Seein’ the DMV: African American Museum Redux 081324
So my “Seein’ the DMV” selection for August was a visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture. As I mentioned in my earlier blog post, I’ve visited the museum twice previously in the eight years since it opened. The Metro subway system took me to within 4/10 of a mile of the museum, but that was a pretty long walk for me. Still, driving wasn’t really an option because finding parking was nearly impossible mid-day in that part of DC. Next time–and there needs to be a next time–I will see if there is a bus that would drop me off closer to the museum entrance. Anyway, I decided to go because their Afrofuturism exhibition was scheduled to close at the end of the week. As a fan of Star Trek–I’m debating whether to post a picture of my personal ST collection here, The Matrix, The…
Two Trips to the African American History Museum
I can’t believe that I chronicled neither my 2016 nor my 2019 visit to the National Museum of African American History and Culture (NMAAHC)! ** Sigh ** Anyway, since I’m hoping to return to the museum during this month (August, 2024), I at least want to leave a blog post marking the earlier visits. December 26, 2016 I visited the NMAAHC for the first time just three months after it opened to the public in September 2016. (I have always been thankful that it opened before the change in presidential administrations because I believe that they would have done all they could to “kill it in the crib.” The wait list for tickets was months long, especially if a group wanted tickets. Still, the Joneses descended en masse to see our history gathered on one site at last. My nephew and godson volunteered to be my escort, which at that…
Singin1 on the Move
Greetings!! The scheduled date for my next journey is coming soon. I’ve got the opportunity to video record a lot of this trip, which has several scenic routes along the way. I want to be able to share at least some of them on the blog. Unfortunately, my free account on WordPress doesn’t allow me to post sound or video clips without upgrading, plus I’m reaching my limit of photos I can post at this level. So, since I already have space where I can host a domain with WordPress features, I’ve decided to do that, rather than upgrade here. With that in mind, I’ve registered the domain singin1.com, and I will begin posting there as soon as the site is accessible. The blog posts already here will remain for the foreseeable future (or until I figure out how to move them). Thanks to everyone who is following my exploits…
Another Update… Just a Couple of Minor Changes…
… Really, they are! Two scenic drives that add very little to the trip distance overall, but add to the overall variety of the trip as a whole. First, the town of Burlington, Iowa, boasts that its Snake Alley rivals Lombard Street in San Francisco for its twists and turns. We will only need a slight detour leaving Riverside to get there. How can I possibly miss out out on the opportunity to take RB down it? And we’ll be too close to the Everglades National Park in Florida not to visit. There is the Loop Road Scenic Drive, which promises to provide a very good view of the variety of flora and fauna in the Everglades. And all from the comfort of RB! So glad I got the dash cam to capture it all! The great thing, too, is that this doesn’t add much to the total driving distance. …
Just a Little Update
Yes, I’ve made a major change in my upcoming trip route. I’ve been keeping an eye on Mississippi and its “Bathroom law” situation. They made one state-wide step in the right direction when they decided not to fight the federal guidelines defining student use of school locker rooms and bathrooms based on their gender identity. However, the law itself is still on the books, so I’ve removed Jackson, Mississippi, from my route. Gulfport is still there because it’s in about the same situation as Charlotte, North Carolina, as a city trying to be welcoming to the LGBT community despite the backwards-leaning state government. Instead of Jackson, I’ve added Vacherie, Louisiana, site of the Oak Alley Plantation. They offer a tour that focuses on the history of the plantation’s slave population and how they lived during the Antebellum Period. This seems a very fitting addition to the Civil Rights history aspects…
The Trip… It Is a-Changin’
As I suspected, my plans for this trip have changed again. I received an email about The Overseas Highway and realized just how close I’m scheduled to be to it from Miami, so…. Even I recognize, however, that the addition to the trip would cause it to pass the 4,000-mile mark, yet I still have the same number of days to complete it. So, I’m going to take the Cincinnati stop–which would be far easier to schedule the next time I drive east–off the map and add Key West. (Wonder if it’s possible to do a one-day trip to Cuba? Better pack my passport, just in case. 😎) So, this is how things stand with those changes: Two points: this stop looks like it would take me to the southernmost point of the contiguous United States. This will also take me close enough to the Everglades National Park to…
Logistics… A Dirty Word
Have you ever noticed how much planning goes into planning a vacation? Even one as “free-wheeling” as my vacations tend to be requires preparation: what clothes to pack, how much updating needs to be made to the drive time playlist, what electronic and paper documentation to gather, even what munchies should I carry. And, of course, what maintenance does RB need to make her road ready for a long-distance trip. Since my needs had mostly been addressed in previous trips, I’m at least fortunate that I’ve only needed a new hat and some walking shoes–the shoes are ugly as can be, but I got them online at half price. So, I was also able to satisfy a want: a dash cam that will hopefully handle those occasions where I’ve previously wanted to preserve images of the drive itself. I got a chance to test all three yesterday with a quick…
Missing Mississippi?
I read with great disappointment that Mississippi had just passed a law that goes out of its way to discriminate against the LGBTQ community. Added to the state’s ongoing issues with racial discrimination, I can’t see myself giving even tacit approval of this decision by playing tourist there. It might be only a few hundred dollars–not even a drop in the bucket–but I will protest Mississippi’s action even if only in this small way. I will miss the opportunity to experience the food, culture and history of the state, but I can’t support a state that would go out of its way to so disenfranchise its own citizens. With Mississippi’s history, it should know better than that. Since my trip is not scheduled to begin for a bit of time, I will hold off rerouting my trip in the hope that they will have changed this unfortunate law before I…
… And MORE Star Trek!
Well, as might be expected, my summer 2016 travel plans have undergone some adjustments. And the odds are quite high that there will be other changes (hopefully only minor–and better option–ones) even as RB and I are on the road. In this case, I’ve added Riverside, Iowa, as my first stop so I can attend their annual Trekfest. If you are a fellow Trekker, I don’t need to tell you that Riverside is known as “the future birthplace of Captain James T. Kirk.” Even though Riverside is just 75 miles away, I’ve only attended one previous Trekfest, the one in 2009 when they featured Nichelle Nichols (Uhura-TOS), George Takei (Sulu-TOS), and Walter Koenig (Chekov-TOS) as guests. I had a great time that year and am looking forward to whatever they are planning for this 50th anniversary year (perhaps they’ve finally been able to get William Shatner to come). Hey, I’d…
Summer Plans: A Little Work… And a Lot of Star Trek
Starting to formulate plans for summer vacation. First, RB and I can take a fairly leisurely ride through Arkansas, Mississippi–with potentially a brief stopover in New Orleans, and Alabama, which would finally give me the last three contiguous states I need. Visit some Civil Rights historical sites, add a little research,… and hey, if I can get in a performance and/or lecture, so much the better. Then, into Florida to visit friends in Tallytown and attend the 50th anniversary Star Trek convention in Miami. Final stop on the way back, get in a site I recently missed. Only about 3,700 miles driving distance–2,000 less than RB and I covered in the same time frame in 2014! Sounds like a plan. And a busy two weeks.