2018 Aug 6-8, Metro Streetcar Ride in Little Rock, Arkansas (3 days)

Hubby and I had an enjoyable visit to Little Rock, Arkansas
The people were friendly, and the food was good.
We stayed two nights at the Wyndham Hotel in North Little Rock, which included breakfast.
Our room was on the ground floor, offering a good view of downtown and the Arkansas River bridges. 

The day after we checked in, we rode to the downtown area to find a place to have lunch. David's Burger was closing for the day, so we walked down the block to Big Whiskey's.

Big Whiskey's, where I enjoyed a plate of Hot wings

We walked around downtown, stopping at the Arkansas Studies Institute, where we spoke with the curator.
The building had a vault that, in its heyday, was used to store spices.
Our next stop was the Arkansas Historical Museum, where we saw a collection of Bowie knives, a children's gallery, and contemporary art.
The Pioneer Village had closed up shop for the day.

Bowie Knives

We stopped at General McArthur's Park, where we saw several war markers.
The museum was closed.
We rode behind the museum, where we saw several families of ducklings.

Duckings

We rode to the Arkansas Capitol Grounds, where we saw the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Purple Heart recipients' plaques, a Civil War memorial, and the Firefighters Memorial.
It was getting late as the sun slowly drifted out of sight.
I don't think I could walk another step after all the sightseeing.
We stopped at Wendy's for a quick bite and retired for the day.

Little Rock's Capitol Building 

On the first day, we drove everywhere, and parking cost $1.50 for one hour. To avoid this, we purchased a Metro Streetcar pass for $2.00 each, which allowed us to ride the Metro Streetcar all day. (We bought the tickets at the Historic Arkansas Museum.)

To catch the Streetcar, we had to walk a couple of blocks.  
The drivers were knowledgeable about the area, and the Metro Streetcar was air-conditioned and ran every 20 minutes.

Metro Streetcar

Our first stop was the William J. Clinton Presidential Library, where we saw his 1993 Cadillac Fleetwood limousine, a life-size replica of the Oval Office, and the Cabinet Room as they appeared during Clinton's tenure. 

Oval Office

We stopped outside the Clinton School of Public Service to take a few pictures, and then we walked to the nearby Heifer International Building. 

We were greeted at the door by a curator at the Heifner building.
The curator provided us with a brief description of the Heifer Company and its origins, which began with just a cup of milk.
At the Heifer International village and farm, we visited their vegetable garden and saw the farm animals. 
At Cafe Heifer, we ordered oatmeal raisins,  macadamia cookies, and water.
We saw several turtles in the wetlands, and the gardeners were pulling up plants that had stopped bearing vegetables. 

Heifer Garden 

We took the Metro Streetcar to the 1836 Old State House Museum, which is free to visit. The museum features three levels of artifacts, including hand-stitched African quilts and American Indian relics. 

Old State House

We took the Metro Streetcar to the River Market District, got off, and walked to David's Burgers, where we enjoyed a dressed hamburger and all the fries you can eat for lunch. (They are only open for lunch).

River Market 

Just a few blocks away was the Museum of Discovery, where we explored the physics and chemistry of the natural phenomenon that was Little Rock's 1999 twister in Tornado Alley.

Little Rock, 1999, Twister in Tornado Alley.

On the Streetcar, we met an older man who was treating four of his eleven grandchildren to a ride.
It was extremely hot, so it was nice to hop on a cool Metro Streetcar instead of a hot car.
Storms were brewing throughout Arkansas in the late evening, and we even received some rain. 

Storm Clouds over the Arkansas River 

Woke to thunder and rain this morning.
I hope we miss the bad weather on the way home.

Touring Hartford's Capitol Building

Rotunda

Hartford Capitol
The building is one of the most significant Eastlake-style buildings. The exterior is of marble from East Canaan, Connecticut, and granite from Westerly, Rhode Island. The building is roughly rectangular, the interior spaces organized around two open interior courts that run vertically to large skylights. In the center is a third circular open rotunda beneath the dome. The larger hall of the House of Representatives extends to the south side.

Stained Glass windows  QUI TRANSTULT SUSTAIN

Connecticut, the Constitution State 

The figurehead of the US Constitution 

From the Battle Field of Chickamauga 18863

Genius of Connecticut
The Genius of Connecticut, sculpted by Randolph Rogers (1877–78), is a plaster version of the bronze statue (destroyed) that was initially mounted atop the dome and is now exhibited on the main floor.

Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon
"Hotchkiss gun" also refers to the Hotchkiss Revolving Cannon, a Gatling-type revolving barrel machine gun invented in 1872 by Benjamin B. Hotchkiss (1826–1885)

Houses of Representatives  Republicans and Democrats

Bushnell Park, backside of the Capitol 

William Buckingham, Governor and US Senator
The ship USS Governor Buckingham (1863) is named after him. Buckingham was a benefactor of Yale College and served as president of both the Board of Trustees of Norwich Free Academy and the Connecticut State Temperance Union. His house in Norwich is owned by the city and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. A street and school are named in his honor in Norwich, and a statue of him is inside the State Capitol Building in Hartford.

Charter Oak
 The name "Charter Oak" stems from the local legend that a cavity in the tree was used in late 1687 as a hiding place for the Charter of 1662.

Columns in North Hall

Nathen Hale
Nathan Hale (June 6, 1755 – September 22, 1776) was an American soldier and spy for the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He volunteered for an intelligence-gathering mission in New York City but was captured by the British and executed. His last words before being hanged were reported to be, "I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country.

Charter Oak Chair of the Lieutenant Governor in Senate Chambers

The oak was blown down in a violent storm on August 21, 1856, and its timber was used to make several chairs now displayed in the Hartford Capitol Building. The desk of the Governor of Connecticut and the chairs for the Speaker of the House of Representatives and President of the Senate in the state capitol were made from wood salvaged from the Charter Oak.

A wooden baseball made from the Charter Oak was presented by the Charter Oak Engine Co. No. 1 on September 20, 1860, to the Charter Oak Base Ball Club of Brooklyn.^[2]

The New London Historical Society has a pair of cufflinks made from the Charter Oak's wood, with the initial "G" donated by Samuel Goldsmith.

Scions of the tree still grow in Hartford and many other towns around Connecticut.

Senate Chambers * our tour guide

Hartford Capitol Dome Victorian Period architecture. 

2002 November 7-12 Trip to Washington DC with my Grandson Jake

2002 ~ November 7-12 Washington, DC

I rode a bus to Washington, DC, on the weekend of Veterans' Day with a group of gifted kids from the Lauderdale County school system. 
All the kids, parents, and grandparents had to meet at the Board of Education in Florence, Alabama, at 4:30 P.M., when we loaded onto a tour bus.  

Day 1: Thursday, November 7, 2002  

We left Florence, Alabama, on Highway 72, heading to Huntsville, Alabama. 60 miles

565- Huntsville, we took I-565 East 2.4 miles to 72 East for 37.7 miles, 

35 South merges onto Veterans Drive for 2.1 miles toward Fort Payne, 

35 South turns right onto Al-35 South for 23.4 miles.

59 North – merge onto I-59 via the ramp on the left toward Chattanooga for 41.9 miles

24 East –merge onto I-24 toward Chattanooga for 17.4 miles.

75 North- merge onto I-75 North via exit 185 B on the left toward Knoxville, Tennessee. 

40 East- take I-40 east toward Knoxville, TN.

81 North – merge onto I-81 North via exit 421 on the left toward Bristol, crossing into Virginia.

66 East- merge onto I-66 East via exit 300 toward Fort Royal, Washington, crossing into Virginia. 

We traveled all night on the bus, and most of the kids slept. We swapped drivers sometime during the night because drivers cannot drive nonstop for twelve hours.

Day 2: Friday, November 8, 2002

We arrived early the following day, and our first stop was the Arlington National Cemetery. 
We watched the changing of the guards.
Arlington National Cemetery

Changing of the guards at Arlington Cemetery 

We saw all the graves of the unknown soldiers, the eternal flame of President Kennedy, his wife Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, and his brother Robert Kennedy.
We saw the memorial for the seven crew members who lost their lives when the Space Shuttle Challenger exploded.
On January 28, 1986, Challenger disintegrated just 73 seconds after blasting off, killing  Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis, and Connecticut teacher Christa McAuliffe. 

Francis "Dick" Scobee, Ronald McNair, Mike Smith, Ellison Onizuka, Judy Resnik, Greg Jarvis, and Connecticut teacher Christa McAuliffe

Also inside Arlington National Cemetery is the Arlington House, formerly the Custis-Lee Mansion. It was the former home of one of the most famous Southern generals, Robert E. Lee.
Arlington House, The Custis Lee Mansion

Arlington National Cemetery is on a 500-acre site on the East side of the Potomac River. 

We saw the Pentagon on the West side of the Potomac River.
Pentagon

Pentagon, on the West side of the Potomac River

Arlington National Cemetery 

 Smithsonian National Castle  

We visited the Washington National Cathedral Church at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, DC. This Gothic Cathedral features dramatic architecture, soaring vaults, magnificent stained-glass sculptures, carvings, gargoyles, peaceful gardens, and daily worship. 
The Cathedral is the sixth largest in the world, offering magnificent views of DC, Maryland, and Virginia. It is 57 acres long. 
Washington National Cathedral

Washington's National Cathedral  

Jake is in front of the Washington National Cathedral 

We went to the National Zoological Park located at 3001 Connecticut Avenue NW. It has 1000 exotic animals, including the Panda Bear. 
Smithsonian National Zoological Park

When we arrived, the zoo was closing fast, but I did get to see the two new Panda Bears before they closed.

Day 3: Saturday, November 9, 2002

We walked along the White House gates and stood in line for over an hour to get tickets to enter the Capitol Building. 
US Capitol Tours

Tickets are free and are on a first-come, first-served basis. 
Distribution began at nine, and we arrived at about 7:30 A.M. 

The US Capitol Building with our school group 

Ticket to see the Washington Capitol

We came back later that day for a 45-minute guided tour.
Inside the Capitol building were statues that represented every state of the Union. 
General Joseph Wheeler from Pond Springs, Alabama, was the statue that represented Alabama.

There were paintings on the walls and ceiling. 

The constitution of our country was on display in the Capitol building. 

The Washington National Capitol building is located at 3101 Wisconsin Avenue NW, DC.

The white House is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW, DC. 

To visit the White House with a party of ten or more, a request must be made through a member of Congress at least 6 months in advance. 

We went to the Ronald Reagan building for lunch. 

Ronald Reagan Building

We used the restroom in the US Botanical Gardens.
The United States Botanic Gardens
We visited the Smithsonian History Museum.

The Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum is on 6th Street and Independence Avenue SW. 
Inside the National Air and Space Museum are many icons, such as the original Wright Flyer, the Spirit of St. Louis, SpaceShipOne, the Apollo II Command Module, and a touchable Luna rock. 

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum

We saw the Jefferson Memorial, a 19-foot statue of our third president. 
Jefferson Memorial

We saw the FDR Memorial, which has four outdoor "galley rooms" featuring ten bronze sculptures depicting the life and times of President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and his beloved dog, "Fala."

National Park Service

We saw the Korean War Memorial, the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, the Lincoln Memorial, the World War II Memorial, and the Washington Monument, all in West Potomac Park.

Ticket Washington Monument

Day 4: Sunday, November 10, 2002

We went to Mount Vernon (Washington's home in Virginia), 16 miles South of DC.
George Washington's Mount Vernon

Mount Vernon 

Ticket to visit Mt Vernon

We ate lunch at Fashion Center at Pentagon City, home to 100 shops.
Fashion Center at Pentagon City

We also visited the House where Lincoln, our sixteenth president, died. 

We shopped in some gift shops on the same street where Lincoln died. 

We rode the elevator up to the Lincoln Memorial, but I had a sick stomach, so I had to rush back down to find a restroom.
Lincoln Memorial District of Columbia
We saw FDR's memorial and his wife, Eleanor Roosevelt.

 FDR Memorial

We saw the Gettysburg address, where Lincoln was sitting; he was the size of a two-story building. 

Gettysburg Address

We could see across the Potomac River to the White House. 

We ate lunch at McDonald's. 
We saw Fort Knox, where they make money. 

We saw where the terrorists had destroyed the building in DC, and it is being restored. 

The Pentagon was repaired after 911

We saw dinosaur bones in the Smithsonian National History Museum. 

That weekend, they were having a memorial and were reading the names written on the Vietnam Wall. 

My stomach stayed torn up the entire weekend, and I think I used every room in DC. 

We ate breakfast every morning at our hotel. 

Four were in a room, and the parent or grandparent had to sleep with the child. 

We ate lunch and dinner at several different places in Washington, DC.

Day 5: Monday, November 11, 2002

We started our trip back, and my stomach hurt when we got on the bus. 
I was having hot flashes, and I felt the urge to throw up.
I told my grandson to get me a Walmart bag to barf in.
He brought me one, but it had a hole in the bottom. Needless to say, my barf went in one side of the bag and out the other, spilling all over the bus floor.

It smelled awful, so the bus driver found a place to stop, and everyone got out so he could clean the bus.
Everyone went inside the store where we stopped, and I went to the restroom, barfed, and pooped again.

Someone gave me some medicine for motion sickness and a sick stomach. 

I slept until we stopped at a mall in Knoxville, Tennessee, for supper.

My stomach had settled down, so I went shopping at the Disney store, where I bought my granddaughter a Lelo stuffed animal. 

I also bought the movie Snow Dogs, which everyone on the bus watched on the way home.
I went back to sleep and slept the rest of the way home.
A fun trip, but no one will forget the time I barfed on the bus on our return trip home.

2009 ~ Saturday, September 26, Site seeing in Nashville, TN with sibling

2009 Saturday, September 26, Smithsonian Free Day Nashville, Tennessee 

Becky drove to my house and I drove to Nashville, TN through Lawrenceburg, Columbia, up interstate 65 to Nashville.

We stopped at McDonald's in Columbia TN, to use the bathroom. 

In downtown Nashville, I made a wrong turn and I turned right off interstate 65 instead of going left which took me out of town so I had to turn around and go back into the downtown area. 

Our first stop was The Parthenon in Nashville. The Parthenon is a full-scale replica of the original Parthenon in Athens. It was built in 1897 as part of the Tennessee Centennial Exposition. 

Entry Cost was 5.50 each. The Parthenon had two galleries the east and west. 

The Parthenon

The Parthenon, Lake Watauga, and rose arbor are all Centennial Park features.

The Parthenon stands proudly as the centerpiece of Centennial Park, Nashville's premier urban park. The re-creation of the 42-foot statue Athena is the focus of the Parthenon just as it was in ancient Greece. The building and the Athena statue are both full-scale replicas of the Athenian originals.

The Parthenon also serves as the city of Nashville's art museum. The focus of the Parthenon's permanent collection is a group of sixty-three paintings by nineteenth and 20-century American artists donated by James M. Cowan. Additional gallery spaces provide a venue for a variety of temporary shows and exhibits.

The address is 2600 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37203.

Athena 

The focus of the Parthenon's permanent collection is a group of 63 paintings by 19 and 20-century American artists donated by James M. Cowan. 
Additional gallery spaces provide a venue for a variety of temporary shows and exhibits.

The address is 2600 West End Avenue Nashville, TN 37203.

Tennessee State Capitol

Next, we rode to Tennessee’s State Capitol there was a walk-a-ton going on. 

I had to drive around several blocks before I found a park. My sister and I walked to the capitol, I took many pictures.

From the capital build, we walked to the Tennessee State Museum. 

The address is 505 Dederick Street Nashville, TN 37243. There was no charge to visit the museum. We were given a brochure about the museum. The upper level houses the earliest known migration of prehistoric people to Tennessee during the Paleolithic period. 

Artifacts from the Paleolithic, Archaic, Woodland, and Mississippian periods are on exhibit. The museum even has a display of bones from a mastodon that roamed Tennessee 10,000 years ago.

The room gradually slopes down into the Mezzanine life in Tennessee before the Civil War the antebellum period. This was life on the frontier and the state transforming into an urban society. Painting and a 3,500 Egyptian mummy brought to Tennessee in 1859. 

My sister said I am so hungry that I can eat that mummy. I turned toward the paintings hanging on the wall and my sister walked toward the lower level. 

I stopped to ask the curator at the desk on the second level about taking pictures of the hanging portraits.

The woman at the desk said she overheard my sister say that she was hungry enough to eat their mummy, we both laughed. 

The lower level had exhibits about the civil war and reconstruction with displays of firearms, quilts, silver, battle flags, uniforms, a Victorian painting gallery and objects from the Tennessee centennial exposition of 1897.

On the lower level, they were showing a film and serving popcorn and a drink, My sister said she wanted real food so we left the museum. We hurriedly went to the museum because my sister wanted lunch.

We stopped at Cocina Mexican Grill & Fresh Deli located at 

Union Station address is 501-A Union Street just a few streets down from the Museum. 

It was a slow day and the worker or owner came over and talked to us. I had cheese dip and it was very good. 

We left the Cocina Mexican Grill and walked down the fifth street.

We stopped so I could take a picture of the Ryman auditorium and some historic markers along the way. We walked over to Broadway Street where I took pictures of a guitar that had pictures of several different entertainers on it and nearby was an Elvis statue

Prehistoric people to Tennessee 

The mummy my sister said she was hungry enough to eat!

Civil War

Elvis Presley Statue located on Broadway Street 

Honky Tonk Guitar
Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson, Johnny Cash, Hank Williams, Loretta Lynn, Dolly Pardon, Conway Twitty, Hank Williams Jr, George Jones, Patsy Cline, Tammy Wynette, Charlie Pride, Merle Haggard

 Frist Center for Visual Arts

Our next stop was the Frist Center for Visual Arts, It originally housed the  Nashville’s main Post Office.

Frist building became an art museum in 2001. 

Today the Frist Center is one of the city’s most innovative museums and is centered on continually changing exhibits rather than on permanent collections.

Next, we stopped at the Frist Center for Visual Arts. It originally housing Nashville’s main post office, the historic Frist building became an art museum in 2001. Today the Frist Center is one of the city’s most innovative museums and is centered on continually changing exhibits rather than on permanent collections.

It did not take us long to go to the museum because my sister did not care much for the art. She said that there were too many naked statues and pictures. We talked to the curator at the desk and we told her that we had walked all the way from the capitol building and we were not sure which street to take back.

She said do not to go back the way you had come because it is all uphill. 

The curator said for us to go next door to Union Station.

Union Station Hotel located at 1001 Broadway Nashville, TN.

Union Station - A Wyndham Historic Hotel masterfully restored Nashville lodging — built within a 100-year-old railroad station.

I took pictures both inside and outside. 

I was a beautifully restored hotel building that was once a train depot.

We walked back to the car and we were going to visit the Hermitage but got turned around.

It had been a long day and we had walked miles so I decided to go home.

We stopped in Lawrenceburg to take some pictures of the downtown area and historic markers.

It had been a beautiful day for sightseeing but it was getting late and we both were tired from all that walking.

We were home by 5:50 P.M. 

Union Station Train Depot now Wyndham Hotel 

Union Station Hotel located at 1001 Broadway Nashville, TN.

Union Station - A Wyndham Historic Hotel masterfully restored Nashville lodging — built within a 100-year-old railroad station.

Inside Union Station Wyndham Hotel