When our very dear and close friends Dr. Pravin and Bharti Gadani told us last year that daughter Amisha was getting married in May, and they wanted me to be the videographer and co-photographer. Of course, we said “yes”. It had been 10 years since Avani and Peter were married and we are still talking about that one today. We knew Amisha’s would be no less spectacular, and the 400 or so other guests would be no less welcoming to us. With our last trip being last Spring, we got a little itchy over the long winter to “go some where”, so, in April, we spent a week in Chicago with our friend Pam Nelson and a week in Puerto Rico. You should have already received and viewed that picture link.

 

Since there were so many other places we wanted to visit when we headed east to Pennsylvania to the wedding – which started on Thursday, May 21^st, and ended late Sunday night May 24^th – we mapped out a very optimistic itinerary and headed east on May 9^th, a mere two weeks after returning home from San Juan. First stop was lunch in Lebanon, TN with one of our oldest friends, Mary Beth Malone, then on east to Center Hill Lake – a favorite fishing hole growing up, and a place for fun and romance when we were in college. We camped at Edgar Evans State Park and had a lovely sunset. Next day found us in Gatlinburg, TN for 3 days. It was hot and humid. We dined in the National Park and a bear came for dinner to oblige us with some close up pictures. Then over the Smoky Mountains to the start of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Cherokee, NC. Of course, we stopped at Newfound Gap on the way over the Mountain, where it was cool, damp, and cloudy. We went up the Blue Ridge to central Virginia. We stopped at Mt. Mitchell, the highest point in the Appalachians (6,684’) and took pictures from the observation platform on the peak. We camped at Crabtree Falls with only four other campers in the park. We passed Grandfather Mountain in North Carolina after a hike up to an overlook area. We got off the Blue Ridge in Central Virginia and headed due east again to Williamsburg with a stop at Appomattox and before that, the Mabry Mill at Meadows of Dan, Virginia, built in 1910 and is the most photographed grist mill in America. Many other States claim it and it is wrongfully credited as such in many publications. Colonial Williamsburg is inspiring, and well worth the visit if you have not been. Jamestown and the Yorktown (American Revolution) Battlefield were also visited.

 

We then headed North again up the Virginia eastern shore across the 21 mile long Chesapeake Bay Bridge and Tunnels where we visited a National Wildlife Preserve for pictures of Glossy Ibis and Ospreys. We camped on the Chesapeake at the James River State Park and battled flies all evening. That is when we decided to buy a screen room – having seen a very comfortable couple with one in the campground. It was also in the James River Campground that we first encountered that dogs were not always welcome in State Parks and were restricted in the campgrounds. We left Sophie, our English Cocker, in Bonnie Stoll’s capable hands, but took Vincent, our Havanese and registered therapy dog with us. He truly loves camping – especially curling up on the sleeping bag in the tent. As we headed further North we encountered more State Parks and Campgrounds where no dogs except for Service Dogs were welcome anywhere in the park.

 

We camped several days in northeastern Maryland at Elk Neck State Park on the Chesapeake after visiting the Delaware State Capitol in Dover. In Maryland, we visited the city Linda’s parents were married in and stopped at the Courthouse and obtained copy of their license application, and visited the town they lived in and the school Linda’s sister Jean graduated from. An Osprey at the Park’s Marina posed for several really good pictures. It and its mate nested on top of a light pole at the water’s edge. We found several other Osprey nests similarly situated in populated areas around other marinas all along the coastal waters. Then it was on to Fairfax, Virginia, a suburb of Washington, DC to visit friends Lyn Haralson and family. We had a lovely Maryland Blue Crab dinner and spent the night with the Haralson’s. Their hospitality was much appreciated.

 

Next stop was Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Incorporated in the second primary mission of this journey was to complete the Lewis and Clark Trail we started last Spring. (See those pictures and blog at www.naturesphotosbyjoe.com if you did not get the PICASA link last year). Last year, we did the entire Corps of Discovery Trail, in reverse, from the mouth of the Columbia River in Oregon to River DuBois in Illinois. (4,400 miles of river roads) This year, we wanted to do the “preparation trail” which started in earnest when Meriwether Lewis obtained all of his armaments (except for the1750 Girandoni air rifle which he picked up in Philadelphia) at Harper’s Ferry, West Virginia. Until the Civil War, the factories at Harper’s Ferry were the Nation’s premier arms builders. Harper’s Ferry is also where the Shenandoah and Potomac Rivers come together between two great Appalachian Mountain ranges and is one of the most picturesque places on earth. As our luck would have it, it was a very dreary rain and fog filled day. We will go back. This thread will be picked back up when we reach Pittsburghh weeks later.

 

We left Harper’s Ferry in the afternoon on Thursday, May 21^st and arrived at our Hotel in Carlisle, PA then on to the first wedding event. If you want to see the wedding pictures, e-mail me. The next four days were filled with Hindu rituals and parties lasting well into the night. The Bride and Groom were glowing, but tired. We stayed through Tuesday morning backing up all of the 24+ hours ofvideo and 1,000+ picture files and final visits with our friends. There were up to 3 other professional photographers at all events so the parents and Amisha and Ian Ingram have a wedding album like no other!

 

Leaving the Gadani’s we headed northeast toward the Hudson River to New York and New Jersey, we stopped at Cabela’s in Hamburg, PA. This is the world’s largest Cabela’s occupying over 250K square feet of space and makes Bass Pro in Springdale, MO look like a minor sporting goods store! (Of course, we’ve not yet been to the new Bass Pro now occupying the Pyramid in Memphis). This Cabela’s is well worth the stop even if you are not into outdoor sports. The central display with all the mounted animals from around the nation is well worth the visit. Our only disappointment there was they did not have the screen room we were looking for since leaving James River Campground, but, the Wal-Mart across from them did! A $75 bargain! This screen room was so very useful on the rest of the trip.

We camped at the Delaware Water Gap State Park in New Jersey next to the Delaware River the next two night after visiting “The Brick House” in Kerhonkson, NY. Linda spent many summer days at the Brick House as a young girl. The owners (Gazlay) were family friends, and “Daddy Gazlay” was a private chauffer with Linda’s father, Jim, to the elite of New York and New Jersey back in the roaring 20’s. We explored the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational area on the Pennsylvania side for a full day. There were many waterfalls and the town of Milford, as well as Grey Towers, the home site of our Nation’s first head of forestry under Teddy Roosevelt.

Next stop is Hyde Park, New York on the Hudson. FDR’s home, library and museum. His politics aside, and he did push through much good legislation for the Nation, this is well worth the visit. After his death in 1945 in Warm Springs, Georgia, Eleanor did a lot more good during her long life (1962). She moved across the highway into a remodled factory and named it Valkil. It too is open to the public and the grounds are lovely at both sites. Just north and adjacent to the FDR home and estate is the Frederick Vanderbilt “cottage”. One of five fabulous mansions he occupied. This one was for the summer months as no A/C in his day. The Hudson River is far below so cool breezes off of it were not so cool the day we visited.

 

Next stop was the U.S. Army Military Academy, West Point, NY. We have toured the other two Academies: Annapolis Naval Academy, Maryland and the Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs, but this was our first visit to West Point. The views of the Hudson from there are magnificent, and our tour guide excellent. (Wife of a graduate who is now a Major teaching there. They were married in the Chapel). The history is so rich there. Most of the Civil War Generals graduated from West Point and most were classmates. Sad.

 

Traveling throughout the Delaware and Hudson River valleys, we noticed scores of old Victorian era stately homes in disrepair, and many abandoned as well as many early 20^th Century mansions that were unkempt or abandoned. We visited with many shop keepers along the way to ask why. The universal response was that the property taxes were simply too high for the older retired owners, or younger inherited owners to bear and many simply walked away. The Northern economy is in terrible shape outside of the major cities. Unemployment and under-employment remains high despite the published government figures. In checking Zillow, these old mansions are for sell at ridiculously low prices … most less than $200,000, but their property taxes are $20,000 per year and higher. So, they remain unsold and left to deteriorate. Ah, Liberal Government at work again!!!

 

Next day was a long travel day all the way to Portland Maine and then on to Bar Harbor Maine. We ran into rain on the way up, and the next three days were cool and damp, but the scenery and quaint towns did not dampen our spirits. Here, we took a boat ride out to the light houses and other islands to see the Puffins, Seals, Eagles, and many other sea birds. However, the boat captain would not get close enough to shore for any really good pictures of the Puffins. My long lens and the rocking boat made quality pictures impossible. We did get some nice pictures of the islands and shore lines. The Puffins are so darn cute and photogenic. We’ll have to figure out a way next trip north to get closer.

 

We spent a week in Bar Harbor. Due to the rain, three nights in a very nice Motel (Sea Breeze, $60/night facing Frenchman Harbor) and the rest in the Acadia National Park Campground. The fifth day, we had sunshine and nice puffy clouds, so we toured most of Mount Dessert Island and sea shores for some very nice landscape pictures. Only one Cruise Liner docked while we were there. We enjoyed lobster almost every day. Lobster rolls (all the meat from one 1.25 to 1.5 pound fresh lobster) were $14 and a full lobster meal before 6PM ran $21 …. Up from $8 when we were last there 18 years ago. The town offered many shops and pricing was not as bad as you would expect. Of course, we were there several weeks before the summer rush would begin. Parking was still tight on the streets, but back alley parking lots were rarely full. By mid-summer, parking for day trippers is all but impossible! All of the Maine coast is lovely. Maybe we can get back some Fall for the colors.

 

Leaving Bar Harbor, we headed due West across Maine into New Hampshire where we finally saw Moose. In Rumford Maine, we stopped at the Paul Bunyan and Blue Moose Statue, and in New Hampshire, we got to the top of Mount Washington, home of “the world’s worst weather”. We were blessed to reach the summit and still have mostly blue skies. The museum at the top is worth the trip up even if it were an over-cast day. On April 12, 1934 the scientist on top measured the wind velocity at 231 MPH. the highest ever recorded on Earth by a manned weather station.

 

We left NH and headed for Vermont. We saw many covered bridges along the way. We stopped at “The Old Man in the Mountain” site. It was raining, again. On May 3, 2003, the rock face fell. It had been wired and supported for years, but gravity finally took its toll.

Crossing into Vermont we headed a bit North of Hwy 2 before reaching Montpelier, to Cabot, VT to the Cabot Creamery. Some of the best cheese you’ll ever taste is made there. As good as or better than Tillamook – only a little bit softer. We took the factory tour. It was another rainy day as we entered Montpelier and toured the State Capitol. It is the smallest Capitol building we have been in. Very nice with a lot of historical exhibits and NO SECURTY magnetometers to go through! It was like it used to be before all the terrorism hit our world.

We stayed West on Hwy 2 to Duxbury and then North on Hwy 100 to Stowe. You have seen this village many times in Fall and Snow pictures. It is the one nestled in the valley with the quaint white high steeple church. Again, with rain clouds and not being able to reach the classical picture point due to being on private property, we left without any really good photographs but had a good time visiting the shops. On the way back South, we stopped Cold Hollow Cider Mill and sampled their Macintosh Apple Cider! Delicious! Then on the way to Ben & Jerry’s headquarters and ice cream factory and took the factory tour. We are not great fans of B&J. At $6 a pint, it simply is not THAT good! The tour was interesting.

 

Having studied the map, we decided to take State Highway 100, which cuts the middle of the State north and south, all the way down. There are many covered bridges along the way and the Calvin Coolidge Home Historical site in Plymouth, VT. It was here that Coolidge was sworn in as President in the middle of the night by his father, who was a Notary, following the sudden death of Harding on August 2, 1923. Coolidge’s father owned the General Store in town and the cheese factory.

 

Leaving Plymouth we saw more covered bridges, and found, for us, the most picturesque town on the trip – Newfane, VT. Maybe it was because we had sunshine again, but it was a very charming place to dream about living in – except, when the winter snows come! Like most of the Northeast that we traveled through, the local economies are in the dumps. Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine all rely on tourism. The winter months bring more skiers than swimmers and hikers in the summer months. In the early Spring (April, May and June) most everything is still closed down. Summer tourists descend late June, July and August. Fall color tourism is mid-September to mid-October, and the winter season from December to March.

 

Camp that night was in Woodford State Park on a Loon visited lake where the sunset was magnificent. On to Albany and the State Capitol of New York. You’d never recognize the building as a State Capitol building. It is more like a giant Vanderbilt Mansion. It was a hot clear day, and no easy parking place or shade. No dogs allowed inside, of course, so Linda had to wait outside on a shady bench with Vincent. I tried to get inside but forgot to take my tiny pocket knife out, so I was stopped by Security. They would not hold my knife at the check point and I did not want to walk all the way back to our Van, so no inside pictures were obtained.

 

We took I-86 West across NY and made it to Newtown and camped in our last campground at the Newtown Battlefield (Revolutionary War) State Park on top of the Mountain. Here, I took one of the best pictures of the trip – a fawn hiding in the tall clover. Mother deer was nowhere in sight. The next morning, we stopped in Corning, NY and toured the Visitor Center and gift shop. They now charge a ridiculous price to do the museum and factory tour. Since we had done that tour many years ago for free, we skipped it this time. Next stop was Pittsburgh, PA.

 

Pittsburgh, the town steel built. Home of Carnegie and all that he built. We had planned to do Niagara Falls again before reaching Pittsburgh, but with summer heat bearing down, Tropical Storm Bill on the way up the Ohio Valley, summer crowds and what to do with Vincent we bypassed the Falls. There are three major Universities in Pittsburgh: the University of Pittsburgh “Pitt”, Carnegie Mellon, and Chatham plus several smaller colleges. We spent most of our time on the Pitt campus’ at the Cathedral of Learning. Here, Carnegie built a Gothic building rivaling the ancient churches in Europe, and turned it into a national learning center. On two floors they have constructed period rooms from the 1700’s through the 1800’s of what school rooms looked like around the world. Each room is dedicated to a different country. Here, I show only a very examples.

 

The outer bands of Tropical Storm Bill hit the night we drove to the top of a ridge to take night time photographs of the City and the Three Rivers. We waited over an hour on the ridge top in 50+ MPH winds for the storm to cease. The lightning displays were frightening but beautiful. Finally, it stopped and I got dramatic pictures of the city below.

The next morning, the second primary purpose of this 43 day journey started in earnest. In August of 1803, Meriwether Lewis set out with his heavily loaded Keel Boat, six Pirogues and a handful of volunteers down the Ohio River. Here at Pittsburgh, where the Allegheny and Monongahela Rivers come together to form the Ohio River, began the greatest exploration journey in American History. Yes, our Moon Landing in 1969 and other space exploration accomplishments pale in comparison to the two year Corps of Discovery Journey of Lewis & Clark and the band of young men, Indian child-woman and infant child would endure and complete with only one loss of life due to appendicitis. We completed the Corps of Discovery Trail last year from the mouth of the Columbia River to River Dubois in Illinois. Now, we’ll complete the preparation trail down 1,000+ miles of the Ohio River to the Mississippi River. We did the entire Missouri River last year – this year, the entire Ohio River.

 

As we left Pittsburgh, until we reached Parkersburg, West Virginia, we were never out of sight of heavy industry on the River. Steel mills, power plants (coal, natural gas, and nuclear) and the supporting and end use industries dotted every mile. Folks, I can tell you with certainty, that without these power plants and hundreds others like them, our way of life cannot be sustained. While cheap NG has surpassed coal right now by 1% of our energy source, our Nation cannot thrive if the liberal Federal Government and EPA are successful in running coal out of the power plant business. Coal can sustain our Nation’s power needs cheaply for hundreds of years – not so “cleaner” sources. Solar and wind technology cannot match the cheap availability of coal anytime soon if ever. Our NG deposits will deplete again in the next 25 to 50 years if not sooner. Of course, the EPA is even wanting to put onerous restrictions on the fracturing processes that has freed up currently abundant NG (natural gas).

 

All along the Ohio, the river towns and communities are thriving. Their economy is robust. One of the more interesting places East of Wheeling, WV was Prabhupada’s Place of Gold, Shrine and Temple. Also known as “The Taj Mahal of the West”. It is a Krishna Religion and they claim to be the oldest religious sect on Earth. Built 40 years ago, it is already experiencing a lot of decay. It has an interesting history. Google it for more info. Another interesting town along the Ohio River was Moundsville, WV and the old prison there and the ancient Indian burial mound explored by Lewis. We spent the night in Maysville, KY and enjoyed the murals on their seawall. This was also the home town of John Colter that Lewis picked up. He was the primary hunter for the Corps of Discovery, and also after leaving the Corps upon their return to St. Louis, he went back West to be the first White Man to discover Yellowstone and its thermal springs and geysers. Much of what we learned of the West came via John Colter’s subsequent fur trapping and trading exploits. We are covering a lot of territory now because it was simply too hot and humid to camp with severe thunderstorms popping up daily and into some nights. We reached Newport, KY on June 17^th across the River from Cincinnati. At Newport is “The World Peace Bell” dedicated to those Firemen and EMT’s who lost their lives 9/11/2001. It is rung every year on September 11^th. We should never forget. We should never bargain with the Devil!

 

We found another interesting reconstructed historic town on the river back roads called Rabbit Hash. Nearby, was another Lewis & Clark Site called Big Bone Lick State Park where Lewis returned at Jefferson’s request to dig mammoth bones and became the start of modern paleontology. That night, we reached Louisville, KY. The next morning, we crossed the Ohio again to the Clarksville side to visit the homestead of George Rogers Clark, Revolutionary War General and Hero and brother to Captain William Clark. It was here William Clark agreed to join Lewis. This is also the sight of the Falls of the Ohio. Dams, Locks and Seawalls have diverted the river and made it navigable, but in 1803, it was a huge impediment to navigation, but by the mid-1800’s, wooden locks started in 1806 made the River navigable through this area. Even today, the rapids along the northern shore are quite the spectacle.

 

Down River, we reached Leavenworth, IN and the Overlook Restaurant with its sweeping vista of the Ohio and caught a down river barge tote. One of my better pictures. Farther down, we crossed back into Kentucky and visited the Audubon State Park in Henderson.

 

Driving through more thunderstorms, we reached Paducah, KY and visited the national Quilt Museum and their dedicated sculpture to the Lewis & Clark Expedition. Coming into Paducah, we crossed the Land Between the Lakes National Recreation Area and the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers. Having grown up on the Cumberland River, but never seeing its confluence with the Ohio, I knew we had to go back to see it. The next morning, we did, plus the confluence of the Tennessee River with the Ohio. While Linda shopped at a quilt shop, I photographed the entire Paducah seawall murals. They tell the entire history of Paducah and the Lower Ohio. Very impressive and worth the trip. Paducah is a thriving river town - the last such economically viable town down river until you reach New Orleans. We are now reaching our journey’s end. The Ohio meets the Mississippi at Cairo, Illinois.

 

We crossed the Ohio for the last time over the Hwy 62 bridge and visited Ft. Defiance State Park. Here, Lewis and Clark spent six days preparing for the up-river journey of the Mississippi to St. Louis. The water was high in both rivers due to the massive rainfalls from TS Bill the days before. It was another hot and humid cloudless day. I freed an Alligator Gar trapped in the rocks at the apex of the point between the two rivers. The highway 62 bridge over the Mississippi was closed for repairs, but the I-57 Bridge was just a few miles north of Cairo. It was a Saturday and most everything was closed. Cairo is a dead town. Long gone are its glory days. The economy here is in the trash. Buildings are boarded. We did visit two of the historic homes and the old US Customs House that collected tax and inspected cargo on both the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers. Back 150 years ago, Second Street in Cairo was a River Front Street to the Ohio --- now, the River lies a mile South. Five hours later, we were home again. It felt good.