We stood this morning outside The Queen’s Chapel near St. James Place and gaped at the plaque, claiming that it was built in 1623. We paused there to remind my granddaughter what was going on in American 401 years ago. Not much.
All in Travel
Hallelujah!
If I have a major gripe about the churches back home - besides all the molesting of kids and the clergy’s sluggish response to the horrific scandal - it’s that the music in most Catholic churches borders on funereal.
A Respite From Politics
What better way to cleanse the political palate than an SEC football weekend?
Chincoteague: Part II.
Chincoteague’s 2022 pony penning is over. The herd swam back to Assateague Island on Friday.
Chincoteague, Virginia: Annual Pony Swim
We were in good company Wednesday morning. Gov. Glenn Youngkin and his wife Suzanne made a surprise appearance, both smartly clad in long pants. We wore shorts. Here’s a tip sure to make you money: Buy stock in Calamine lotion.
Escape From Pandemia: College Football
College football is the one place in America that has returned to pre-pandemic life. And it’s glorious.
Mt. Fogmore Becomes Mt. Rushmore
We dissolved into uncontrollable laughter. It was both unthinkable and just our luck. Seems we’d driven hundreds of miles only to arrive at Mt. Fogmore. The entire mountain was engulfed in a cloud.
Yellowstone: Spectacular. Even In The Rain
We waited in a chilling rain for Old Faithful who was “expected” to erupt at 11:11 am but kept the crowd waiting for 15 minutes. Totally worth it. I’ve seen this before, but it never fails to take my breath away
Loving That 80 MPH Speed Limit: Nevada to Montana In A Day
Smoke from wildfires has been our constant companion for almost the entire trip.
Road Trip: Monterey to Virginia Beach
The first semi-decent hotel we stopped at in this seedy town was full. The desk clerk volunteered that we should skip most of the other fleabags, so we’re staying in a respectable place that costs as much as an oceanfront hotel in Virginia Beach and where bags of garbage serve as air fresheners in the hallways.
Scenes From The Road: 2,269 Miles, 10 States, 2 Snowstorms, 3 Days.
A road trip with no time to enjoy the scenery is ridiculous. A road trip in winter with no time to stop for snow and ice is crazy.
The Hard Parts of Hanoi
There were two places I wasn’t sure I wanted to visit while in Vietnam: Ho Chi Minh’s mausoleum and Hỏa Lò Prison - the Hanoi Hilton. In the end I went to both.
Verdant. Vibrant. Vietnam.
I know the International Dateline exists to avoid confusion, but flying back in time has muddled my jet-lagged brain.
Hitting The Hanoi Street-Food Stalls
Vietnam is famous for its sidewalk cuisine, thanks in part to the late Anthony Bourdain who pronounced it some of his favorite food in the world and did an episode of “Parts Unknown” from Hanoi.
Heat, Humidity And Hard Work
As we pedaled toward the boat launch after five hours on bikes, I remarked to one of our guides that the Vietnamese people seem very industrious.
“Yes,” he agreed, “They work very hard.”
There are roughly 7.8 million people living in Vietnam’s capital and it seems every single one of them is roaring around town on a motor scooter. (Actually, the best estimate is that there are 4 million scooters in the city. That seems low to me.)
Halfway Around The World
We all complain about the state of commercial air travel. But it beats a slow boat to China. Or Vietnam.
And We’re Off
As I sat in that church pew, in my black dress, I resolved to accept every wedding invitation.
Cemetery Sunday
Thank God for modern medicine and big pharma. Keeping our babies alive.