Westward Ho! - August 5-12, 2011

With the Marine's break between summer and fall classes approaching, the Biologist saw an opportunity to get away on a waymarking adventure.  After a little bit of thought, she chose Nebraska, Kansas, and Colorado as the destination locations.  Kansas and Colorado were the only two States in the continental United States where we hadn't yet found caches.  Also there were a few waymark categories the Biologist needed icons for.  So we made our reservations and off we went.

Day 1:  We flew out of Jacksonville, Florida, bright and early and made our way to Omaha, Nebraska, with one stop in Memphis.  As we were approaching Omaha, we spotted massive flooding along the Missouri River.  I-29 and many homes, farms, and businesses were under water.  Wow, we didn't realize the flooding was still a problem in this area or that the flooding was so extensive.

Sokol Omaha

After picking up our rental car, we took off to our first goal, Sokol Omaha, an historic Sokol Center in town. According to the Dated Cornerstone, it was constructed in 1926.  Next we headed to BrewBurgers, a restaurant featured on Diners, Drive-ins and Dives, for a bite of lunch.  The Marine ordered the Cheesy Sacramento Burger and the Las Vegas Fries, and the Biologist ordered the Vegetarian Burger and Homemade Cole Slaw. We also order the Spanish Onion Rings as an appetizer. We've been to numerous restaurants featured on DDD, and this was by far our least favorite. The food was either flavorless or had an odd flavor to it. Although the woman who served us was very friendly and attentive, we definitely won't be going back. Oh well, you can't win 'em all.

Forest Lawn Memorial Park Marker

After lunch, we headed to the Forest Lawn Memorial Park, a Worldwide Cemetery.  No, no, the food wasn't quite THAT bad; we just wanted to read the Nebraska Historical Marker about the cemetery and see if there were any interesting headstones.  The cemetery is believed to be Nebraska's Most Beautiful Cemetery, and it was Superlative for certain.  In the cemetery we found a Headstone for a Centenarian, a Civil War Monument within a Veterans Cemetery section, four pieces of Static Artillery, a Sundial, four Woodmen of the World Graves Markers (including one belonging to Joseph Cullen Root, the founder and first president of the Modern Woodmen of America organization), and a couple of lovely Mausoleums.  After leaving the cemetery, we decided to check into our hotel for night.

St. Cecelia's Cathedral

Day 2:  Before leaving Omaha, we decided to spend half a day wandering around town.  We found a few more Nebraska Historical Markers, including one for Malcolm X at the site of his birth home.  Adjacent to this Civil Rights Memorial is the Malcolm X Foundation headquarters.  We also stopped by the Historic Prospect Hill Cemetery to read the Nebraska Historical Marker located in this Worldwide Cemetery and came across several Zinc Headstones, a Broken Column Headstone, and four Woodmen of the World Grave Markers.  We next spotted St. Cecelia's Cathedral and stopped to take some photos of this beautiful Catholic Church and its Dated Cornerstone.  This Old Church is also listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places!  On the way back to the car, we spotted a Cycling Route sign!  All in all, a really good stop.  We also stopped at the Kountze Memorial Lutheran Church, which was located right next door to the Super 7 Doppler Weather Radar.  We stopped at several other locations before heading out of Omaha.

The Marine & the B-52

Our first stop outside Omaha was at Offutt Air Force Base to find a virtual cache.  As we approached the entrance to the base, the Marine was very annoyed to see a group of protesters who were protesting the bombing of Japan.  Maybe they would have felt differently if their grandfathers had died during the Japanese bombing of Pearl Harbor or while attacking the Japan mainland.  Then again, if their grandfathers had died, they probably wouldn't be here.  Anyway, the virtual was at a B-52, a Static Aircraft Display.

Our goal for today was to reach Topeka, Kansas, by dinner, but we took a little side trip to Gretna, Nebraska, to visit the gorgeous and peaceful Holy Family Shrine. It's a lovely location and well worth a stop if you're in the vicinity, and there's even a virtual cache here!

Holy Family Shrine

The Marine at the Holy Family Shrine

Bobo's Drive In Neon Sign

From the shrine, we backtracked a little to get back on our way to Topeka.  We passed through the Potawatomi Indian Reservation along the way.  Upon arriving in Topeka, we first stopped by the former Patty's Place restaurant, now Bill's Diner, which was featured in a 2006 Zippy the Pinhead comic strip.  It was a little early for dinner, so we kept on going and checked into our hotel.  After relaxing for a short time, we made our way to Bobo's Drive In, a restaurant featured on Diner's, Drive-ins and Dives in 2008.  The Marine had the Cheeseburger, Chili, and Homemade Apple Pie with vanilla ice cream, while the Biologist had their signature onion rings and a chocolate malt.  It was delicious!  Guy Fieri has redeemed himself after the BrewBurgers fiasco in Omaha yesterday!  After dinner, we drove around downtown Topeka and waymarked a few gorgeous churches and found several cool Neon Signs after dark on our way back to the hotel.

Old Dutch Mill in Wamego, Kansas

Day 3:  Today we headed west through the heartland of Kansas.  Our first stop was a Kansas Historical Marker about the town of St. Mary's, a nice small town with an Artistic Welcome Sign and an Oregon Trail Marker denoting the location of this famous Wagon Road and Trail.  As we passed through Belvue, Kansas, we spotted a little shrine along the side of Highway 24 and thought it might qualify as a Wayside Shrine, but alas it didn't.  We'll have to wait until we travel to Europe to find one of those.  We can't wait!  We also stopped for a virtual cache in Wamego, Kansas, at the Old Dutch Mill, which has a wonderful Windmill, as well as a Kansas Historical Marker about it.

Marine and Johnny Kaw

We meandered along the backroads of Kansas until we came to Manhattan where we spotted a fun Googie sign at Vista Hamburgers.  Then we went to the Manhattan City Park to visit Johnny Kaw, a 30-foot tall Statue of a Fictional Figure that was the subject of a Zippy the Pinhead comic strip in 2005.  That Pinhead sure does get around.  Anyway, in 1955 in an effort to get the public and the media interested in Kansas history for its centennial.  George Filinger, a Kansas State University professor, came up with the tall tale character of Johnny Kaw who used his cradle scythe to create the Kansas landscape, geography, and pioneer trails.

BOD Marker

Next we made our way to Ellis County to find some Butterfield Overland Dispatch Markers, one of our key goals for this trip.  We drove up and down the dirt roads that passed over the old trail and found several of the markers.  You had to pay close attention to spot them because they were designed to look like the historic stone fence posts in Kansas. Next we made our way to the city of Hays to bed down for the night.  As we drove into town, we spotted a Neon Googie sign for Al's Chickenette, which was featured in a Zippy the Pinhead comic strip in 2005.  Sweet!

Dodge City Silhouette Sculpture

Day 4:  Today we thought it might be fun to head to Dodge City, the old Wild West town where Wyatt Earp once served as an assistant marshal and which also served as the setting for the Gunsmoke television series.  However, upon arriving in Dodge City we were overwhelmed by the cattle stench from the stockyards.  OMG, it was really bad!  Soooo, needless to say, we got the hell out of Dodge as quickly as possible, but not until we'd taken a photo of a cool Silhouette Sculpture.  After leaving Dodge City, we spotted some interesting Kansas Historical Markers along the way though, including one that was the subject of a virtual cache.  It pointed out some old ruts along the historic Santa Fe Trail, yet another famous Wagon Road and Trail, still visible from the pioneer days.  How cool is that?

Hand-operated Sluice Gate

It wasn't long after we passed over the state line into Colorado that the Marine exclaimed, "Hey, I think that's an old Hand-operated Sluice Gate."  The Biologist, who had been looking down at the map on the laptop, jerked her head up and saw that he was right, so we pulled over.  Isn't the Marine amazing?!!!  A new waymarking icon!  Woo hoo!

Soon after we stopped for our first cache in Colorado, which was a virtual cache about Camp Amache, a World War II Japanese-American Relocation Camp.  We took a drive through the old Camp.  About all that remains are the foundations of all the buildings that were used to house the Japanese-Americans.  Next we passed through the town of Lamar where the Biologist found her first Colorado Historical Marker about the city of Lamar at the city's Colorado Tourist Information Center located in the historical Lamar Train Depot.  Outside the depot was a small Equestrian Statue, a Figurative Public Sculpture of a Pioneer Woman, a steam Locomotive, and a Windmill.  Cha-ching!  This place is a waymarking hot spot! It was getting late by this time so we made a beeline for Colorado Springs and called it a day.

Pike's Peak Cog Railway Train

Day 5:  Today we had reservations to take the Cog Railway to Pike's Peak.  After checking out the Penny Smashers at the depot for this Engineering Landmark, we hopped on the train and enjoyed the ride to the Mountain Summit.  A couple from Key West, Florida, was sitting across from us and we had a nice time learning about their retirement adventures during the trip.  By the time we got off the train at the 14,100-foot high peak, we were quite lightheaded and had a difficult time walking around.  Lack of oxygen will do that to you!  The Biologist convinced the Marine he should pose in the Photo Cutout of Pike's Peak bears at the summit.  We really enjoyed the beautiful, clear views in all directions and took a photo of the Elevation Sign before we had to board the train to head back down the mountain to Manitou Springs.

Neon Sign in Manitou Springs

In Manitou Springs, we spotted a few old neon signs that we couldn't resist stopping to photograph then we drove over to the Garden of the Gods, which our new Key West friends told us was a must-see while in the area.  They were absolutely right!  This place was absolutely gorgeous and reminded us quite a bit of our honeymoon in Nevada where we visited Red Rock Canyon and the Valley of Fire.  It even had a huge Balanced Rock!

Garden of the Gods

Marine and the Balanced Rock

Overland Park Marker

By the time we finished wandering around the Garden of the Gods, it was mid-afternoon and time to start making tracks to Denver.  After checking into our Denver hotel, we grabbed a bite to eat then went and did a little exploring.  We found another Colorado Historical Marker and another virtual cache at the most unusual Sundial we had ever seen before.  It was located in the War Memorial Rose Garden, which had a lovely Fountain, a Gazebo, and a couple of Citizen Memorials.  After finding a Dairy Queen and getting a couple of Blizzards (yum), we decided to call it a night and headed back to our hotel.

Pawnee Woman's Grave

Day 6:  Today we needed to start making our way back to Omaha for our flight home on Friday.  We decided to spend a little time looking for a couple of virtual caches in the Denver area before heading out of town.  We decided to take some back roads through Kansas and were bored out of our skulls, so we decided to re-route and head north to Nebraska a little sooner than we had planned, because we just couldn't look at another corn field.  Yea, we crossed the border into Nebraska!  Toto, we're not in Kansas any more!  Thank goodness!  Unfortunately, there a lot of corn fields in Nebraska too, but at least there were some rolling hills and several Nebraska Historical Markers along the way.  Woo hoo!  Our favorite was the marker about a Pawnee Woman's Out of Place Grave.  After a long day of some of the most boring travel we've ever experienced, we decided to stop in Kearney for the night.

Day 7:  This morning we decided to wander around Kearney a bit before heading northeast to Omaha.  We stopped by the Kearney Cemetery, an historic Worldwide Cemetery, and spotted a Woodman of the World Grave Marker, two Broken Column Headstones, an Occupational Gravestone, a Firefighter Memorial, a Citizen Memorial, two Static Artillery Displays, and a Military Ground Equipment Display.  Wow!  Who would have thought there would be so much to see here?

Googie Sign

After leaving the cemetery, we started making our way to Omaha.  It wasn't long before we spotted a sign that said we were on the Lincoln Highway!  We didn't even realize it went through this part of Nebraska.  What a nice surprise.  Along this stretch of road, we spotted several Nebraska Historical Markers, some interesting Lincoln Highway sites, an old Neon Sign, a couple of cool Googie Signs, and a beautiful Roman Catholic Church and Cathedral.

With all our stops, it took a lot longer to get to Omaha than we had anticipated, but we still beat the rush hour traffic.  We checked into our downtown hotel and then went out and wandered along the riverfront for a little while, but part of the area was underwater due to all the recent flooding.  We even found a virtual cache while we were down there.  Then we made our way to a large downtown park where we walked around and looked at a few Fountains that would have been really interesting to see if they were running, an Architectural Remnant of the historic U.S. National Bank Building Arches, which are now Freestanding Arches, and a really fun piece of Artistic Seating in the shape of a frog with its tongue extended as though to catch a fly.  By this time it was getting late and time to head back to our hotel.

Day 8:  Today our vacation came to an end.  We made our way to the airport, turned in our rental car, and boarded our flight for home.  There's no place like home, there's no place like home, there's no place like home...

The Marine's Great Escape - December 17-29, 2010

Time for our annual trip to Columbus, Ohio, to spend the holidays with the Marine's family.  Because the Biologist had her Great Escape in October/November, the Marine narrowly escaped having to drive the Biologist all over the New England States on the way to Columbus.  The only detour on this trip involved a short stop in the Atlanta area.  The Marine actually used to like driving until the Biologist started waymarking...

The Friendliest Town in Georgia

Day 1:  Today we left Jacksonville, Florida, to begin our northern trek. Because the Biologist had a waymarking target in the Atlanta area, we took a less direct route than we could have, but not nearly the length of detours we've made during the past 2 years!  We got a late start because when the Marine tried to start the car this morning, the battery was dead so we had to get it replaced before we left town.  As a result, we didn't quite make it to Atlanta today, but we made it as far as Milledgeville.  We passed through the lovely little town of Wrightsville on the way and stopped at the Johnson County Courthouse, which is on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, has a Town Clock, and was the focus of a WPA Project in 1940.  On the Courthouse grounds was a Time Capsule placed in the Spirit of '76 for the United States Bicentennial, as well as Donated Engraved Bricks and Pavers for the City of Wrightsville Downtown Streetscape project, an American Civil War Memorial, and a Non-Specific Veterans Memorial.  As we headed our of town, we stopped at the Wrightsville Water Tower and an adjacent Grain Elevator.

Milk House

Day 2:  This morning we reached Atlanta and stopped at the new Sovereign building, a Skyscraper of Postmodern Architecture, which has been recently discussed in the forums as a potential new category.  Then we headed to the Sandy Springs Historic Site to check out the historic Milk House that fits under the Milk Platforms category!  We found a few other nice waymarks at this site, then started on the most direct route to Columbus.

Day 3:  No waymarks today, but we arrived in Columbus in early afternoon.  The previous 2 years it was snowing as we drove into Columbus, but not today.  Yea!  The snow had already fallen the week before.  Yuck!  Oh well, there wasn't too much snow on the ground and the roads were in great shape.

Day 4.  No waymarks today, but we had a really nice day with the Marine's parents.  They're the best!  They taught us a card game called Skip-Bo.  We loved it!

Bergstresser Covered Bridge

Day 5:  Today the Marine and the Biologist headed out to do some last minute Christmas shopping... and a little waymarking (as one of the Marine's Christmas gifts to the Biologist was to take her to find some waymarks - what a great gift!!!).  Our favorite find was the Bergstresser Covered Bridge, the last remaining covered bridge in Franklin County.  This Last of its Kind bridge is also on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places and had an Ohio Historical Marker on site about it.  We also found several Old Churches, a Former School that was a Relocated Building, an old Train Depot with a Hand Operated Water Pump, an historic Grain Elevator, and a couple of Cabooses. Is Columbus great or what?!  That night we took the Marine's parents out to dinner at the Spaghetti Warehouse where the Biologist spotted three Coin-operated Fortune Telling Machines.  They all predicted that the Biologist would find many waymarks in Columbus this year!  Are those machines amazing or what?

St. John the Baptist Italian Catholic Church

Day 6:  The Marine headed off bright and early for a day of poker with his Dad and several of his Dad's friends.  The Marine's Mom had a bowling league and Christmas party to go to.  So the Biologist was on her own.  Hmm, what to do?   WAYMARKING OF COURSE!  Are you surprised?  Really?  During the next 6 hours, the Biologist found over 10 Ohio Historical Markers, over 10 U.S. National Register of Historic Places, over 10 Old Churches of various denominations, a Town Clock, a Gazebo, a couple of Figurative Public Sculptures, a Statue of an Historic Figure, a former Masonic Lodge, a cool Neon Sign for Wonder Bread, and a few other odds and ends.  What a fun (but cold) day!

Day 7:  A day to stay inside and stay warm!

The Charity Newsies Historical Marker

Day 8:  This morning we headed out for our final Christmas shopping.  Of course, we had to do a little waymarking as well.  We found a few more Ohio Historical Markers and U.S. National Register of Historic Places.  We also spotted a few Worldwide Cemeteries while we were out and about and found a Headstone of a Centenarian, a Zinc Headstone, and a few American Revolutionary War Grave Sites.

Day 9:  Merry Christmas everyone!  The Marine's parents and the two of us headed to the town of Lebanon to spend Christmas day with other family members.  We stuffed ourselves silly on a delicious dinner!  What a nice day.

Day 10:  Today was a day of rest and relaxation before beginning our southbound journey.

Zippy the Pinhead Comic Strip Site

Day 11:  Today we started our trip to Jacksonville (not Florida, but North Carolina).  The Marine's daughter Jamie lives there!  Due to a major accident on I-77 South that had traffic backed up for over 20 miles, we made a quick exit and let En Route reroute us.  We passed through Mt. Airy, home of Andy Griffith, and made one quick stop at a Zippy the Pinhead Location, then stopped in Raleigh for the night.

Day 12:  We were less than 3 hours away from Jacksonville, North Carolina, but the Marine's daughter wouldn't be getting off from work until 6pm so we decided to spend some time wandering around downtown Raleigh where we found several North Carolina Historical Markers and U.S. National Register of Historic Places, including a few Old Churches, an historic Water Tower, and an Odd Fellows Building to name a few.  There's definitely lots to see in the downtown Raleigh area.  Maybe we'll spend more time there next year!

Jacksonville Civil War Memorial

 As we drove into Jacksonville, North Carolina, it was still a little early to check into our hotel, so we stopped by the historic downtown area and checked out the Pelletier House and Wantland Spring (a Natural Spring) and the historic building that used to house the Bank of Onslow and the Jacksonville Masonic Temple, all on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.  We also stopped by the Onslow County Courthouse, where there was an American Civil War Memorial and a World War I Memorial on the ground, our last waymarks for the trip.  The Marine's daughter was able to get off work an hour early and we had a nice dinner with her and her significant other.  It sure was nice to see them!


Day 13:  Today we made it home to Jacksonville, Florida!  We had a wonderful trip, but as Dorothy once said, "There's no place like home."

The Biologist's Great Escape - October 30-November 3, 2010

After an hellacious six months working on oil spill response, the Biologist was in major need of an escape from the realities of everyday life.  Due to a full class schedule at the University of North Florida, the Marine couldn't join the Biologist, so she took off on her own for her great waymarking escape (thanks to a free flight from United Airlines!).

Troy Gasholder House

Day 1:  The Marine took the Biologist to the airport bright and early and off she flew to Albany, New York.  Upon arrival she didn't waste any time, but picked up her rental car and made tracks to the nearby city of Troy to find the historic Troy Gasholder House that used to house a Gasometer.  According to a New York Historical Marker at the site, "Within this 19th century structure was a telescoping iron tank that stored manufactured coal gas until needed to illuminate streets and buildings in Troy."  How cool is that?  This interesting building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1971.

Historic Newtonville Marker

By now it was time to head back to Albany for a little waymarking before it got dark and was time to check into the hotel where the Biologist had reservations for the night.  She found several New York Historical Markers including one about Historic Newtonville at a U.S. Post Office that was formerly a Baptist Church.  This Old Church and Dated Building was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1973.  She also found a New York Historical Marker (which was also a Community Commemoration) for Townsend Park, a Municipal Park where a nice Spanish-American War Memorial (which was also a Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculpture) and a Non-Specific Veterans Memorial were located.

District No. 6 School

Day 2:  Time to leave Albany and make tracks for Massachusetts, but not before stopping at yet another New York Historical Marker for the old District No. 6 School, a Former School and One-Room Schoolhouse, which according to Wikipedia was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2008.  After making a stop in the charming little town of Grafton, New York, and checking out the World War II, Vietnam War, and Korean War Memorials, as well as two Old Churches, Baptist and Methodist, with nice Bell Towers, it was time to cross the border into Massachusetts.

Bascom Lodge

First stop in Massachusetts was Ashford and its Town Hall and Former One-Room Schoolhouse.  Then it was time to head to the Biologist's first real target in Massachusetts in the town of Becket.  However, she didn't get far before spotting a sign to Mount Greylock State Reservation, the First State Reservation in Massachusetts (a First of its Kind).  Hmm... wonder what's there?  Maybe a little detour wouldn't hurt...  Along the way she spotted a Massachusetts Historical Marker about the Rockwell Road to Greylock and about 20 minutes later she arrived at the Mountain Summit of Mount Greylock, the Geographic High Point in Massachusetts where she signed the Summit Register located in the Bascom Lodge.  This Lodge-Style Accomodation was partially constructed by the Civilian Conservation Corps in 1935-1938 and is a Contributing Building to the Mount Greylock Summit Historic District, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1998.

Veterans War Memorial Tower

An Orientation Table near the lodge and an outdoor topographic display with a Compass Rose would have been very helpful had the fog not started rolling in as soon as the Biologist reached the summit. However, that didn't stop her from checking out the Massachusetts Veterans War Memorial Tower, a Non-Specific Veterans Memorial located on the summit.  According to Wikipedia, this Land-Locked Lighthouse, which is also a Contributing Building in the Historic District, was built in 1931-32 at a cost of $200,000. According to an Elevation Sign on the memorial, Mount Greylock is 3,491 feet in elevation.  A network of hiking trails traverse the mountain, including the 2,179-mile Appalachian Trail along which the Biologist spotted several Appalachian Trail signs, as well as a large rock with the writing of Henry David Thoreau Etched in Stone on it.  Wow, this place was awesome and well worth a detour, wouldn't you say?

Becket Town Pound

Back on track now, the Biologist continued her journey to Becket and only made a couple more stops, including a quick stop at an Arizona Pizza restaurant with a Kokopelli picture depicted on its sign. People in the restaurant thought she was acting a little Cuckoo for Kokopelli, but that didn't bother her in the least. Finally she reached Becket, a small town in Massachusetts with two Historic Districts on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places, as well as several nice Contributing Buildings, including the Becket Anthenaeum, an historic library with a Dead Poet's Society Memorial, a Citizen Memorial, and a large map, which was constructed as an Eagle Scout Project to show the locations of key historic spots in the town. One of the historic locations depicted on this map was the pièce de résistance and the main reason for the Biologist's visit to this little town...the historic Town Pound.  This stone structure was built in the 18th century and stray animals were taken there and held until taken away by owners after paying costs. Before leaving town, the Biologist stopped at the First Congregational Church.  This Old Church had a small Churchyard Cemetery, a Worldwide Cemetery where she spotted a couple of American Revolutionary War Veteran Graves.

Silhouette Sculpture in Hadley

After seeing most of what there was to see in Becket, the Biologist left town and started making her way to Hadley for the night.  She spotted a strange little building along the road in Chester and stopped to check it out.  It was at the base of a road leading to a Worldwide Cemetery and was a Mausoleum that was built by the Works Progress Administration in 1935-1936.  Within the cemetery were a couple of Improved Order of Red Men grave sites and a Sundial.  Continuing on to Hadley, the Biologist checked into her hotel and then grabbed some dinner at the Route 9 Diner, an Independent Diner with a Neon Sign.  On the way back to the hotel, she spotted a cute Silhouette Sculpture of a dog and a few Contributing Buildings in the Hadley Center Historic District.

Montague Horse Trough & Upping Stone

Day 3:  After departing Hadley this morning, the Biologist passed through the small town of Leverett where she spotted another Town Pound!  These simple old stone structures are so interesting.  Continuing on, the Biologist saw a sign for the Montague Center Historic District, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2001.  Well, who could pass that up?  Here she spotted a cast iron horse trough and Upping Stone in the old Town Common and a Hitching Post across the street from the First Congregational Church of Montague.  This Old Church had a Unique Steeple, Bell Tower, and Town Clock, and is a Contributing Building in the Historic District. On leaving Montague, what should the Biologist see but another Former One-Room Schoolhouse.  They seem to be all over the place here in the Northeast.

Westminster Hitching Post

The next interesting place along the way was the town of Westminster where the Biologist spotted yet another Town Pound with a Hitching Post by the Town Common.  In the town proper were a few Old Churches and one Roman Catholic Church with a nice Coat of Arms above the main entrance and a Monarch of the World and Citizen Memorial on its grounds.  The Biologist next came to the town of Townsend and decided to spend a little time wandering around the Town Square, which has a Gazebo that was the subject of an Eagle Scout Project in its center.  Also in the Town Square was a nice American Civil War Memorial that is also a Smithsonian Art Inventory Sculpture.  Numerous other waymarks were ripe for the picking in this town, but the Biologist had a limited amount of time before she needed to make tracks for New Hampshire.

Northeast Velodrome

The first stop in New Hampshire was the Northeast Velodrome in Londonderry, a former race car track now used as a track for learning how to bike race.  Then it was time to head for Brattleboro for the night.  Of course, it wasn't that simple because there were quite a few distractions along the way.  While driving through Dublin, the Biologist spotted a street sign for Old Pound Road and had to check it out.  And, you guessed it!  There was yet another Town Pound, but this one had a New Hampshire Historical Marker with information about it.  After stopping for one more New Hampshire Historical Marker, the Biologist arrived at her hotel just before nightfall.  After a quick meal, she made it an early night.

Royal Diner

Day 4:  Today the Biologist continued heading west with the goal of spending the final night of her great escape back in Albany, New York.  She spotted the Royal Diner, a vintage Dining Car Restaurant with a cool Neon Sign, as she passed through West Brattleboro.  Shortly after she entered the state of Vermont and stopped at a small Cemetery along the way where she found a nice Zinc Headstone.  Then on to the town of Wilmington, Vermont, where she found a couple of Contributing Buildings in the Wilmington Village Historic District, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 1980.  She also spotted a 1938 High Level Mark on the Wilmington Town Hall.  Cool!  After checking out the historic Restland Cemetery, where the Biologist found a couple more Zinc Headstones, and after finding numerous other waymarks in town, she continued on her way.

Greenwich Cemetery Death Mask

Soon she entered the state of New York where she found many New York Historical Markers throughout the day and made stops for several waymarks in the towns of Cambridge (including six of 20 American Revolutionary War Veteran Graves in the Old White Church Cemetery) and Greenwich (including more Zinc Headstones, a Death Mask Gravestone, and a few Broken Column Headstones).  Also in Greenwich was the Ice Cream Man, an Ice Cream Parlor that was the site of a "Throwdown with Bobby Flay" of the Food Network in 2007 (making it a Diners, Drive-ins and Drives waymark).  Sweet!

Columbian Spring

The next stop was Saratoga Springs, where the Biologist checked out the Saratoga Gas, Electric Light and Power Company Complex, which was added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places in 2001. It includes two brick buildings: a substation building and a Gasometer or gas holder house.  Since these structures are so rare in the United States, she didn't waymark this Gasometer, but she's ready to visit it once someone else claims it!  She also visited Congress Park, an Olmsted Designed Park with several Natural Springs, a Spring House, a Carousel, Cycling Routes, Donated Engraved Bricks and Pavers, World War I Memorial, American Civil War Memorial, a History Museum, and a few other waymarks.  The Biologist only made a few more stops on the way down to Albany, then it was time to check into her last hotel of the trip and prepare for the next day's flight home.

Hawley Mausoleum - Albany Rural Cemetery

Day 5:  Today was the final day of the Biologist's great escape.  It was time for her to head home and start posting all the waymarks she'd found during the trip.  However, she woke up early and decided to find just a few more waymarks before heading for the airport.  She discovered that the historic Albany Rural Cemetery was nearby and decided to check it out.  This was by far the most amazing cemetery the Biologist had ever seen.  It didn't hurt that the fall foliage was still at peak and the beautiful reds, yellows, and oranges of the leaves on the old hardwood trees in the cemetery were stunning.  She found several Broken Column Headstones and beautiful Mausoleums before she needed to head out.

While this trip may not have been relaxing, it was the perfect way for the Biologist to de-stress.  It was an excellent escape and just what she needed.

Adventures in Portugal - September 11-20, 2010

The Biologist traveled to Portugal this month for a business meeting in the Azores.  She was fortunate enough to squeeze in a little time for sightseeing and waymarking.  Yea!

Day 1:  The Biologist's flight left Jacksonville in the early afternoon.  The first leg of her journey took her to Newark Airport in New Jersey, where she had a 4 1/2 hour layover.  Yikes!  She wandered through the International Terminal and found a few 3 Dimensional Art waymarks.  Nothing overly exciting, but it was something to do to pass the time. Then a few of the other meeting attendees arrived and she spent the rest of the layover chatting with them and getting some Euros at the currency exchange booth.

Day 2:  We arrived in Lisbon and only had 1 hour and 20 minutes to make it through the Passport and Security Checks and then take a bus to transfer to the Domestic Terminal.  Wow, that was an adventure all on its own.  Thankfully some very nice staff helped us and we made our connecting flight with moments to spare.  The flight to the Azores actually involved us flying for 2 hours back over the same airspace we had just traveled through.  Yes, we had to travel back toward the United States to get to the Azores.  Anyway, we landed at the Horta Airport on Faial Island a little before noon and our hosts were there waiting for us.

Peter Cafe Sport

After checking in to the Hotel do Canal, a Recommended Accommodation, we went out to grab a bite to eat.  While waiting for everyone to meet in the lobby, the Biologist ran down the street for a block to check out the Peter Cafe Sport bar and restaurant, a Bifana's House!  We would have eaten there, but it wasn't open yet.

Caldeira do Faial

After a quick lunch, our hosts took us on a nice tour of some of the beautiful sites around Horta.  Our first stop was the Caldeira do Faial, a great place to do some Volcano Watching and learn about it on the You Are Here Map at the site.  There was also a Hiking and Walking Trailhead here for the 10 Volcanos Trail, a Long Distance Hiking Trail that ends at the Capelinhos Volcano.

Flemish Windmill

After enjoying the spectacular view, we made our way down the volcano and stop to check out two historic Windmills that were built by Flemish colonists hundreds of years ago.  Then onto the Miradouro de Nossa Senhora da Conceição where we stood in the shadow of a very tall Christian Cross located above the town of Horta.  While there, we looked through the Coin-op Binoculars at the Horta Harbor and Pico Island across the way.

Portugal Geodetic Monument

On our way down the hill to Horta, the Biologist spotted something interesting looking and asked if it would be possible to pull over.  It was a Portugal Geodetic Point, which also qualified under the European Historic Survey Stones, Monuments and Benchmarks category!  Woo hoo!  The rest of the group thought the Biologist was odd for wanting to take photos of this rather plain structure, but they were game and three of them even walked out to the point with her.  What a great group of people!

Day 3:  Today we had a full day to recover from jet lag and explore the island.  But who wants to sleep when you only have a little free time to explore a beautiful island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean?!!!  So five of us wandered down the street from our hotel to a vehicle rental agency.  We tried to get a van, but they only had a compact car.  Oh well, what's a little discomfort when you have a chance to do some exploring?  We squeezed in the car and headed west and made a few stops along the coast to check out anything that caught our eyes.  Before long we arrived in Varadoura where we spotted another Portugal Geodetic Point and European Survey Monument, as well as a lovely natural tidal pool that is a popular Swimming Hole.

Capelinhos Lighthouse

Back in the Peugeot, we next made our way to the Capelinhos Volcano to do a little more Volcano Watching, this time from the top of a historic Lighthouse located there.  The lighthouse had been swamped by volcanic ash in a volcanic eruption in 1957.  We went inside the Nature Center for the volcano, surprised to discover it was an Earth Home!

By now it was getting late and we needed to get the rental car back before the office closed for the day.  After returning the car, the Biologist departed from the group and made her way to the nearby Horta Harbor to find her first geocache in Portugal.  It was a virtual cache and the coords took her to the pier and seawalls in the harbor and marina that are covered with small murals that are the "calling cards" of visiting yachts.  She ran into one of the other meeting participants that she'd met for the first time the night before and they found the virtual cache location together.  After taking down the necessary information, it was time to head back to the hotel and get ready for dinner.

Igreja Nossa Senhora das Angústias

Days 4-6:  Time to work.  We met in the Whale Museum, a History Museum located in the former local whale factory in Horta.  It was pretty much nose to the grindstone for the first two days of the meeting, but the meeting ended at around 1:30pm on the third day so the Biologist ran back to the hotel and grabbed her GPSr and camera and started wandering around the streets of Horta.  Her first stop was at the Igreja Nossa Senhora das Angústias, a 17th century church of Baroque Architecture located on Rua Vasco da Gama, a street named after the famous Portuguese explorer.  This Old Church is a beautiful Roman Catholic Church with an old baptismal font, a Church Stone Artifact.  In addition, there was a plaque in the church courtyard that offered a Commercial Commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the Philharmonic Society "Union Faialense".

Igreja Matriz São Salvador in Horta

There were a couple of other beautiful historic Baroque Roman Catholic Churches in town and the Biologist greatly enjoyed checking out These Old Churches.  On the walk back toward the hotel, she passed a statue of Duque D'Avila, a Statue of a Historic Figure of a Portuguese politician, as well as a statue of Bishop Alexander, the 25th bishop of the Diocese of Angra.  This Statue of a Religious Figure and Historic Figure was also a Dead Poet's Society Memorial.  Yes, this respected clergyman was also a poet of merit. After passing a Community Commemoration of the 25th anniversary of the autonomy of the Archipelago of the Azores, the Biologist had planned to go back to her hotel for some rest, but couldn't resist doing a little more wandering instead.  After all, it wasn't dark yet and there were waymarks to be found!

Gate of Porto Pim

Next stop was the historic Gate of Porto Pim (the old harbor gate) and the small Forte de São Sebastião (a Historic Fort), which are the only remaining 17th century fortifications that once protected what was Horta's main harbor until 1878.

Forte de São Sebastião

Day 7:  This morning the Biologist and the rest of the meeting attendees that don't live on Faial Island boarded the morning plane to Lisbon.  Several of us that were heading back to the USA had to stopover in Lisbon because the next flight home wasn't until the following morning.  After checking into our hotel in Lisbon, five of us decided to explore the city.  We hopped on Lisbon's Underground subway at the Campo Grande station, which is actually an above ground station. We made our way to the historic Alfama district where we headed down to the Tagus River.  We ended up at Commerce Square (Praça do Comércio), which is the home of an Equestrian Statue of a Historic Figure, King José I, a Monarch of the World.  It is also the site of an Infamous Crime Scene where the assassinations of King Carlos I of Portugal and his heir, Luis Filipe, the Prince Royal, occurred in 1908.

Casa Dos Bicos

We continued wandering around this area and soon spotted the Casa Dos Bicos (also known as the Spiky Mansion, House of Points, and House of Diamonds), which has a curious and interesting façade of Renaissance Architecture influence. Next we came across the Lisbon Cathedral, which is a Medieval Church dating back to 1147.  This Old Roman Catholic Church had it all, including a Doorway of the World, two Bell Towers, at least four Gargoyles, a Town Clock, and a lovely Stained Glass Window over the entrance.  After a quick stop at the Castle San Jorge at 20 minutes before it closed, we looked around for a place to eat then called it a night and hopped back on the subway to head back to our hotel.

Belém Tower

Day 8:  While the others in the group headed to the airport bright and early this morning, the Biologist remained to enjoy a weekend layover in Lisbon.  First thing on the agenda today was a 1/2-day organized tour of Lisbon.  The first stop was the Belém Tower or Torre de Belém, which was constructed in the 16th century and is considered one of the main works of the Portuguese late Gothic, Manueline Architecture style.  This Historic Fort also had two Rotary International Plaques and Monuments on site; one of them was a miniature Exact Replica of the Belém Tower.

Tomb of Vasco da Gama

Next we headed to the National Coach Museum, which is both a History and Oddball Museum that has the largest collection of magnificent royal coaches in the world.  The museum is located next to the Belém Palace.  This Palace or Castle has Baroque Architecture and is the official residence of the President of Portugal.  Our next stop was the Jerónimos Monastery and Church of Santa Maria of Belem.  This Old Roman Catholic Church had beautifully detailed Stained Glass Windows and an old Baptismal Font, an excellent example of a Stone Church Artifact.  The tomb of Vasco da Gama is located in Monastery, which is built on the site of the former Ermida do Restelo, a hermitage that was founded by Henry the Navigator circa 1450.  Vasco da Gama and his men spent the night in prayer at the former hermitage before departing for India in 1497.  The tomb of Luís de Camões, one of the greatest Portuguese poets and author of the maritime epic Os Lusíadas, an account of the exploits of the Portuguese navigators, particularly of Vasco da Gama.  This Dead Poets' Society Memorial was sculpted by the 19th century sculptor Costa Mota in a neo-Manueline style.  The tour ended in the historic Alfama area, where the Biologist caught the subway back to her hotel and made arrangements for her afternoon adventure.

Anta de Casaínhos

The hotel arranged for a taxi with an English-speaking driver to take her to the small town of Casainhos, whose claim to fame is the Anta de Casaínhos, a Megalithic Monument made of limestone.  This funerary monument was classified as a National Monument in 1977 and consists of a few stones in a poor state of repair.  The megalith was not easy to find and the taxi driver was extremely kind and asked several people in town how to get to it.  He even walked down the path with her to find it and took a picture of her with it.  What a nice man!  He took a few photos of the megalith as well, as he'd never heard of it and undoubtedly wanted to show his friends and family what the crazy American paid good money to go see!

Astronomical Observatory

Day 9:  Today was a day for wandering and exploring.  The Biologist found and admired several Statues of Historic Figures, Monarchs of the World, and/or Dead Poets' Society Memorials.  She also visited a few more subway stations of the Lisbon Underground and eventually ended up at the Jardim Botânico da Universidade de Lisboa, a lovely Botanical Garden in the Rato District of Lisbon.  After passing by the Astronomical Observatory on the way into the garden, she quickly spotted a couple of Sequoioideae Trees from the US Pacific Northwest.  Not long after that she came across the Lagartagis, a Butterfly House in the garden.  What a lovely, peaceful place to come and escape the hubbub of Lisbon!  With aching feet and calves, the Biologist headed back to the hotel to post a few waymarks and pack up her things.

Day 10:  Today it was time to say Adeus to Portugal.  What a wonderful place to visit.  Muito obrigada Portugal!