This week marks a year since our last plane trip home to Miami when life as we knew it changed. None of us could have foreseen we would still be in a worldwide pandemic a year later. I no longer predict or plan. Writing a travel blog without traveling is a challenge. I feel like most people don’t want to hear about places they can’t go right now (I know I don’t), so I’ve tried to keep these posts about things close to home or inspirational.
Obviously, I miss travel, spending time with family and friends, or seeing a Broadway show. But as the months have passed, I find I long for many of the simpler pastimes I used to take for granted. Browsing in a book store, tasting free food samples, wandering through antique shops, sharing a Philly Cheesesteak sitting at a bar counter, live music, chatting with a stranger, and crowds. Yep, I even miss crowds, especially at the holidays.
Back in the Florida sunshine and receiving the first vaccine have made me more optimistic. This post illustrates that feeling, sharing some colorful pics from Illuminate Coral Gables. A wonderful, outdoor, carefully curated light exhibition throughout Gables’ downtown business district. There are eight distinctive displays and a fleet of wildly festive pedicab “fireflies”. If you happen to be in South Florida you can only catch the final few weeks, until closing on March 13. Lights are on Wednesday through Sunday from sunset until 9 PM, with an hour added on Friday and Saturday until 10 PM. Find a map and lots of info about the artists on the Illuminate Coral Gables website. If you miss this inaugural year, next year promises to be bigger and better, as originally planned before Covid-19.
Hang in there – and wear your mask!
The historic Beaux-Arts Union Station in Washington DC has been completely renovated. Somehow it was disappointing. Maybe because of Covid-19 it was virtually empty, an unnatural state for a big transportation hub. Even the Christmas decorations that were still up, didn’t fill the void.
The huge tree was festooned with miniature American flags and oversized wreaths hung along the outside arches helped set off the beautiful views of the nearby Capitol. We made this visit just days before the assault on the Capitol before the city was barricaded, fencing now obscuring many views and access points. We took another ride around the District last week and it is unsettling to see razor wire and soldiers with guns.
Completed in 1908, the station’s heyday was in the 40s when it served 42,000 people daily. After World War II things didn’t go so well for the once elegant station. Cheaply done repairs, a changing transportation landscape with more cars on the road, a rainstorm causing part of the iconic glass ceiling to collapse, an earthquake, and poor design changes all contributed to its demise. In spite of its decline, it was named to the National Register of Historic Places in 1969, and eventually, the National Trust stepped in and led the way for restoration.
As a Federally-owned structure with private developers, it has been quite a process. Massive fund-raising efforts and years of dedication, followed by painstakingly detailed restoration work were combined with newly repurposed areas and digital features. The ceilings are beautiful. I look forward to post-Covid days when we can venture into the city and Union Station by metro train.
Great Falls Park, just outside Washington DC in Virginia, reminds us how beautiful our country is and that we need to take more time to explore. I never knew the Potomac River had such magnificent rapids. Because of its location near such populated areas, this park can be crowded. Run by the National Park Service, it’s best to visit during the week if you have the luxury of time. We’ve tried it both ways and the crowds can be daunting during the weekends.
Experiencing the area when it’s quiet can allow a better appreciation of what this portion of the riverfront was like historically. Between 1785 and 1802 George Washington promoted the use of a system of bypasses so river barges could navigate around the Falls. Remnants of The Great Falls portion of the Patowmack Canal can be seen paralleling the river in what appear to be just shallow ditches. If you don’t look around the area you might miss this historically significant tidbit.
Rapids range between Class 2 – 6 in various portions, with a 76′ drop through the cascades. Expert kayakers can be seen during warmer days. Even though it is prohibited to enter the water from the Virginia side there are numerous drownings every year. So stay within the boundaries!
The Potomac River has flooded numerous times through the years and some events have been significant. It is incredible to see the flood marker showing the water levels for each flood cycle.
It’s particularly nice the Park is accessible and wheelchairs and strollers can easily visit several overlooks. and pathways. Just off the George Washington Memorial Parkway, Great Falls Park is only open during daylight hours and there is an entrance fee unless you have an annual pass to the Park or the senior lifetime pass for National Parks.
We just scratched the surface during our recent visit to Shenandoah National Park and the beautiful Skyline Drive. Paralleling the Appalachian Trail, the 105-mile drive traverses the length of the park. Winter vistas allowed us to see pastoral settings far and wide. Dedicated in 1936, the Park is a testament to land management and conservation, returning to forest land previously farmed and logged. We entered the northernmost point at Front Royal and traveled south to the Thornton Gap entrance. It was a treat to see the beautiful ice formations still intact along a shady curve. Eventually, the route ends and connects to the better known Blue Ridge Parkway which, with 350 miles, is a separate National Park. Unlike the Blue Ridge, there is a $30 per vehicle fee (good for a week), but if you are over 62, the Lifetime National Park Pass is the ticket.
I’m linking the post to Nancy Merrill’s Photo a Week Challenge: Something Pretty and Cee’s CFFC: Patterns in Nature.
