Here We Go -- A Short Road Trip 9/3 - 9/9/2021
September 3 ~ 5, 2021: Strasburg, Pennsylvania
Friday, September 3
We set off a bit later on Friday than I had hoped on our way to Strasburg, Pennsylvania. We decided to take the scenic route which took us out I84 to Port Jervis, New York, and then down through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreational Area on Pennsylvania Route 209. It was quite a lovely drive along winding roads through woodlands and past churches large and small. Though we had planned to arrive by 4 p.m., our delayed start and choice of route landed us at the Inn just after 6 p.m. We were greeted by our hosts, Rick and Denise, as if we were old friends. We've been to Strasburg many times over our fifty years together, and the last time we were there we stayed here at the Limestone Inn. That was back in 2019 as we made our way back from Tampa, Florida where we had enjoyed watching the Women's Basketball Final Four. Rick and Denise remembered us, gave us some options for breakfasting, showed us to our room, called The Headmaster's Room, and gave us a recommendation for dinner.
According to their brochure, the Limestone Inn ranks among the most important homes in all of Lancaster County in terms of its history and architecture. It is based on a formal, symmetrically five-bay Georgian house plan with a central hallway, but the home does have some Germanic overtones. The pent roof, decorative tumbling between the 2nd floor windows, and a feeling of verticality marks the dwelling as a link between distinctly medieval and purely formal Georgian architecture. The home was built for a local merchant in 1786 and housed the first Chief Burgess of Strasburg and the first Post Office in 1805. From 1839 to 1860, the principal of the Strasburg Academy boarded up to 50 boys attending the school that was built behind the home.
In the 1970's the owners of the home resurrected the original exterior. It had been covered with stucco and some sort of faux stone, which they chipped off by hand (a formidable task, if you ask me). Underneath they found that the original Lancaster County limestone was in excellent shape, and even uncovered the carved initials by the front door.
It truly is a beautiful home with gorgeous grounds - something we did not have the opportunity to explore the last time we passed through.
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| The Bed in the Headmaster's Room The bed, a beautiful, antique four-poster, is very comfortable. However, the brochure warns you that it requires a stepping stool to get in and out of (especially if you are a 5 foot 2 inch woman like myself).  The ensuite bathroom is a dream, complete with double-slipper claw footed tub (and a modern shower for those who prefer such things).  There are lots of nooks and crannies throughout the house - places where folks can gather or just sit and read.   On the left is a cozy nook right next to our room where I spent part of a morning reading while Jeff went off to visit the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania. On the right is the "Gathering Room" where Jeff and I enjoyed breakfast together while the other guests ate in the dining room. We are still being extra careful to avoid indoor gatherings - despite reassurances from our hostess that "everyone in the house has been vaccinated." Breakfast on Saturday began with a streusel coffee cake topped with raspberry syrup and fresh raspberries with a dollop of homemade Greek yogurt on the side. It was garnished with a sprig of Lemon Verbena (a herb I have never planted - mostly because I wouldn't know what to do with it). A feast for the eyes, nose, and taste buds. Absolute heaven in a dish! This was followed up with a plate of scrambled eggs and cheddar cheese, a couple of breakfast sausages, and a most heavenly heirloom tomato pie - layers of heirloom tomatoes, fresh basil, a bit of mayonnaise mixed with some sort of cheese. Although it was a bit saltier than most dishes I make, it wasn't too salty to enjoy. Magnificent! We chatted with Denise for an hour or more as she regaled us with tales of two knee replacement surgeries and open heart surgery all between December 2020 and July 2021. She went home the same day of her surgeries for both knee operations! We soon glanced at our watches and realized that it was time for us to get down to the train station for our ride on the 611. We had stumbled upon this engine back in 2019 as we travelled north, stopping at railroad museums along the way. It was just luck that it had just passed its safety inspection and was making a shakedown run just as we arrived at the museum. So, when I saw that it was going to be running this weekend, I figured that we just had to go. |
Norfolk and Western 611, also known as the "Spirit of Roanoke" and the Queen of Steam", is a preserved "J" class 4-8-4 "Northern" streamlined steam locomotive built in May 1950 by the Norfolk and Western's East End Shops in Roanoke, Virginia. It was one of the last steam passenger locomotives built in the US.
We booked seats in the Parlor Car, which is a beautifully restored car with comfortable seating and wide windows.
The Parlor Car was beautifully restored with stained glass windows, beautiful wood carving, and stenciling along the sage green ceiling. The club chairs were incredibly comfortable, and in the middle of the car was a maroon plush upholstered sofa and chairs. A waitress came by to take orders for a beverage or a bit to eat. Jeff ordered a beer, and I had a diet cola.
After taking our 45 minute ride through the beautiful farmland of Lancaster County, we got in the car to "chase" the train. We found a good place to park, and Jeff got out to catch some photos. I stayed in the car and caught a few photos from the car window.
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| This was my best cell-phone shot. |
While waiting for the train, Jeff managed to capture this photo of a handsome grasshopper perched and posing on a branch of some wildflowers. Serendipitous.
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| I love JJ's photo of 611 Steaming Through the Cornfields! |
After our ride and adventure in chasing the train for photo opportunities, JJ drove me back to the Inn while he returned to tour the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, located just across the street from the Strasburg Railroad.
JJ tells me that we rode behind the 1223 on one of our early steam train excursions together. According to Wikipedia, 1223 is a class "D16sb" 4-4-0 "American" type steam locomotive that was built in November 1905 for the Pennsylvania Railroad by their own Altoona Works for passenger service. It was retired in 1950 and ran excursions, like the one JJ and I rode out of Strasburg, PA. I'm guessing that we probably took that excursion from Strasburg back when we lived in New Jersey, but I honestly don't remember much about those excursions beyond the fact that they were kind of "primitive" and most of the people that took them were male. I also remember that periodically the train would stop, everyone would get off. The train would back up, and then it was come running full steam so that the guys could take pictures.
Perhaps one of my favorite spots was this water feature in the back yard. There were a pair of Adirondack chairs set nearby, making it a perfect spot to sit and read with the sound of water running in the background. I also loved the little statue of a fairy in the lower right hand corner.
This pathway leads from the Inn back past the garage and the water feature to the parking area. Everything is lush, green and full of flowers.
When JJ returned from his visit to the Museum, we decided to head out for an early dinner. We tried to go to the Fireside Inn nearby, but when we heard that there would be an hour wait, we decided to head back to Funck's where we had had dinner last night. Once again, it was a delightful meal.
We stayed to hear this band play some "classic rock" tunes, and I definitely enjoyed my salmon cooked on a bourbon soaked cedar plank. Tasty food in a lovely setting.
Tomorrow we head to Baltimore where we will visit the B&O Museum. hear some jazz, take a sailing tour with history commentary of the Chesapeake Bay, and explore historic Fells Point, where our VRBO rental is located.
So far, this trip is fantastic!
September 5 ~ 6, 2021 ~ Baltimore
Sunday, September 5
Once again Denise and Rick outdid themselves with a fabulous breakfast. We started with a "breakfast salad" of red pears over spring greens with clementine segments, fresh raspberries, slivered sugared almonds, and a delicate raspberry vinaigrette. It was as beautiful to look at as it was tasty to eat.
This was followed by a monte cristo sandwich, served with strawberry jam, and a wedge of pineapple. I could only eat half of my sandwich, but they packed it up in a baggie and Jeff and I shared it as we took a leisurely drive through the Pennsylvania countryside to Havre de Grace (where Jeff wanted to photograph a railway bridge over the Susquehanna River).
I waited in the car, and still managed to capture an Amtrak train going across the bridge. Jeff's photos are far superior to mine. Indulge me in a bit of history. According to Wikipedia, the Amtrak Susquehanna River Bridge is a Howe deck truss structure that carries two tracks of Amtrak's Northeast Corridor line across the Susquehanna River between Havre de Grace and Perryville, Maryland. About 100 Amtrak and MARC passenger trains cross the bridge daily. Freight traffic only operates at night. The bridge can open, but is rarely called upon to do so. Although a river crossing in this area has existed for over 300 years, this particular bridge was built between 1904 and 1906. It opened on May 29, 1906 and includes a center swing span to increase vertical clearance for water traffic. Ownership was passed to Amtrak in 1976.
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| It was a grey morning, but the geese were nibbling on breakfast |
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| I love this shot of the bridge taken from the opposite side. |
Once JJ had his fill of looking at the bridge, we resumed our journey south to Baltimore. We arrived at 1820 Fleet Street in Baltimore at a little before 3 p.m. and circled the block several times before we found a place to park the car. It was a short walk back to 1820 Fleet St., and we carried our few bags back to the apartment.
We tried the lock box on this doorway, which is 1820 Fleet Street, but came to discover that there are three dwellings within this single row house. This doorway leads to "Cityside," and we were booked into "Topside." Note to self: Next time book "Cityside" -- although there are stairs to the bedroom, at least once inside the front door, there are no stairs to get into the living area! There is also a third dwelling that is under construction called "Courtyard."
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| A small, but functional dining room |
The biggest challenge is getting up the very steep flights of stairs -- one flight to get into the condo, and a second one to get to the bedroom. Even that adds to the charm of the place. The living room has a beautiful brick fireplace. We don't know whether it's functional or not, but being that it has been in the 80s both days, we haven't needed to worry about it. The opposite wall also has exposed brick, which I truly love. The furnishings are eclectic and charming - a mix of older pieces and a few newer items.
The kitchen is tiny, but is well equipped. We knew that we wouldn't be doing any "serious" cooking, so I did not bring my knives!
After settling in and taking a nap, we were refreshed and ready to head out to Keystone Korner, a jazz club and restaurant about half a mile from the house. We decided to walk to and from (rather than risk giving up a perfectly good parking space). It was drizzling lightly, but it was warm enough and the drizzle was minor. We arrived and were shown to our table, which gave us a perfect view of the stage.
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| The outside of Keystone Korner |
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| As you enter the club, you are met with some of the all-time jazz greats! |
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| The view from our table. |
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| A goodly crowd joined in the fun. |
The group was called "Jazz in the Sanctuary," and the leader is Greg Hatza, who plays the organ. Also featured were Brian Kooken on guitar, Robert Shahid on drums, and Benny Russell on saxophone. Sporting a white hat, white jacket trimmed in gold, shiny gold pants and golden shoes, was the "vocalist and master of ceremonies, Reverend Dred Scott. It was more soul and funk than jazz, but it was fun.
It was a less drizzly walk back "home" and both JJ and I were ready to call it a night shortly after we got back.
Tomorrow .... Sailing in the morning and the B & O Museum in the afternoon.
Monday, September 6
We woke early to beautiful sunshine and the promise of a 10-15 knot breeze. The perfect day for a sail. We left the apartment and set off on foot to find "Michelle's Cafe" feeling certain that we would be able to get some breakfast there. Google Maps told us we'd find it in 300 feet from our front door. So off we went.
Good news/bad news/good news: The good news was that we were able to get coffee (for me) and tea (for JJ) - although they did not have any black tea. The bad news was that it's kind of a Mexican cafe, and while there were people eating something there ... neither JJ nor I saw anything on the menu that either of us would call "breakfast." J spotted a hand of bananas and, although I'm not sure they were meant for purchase, he snagged one, paid our bill, and we set off. The other good news was that our car was parked half a block away, so we carried our meager breakfast to the car, rolled down the windows and enjoyed people watching as we whiled away some time before we needed to head to our sailing adventure.
We set off on a quest to locate American Sailing Tours, our next adventure and were completely frustrated by our GPS. I was convinced that even though we had set off with time to kill that morning, somehow we were going to "miss the damned boat."
But we didn't. We were the last to arrive, but we were also the first to board the vessel. She is a beautiful boat, and we were seated on the starboard side up by the bow. The captain and his first mate (who is a captain in his own right) were knowledgeable and very friendly. They only take small groups - 8 is the maximum - so social distancing happens almost without thought. The cruise touts itself as a History of the Chesapeake Bay sail, and our captain did an excellent job acquainting us with the history of the area from the early settlement days through the post civil war era. A former lawyer, he was articulate, practiced, and very informative. His pacing was absolutely outstanding.
These two U. S. Navy Military Sealift Command ships, USNS Antares and USNS Capella, were brought to Baltimore in January of 1996 from Jacksonville, Florida. They had been used in Desert Storm prior to being brought to Baltimore, and have not been used since. Every so often, our Captain told us, the Navy takes them out to sea on a "shakedown run," but they basically sit in the harbor, becoming more and more obsolete by the day.
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| A view of Fort McHenry through the ropes |
He told us the story of how the Star Spangled Banner came to be written nearby as the British bombarded Fort McHenry on September 13-14, 1812. I love Jeff's picture of the Key Bridge (named after Francis Scott Key). It truly captures the sparkling day.
The 90 minute sail was over before we knew it, but it was truly glorious to be out of the water. By then it was noon and we set off for the B & O Museum, a short drive away. We arrived and then decided to try to find some lunch - not such an easy task on labor day. We found a pizza place in a truly sketchy neighborhood and decided to pass. We finally found a sandwich shop that we had been to before - it was open, but finding a parking spot was impossible. Finally, we gave up and drove back to the museum. I decided to read in the car while JJ did his thing in the museum, but before I knew it, he was back, telling me that there was a cafe in the museum, that it was "dollar day" at said museum, and that I should come in for lunch with him. We had a very good lunch -- I had a smoked turkey, apple, and brie sandwich and a glass of local white wine which was surprisingly good. I then sat in a beautiful rocking chair (for sale in the gift shop for $595) and read while Jeff toured the yard for a couple of hours.
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| The exterior of the Mount Clare Roundhouse |
The museum is housed in several historic buildings, all connected to the original B&O Railroad. As a port city, Baltimore wanted to compete with New York, Charleston, and Philadelphia back in the 1800s in terms of transporting goods from the east coast. When the Erie Canal opened, it sparked the development of the B&O Railroad, which became the first commercial long-distance railroad in the country.
It truly is a gem of a museum (and believe me, I have seen a LOT of railroad museums).
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| Inside the roundhouse |
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| The William Mason |
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| An early B&O passenger car |
We have visited this museum many times over the years, and it still strikes me as an amazing resource. It is truly a gem in the railroad museum crown.
I guess that Jeff had seen something about the Carrollton Viaduct while at the museum, so he decided that we had to go and see it. It is located over the Gwynns Falls stream near Carroll Park in southwest Baltimore. It is the first stone masonry bridge built for railroad use in the United States. Built for the B & O Railroad (which was founded in 1827), construction began in 1828 and finished in 1829. It is named for Charles Carroll of Carrollton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence and the wealthiest man in the Thirteen Colonies at the time of the American Revolutionary War. The viaduct was designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The bridge is 312 feet long and rises from its foundations about 65 feet. It is almost 52 feet above Gwynns Falls and consists of a full-centered arch with a clear span length of 80 feet over the stream with space for two railroad tracks on its deck.
JJ reports that it was a stop well worth the time and effort made to get there.
From there we headed back to 1820 Fleet Street with a stop at Whole Foods to pick up a few things for dinner. We decided to get some prepared food that I would supplement with some rice. We enjoyed watching a bit of TV before heading for an early sleep, since we had to move our car before 8 am the next morning.
Tomorrow .... we'll be off to Jim Thorpe, PA and the last phase of our adventure!
September 7 ~ 8, 2021 ~ Jim Thorpe - Scranton
I confess that I have not slept well at 1820 Fleet Street. The bedroom is very close to the street, and there was a lot of activity, so I was looking forward to a nice Marriott hotel in Scranton. But first, we had a stop in Jim Thorpe, PA.
We left Baltimore early on Tuesday with a plan to drive a bit and find a place for breakfast. We stumbled on Cafe 301 in the small town of Columbia, PA. What a treasure it was!
This sweet cafe is faith centered, with songs of praise playing all the time. At one point, the music stopped, and the proprietor walked over and said, "Alexa, Dear, play Worship and Praise." Alexa then began to talk about deer. After several tries and a number of "Alexa! Stop!" commands, Alexa began to play songs of worship and praise. I ate an amazing breakfast sandwich (and I wish I had taken a picture of it, but I did not). It was a southern biscuit topped with an amazing portion of caramelized onions, a handful of fresh baby spinach leaves, then a beautifully breaded and fried slice of green tomato, and then an egg with a slightly runny yolk (just the way I like it). Oh my goodness! That's all I can say ... it was sweet (the biscuit), it was savory (the onions), it was crunchy (the tomato), it was unctuous (the green tomato and the egg). It was AMAZING, and I thought of my mother's love of fried green tomatoes with every bite.
The chef and owner is a very kind woman, and there is a board where customers can "pay it forward" and buy a coffee, and/or a meal for a loved one or a stranger. As I savored my sandwich and listened to songs of worship and praise, I thought of my beloved friend, Betty Lou, knowing that she would absolutely LOVE this place.
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| Chef/Owner Laurie Meyers |
This serendipitous stop was probably one of the high points of our trip. And then we were on to another high point ... Jim Thorpe, PA.
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| Downtown Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania |
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| Train Station in Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania |
I wondered how a little town in eastern Pennsylvania ended up being renamed "Jim Thorpe." After doing some research, it's a strange saga, indeed. Olympic medal winner, Jim Thorpe, a Native American, born in Oklahoma, died in 1953. He widow, Patricia, had negotiated a memorial to her husband in Shawnee, Oklahoma, but after five months the town had not raised the $100,000 needed to honor him. Although the citizens had paid for Patricia, one of Jim's sons, and Jim's body to be shipped from California and had paid for the funeral service at St. Benedict's Catholic church as well as mausoleum costs at Fairview Cemetery. But Governor Johnston Murray vetoed a bill which would have paid for a memorial to Thorpe to be erected in Athletic Park.
Patricia shipped the body to Tulsa where she falsely said the Chamber of Commerce was going to build a proper memorial. Then she heard that the boroughs of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk were desperately trying to attract business. She made a deal with civic officials. Jim's son, Jack, was bitter about what Patricia was trying to do, claiming that she was motivated by money.
In 1954 the two boroughs merged, and the new municipality was named Jim Thorpe in his honor, obtained the athlete's remains from Patricia, and erected a monument to Thorpe. That said, according to the narrator of our train, there are folks in town today who refuse to call the town "Jim Thorpe." Even on their mailing address, they refer to the town as Mauch Chunk.
The monument site contains his tomb, two statues of him in athletic poses, and historical markers describing his life story. The grave rests on mounds of soil from Thorpe's native Oklahoma and from the Stockholm Olympic Stadium in which he won his Olympic medals
Jack Thorpe sued the town on June 24, 2010, demanding his father's remains under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act which was designed to return Native American artifacts to their tribal homelands. The judge ruled that for the lawsuit to continue, other members of the Thorpe family and the Sac and Fox Nation would have to join in the lawsuit. Before Jack could respond, he died. Other family members, William and Richard Thorpe, and the Sac and Fox Nation of Oklahoma joined the lawsuit. Eventually the judge ruled in their favor. The ruling was reversed by the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit. The Supreme Court refused to hear the Thorpe heirs' appeal, assuring that Jim Thorpe's remains will stay in Carbon County.
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The big event of the day, however, was our ride on the Lehigh Gorge Scenic Railway. As we drove into town, the first thing we noticed was STEAM! When we called to book the tickets, the agent indicated that there would be a diesel pulling the train. One can only imagine JJ's excitement as we drove in and we saw a blue Union Pacific steam engine. "It's blue," he said. "I wish it was black." We had tickets for the 3 p.m. train, but I was able to exchange them for tickets on the 1 p.m. train. We boarded the train for the 70 minute ride along the Lehigh River.
It was a beautiful day - warm and sunny with bright blue skies dotted with cotton-ball puffs of clouds. The narration was informative, well paced, and easy to hear.
After our ride ended, we rode out to a location that JJ had marked on his phone's GPS. The old railroad bridge was located there, along with the new highway bridge. We found the spot and JJ set off to scope out the best place for picture taking. I rolled down the windows and waited in the car. Within seconds, the car was filled with mosquitos. I took a folder and shooed many of them out of the windows and closed the windows while I killed the remaining biters before they could attack me. I turned the air conditioner on after about fifteen minutes because it was growing warm in the car.
We bid farewell to Jim Thorpe, with a promise that we would return. The town is very picturesque, and we did not spend much time exploring. It is definitely a place we would like to return to.
As we drove on toward Scranton, our final stop before heading home, we heard forecast of heavy rains for tomorrow night. Since we had planned to go to see the Scranton-Wilkes Barre Railriders play baseball against the Rochester Redwings tomorrow night we decided that we would see if they would exchange our tickets for tonight's game. Jeff pleaded his case - to no avail - so he just decided to buy tickets on site. If the game was rained out, they said, we could get a refund through Ticket Master.
We bought some crummy hot dogs and French fries (the fries were inedible), and took our seats, which were in the third row. The ball park was practically empty!
It was interesting to see Mike Ford, who played a full season with the Yankees before being traded to the Washington Nationals, and who has been "demoted" to Washington's Triple A team (the Rochester Redwings).
All in all, it was a wonderful little trip with truly awesome weather. We avoided major highways whenever we could, enjoying a leisurely ride through woodlands, farm fields, and small towns. We listened to Barack Obama's A Promised Land, as we drove and made comparisons between his version of events and those same events as seen through Michelle Obama's Becoming which we had listened to in 1919 on our much longer road trip from Tampa, Florida to Connecticut. As always, being away is fun, but it's always good to come back home.
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