We stopped one night at MCAS New River, and saw my first duty station with the Marines at HMT-302. Jacksonville is where we first lived after getting married...lots of memories. We then drove on to Virginia Beach, and NAS Oceana, the location of my second duty station with VF-101. We lived there for four years (1997 - 2001). We had a great dinner and coffee with friends, Paul Carmody and his new bride.
After that, (factor in the fun of $4.00 a gallon gasoline with post-hurricane shortages), we drove on to Washington D.C. to see the Pentagon Memorial (dedicated the day prior), the Capitol, the Washington and Lincoln Monuments. My big objective for traveling here was to visit the new National WWII Memorial, which is a solemn remembrance to the greatest generation that sacrificed so much. There were veterans in droves, some walking, some in wheelchairs as they came to pay their respects for perhaps their last time to fallen brothers-in-arms that literally saved the world from Fascist Nazism and Japanese Imperialism.
We stayed at our dear friends, Calvin and Nicole Foster's. He was the navigator aboard the USS Shreveport, the ship upon which I deployed with the Marines from Camp Lejeune in 1995, and later they both became our friends at Virginia Beach for many years. We just relaxed as if we had never been apart for years: talking, laughing and sharing life. We went to church, took a nap on Sunday, and went out to a great dinner in downtown Baltimore where Nicole's cousin is the chef... five-star cuisine!
From there we headed North to New York City... pics below.
We arrived in New York after $20 in tolls (one reason not to live in the North East!), but at least New Jersey has full service gas stations, which was a surprise when I began pumping my own gas and the gentlemen came over to finish up.
We stayed at the Navy Lodge on Staten Island, at the site of Fort Robinson underneath the Verrazano Bridge. Nice and safe, with guards to the entrance...plus you couldn't beat the great rooms with mini-kitchen for $99 a night.
The first afternoon we arrived at about 3PM, and hopped onto the Staten Island Ferry (free), and rode into Battery Park in Southern Manhattan. We walked up the West side to Trinity Church and the site of the Twin Towers to pay our respects, to those who perished in the buildings and from the fire station just across the street. Since we got there on September 13th, there were still flowers everywhere outside the fire station, laid there just two days prior by loved ones.
We crossed town and after a pleasant respite at the USO for a soda and some chips, and visiting with the fine staff serving our soldiers and sailors, we walked the Brooklyn bridge... taking in the sunset and Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson's Water Falls art displays on the river...quite spectacular after dark.
For the next two days we walked up and down, to and fro: Central Park, Wall Street (on the day of the crash, no less, with reporters everywhere!), South Street Seaport, the Empire State Building, the Chryler Building, and just took in the cacophany of people, green parks and the captivating architecture. For food, we ate at street vendors, pizza joints, and $5 subs (which we split). We should write a book on "How to Vacation in New York for $120 a day!" [$100 room, $5 parking at the Ferry, $15 a day for food for the both of us, including Starbucks for an afternoon coffee and chai tea] We had a great time!
We left New York with some sore feet, but warm hearts... what a great city.
We took the way less traveled home, driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains, seeing the Natural Bridge (surveyed by a young George Washington in 1825 and owned by Thomas Jefferson). We stopped for the night, and the next day toured the Biltmore Estate outside Asheville, NC. Wow! The morning was cool, with fog and the feel of Autumn. The Biltmore is really a "man's man" castle, built by George Washington Vanderbilt when he was a bachelor in his 20's. It was built in the 1890's, with 250 rooms, 17000 square feet, with indoor swimming pool, bathrooms, electricity and plumbing... it is definitely America's Castle, on par with the best in the world. The gardens and estate were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City. This is one stop that is worth the price of admission. Buy tickets online before you go to save a few greenbacks.
We arrived back in Atlanta, and Toni's uncle Gail was visiting from Illinois, which was a nice reunion and we had a couple nights to visit around the patio fireplace, go boating at Lake Lanier, and go to our favorite place to worship, Northpoint Community Church.
We stayed at the Navy Lodge on Staten Island, at the site of Fort Robinson underneath the Verrazano Bridge. Nice and safe, with guards to the entrance...plus you couldn't beat the great rooms with mini-kitchen for $99 a night.
The first afternoon we arrived at about 3PM, and hopped onto the Staten Island Ferry (free), and rode into Battery Park in Southern Manhattan. We walked up the West side to Trinity Church and the site of the Twin Towers to pay our respects, to those who perished in the buildings and from the fire station just across the street. Since we got there on September 13th, there were still flowers everywhere outside the fire station, laid there just two days prior by loved ones.
We crossed town and after a pleasant respite at the USO for a soda and some chips, and visiting with the fine staff serving our soldiers and sailors, we walked the Brooklyn bridge... taking in the sunset and Danish-Icelandic artist Olafur Eliasson's Water Falls art displays on the river...quite spectacular after dark.
For the next two days we walked up and down, to and fro: Central Park, Wall Street (on the day of the crash, no less, with reporters everywhere!), South Street Seaport, the Empire State Building, the Chryler Building, and just took in the cacophany of people, green parks and the captivating architecture. For food, we ate at street vendors, pizza joints, and $5 subs (which we split). We should write a book on "How to Vacation in New York for $120 a day!" [$100 room, $5 parking at the Ferry, $15 a day for food for the both of us, including Starbucks for an afternoon coffee and chai tea] We had a great time!
We left New York with some sore feet, but warm hearts... what a great city.
We took the way less traveled home, driving through the Blue Ridge Mountains, seeing the Natural Bridge (surveyed by a young George Washington in 1825 and owned by Thomas Jefferson). We stopped for the night, and the next day toured the Biltmore Estate outside Asheville, NC. Wow! The morning was cool, with fog and the feel of Autumn. The Biltmore is really a "man's man" castle, built by George Washington Vanderbilt when he was a bachelor in his 20's. It was built in the 1890's, with 250 rooms, 17000 square feet, with indoor swimming pool, bathrooms, electricity and plumbing... it is definitely America's Castle, on par with the best in the world. The gardens and estate were designed by Frederick Law Olmsted, who also designed Central Park in New York City. This is one stop that is worth the price of admission. Buy tickets online before you go to save a few greenbacks.
We arrived back in Atlanta, and Toni's uncle Gail was visiting from Illinois, which was a nice reunion and we had a couple nights to visit around the patio fireplace, go boating at Lake Lanier, and go to our favorite place to worship, Northpoint Community Church.
