Category: travel

Charlottesville, VA

After a long drive, we arrived in Charlottesville, VA. Charlottesville or “Cville” as the locals call it, is situated on the ancestral lands of the Monacan People. whose ancestors lived on this land for 10,000 years. Unlike the Powhatans, their neighbors to the East, the Monacans avoided contact with Europeans as much as possible. They gradually moved westward, away from the advancing settlers. Some stayed for several years at Fort Christanna, in Brunswick County, and eventually moved into Pennsylvania and finally to Canada, where they were adopted by the Cayugas (monacannation.com). After a 4 year battle, the Monacan people celebrated the saving of their historic capital of Rassawek in March 2022. They successfully forced an alternative route for the construction of the James River Water Authority (JRWA) pipeline, which would have destroyed Rassawek. It is illustrative for those of us fighting other such battles to look at this example.

We are staying at the Townsman Hotel on the historic downtown mall, There are a lot of similarities between Charlottesville and Ithaca: they are both college towns with nice outdoor walking malls, although the Charlottesville mall is 8 blocks long and has Ting concert pavilion at the end. Other similarities are: both towns are home to renown universities; they are surrounded by vineyards and both have a housing unaffordability problem. Charlottesville is addressing the problem of homelessness with the Built for Zero strategy being deployed in many communities across the county. Is this approach something that could work in Ithaca?

It was 75 degrees when we got here- un seasonably warm for February 23, when the daytime high is usually in the 40s. People were out in force and it was a treat to eat on a restaurant patio in the walking mall. People were out in force, and I would say Charlottevilles walking mall has a lot more energy than the Commons. And we were surprised to see that Donna the Buffalo are playing here next week.

Ithaca and Charlottesville are both liberal bastions in a conservative region. One difference is that Ithaca has not lately been a venue for a national alt right/KKK rally such the Unite the Right rally in Charlottesville that happened in 2017. However, we are not the enlightened safe haven we aspire to be. Ithaca also has had its KKK presence. This article in the Ithaca Times is a good reminder.

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Fluffernutter Biscuit

We in stopped Greencastle, Pennsylvanbia (population 4,251), on the Maryland border to stretch our legs and get a snack; we found the Bean and Biscuit cafe that met our needs perfectly. Good food, good coffee, good company. We recommend it if you happen to be traveling on Rt. 81.

I had a fluffernutter biscuit, which was surprisingly good. John was excited about the door made out of a huge slab of wood. We each have our things…

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Paw Paw, West Virginia

We intended our first stop to be Paw Paw,West Virginia to visit John’s high school friend Reed, and his wife Deborah. We will now save this stop for another trip and head straight to Charlottesville to make up for our delayed trip start. I would like to share what I discovered about this tiny town anyway. Paw Paw, named after the fruit tree that is native to the area, had a population of 410 people in 2020. Paw Paw is known for the Paw Paw tunnel through the mountain, The C&O Canal Company started work on the tunnel in 1836 estimating that it would take 2 years to build; it was built to save them from digging 6 miles of canal on the Potomac River. The canal’s main cargo was coal, brought from Cumberland Maryland and stops along the way to Washington DC. Due to riots, labor strikes by the Irish, English and German workers, fund shortages and difficulty digging through loose shale, the 3,118 ft tunnel through the mountain was not finished until 14 years later.  It sounds like it might not have been such a great investment. When the tunnel finally did open, there were often bottlenecks because it was impossible for boats to turn around or pass. Today the hiking trail through the tunnel is maintained by the National Park Service.

Another interesting fact about Paw Paw is that that grammy award winning Texas swing band, Asleep at the Wheel got their start on a farm in Paw Paw. West Virginia.

Stay tuned! Next I will report from Charlottesville.

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Heading South

Well it is time to hit the road again for sunny beaches and new sights. We have planned a 3-4 week trip to Florida, taking our time on the way down and back to visit friends and explore new places. We have hit a snag already before we have gotten out of Ithaca. We will be delaying our trip for a couple of days because John came down with covid. Once again I have not gotten it, and am told I would have gotten it already if I was going to get it. Any other “covid virgins” out there? We will probably leave Thursday instead of today and alter our route a bit. I will share what we experience along the way. I am especially interested in learning about innovative ways communities are reconciling with their past and creating an equitable, sustainable future. I will also report on anything else we discover that is funny, beautiful or we find interesting. You are invited to come along.

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Change Is No Good If It’s Not For The Better

This is a sad story all over the United States: Black communities erased by urban renewal in the 1960s and 70s.  There once was a neighborhood in the Charlotte, North Carolina  2nd Ward called Brooklyn. Due to racially segregated housing, all black people- poor, middle class and well-to-do lived in Brooklyn. There were Black owned businesses, churches and all kind of housing. It was a thriving, self sustaining town within a city. Everyone felt safe and all watched out for the children. In spite of poverty, there was a vibrancy to Brooklyn. Here is a video about the plight of Brooklyn.

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The good news is that the nation’s largest Black developer is leading redevelopment efforts with the input of former residents of Brooklyn. . The Development Partnership is committed to doing justice to the memory and spirit of what Brooklyn once was. We will see what develops.

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Inn at Brandywine Falls

We spent two nights in the lovely historic Inn at Brandywine Falls in Cuyahoga Valley National Park between Cleveland and Akron Ohio. The four room inn, originally a farmhouse was built in 1848 and is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Although you would never guess her age, Katy Hoy, the innkeeper, is 92 years old. She and her late husband George opened the inn in 1988 after signing a 50 year lease with the federal government. The inn is chock full of antiques and offers an excellent formal breakfast every morning with homemade breads and other hearty, delicious items. On the wall behind us is a portrait of George Wallace, the founder of Brandywine.

We are heading home today, so signing off until our next journey, Hope you enjoyed traveling with us!

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Did you know that there is a national park in Ohio?

We have driven through northern Ohio many times on our way to destinations in the west. We never knew that we were a stone’s throw away from Cuyahoga Valley National Park. My brief survey of people around me confirmed that few people know about Cuyahoga National Park even though it gets more visits annually than Bryce Canyon National Park!

Many people my age (old) do recall the heavily polluted Cuyahoga River catching on fire numerous times, most famously on June 22, 1969, helping to spur the American environmental movement (Wikipedia). Since then, the river has been extensively cleaned up through the efforts of Cleveland’s city government and the Ohio Environmental Protection Agency (OEPA).[12] In 2019, the American Rivers conservation association named the Cuyahoga “River of the Year” in honor of “50 years of environmental resurgence”.[13][14]

It was a glorious day for a bike ride. We rode 14 miles on the Tow Path Bike Trail along the historic Ohio & Erie Canalway. Fall foliage was at its peak and just gorgeous.

We came to little towns along the way, now part of the National Park, that were once thriving towns. Boston. Ohio was one of those towns. In 1974, in order to create the Cayahoga Valley National Park, President Ford ordered the town to be evacuated. There were rumors of a mutation-causing chemical spill and extreme paranormal activity. The Travel Channel made a movie of the town called Helltown (2017), which according to Snopes is mostly fiction. You can learn more about the movie here, which now I do think I want to see.

Park store in Boston where we bought ice cream and sat in the porch rockers.

I would encourage anyone looking to hike, bike or canoe to consider a stop at the Cayahoga Valley National Park.

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2022 Chicago Marathon

We ventured down to Chicago with Sebby, to watch Michael run the Chicago Marathon. We stayed at Freehand Hotel, not far from Grant Park and the finish line. We did the “spectator marathon” walking six miles to cheer Michael on from different spots.

Me and my boys. In Chi town to watch Michael run the Chicago Marathon tomorrow.

After a successful race Michael came over to our hotel to take a shower and rest. Then he went to party with other runners from the his Brooklyn runners’ club. We went out to dinner at the Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery.

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Mendota Lake House B&B

We arrived in Madison, WI yesterday. It was wonderful to see son, Sebby and have dinner with his new girlfriend Jayne.

We are staying at the Mendota Lake B&B, which has become our home away from home in Madison. https://mendotalakehouse.com/

We like the relaxed atmosphere, locally sourced, organic breakfasts and comfy accomodations. We recommend the Mendota Lake House B& B if you find yourself in Madison!

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Oberlin: A Green City

Hotel Oberlin opened in 2016 as one of the first hotels in the US to incorporate solar and geothermal power as well as use radiant heating and cooling

In Oberlin, we saw evidence of climate positive actions, movement toward sustainability and use of renewable energy. It seems that Ithaca has a rival in that regard. Oberlin is one of just three C40 “Climate Positive” cities in the U.S. recognized by the Clinton Foundation Climate Initiative and the U.S. Green Building Council; the other two are Portland, OR. and San Francisco, CA. The Oberlin Project, a joint project of Oberlin college and the city , has the following goals:

  • Creating one of the first climate positive cities in America by shifting the City and College to renewable energy sources, radically improving efficiency, sharply reducing our carbon emissions, and improving our economy in the process.
  • Creating new and supporting existing business ventures in energy efficiency and solar deployment, food and agriculture, and the sustainable use of local resources.
  • Conserving 20,000 acres of green space and developing a robust local foods economy to meet 70% of our consumption.
  • Creating an educational alliance between the College, the Oberlin schools, the Joint Vocational School, and Lorain County Community College focused on integrating sustainability into education at all levels.
  • Developing a 13-acre Green Arts District at the US Green Building Council Platinum level.
  • Serving as a model that can be replicated in other communities.

We stayed at the Oberlin Hotel right on campus across from Tappan Square in the heart of the city and campus. In addition to being a solar/geothermal building, it is unique in sharing a building with the Admissions Office, which undoubtably is a great convenience for families looking at the college.

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