I left Chicago in the rain and drove to southern Missouri. Short stop at Mark and John’s place where major renovation is occurring. Here in Blue Eye Missouri, the dogwood trees are a welcome sight. Discovered Blue Spring Heritage Center close to my next campground. Millions of gallons of water spill into the river each day from a source 510 feet below. The site has been a spiritual place for the indigenous people of the area for thousands of years. It also served as a resting spot on the “Trail of Tears” as the Cherokee people were forced to move from Georgia to Oklahoma in 1838.This limestone magnesium overhang was used for shelter and for festivities. The area has been studied and evidence of people dates to 8000 BCI arrived at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art and had no competition for a parking place. The sculpture garden highlights the work of Yayoi Kusama. “I Spend Each Day Embracing Flowers” was one of my favorites. I followed the walking path up the hill and came upon this sculpture by Niki de Saint Phalle entitled “Gwendolyn,” a version of the pregnant body that “celebrates the power rooted in fertility and symbolizes hope for a world where women are ascendant, overcoming sexism and inequality”Unfamiliar with “KAWS,” I was interested in this special exhibit. “The KAWS Family” is a heartwarming sculpture. Recent floods closed a few campgrounds but Petit Jean State Park was open. This park has wonderful hikes and good biking on backroads.Next stop, “Graceland” I toured the house and grounds. The interior rooms were decorated in a style I can not really describe! Every room very different with items collected from all over the world. Across the street is a museum of all of Elvis’ cars! He had an extensive and amazing collection.There is another exhibit of the costumes he wore when he performed and another filled with music awards and other items. I liked this portrait best among the many that are displayed. Moving on to Nashville, I made a point of stopping at Ann Patchett’s book store. I spent way too much money on books for friends, grandchildren, daughters-in-law and one for myself. Visited “The Grand Ole Opry House” for the first time. I enjoyed the show and was fascinated by the different groups and performers. Each was given 15 minutes to perform and then it was on to the next artist!After a short stay at Warrior State Park in Tennessee, I entered Virginia to start a ride on “The Virginia Creeper Trail.” One half of the trail has been wiped out by the hurricane but I was able to ride from Abingdon to Damascus ( 34 mile ride over wooden bridges, gravel and dirt ) It was a beautiful day and there were very few bikers on the trail. I got to drive along the “Blue Ridge Parkway” to Waynesboro. I had lunch with Kristen Brandt and got a tour of Todd Brandt’s amazing dental center. It was fun to catch up with Kristen while Todd toiled away in the OR. Entering Shenandoah National Park one is in awe of the undisturbed misty mountains of green ! I camped at the park for two nights. The drive along Skyline Drive has multiple spots to stop and enjoy the vistas. The Deep Hollow Falls Trail was a bit challenging with recent rain producing very muddy parts. Resting by the falls was worth the climb. I stopped in the tiny town of Luray for a quick brunch at a cute coffee house on the river and walked all over the town. ( This took about ten minutes ) The Shenandoah River State Park was beautiful and so peaceful. I took several short hikes and enjoyed the peace and quiet. I stopped in Alexandria on my way to DC for a major yarn purchase and found my way to Azeema and Paul’s house. On Sunday, the three adorable children were placed in “The Bunch” and I followed on my bike to the local farmer’s market. We celebrated Kareem’s birthday with a rainbow cake created by ‘the aunties” and Laurie and Hassan gave me a tour of their new home in Bethesda and a delightful dinner with Yasmin at a local French restaurant. I met Pam and Steve in Gettysburg and we caught the movie and I was glad I saw it before we toured the battleground on bikes the following day. I am pictured here in front of the memorial of Major General John Reynolds! I know of no relative of mine that fought in the Civil War and I was very surprised to see both sides of the battlefield lined with memorial after memorial to those who lost their lives in this pivotal battle. What a way to celebrate a birthday! I enjoyed a Guinness beer and a Reuben Sandwich at an Irish Pub with good friends. I had to stop to see Mary Browne and her family in Center Valley, PA! We got to watch her son, Christopher, play lacrosse and I got to stay in her daughter, Elinor’s, “Swifty” bedroom.This is the Tower of Voices at the entrance to the Flight 93 Memorial. It is a wind chime with 40 chimes representing the 40 passengers and crew who perished on September 11, 2001. The wind was creating some beautiful music as I sat there and remembered.I scheduled a tour of “Fallingwater” the next day. This Frank Lloyd Wright house was designed for Edgar J. Kaufmann in Pittsburg as a “retreat” It is built into the rocks over a waterfall of the Bear Run river. The weather was not cooperating so I revised my schedule and drove to Niagara Falls. I went first to the town of Niagara on the Lake. Great treats and a sandwich at the “Budapest Bakery” and Huckleberry tea at the cute tea shop. I parked close to the falls an walked all along the walkway. This is the American Falls from the Canadian side and it is quite different from the Canadian falls. Mist precluded a complete view of the rim. I went through the tunnel to try to see underneath but the mists were too much to see anything. The falls are so massive and the water rushing downstream is truly “mighty”I cannot resist visiting a butterfly conservancy! This was located right next to the Botanical Garden but because spring is just arriving here the only flowers were the tulips and daffodils along with the flowering fruit trees. I left the falls the next day but the weather was bad and I decided to drive home ! Long day on the road but I listened to “Hamilton” and another book and the time just flew by. The biggest surprise was a parking place right in front of my condo so I could unload with ease !!
