California (and Oregon), Here I Come?!?
As I contemplated driving to the Southwest national parks this fall, I considered adding the parks I missed in California. However, the extra mileage and physical wear and tear to me and my car, the Silver Bullet (SB), didn’t seem feasible, even to me. Then, Uncle Sam’el came to the rescue. I received a notice on my Amtrak app that the train service was offering a 50% discount on its USA Rail Pass. The pass restrictions that come with the standard $500 price usually turn me off, but the timing of the half-price offer was perfect because it gave me the option to travel from Washington to Los Angeles using only two of the ten segments that come with the pass. Even the restrictions–starting the first segment within four months of purchase–would be workable. Plus, if I don’t use all ten segments within 30 days of beginning the first segment–another…
A Day at the MET(s)–New York City (Again)
After a quiet Christmas holiday, the family turmoil began slowly to settle. I read that mezzo-soprano Denyce Graves-Montgomery was giving her final Metropolitan Opera performance in Porgy and Bess during the last weekend of January. I decided to take the opportunity to get out-of-town and witness the performance. This would be the second time I’ve traveled to New York to see the opera/musical (depending on the approach of the musical presentation one used)–previously for the 2012 Broadway production with Audra McDonald and Norm Lewis. I also saw the 2019 production via The Met in HD, so I was really looking forward to seeing it live. I took Amtrak to New York because it’s so hard to drive and park in the city safely that I feel like the Silver Bullet is much better off parked at the train station. I’m no longer used to getting up early enough to make…
Richmond, Kamala Harris Book Tour and Upcoming Trip Thoughts–October 2025
A Stop in Richmond I have been back to Greensboro, North Carolina, since my last post, but it was for the memorial service for my older brother. I’m feeling no need to share comments or pictures except for my decision to exit I-95 in Richmond, Virginia, during my return drive. I impulsively decided to see the rest of the Clock Tower I’ve seen so many times over my life. I’ve never visited Richmond other than driving through, so I was surprised there was a toll machine at the exit. Additionally, I suspect that the area was an older part of town, based on the stonework used on the streets in the vicinity. I had already learned that the Clock Tower was part of Richmond’s Main Street Station, so seeing a train station was expected, yet it was still interesting to see. Some of the pictures are below, with the rest…
Heading Home for 45th Class Reunion
I hadn’t planned to post about my trip to Greensboro, North Carolina, to celebrate my 45th class reunion at Bennett College since it was a driving trip to my hometown. However, I recently saw a post on Facebook that brought back memories of my days as a student, and I decided that sharing those memories, combined with my return 45 years later as an alumna, made sense. First, the now,… Graduation and class unions at Bennett College tend to occur during Mother’s Day weekend, sometimes with Commencement scheduled on that Sunday. This year, events for returning alumnae attending Reunion Weekend began Thursday before Mother’s Day. Not surprisingly, I chose to drive down because I wanted to be able to have transportation throughout the weekend. I drove through Greensboro’s downtown and the college campus, taking advantage of quiet grounds to get pictures of the classroom buildings, student union, administration and dormitories…
ARSC, National Parks and More (Gettin’ Home and Afterthoughts)
Gettin’ Home I didn’t drive the most direct route from Michigan to the DMV because I had mentioned to my family the possibility of stopping in Iowa long enough to get some Iowa chops to eat. I am horrible at cooking the thick cuts of pork, but my grill master brother is wonderful at it, and it’s been a year since I last got some chops for them. So,… Plus, I had the opportunity to meet old friends and colleagues along the way. Catherine made the drive to meet me for lunch in Davenport on Saturday, and David and I had lunch in Columbus, Ohio, on Sunday. While in Davenport, I picked up sixteen chops that I ordered in advance from a local Fareway. If you are wondering what the big deal is, you haven’t had well-prepared Iowa chops before. I had anticipated that the drive Sunday would have less…
Seein’ the DMV: Ocean City and Assateague Island
Ocean City and Assateague Island I left home at 1:30 a.m. in order to give myself more than adequate time to reach my scheduled boat tour in Ocean City, Maryland. This was an impulse trip just because I hadn’t been to OC yet and had the opportunity for a relatively inexpensive trip that included about a 4.5-hour drive each way. The weather forecast a partly cloudy day with temps reaching the mid-60s. I dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and knee-length sweatpants, then opted for a hooded sweater instead of my jean jacket (BIG mistake). As I drove out, I wondered why Waze directed me on a circuitous route through Baltimore rather than the more direct route over the Chesapeake Bay Bridge until I remembered that it was using my normal–avoid toll roads–criteria. This was one of those occasions where paying $2.50 to cross the bridge would have been cheaper than…
April and May Travel Update
I’m hoping for a very active travel summer in 2025. This has been made easier by an award I recently received. The Music Library Association (MLA) bestowed its 2025 Vincent H. Duckles Award–given for the best book-length bibliography or other research tool in music–for my second book, Recorded Solo Concert Spirituals, 1916-2022. With their monetary award, I was able to fully prep the Silver Bullet for distance travel, pay for registration and hotel for the upcoming Association for Recorded Sound Collections (ARSC) conference in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and have funds left to register for next year’s MLA conference. The fun is scheduled to begin with a full day in Baltimore consisting of a road tour of the city, my second visit to the National Aquarium, and a dinner cruise that evening. This is contingent on my full recovery from whatever bug I brought back (in addition to the Kong-sized shot glass and…
Seein’ the DMV: With Sadness, Bidding Black Lives Matter Plaza Farewell
Just because I suspected–and feared–the negative results of November 2024’s presidential elections, that has done nothing to alleviate my dismay as I watch the intentional systemic destruction that has already occurred. So much damage affecting so many in the United States and around the world. One visible (but completely expected) consequence, was the announcement by the mayor of DC that Black Lives Matter Plaza would be demolished due to pressure by the Trump administration. I have not previously used this forum to overtly express political views, but I am making an exception here. The two-block-long plaza’s mural was created in June, 2020, after non-violent protesters of the murder of George Floyd were attacked by Federal forces. The simple, but powerful, statement “Black Lives Matter” was emblazoned within easy view of the White House. I found this satellite view to get a full sense of the mural. (Click on the picture…
Thoughts about My Latest Long Stretch and Upcoming Plans
So, I finally got that bucket list entry, Glacier National Park, taken care of! After so many aborted attempts, I just wasn’t letting my hopes get too high until I actually steered the Silver Bullet through the park entrance. Anyway, it was definitely a visit that didn’t disappoint, even with the winter storm that cut the trip short and the parts of the park I wasn’t able to see. Before I left for that trip, I acquired a set of National Park postcards that also include several memorials and other sites that are part of the US Parks System. I’ve started work on a display of the parks that I have visited in the order I was there, with lots of space for more cards. National Parks Planned and Those So Far Visited It’s already August, but I have several trips planned for the remainder of the year. This includes…
Call Me Crazy, But…
I am planning to attend the 2024 Association of Recorded Sound Collections conference to receive an award for my book, Recorded Solo Concert Spirituals, 1916-2022. The conference is in St. Paul, Minnesota, so I want to take advantage of the opportunity to get some of the national parks–especially Glacier in Montana. The current proposal is mapped below: The route is available at https://bit.ly/3xSOaRK and includes a final stop at Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum. I’ve previously visited those celebrating the administrations of Herbert Hoover, Harry S. Truman, Gerald Ford, and Bill Clinton. Still keeping an eye out for the opening of Barack Obama’s. A few days later,… I completely rerouted my trip. I learned that there is a major balloon festival at Mesa Verde National Park in early October, so I cut out all of the southwestern stops and created a new map that adds a third visit to Yellowstone:…