it's over to the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

Actually between the two we also got to see Robert Kennedy's and Teddy Kennedy's graves. I don't step forward and don’t take a picture. I have my reasons. 

Since I was with a group of young people and was in heroes’ ground I decided to keep those reasons to myself at that time. However I can share them here. I have no respect or regard for either man. Both possessed rather poor character. Bobby Kennedy was notorious for being vindictive and cruel. And Ted Kennedy?  Well what can I say about his personal life that wasn’t covered by the media for decades?  Just seems a shame to me that these two are buried among some of the finest American veterans ever.  

But to counteract that, the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier is still a very moving and dignified ceremony. This event is one specific thing I remember from my childhood, having been to Arlington many times during during those years. Great to hear the steel plates on their shoes and the loud clear whack it generates.  As a young boy I always wondered why my dress shoes never sounded like that…

Sadly, that is as much time as we were allowed to spend in Arlington. Reason? We had to get to the Washington Monument as our tickets were for 10:30.  Nothing like racing across the Potomac River, winding up in stop and go traffic, and being on pins and needles making sure you got there before 11 a.m. Because once the clock hit 11 our tickets were no good.

We made it. Then it’s wait wait wait until we finally get our elevator ride to the top. Yes I'm afraid of heights and being up here isn’t real comfortable for me. However after a few minutes I get over it and start taking pictures.

The weather was in our favor this day!  Nice clear sky, some wind but it blows away the pollution and haze. As a result, good pictures.

Time for lunch. Our afternoon agenda is Capitol, the Library of Congress, and the Supreme Court. The only one of these we actually got to enter was Library of Congress. And even that again was wall-to-wall people. Even though it's touted as a public library it really isn't. Definitely some places in that building you cannot go.

We get back in the coach and the plan next is to walk on Pennsylvania Avenue right front of the White House. However as soon as we got there we found out that the street was being closed for about an hour. No doubt somebody was either coming or going. Oh well.  Make lemonade out of lemons and go to the World War II Memorial!  

Plan for the evening is to spend it all in Arlington. First we are dropped off at the Marine Corps War Memorial.  This was when I posed for the picture shown here. I did however get a chance to walk around of the other side (the sunny side) and get a better lit shot.

It's time for us to take a break from the tourist stuff and spend a little time at the Fashion Centre at Pentagon City. Since Geoana and I went to the Mall Of America last summer, let's face it—this place is small potatoes. However we do get a chance to relax and eat here. I also made a quick visit to the Apple Store, have to take a gander at the Apple Watch.

Back on the bus and it's time to go to Fort Myer. The reason? Twilight Tattoo.

I've never seen this event.  Closest I've ever gotten was a video mom and dad brought back from Scotland, it was a Scottish version of Tattoo.

This one was a bit different.

Enjoyable. Great music. Good entertainment. And of course it can't be a military event without firing off mortar and rifles.  (Blanks, of course.)  Still makes a loud noise and a whole lot of people jump.

By the time this event is over we're all bushed. Back to the hotel. The kids do some swimming and several of us grownups decided to have an adult beverage. For the third night in a row I fell asleep quickly.

Day Two! (Walking, Walking, Walking, With Some History Thrown In)

Rise and shine the following day after about five hours of sleep. May not sound like myuch however I'll take five hours versus zero hours from the night before.

And since there's no airport or airline stuff to deal with today guess what? I can have as much coffee in the hotel lobby as I care to.  Since I was up early getting breakfast was no problem.  I ate about as soon as the staff set up the buffet.  

Agenda for today?  Jamestown followed by Colonial Williamsburg.

Before the trip I was busting my brain as to whether I have been to either of these places when I lived in Northern Virginia as a child. Since nothing about these places jogs my memory I figure I have not been here. Mom and Dad—feel free to correct me if I'm wrong.

While on the way to Jamestown we do pass by a jewel of Williamsburg Virginia, that would be the college of William and Mary. Our guide mentions it's the second oldest institution of higher learning in the United States, just behind Harvard. In looking at the buildings of this institution only one thing comes to my mind: the lyrics of a steely Dan song. From “My Old School:”

“I was smoking with the boys upstairs

when I heard about the whole affair

I said oh, no

William and Mary won’t do

Well I did not think the girl

could be so cruel

And I’m never going back

to my old school”

(Written by Walter Becker and Donald Fagen)

By the time we get to Jamestown Settlement the song is gone from my brain.  We disembark and split up into two different groups and are warned that the tour runs about two hours. Hey no problem for me. After all the sitting I did yesterday I'm more than happy to walk. 

Interesting to learn about colonial life and to realize that we have it extremely easy compared to what those folks had to deal with. That last part really hit home to me when we tour the ships. No Love Boat cruise here! Unless you’re a member of the crew you spent a good deal of the voyage below decks amongst a whole lot of things that truly didn't smell very good (animals, animal waste, human waste) and since there was no showering or laundering of clothes guess what?  You don’t smell too good either…

Time for lunch! More Italian food.

After lunch it's time to do Colonial Williamsburg. The best part of this segment is we get to split up and go where we want, do what we want provided we stay within the confines of the Colonial Williamsburg Park. The head teacher does give us some pointers of interesting places to visit and very strict instructions to meet back at specific place at specific time.

There's plenty of staff dressed up as historical figures and even more staff dressed in period costumes. Encountered fife and drum and a reading of the Declaration of Independence. Our afternoon closed out with a celebration of the surrender at Yorktown.

It's back on the bus and we head to our hotel in Falls Church Virginia. This evening I'm not nearly as exhausted as the prior one however I still fall asleep mighty quick.