Magic, Wonder & Joy is the theme for the 2023 White House Christmas decorations. It’s all about how children experience the season and it’s designed to be bigger than life, transporting us all back to childhood.
It’s a good time to put our political differences aside and just enjoy the season and the beauty of our nation’s Capitol.
I wanted to visit the White House for a while now . . . . particularly at Christmas. Last spring I heard a presentation by one of the volunteers who helped make it all happen; this year, 300 strong. The volunteers come from around the country and pay their own expenses to get to DC and stay for a week. The work is intense and they spend much of it working in a warehouse painting, gluing, cutting, and assembling. Then it’s a mad rush to put it all together for public viewing. The talented lady I heard speak had applied for 11 years before finally being accepted. This year’s decorations used almost 15,000′ of ribbon, 350+ candles, more than 33,800 ornaments, 22,000+ bells, 142,425 lights, 98 Christmas trees, and 72 outside wreaths.
In the first pic above my granddaughter looks at the booklet given to all visitors with the Gold Star tree in the background. The tree honors the men and women who have given their lives in service to our country. My grandson is watching the train at this favorite spot on the tour in the second pic. The train runs around the official White House Christmas Tree located in the Blue Room. This year’s tree is an 18 1/2′ tall Frasier Fir from Fleetwood, NC.
After entering through the East Wing, the self-guided tour had stops at the Library, Vermeil, China, East, Green, and Red Rooms. Each room and corridor is packed with historical artifacts, portraits, and significant artwork (but that would be another entire post). We weren’t allowed to take any photos in the State Dining Room because they were doing some detail work adding a quote from President John Adams (in 1800) to the mantel. Secret Service agents are scattered throughout and can answer any questions. Since most state dinners are in this room I inquired about the capacity and was told up to 140 at round tables. It would be a cozy fit. It’s hard to pick, but I would have to go with the Green Room (once Thomas Jefferson’s dining room) as my favorite; so quietly elegant, calming, and inviting. The tour ended passing through Cross Hall and out the Grand Foyer, where everyone was presented a chocolate candy bar.
For those that don’t know, you contact your US Representative to Congress online for the free tickets. Be sure to do it well in advance, it books up quickly during the holidays. Special thanks to our son-in-law for making all the arrangements. You can’t take in a purse and I was surprised we were allowed to take pics, just no flash or video.
Now, I’m going to let the pictures share a bit of the magic!
Fall in the NC mountains is a place I always chose to be. As much as I love to travel – I make it a point to be here in mid-October.
I love it when you make a turn-off on a shaded mountain road and it’s like you’ve flipped a light switch. The sun spotlights the changing leaves revealing a burst of fall colors. And when the leaves are brown and near their end watching the wind whip them into high swirls always makes me smile.
During this very unusual summer, I did not have time for many long drives down unknown roads. Family issues kept me a bit more occupied. But on our last weekend, we headed out, away from the leaf-peepers crowding the Blue Ridge Parkway. Heading into the Pisgah National Forest, we went into the Wilson Creek Wilderness area, stopped in the small town of Edgemont, and visited the folks at Coffey’s General Store.
Dating from 1895, the store is a veritable museum of old-timey mountain goods and memorabilia. Of course, you can still snag a Cheerwine and a Moon Pie.
Proprietor Teresa and her friend and helper, Linda, welcomed us and filled us in on area history.
If you get a chance, stop by and say hello. You won’t be sorry.
The train was an important part of Edgemont’s economy, but catastrophic floods changed the course of the future. The General Store served as an important gathering point for neighbors, also serving as a post office. Sadly, only a few families still live year-round in the area. The charming church is still in use and, this time of year added fall decor along the approaching bridge and road signs.
Want to break up a driving trip in the SE United States? A stop in Madison, Georgia is a refreshing break and a nice alternative to nearby Atlanta.
Dating from 1809, Madison is one of Georgia’s largest and oldest historic districts and is listed in the National Register of Historic Places. Frequently described as one of the South’s “prettiest” towns, and has a lost-in-time, slow vibe that can indeed transport you to the past.
It secured a place in history by being on the stagecoach route between Charleston and New Orleans and spared burning by Union General Sherman during the Civil War. Although a town filled with homes of wealthy plantation owners would’ve seemed ripe for destruction, Mayor Joshua Hill was a strong supporter of the Union. Serving in the House of Representatives, he had ties to Sherman’s brother and during the War, he made a gentleman’s agreement with Sherman’s detachment to spare the town. Hill later served in the US Senate. Of note, despite Hill’s Unionist leanings, much of the community, and even members of his own family, were committed Confederates.
Close to 100 antebellum homes have been restored and are easy to see with self-guided driving or walking tours. Like its nearby neighbor Covington, the town has served as backdrop for many productions (American Made, Goosebumps, I’ll Fly Away) and has a cute downtown with restaurants, local shops, and antique stores (which sadly, I didn’t have time to visit).
Explore Georgia has a great 28-stop self-guided tour, packed with info, that’s easy to use through a smartphone or tablet. One warning, it would be a loooong walk. Since we visited during the dog days of summer – we drove.
A fun fact – Oliver Hardy, of Laurel and Hardy fame, lived here most of the first eight years of his life, while his mother ran a boarding house.
Many of the private homes are surrounded by lush trees and shrubs making it difficult to get great pics, so you can check out the links above for some older shots with less landscaping and wonderful historic prints. Here are a few highlights from our tour:
We stayed at the James Madison Inn. A new building combining residences with hotel rooms. It was nice, comfortable, and very conveniently located; with breakfast included.
Special Note: I was pleasantly surprised to be notified my blog was selected as one of the Top 100 Luxury Travel Blogs on the web. Thank you to feedspot for the honor and for all the readers who follow me!
A short drive outside frenetic Washington DC you’ll find pastoral Loudoun County, Virginia. The area is a destination for two notable things: the DC Wine Country (with 40+ wineries) and a notable equestrian tradition.
Known as “Hunt Country,” two-lane, hilly rural roads transport you between wineries, expansive private estates, and horse farms interspersed with historic towns and sites. There is even a museum dedicated to the art, literature, and culture of horse and field sports – The National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg. It’s an area Jackie Kennedy Onassis, an avid horse fan, frequented.
The family of a good friend moved to the area a few years ago, and their two teenage boys have taken up the challenging game of polo. It was from them, that we learned about Twilight Polo.
Spectators enjoy a casual, country-fair atmosphere complete with food trucks. For $30 a car (or $25 in advance online) we were treated to three arena polo matches featuring amateur, former collegiate players, and professionals.
As the last event before Labor Day, the crowd was encouraged to wear white for the last time of the season. Between matches, kids were invited on the field for tug-of-war and to race the perimeter. The weather cooperated perfectly with crisp, cool temps, setting the stage for the featured match, with a barbershop quartet singing the national anthem while a rider circled the field carrying a large American flag. After play is complete (9ish) a DJ plays music for dancing, but with little ones in tow, we didn’t stay.
It was a real treat to watch and such a nice, relaxing juxtaposition to our toddler-inspired (fun but exhausting) activities of visiting DC’s National Zoo Pandas and National Children’s Museum. BTW, our friend’s grandson was a real star, the youngest player on the polo field the entire night, and in the featured match!
