Tag Archives: Travels

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Greenville, SC and The Swamp Rabbit

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A road trip to Atlanta to see my son had been on the calendar for months, and I could not wait to get started.

I opted for the truck instead of the motorcycle because most of the 800 mile round trip would have been spent on the interstate. Truth be told, my son is always happier when I am not riding the bike anyway.  Since I was leaving from the office at the end of the day, I decided to stop in Greenville, SC that first night.

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Greenville is known for it’s urban revitalization.  With a focus on public-private partnerships and investment in natural resources, the city is enjoying the success of a 30 yr endeavor.

I arrived in Greenville at 9:30 on Thursday evening, and as I always do when I travel, immediately went on the hunt for a local restaurant and a cold beer.  Local Que was just the place, and I enjoyed a BBQ Quesadilla and this Quest Smoked Porter. Yum!

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The next morning, I was up early to ride the Swamp Rabbit Trail, a 20 mile bicycle / pedestrian trail that follows along the Reedy River.

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Amenities along the trail include lighting, picnic areas, benches, water fountains, restrooms, signage and bicycle racks. Views of the Reedy River are plentiful along the trail.

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The Swamp Rabbit runs right through downtown Greenville and over The Liberty Bridge.

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“At 345 feet long, 12 feet wide and 8 inches thick, the concrete reinforced deck is supported by a single suspension cable”.

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As I stood there on the bridge, attempting to capture the beauty of Falls Park on an overly bright, sunny day, I could feel subtle movement beneath my feet.

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Riding on, I passed this pre-civil war building.  The shell that remains is used for weddings and other events.

6/20/2016 –  I reached out to the Visitor’s Center for more information about this shell building and found out that it is the former Markley Carriage Factory Paint Shop.  It was part of an historic industrial complex constructed between 1850 and 1914.

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The Wyche Pavilion was built in 1904, and when sold, became the first factory for the production of Duke’s mayonnaise.

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I loved the mix of old and new,

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but mostly, I loved the commitment to appropriate growth, history, and nature that city leaders had.

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After a 14.5 mile ride, it was time to shower and get back on the road for Atlanta.

If you are ever in the area, be sure to explore Greenville. My visit was short, but oh so nice, and I look forward to a return visit.

Next Post: Atlanta!

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On the Road Again

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A three day trip to Atlanta to see my son, with a brief stop in Greenville, SC, yielded many photos and wonderful memories.

This image is of a pre-civil war era building in Greenville. Only the shell remains and it is used as an event space.

I’ll be back to tell you about it soon, and to catch up on all of your adventures.

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Deerfield Valley

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This gorgeous meadow is in a place called Deerfield, Virginia. I’d never been here before and I was taken aback by the beauty.  I cannot wait to return on the bike.

I’ve returned from a three day trip, for business and pleasure, to four different localities around Virginia.  Visits with my parents, and with friends, were wonderful, and the day long meeting, productive.

I look forward to popping over to your place for a visit later in the week.

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Life

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As you view these images, I am off to see my parents for some Mother’s Day / Father’s Day celebrating.

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Following that, I’ll participate in a Saturday Board Meeting for the Virginia Council of Nurse Practitioners.

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Then I’ll get to spend the evening with a long time friend and fellow photographer.

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And hopefully, all of that work and play will be followed by a belated birthday celebration with my sister.

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These images were taken during an evening with friends last week.  Life, and all it’s gifts and challenges, has prevented this group of women from gathering lately.  On Friday, we finally got to sit around the fire, enjoy delicious food and drink, and the company of folks who know you well and love you despite your, shall we call them, less attractive, traits.

Enjoy the weekend, everyone!  I’ll catch up with you when I get back.

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Art & Whimsy

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On our last full day of fun in Sarasota, we were able to take another long walk on the beach,

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followed by opportunities to explore some of the downtown architecture, Farmer’s Market, restaurants, and street activity.

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We also visited the Marietta Museum of Art & Whimsy, where “part of the mission is to collect and preserve work of artistic and whimsical importance.  Our collection is bright and colorful.  The artwork will lift your spirits and, hopefully, inspire creative expression”.  It was a bright, sunny day, and these images do not do justice to the colorful, metal works.

Take my word for it, our spirits were definitely lifted!

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Before I knew it, the time had come to fly home.  What an incredible 3 days! I’m grateful to have friends who value this tradition as much as I do!

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Thanks for coming along with me on the adventure!

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Springtime in Florida

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For the past 3 years, I’ve had the good fortune to travel to Florida in March.  The snow and cold temperatures are left behind, and I am greeted by springtime on the gulf coast.  Tons of color, cooling breezes, gorgeous horizons, and dear friends.  The trip is never long enough, but 3 full days offers a welcome break from the routine.

I’m even getting comfortable with flying. Yes, as odd as it seems, the woman who rides a motorcycle has a tendency to be a bit nervous on a plane.

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The first day in Florida found us enjoying delicious food at Columbia Restaurant, followed by a bit of shopping and walking.

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The next morning, after coffee, yogurt, and fresh fruit by the pool (aka hot tub), we were walking Lido Beach.

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The camera was rarely out of my hand!!

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And thank goodness for that!

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This little guy was hunkered down in a footprint.

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And this guy seemed to be saying “what are you looking at?”

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After a couple hours of walking, it was time to find lunch and to explore some local history.

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Next Post: Spanish Point

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“Nothin’ to Sneeze At”

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Three years with WordPress is nothing to sneeze at!

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And what is the origin of that term, anyway?  According to the Word Detective, “To sneeze at” something or someone is a colloquial usage, first appearing in the early 19th century, to mean that the thing under consideration (Three years with WordPress) may appear modest or trivial but is actually at least somewhat important or impressive.

Impressive or not, three years with WP has had a tremendous impact on my life.  I’ll not tie you down with statistics, but instead offer thanks to all of you for being here with me.  Whether you regularly comment, or more randomly “like”, I’m grateful for all of you.  You’ve encouraged my growth as a photographer (Joe has even provided phone and text consults), have followed me on my motorcycle journeys, supported me after my wreck, contributed to my campaign, created beautiful gifts for me, and have spent time with me in Virginia.

You’ve become my friends, and my life is richer for all that you share.

Your photos and drawings, your stories and poems, your creativity and crafts, and your life lessons learned.

My sincere thanks.

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See ya on down the road!

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Bloggers: The Most Incredible Gathering of Friends!

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We’ve all said it, and many of you have as well.

WordPress Blogging has become so much more than we ever thought it would be.  What started out as travel diary, forum for writing, sharing of photography, enlightenment about art, gardening, or crafting, or keeping up with family has become a community of international friends.

Over the last several days, 8 WP bloggers from 3 countries and 2 states, have met in various locations to continue in person, the relationships that have been forged through the world of blogging.

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Laurie, Boomdee,  Pauline, Alys, and Julia in Old Town Alexandria.

We marveled that while most of us had never met each other, we talked and laughed as if we’d known each other for years.

Which, of course, we had.

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Laurie, Stacy, Boomdee, Alys, Lisa, Pauline, and Patty in Georgetown

What might have seemed unusual to friends and family (“you’re letting someone you’ve never met stay in your home?”), to us seemed natural.  No doubts.

Our days have been full of laughter, many hugs, lots of delicious food and the sharing of stories.

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Pauline, Shelley, Boomdee, Alys

We’re still in the middle of this amazing gathering of friends, but I wanted to share the joy, because of course, there are so many of you out there that I would love to meet!

Let’s get to planning.  I promise it is worth the effort!

We’ve got another couple days here in Radford before I put Boomdee, Kelly, and Pauline on the train back to DC.  Until the, we’ll fill every single moment with the joy of being together.

And now, while the others get a bit more rest, I’m off to work on the campaign for a couple hours.

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Until Tomorrow

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It was lovely to visit many of your blogs this evening, which kept me from doing much work on the photos from my recent trip to Florida.

There’s always tomorrow, right?  G’Night Ya’ll!