Christmas Day on Duke Of Glaucestor Street

January 14, 2022 by LB

Colonial Williamsburg (CW) is a popular vacation and holiday destination, yet we are often in Williamburg, Virginia to visit my parents who retired there over 30 years ago. With the moniker of “the world’s largest living history museum”, CW comprises approximately 301 acres featuring “iconic sites, working tradespeople, historic taverns, and two world-class art museums”. Colonial Williamsburg’s Historic Area houses restored and historically preserved buildings, 88 of which are originals, including Bruton Parish Episcopal Church. The church was established in 1674 by the consolidation of two previous parishes in the Virginia Colony, and remains an active Episcopal parish.

While our primary purpose of visiting is to see and enjoy family, Christmas Day found us walking the streets of CW, a safe, outdoor activity in these days of Covid.

One of my favorite things to see are the wreaths that adorn the doors. Each year, Colonial Williamsburg holds a wreath making contest. Wreaths are judged on the types of natural materials used, the creativity and elements of the design, and the originality and faithfulness to the spirit of eighteenth-century decorative ideas. I didn’t have a chance to see all of the wreaths while there, but I did capture of a few of my favorites created with turtle shells, eggs, peacock feathers, oyster shells, pinecones, artichokes, pomegranates, and other natural items

Eggs, Turtle Shell, Orange & Cloves, Smudge Sticks from Dried Sage

Peacock Feathers, Lotus Pods, Pomegranates

Artichokes, Pomegranates, Pinecones, Lotus Pods, Okra Pods

Aren’t they just so creative and beautiful? As always, if you are ever in the Williamsburg area over the holiday season, be sure to plan to take a tour.

New Year / New Blog Commitment

January 2, 2022 by LB

My very first blog post was in 2012 and I posted regularly until late in 2018 when somehow the fullness of life and work kept getting in the way. Back when I began, the goal was to “be able to look back on my life later and remember what a fabulous one it has been”, and by fabulous I mean truly fortunate. I intended to have Life on the Bike be a journal, of photos and words.

Each year, I create a desk calendar for family, friends, and personal use, and when exchanging the 2021 calendar for 2022, I noted one thing for sure. While my eye may be the same, my technical capability has markedly improved. Even still, it was fun to go back and view the years through my lens, and that is what I want this space to be. A record of travel and personal growth. Thoughts, introspection, and life’s journey. In order to make that happen, I need to commit to blogging more regularly!

Since 2012, I have published 738 posts, yet this past year I posted just 24 times, only 3.2% of the total posts. What should my commitment be? Weekly? Two Times Monthly? Only when I travel? How do you all commit yourself to documenting your lives?

In the meantime, from my hometown to yours, Welcome to 2022! May it be a healthier, more hopeful year for all of us!

Greensboro: Denim and The Gate City

October 5, 2021 by LB

Long before becoming the third largest city in North Carolina, Greensboro was known for being the largest denim maker in the world. As Greg and I walked around the city last weekend, we saw many signs of this denim history. As I stopped to capture this mural, the driver of the car that was idling right in front backed up so I could take the shot. How very cool! And how perfect that the guy leaning against the fence was wearing jeans. We stayed at Hotel Denim and would have eaten at Blue Denim restaurant if the tables had not been booked all evening.

To commemorate Greensboro’s rich history with the denim and textile industry, Wrangler, VF Jeanswear spearheaded a public art project, dubbed “Jeansboro”, of painted jeans sculptures all throughout downtown.

Greensboro is also called Gate City because by 1890 there were more than 60 trains passing through the city each day. It had become a major transportation center, largely because of the denim industry.

We enjoyed the street life, the historic buildings still in use, and visiting the International Civil Rights Center and Museum.

“The International Civil Rights Center & Museum opened in 2010 as a comprehensive museum of the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. It commemorates the Feb. 1, 1960, beginning of sit-ins at a whites-only lunch counter in Greensboro, by the N.C. A&T Four college students, reflecting careful planning carried out with colleagues at Bennett College. Their non-violent direct action challenged the American People to make good on promises of personal equality and civic inclusion enunciated in the Constitution”.

Did you know that MLK was due to be in Greensboro the day that he was assassinated? He canceled his visit in order to remain in Memphis to continue his work with striking sanitation workers.

We only had 24 hours in Greensboro and are already ready to go back and explore some more!

Breathtaking

May 18, 2021 by LB

Along the road in Charles City, Virginia

Bristol Tennesse / Virginia

May 10, 2021 by LB

Public Art: Take the Stage – Val Lyle, Sculptor

Back in December, Greg and I had the chance to spend 24 hours in Bristol, a city that straddles the state lines of Virginia and Tennessee. I posted about that quick visit and gave it the title 24 Hours in Bristol, and I almost, without realizing my mistake, gave this post the same title since that is about the same amount of time that we spent there.

We were in town to watch a debate between the 5 Democratic candidates for Governor of Virginia. After that, I managed to find a few moments to capture some of the flavor of this city.

Under the bar …. it just caught my eye as I walked by

View of the backside of the City … I loved the subdued colors

Evening on State Steet, the right side is Virginia; the left side is Tennessee

Public Art: Wall Mural reflecting the Virginia is For Lovers theme

Next time, we’ll try for a longer stay!

The Candler Hotel – Atlanta

April 21, 2021 by LB

The Candler Building was built in 1906 by Coca-Cola magnate and former Mayor Asa Griggs Candler. Standing on the site of one of Atlanta oldest churches, it was the city’s first skyscraper and tallest structure at 17 stories.

Now in the Hilton Curio Collection, the building underwent painstaking restoration and reopened as a hotel in 2019. Some of the features include:

Beau-Arts style, drawing upon the principles of French neoclassicism and incorporating Gothic and Renaissance elements
Picturesque, hand-carved marble staircase capped with The Candler Hotel’s iconic winged lion
Ornate décor using brass, mahogany & marble materials, that weaves an intricate family story is infused throughout the hotel
Lobby featuring two original Tiffany glass windows
Mysterious secret bank vault below ground
A historic Ballroom, completely transformed
A variety of window styles and layouts on each of the 15 stories
Detailed arched windows with elaborate cornices that crown the building, radiating its historical effect on downtown Atlanta

Tunnel Vision

April 15, 2021 by LB

Passing through Greenville, SC on the way to Atlanta, GA

Morning in Big Stone Gap

November 10, 2020 by LB

My new husband Greg and I decided to spend the weekend near Cumberland Gap National Park, Tennessee and left out of his home town in far Southwest Virginia early this past Saturday morning.

Pick Up Where I Left Off?

December 7, 2018 by LB

Not a day goes by that I don’t think about Life on the Bike and getting back into my blogging groove. I’m 6 months behind on posting photos from various adventures.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Cape Charles, Virginia

Tallahassee, Florida

Knoxville, Tennessee

various Virginia State Parks

and Cincinnati, Ohio

I’ve worked alot, and volunteered alot.

Thankfully, I’ve played, alot, too. I’ve traveled for fun and I’ve traveled for work.

I’ve worked on political campaigns and hosted non-political fundraisers.

I’ve riden the bike (not enough!) and managed to keep up with photography (again, not enough!).

And finally, I’ve missed WP and my blogging friends.

Slowly but surely, I’m finding my way back to my WordPress home!

#MySawyerBracelet

July 7, 2018 by LB

A friend’s 10 year old son Sawyer (nicknamed SOY) died unexpectedly in October 2016. Sawyer’s loving and devastated family had bracelets made for their friends & family to wear and to remember Sawyer by.

To remember the joy of his life not the sadness of his death.

Sawyer’s mother, Jaime, created a blogspot so that folks can post pictures of the places they take the bracelets. Having friends wear the bracelets helps the family connect with Sawyer’s memory and reminds them that he has not been forgotten. As friends, we know that we are carrying the memory of Sawyer on the adventures we have and the places that we visit.

In addition to wearing #mysawyerbracelet throughout New Zealand and Australia, I wore a bracelet in honor of my friend David, who died in 2010.

The bracelets never left my wrist and accompanied me while I sat in the Chair for Contemplation at Rippon Winery in Wanaka New Zealand.