Tatz's Travels Around the World

This last post about Alaska post covers all the fun we had on the ship (more than we thought we would!), disembarking at Seward, the ride to Anchorage and our visit to the Anchorage Museum before heading to the airport, and home.

So the adventure began after a long day of traveling to Vancouver, so it was exciting to finally board the ship. Despite our skepticism at cruising on such a large boat, we decided to embrace the experience. Once we stepped on board it immediately felt like we were in an upscale hotel. There was no sense of being on a boat, but rather a resort with seemingly endless activities, amenities, and impeccable service.

Our first experience with the 4-star service was when we looked for a place to eat lunch. We noticed a nice-looking Italian restaurant with only a few customers. We waited while some customers made reservations for dinners later in the week, then asked for a table only to be told we needed a reservation. Alex – exhausted from traveling & quite hungry – developed such a look on her face that the manager (Amir) rushed out and told the hostess to accommodate us! The food was excellent, the waiter and Amir both kinder than anything, gifting us a drink and truffle pizza and chatting with us about where all of us were from (Amir was from Mumbai so you can imagine the conversation)!

After our mandatory security briefing, we finally made it to our stateroom and marveled at Vancouver harbor from the balcony.

We wandered the ship, getting a lay of the land. There were 16 (!!) floors. The top two floors claimed the outer deck with a running track around the perimeter, several swimming pools, hot tubs and even a climbing wall. There was also “The Solarium,” an adults-only venue with a floor to ceiling view of the front of the ship and littered with indoor pools, hot tubs, chaises and (of course) a terrific bar. This quickly became our favorite spot on the ship.

When I signed up for our dinner time slot, I didn’t know it was restaurant style rather than the expected buffet. Ours was one of 4 formal dining rooms on the ship (not including the popular buffet that we didn’t visit), and every meal in each dining room had multiple seatings. Our dinner time was 6:30 pm and we enjoyed the same table all week, while choosing from a different dinner menu each night. Our two waiters (I Putu and I Wayan, both from Bali) meticulously attended to our every need without fail.

During our trip, we got to know our table neighbors: a Florida couple (originally from South Africa) traveling with their daughter (about Sophia’s age), who works in the social media department of Royal Caribbean. On our first night, I ordered steak – cooked to perfection – with a baked potato that was soft and delicate. As we enjoyed our dinner, we looked out the window and were surprised to see that we had started sailing!

After dinner we headed to our cabin and sat on our deck enjoying the harbor view and spectacular sunset as our ship sailed out into the open sea.

A wonderful surprise was how the ship’s wake sounded like waves crashing on the beach. As we relaxed on our deck, those sounds added to the beauty of the water views.

One onboard highlight for me was a tour of the main kitchen (each of the 18 restaurants on the ship has their own kitchen, but this one handles baking for the entire ship). The number of dishes prepared daily for the ship was staggering, i.e., 1,000 portions of shrimp cocktail at each meal and 20,000 bread rolls (prepared by one chef!) each day.

Needless to say, the proportions of ingredients were equally high:1,000 lbs of flour a day; 15,000 eggs cracked nightly for breakfast and 400 lbs of onions are peeled daily for the French onion soup (please avoid ordering it, the guide joked!)

Staffing is commensurate with the needs; there are 12 dessert chefs that work in the kitchens, with one working in each restaurant along with a crew for this restaurant. The rank of chef is designated by their scarf color: blue is the most senior chef, with red and yellow next in charge. All ship employees are on contract, working 7 days a week (with rest hours each day) for 7 months of the year.

With such high numbers and non-stop service, I imagine repairs are a pretty regular occurrence.

It was reassuring to learn that all the leftover food is mulched and fed to the fish who follow the ship.  Nothing else is thrown overboard. All items that can be recycled and reused are sold when in port and the money is used for the employee fund, which sponsors holiday gifts, among other events.

With such an international crew, the ship staff make a point to celebrate every represented nation’s national day. The crew can take advantage of massages by the excellent masseuses for a direct-to-you fee and there are many activities for recreation. Crew live in cabins, two at a room (I was relieved it wasn’t a massive dorm).

Speaking of international crews, we met people from India, Indonesia, China, Ukraine, Bali, Malawi, Zimbabwe, the Philippines, Tunisia, Mauritius and Madagascar! The captain was Dutch and spoke to us on the loudspeaker on a daily basis. One day, he announced we had to veer off course for an ill passenger. Luckily, we still made it to our next port on time.

The kitchen was spotless, even the grill, so the standards are reassuringly high. The kitchen is scrubbed down each night in preparation for the next day’s onslaught of work. On the last day, the ship drops off passengers in the morning and collects new passengers that afternoon, so it is an intense few hours as a massive disinfection takes place in between voyages.

The tour ended with a delicious 3 course meal, complete with mimosas! I sat at a table with two ladies from Illinois and we had a great time.

There was a lot of shipboard entertainment. We didn’t take part in much, but what we saw was varied and interesting (or silly fun!). Not photographed, an outstanding Ukrainian classical guitarist.

In addition to the Italian restaurant we enjoyed our first day, the other restaurant we visited (twice!) was the Japanese restaurant, Izumi.The sushi was exceptional although both the waiters and us had a very long laugh when we were told they were out of salmon and despite being in the salmon fishing capital of the world, they were unable to replenish their stock while in port. Alex, being a chef, had the honor of meeting the chef of the restaurant!

As we departed Glacier National Park, towards our final destination, Alex and I enjoyed the Solarium and spotted this island which, from afar, looked to house an Orthodox Church. We looked carefully as we floated by but couldn’t confirm. However, thanks to the internet we were able to learn the island is called Eldred Rock, and Eldred Rock Light is an historic octagonal lighthouse adjacent to Lynn Canal. It is the last of the ten lighthouses constructed in Alaska between 1902 and 1906. It was also the last of 12 manned lighthouses in Alaska!

During dinner on the last night, the kitchen crew and waitstaff entertained us. Some employees liked doing this more than others! LOL

And then, just like that, we docked in our final port, Seward.

A few additional notes and observations:

I’ve been on my share of boats and know the role bumpers play when docking. However, seeing the HUGE bumpers on the dock was another way to put the size of this cruise ship into perspective. Look at the person at the back of the photo and you will get an idea of their size. Each one is about the size of two humans!

Our neighbors’ cabin door boasted a whiteboard with a fun daily question. On our last day we finally met them and learned the adorable purple tiny plastic duck we found on our balcony was from them (we thought it either dropped from somewhere or was left by a child). They gave us two more and they are proudly displayed in our apartment bedrooms! We had SO many wonderful conversations with people on the ship (especially on the elevators), but it was interesting that we never saw any of them again…another reminder of how huge the ship was.

The Last Hurrah

We disembarked in Seward to miserable weather, which paralleled our mood! Like everything else on the ship, the system was well-honed and we collected our luggage from the large, covered hangar-type room. Switching to the bus company taking us home was a cold reminder that not all tour companies are as organized as Royal Caribbean and Ovation of the Seas. We found our bus, boarded and started the 2-hour drive north to Anchorage.

Due to the weather, the views were not spectacular and getting a photo was tough due to the low light. There were glimpses into what we were missing, but when we stopped at a rest stop, I was able to capture some of the beautiful rolling hills in the valley.

During the trip to Anchorage, the bus driver periodically entertained us with interesting factoids, such as the Ghost Forest (below), created when an earthquake dropped this patch of land eight feet. As a result, the trees were submerged and died, however during low tide the trees still stand tall, hence the name.

Also, the tide in the inlet we were driving along changes by 30 feet! Once every two weeks the change is faster than normal and you can ‘surf the tide.’ However, it is a dangerous surf: the mud and beach are very wet ground, a silt so strong it is like quicksand. To be rescued requires the fire department to loosen the silt, and a helicopter must lift you out!

Then, the driver pointed out a beautiful rainbow, mentioning how quickly the weather can turn here in Alaska.

Last, we drove by Beluga Point, where one can often see beluga whales. Seeing a beluga in the wild is on my bucket list, so Alex and I kept our eyes sharp, but had no luck.

We arrived at the Anchorage Museum to nicer weather and a lovely park where my frustrated photographer’s eye, unable to take photos during the bad weather drive, went crazy with the beautiful flowers and trees.

The two pix below were my best shots, but since I can’t decide which cropping I like more, I am sharing both (author’s prerogative!). Happy for input from readers!

Inside the museum, I was most interested in the exhibit of indigenous people’s artifacts, especially those of the Tlingit tribe which plays a prominent role in Michener’s Alaska.

According to tradition, the Kiks deli clan of the Tlingit Indians traveled north from the Nass River in British Columbia some 9000 years ago, and settled on Baranof Island, the site of Sitka. The items below are Tlingit: on the left is a figurine carved from deer antler, perhaps a shaman wearing a headdress and necklace. On the right, probably a shaman’s amulet.

A prominent aspect of the displays was how the ancient indigenous people endured the cold weather.

There was also an exhibit which focused on a painter (Duke Russell) and photographer (Ward Wells) chronicling Anchorage through their two mediums.

Yes, there is street art in Anchorage as well.

After the museum, there was no other place to go besides Anchorage airport where, oddly enough, we ate the best seafood meal we had all week! DELICIOUS fresh halibut for me as well as a velvety and robust shared salmon chowder. A perfect ending to a remarkable week!

Our last official stop wasn’t really a stop at all since we never left the ship. This time, we didn’t dock, but sailed slowly into Glacier Bay National Park, ultimately to see Hubbard Glacier in Disenchantment Bay. The stop did not disappoint.

We knew we would be approaching the glacier early in the morning, so we thoroughly enjoyed a room service breakfast, including the mimosas that came with it. The weather was spectacularly cooperative and the captain gleefully announced we would be going closer to the Glacier than ever before.

It’s hard to describe a glacier. For one thing, it seems alive as it creeps slowly, like a sloth. It grabs ice, snow, rock and water from the ground as it crawls towards the sea, propelled by its own weight. It’s noisy: you can hear ice cracking as it shifts. When a chunk of ice breaks off into the water a 1/2 mile away (called “calving”), the volume of the impact booms like the explosion of a cannon fired from the room next door.

Hubbard Glacier is one of 100,000 glaciers in Alaska, named after Gardiner Greene Hubbard, a prominent American lawyer, financier, and the first president of the National Geographic Society. It is the largest tidewater glacier in North America, stretching 76 miles, and ending in Disenchantment Bay. (Disenchantment Bay received its name from an Italian explorer, Alessandro Malaspina, who christened it after realizing he had not, in fact, discovered the northwest passage.)

As promised it was quite chilly, but what a spectacular show…

Turner Glacier (below) is also known by its Tlingit name, Sit Kusa, meaning ‘narrow’ glacier. The Americans originally called it Dalton Glacier in 1891, but when this individual was accused of murder it was renamed for John Henry Turner of the US Coast and Geodetic Survey Society. Unlike many glaciers that are retreating due to global warming, Turner is actively advancing, making it a favored spot for research. Turner Glacier is about 21 miles long.

We saw Turner Glacier first and were in complete awe of that until the ship took us closer for a spectacular view of Hubbard. Turner is also where I saw the aftermath of a calving.

The only time I could fully comprehend the immense size of the glaciers was when I saw the ship’s boat (below) which could take you closer (for an obscene amount of money). The excursion boat looked miniscule next to the looming cliff of ice.

One of the reasons this bay is visited by cruise ships is due to the active nature of the glaciers here. The glacier ‘calves’ often (huge chunks break off from the rest of the behemoth and crash into the water) and we were lucky to witness the phenomenon. Alex was fortunate enough to spot the calving as it was happening, but my camera only caught the aftermath. However, I certainly heard the BOOM and saw the water splash.

One of my unexpected pleasures was looking at all the “growlers,” bits of broken off ice floating in the bay. Those of you who know about the Cultural Iceberg (if not, look it up!) can appreciate my smile looking at a floating piece of ice and, because the water is so clear, seeing the hidden, larger part of the iceberg beneath the surface. Some of the growlers looked like sculptures and the floating ice throughout the bay was like a painting.

For the remainder of our stop, I walked to different parts of the ship seeking out unique views. A sight on one floor really was shocking: I saw people scaling the climbing wall and playing in a pickleball tournament …. really?! THAT is more important? Okay…

The blue of the ice was enchanting. I researched this and learned that ice looks blue because ice absorbs red and yellow light, but not the blue which is reflected back to your eyes!

The glacier was not the only beautiful sight in the Bay.  The shoreline, mountains and snow patterns also helped make this a morning to be remembered.

The sky began to clear as we were leaving the bay, giving me the opportunity to get some great photos.

While we were bundled up and chilly in the morning, by the time we left Glacier Bay, the sky was a crystal clear blue and warm enough to lay outside on a deck bed and read my book, Alaska. And here I stayed until it was time to go in; a wonderful end to an amazing day!

Our next stop was Skagway, the closest deep-water port town built for those participating in the Klondike Gold Rush. But the city was merely a brief stop for many: after arriving, those seeking their fortune had to travel 600 miles further north.

Early in my career I taught California history to 4^th graders; as I am quite familiar with that Gold Rush, I was curious to compare the two events. Most of what I learned about the Klondike Gold Rush was from Michener’s book Alaska. It wasn’t pretty. The trek north was lined with dead animals unable to withstand the outrageously heavy loads and horrendous weather conditions, not to mention the abuse of their owners. Around 3000 horses died each year.

The mountain we so joyfully rode in a comfortable, “old timey” train, used to be the path along which a non-stop line of climbers would be going up and down carrying their one ton (no exaggeration) of supplies north. Once a member of the line of hikers, you could not stop, for if you lost your place in line, you would not get back on the line for hours. And just like in California, only a few lucky souls actually made money.

The Klondike Gold Rush officially began on July 17, 1887. America was in the midst of a depression, so 100,000 brave souls dropped everything and ran to Alaska (not knowing that most of the gold was in Canada, although Nome later had a huge find as well).

Here are some historical photos that highlight this sad story.

I also learned that during WW2 Japan attacked and successfully invaded two islands in the Aleutian archipelago. Knowing such a stronghold could give Japan a spot from which to attack mainland US, a major force was sent through Skagway. First, they built more railways as well as a highway connecting Alaska to the mainland. Then they fought the Japanese to regain the territory. The two Aleutian Islands were successfully returned into US hands, but only after intense and deadly fighting.

Skagwah (“home of the north wind”) is the original name of the town, but a clerk in DC assumed the “h” was a typo and hence Skagway became the official name. Skagway is a major stop on the cruise circuit: there is no other way to get there. During our one day stay, we saw 4 docked ships on a pier people are not allowed to walk on due to an avalanche 3 years ago (but they will drive you, which kind of makes no sense, lol).

During the morning of our day in Skagway, I opted to stay on the ship. My back needed a long rest and I was not in the mood to shop for souvenirs (which is all modern-day Skagway is). Alex went off for a quick hike and to purchase a few last things.

We agreed to meet at the end of the pier that afternoon for our train ride. Alex made it in the nick of time and off we went on a clickety-clackety train, complete with the lovely whistle. Unfortunately, our train was not a steam engine but did have a GE Diesel pulling us around as we sat in our restored passenger coach.

Although a “tourist trap,” the train did provide some unparalleled views, as current laws preclude road building above a certain altitude. We rode through incredible scenery, vistas too huge and beautiful to fully comprehend nor able to capture with a camera. God’s glory at its best.

Begun in 1898, the White Pass and Yukon railroad took two years to complete at a cost of $10million! The route is through such punishing terrain and was such an engineering feat, the line was declared an International Historic Civic Engineering Landmark in 1994 (the Eiffel Tower has this designation as well). It was also a major diplomatic endeavor: British financing, American engineering and Canadian contracting.

We started our journey at sea level and slowly reached a peak of 2,078 feet. We even traveled briefly through a small piece of British Columbian and the Yukon Territory! At the checkpoint below, Canadian Mounted Police (revered for keeping order amongst the adventurers), would wave on the trekkers and the ton of supplies they needed for one year in the north.

As we climbed to 2000 feet, it was fascinating to see the vegetation change.

The higher the elevation, the more prominent a role rocks played; above a certain elevation, trees cannot grow.

At our summit, Lake Bennet stands serenely, as she has for centuries, despite the stampedes and technology of man.

And of course, seeing snowcapped mountains in August remind us: this land is not for wimps.

Along the way the Dyea River and its tributaries provided some scenic views.

Our train rode over this bridge:

But not the next one!

It was fun to see the train on the track as it gave a sense of history.

We drove through several tunnels, one of which needed 250 tons of dynamite to break through the granite mountain. On the video, you can see some humor left behind by someone!

There were a few poignant moments on the ride as well. We passed the miner’s cemetery, where the notorious gangster Jefferson Randolph “Soapy” Smith and the hero Frank Reid who shot him are buried. Both these gentlemen figure prominently in the book, Alaska.

Below is a black cross where on August 3, 1898 a blasting accident claimed the lives of two workers who were buried here under 500-tons of granite. It was sheer luck that I got this photo!

As there is only one 3-foot wide track up and down the mountain, we had to pull over twice to allow another train to pass. We were asked to “Wave and look like you’re having more fun than them today.” Another fun quote, “We don’t have a lost and found. We have lost and mine. If anything is left it is mine!”

As we waited on the line to return to the ship (in the rain I might add), we were treated to a seal swimming by!

Home Sweet Temporary Home:

Our next stop was Baranov Island and the town of Sitka. Originally pronounced Sheet’ka or She-it-ka by the Tlingits, the word means, ‘city by the sea.’ During the time Russia claimed this land as its own, it was called Novo-Arkhangelsk (‘new archangel’) and the city served as the capital of Russia in North America. Sitka is distinguished as the largest city in the US … by land mass (that’s a bit of a cheat, I think)!

Sitka is also the birthplace of the Russian Orthodox Church in Alaska and North America and a major reason I chose Ovation of the Seas, and its itinerary, is because it stopped here.  The weather and the island did not disappoint. And here, Alex and I opted to explore on our own.

Alex: This part of the Inside Passage is littered with temptingly remote islands, reminding one of Upper Saranac Lake in New York’s Adirondack High Peaks. But I have to says this is more jaw droppingly beautiful.

The young mountain peaks shoot up and dwarf the city skyline in front of them.

The shuttle dropped us off downtown, between the two locations we wanted to visit: the Sitka National Historical Park and the Russian Orthodox Church.  We started our walk in the harbor as we made our way towards the park and its display of totem poles. 

During our waterside walk, we saw a special treat. Along the way is a salmon hatchery.  We watched, mesmerized, as the fishermen cast their large net in a wide circle, ever so slowly gathering it in to contain the fish.  While this was being done, a small and nimble skiff (or seine) was making figure eights to keep the fish from swimming away from the area where the mesh net was not secure, closer to shore.  The process proceeded in lock step efficiency and after about 45 minutes the job was done.

Also of interest was the sluice where the large salmon were returning to spawn.  I never realized how hard the process was for the salmon to jump over the waterfall to the next level.  It took many tries and I only saw one or two fish make it. I even saw some fish land on the rocks and flop themselves back into the water. 

We were fascinated by watching many salmon randomly jump out of the water.  Research tells me this is to navigate obstacles during upstream migration, get rid of parasites, or scout surroundings.  For me, it meant some great photo opportunities. 

In Michener’s ‘Alaska‘, the chapter on the salmon industry brought to life the amazing journey and transformations necessary for a single salmon fish to complete its full life cycle.  At a certain point, a salmon – which has managed to survive being born and grow without being eaten – suddenly decides it needs to be in salt water, the body slowly adapting to the new ecosystem.  Then after a few years, another mysterious inner signal tells it to return – to the exact spot where it was born and yet again adjust from salt water to fresh.  Once the eggs are laid and fertilized, the parents die.  Scientists do not fully understand how this all works!

As our walk along the shore came to an end, we arrived at Sitka National Historical Park to learn its two names:  Lingit’aani Hit (Tlingit World House) and Aantkeeni Hit (Townspeople House).  It consists of a welcome center where artisans work, and a short nature trail dotted with totem poles.  We were disappointed to learn these poles were not from this particular forest but had been brought here in the early 19th century from all over southeast Alaska by a conservationist, in an effort to preserve them. In addition to not seeing totem poles in their original location, we also learned totems do not last, and most of what were looking at were (outstanding) replicas. The welcome center was opened in 1966 at the recommendation of the Tlingit community to showcase these important cultural pieces.

However, we learned a lot about this art form and enjoyed seeing old and contemporary totem poles. 

The totem poles in nature were far more powerful and beautiful in my opinion.

Totem poles are actually signs.  They can be memorials, send a message of anger as well as declare a home, or show someone’s wealth of prestige. You might put one up to say you’re mad at someone and then when the conflict is resolved, you burn it!  The meaning of the symbols and carvings are only for the creator to share, hence there isn’t a lot written about what we saw and many interpretations about the designs abound.  However, key elements important to the Tlingit culture can be seen on many totem poles: ravens, eagles and wolves – and the details are joy to explore.

Memorial totems, such as the one below, is identified by its uncarved, square base, could also be a mortuary pole, where ashes might be kept in an enclosure.

I wish I remembered what was written about the totem below. The Russian character on the top was made fun of in some way….

Yes, we were there…and you can see how tall some of the totem poles are!

Looming over the city is Mount Edgecumbe, a dormant volcano that is still active because of the magma underneath. It is one of 29 volcanoes in Alaska. Our bus driver told us a wonderful story of how one April Fool’s Day someone soaked tires in gasoline, placed them in the crater and lit them up.  The ensuing smoke caused the Coast Guard to investigate if an eruption was imminent.  When their helicopter hovered over the crater, the words ‘April Fools’ were visible.  Did anyone go to jail for this prank…no, because one of the perpetrators was the Police Commissioner!

Michener’s ‘Alaska’ gave me such insight – much of it deeply unsettling – into the history of Sitka and the way both Russians and Americans treated the local indigenous tribes and the land. A part of me finds it amazing Alaska still stands today as the natural beautiful land it is. 

Russians first arrived in 1799, with Alexander Baranov working in tandem with the Tlingit to build the trading post as well as the Sea Otter fur trade, among other key industries. Of course, the cooperation didn’t last; quite a few battles took place here and the fort was destroyed several times (one major battle occurred in the park with the totem poles). 

On a hill above Sitka, Baranov built his ‘castle,’ and here is where the signing of the sale of Alaska to the US took place (we didn’t have time to visit; the photo below is from the state park website). Alaska became part of the United States on October 18, 1867, when it was formally transferred from Russia. 

I was very much looking forward to visiting St. Michael’s, the Russian Orthodox Church still standing on the original spot. While I didn’t get to interact with parishioners as the church was surprisingly jam packed with tourists, it was still a moving experience.

Originally built in the 1800s, St. Michael’s is the first Russian Orthodox Cathedral built in the New World. The structure was re-built after a fire in 1966. It is a missionary church dependent on donations from visitors, and the parish is mostly Native Alaskans. Dotted throughout the church are signs teaching visitors about the faith, the history and traditions of the Orthodox Church.  I felt the signs were very accurate, neutral politically and well written.  They even taught you about the various style of iconography!

Below is a famous icon, ‘Our Lady of Sitka.’  It was a wonderful coincidence that my church calendar featured this icon in July, and ‘she’ travels a lot, so we were surprised and excited to see ‘her’ in person. 

Icons are ‘written’ (as opposed to ‘painted,’) and this one was written in the late 1700s by Vladimir Luich Borovikovsky, a well-known iconographer of his day who also became one of the foremost portraitists for the court of Catherine the Great. ‘Our Lady of Sitka’ is also known as a wonderworking icon, as miracles are associated with it.

Alaskan saints I have read and heard about for years worked here and I am glad to say most had a very good representation. While St. Herman (the first American saint) worked on Spruce Island in the Aleutian Islands, Saint Innocent worked here as did the others shown in the photo below.  Fr Ioan Veniaminov (his name before coming a bishop and eventually Metropolitan of All Russia) (1797–1879) is celebrated for his deep respect for Indigenous cultures. 

I was pleasantly surprised to see an icon of a saint canonized on June 19^th (I know many relatives and friends who went to the service!).  This new saint is the first female saint of North America, Saint Olga (1916-1979).  A member of the Yup’ik People, she lived in another part of southern Alaska.  She was the wife of a Russian Orthodox priest and a midwife.  She was especially known for her gentle caring of those suffering from abuse and trauma.

The icon below was very interesting for me and was commissioned for this church by an anonymous donor.  Aside from its artistic beauty, it is called The Inexhaustible Cup and has an interesting story associated with it.  A Russian alcoholic peasant had a dream where an elder came and said to visit a particular monastery and have a service in front of the icon called The Inexhaustible Cup and he will be cured.  When he arrived at the monastery and asked to see the icon, he was told there was no icon by that name.  However, after some searching on the back of one icon The Inexhaustible Cup was written.  He was healed, of course, and the icon and copies of it, are known for their support of those suffering from alcoholism and addictions.  The theme of this version is the Akathist service of praise for the Mother of God. The symbolism on the icon includes on the left all the saints named in this service.  On the right, the man with the crutches who received the dream and he is depicted with others from Alaska asking for help.

A culminating treat was hearing the bells ring as we left the area!

After some shopping our exhausted bodies found the only restaurant serving seafood (all the major hot spots just closed for the season…).  We had exceptional chowder, avoided the super expensive but unique golden crab legs (although considering how much we actually paid for lunch it wouldn’t have been such a splurge), and returned to the ship.

Some flowers of Sitka:

The evening’s sunset:

Thanks to the Indian Social Fund reimbursement (because I won’t retire in India and no longer live there), I was able to treat my sister Alex and myself to an Alaskan cruise.  While a cruise is not anything either of us would normally opt for, it was the only way to reach what we wanted to see in Alaska, so off we went!  As Alex had her own impressions, and because she also edits this blog, she may chime in from time.

We boarded Norwegian Cruise Line’s massive ship, “Ovation of the Seas,” in Vancouver. I will write about this amazing ship later in the blog but today I am recalling our first stop after being at sea for two days: Hoonah, Alaska, more commonly known as Icy Point Strait.

This lovely, secluded little island in the Inner Passage of Southeast Alaska is inaccessible by car and is run entirely by the Xunaa Kaawu of the Tlingit community.  Sadly, at this point the community of just under 1,000 Tlingit is supported solely by the visiting cruise ships (while we were there a Disney cruise ship was also docked). Everything a visitor does here funds programs for a group that has called this area home for thousands of years. They are proud of their heritage, a legacy of resilience and perseverance.

The spot is divided into two sections: historic and scenic. In fact, much of what we saw during our cruise through the Inner Passage was the Tongass National forest with its 15-million acres spread over 500 miles and more than 3x larger than any other national park in the US.  It is also called the ‘forest of islands’ since most of this park is only accessible by boat or air.

After disembarking, we took a 5-minute gondola ride through the treetops to the historical section with its cannery and fishing docks. The dock area was very well preserved and gave a good sense of how the fishing industry worked in its heyday.

Commercially, the area was established only as recently as 1912: a salmon cannery called the Hoonah Packing Company.  This economic center closed in 1953 when President Eisenhower declared a disaster due to the collapsed salmon run. The Huna Totem Corporation acquired the land in 1996 and turned it into the award-winning destination it is today.

In the early days, Chinese labor was the main force used in the canneries although I am reading the book Alaska, by James Michener, and also learned how machines took this over this as well.  Below, you can see the machine “at work:” the knives would cut the fish into the right sizes for the cans.

The filler would then take the chopped fish and add a calibrated amount of salt for taste and preservation, while the weighing machine would subsequently ‘spit out’ any cans with an improper quantity of salmon. Here, workers ‘filled in’ the can with little pieces of fish to ensure the proper weight.  The cans were then returned to the conveyor belt for the next step.

The ‘curler clincher’ formed a loose seal between the lid and the edge of the can until the air could be removed by the vacuum sealer to ensure product freshness, longevity, and proper pressure for the next step: cooking.

As the salmon was packed raw, the cans were then put into the ‘retorts’ (below) where the canned fish was steamed to perfection.

This little museum also had an interesting exhibit about the area’s history.  I learned the Alaskan flag was designed by a 13-year-old orphan, Benny, from Seward, Alaska.  His design, “8 stars [the Big Dipper with its North Star] on a field of blue’ won him a gold watch engraved with his flag design and $1,000 which he used to pay for school.  Also, the word Alaska derives from the Aleut word “alyeska” meaning ‘great or mainland’.  Another tidbit: there are no snakes in Alaska (just like Ireland)!

From Alex: We had noticed a second gondola ride that scaled the very tall mountain near the ship and decided to do it. But rather than return by the free gondola, we opted for the short walk through the magnificent forest.

It is hard to describe the feelings, walking along the wide, well-manicured path, these woods bestow upon you. Yes, I am personifying this forest because it is, most definitely, alive. For one thing, the size of the flora was intimidating. The giant spruce trees dwarf everything… they may be almost as tall as a redwood. The forest floor seems ancient with ferns and skunk cabbage leaves spanning 5-8′. The air so crisp, the smells of the damp earth and its life fill your every pore. And we weren’t even in the woods “proper.”

This walk was one of the highlights of our visit, especially when we ran into I Putu, one of the waiters from the ship!

While we were not fortunate enough to see any of the 100,000 bears living in Alaska, we did see several bald eagles on Icy Point Strait. Alaska is home to the largest population of bald eagles in the world, but it was still an honor to see one so close. From Alex: This guy was completely non-plussed at the plethora of human activity around him. Here he is sitting on a tree branch directly over the crowded beach path.

We also saw (his?) enormous nest during our walk through the woods. Despite a sign pointing it out, it was hard to spy at first but once found, impossible not to see. It is HUGE: my guess is it is the size of two double beds. Bald eagles breed between March 1 and August 31, but we didn’t see any young birds in the nest or a mother hovering. We did learn the birds return to the same nest year after year, so they are built to withstand the heavy winters and sea winds, lining the large sticks with comfy moss, plants and grasses.

The gondola ride up the mountain – as we were quick to learn about everything in Alaska – was very expensive. But once on the summit, the views were spectacular, we learned some local lore, sampled reindeer hot dogs and Alaskan beer.  The fire pit you see below is dedicated to a young local from centuries earlier who saved the local village from invaders.  I loved the local saying the elder shared with us: ‘at low tide, our table is set,’ given the abundance of seafood. This full-blooded, Tlingit grandfather sang the refrain of a traditional Tlingit song about peace, harmony and good weather. 

Alex: We declared the above “Our Islands.”

One of the key attractions of this part of Alaska are the whales that live in the waters of the Inner Passage, and our excursion todays was, of course, a whale watch. Whales love this area because the water isn’t deep (200-300 ft), so they don’t have to dive a long way for food. We hit the whale watching lotto as not only did we see a humpback but witnessed a fascinating interaction it had with a pod of orcas.

There are two types of orcas: residential and transient (Bigg’s). Residential orcas tend to be smaller animals than those of transient pods which are semi-local wanderers and pass through Icy Strait Point about every 2 weeks. Personally, seeing an orca was a scratch off my bucket list!  The ones we saw were residential and while these orcas do not hunt humpbacks, they are quite the bullies.  We watched the orcas enjoy harassing the humpback and gasped at unprecedented views of the humpback flailing his fin and grunting in frustration. Even the ship crew were excited and fascinated at this extraordinary spectacle.

I am very proud of the photos I took of these whales and even captured one of the orcas breaching!

The Humpback

When a humpback is aggravated, it will swim in a circle and flail a fin above the water.

The Orcas

Alex: Tatz took THE shot.

After the whales left us, the boat took us close to a farther shore where we saw a pod of Stellar Sea Lions swimming in the water.  My camera battery had died so no close ups, but the video captures the sense of their having fun together.

Throughout our sailing journey, we passed SO MANY sea otters (my favorite animal of all time). Despite my best efforts, I couldn’t get a great photo of this majestic creature, so instead I am listing here why the sea otter is my favorite:

1. They have no blubber (fat free!), so they keep warm with their fur, which they work hard to keep clean.
2. One square inch of a sea otter’s fur contains 500,000-1,000,000 hairs in various layers of height.  This is one of the reasons the fur was so sought after.
3. It was believed that sea otters were hunted to extinction, but they were smart enough to hide from humans and are now making a comeback.
4. Sea otters have a pocket under their armpit to store food for when it is needed.
5. The otters use tools! As they float on their backs, sea otters use sharp edged rocks to break open shells and sea urchins for eating
6. Seat otter babies are held safe on a mom’s back as she swims.
7. They have a most adorable face!

The ride back to shore on the whale watch boat allowed us to enjoy the incredible scenery, with one stunning view after another.

The water is green due to glacier runoff.

This video by Alex is a bit long but it captures how the whale watch really happened. Without a doubt, my favorite moment is at .44 mark where Alex’s heartfelt reaction captures our feelings for the day!

Our whale watch ended with the gray and misty weather dissipating to reveal a gorgeous blue sky, cotton ball clouds and a seafood “feast.” Quite the disappointment, we wanted to enjoy the arid corn on the cob, overcooked shrimp and dry, dirty crab legs, but we could not. We left early and salvaged the moment with some shopping and a walk on the beach before we returned to our ship.

The last time my sister and I took a road trip to explore, it was a snowstorm.  This time: incessant rain, which of course immediately stopped the moment we returned home.  That said, inclement weather didn’t stop us from having a good time.

The weekend started with lunch in Sandy Hook, CT with my brother Andrei and his wife Chris.  It was lovely to catch up and spend time with family.

After that, Alex and I hopped back into the car and drove to Mystic, CT the first stop on our next Guess Where Trips adventure, passing my alma mater on the way!

We arrived too late in the day to visit the aquarium or the historical Seaport (Mystic was a major ship building and whaling community early in US history), but we walked around this quaint town and to our utter surprise were able to view the 1921 drawbridge in action. This happened as we were on the main street and a clanging sound started.  The gates came down with cars and pedestrians alike stopping to admire this unique bridge in action.

This bridge, the 6^th one on the site (the original being a wooden toll bridge in 1819) is a ‘bascule’ (French for seesaw) bridge.  Listed as a historical American Engineering Record, the bridge works with two 40-horsepower electric motors that pivot the road by lifting the 85-foot moveable span weighing 660 tons.  This weight is counterbalanced by the two 230-ton concrete weights, which make up the core of the unique sight for us amateurs.

Before dinner we stopped by the Misfit Club for a drink – a must go to bar if you are in the area, as later in the night there will be music and dancing but at this early hour there were personable bartenders and lots of laughing.

Originally, we had reservations at Port of Call, a restaurant chosen due to its connection with James Beard finalists.  However, upon getting there we saw the menu was more bar food with fancy French names rather than the fine dining meal we had budgeted for.  Right next door was The Oyster Club whose menu was more to our liking. Luckily, they were able to seat us at the bar where we enjoyed an incredible meal, with superb service and great ambiance. And very handsome bartenders!

We woke up to more rain but a determined attitude.  Off we went to our first stops: Harkness State Park and Seaside Sanatorium, a building designed by Cass Gibert who also designed the US Supreme Court building.  This stop was a bust as the sanatorium was blocked off. Harkness State Park was the home of the Harkness family, with a wonderful connection to an earlier Guess Where You’ll Go trip: Stephen Harkness was a silent partner in Rockefeller’s Standard Oil Corporation, and the family were huge philanthropists. In their day, they gave $200 million dollars to various causes, including my alma mater Connecticut College, which named several buildings after them. After my sister took a short walk with the dog to glance at the Harkness cutting garden, we decided this is a place to return to when weather is better.

Our next stop was a success.  The Book Barn, located in Niantic, is an outdoor oasis filled with over 500,000 used and rare books.  This is more than a store but rather a selection of quirky sheds based on themes.  The Ellis Island station is where used books ‘immigrate’ to the store.  While parents browse, kids can explore in the various playhouses, play with the various animals that roam the area and even play a giant Connect-4 game.  The rain did not dampen the experiences, just cut it short, although I was able to pick up some good children’s books for less than $1/book with my teacher’s discount.

As this is the Coastal Connection trip, there are nautical views everywhere!

Next was our favorite stop of this trip: The Florence Griswold Museum located in Old Lyme, CT.  The story begins with the Griswold family, whose father was a ship captain who sailed the world.  Due to bad investments the family’s fortunes waned, and the house was turned into a girls’ finishing school run by the matriarch.  Florence, who never married, inherited the family home as well as all its debts.  In those days, it was socially acceptable for unmarried women was to run a boarding house, which Florence did.  Opened in the late 1870’s and offering rooms at $7/week, Miss Florence’s idyllic spot rewarded vacationers from New York City seeking out quiet places to rest, especially so after the Civil War.  The real turning point came when the artist Henry Ward Ranger discovered the inspiring countryside of Old Lyme and encouraged both Miss Florence to take in him and a group of fellow artists for a summer. Ultimately, the boarding house became the hub of American Impressionist and Tonalist painters.  This artist colony thrived between 1899 and the 1930s, with over 135 American artists staying there and leaving their mark.

Today, the grounds are a wonderful museum and historical center.  There is a modern exhibition space with the ever-growing collection by the FloGris Foundation.  There are educational programs as well and visitors of all ages can participate in a daily art or craft activity. 

The gardens are stunning, the atmosphere encouraging reflection. The blooming flowers and dogwood trees glistened in the rain which, while frustrating, did not hide their absolute beauty.

We will definitely return when the weather is better.

Below are photos of the current exhibit where we learned about the history of the center and saw part of their ever-growing collection.  It was fun learning about the artwork, its connection to the Art Colony, and local contemporary artists. 

Here is some information about my favorites.

Below is a miniature painted by Lydia Longacre in 1921.  This award-winning miniaturist studied in Paris where she was taught to focus on tones and mood over narrative subject matter.  This is evidenced in this piece with its limited tones.  Ms. Longacre was one of the few professional, female artists accepted into the art colony where she studied the effects of color and light, painting here regularly until her death.

In Down Fifth Avenue, below, painted in 1915, the Impressionist Guy C. Wiggins turns the white snow into a study of blue and lavender, looking deeper into what is the white of snow.

William Bailey, was an art professor at nearby Yale, shared this etching.  At a time when Abstract Expressionism was popular, Bailey is renowned for his timeless arrangement of items not in still lives, but rather abstractions informed by imagination.  To Bailey, each object becomes a character fulfilling a role, skillfully emphasized with shading and placement.  This piece “holds a quiet power that encourages us to notice beauty and complexity in the seemingly ordinary relationships and objects of everyday life”.  This rang so true for me I was compelled to take a photo from afar and close up, as well as how the artist chose to frame the artwork.

The large canvas below, Spring Morning, was painted in 1968 by Jon Schueler.  During WWII Schueler was a navigator on B-17 bombers and his visions of the skies during missions became formative for his art.  He writes, “When I speak of nature, I am speaking of the sky, because in many ways the sky became nature to me”. It was painted when he summered in the area.

This was just a fun piece for me, called Baseball Machine by Leo Jensen (created in 1963).  While we were not allowed to touch it, it was created to emphasize that art can be an event, not just something to stare at on a wall.

The stunning beadwork creation below by Felandus Thames is called Believed to be Jenny Freeman in her Sunday Best (2024-25).  This piece was commissioned to honor those enslaved by the Noyes family (in the 1700s and early 1800s) on what is now the museum grounds.  The artist combined the photo with patterns and colors seen in the museum as well as Native and African American art.  By using beads as pixels, Thames honors Black achievements as well as using the curtain design to remind us of the caregiving by Jenny and others whose work sustained the household.  A masterpiece.

On the way to the main house, we passed the studio where one could participate in art activities and the barn where Woodrow Wilson’s canoe can be seen.  Future President Wilson and his first wife, Ellen, stayed here when she studied landscape painting.  Due to their status (president of Princeton University and governor of New Jersey) they were allowed to stay here even though Mrs. Wilson was not a professional painter.

We enter the house through the back door, walking on the side porch where the self-titled “Outdoor Club” artists/residents took their meals when it was too hot and stuffy to eat indoors. I was taken by the wide door…wondering why.  For hoop skirts??

Then we entered the main house, fascinating for so many reasons.  First, it is well preserved thanks partially to the artists who, in 1910, sent Miss Florence away, and as a surprise for her re-shingled the roof, mended the chimneys, dug a well, and redecorated the grand hallway and parlor, all repairs she could not afford.  The house emanates the feeling of what the house looked and felt like when inhabited by Florence and the artists.

First we see the center hall with its mix-matched furniture. More than a passageway this was a place where Florence greeted her lodgers and shared the rules of the house, where she was able to see some artist at work and enjoy the fruits of their creativity.  It was also where people hung out and even played ping pong!

Of course, the owner of the house was a frequent subject of the painters!

The first room we visited was the parlor, a place that came alive in the evenings as artists congregated here after dinner to continue their lively conversations, play card games, challenge themselves with spelling bees, singing and theatrics.  The most interesting for me was the game they called the Wiggle Game.  One artist would draw 3 wiggles and then challenge a fellow artist to incorporate them into a complete drawing.  There were some on display!

Next up, a sample artist’s bedroom. This room was originally the formal parlor but was later converted for use as a bedroom for distinguished guests.  As soon as an artist settled in, the art supplies would be set up or strewn around the room.  The current arraignment of the room gives a real sense of being lived in.

Her sanctuary, Ms. Florence’s bedroom (below) was situated between the parlor and the dining room.  Here she was surrounded by cherished family possessions like her father’s telescope, china glazed by her sister and a winter landscape painted by her sibling as well.  Miss Florence was the consummate hostess, as this quote from a resident tells: “Already I could see she was a born hostess, with that lovely air and remarkable gift of making her guests feel it was their home and she was visiting them”. 

Miss Florence was happy, especially proud of the impact her boardinghouse had on Lyme. As she told a reporter shortly before her death, “So you see, at first artists adopted Lyme, then Lyme adopted the artists, and now today Lyme and art are synonymous.”

Upstairs the bedrooms were converted to galleries to further teach us about the work of the resident artists and how, as a visitor in 1876 stated, the “variety in the landscapes [of Lyme] would drive an artist to distraction.  It is a singular mixture of the wild and the tame, of the austere and the cheerful”.

This painting by Woodhull Adams recorded some of the changes to the house after the restorations done by the artists.  This painting, along with others, were inscribed by the artists as gifts to Miss Florence. She treasured them, honoring them with prominent places on the walls of the house.

One room was dedicated to American Impressionists, who followed the styles of Monet and Renoir but added their local touch, focusing on New England landscape and life.  As a result, outdoor sketching was a key component of the resident artists.

Of particular interest to me was learning about Henry Ward Ranger and his Tonalist Circle.  These predecessors of Impressionism focused on using harmonious hues, often just shades of a few colors, and the delicate effect of light to create vague, suggestive moods.

This painting is called Hazy Weather by Bruce Crane (1920).  He was among the American painters who visited the international artists’ colony in France working with those favoring realism.  He moved away from realistic depiction of landscapes towards a “preference for rendering subjects in an atmospheric haze”.  Crane would go on to become a leading practitioner of Tonalism.

This is Henry Ward Ranger’s Autumn Woodlands (1902).  The limitation of color adds to the mood.

We returned downstairs to the dining room, where the true magnificence of the art colony house shines. One year, one of the artists painted a panel on the dining room door.  A tradition took hold, and every year another artist would paint another panel; it was a true rite of passage; a sign of true acceptance into the art colony. The eye cannot take in the full beauty of this room.

Our last stop was in the town of Guilford, CT where the third largest collection of historic homes in New England can be found, including the oldest inhabited wood private dwelling in Connecticut as well as New England’s oldest stone structure.

The Henry Whitfield State Museum is a house built in 1639 by Puritans fleeing religious persecution in England.  The Reverand Whitfield lived here with this family, and it served both as a place of worship and a town hall before those buildings were erected elsewhere.  It was annoying that my sister’s dog was not allowed to be carried in…not because we don’t understand the need to protect historical furniture…but because the house was EMPTY, about to undergo extensive renovations.  A young historian inside shared some information and then I quickly explored the small house.

A lot of the house has been renovated over the centuries.  Most recently the house was returned to the colonial style (it was changed to a Victorian style at one point).  Only the stone exterior remains, along with the main fireplace.  Everything else was replaced with historical wood and windows, etc. taken from other homes in the New England area.

While driving to see the oldest home we passed many houses with signs on their facade indicating their age.  

These homeowners clearly have a sense of humor, as they advertise their home was built in 1924!

Then it was time to drive home with this being pretty much the view the whole way home…until of course we pulled into our apartment complex!

Sunday started with going to church…well, visiting various historic churches. As a matter of fact, Rhode Island was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams as a haven for religious freedom and the proponent for the concept of separation of church and state (now embedded in the Constitution).  He, along with other religious dissidents like Anne Hutchinson, formed the settlement of Portsmouth. The southern part of the island became the separate settlement of Newport after disagreements among the founders (how novel, religious disagreements).  Not surprisingly, this resulted in many denominations building religious shrines in Newport.

First up, The Great Friends Meeting House, the gathering site for Quakers, or the Religious Society of Friends. This Christian movement, founded in the 17th century by George Fox, emphasized direct experience with God, as well as social justice. While closed this morning, the original building was built in 1699 and is now a museum. The Quakers were at first rejected by their neighbors due to their simple form of worship and life, as well as their belief in “no religious authority save the Holy Spirit.”  Luckily, the Governor at the time, Benedict Arnold (yes, the same Benedict Arnold who was later hanged for spying), refused to expel them, and over time they gained social, political and economic prominence. The Meeting House is able to hold 500 people and was used as the site of the Quakers’ Annual Meeting until 1895.  One last factoid, when restorations were being made, it was discovered the structure was built directly over an historic, indigenous site.  When I return to Newport in better weather, I hope to see if this is being honored in the museum.

While our next stop was not a church, it was on the way to the next one. We stopped at the famous Cliff Walk entrance.  However, the chilling temperature and frigid wind – not to mention having to step over piles of snow, resulted in a few photos from the car.  Had we walked, we would have seen the stunning shoreline, nature and architectural history of the Gilded Age.

Next, the beautiful St Mary’s Church, a Roman Catholic Gothic Revival cathedral built in 1828. The parish grew rapidly, fueled by the rise of Irish immigrants and is flourishing to this day.  The adjoining cemetery was the first consecrated Catholic burial ground in Rhode Island.

While there were many society weddings held here, the church is most famous for hosting the wedding of Jacqueling Bouvier and John F. Kennedy (who was a senator at the time) in 1953. Pew #10 is where they always sat when attending services.  Their wedding included 800 distinguished guests and over 2000 spectators cheering outside.  I was pleased to read that Jackie’s beautiful gown was designed by an African American designer named Ann Lowe. The Archbishop of Boston presided and there was a special blessing from the Pope.

The highlight of this morning was visiting Trinity Church.  This active Episcopalian Church was founded in 1698 by those fleeing religious persecution, with the current structure being finished in 1726.  This building is notable for its wooden steeple and unique three-tiered pulpit (the lone surviving three-tiered wine-glass pulpit in the world). As the pulpit is the focal point of the interior design, it symbolizes the church’s historical emphasis on both preaching and the Eucharist. The simple Georgian architecture and plain interior were very soothing to the soul, allowing the stunning stained glass to take center stage for me, while I imagined praying was foremost for parishioners of old.

This building has seen many distinguished visitors over the centuries, including George Washington, Queen Elizabeth II and Bishop Desmond Tutu. Had there not been a service going on when went inside, I would have been able to see the plaque honoring their visit and where they sat.

What I loved was seeing ‘boxes’ rather than pews. A real historical touch.  Due to the service going on, the lovely and kind usher said I was free to walk around but opened a room for me should I want to stay.  I did stay for a little while, hearing the reading of the day (read, not chanted like I am used to), listening to the beautiful choir and organ. I got up as the Rev Canon Meaghan Kelly Brower started her sermon.  I know she noticed, but we were in a bit of a time crunch and I figured it was better to leave as she started talking….not while, should she think it was WHAT she was saying that caused me to get up.

The church has the original 18^th century glass, but what I noticed were these two exquisite examples of stained glass, made more beautiful by the sun shining through. The one dedicated to Cornelius Vanderbilt was done by Calyton and Bell.   Without a doubt the one dedicated to Mary Rhinelander Stewart was by Louis Comfort Tiffany.  The nuance of color and detail were outstanding.

Connected to the church was an old cemetery, which unfortunately I could not explore due to the snow.

We then drove by the Touro Synagogue, also not open.  The synagogue, built in 1763, is the only surviving synagogue in the US dating to the colonial era, and is the oldest synagogue still standing in the US.  It is currently an Orthodox Jewish congregation. Of interest to the non-religious person is how its positioning does not follow the grid surrounding it: the face of the exterior faces East, to Jerusalem.  I wish we could have gone in as this is considered architect Peter Harrison’s (a British immigrant) most notable work.  The building interior columns are each carved from a single tree.  The cornerstone was laid by Aaron Lopez, a Portugese Jew who fled the Inquisition and found his fortune in America. Aaron Lopez was the wealthiest person in Newport at the time.

We also drove by the Eastern Orthodox church, but it was on a street that made it too hard to photograph.

Before we settled in for our brunch, we leisurely drove Ocean Drive to view the cottages.  Had we been able to take a tour (no time) we would have seen Hammersmith Farm (where Jackie Kennedy grew up).  In the meantime, we were able to view some stunning homes and shoreline views.  With the weather and windchill factors as they were, most of the photographs were taken from the car!

Lots of celebrities currently own homes in Newport including Jay Leno, John Legend, Conan O’Brien, and near Newport, Taylor Swift,

.

After a while, one mansion after another begin to lose their appeal.  So you can image how excited we were to see wild turkeys meandering across the road, with cars politely waiting for them to pass.  I never knew how beautiful these birds were!

Before I describe our final exciting experience, I want to share some glimpses of the houses and streets of Newport.  It is as if the entire town is one, big historical artifact.   House after house is an architectural gem, many of which have plaques that declare their construction date.  They all look in excellent condition, and some have beautiful details.

Other ‘newer’ homes had different architectural styles.

This is how my sister described our final destination: “As you and I are 9^th cousins (once[?] removed), to the King of England (and our family tree records date back to the year 988, in Russia), it is only fitting we say goodbye to Newport in the manner of our ancestors, as surely someone in our great clan hobnobbed with the best of Newport society”.  And so, off we went to The Vanderbilt hotel for Sunday brunch.  This historic Newport mansion was once owned by Alfred Gwynne Vanderbilt, (the 3^rd son of Cornelius II; he died in the sinking of the Lusitania).  Scandal surrounds this stately home, as it was built for Alfred’s mistress. Vanderbilt’s first wife, Ellen French, filed for divorce in 1908, alleging adultery with the wife of the Cuban attaché in Washington, Agnes Ruiz.  Sadly, Agnes committed suicide due to the ensuing societal scandal, and Alfred donated the building to the town where it became the home of the local YMCA for many years.

This building is now a luxury hotel, and our meal was in the cozy, intimate dining room and bar.  As we were the first guests to arrive, we were allowed to choose our table.  We opted for the small antique table next to the fireplace.  Needless to say, the food, ambiance and service were of the highest caliber.

For brunch we enjoyed Eggs Benedict with Earl Grey Lavender tea and mini scones for dessert.

After the storm and clouds of yesterday, it was a joy to see a crystal-clear, blue sky as we headed home. We passed the White Horse Tavern, so I was able to get a daytime photo. I noted the local cemetery had a separate, chained section for Jewish burials. I hope this is the choice of the Jewish people.

The ride was obviously much faster and I had fun taking photos in the same locations to show you the ‘before’ and ‘after’ views.

And of course I end with the only street art I saw in Newport!

To refresh your memory, last Christmas my sister gifted me a trip from Guess Where Trips. These trips are like the TV show, Amazing Race, in that you open envelopes and only then find out where you will be going next.  So, for Alex’s birthday I created a trip for her and then for my birthday she did the same…only she took it to a whole new level. As we got into the car with our morning bagels, I opened my first envelope entitled, “History, Religion and Nature.”  Alex wrote, “Our ultimate destination rests on the seaside…sits on an island and [is] home to 25,000 residents.”  We were going to NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND!!

I will start by sharing some interesting factoids about the famous town of Newport (although officially a city due to its diverse economy, it is so small I insist on calling it a town!).

1. While Benjamin Franklin is a household name, his brother, James Franklin, was a prominent Newport citizen who published both the Rhode Island Almanac and Newport’s first newspaper, the Newport Daily News, still in print today.
2. Newport is home to the oldest typewriter in the country. I wonder who thought it was important save it?
3. Newport hosted the first circus performance in the country.
4. Newport was the site of the first airplane passenger line in the United States between Newport and New York City. I guess it always catered to the rich and famous.
5.  Newport can boast it is the site of the nation’s first automobile arrest and jail sentence. The offender was driving 15 miles per hour.  Speed demon!!  Not to be outdone, galloping horses were banned on the streets of Newport in 1678.  Hmmm, do Newportians have a thing for speed??
6. The nation’s first auto race was held in Newport as well as the first polo match. Yep, apparently they do!
7. Ida Lewis, the first female lighthouse keeper, saved lives here.
8. The first duplex house in the US was built here in 1750.

Driving north was a trip down memory lane as we passed Port Chester, NY, (where I lived while working in NYC) and New London, CT (where I went to college and the locale of my first teaching job).

The drive would take 4-hours, so we stopped for a break in Mystic, CT.  This historic seaport is famous for its restored homes and ships. During its 19th century prime, 600 ships were built in Mystic over 135 years. There is a lot of New England history to learn about in Mystic, but our needs were more primal: food. The Mystic Market Kitchen Eatery and its yummy gourmet sandwiches met that need more than adequately.

As you can see, the weather was not cooperating.  Originally, we planned to travel the prior weekend but due to the weather report, we made reservations for this weekend.  Well, thank goodness my sister has 4-wheel drive and is an excellent driver in the snow, meteorologists be damned! 

As we were leaving Mystic, Waze re-directed us due to an accident on the highway.  This resulted in some back-road-beautiful photos.

The snow was heavy due to the humidity, and the lack of wind meant the trees created a Winter Wonderland.

Despite the weather we made good time and, having checked into the elegant Motel 6, rested a bit until our first excursion: The Breakers.

Newport, RI has been noteworthy for several reasons since its establishment in 1639, but its “cottages” are what put this coastal destination into the forefront of many minds these days. The cottages are in fact very grand mansions built during the US Gilded Age (1870-1918) by wealthy families such as the Vanderbilts and the Astors. These opulent summer homes, such as The Breakers, Marble House and Rosecliff, showcase exquisite architecture and provide a glimpse into the luxurious lifestyle of America’s elite during the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The Breakers manse, symbol of the Vanderbilt family’s social and financial pre-eminence in the Gilded Age, is the must-see, grandest of all the Newport mansions. Sadly, while the mansion on its own is extremely impressive, the bad weather meant we couldn’t walk the grounds which are supposed to be lovely. In addition, the low clouds of the snowstorm meant we couldn’t see the cliff at the edge of the property, from which the roaring waves breaking on the stones give this cottage its name.

Designed by American architect Richard Morris Hunt, The Breakers is designed in the Italian Renaissance Revival style, resembling a Roman palazzo. It was built to impress, and no expense was spared in its creation.  Amazingly, the 70-room “cottage” was finished in only 2 years using a huge army of artists and craftsmen.  One reason the house was completed in such a short time was because they began decorating before construction concluded: a room would be designed and built in France, then disassembled and sent to Newport for re-construction.

The enormous expense of maintaining this home ultimately led to public tours in 1948, held by the newly established Preservation Society (founded by Gladys Vanderbilt, Cornelius II’s youngest daughter).

The tour opened with us entering the Great Hall, just as any visitor to the Vanderbilts would have. This enormous space (50′ x 50′) with its lofty ceiling painted with clouds in a bright blue sky, was modeled after 16th century, Genoan open-air courtyards. The purpose of this home was to advertise the Vanderbilts’ social status as well as to show the world that America was now a financial powerhouse. However, I loved learning that as grand and formal as this space is, the building was still a summer home to 7 children who would ride tricycles around the hall and slide down the grand staircase on trays! 

In the photo below, you can see the Grand Staircase leading down into the Great Hall. In the photo below that is the water fountain which sits underneath the stairs. The staircase and fountain were inspired by the Paris Opera House. The height of the steps was designed so that women could descend without lifting their skirts, giving the appearance of floatation.

The portrait below is of Cornelius Vanderbilt II who built this house and who, with his brother, ran the railroad empire founded by their grandfather.  He was worth $75,000,000 at the turn of the 20th century!!  However, he sought out humility and started his professional life as a clerk at the Shoe and Leather Bank. It was during these years he met his wife, Alice Claypool, while they were both teaching church school.

As with all the public rooms, the formal Dining Room (below) was designed to wow. The wall sconces and chandeliers were made with Baccarat crystal. Of particular interest, the lamps were electric, but because it was such a new technology it was not always reliable, so all the light fixtures in the house were plumbed for gas as well. 

Next up, the Billiard Room.  The stone floor tile and murals in Cornelius’ man-cave were meant to create a sense of cool retreat, with the mosaics, alabaster archway and design mimicking an ancient Roman room.  If you’ve seen the HBO series, The Gilded Age, this room was used in the filming. Throughout the tour there were numerous ‘behind the scenes’ tidbits shared.

The lighting fixture over the billiard table is made from bronze. It is so heavy, it is secured to the joists of the house.

Moving on, we were able to catch a glimpse of the Breakfast Room. Designed in the style of grand French palaces like Versailles, this is where the family would eat breakfast and informal dinners.  Most interesting, the panels you see below were thought to be decorated with silver, but it was noticed they never tarnished. So, conservators used a portable X-ray machine and learned the glam came from (no-tarnish) platinum, which was incredibly expensive even back when the house was built. 

I was listening to an audio tour while discovering this house, and in the Morning Room (below) I heard a lovely story narrated by Gladys Vanderbilt. She recalled how on Sundays they were not allowed to play games.  However, unlike other families they were allowed to read anything they wanted.  She went on to share a vignette about one of the brothers, Reggie, who invented a board game called, “Going to Church.” All Gladys could remember, as she giggled, was that the board was styled after Parcheesi and somehow the game was allowed to be played on Sundays!

Above is the Morning Room where the family would spend most of their indoor time during the day.

Next to the Morning Room, The Music Room – majestic golden hues tempered warmly by a light green, with chairs placed around the large fireplace. The ceiling is quite lovely and contains four musical terms in French: le chant, melodie, la musique et harmonie. The Vanderbilts were very musical, all played instruments. They would hold concerts and the matriarch hosted musical soirees. The Music Room, which faces the ocean, hosted many lavish events, including daughter Gertrude’s wedding and her sister Silvia’s debutant ball.

The ceiling of the Music Room

While I liked the colors of the Music Room, my favorite space was the Library (of course).  The dark paneled walls offered an intimate family space to read or relax during afternoon tea.

The Library

As we walked up to the second floor it was nice to see the carved details of the Grand Hall ceiling up close. 

Now on the second floor, we entered Gladys’ bedroom (Countess Széchenyi), one of 15 (!) on this floor. Compared to the opulence of the first floor, the bedroom is quite austere, but such were the times of the day: this was how the other half really lived. It also reminds one that this was, first and foremost, a home. The bedrooms were designed by Ogden Cogman who was known for his understated, elegant style.

All the rooms were connected with hidden doors, primarily used by servants whose goal was to be invisible. This bedroom also connected to the master bedroom via a bathroom, quite small and simple compared to the other ones we saw.

Below is Cornelius Vanderbilt’s bedroom. He was considered the most powerful financial baron of his time.

While most houses in the area had one bathroom, The Breakers has 20! All the bathrooms in the house boasted the latest conveniences including running hot and cold fresh and salt water as well as designated sitz baths for soothing the nether regions after a long day of carriage or horseback riding.

I was intrigued by the closets: you can see how large dresses and formal suits were hung and stored.

Below is Mrs. Alice Vanderbilt’s bedroom. Perhaps her days as a church schoolteacher served her well as she was known to be a woman who ensured the cottage was run to polished perfection. Unsurprisingly, over Mrs. Vanderbilt’s nightstand were call buttons for any house staff she needed. 

High society women of the day were expected to change as frequently as 8 times per day. So, of course, Mrs. Vanderbilt’s bedroom boasted 4 closets. It also might explain why Mrs. Vanderbilt’s room also served as her office: how else could she get everything done 😉 ?

As part of the audio tour, I heard from children of those who worked at the mansion. 

The daughter of a chambermaid said there was a lot of dusting and laundry. Bed linens were changed twice a day. There were also fresh towels after every bath, and they often took several baths a day. 

A footman told us how there were the ‘upstairs and downstairs staff.’  Footmen (who had to be over 6’ tall) were the only staff permitted to be seen by the family.

A daughter of a worker recalled how her mother allowed her to spy on a grand ball one night.

Servant bedrooms were modern and well appointed, but hot and small (as told by the daughter of a woman who worked there). As they also spent summers there, she remembered how they ran up and down the stairs all day but were not allowed to touch anything.  However, they were allowed to play outside in the back.

There were several rooms in the mansion under restoration we didn’t get to see, but we glimpsed at the work underway which was interesting.

Before we headed down to the kitchen we passed the top of the Grand Staircase, with its stunning stained-glass skylight by John LaFarge and the 17^th century tapestry depicting the life of Alexander the Great.  The family was well known for collecting European art and this is just one example.

The servant staircase and corridors (below) are made from a lovely wood, with railing as finely crafted as in the homes of wealthy people.

The kitchen, safely away from the rest of the house in its own wing as a fire precaution, was impressive. The stove is 21 feet long, large enough for an army of chefs to cook for all of the family, guests and staff.  Many of those who cooked here went off to grand careers, with one becoming a celebrity chef.

From the kitchen we pass through the Flower Room, and then into the 2-story(!) Butler’s Pantry. The Butler’s Pantry was the hub of house: if this were a ship it would be the captain’s bridge with the butler at the helm (as any of us who have watched Downtown Abbey would know!).

In the gift shop (where I bought a magnet and Christmas tree ornament) were shelves of books set in Newport or about the Gilded Age. I have already borrowed two from the library!

As we left the house, we passed the building below which I later learned was the Children’s Playhouse Cottage, built in 1886 to match the original Breakers house (the one that burned down). It was one of Gladys’ play areas. This brought the concept of a “playhouse” to a whole new level for me… and was a great way to end the first excursion!

Our day ended with two culinary delights. First, we went to Bowen’s Wharf for cocktails, as it was too early for our dinner reservation.  The restaurant, Bowens 22, had the most professional bartender I have ever been served by.  Aside from creating excellent cocktails, he joined our conversation at appropriate times, showing he was listening for when he was needed, but never interfering.

The snow finally stopped falling at dusk.

Then I experienced one of the best meals of my life at a restaurant with super history, impeccable service and exceptional food.  The White Horse Tavern is the oldest continuously running tavern/restaurant in America.  Established in 1673, the décor maintains the ambiance of the 17^th century it is easy to imagine George Washington eating here, as local legend suggests. In fact, it is known that Benjamin Franklin stayed here.  The memorabilia hanging on the walls… clearly not purchased by a decorator, but maybe have been here all along??

The White Horse Tavern

The meal was ‘simple’ fare prepared perfectly.  Since New England clam chowder was invented in Newport, I started with that (it was the best chowder I ever ate), and Alex enjoyed the Scotch Egg. My entree was homemade lobster ravioli in a sauce to die for while Alex had the Beef Wellington.  I ended the meal with a lovely madeira wine and – what a surprise – we didn’t have to remind the waiter it was my birthday and I got a candle on my dessert plate.

A great end to a great day. As a matter of fact we had such a good time we forgot to have a photo taken with us together.

One of the benefits of living through one of the coldest winters in quite a while, is getting to see the Knickerbocker Ice Festival in its full glory.  It was very cold (13F/-10C), so cold in fact Rockland Lake was frozen enough for people to skate on for the first time in 20 years! Undaunted, my sister and I bundled up and headed out to see the sights. 

Back in the days before refrigeration, Rockland Lake was famous for the clarity of its ice. This location is the former home of the Knickerbocker Ice Company, around which the town of Rockland Lake grew.  The earliest icehouse was built in 1833 and by the year 1866 the small lake was producing 80,000 tons of ice each year.  This company was very successful and even exported ice to India, Australia, and other international locations. 

Of course, once the fridge became ubiquitous the ice industry melted away, with the last ice harvest taking place in 1924.

The old icehouses were insulated with sawdust. Sadly, while demolishing one in 1926, workers accidentally set a fire, destroying the vast majority of the small town of Rockland Lake. Only a few of the original houses remain in this forested area of our county. The lake and its surrounding land are now a public park.

For me, the highlight of the festival were the ice sculptures. We saw one artist at work: he was in the early stages of his creation and was using a chain saw.  After the big chunks of ice are removed, the more detailed work is performed with a chisel.  I imagine this work must be stressful as a small slip can ruin the entire piece.

The sculpture this artist created is American Bison. The bison was designated as the ‘first animal of the US’ by President Obama in 2016.  This beast is the largest mammal in North America, and while once on the brink of extinction due to overhunting, is now a leading example of cross-cultural conservation work.

The next sculpture was Bald Eagle, the national bird of the US.  The Founding Fathers felt the eagle best represented the qualities of independence, strength and freedom.  Others at the time (most notably Benjamin Franklin) wanted the turkey to be the national bird as it is indigenous to the original 13 colonies.  The sculpture was created by the Shintaro Okamoto Studio and was particularly photogenic!

The last sculpture was this angel. As it was farther down the lake, there was a sign telling us to visit it!

Also included on the grounds was a display honoring the women of the local Ramapough Lenape Nation.  This tribe has inhabited the area for12,000 years and has recently regained 54 acres of ancestral, sacred land. Poignantly, the display was called ‘Still Here’.

If I was younger, thinner, and healthier, I would have joined those enjoying all that snow has to offer: igloo/fort building, skating, hockey and even ice-sailing!  I had to settle for a lovely walk enjoying the beauty around me.

Most fascinating was watching this parasailer/skier (does anyone know the official name of this sport?). This person was incredibly skilled and was FLYING across the ice, from one end of the lake to another. Unfortunately, by the time I thought to video, he was too far away.

The day ended with Sophia, her boyfriend Drew, my sister Alex and I going out for my birthday dinner at Brassiere D.  While the food was exquisite, the service was horrific and we won’t be going back there again. To name a few issues: we had to ask for everything from water to menus, the waiter brought the dessert menus while we were waiting for our entrees, when the entrees were brought out they were wrong, two tables finished their meals before we were served our entrée, and they forgot to put a candle on my dessert – even though they were told 3 times – finally bringing one as we were leaving.  That aside, it was a lovely evening of good conversation and laughter.

I end with a view of nature, a much better way to end this blog post!

Thanksgiving means a 4-day weekend for most Americans so my sister and I took full advantage of it. I booked us a tour of the Armour-Stiner Octagon House in Irvington, NY.  Originally scheduled for 11:30am, we had to switch to the 2:30 tour so my sister could sit on the phone dealing with the bank regarding her hacked account.  Once that was resolved, we enjoyed a sumptuous snack at the Red Hat, an elegant, comfortable restaurant on the water’s edge, to wait until tour time.  There I was able to take a new angle of my favorite bridge, the NYC skyline, and the crashing Hudson River waves on this extremely blustery day.  The gull below was fun to photo as I walked slowly towards him (5 steps, wait – 5 steps, wait).  I got close but I knew I reached the end of his comfort zone when I took two steps forward and he took two steps back.  I took one more step, but it was too close for my feathered friend, and he flew away. 

The restaurant itself is beautiful as you can see below; I imagine it must be an exceptional place to dine al fresco during the summer months. 

On the site of the former Lord and Burnham Greenhouse Manufacturing Company, the Red Hat sits in what used to be the factory’s boiler room.  When active, this company built unique, intricate and beautiful atria, such as the one at the New York Botanical Gardens (see photos below). 

While pricey, the food and (mid-day!) cocktails at the Red Hat were exceptional. I had a Honeynut Old Fashioned and Alex had a Cranberry Marguerita.

We shared the whipped ricotta crostini with honey drizzled on top. Everything was as good as it sounds.

In no time at all it was time to head back for our tour.  After parking, we explored the property while waiting for the tour to begin.  The carriage house is inhabited by Michael Lombardi, whose family is the current owner. Michael also informs the tour guides when the Lombardis want to use the main house so as not to overlap with tours. 

These buildings match the overall decor and style of the main house. The greenhouse includes a public bathroom, an experience all its own.  To flush you had to push down a vertical lever, and the light switches were push-buttons (something my grandmother’s Victorian house had.  A nice “trip down memory lane” moment!).  There was something special about using antique facilities, it made one feel more of the history.  So often tourist locations have modern facilities.  Just another example of how fun it is to explore off the beaten track.

As I write this blog, we are having our first snowstorm so looking at the photos of the stunning autumn leaves below is warming me up a bit!  It was a truly a stunning, sunny, fall day.

Then, finally, it was time to tour the main house.

The Armour-Stiner Octagon House was built between 1859-1860.  Octagonal houses were a fad architectural form of the mid-19th-century US, touted by an architect as easing the workload of housewives. There were 1,000 such houses built and about half remain standing today. However, this particular 8-sided home is unique for several reasons, most notably because this is the only house of this kind that is fully domed.

The Octagon House has always been a private home, held by several families over the years. It is called the Armour-Stiner House in honor of the first two owners.  The first owner, who built the original home, was Paul Armour. However, Joseph Stiner, the 2nd owner, is included in the building’s current name as many of the features the house is famous for today were added by him. After Joseph Stiner, the house went through several owners and a steady decline until 1976, when the National Trust for Historic Preservation acquired the estate. It became the first property acquired by the National Trust and resold to a private citizen, preservation architect Joseph Pell Lombardi, in 1978. Mr. Lombardi, and his son, Michael, have done all the restoration work we see today.

The dome was added by Joseph Stiner.  On the tour we learned this addition was not done properly: essentially, the dome was just plopped on top, causing significant structural issues over the years.

The outside of the house has a wrap-around porch, added at the same time as the dome. To stick with the theme of 8, there are 8 steps up to the porch!

Entering the house was stepping back in time.  Every detail has been meticulously restored. Everywhere I looked there was something beautiful for my eyes to rest upon.  Most of the woodwork in the house is Long Leaf Yellow Pine, a strong and fire-resistant wood.  (The tree has been over-harvested over the years, but the army Corp of Engineers is working to bring the species back.)  All the furniture is authentic to the period, made in the US, and typical of an upper middle-class family of the era.

We entered the house, putting our coats on hooks in the room to our left.  Here two stunning ornaments were displayed – which I happily learned were on sale in the gift shop.  I was excited until I saw the price, so settled for this photo as a memory. My tree will just have to live without it!

In the style of the time, your most elegant and ‘expensive’ rooms were on the ground floor.  The entryway below, with its woodwork and silver wallpaper (and ceiling!) sent the clear message: the residents have money.

The carpets are reproductions of the original carpets in the home, as best as the restorers could tell from old photographs.  Made by The Wilton Company, they are stunning with incredible colors and fine details.  During the Victorian era, carpets were made by sewing thin strips together.  To be cleaned, carpets had to be taken apart, cleaned, dried and then re-sewn. Needless to say, the invention of a carpet broom/vacuum cleaner was quickly and widely received.

One of the original owners was deep into phrenology, a 19th-century pseudoscience that claimed personality traits and mental abilities could be determined by the shape and bumps on a person’s skull.  His walking cane had a skull with the ‘zones’ on it, and there were other such items around the house.

To the right of the entrance hall was a study.  Here you can see one of the many corners of the house. Architects claimed octagonal homes made a housewife’s work easier because it reduced the number of steps a woman has to take to clean a traditionally shaped home. But given the arm-work involved in maintaining all these tight corners, I cannot see how such spaces make housework easier. Hmmm… I don’t suppose the architects espousing octagonal homes were men who never did housework??

The next room we visited was the formal parlor.  This yellow room has the original ceiling fixture and, on that day, also held a beautifully decorated Christmas tree, the first of several in the house.   As this was a room for guests, it contains the best artwork of the house.  The artwork is mostly in the Hudson River School and the painting by Thomas Chambers seen below, is the most valuable.  Chambers has been called the ‘first American Modernist’ and is considered a Primitivist.

Next up was the formal dining room. The table was set for a Christmas meal, complete with a menu that would have been served at the time.

Walking through the small pantry, which connects to the kitchen, was fun.  The copper sink was impressive, as were the photos of the Lombardi family from when they lived here.  No longer formal rooms, the simplicity was quite evident. 

The formal name of the kitchen is the finishing kitchen, or Ladies’ kitchen (I imagine the ‘real’ kitchen was at the bottom of the staircase off the room).  Mrs. Stiner was honored by her husband in that he gave her crown molding and a desk.

The stove is original but no longer uses coal or wood: it was outfitted with electricity and the 8 (of course) burners.

Also displayed in this room were items from the Stiner company, which sold foods and delicacies.

Next, we climbed the grand staircase to the second floor.  While we were not allowed to touch any of the walls or items, I think they took pity on my bad knee and let me lean on the banister!  It was a visual treat to see how the garland on the stairs continues in a spiral up all the floors.

The first bedroom, complete with its own sitting room, still has the original painted ceiling.  The question remains how that came to be, especially given the state of “modernization” attempts and disrepair the house experienced for the decades leading up to the Lombardis’ restoration.

This next room is probably the master bedroom, based on the photo of Lombardi and his wife, as well as the story behind the bed.  For 20 years Lombardi tried to get this bed with its octagonal posts.  When it went up for auction, he lost the bed but kept writing to the owner over the years.  When the man died, his heirs finally sold it back to him.   The wood is pine but painted black to look like ebony.

On this floor was also the Room of Curiosities, another fad of its day.  Objects from the natural world were a necessity, as was a large hutch for displaying treasures.  Like personal tastes dictated what to buy and display, my personal tastes dictated what I photographed!

The Room of Curiosities also includes a display of antique Christmas cards.  Of interest, was how the images of Santa are not the same.  The “red coat Santa” was not adopted as typical in the US until much later. Also interesting was this factoid shared by our guide: the word ‘Santa’ as a reference to the iconic gift giver, first appeared in a Boston newspaper in 1773, during the same week as the Boston Tea Party, but then disappeared with historians not seeing the word re-appear until the 1860s.

I will take this moment to share other photos and information about Christmas learned on the tour.  First, the style of ornaments in the house is called ‘Dresden’.  The stars tend to be lead as was the tinsel.  Originally, glass ornaments were blown because people could not afford real fruit to hang on the tree.  Lastly, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert brought the tradition of Christmas trees to England, while German immigrants were the ones to make such decorations popular in the US. 

Included in the following photos are some of the ornaments I liked the most.

The last room we visited was the Egypt Room, a popular decorative style of the time as well.  This room was for diversions, including the organ and a sink for washing paint brushes and other supplies.  Of particular interest are the Jewish items on display as the Stiner family was Jewish.  It is surmised that the family only brought their closest friends to this room and also held their in-home services here.

As we left the tour, I took a sneak peek and saw what the house looked like under the porch!

While there were no photos of street art today, I end with this photo: the beginning of the day’s sunset, shading the dramatic clouds.