What historic heroes from the past come to real life for you today?

“Let their remembrance be as lasting as the land they honored.” (Daniel Webster)

I love to follow road trip itineraries that reveal authentic vestiges of the American Civil War. So a timely surprise awaited me during our summer road trip stopover at Lake George municipality in upstate New York. For I learned on our first day stay in this picturesque tourist region that a short distance south near the tiny hamlet of Wilton, a heavily marketed remembrance event would be happening at Grant Cottage honoring former U.S. President Ulysses S. Grant’s life. I knew beforehand that the esteemed Ulysses had perished there on July 23, 1885 so I jumped at the chance to experience such authentic American History on the exact day and place in which his death had occurred. Along with this free re-enactment celebration, I hoped to find ample opportunity to wander around the grounds to enjoy some  quiet moments of summer solitude and book a self guided tour of the historic interior of this house. 

I must confess to begin, that during this visit I learned more about Grant the person beyond what I previously had taught in textbooks to my students about his well documented fame as a Civil War general and U.S. President. In particular, I obtained what I believe to be an authentic characterization of Grant as he endured his inevitable decline from throat  cancer here in those final days of his life. To make such judgment clearer, a renowned Civil War impersonator of  Mr. Grant accompanied by his wife Julia, a Union officer and several dutiful army guards made quite a realistic impression on me during their visit to this site  that morning by making themselves available to mingle with myself and other tourists for group photos along the cottage lawn that morning.  

After a brief lunch break, Grant himself then took center stage again by portraying a more sickly version of himself from a wheelchair to a captive audience beneath a grassy shaded pavilion. His thoughts over that next hour got “straight to the  point” as he pleaded with those attending to believe  that he’d stayed strong and mentally determined to finish his life memoirs as his health was failing. During these moments, I also observed that he’d acted seriously disturbed at this end stage time of his life by an inability to pay off heavy debts he’d accumulated from poor investment decision – making in private life times. With strong emotion, he also shared with the crowd how he’d formed a close relationship with famed writer Mark Twain, who would help him to finish his memoirs and  sell them to book publishers to obtain for Grant some much needed financial relief. 

Upon final reflection of Ulysses S.Grant’s end of life trauma that day, I ponder how I might best cope with any physical decline sooner or later when it happens. Enjoy the event photos I witnessed on that occasion. I’ve also added his death mask image and a historic black and white enlargement of an ailing Grant sitting on the porch of Grant Cottage during those final days of his life.    

Blog Sources:

https://www.grantcottage.org/

https://www.whitehousehistory.org/bios/ulysses-s-grant

What does the appeal of Southern hospitality mean to you? 

“People trust their eyes above all else- but people see what they wish to see, or what they believe they should see; not what is really there.” (Zoe Marriott)

Southern  charm –  “The warm, polite and welcoming behavior traditionally associated with the Southern United States. It’s demeanor that makes one more comfortable and valued now.”

During my roadtrip experiences in recent years, I’ve encountered tourist situations   that allegedly promoted the hospitable appeal of southern U.S. charm during various stopovers in this region. In this regard, consider three tourist scenarios I’ve faced in the past. For one, there was a time when I impatiently counted the minutes until I made my timed entry into a former slaveholding mansion from Civil War times in Charleston, South Carolina. To pass the time, I poured myself  a glass of water from a self serving table but there was no  human around to talk to. Or envision my visit to the Elvis Presley birthplace in Tupelo, Mississippi whereby a tour guide nervously read a planned script he had memorized to report about  “The King’s” upbringing. Yet I’d been hoping he’d put some emotion into his job, perhaps telling engaging stories about  rock n’ roll’s roots of popularity at the time. I give notice as well to that quiet Sunday morning in Savannah, Georgia when I watched a crowd of tourists admire a short distance away those pretty young women dressed formally in “Southern Belle” attire accompanying their dapper looking gentlemen into the weekly Baptist  church service. Yet there’d be no chance at any time for mutual friendly interaction with these “locals” in any way.

While I admit that each of the above situations “digged up” bits of nostalgic interest, none of them in my view sufficed to believe that any real friendliness or hospitality was displayed that seemed relevant to the modern American South. I then thought to just show me a time and place instead that’s more applicable to the “here and now”where southerners acted with  more genuine kindness  and polite regard for others beyond just tradition. So in moving forward, I’d selected our road trip visit to the Greenville, South Carolina vicinity as the source of my “southern charm” investigations. Specifically, I would randomly  choose “Greer”,  a suburban  town, twenty four minutes driving time northeast of Greenville’s city limits to visit on that day. 

To begin, I decided to visit the  sprawling BMW complex center just outside of Greer hoping to find a vantage point that demonstrated the degree of team friendliness displayed in  producing and marketing such high quality vehicles. To my dismay however, the self guided  “Zentrum” tour I chose there would mainly function as a large car dealer showroom of the latest BMW models with minimal human contact in sight.                                        

Next up on my agenda would be finding a suitable lunch spot in the heat of the day in Greer town proper to further investigate the potential presence of southern charm culture. Toward that end, a first glance hinting at hospitality potential happened upon driving through the heart of downtown. It seemed then that I felt a positive aura in observing recent redevelopment of these historic surroundings along these brick covered streets, that captured a fresh spirit of I was welcome to this town. Upon further inspection by taking a follow-up walk, I indeed confirmed how the effective use of clever word signage, colorful floral arrangements and patriotic flag placement in proximity to storefronts contributed to such a friendly and courteous spirit for visitors to see.

Moving on to make best use of my lunch destination at a small cafe within a lavish hotel, I observed a more human interactive look at the local populace of Greer. For while the service seemed slow, I found good reason to just sit and observe. In doing so, I found time to converse with an elderly waiter who inquired about my food preferences and thereupon offered me a tasty plate of southern  grits while I waited to order. Several surrounding  customers also took time to introduce themselves to me followed by an enthusiastic sharing of why Greer would make a nice place for me to consider relocating to as a permanent home. 

So what I learned in Greer seemed to surprise me. For in spite of feeling the unusual warmth of such Southern culture on so many occasions that day, I’d never feel comfortable moving there, just the same. Enjoy the Greer photos. 

Blog Sources:

https://scribblesandgrits.com/what-does-it-mean-to-have-southern-charm/

https://www.southernliving.com/culture/southern-hospitality

What shades of color radiate positive thoughts in your daily life?

“A man’s character always takes its hue more or less from the form and color of things about him.” (Frederick  Douglass)

An August road trip theme I chose during our recent road trip visit to Columbus, Ohio centered around finding an activity to let color be my guide. In other words, I expected to find some setting to stimulate my interest by walking toward colors that most stood out at that time.  So I chose a rural excursion about an hour southeast of the city to well regarded Hocking Hills State Park, a region of recessed caves and sandstone cliffs sculptured by waterfalls of ancient glacial origin. As you can observe in the source website below, there were plenty of interesting nature options to choose from. But because of time and physical capability restrictions, I chose the relatively flat, “Ash Cave” trail that morning.

I thus embarked on an easy back and forth hike within this verdantly thick forest environs by following a narrow gorge along a shrub lined path bathed in cool, dimly light conditions. In doing so, I also hoped to experiment with a newly purchased plant app identifier to make specific sensory impressions beyond just color concerning such species as beech, hemlock, and various other hardwoods observed then.    

Along this corridor, strands of aging hardwood trees intricately enveloped by various shades of green particularly stood out. Gradually, a slow flowing stream of murky brown color emerged which led me to a massive cliffside cave littered with oddly shaped boulders. In thus reaching my intended destination in less than an hour, I’d been rewarded with mesmerizing pastel images of brown, yellow, blue and black as each hue subtly radiated from these rocky surfaces from strong sunshine appearance. Upon entering the underside of the recessed cave itself, a stark perception contrast now set in as I alternated between shades of shadow darkness and surrounding bursts of light. Such observations at Hocking Hills that morning have inspired me to write the following poem as displayed below. 

Blog Source:

https://www.hockinghillsstatepark.com/

HOCKING  HILLS HUES HEAVEN

Hocking’s woods, where shadows play

Canvas runs vast, a colorful array,

Emerald moss, and amber light,

Dancing through trees, in luminous flight.

Deep within, hidden caves abide,

Murky pools fill from gentle slide

Amidst the trees, a mysterious hue,

A world of green wonder, potent brew

The forest’s heart, with kaleidoscope flair,

A rare sight, beyond worldly compare,

In every shade, a new story’s told,

Of magical mystery, young and old.

In woods so dark, yet full of light,

The colors blend, an enticing sight,

A symphony stage, of shade and hue,

With forest’s beauty, forever true.

How might being part of a family reunion interest you in the future? 

“Hashtags (#) enable you to teach the internet what to tell people.” (Steven Magee)

Our road trips typically include casual “drop in” chats with family members scattered in various places around the country. So on our most recent visit to see my cousin in Durham, North Carolina, she informed me to my surprise that her parents would be joining us for the meetup as part of a more formal dining occasion. I didn’t feel that comfortable with allotting extended time and some awkwardly silent moments during such a social arrangement. So as I thought hard about how to make these conversations go more smoothly, it just so happened a few days prior to the meetup, I remembered reading a social media post lauding the value of using hashtag recommendations to search for convenient topics of conversation. So I decided to use our Durham rendezvous location  as the main hashtag focus for this family social gathering. Here’s what I came up with in my research. 

Durham, North Carolina

#fashion, #love, #art, # dogsofinstagram, #photography, #music, #style, #fitness, #newtork, “handmade, #bullcity, and  #duke

With plenty to talk about now becoming clearer to me, I began an experiment to bring up frequently four of those hashtag topics in my conversation during that Sunday gathering. Thus by keeping the Durham hashtag focus in mind, I included queries about fashion, music, photography, and fitness. As these issue conversations grew increasingly more openly shared by all, I felt the time appeared right to suggest our family might plan a reunion in the future. With similar familial connection intent, I then called my mother in Florida whereupon we all chatted briefly with her by speaker phone. While nothing conclusive resulted as to time and place for planning such a celebratory family event, I did notice how considerably more family friendly togetherness resonated around the table during the remaining minutes of this visit. 

So what have I learned about hashtag use in a social context today? They definitely help keep the conversation going in a positive direction toward interests that all might share. Such common intimacy creates more “feel good times“ in what matters  now and can negate the oftentimes awkward need to obsess on distant past memories that can fade or become distorted over time.

Consider then what hashtag topics might serve you best to sustain such productive conversational interest in the present during that that long awaited family gathering? Here are a few photograph ideas from our past American travels that you might consider? 

Blog Source:

https://www.vrbo.com/vacation-ideas/families/family-reunions-and-groups/7-perfect-family-reunion-destinations

In what what ways do you enjoy child play in your life these days? 

“When we engage in what we are naturally suited to do  our work takes on the quality of play and it is play that stimulates creativity.“(Linda Naiman)

A genuine fascination with my Midwest U.S. upbringing took a huge nostalgic leap during a pleasurable activity at the Cincinnati Museum Center on our recent road trip visit to this southern Ohio region. Understand to begin that I’ve accumulated in this region of travel so many fun memories of my mid 1960s childhood centered mainly around Cleveland where I grew up. But  I never expected that allotting only one day to visit Cincinnati, two hundred and forty eight miles south on Interstate 71 would  also capture that feeling of youthful playfulness that I so vividly recall. So in this blog I take notice of my observance that morning of Cincy’s  municipal planning decision to convert their old Union Railroad terminal built in 1933, into an extraordinary public space of Art Deco half dome design centered around the city’s historic  lifestyle perspectives. That feat meant for me taking a lengthy tour of its three tier history museum annex on a busy July weekday. This time travel adventure into Cincy’s past thus revealed  to me a fascinating look at the growth of this metropolis in such distinctly different ways in agriculture, industry, transportation, and touristic  travel. 

Of particular interest to me on this visit happened as I browsed the museum’s extensive collection of mid 20th century items for I found  plentiful opportunities to fixate on moving images there through touch, sight, smell, or sound. Take for example the featured  exhibit at the museum entrance depicting a scale model representation of downtown Cincy as I pressed exhibit buttons with sheer fun intentions. For in visualizing these 3-D designs, I imagined myself as a young boy making efficient use of his toy building blocks set to fill our house’s basement play space with self made structure creations. Or along the corridor aptly named “ You Are Here”, I idolized once again several major league baseball stars of my youth by watching films of classic Cincinnati Reds games, listening to their old radio broadcasts,and photographing rare collections of vintage baseball cards, bobble head dolls, stadium scorecards, and dusty fielding mitts. 

Keep in mind that I used to daydream alot as a child upon being cooped up so much in class all day during those frigid Northeast Ohio winters and often longed to find fun places to just be  outside. So to that end I relived such restless memories at the museum section called “Cincinnati In Motion” having fun sitting inside an old street car, admiring the shiny texture of a vintage Studebaker vehicle and strolling along a simulated cobblestone village. Remembering once again my enjoyment in being of rebellious temperament in my youth, I also amused myself in this manner by watching younger kids defy customary rules at the “Public Landing” annex exhibit as they gathered in such a forbidden place as a reconstructed beer parlor.

How rewarding thus it had seemed on this Cincinnati visit to have been given the choice to step back into the spirit of juvenile joyful play I once embraced so powerfully. An important question however remains as to whether I am willing to sustain such fun times to last a lifetime.  Enjoy the photos. 

Key Source:

https://www.cincymuseum.org/historymuseum/

What sensations does a waterfall provide for you?

“There is a waterfall in every dream. Cool and crystal clear, it falls gently on the sleeper, cleansing the mind and soothing the soul.” (Virginia Alison)

As the weather seemed unseasonably hot in Buffalo, at the very least I anticipated getting some exercise amid the cool foggy mist as I spotted Niagara Falls in the distance on this mid summer road trip excursion. Yet as often happens on our self guided journeys, the unexpected would yield so much more than intended. So we began this adventure foregoing the temptation to lock in our time schedule with an organized tour such as the “Maid  of the Mist” boat ride or an air balloon ascent that day. Instead, we’d decided to take our time that morning to cross over the Rainbow  Bridge on foot to Canada to amble along the Niagara River for some memorable waterfall  panoramas. Notably after passing through  Customs border checks with minimal fanfare, it felt liberating now to be standing on Canadian soil.  For I’d be witnessing a wide boulevard appearance lined with colorful shrubbery reminiscent of our Parisian travel past. 

Turning right past the border station, we then stopped at a nearby overlook for an impressive view of the horizontal torrent of water falling across the river on the American side. A distinct intimacy I felt for the sheer power of such wild nature then provided strong  energy for me to proceed onward ambitiously through late morning heat and a congested  crowd presence to obtain a close up vantage point  of the Canadian oval shaped Canadian Falls approximately a mile distance ahead.  With each purposeful step now taken toward this magnificent Canadian vista of mystical coolness , I now felt heartfelt appreciation of being fully alive at these moments of time. In returning back the same way we came, we stopped frequently to just relax  quietly on park benches to admire the beautiful summer blossoms surrounding us at the time. 

In retrospect  I now realize the emotional connection that so many loving couples make in choosing Niagara Falls as their preferred honeymoon destination. On a larger scale, perhaps families and friends might find other ways to share such intimate waterfall impressions by showcasing their own personal waterfall images in a conspicuous spot at home. Enjoy the photos.

Source Used:

https://www.niagarafallsstatepark.com/

“Solitude is where I place my chaos to rest and awaken my inner peace.” (Nikki Rowe) 

How does summertime help one find inner peace? Click song link below )

https://youtu.be/on4DKeVGeAY?si=K0FEodg20SXZrzil

Oftentimes my goal to obtain inner peace on any given day can be an overwhelming task to accomplish. Understand that my historically tested tendency to “ramp up” my physical and emotional responses to life challenges produces unneeded stress at various seasonal times. During my thirty some teaching years, for example, I depended on overworking myself day and night  to solve those periods of crisis in managing my classroom environments efficiently. Then when summer vacations arrived, matters of leisurely enjoyment often seemed to be the furthest habit to induce on my mind. 

So that’s where making time to have fun during more recent  summertime road travels comes in to help me enjoy more relaxing times in various regions visited when I can. Yet with my keen awareness of more vacationers on the move during these warmer weather months across America, I’ll need to “dig deep” to find more unexpected de-stress opportunities to avoid such potential crowded chaotic frenzy.

I invite you then to preview our upcoming itinerary next month in the title photo above. In particular, observe those shaded regions we intend to visit on our upcoming northerly route. You can also obtain in the annotated photographic list below some specific paired insights predicting how I might salvage summer solitude during each of our thirteen planned stopovers.

Cool down with a breezy sailboat ride – Lake Champlain, Vermont visit

How does listening to music impact your spiritual understanding? 

“Any minute playing “Good Vibrations” is a minute that I feel spiritually whole…” (Brian Wilson) – See song link below. 

https://youtu.be/Eab_beh07HU?si=S0RHEeth7RrcQcGV

The accolades now intensify in response to the recent death of Beach Boys member Brian Wilson.With respect to his musical effect on my life, I take notice of those numerous occasions during my teenage years when AM radio stations gave plenty of “live air time” to those harmonically “catchy”  tunes composed by him in the late 1960s. In retrospect, I should have paid more attention to his deeply expressive song lyrics then which seemed to accomplish much more than glorify the appeal of the Southern California surfing culture at the time. When I met my wife a few years later, she seemed to fill in those gaps of knowledge for me quite well as she added a strong personal touch to the personalities of various Beach Boys members.

Yet those youthful impressions of Brian Wilson’s artistry seemed to fade away for me when his concerts stage efforts increasingly seemed seriously “out of kilt.” At two Beach Boy concerts, I recall we attended in So. Cal., for instance, I detected a noticeable lack of enthusiasm from him to perform for the crowd. With various changes to The Beach Boys membership now happening due to the death of brothers Carl Wilson, and Dennis Wilson, Brian stood out even more for me watching “You Tube” concert replays as being noticeably withdrawn. Perhaps my most vivid memory of Brian’s “dark side” happened two years ago at an Irvine gig”, when he staggered to the bandstand with both arms being held by stage crew and later sat idly through most of the songs during a long set list at that performance.

But looks can be deceiving when I choose to question how Brian’s troubling state of mind impacted his lasting musical legacy. For that statement brings me to the iconic song “Good Vibrations” that Brian composed for the Beach Boys during their early era of success. For as Art Garfunkel  of Simon and Garfunkel fame once said, this tune might be “the greatest, most creative record of them all.” In fact, I now listen to this song in greater depth than I once did on pop radio, and I’ve observed it in my road trip travels to be an ideal theme song for me to spread thoughts of  love and peace within  myself and toward the world around me.

Thus feeling Brian Wilson’s “Good  Vibrations” today, I attach the following original poem along with some soothing images from our California coastline travels. 

GOOD VIBRATIONS FAREWELL BRIAN 

Good vibrations, they surround me still

A gentle hum, a soothing pill

In every moment, I feel the vibe

A sense of peace, a heart fully alive

With every breath, I let go my fears

And welcome love, and calm, and cheers

The universe, in whispery flow

“You’re safe, you’re loved, let your spirit glow

Good vibrations, they lift me high

A feeling of joy, that touches the sky

In harmony, I find my way

Through life’s ups and downs, come what may

So let the good vibes flow, and never cease

Guiding me forward, with love and peace

Key Source:

https://www.biography.com/musicians/brian-wilson

What era in American History most reminds you of what’s happening now both within country and abroad?

How did you react to the President’s Saturday night decision to go ahead with American bombing of Iran?

“When the truth is found to be lies and all the joy within you dies. Don’t you want somebody to love? “ (Jefferson Airplane , 1967 – see link below)

https://youtu.be/a-C9pUGszsw?si=N1asVJ-PxhD2M7VO

During last week’s “No King’s Protest”, I kept flashing back to our most recent road trip visit to San Francisco (SF ) with the turbulent era of the late 1960s in America coming vividly to mind. Notably I was not reminiscing about Bay Area counterculture events in those times at such highly publicized places as Haight Ashbury, Berkeley, and Golden Gate Park. Nor did I wish to return to my teaching days when I prepared my American History students to remember testing material about the Vietnam War protests and Civil Rights disorders happening in cities then. Instead I felt intense interest in an innovative pop art exhibit I saw at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art that vividly depicted such historic rebellions of social and political issues in conjunction with a colorful psychedelic setting appropriate to that time period.

Keep in mind, I’ve never considered myself a “hippie” gone wild who savored free love, drug use, and mainstream societal disengagement. Thus over a half century later, I simply desire to retain my legal rights and earned freedoms of an American citizen as our democracy crumbles now before my eyes. In particular, I am most interested in how late 1960s counterculture provides me with rational ideas for such useful action focus now. So in giving  consideration to such a purposeful  mindset, I present a few of those relevant SF museum images in the photo series below.

Source Material:

https://www.sfmoma.org/

What’s your current state of mind about your country?

“A house divided against itself cannot stand.” (Abraham Lincoln)

I’ve been reading about the planned military parade in Washington D.C. happening on our current President’s birthday for several months with alternating reactions of anger and apprehension happening to me daily.  So it seemed right to join my wife Ruth as we exercised our constitutional right to protest on the morning of June 14 with two large signs  at the “No – Kings “ rally at Fort Lauderdale, Beach.

Leaving shortly after 7:30 am, we realized parking on this narrow beachfront area would be difficult to find. Making matters worse, I wondered why so many signs were conspicuously placed along this vicinity, warning people that off street parking lots were closed for special events happening on this day. An eerie tone also ensued as I noticed a heavy police presence already parked around the perimeter of the event in these now vacated lots. Fortunately, in arriving early, we were able to find safe refuge for parking for our vehicle at Hugh Taylor Birch State Park. A short walk then led us to the rally meeting point at East Sunrise Blvd. and A1A along the ocean. 

We next claimed our seating spot along a sea wall and found this a convenient way to display our signs. With each passing minute, the crowd grew larger in waves in what seemed like an organized fashion. Bullhorns chanted for people to be beware of unauthorized places to congregate while water bottles seemed easy to find. One might also have interpreted the polite decorum of human interaction with singing, dancing, and chanting going on as suitably casual. Yet most protest signs I saw  as protesters passed by  displayed graphic calls for action to current issues and the obvious character flaws  of our current President. 

So what seemed missing from today’s rally? With a hodgepodge of country concerns clearly the focus of the rally today, it would have seemed right for some charismatic state and local government leaders be in attendance to fire up the crowd further. Perhaps music, art, or other displays demonstrating South Florida’s regional diversity would have also made this gathering more effective. As for me, I just did my duty today to support my democracy in these anxious times. I sincerely hope you will too. Enjoy the photos.