We go east, Sept 26- Oct 5, 2025

November 2, 2025 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We went to Connecticut and Pennsylvania to visit family. There were meetups and restaurant dinners; hikes, art museums, and historical sites; a fair amount of driving, and then the hunt for elusive parking spots in Philly.

9/26 – Portland to southern Connecticut

From my window seat today, I saw Cascade Mountains, Great Lakes, and the Statue of Liberty as we flew into Newark Airport.

Shortly after take off, I had a great view of Mt Adams, with Mt Rainier in the distance.

Close view of the cloud cap on Mt Adams.

For most of the midwest, there was cloud cover, and not many views. But as we approached the Great Lakes, the cloud layer separated into a sheet of puffs, and I knew I had seen them before in the Art Institute of Chicago, as painted by Georgia O’Keeffe!

Clouds over the midwest as we approached the Great Lakes.

Sky above Clouds IV, by Georgia O’Keeffe, 8 feet by 24 feet!

Sky above Clouds IV caption, Art Institute of Chicago

The New York City metropolitan area was glinting in the afternoon sun as we approached the Newark Airport. I even picked out the Statue of Liberty on her Island,

Descending toward Newark; Lady Liberty under the arrow.

We rented a car and drove north on the New Jersey Turnpike toward Connecticut. Oregon is known for its patient and polite drivers. Not so much, New Jersey!

New York City to the east as we drive north on the New Jersey Turnpike.

City view as we cross the Hudson River on the George Washington Bridge.

We made it to Hamden, CT, not far from New Haven, and spent three days with family, friends, and dogs there.

9/28 – Sleeping Giant State Park, CT

This small mountain near Hamden is popular hiking locale. We opted for the three mile Tower Trail, about 600 feet elevation gain. There were a few late wildflowers blooming, and plenty of other people on this 80 degree day. I appreciated the shade! And the first glimmers of fall color.

Trailhead – the trail is a gently graded gravel road.

Wildflowers – asters, silver rod and goldenrod.

A ‘territorial’ view toward Long Island Sound from the top.

9/29 to 30 – Delaware Water Gap, PA

The next day, we drove west to the Pocono Mountains in Pennsylvania, and then spent the following day exploring Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area. After a stop at the Visitor Center, we decided to hike the Tumbling Falls Trail – shady and not too steep, as it was another hot day, and I was still regaining my hiking stamina. It was a pretty hike through oak and pine woodlands.

Visitor Center, Delaware Water Gap. We would see this view of Mt Tammany later in the day.

The Tumbling Falls Trail – a 3 mile, 400 foot loop, through pine and oak forest.

Lunch view across the Delaware River to the Jersey side.

Tumbling Falls – just a trickle this time of year.

Pickerel Pond, near the trailhead. Again, just the beginning of fall color on the trees.

After our hike, we drove south, to a couple of viewpoints of the Gap.

The road along the Delaware River was like a green tunnel.

We went to the Point of Gap Overlook for this classic view of Mt Tammany, NJ.

Closer view of the Paleozoic rocks on Mt Tammany

Then we drove across the river to the Kittatinny Point Visitors Center.

This sign explains how the Gap formed by stream capture.

Calm and reflective Delaware River at Kittatinny Point.

Mt Minsi to the south, on the Pennsylvania side of the Gap.

As we were driving in the area, we spotted this stone house, ready for Halloween about a month early.

10/1 – Washington Crossing Historic Park, PA

We spent the first part of the day driving to Philadelphia. The Washington Crossing Historical Park on the Pennsylvania side of the Delaware River was a convenient lunch stop.

We crossed the river on an auto bridge, looking toward the Washington Crossing.

The park has wide green fields on both sides of the river – plenty of room for the annual reenactments that happen here.

A plinth tribute to George Washington stands along an avenue, with flags of the colonies.

We sat on a bench to eat our lunch, with this lovely view of the crossing. There is a very nice path along the river, and more construction was underway.

On the night of December 25th, 1776, there was a blinding snowstorm here, and the Delaware River was choked with ice. The Continental Army successfully crossed, despite the conditions, and went on to defeat the Hessians in Trenton.

Today there are only geese and ducks swimming around.

We stepped briefly into the Visitor Center, just long enough to see George, and a nearby plaque honoring Thomas Paine.

“Tyranny, like hell, is not easily conquered.”…words for the ages.

10/1 to 5 – Philadelphia

After lunch, we continued on to Philadelphia. Our son lives near the center of the city, and we stayed in a nearby condo hotel. Over the next few days, we ate in several great restaurants – Thai, Italian, and our first Philly ‘cheese steaks’ (I’m not sure it counts if you opt for vegetarian or chicken versions). We walked to two museums on Franklin Boulevard. It was nice weather, and we really enjoyed our time, especially with the people we got to visit.

On our first day, we got to meet these two cats of Philadelphia, named Cowboy and Ghoul.

We also toured this venue space, that we will visit again next summer.

View to the Delaware River from the Pen Ryn Estate.

And we met this artful zebra(?) in our hotel lobby.

10/2 – Barnes Foundation

We walked to the Barnes Foundation, an art museum on Franklin Parkway that is particularly known for its enormous collection of Impressionist Art, especially by Renoir. The collection is displayed without placards, and arranged in settings that juxtapose many different artists and media in each room. One must scan the art with a phone to find out the maker or context. The collector, Albert C. Barnes (1872-1951), acquired this art after making a fortune in pharmaceuticals, and he created his foundation to provide art education for everyone. I admired much of the work, and if I lived in the area, I could become familiar with the many types of art and artists on display. For a casual walk through, I found it a bit overwhelming to have to interface through my phone to learn about the art and artists.

Walking toward the Barnes Foundation on Franklin Parkway

Artwork arranged in ensembles chosen by Barnes.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Autumn Landscape, c. 1884.

Pierre-Auguste Renoir. Bois de la Chaise,1892.

Paul Cézanne. The Allée at Marines, 1898.

Paul Cézanne. Mont Sainte-Victoire,1892–1895.

Georges Seurat. Entrance of The Port of Honfleur, 1886.

Walking by the reflecting pool again, on the way out.

And of course, we visited ‘The Thinker’ again, at the nearby Rodin Museum, before walking back to our hotel.

As we walked around for these two days, I admired the juxtaposition of old and new buildings, and of many huge murals on the sides of some of the buildings.

Another giant mural on an older building

10/3 – Calder Gardens

The next day, we planned to meet some cousins in the afternoon, and to visit a new museum on Franklin Parkway, dedicated entirely to the art of Alexander Calder (1898-1976). Calder, from Philadelphia, is particularly known for three dimensional mobile and stabile sculptures, made of wire and steel. His works are displayed both indoors, and in the outdoor garden grounds.

The museum is partially below ground level, set in a newly landscaped outdoor gardens with paths and sculptures. The outdoor wall of the museum is reflective, presenting distorted views of both the garden and the city scape.

Some of the sculptures are in lower level outdoor galleries, accessible from within the museum.

This sculpture (The Cock’s Comb, 1960) is near the museum entrance.

Once inside, there is a balcony that overlooks the lower galleries. It seems an effective way to display both hanging and standing sculptures. And it is interesting to be able to see them from various angles.

Both of these sculptures have the same inspiration. Black Widow, 1948 (hanging); Black Widow, 1959.

Looking back toward the balcony from below.

There were many colorful paintings in the lower gallery. I love the bright colors and organic shapes!

William Penn, 1888, by Alexander Milne Calder. This is a smaller version of the bronze William Penn Statue atop the Philadelphia City Hall, which was created by Alexander Calder’s grandfather.

After our museum visit, we walked around in the Passyunk neighborhood, and found an Italian Restaurant for another delicious dinner.

10/4 – Valley Forge, PA

We visited Valley Forge Historic Site, where George Washington’s army of 12,000 people camped during the winter of 1777-1778. This park is huge, encompassing 3500 acres. There are miles of walking trails, and bike and horse paths. We looked at reconstructed cabins and defensive structures, the National Memorial Arch, and George Washington’s Headquarters.

Map of Valley Forge; sites we visited circled in pink.

A redoubt, or defensive structure. Note the city skyline in the distance.

Reconstructed cabins; each provided accommodation for 12 soldiers.

The National Memorial Arch, dedicated in 1917.

Tours of this building were unavailable today due to the government shut down.

Unfortunately, none of the buildings or Visitor Centers were open, and it was too hot to stay outside. We went to nearby King of Prussia to find a cold beverage, and then to meet up with our soon to be in-laws for dinner. What I didn’t expect was that I would see Valley Forge from the air during our flight home tomorrow.

10/5 – Philly to Chicago, then PDX

I had great views on our flight to Midway Airport, Chicago. Once we left Philadelphia, I realized we were flying over Valley Forge. Having been there the day before, I recognized the road pattern and the Schuylkill River.

Goodbye to Philadelphia and the Delaware River.

George Washington’s Headquarters on the Schuylkill River.

We flew on, over lots of checkerboard farm fields, and rivers cutting through the folded landscape. I also got a good look at Cleveland and Chicago (and their giant football arenas!)

Looking down on Cleveland, on the shore of Lake Erie, with the Cuyahoga River winding through.

Closer view as we descend to Midway Airport.

Our connecting flight to Portland was after sunset, so I didn’t see much. I thought about watching the earth go by beneath me from the air; all the baseball diamonds and soccer fields, farms and towns, all the people down there going about their day while I fly above. It gives me perspective about my tiny place in this great big world. Overall it was an enjoyable trip, especially for the family connections reinforced and new connections made.

TO NC, MD, and PA, March 8 to 16, 2024

April 23, 2024 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

We visited east-coast relatives in March, beginning with seeing our daughter in Durham, North Carolina, during the first part of her spring break.

March 8th – We flew to Raleigh, via Atlanta, an all day “adventure”, including cancellations, changing airlines and schedules at the last minute, and arriving after midnight, all of the tedium of flying. We had spectacular views, always the best part of the airplane experience.

Mt Hood and the Columbia River

The Grand Tetons

Midwestern farm fields

Gullies and fields

March 9 and 10 – We spent two days with our daughter, exploring her new home in Durham, and at Duke University, where she will be studying for the next five years. She is in a math-heavy field, and was given an extremely time consuming problem set at the last minute, even though it was supposed to be a break, so we spent part of the time exploring the Sarah Duke Gardens on our own. We loved getting a feel for her new home, sharing meals and a few errands, and seeing the early spring in a place I have never been before.

Downtown Durham

Duke University

The Sarah Duke Gardens were a popular spot on this beautiful spring day.

Duke Garden, NC

March 11 to 13 – We rented a car and drove north through Virginia to Baltimore. Trees were mostly still bare, and I was once again impressed by the utter flatness of the coastal plain as it dips gently to the sea on the trailing edge of the continent. I have to admit that I miss western topography.

Driving north through Virginia.

In Baltimore, we visited cousins, and shared meals, and also had time to visit Fort McHenry, the Baltimore Waterfront and the Walters Art Museum.

Fort McHenry:

Fort McHenry

Walking to the Fort site, we could see the outer harbor, including the Francis Scott Key Bridge, that would tragically collapse the next week.

Reproduction cannons surround the fort.

The fort sits in a recessed area.

Reproduction barracks have exhibits about life in the fort.

We visited several of the buildings,

including ammunition storage bunkers.

After lunch, we took a short walk around Baltimore Inner Harbor.

Inner Harbor

It was a beautiful spring day!

Tall ships

More museums we didn’t have time to explore.

Reflection of the harbor.

The next day, we had a brief visit to the Walters Art Museum – which includes an opulent mansion that became part of the museum.

The Walters Museum

View of Baltimore from the Mezzanine

Faberge Eggs

Peacock

Spiral staircase, going up…

Going down…

Tribute to an enslaved woman who worked in the mansion.

Art from all over the world…

Interior galleries

More Baltimore street art outside the museum…

March 13 to 15 – Philadelphia – Our son has been living in the Central City area for a year and a half now. He likes it quite well, has found his people, and is running his business successfully.

View of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge from our Philadelphia hotel room

Benjamin Franklin Bridge

We walked to the Philadelphia Art Museum, where we spent a couple of hours enjoying the visual arts.

City Hall

Across Love Plaza; the horse brigade was having a photo session that morning.

Looking up Benjamin Franklin Parkway to the Art Museum, about a mile and a half walk.

We paused outside The Rodin Museum…

to look at The Thinker

Lovely daffodils in bloom.

And of course we stopped to look at the “Rocky” statue before walking up the steps.

Still walking toward the Art Museum…

Rocky Statue

Inside, there was so much to choose from – we started in the American Galleries…

Georgia Okeeffe

American paintings

Basketry

Tiffany Glass

Glass ware

Shaker woodworking

We also spent time in the Impressionism Gallery…

One of many Monet paintings in the Impressionism Gallery.

My favorite exhibit was the Gee’s Bend Quilts. I love their bold graphic and improvisational nature. I didn’t realize they were here in this museum, so the exhibit was a happy surprise for me.

After about two hours we went out through the northern doors. My wonky hip was starting to complain, so we took a Lyft back to the Reading Market for lunch. In the evening, we drove out to West Philly for an Ethiopian dinner.

Waiting for our Lyft outside the Art Museum

Reading Terminal Market

We saw more art while walking around in Philadelphia – giant street murals:

On Friday, we took a walk along the Delaware River in the morning after a lovely brunch with our son and his partner.

Cherry Street Pier

Walking through the pier

Under the Benjamin Franklin Bridge

Looking back shoreward

The Weaver’s Knot, shimmering in the breeze

Next, we drove south along the Delaware River to spend one night with cousins in Kennett Square, PA. It was interesting to see the progress they have made as they rewild their five acres.

Cherry trees blooming

Handmade quilt

German chocolate cake

Cat of PA

March 16 – The next morning, we took a short walk at State Line Preserve before heading back to the airport for our flight home.

We flew home through Denver – a long day of sitting, then a brisk mile and a half walk in the terminal to our next gate, then another flight home.

Flying into the Denver Airport – skyscrapers of the city, and snow on the Front Ranges in the distance.

It was good to see all the dear people who live so far away, and it was good to be home in Portland, where our spring flowers were blooming.

Italy 2023, part 3, Dolomite Mountains, Tre Cime area

October 10, 2023October 10, 2023 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

July 2nd to 4th, 2023 – Sesto Dolomites, hotel in Dobbiaco. The first few days of our tour we had cloudy and rainy weather, but still completed three awesome hikes, with plenty of time to admire wildflowers, and to appreciate the stunning views that occasionally appeared in the brighter weather windows.

Our three hikes in the Tre Cime area area

#1. July 2 – Rifugio Citta di Carpi – We drove from Bressanone past Lake Misurina to the Refugio Col di Varda (6950′). We rode up to our first trail in an open two person chair lift, above an amazing array of wildflowers in the tangled vegetation beneath us. We hiked up through damp forest and open meadows that were completely full of wildflowers – so many that we kept stopping to take pictures. Green lumpy meadows completely spangled with bright yellow globes, buttercups, cinquefoil and trefoil; pink alpenrose, valerian and daphne; purple orchids, clematis and gentians. We had our first Rifugio lunch at the Refugio Citta di Carpi. As we walked back down our trail, the clouds cleared enough for us to see the mountain views we had missed on the way up. And back at the bottom, we could see all the way across Lake Misurina. A very fun, damp first day. (5.6 miles/1300 feet)

Map of our trail from Col di Varda to Citta di Carpi.

Trail from the top of the chair lift

Flowers in the forest

Flowers in the meadows

Along the dolomite path toward cloud-covered peaks…

Purple orchid and buttercup meadows.

Up the rocky trail…

Nearing the Rifugio, peaks coming out of the clouds.

Flowers all the way…

So many different kinds of flowers!

Avens, buttercups,

Alpenrose, globes,

Avens and yellow trefoils…

Avens, alpenrose,

And more flowers…

Valerian, Buttercups, forget-me-nots?

Gentian and daisy

Buttercups, orchid

Salvia

Blue gillia?

Orchid

Eventually we reached the Rifugio for lunch –

Rifugio Citti di Carpi

After lunch, we could see the surrounding mountains a little better as we descended back to the chair lift that would take us back to Lake Misurina.

Mountains beyond the clouds and flowers

More flower meadow and peaks

Close up of the Cadini peaks

Cirque wall

Looking down on Lake Misurina from the descending chair lift

Lake Misurina

Later that evening the clouds cleared more, and we could see the Cadini from our hotel in Dobbiaco…

View of the Cadini from our hotel.

#2. July 3 – Tre Cime – Our bus took us from our hotel in Dobbiaco to Refugio Auranzo. We hiked up to Refugio Locatelli, mostly in clouds. After lunch, as we circled back to our starting point, we finally saw the Tre Cime, or three chimneys. We also saw a million flowers, bedded dolomite, and glacial cirques. The rain started again just as we reached the bus. A hard hike for me, on tired legs from yesterday. (7.3 miles, 1500 feet)

Trail sign, with our locations highlighted. Purple are Rifugios, and Blue is the Tre Cime Massif we are hiking around, and trying to see through the clouds.

We passed this Alpine Chapel on the first part of our walk.

Then we passed the Rifugio Lavaredo, still not seeing many views.

Trail junction.

Now hiking toward the Rifugio Locatelli…

Green, flower-filled meadows along our way,

and flowers on the rocky slopes as well.

Some clearing, but we seem to be walking into the clouds.

At last, we can see the Rifugio Locatelli through the mist on the skyline,

And some of the craggy peaks nearby.

Fractured dolomite in the switchback cliffs heading up to the Rifugio

Rifugio Locatelli, our lunch stop.

Patio dining, hoping for a view of the Tre Cime.

Small lakes in the valley on the other side of the Rifugio.

After lunch, we started our return loop. We could see the trail we had taken in the morning,

and our trail down through the cirque and up the other side (blue arrow). The Tre Cime are mostly behind the clouds.

Zooming in on the bedded dolomites in the face of one of the Tre Cime cliffs.

Crossing the green, wildflower filled cirque,

with partial views to the valley below

Plenty of wildflowers along the way.

Up on the shoulder on the other side, looking back to the Rifugio Locatelli, and our day’s journey. A little more clearing.

The cliffs we walked under in the morning.

A little while later, we finally had an almost clear view of the Tre Cime, for about ten minutes!

Some of the other surrounding peaks we had yet to see.

As we continued hiking, we passed one last mountain hut – the Manga Langalm.

Vertical dipping rocks along the trail

And one last view of our day, before we hiked out of this view, and finished our hike back at the Rifugio Auronzo in yet another cloud burst.

A selection of the day’s wildflowers…

avens

gentian

primula

campion

linaria

trumpet gentian,

potentilla

Trail sign with local flower names.

# 3. July 4 – Rifugio Fonda Savio – On the drive to our hike today, we passed the Tre Cime view point and got a great view of the peaks we had hiked around yesterday from the bus.

View of the Tre Cime from the bus.

GPS Track of our hike to Rifugio Fonda Savio.

From our trailhead, we walked through the meadows of the Pian dei Spiriti, and then up a rocky dolomite trail, and along a cirque, through green grassy meadows full of flowers. The trail passed under the pulley that hauled our lunch up to the Refugio. Some of our group hiked down the steep side, with cable railings along the trail. The rest of us returned the way we came, but with better views as the skies cleared a bit. We saw rock climbers and all the mountains and flowers, and more clouds but no rain. (5.5 miles, 1800 feet)

Our trail goes between the two peaks into the Ciadin dei Tocci.

Looking back, we can see a wide panorama, thanks to our clear skies today.

The cable in the foreground goes up to the Rifugio

Trail upward into the cirque, lined with flowers.

We passed under the pulley carrying Rifugio supplies upward.

Panorama of our surroundings

And a closer look at some of the peaks beyond.

First view of the Rifugio on our trail up the cirque

So many flowers!

Backward view again, on a rest stop.

Sun on this mountain

Avens along the Rifugio trail

The last rocky pitch up to our lunch stop, with flag flying above.

Delicious lunch at the Rifugio Fonda Savio.

After lunch we climbed to the ridge above the Rifugio,

then up to the flag pole, and looked out at the views on the other side.

View on the other side to the Val de la Cianpedele.

Some of our group started down the iron trail on the other side, and they would rendezvous with us at the bottom.

Close up – you can see the trail-side cable they are holding on to.

The rest of us returned the way we came, admiring rocky peaks and flowers all the way down, and trails not taken. There are a lot of other options here.

Starting down past the pulley infrastructure, with raven.

Down the dolomite path.

Rock climbers in some of the cracks above us.

Flowers and peaks…

Flowers and peaks..

And more flowers…

columbine

daphne

alpenrose and clematis

gentian

gentian, globes

orchids, salvia

orchid

poppy

We had enjoyed this day, with no rain, and were looking forward to clearer skies as we moved westward for our next few days of hiking.

Italy 2023, part 2: Bressanone

August 27, 2023October 9, 2023 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

June 30th and July 1, 2023 – We took the Eurocity Express train from Innsbruck to Bressanone, a two hour journey. Our train car was crowded with both passengers and luggage, and I could only catch small glimpses of the scenery in Brenner Pass, which is supposed to be spectacular. Once in Bressanone, we checked in to our hotel, then wandered around the town that evening and again the next day.

Our hotel, just across the Eisack River Bridge from the center of Bressanone

Downstream view from the bridge

Upstream view toward Bressanone

Entering town along the Via Ponte Aquila

Roof detail

Walking on beautifully geometric cobblestone streets

The Piazza Duomo in the center of town is surrounded by historic buildings:

Entering the Piazza Duomo

The Town Hall

The town symbol is a lamb, here interpreted in flowers

The Cathedral, originally built in the 10th century, with Baroque modifications in the 1700’s.

Cathedral

Cathedral

Piazza

I love the curved roof tiles and colored window panes…

We passed the Millenium Column on our way to the Hofgarten:

Millenium Column (1909) with Lamb mascot

Hofgarten Entrance

Hofgarten

Lilies and rudbeckia

View across the Hofgarten

Another Hofgarten view

Decorative gates near the Hofgarten

After a stop for gelato in the Piazza, we visited the Apothecary/Pharmacy Museum.

Inside the Apothecary Museum…

Old medicine jars

Very old books with illustrations of plants used for medicines

We crossed back over the river to our hotel, looking eastward toward the Dolomite Mountains, our destination for the next ten days…

Looking east toward the mountains…

That evening, we met our tour group at the hotel and set our agenda for the first few days of our tour.

Location Map for our hikes in the Dolomite Mountains. Blue suitcases circled in pink are hotel locations; Green flags circled in red are hike locations.

We would be heading east to the Sesto Dolomites, and staying in Dobbiaco for the next three nights.

Austria and Italy, 2023, part 1

August 9, 2023 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

June 23 to July 14th….We went on a covid-postponed hiking tour of the Dolomite Mountains of Italy, preceded by a few acclimatization days in Innsbruck, Austria. The destination was a goal trip for my husband. This was my first trip to continental Europe. I was trepidatious about the amount of hiking (would my knees hold out?), language barriers, transport, covid, all of it. But it all turned out fairly well. We saw amazing scenery and wildflowers, ate delicious food, made some new friends, and despite a few transit delays and confusion, returned safely. Now I am home in the Pacific Northwest that I love, and recovered from the jet lag that I find so disorienting. I am thinking about our adventures, and adding my experiences of a new place into my world view. As I have found before, I wish I had more international experience at a younger age – it would be easier on the body. But I am glad we went, and I will enjoy many memories from this trip for a long time.

Part 1: Austria-

We flew from Portland, Oregon, to Newark, New Jersey, to Frankfort, Germany. There were unexplained delays in Newark, so we missed our connecting flight flight to Innsbruck. After sleepwalking back and forth for two miles on the concourses between airport terminals, we eventually were rescheduled onto a flight for the next day, and given room and meal vouchers for an airport hotel. The next day (June 25th), we flew into Innsbruck, admiring the mountains on either side of the city as the plane descended into the valley.

Descending into Innsbruck.

We were staying on the 12th floor of a hotel on the south end of town, with excellent views.

View of Innsbruck, and the mountains to the north, from our room.

Closer view

Window inspiration for a modern quilt?

View to the south, including the mountain we would ride a gondola up, then hike up, later in the week.

We spent the next few days walking around Innsbruck, and hiking in the adjacent mountains.

Tuesday, June 26th – We rode the Hungerburg Funicular to its upper station, on the slopes of the Karwendel Mountains. We could have continued up higher into the mountains on the Nordkette Gondola, but the weather was not amenable that day. Instead, we took a short hike to the Arzler Alm, a farm with a restaurant, then made our way back down to the funicular station before riding back to town. I was still fairly jet lagged, but enjoyed seeing the landscape and stretching my hiking legs a bit.

Looking up toward Hungerburg

Lower Hungerburg station

Hungerburg Funicular at the top station

View back toward Innsbruck from the upper Hungerburg station

Looking up into the mountains along the Nordkette Gondola route

Hiking path above Hungerburg

Arzler Alm

Arzler Alm cows

Riding the funicular back to Innsbruck

Wednesday, June 27th – Another partly rainy day. We wandered some of the streets in the old town and visited the Golden Roof Museum.

The Triumphal Arch from the south

Triumphal Arch from the north

Open streets/pedestrian zone in the old town

Building detail in the old town

Golden Roof Museum

Close up of the golden roof and building ornamentation

The Golden Roof Museum was built in 1494, and was a residence of the Holy Roman Emperor Maximillian I. The museum highlights the life and accomplishments of Maximillian.

Looking out onto the town from the balcony under the Golden Roof

Tile detail

A 400+ year old painting of Innsbruck

Virtual image of us looking out onto Innsbruck

We also walked along the Inn River, and at some point, I walked past a yarn shop and bought some souvenir yarn.

The Inn River

Thursday, June 28th – A beautiful sunny day! We rode the gondola up the Patscherkofel, then hiked about 2 miles/1000 feet, to its top. Although it is capped with communication towers, there are stunning views back toward Innsbruck and the Alps to the north. And we got a taste of the abundant wildflower displays we would see during the rest of our trip.

Gondola up the Patscherkofel

Fields of yellow wildflowers

Looking back toward Innsbruk

Blooming alpenrose all the way up the mountain

Some of the giant communication towers at the top

Looking down from the top to the west,

And to the east

Hiking down

A selection of wildflowers:

gentian

daisies

avens

cinquefoil

orchid

Friday, June 29th – We took the train south from Innsbruck to Bressanone, Italy, to begin our hiking tour – to be described in future posts.

Philadelphia…April 2023

May 16, 2023 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

April 10 – 17, 2023 – One of our sons relocated to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, last year. I had never been there before, so was curious to see his new home, and to see some of the locations of significance in the founding of the United States. We also visited family in rural Pennsylvania, and in Connecticut, while on this trip.

We flew to Newark, about 6 hours nonstop, with views of the still frozen midwest, and the skyline of New York City.

Snow in the Midwest, April 10, 2023

New York City skyline, as we descend to the Newark Airport

We rendezvoused with our daughter at the airport, as she was joining us for a day. We drove across the Delaware River from New Jersey into Pennsylvania at the Washington Crossing Bridge.

Washington famously crossed the Delaware River at this location.

View from the bridge

Our son is living in the Center City neighborhood.

Center City, Philadelphia, at dusk.

Center City nighttime lights

Our hotel was in nearby Old City. We walked through the historic district several times over the next few days, touring the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall and other historical sites. We had beautiful, sunny, almost too hot, weather, with lots of trees and flowers in bloom.

Independence National Historical Park

Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell Center beyond the sign

Independence Hall

The clock tower

Independence Hall

Pennsylvania Supreme Court Chamber

Assembly Room, where the Declaration of Independence and Constitution were signed.

We walked through the Benjamin Franklin Court, where his home had been:

Entrance to Franklin Courtyard

Steel ghost structure of Benjamin Franklin’s home, with modern buildings beyond

Tulips in full bloom outside the museum

Historic buildings still exist on one side of the courtyard

Neon Franklin

We walked walked past the Betsy Ross House

where Betsy Ross sewed the first American flag,

on our way to Elfreth’s Alley Museum:

Random billboard of blue sky and clouds near the entrance to Elfreth’s Alley

Elfreth’s Alley – considered to be the oldest continuously occupied street in America.

View down the Elfreth’s Alley

Old brickwork in Elfreth’s Alley.

The Liberty Bell – We waited in line about twenty minutes to see the exhibits, and the bell, from inside the museum. We also got beautiful views from the exterior as we walked by in the evening.

One of many displays inside the museum

The Liberty Bell

The crack

Evening view, with reflections of Independence Hall

Evening view, with tulips

Honeysuckle on the portico

We went to several other popular sites while walking around :

Reading Terminal Market, where we had a delicious lunch one day.

We had gelato at the Italian Market, and passed this yarn shop, with creative window display:

Philadelphia Magic Gardens – I think this was my favorite place we visited – for sensory overload of creativity, color and beauty. The mosaic-transformed ruin of a building, started as a movement against neighborhood demolition for freeway building, has spilled out onto other local buildings. Contagious and delightful!

Signage

Open air courtyard

Courtyard roofline, with bottles and bicycle spokes

Down stairs

One of many lower passageways

Tiled walls

Back up more stairs

Face and china

Lace doilies

Swirls

More swirls

Radiating reflections

Floor tiles – reminded me of medieval floor tiles in Winchester Cathedral.

Delaware River Walk – On our balmy last evening, we walked a loop along the Delaware River, passing the Cherry Street Pier, then back up Market Street. It seemed a fitting end to a couple of lovely spring days in Philadelphia.

Benjamin Franklin Bridge to New Jersey, over the Delaware River

Weavers Knot sculpture

Cherry Street Pier

Market Street

Our son is enjoying life in the city center. It was not as crowded or loud as New York City, which was what I was expecting. The famous Art Museum was closed so we will put that on our list for our next visit.

April 13th – John Heinz Wildlife Refuge – We left the city the next morning, to visit relatives who live in a rural part of Pennsylvania. Along the way, we stopped at the John Heinz Wildlife Refuge, only a short way from the city, close to the airport and other industrial locations, yet a beautiful slice of reclaimed wildlife habitat. We stretched our legs on a short walk, and saw a few turtles and geese.

April 14, Mt Cuba Center, Delaware – The Mt Cuba Center is an estate that was developed from farmland to preserve native plants. It is not far from our cousin’s home. They are interested in adding more native plants to their landscape, so this was an instructive as well as beautiful walk on a hot day.

The manor house, with tulips

Some of the paths are more manicured,

and some are wilder.

Redbud in bloom

A pond and gazebo

We were delighted to find a whole section devoted to various species of trillium, and they were in bloom!

And before, we leave Pennsylvania, I present the cats:

April 15 – On to Connecticut. We said farewell to our Pennsylvania cousins, and drove north, back through Philadelphia, and eventually over the Tappan Zee Bridge to Connecticut.

The Tappan Zee Bridge, over the Hudson River, north of New York City.

We enjoyed a few relaxed family days in Connecticut.

Dog of Connecticut

April 17 – We drove back to Newark for our flight home to Portland.

View from the airplane window – a lot of snow has melted in the midwest during the past week. April 17, 2023

Shenandoah National Park, October 2022

December 27, 2022 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

During our Washington DC trip, we spent three days in the middle of the week exploring the Shenandoah Mountains of Virginia.

Location Map for our Shenandoah National Park trip.

10/25 – First Looks

We drove west, toward the Shenandoah Mountains, admiring the fall colors along the way.

Westbound on Hwy 211

We entered the park at Thornton Gap. We stopped at a few overlooks on Skyline Drive before checking into our room at the Skyland Resort.

Tunnel Parking Overlook

Buck Hollow Overlook

Jewell Hollow Overlook

Jewell Hollow Overlook

10/26 – Hawksbill Summit, Deer Hollow Falls, a gorgeous sunset

The misty morning gave way to a few sun breaks.

Crescent Rock Overlook

Crescent Rock Overlook

We decided to hike the Hawksbill-Salamander-Appalachian Trail Loop and hope for the best.

Hawksbill Summit Trailhead, nest in the tree hollow

Upward into the mist…

Hawksbill Summit was fogged in, but while we ate our lunch, the clouds cleared, and we had a lovely westward view to the Shenandoah River Valley.

Shelter near the summit

The last section of trail

Disappointing summit views…

The mist began to rise…

More sun breaks and color…

Shenandoah River Valley

Beautiful foliage

and more clearing…

Foliage color wash

We descended via the Salamander Trail, to an intersection with the Appalachian Trail, which we walked along for about a mile.

Appalachian Trail Junction

Walking along the west side of Hawksbill

We could see the summit crags through the bare trees.

Red foliage and scree slopes.

The Hawksbill hike was about 2.7 miles, 600 feet. After our hike, we stopped at the Big Hollow Visitor Center and learned a bit about the history of the park. Then we hiked about 3 miles to Dark Hollow Falls from the Rose River Trailhead, once again, admiring the foliage colors, and then the tiers of the waterfall.

Rose River Trail

Rose River Trail

Dark Hollow Falls, lower tier

pool between tiers

Dark Hollow Falls, upper tiers

Later in the afternoon, we stopped at Tanners Ridge Overlook, just south of Big Meadow.

Tanners Ridge Overlook

Shenandoah Valley from Tanners Ridge

We noticed the clouds and sunbeams were looking promising for a great sunset. We hurried to The Point Overlook, known for excellent vistas. For the next hour, the rolling waves of mountain silhouettes, clouds and sunbeams put on a stunning display, nearly impossible to capture (but we tried!)

10/27- Old Rag hike from Berry Hollow

Old Rag (3274′) is a craggy mountain to the east of the main ridge of Shenandoah National Park, and a popular hiking destination. This was our longest hike for the week (6 miles, 1750 feet). The trailhead was about an hour’s drive from our lodging. We had purchased limited access permits online ahead of time, and passed three ranger check points along the trail. Many hikers choose the challenging Ridge scramble trail up the eastern rocky slopes. We opted for the slightly shorter, nonscrambly route from the Berry Hollow Trailhead.

Old Rag, as seen from the road to the trail head

Berry Hollow Trailhead

We hiked upward through beautiful fall foliage.

The lower trail follows roads

Old Rag Shelter, the rockier trails begin here

yellow foliage

A glimpse of the top

Through the slabs

Another view toward the summit, and an overhanging boulder

Large slab just below the summit, where we stopped for a lunch break.

The summit is covered with rocky boulders and slabs that more intrepid hikers scrambled up. We settled for circling the perimeter, and viewing the landscape to the west, north and east.

Panorama of the Shenandoah Mountains from Old Rag Summit

The scar of Skyline Drive is visible along the ridgeline

Colorwash of foliage…

Green, yellow, orange, red

Rocky outcrops on the summit

Panning to the east

The flat eastern seaboard comes into view

Farther east

Balancing boulder

Berries along the downward trail

We returned the way we came, the steep downward trail challenging to my recently injured knee, but we made it, thank you hiking poles!

Shelter below the summit

Last view toward the top

And back through the colorful forest

We drove back up to Skyline Road and stopped at the Old Rag Overlook, to look back at where we had been:

Old Rag from the Old Rag Overlook on Skyline Drive

Zooming closer

and closer

This was a successful trip. We wanted to see the fall foliage. The peak foliage was a little past at the top of the mountains, especially in Big Meadow, but was still sweeping in waves down the slopes, and is much more colorful than what we see in our home evergreen forests in Oregon.

The next morning we stopped for a last look from the Buck Hollow Overlook before driving back to Washington DC…

View from Buck Hollow Overlook

Washington DC, October 2022

December 21, 2022 / margaretquilts / Leave a comment

We flew to Washington DC for the last week of October, to visit our daughter. We took a midweek trip to the Shenandoah Mountains to see fall colors and hike while she was working. There is always so much to see in our nations’ capital. We visited all three branches of government, several museums, had some delightful meals with our daughter and her friends, and also visited some cousins in Maryland. Plenty of scope for thought, and art to appreciate, on this trip.

10/21 – Flying east –

We had cloud cover until after the Rockies. From my window seat, I watched the land beneath me change from the flat patchwork of the agricultural midcontinent to the wrinkles of Appalachia.

Possibly Iowa?

Wisconsin?

Lake Michigan

Ohio? large power plant on a river

Pennsylvania? wind mills on the ridges

Swooping into National Airport over the Mall – Lincoln Memorial

Potomac River, Washington Monument, Jefferson Memorial, and the Capitol

10/22 – National Portrait Gallery, and Alexandria, VA

On Friday we had some business downtown, then had time for a brief visit to the National Portrait Gallery.

Chinatown Gate

My daughter wanted to show us the new portraits of the Obamas. Unfortunately, they were on loan to another museum, but we did visit some favorite presidents:

This Shepard Fairey portrait of Barack Obama was in the place of the official portraits.

John F. Kennedy by Elaine de Kooning

Abraham Lincoln

George Washington

I also found a few women to admire:

Eleanor Roosevelt

The Four Justices, by Nelson Shanks. Sonia Sotomayor, Elena Kagen, Sandra Day O’Connor, and Ruth Bader Ginsberg

After driving through a slow traffic jam that provided a great view of the Washington Monument from every angle, we followed the traffic out of town, and ended up at the Alexandria Waterfront, where we found a delicious Thai dinner on an outdoor patio overlooking the Potomac River.

Washington Monument

Alexandria River Walk

“Virginia is for Lovers” – we saw a formally dressed wedding party pose for pictures here, among the many people taking selfies by this sign.

10/24 – Old Ellicott City, MD

During our stay with cousins in Baltimore we visited Old Ellicott City on the Patapsco River. This city dates back to the 1600s, and is famous for its historic mill, railroads, and frequent flooding. The architecture reminds me of towns I’ve seen in England. Recent flooding repairs are ongoing. The town is known for public art, though being a Monday, most shops and museums were closed.

Mural and sculpture

Old brick work

Public mosaic, made from objects collected from the riverbed.

Steep streets above the river

Patapsco River

Fall color

B&O Railroad Museum

Bricks and siding

Ellicott’s Mills

Shop windows showed Halloween decorations. Pumpkins made of many media caught my eye: ceramic, glass, wire, beaded, painted, fabric, even knitted!

We spent the next three days in Shenandoah National Park, to be described in the next post.

10/28 – The Supreme Court, The Library of Congress, the US Capitol, the National Museum of the American Indian

On Friday afternoon, we returned to DC and set out to see more sites. Our first stop was the Supreme Court Building, which I had never been to before.

The Supreme Court Building from across the street.

The plaza has two large fountains.

We walked up the steps to the portico.

View from the top tier back to the Capitol

Looking up between the pillars – light fixture

Ceiling carvings

Window grill

Library of Congress, right next door.

We had time for a quick look around the Library of Congress before our US Capitol tour.

Library of Congress building

Entryway

The main chamber has beautiful marble carvings and murals representing classical literature and scholarship.

There is an upper balcony,

and a beautiful glass ceiling.

There were many exhibits I would have liked to examine in detail, but will have to hope to return another day.

Our daughter’s friend offered us a Capitol tour. I had been once before, more than ten years ago. There is so much to see in this building – I was glad to go again. We began in one of the Congressional office buildings, then were escorted through underground tunnels and security checkpoints to the Visitor Center.

Side dome, where media interviews are given

Dome ceiling

Skylight with view to the Capitol Dome, and the Statue of Freedom on top.

The main hall of the Visitor Center has lots of space for tour groups, and a selection of statues of famous Americans.

U.S. Capitol Visitor Center

Helen Keller

Sarah Winnemucca

Sojourner Truth

Replica of the Statue of Freedom on the top of the building

Statue of Freedom

Next we passed the original Supreme Court Chambers.

Original Supreme Court Chambers

with Original Clock. Much of what is in this room has been replicated.

We also passed a giant bust of President Lincoln on our way to the main Rotunda.

The main Rotunda is massive, and nearly impossible to photograph. Our guide said the Statue of Liberty would fit in this space.

Paintings, carvings, friezes…

Ceiling carvings, windows, painting

Close up of the center of the dome.

The Frieze of American History circles the upper level

Upper gallery, special tours only.

Paintings all around the lower level,

and more statues – Lincoln again.

Pioneers for Women’s Suffrage

Our next stop was The Old Senate Chamber.

The Old Senate Chamber

Replica of the original desk

Intricate floor tiles

Speaker’s Office

We didn’t go into the active chambers – but it was pointed out to us where the building had been repaired after the January 6th insurrection. Next we walked through Statuary Hall. Here are a few of the women represented there:

Our time was up. We returned to the Office Building where we began, with a stop to see artwork celebrating the western states.

Maps of the western territories

A one hour tour is hardly enough time to begin to see all that the U.S. Capitol building holds. Each wall, floor and ceiling is embedded with meaning, signifying historical events. As we walked through, our guide told us interesting facts about the architecture, the statuary, the building’s history. We could hear other guides emphasizing different aspects of the building. It was a privilege to get to view a slice of it, and I would be willing to go back again, for another view.

And we were not done yet! On our way back to our hotel, we walked through the National Museum of the American Indian, with just enough time to view one exhibit hall:

Entrance to the National Museum of the American Indian

Inner dome – a more modern architecture than the Capitol.

There were many styles of indigenous art on show. We passed these hallway pieces on our way to the gallery with the Preston Singletary exhibit:

Preston Singletary is a Tlingit American artist, who represents traditional stories and subjects using various forms of glass. Part of the gallery was a walk through the story of the raven, and there were many other beautiful pieces on display. :

It was nearly closing time for the museum, so we left without seeing the other galleries – another place I would like to return to. We exited the mall side of the museum.

As we crossed the mall, we got another view of the Capitol, with the current construction scaffolding, and the Washington Monument.

Capitol

Washington Monument. This was Friday afternoon – I think they were setting up for a festival on the weekend.

10/29 – Hirshhorn Museum Sculpture Garden, National Mall, the White House, Potomac River Walk, Flying Home

Our last day in DC was a beautiful sunny fall day so we opted to do outdoor things. We started with a picnic lunch in the Hirshhorn Sculpture Garden, a sunken green space filled with a variety of outdoor art pieces.

View across the garden

The Burghers of Calais by Auguste Rodin

King and Queen by Henry Moore

Double Candle by Stirling Ruby.

This modern glass and steel grid had interesting reflections and transparencies:

Next, we walked across the mall, past the Washington Monument, and then the White House.

Washington Monument

Looking up

Stonework

Looking west to the Lincoln Memorial

North side of the White House

Later, we took a walk along the Potomac River near Mt Vernon before heading to the airport for our flight home.

After we boarded the plane, I could see the quarter moon rising. We flew west, chasing the sunset, with the moon visible over the wing the entire way, until we dipped below the clouds in Oregon.

Quarter moon over the airport…

Rivers of light below,

Quarter moon and sunset still on our horizon.

I was ready to be home, in time for Halloween in Portland.

DC-MD-PA-CT-DC, March 25-April 3, 2022

April 21, 2022October 24, 2023 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

We visited family and friends who live 3000 miles away, most of them not seen since 2019. We flew to National Airport, in Washington, DC, and stayed near our daughter for the first weekend. Then we drove north, and visited folks in Baltimore, rural Pennsylvania, and near New Haven, CT. We returned to DC for the second weekend, before flying home.

I have not spent very much time in the eastern US, so every time I visit I am wide eyed and curious, taking in all the scenery, buildings, and landscapes that are so different from the west. The 300 mile drive from DC to Connecticut is along a low relief coastal plain, gently sloping toward the sea, incised by rivers, and fringed with the bare branches of deciduous trees this time of year. The prominent vertical elements are city skylines. When a highway overpass allowed an elevated view, I could see how vulnerable the coastal plain is to hurricanes – there is so little relief (compared to the west coast) to alter trajectories! That is my old geocuriosity showing up here, and my first time actually driving this route and seeing it with my own eyes…

Friday, March 25 – We left our Washington Cascade peaks behind, flew over the central plains, and arrived with a long distance view of the National Mall. We took the Metro into town and met our daughter at a Peruvian-Sushi-fusion restaurant, followed by gelato, before finding our way to our AirB&B near Columbia Heights.

Mt St Helens and Mt Rainier

Iowa

DC Metro area

National Airport from the Metro

Dinner

Saturday morning we visited a local Farmers Market, ate amazing felafels, then took the Metro to the National Mall. This was the second weekend of the cherry blossom festival, and the trees were in bloom. After a quick look at the very crowded Tidal Basin, we decided to walk east up the Mall.

Farmers Market

Cherry blossoms

Looking across the Tidal Basin to the Jefferson Memorial

Walking past the Washington Monument

A brief stop in the Smithsonian Castle

Kite flyers out on the Mall on this windy day.

Zoom in on the Capitol

We visited the National Gallery of Art.

Azaleas in the Foyer

Knitters!

Western landscape

Sunday, we visited an Art Fair at the Kennedy Center REACH – again so cold and windy we were glad to eat lunch in the sheltered cafe nearby that looks toward the Kennedy Center out of one set of windows, and toward Roosevelt Island on the Potomac on the other side. Then we said goodby to our daughter for the week and drove north to Baltimore to see cousins there.

Kennedy Center

A new Kennedy statue near the REACH complex

President Kennedy

Nordic Swan sculpture near the Art Fair; the swan is made of more than 300 upcycled plastic buckets.

Monday afternoon we headed north again, this time to rural Pennsylvania, just north of Wilmington, Delaware. We had snow squall warnings on our phone just as we arrived at our destination. This cold spell was not in the weather predictions when we packed for our trip! Our cousins in PA have a lovely old home with an amazing kitchen, and we spent lots of time there, with a sight seeing break to see an old oak tree and a walk in a nature preserve.

Good news about boosters, bad news about the weather.

Pennsylvania house

Ancient oak tree

Nearby landscape view

A chilly walk at the Laurels Preserve:

Wednesday – On to Connecticut – about a 3.5 hour drive. We visited the New Jersey Palisades just west of the George Washington Bridge. My husband was interested in seeing them, as he had recently been reading about their role in some of the American Revolution battles. I wanted to see the rocks – diabase sills that originated near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge as the North American Continent was slipping away from Europe much longer ago – 200 million years. We both got our wish, and this was a perfect place to eat our lunch as we looked south at the skyline of New York City.

George Washington Bridge from the Ross Dock Picnic area, New Jersey

The Palisades

Looking up the Hudson River

New York skyline

Over the bridge…

We had lots of lovely family time in Connecticut, catching up with family and meeting some new members. On Thursday we walked up East Rock with some of my husband’s childhood friends, followed by lunch in New Haven.

East Rock Park

View to New Haven and Long Island Sound

Dog of Connecticut

Friday was the 300 mile drive all the way back to DC, a long stretch of the New Jersey Turnpike, previously only known by me in the Paul Simon song: “We all come to look for America!”… passing the most industrial of views, and also wetlands and natural areas when crossing rivers. It was very efficient for us – we managed to avoid heavy traffic until we arrived in DC at dinnertime.

Back over the George Washington Bridge,

through New Jersey,

Over the Delaware River,

Into the Fort McHenry Tunnel to Baltimore,

Back to Columbia Heights, in DC.

Saturday, we visited the Farmers Market again for more of those delicious felafels, then took a bus to the Mall for a private tour of the Federal Reserve building. We were thoroughly screened by security, then our family member escorted us through the newly refurbished building. We looked at some of the artwork on the walls, took a peek into “the room where it happens”, then admired views from a cubicle window and from the upper balcony and outdoor dining area.

Newly refurbished Federal Reserve Building

Older building across the street is undergoing renovations

Conference room

Cubicle view, Lincoln Memorial in the distance

Wall art (unattributed):

Views from the balcony:

Southwestern view over the Mall

Jefferson Memorial

Southeastern view to the Capitol

Next, we visited the nearby Art Museum of the Americas.

Walking down Virginia Avenue

Art Museum of the Americas

The main exhibit was ‘Mapping The Layers’ by Julio Valdez.

Paintings by Julio Valdez

Painting by Julio Valdez

Beautiful tile work in the Interior Courtyard of the building:

Tilework and a sculpture outside the building:

Some views from the bus on our way back to Columbia Heights:

Sunday we helped with house and bicycle repairs before flying home. On our way to the airport we had time to take a short walk on Roosevelt Island in the Potomac, say Hi! to Teddy, and see a few spring flowers, before our flight.

View from the bridge

Theodore Roosevelt Memorial

Into the woods

Spring flowers

Back over the bridge, looking toward VA.

I had a great view of the Pentagon before flying up through the clouds and toward the setting sun.

Pentagon

It felt very satisfying to reconnect with so many important people in our lives, hopefully, a harbinger of cautious return to the ‘new normal’.

Washington DC, May 20-25, 2021

June 16, 2021June 16, 2021 / margaretquilts / 1 Comment

Last spring (2020) we cancelled a trip to Washington, DC, due to Covid. Our daughter has been working there for two years, and we hadn’t seen her since the 2019 winter holidays. Fully vaccinated, heeding all CDC precautions, and despite predicted high temperatures and a cicada invasion, we finally got to visit her!

May 20 – Flying, Georgetown

We were able to take the five hour nonstop flight from Portland, Oregon, to National Airport, where our daughter met us.

National Mall from the airplane window.

We stopped in Georgetown for al fresco tacos and a walk along the canal and waterfront.

C & O Canal, Georgetown

Georgetown waterfront path, Kennedy Center in the distance.

Then we checked in to our AirB&B lodging in Logan Circle, near our daughter’s apartment.

May 21 – National Mall walk

It was ‘only’ supposed to be 80 degrees today. We went on an 8 mile walk, from Logan Circle, past the White House, the Washington Monument and the Tidal Basin, looking at the monuments along the way.

Walking toward the White House.

Looking north at Black Lives Matter Plaza.

Looking south at Black Lives Matter Plaza.

Approaching the north side of the White House.

Next stop: the Washington Monument on the National Mall.

Looking west across the mall toward the Lincoln memorial.

Our next stop: the Jefferson Memorial, under reconstruction, where we ate our picnic lunch in some nearby shade.

A blue heron flew across our view as we sat on the grass, admiring reflections in the tidal basin.

Two official helicopters flew past, as well. According to our daughter, two helicopters means it is the Vice President’s entourage, three for the President. So that might have been Kamala Harris in one of them.

Inside the Jefferson memorial.

Looking back as we continued walking around the Tidal Basin.

The Capitol in the distance, Jefferson’s profile in the monument.

Our next stop was a series of exhibits documenting the legacy of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt.

FDR, lifesized, in wheelchair.

Tributes to the hardships of the Great Depression in the 1930s.

Panels representing the New Deal Programs that revived the economy.

FDR and his dog, Fala.

The amazing First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt also gets an alcove.

Our next stop was the Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial, new since my only other visit to the capitol in 2008.

The large granite sculpture of Martin Luther King, Jr. was much larger than I expected, a very fitting tribute to his legacy.

By now we were feeling the heat, and I had seen most of the memorials in this area on my previous visit, so we continued toward the Lincoln Memorial, which I wanted to see again.

After crossing Independence Avenue again, we passed by the Korean War Memorial.

The Lincoln Memorial:

That airplane is probably on the same flight path we were on the previous day.

President Lincoln

The Gettysburg Address

View north from the steps

Columns

We still had a couple of miles to walk back to our lodging.

We visited the Viet Nam War Memorial.

We saw the Federal Reserve building on Constitution Avenue.

We sipped cold drinks while walking north toward Dupont Circle.

We caught another glimpse of our Vice President!

After resting from our long walk we enjoyed a takeout Ethiopian dinner.

May 22 – Great Falls National Park

A hot day – into the 90s! We drove about an hour to Great Falls National Park, VA, to see the falls. It was too hot for a serious hike, but we enjoyed the views and some wildlife.

The very calm Potomac River, above the falls.

First viewpoint of the Great Falls of the Potomac River

Downstream from the falls, and a kayaker

Park map

We walked downstream to a few of the viewpoints:

We turned around after looking at Mather Gorge:

Upstream, Mather Gorge

Downstream, Mather Gorge

As we walked back, keeping to shady paths where possible, we spotted some wildlife:

Broad-headed skink, sitting on a log near the trail.

I was very excited to see cardinals for the first time, bathing in the nearby creek while we were eating lunch in the shade. They are very hard to photograph!

Male cardinal

Female cardinal

Despite the heat, we enjoyed our visit to the natural world so near our nation’s capitol.

May 23 – Cicadas of Baltimore

We saw these everywhere, though they were not particularly dense in DC proper. On Sunday, we were invited to visit cousins who live in a green suburb on the northside of Baltimore. Just opening the car door upon arrival, we got the full impact of the sound of cicadas. This short video by my husband captures the sound.

I added in my few other cicada photos here.

Cicada carcasses, Lafayette Square

Cicada ground holes, Great Falls NP

Pharaoh cicada, National Arboretum

May 24 – Smithsonian National History Museum

We were lucky to get reservations for this newly reopened museum. We looked at inspiring exhibits of American innovation and history for a couple of hours.

Arriving at the museum entrance after a slightly rainy walk. Good day to be inside.

Interior views:

Inventions:

Treadle sewing machine

Hair curling device

So many different plastic cup lids!

Pop culture:

Dorothy’s ruby slippers

Julia Child’s Kitchen

Bob Ross

Yankee ticket booth

History of politics and everyday life:

George Washington’s chair

Political signs

Ballot box

An exhibit on the changing house through time illustrated the rigors of laundry.

Helen Keller’s watch

I was surprised to find my own neighborhood depicted in the Transportation exhibit.

I am always on the lookout for interesting textiles, and I found many to admire throughout the exhibits:

Old quilt top in the lobby

First Lady dresses:

So many beads!

Michelle Obama’s dress

Some other old textiles,

and a couple of items that reminded me of my own youth:

We enjoyed our time in the museum, but after while I could not take in any more. I love knowing this representation of our material life is preserved, and I hope to visit again someday.

May 25 – National Arboretum, flying home

Our last day. We drove to the Union Market for lunch.

The Union Market is a converted warehouse, now a food court and entertainment center.

The queen!

The rooftop has lots of room for dining,

and views over the city.

We then wandered around a bit at the National Arboretum.

Repurposed columns from the U.S. Capitol building stand out on a hill in the center of the arboretum.

The National herb garden had some pretty blooms:

It was too hot to go far, but we enjoyed our last day with our daughter.

Our flight home was mostly above clouds until we saw Mt Hood peeking through.

This was a wonderful trip, reuniting with our daughter and getting a flavor for her life in DC. And testing the waters for traveling again in the post-vaccination world. We are looking forward to more adventures as the world opens up, however slowly.

Margaret Quilts

Quilting, Knitting, Hiking

Travel

We go east, Sept 26- Oct 5, 2025

9/26 – Portland to southern Connecticut

9/28 – Sleeping Giant State Park, CT

9/29 to 30 – Delaware Water Gap, PA

10/1 – Washington Crossing Historic Park, PA

10/1 to 5 – Philadelphia

10/2 – Barnes Foundation

10/3 – Calder Gardens

10/4 – Valley Forge, PA

10/5 – Philly to Chicago, then PDX

TO NC, MD, and PA, March 8 to 16, 2024

Italy 2023, part 3, Dolomite Mountains, Tre Cime area

Italy 2023, part 2: Bressanone

Austria and Italy, 2023, part 1

Part 1: Austria-

Philadelphia…April 2023

Shenandoah National Park, October 2022

10/25 – First Looks

10/26 – Hawksbill Summit, Deer Hollow Falls, a gorgeous sunset

10/27- Old Rag hike from Berry Hollow

Washington DC, October 2022

10/21 – Flying east –

10/22 – National Portrait Gallery, and Alexandria, VA

10/24 – Old Ellicott City, MD

10/28 – The Supreme Court, The Library of Congress, the US Capitol, the National Museum of the American Indian

10/29 – Hirshhorn Museum Sculpture Garden, National Mall, the White House, Potomac River Walk, Flying Home

DC-MD-PA-CT-DC, March 25-April 3, 2022

Washington DC, May 20-25, 2021

May 20 – Flying, Georgetown

May 21 – National Mall walk

May 22 – Great Falls National Park

May 23 – Cicadas of Baltimore

May 24 – Smithsonian National History Museum

May 25 – National Arboretum, flying home