A Piece of Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania certainly has a lot to offer tourists from cultural attractions to historical sites.  One or two times is not enough time to grasp all that Philadelphia has to offer, but you can try!  I certainly did by joining up with a Duck Tour in Philadelphia. 

To be honest, when my friend recommended a Duck Tour I thought she had lost her mind.  I know she lives in Oregan and a Ducks fan, but hours following ducks?  Then she gave me the lowdown on the real Duck Tour she was speaking of taking.

$27 gets you admitted on the Ride The Ducks Tour in Philadelphia.  You meet in the Liberty Bell Center and head out.  The Duck Tour is named after the vehicle being used not an actual duck chasing adventure.  The vessel for this tour can drive on roads and take you into water.  I understand this tour is available in other select cities, as well.  http://philadelphia.ridetheducks.com/buy-tickets.aspx

The tour takes you through the Historic District of Philadelphia pointing out sites along the way.  Our Captain was very knowledgable of Philadelphia and had a lot to offer as insight from living in Philadelphia his whole life.  This is a great way to figure out the sites you would like to return to for a more in depth tour.

On the Deleware River in the Duck.  The Benjamin Franklin Bridge is in the background.

A must see in Philadelphia also includes the Liberty Bell.  The Liberty Bell is located in the Liberty Bell Center, which you are conviently dropped off at the end of the Duck Tour.  This is free and just takes some patience while everyone is taking pictures with the Liberty Bell.

The Liberty Bell is the iconic symbol of American Independence.

The Liberty Bell Center boasts many displays featuring the history of the Liberty Bell including its travels around the world.  Previous to this visit, I was oblivious to the fact that the Liberty Bell would have a passport with more stamps than I have in my passport.  It turns out the Liberty Bell has traveled as a symbol of Freedom in many other countries and some consider the Liberty Bell a symbol of freedom available to the world.

Continuing with American history and symbols of freedom, we toured the home of Betsy Ross.  Betsy Ross is credited with the creation of the American Flag.  Her home and the area surrounding her home also contain stories of secret meetings and societies aimed at defeating the Bristish.

The home of Betsy Ross.  British taxation on homes was based on width of the house.  So, many homes were skinny and moved upwards to avoid taxation.  Taxation also included the number of steps leading to a home.

Other historical homes in the area includes Carstairs Row.  This street is also known as Elfreth's Alley.  Philadelphia’s Elfreth’s Alley is hailed as the longest continually occupied street in the country.

Elfreth's Alley is a National Historic Landmark.

Again, the trend within historical Philadelphia has everything to do with building skinny houses that move skyward.  The stairs shown here either indicate a richer area historically or they were added over time.  The first homes on this row were built in 1702.

A trip to Philadelphia would not be historically complete with hearing about Benjamin Franklin and his contributions to the American freedom we live today.

Independence Hall - this room is where the debates and adoption of both the Declaration of Independence and the US Constitution took place.

If you visit Philadelphia and are interested in touring Independence Hall make sure to get your tickets in advance.  These tickets are reserved ahead of time by hour in order to keep the traffic and wait to a minimum.  Again, the tours offered here are directed by hosts very proficient in interesting and pertinent information.

The gravesite of Benjamin Franklin.

It is thought that while visiting the grave of Benjamin Franklin that tossing a penny on his grave is good luck.  Many will make a wish will donating their penny to the gravesite.

Philadelphia City Hall

Philadelphia City Hall was the tallest building in the US. A statue of William Penn is on the top and it was used as the marker that Philadelphia buildings were not supposed to surpass when building.  In 1984, this building was surpassed by One Liberty Place.  The breaking of the gentleman's agreement not to build above William Penn of the Philadelphia City Hall created great controversy with fear that too many skyscrapers would end the charm of the area.  There is tale that this is also when the Philadelphia Sports teams started a downward spiral.

The "Curse of Billy Penn" was lifted when Comcast Center was built ousting Liberty Place as the tallest building.  Included in the construction is a statue of William Penn at the very top making sure Penn is once again the tallest iconic fugure in Philadelphia.  It is said by locals that the Philadelphia sports teams became more successful at this point.

Love Park at Christmas

JFK Plaza also known as Love Park in Philadelphia houses the famous Love artistic display.  This display represents the City of Brotherly Love as Philadelphia has been nicknamed.  During Christmas the lighting of the Philadelphia Christmas tree resides with the Love structure.

Another cultural phenom in Philadelphia includes the famous scene from Rocky where Sylvester Stallone runs a training marathon that takes him to the top of the steps at the Philadelphia Museum of Art.  The walk there from the historic district is an endurance test itself, but the views and fountains heading up Benjamin Franklin Parkway make it worthwhile.

We went the distance and took the steps to the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The Rocky statue is now located at the bottom of the museum entrance (along with Rocky water for sale), but you should still travel to the top for an amazing view of Philadelphia and to say you "went the distance".  Granted I did not run, but I did not travel slowly either.  Watch out!

View from the top of the Philadelphia Museum of Art

I plan on visiting Philadelphia many more times.  I am happily charmed and enamored with the Historic District and Benjamin Franklin Parkway.  There are also amazing restaurants including Amada by Jose Garces that has an amazing Sunday brunch.

Lets Talk About...Oatman, Arizona

Oatman, Arizona, you say?  Yes, it exists and is considered one of the last "ghost towns", but this town has a population of people.  Granted the population is about 100.  Another piece of the demographic are the burros.  Yes, I said...burros.  Burros rule this town and have actually become the tourist attraction for this town.  They roam the streets.  They beg for carrots from tourists.  They are treated as children of Oatman, Arizona.

Take a trip back in time.  A lot of the stores do not take plastic.  Have cash ready!

Take a step back in time and you will enter 1902 when gold was discovered in Oatman, Arizona.  The Drulin Hotel was built in 1902 to accommodate the newest folks with gold fever.  This hotel is still open today.  In the first decade this mining town yielded at least $3,000,000.  Hard to believe today when you take the 5 minute stroll up the main drag.

The main drag in Oatman, AZ.

In 1915, big gold was found in the amount of $14.5 million.  This town is on the Route 66 piece of history. Due to this, the town was able to hang on even after a fire.  Then WWII came along and other metals were needed.  With this the gold mines were shut down and Route 66 was refitting a new roadway, this time not including Oatman, AZ.

Later with Laughlin, Nevada coming into being as a gaming destination on the Virgin River, Oatman started to see life again by the 1980s.  In 1995, the gold mine was re-opened, however the price of gold was so low that the mine was shut down again.  Now, Oatman is back on Route 66 and the burros are the big attraction.

Oatman pride and sense of humor.

Locals of Oatman noticed that the burros once used to haul gold were an attraction to tourists who stopped along the way.  Now, Oatman boasts burros that are friendly and will eat carrots from your hand.  All of the cute shops along the main drag sell small bags of carrots for a couple dollars to the tourists.  As soon as you walk out of a shop you are met with some loving asses wanting to be fed.

A little freaked out by my entourage of asses, but charmed just the same.

There is also an old western style gun fight held for the tourists with requests for donations.  These donations help keep this once thriving gold mine town from really becoming a true ghost town.

Don't hit the car!

This post contains pictures from visiting Oatman, Arizona after taking a jet skiing trip in Laughlin for the weekend.  I checked out the Oatman asses, had a beer, bought a few trinkets and checked Oatman off of my random list of places to see.

Burro feeding time.

More nostalgic photo ops from the town revived by jackasses.

Some love for Cacti in Oatman.  Pretty incredible species.  Too bad they do not survive my "black" thumb.

Baby burros are marked with a red circle on their forehead.  This indicates they are not old enough to consume the carrots.

Just go with it!

Much of the information above was obtained while touring Oatman, Arizona and chatting with store owners.  Also, listening to the live "western gun fight" provided additional Oatman history.  Other holes were filled in by reading about Oatman on the website: http://www.legendsofamerica.com/az-oatman2.html.

French Lick and West Baden, Indiana

I have to love my job!  I get to travel to many places and often come across some awesome places.  One such place was French Lick Resort and West Baden Hotels in Indiana.  There is so much history at these properties and intriguing stories, I almost do not know where to start.

How about with the mineral springs.  These properties were originally built by two separate owners and were based on being a medicinal retreat for people that were looking for magic treatment for all that ailed them from the spring waters.  It was found later that the spring waters were not healthy and people were becoming addicted based on the ingredients (lithium salt) in the spring water wells.  The springs were shut down and new owners eventually came in.  Now there is one owner of both.

West Baden was a military hospital at one time.  French Lick Resort was an illegal gaming resort.  The only way to reach these properties was via train.  Once the LAW came and shut down the gambling, they would get back on the train and leave.  Then...the gaming resumed.  Many mobsters would hide out here as it was a long way for the law to get to from Indianapolis.

Here are some pictures that I took during my time at these historical properties.

West Baden Resort

Atrium Lobby at West Baden

In an effort to beat each other, the separate owners of West Baden and French Lick were constantly trying to outdo the other.  The Atrium lobby has been called the 8th Wonder of the World.  It was the first free standing dome of its size and was the only one until the Astrodome was built.  No one thought it was going to actually stand.  They brought in a bridge architect and engineer to complete the project.

Angels that were found in a room at the top of the atrium.

The Angel Room was located at the top of the Atrium and is believed to be of Italian descent.  A lot of rehabilitating was happening and the painters on the project were Italian.  It is said that by painting angels at the highest point of a building, your building will be protected.  The Angel Room is not accessible by guests as a ladder on the outside of the dome is necessary to view this room.

Rockwood Fireplace

Information on the fireplace from http://www.lssc.k12.in.us/highschool/projects/west/fireplace.php:  "The fireplace located in the atrium was part of the original construction in 1902. It is huge and reportedly will accommodate a fourteen-foot log. The height is a little over five feet.The fireplace, which was originally brick, was replaced with a pictorial scene, attributed to the Rookwood Pottery Company of Cincinnati, Ohio. The fireplace is covered in a special type of pottery material.

It has a scene of an elf-like character known as Sprudel, which was the trademark as well as the brand name of the medicinal water sold by the hotel. Sprudel is depicted in the scene at a break in the hillside where the healing waters cascade down the rocks. Under the limb of a nearby catalpa tree, the West Baden Springs Hotel is visible in the background.

The chimney to the fireplace in the atrium is concealed in the column or pillar to the left as a person faces the fireplace. The pottery has been cleaned, and it now gleams. The estimated value of the fireplace is reported to be in the millions of dollars. The fireplace is considered to be irreplaceable."

West Baden: The springs are covered now, but were located at points surrounding this space.

In the constant battle between the owner of West Baden and French Lick, the West Baden owner decided to name his springs by odd numbers.  The perception being that he had more springs on West Baden than French Lick. 

Lobby Ceiling at French Lick

 You will find in the lobby of French Lick, ceiling murals of this beauty everywhere.  There is opulence in this lobby that attract many visitors.

French Lick at Night

French Lick at night with the moonlight reminds me a bit of an institution.  Spooky, but cool with lots of stories yet to be revealed.

French Lick Springs

French Lick Spring Water was known as Pluto.  West Baden Spring Water was known as Sprudel.  This is a picture of the preserved spring well.  It is covered and no longer allowed to be used.  Pluto Spring water was known to be a very effective laxative.  It was very popular in the early 20th century.  "When Nature Won't, PLUTO Will." 

The finding of lithium in the waters of the mineral spring wells shut them down in 1971.

French Lick Photos of previous visitors

Amongst these notable visitors were Ronald Reagan, Clark Gable, Lana Turner and Al Capone.  Al Capone often used French Lick as a hiding place from the law.

View from The Mansion at the Pete Dye golf course

As one of the many amenities at the French Lick and West Baden Resort is a golf course with incredible views.

The Mansion at the Pete Dye Golf Course

The Mansion can be booked with a reservation.  Very few rooms and a tribute to history, this property still uses skeleton like keys to access rooms.  Even if you are not actually staying at the Mansion or golfing, there is a great Brunch.

West Baden Stables

Another amenity available is the West Baden Stables.  The stables hold a large collection of horses that can be used for horseback riding in the open, green fields.  There are also petting goats and a lovely gift shop with vintage souvenirs.

With great history, stories and amenities, this post only touches on the history and recreation that can be had in French Lick, Indiana.  I had never heard of this place, but will never forget it.  I would love to check out the Angel Room!

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania

Visiting a historic site is always humbling and is often pretty quiet.  This is exceptionally so when visiting a historic site that was a war zone on American soil.  It is often hard to imagine that the Civil War happened between Americans.  Gettysburg, PA is a national historic site with cute shops and restaurants.  Even with these amenities, it is hard to visit this place and not imagine wartime and the loud boom of cannons.

In 1863, a battle took place in Gettysburg like none other known in American history.  More casualties are counted in the three days of the epic Gettysburg battle than any other American wartime.  A third of the regiments were killed or wounded during this period of the Civil War.

I am both proud and chilled to have walked the battlegrounds of our forefathers who created the reality we live today with great sacrifice.

Eternal Light Peace Memorial

Little Round Top



Pennsylvania Memorial to the Soldiers and Women who Supported the Soldiers



View from inside the Pennsylvania Memorial to the Soldiers and Women who Supported the Soldiers.  This picture was taken by my friend, Linda Carman.

Gettyburg from on top of the Pennsylvania Memorial to the Soldiers and Women who Supported the Soldiers.

Kentucky memorial to Lincoln.

Site of the Gettysburg Address.

Gettysburg at sunset.

If given the opportunity, make time to see historical sites.  Not just for the importance, but for the feeling and empathy that will encompass you at the end of the day...if you open your mind to it.

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort

Every once in a while, (or if you are lucky more often than not) you find yourself in a place you have never heard of, which is magnificant.  I found myself in this position when I was asked to go to Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Pennsylvania.  I had never heard of this place and found it to be both charming and luxurious.

This destination resort is in southwestern Pennsylvania and has so many places to explore in either of the hotel wings, restaurants and outdoor areas, you never have to leave.  Below are a few pictures I took during my brief time at the resort.  Definitely, this is a place I need to return with more time to explore!

The opulent lobby and seating area.

This cherub statue sitting in a corner surrounded by stained glass and foliage is in a corridor of the resort.

An example of pieces that adorn all areas of the resort.  There are so many unique items and books here, you could spend a day just exploring the design.

These impressive statues reside in one of the outdoor courtyards.  Behind this large courtyard, is an airstrip for private, small planes.

I love the striking layers of statue and soft, but strong vegetation.




A pond outside of the Nemacolin Wild Side area.  

 

If you have a chance to experience Nemacolin, I would recommend it.  I am ready to go again!

Fallingwater by Frank Lloyd Wright

Fans of Frank Lloyd Wright understand his views of a clean and efficient home design.  His ability to combine these goals with the beauty and stunning effects of his architecture and design is truly amazing.  Way ahead of his time, Frank Lloyd Wright cared about the environmental impact of his work and brought nature into his artistry.

This home was built for the Kaufmanns who had wanted a cottage in the woods.  The result was more than anticipated at the beginning of the project and definitely created an escape with all of the comforts I would love when "camping" in the woods.

Fallingwater is considered one of the Smithsonian's Life List of 28 places to "visit before you die."  The design was complete in 1935 in Pennsylvania.  The home was built over a waterfall on Bear Run in the Laurel Highlands of the Allegheny Mountains.  Designated a National Historic Landmark in 1966, this is a place to visit.

Viewing this home, knowing it was designed and built in the 1930's, is like looking into a portal to the future.  From the steps taken to have little environmental impact to the streamlined look and feel, as well the open feel of the living area, you see into a mind that redefined American Architecture and remains an inspiration.

Of the 5000 square feet for this project, the Kaufmanns wanted Wright to manage a 50/50 feel of indoor versus outdoor space. He came close with 2900 square feet designated for indoor space.

The "crick" outside of Fallingwater.

This is an early example of understanding the importance of incorporating nature and residence. The house is built over a waterfall and the elements can be seen from every room. In fact, the design of the hallways and rooms is intended to draw you to the outside while inside the "cottage".

Every living area is attached to a terrace or balcony. The staircase leading down from the living room to the stream is accessed via movable horizontal glass panels.

The Western Pennsylvania Conservancy is entrusted to preserve Fallingwater.



The home and guesthouse cost US$155,000: house US$75,000, finishing and furnishing US$22,000, guest house, garage and servants' quarters US$50,000, architect's fee US$8,000 in 1935!



Over 2.7 million people have visited Fallingwater since it opened to the public in 1964. The house is located halfway between the villages of Mill Run and Ohiopyle on Pennsylvania Route 381.

 This is a truly inspiring space.  I certainly have not learned to live with so little or in such small rooms, but it is quite incredible.  It made me want to learn more about Frank Lloyd Wright and the Kaufmanns.  I also went home and had a huge purge of excess items.  No amount of house purging will bring me to the level of Frank Lloyd Wright, but it does not hurt to make a little effort every once in a while.

The information located for this post was gathered during the tour, from fallingwater.org and wikipedia.