Fredericksburg, TX

 We first visited Fredericksburg a couple of years ago with some of Jerry’s high school friends and were eager to return.  This is an Old German town founded in the mid 1800s by heirs of German Duchy royalty.  Among them was the grandfather of Fleet Admiral Chester Nimitz.  The town is now the home of the National Museum of the Pacific War, one of the best war museums we have seen.

Jerry and his schoolmates spent a brief couple of hours in the museum and knew they had barely explored it.  Tickets are good for forty-eight hours, so this time we planned a two-day visit.  This turned into an excellent audio/visual lesson on the war in the Pacific.

The tour of The George H. W. Bush Gallery starts with Admiral Perry steaming into Tokyo Bay in the 1800s and the opening of relations between the US and Japan.  The Russo/Japanese War, the Opium Wars between China and Britain, and tensions between Japan, China and Korea and, ultimately, the US blockade are all presented.

Then there is the attack on Pearl Harbor and our efforts to build the naval defenses needed to wage the war in the Pacific.  Exhibits detail Japan’s capture of islands in the Pacific and the grueling, bloody battles on land, at sea, in the air and under the water to regain these vital islands.
An entire section covers the Doolittle Raid and we saw an actual B25.  It was hard to see how this airplane could take off from a WWII aircraft carrier.


The reasoning behind the dropping of the bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and the ultimate surrender message of Emperor Hirohito are detailed.  This is a mockup of the bomb dropped on Nagasaki.

Air and water craft, recordings of actual participants, and first person documentation augment the displays.  We also saw a real PT boat.

Nearby is the hotel that was run by Nimitz grandfather.  Displays there focus on his life.

The guided tour of the Pacific Combat Zone has both American and Japanese weaponry, a medical Quonset hut, and a re-creation of a Japanese bunker on Tarawa.

To see all this took us about seven hours over a two-day period.

We broke up the time with a 10K Volksmarch around the town visiting the library with its card catalog and the Vereins Kirsche, used as a meeting hall in the early days.

We also walked by several “Sunday Houses” which were small houses that the ranchers and farmers used when they came into town on Sunday to attend church.

 


The town is a popular tourist destination with streets lined with shops ranging from clothing to salsa to art.  Food items included chocolate cover jalapenos and lots of hot sauces.  Anna Lee was really interested in sampling.

The first Friday of the month has the Art Walk.  We sipped wine and admired excellent paintings and sculpture.  Our favorite gallery was Insight with its street-level windows overlooking top quality bronze work in the basement.

There is an abundance of restaurants in town and we had good lunches.  Beer is everywhere.

Cabernet Grill Texas Wine Country Restaurant was outstanding for dinner.  It was recommended by Peter and Carol, an RV couple we first met on our Canadian Maritime tour and who will also be on the Louisiana tour.  What they actually recommended was the fried pecan pie but first we enjoyed some Texas wine with our steak and shrimp (Jerry) and crab (Anna Lee).  Then we shared the wonderful pie topped with Jack Daniels chocolate ice cream.  As anticipated, we had a great time in Fredericksburg.

The best laid plans .....

We planned to leave Las Cruces Wal-mart early and stop in El Paso on our way toward Fredericksburg, but the RV had other ideas and needed some minor repairs.  So we made lemonade (to abuse another cliche).  While repairs were being done, we took an 11K volksmarch along the canals and “waterways” of Las Cruces.  We walked along the Rio “not so” Grande.

  This was the most arid terrain we have trod.  But there was a lovely light at the end (don’t hit me).  Walking along the streets of Old Mesilla and passing the well-maintained adobe homes, we found an unnamed church.  Behind it is an arch with bells. 

   Trees are adorned with wind chimes.  A tower with frescoes contains a lovely tiled bathroom.  This small courtyard seemed enchanted.

 

Further along the calle, we found a shop filled with salsas, syrups, dips, etc.  After a few samples, we were able to decide on our souvenir purchases.

Our walk and the repair work ended in the early afternoon, causing us to miss a chance to visit with Dave’s parents and pushing us to a late arrival at our current Wal-mart, but the walk provided compensation.

Kartchner Caverns

Ever since Anna Lee heard about the discovery and opening of Kartchner Caverns, they have been on our must-see list.  The two men who discovered them were committed to keeping the caverns safe, healthy and secret.  It took over a decade for them to reveal their discovery and get Arizona to enact the appropriate legislation.  The area is now a state park with a nice campground.

We have been in over a dozen caves including Carlsbad and Mammoth, but this experience was  the best because of the special care being taken to keep this cave alive, thriving and in pristine condition.  Not only are no photographs allowed, we couldn’t take in a purse or pack.  To get into the caverns, we were escorted through four sealed doors and instructed to only touch the floor and the metal railing during our visit.  We had to anchor our sunglasses to be sure they did not fall off.  While this may seem controlling, it is to prevent hair, skin, oil and dirt on us from being passed onto the formations and damaging them.

We took two tours. Our first tour was of the Big Room, a massive room filled with outstanding formations both familiar and new to us.  Seeing the gleam and glisten of stalagmites, “fried eggs,” and soda straws over a yard long elicited exciting responses from everyone on our tour.

Our second tour, The Throne Room, took us closer to formations.  We watched water drop from the tip of straws, learned that a stalactite is a plugged up straw, and viewed the paths created by the two original explorers.  Words do not describe the beauty of these caves.  Neither do photos, as they are not allowed.  Instead we substitute pictures of exhibits found in the Discovery Center.

Soda Straw


Fried Egg  

We know you have been eager for our first food photo.  Jerry found Mi Casa on Trip Advisor.   It is a little yellow cottage set way back behind a chain link fence, not the most appealing of settings.  The seating limitation is for twenty-eight.  The food choices are the traditional tacos, burritos, fajitas, etc, with the Southwestern choice of red or green (chili peppers).  What we got was the most mouth-wateringly delicious Mexican food we have had.  Yes, this beats the Red Iguana in Salt Lake City.

 For dessert Jerry ordered their signature carrot cake (which Anna Lee normally does not like).  It was big enough for four people to share but we greedily kept it for ourselves to continue to enjoy on another next day.      

        
We have been in contact with several friends who live in or are traveling along our route.  We already mentioned our friends from home.  After we left Kartchner, we met with Joe and Bonnie, RV friends from our trip to the Canadian Maritimes.  We enjoyed catching up with each others lives and look forward to getting together during the summer

Heading Out Again

We are off on another cross-country motor home adventure.  This one adds furniture transporting to the usual travels.  Jerry has made a toy box for Bennett.  Sam, the talented artist who paints the sets for B Street Theater, painted them.  Now we need to transport them to DC where we expect Bennett to fill them with his favorite toys.

Below are the boxes and Sam.  Each box has an initial, a number, a special animal and a blank side.  They will be on wheels and stored under a bench. 

On our way to deliver them, we will be traveling through the South, joining a Louisiana Caravan, and headed up the southeast to the greater DC area.

In a previous blog, we explained that many Walmarts offer free overnight parking for recreational vehicles.  Some casinos offer the same service.  This saves money when we are just stopping for the night.  Another less expensive alternative to campgrounds are the Elks Clubs who charge low rates for members.  In the last three nights we have partaken of all three.  We have learned to pick carefully as some free things are worth what you pay for them.  The casino was full of noisy trucks parked inches apart.  This did not bode well for a good night's sleep so we shifted to a better spot.

Now on with the trip.  Before we left, our good friends Steve and Rita said they would be in Palm Desert when we were driving through.  Since we dine together several times a month, we could not pass up the opportunity to enjoy dinner in Palm Springs.  Their daughter and her family hosted us for a wonderful evening of good food and even better conversation.  This set on trip off to a great start.

The next morning was so pleasant we took a detour to Joshua Tree National Park.  We enjoyed being there at the right time, when the trees were in bloom. 

We took a hike through Hidden Valley, a former hideout for cattle rustlers.  The canyon is surrounded by extruded volcanic granite boulders that seemed dumped on the ground.  This is a popular rock climbing area.  We found the activity better to watch than to do.

This desert iguana was too busy basking on the rock to bother with us.

Also in bloom were the hedgehog cactus

and ocotillo

DC and a cute boy

The Natural History Museum had the Windland Smith Rice International Awards Exposition of  Nature’s Best Photography.  The photos, taken primarily by professionals, were enlarged and printed on Epson’s best paper.  This made fur and feathers seem as if you could feel them.  Jerry was in awe.

We stopped by to see the orchid exhibit as a follow-up to our tour of the Botanical Gardens.

 

Then we went to our favorite DC museum, the Renwick.  It is located in an old three-story home.  Much of its appeal is the size, big enough to have an outstanding collection of  American arts and crafts and small enough to not overwhelm and exhaust visitors.  These pieces captured our interest on this trip

by Sebastian Martorana, “Inpressions,” a marble pillow that looks so comfortable

a grandfather clock that appears to be covered with a cloth but is actually carved from a single piece of wood

But the best “art” of all are our pictures reminding us of the wonderful time we had with Bennett.

Modeling a new sweater and cap knit by friend Donna

 
Being adorable

Ben in DC Part II

Raising children today means so many wonderful activities to enjoy, especially in a large metropolis.  Sunday was a wonderfully full but bitter cold day.

We started with story hour at the Jewish Community Center.  An excellent woman led parents and infants in a song session using a parachute as the rhythm instrument.  The children/parents raised and lowered the chute in accordance with the words and beat to children’s songs like If You’re Happy and You Know It.  The children are aged 2 months to 2 years and performed appropriately.   Ben was fascinated by the whole thing.

Next it was down the elevator for preschool swim time where the instructors made games of blowing bubbles, kicking, floating and playing around.  This was even more fun for Ben who is a real water baby.

Then it was off to Baltimore for friends and family.  We met cousins Barbara and Bob and friends Jean and Ron at Nick’s for delicious crab cakes, gumbo, shrimp, typical Maryland dishes.

Well sated, we went to the Jewish Museum to see an exhibit on the early comic book creators, many of whom were Jewish.  The memorabilia filled the memories of the men and women who grew up in the thirties and forties relishing the super-heros.  Cheryl, our expert, was not pleased with the label copy for the exhibits and was itching to improve it.  Ben was rather blase until he got to ride in the mini Batmobile.  He proved himself an excellent driver to the delight of all the photographers in our group.




The second exhibit in the museum was of the development of the early Jewish neighborhoods.  This very good exhibit echoes the story repeated in cities across the country, every member of the family working, Jewish children playing with the Italian, Irish and black children who shared the streets.  The requisite candlesticks and  potato masher, tailor shop and delicatessen were scattered throughout the rooms.  Quotations from early residents described the good and bad of these poor neighborhoods. Of amusement were things like the carp floating in the bathtub awaiting being chopped up for gefilte fish (translation available upon request).

We all loved sharing a wonderful and full day.

Across the Continent for Ben-time

Our latest adventure was a trip to Washington, DC for some grandparent time.  Jerry bought Bennett a set of tools and we found that he enjoyed the taste of his new saw.

On Wednesday, after lots of hugs and kisses for Bennett, we enjoyed a lovely, and relatively warm, day in DC.  Cheryl always has wonderful suggestions for places to go and things to do.  Every Wednesday, at noon, the Shakespeare Theater has free performances.  We laughed at an hour-long performance by the Clown Cabaret.  Not normally fond of slapstick, we found their Shakepearean-pun-filled performance most enjoyable.

After the show, we walked over to the American Art Museum/National Portrait Gallery for an exhibit of Matthew Brady’s photographs of the Civil War.  Brady’s pictures brought the reality of war into homes on both sides of the conflict.  An additional exhibit on painting during that time was also excellent.

The next day was our day to spend with Ben.  We took the Metro to the Botanical Garden for a “Snugglers”* tour. 

This tour was on plants and their pollinators.  Dave the entomologist would have loved it.  Ben slept most of the time but we enjoyed it.

*Children three and under carried in back packs or baby bjorn.

It was Valentine’s Day and our gift was spending the evening with a loving boy while his parents had a date night.

The next day was Cheryl’s birthday which we celebrated with a trip to his and Zaidy’s favorite store, Costco.  Last year we discovered a wonderful restaurant in Silver Springs, MD so we returned there for a birthday dinner.  Society was even better the second time.  The steak, lamb and crabs were delicious.  Cheryl ordered an appetizer of fried Mac and Cheese. 

 The birthday bread pudding was fabulous and enough for four people to share.  And the service there was excellent.  We will be back and maybe next time Ben will be awake to join in.