challengeofadventure-blog
The Challenge of Adventure
Traveling, photographing, and writing about my travels. Join me!
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Uber: Adventures in Driving
Uber: Adventures in Driving
Two years ago when I started this blog, I wasn’t sure how everything was going to go or how I was even going to fund my travels. I have a full time job that pays decent, but I also have all the costs that go with having a family (i.e. house, cars, memberships). My entire adult life I have had to live paycheck to paycheck like the majority of people. With having a wife and two active children,…
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Urban Kayaking Above Saint Anthony Falls
Urban Kayaking Above Saint Anthony Falls
Growing up on the Chesapeake Bay and Susquehanna River, it is inevitable that one would be exposed to activities on the water. Everything from sailing, motor boating, riding personal watercraft, tubing, canoeing, and more can be done on the water. For many who live by the water, this is a way of life. For me, I’ve done many of these things, but it was never a big part of my life. Of all the…
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#Above the Falls Sports#Kayaking#Minneapolis#Minnesota#Mississippi#PreBEX Tour#Saint Anthony Falls#TBEX 2016 North America
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How it all started, Loss, Depression, and Success
How it all started, Loss, Depression, and Success
When it comes to my life, I try to keep various aspects of it separate. Long ago I started to keep my work and personal life separate. This made life both easier and harder for me. Since starting this blog, I realized that there are many more times where keeping my work and personal life fully separate has been bad more than good. In the past four months, this has been heavily on my mind. …
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Over the course of four weeks starting in late March, The National Cherry Blossom Festival takes over Washington, D.C. Taking place mostly during four weekends, the city of Washington, D.C. celebrates the gift of Cherry Blossoms from Japan in honor of a continued relationship and close friendship between the U.S. and Japan.
It all began in 1910 when the City of Washington, D.C. was informed by the Japanese Embassy that the City of Tokyo wished to donate 2,000 Cherry Blossom trees to be planted along the Potomac River. Unfortunately, when the trees arrived and were inspected, they were found to be infested with insects and nematodes. They were deemed unsafe for the U.S. environment and were sadly destroyed and a letter was written to apologize for doing so. Not to be deterred, in 1912, Japan sent 3,020 trees from a lineage of famous trees along the Arakawa River. The first two trees were planted by First Lady Helen Herron Taft and Viscountess Chinda, wife of the Japanese ambassador.
The Festival first began in 1935 and has since grown larger and larger. The Festival was suspended during World War II and resumed in 1947 with the Cherry Blossom Princess and U.S. Cherry Blossom Queen program beginning in 1948.
As with any of my trips into Washington, D.C., I took the Metro subway from the outskirts of the city. I grew up listening to my mother and grandmother cursing the traffic and streets in D.C. and know they have only gotten worse. Plus, I enjoy taking the Metro. I had originally wanted to be in D.C. for the sunrise, but since the Metro didn’t open until AFTER the sunrise that day, I had to change my plans.
My first order of business was to get something to eat. I like to eat at places that aren’t commercialized. I think a locally owned small business gives you a much better feel for a location and its people. As always, I did my research and found out about a small spot located only a few blocks from the Capitol Building. After I got off the Metro, I walked 5 blocks on East Capitol St NE to Jimmy T’s.
Jimmy T’s is a small little place located on the corner of East Capitol St NE and 5th St SE. If you aren’t paying attention, you can miss it. As one reviewer said on TripAdvisor, “It’s a “greasy spoon” in the best sense of the term!” They were dead on. It is definitely a small hidden jewel in the heart of a tourist area. They have a good selection of simple food and at great prices. If you are in D.C. on a budget or just want a local place to get some good food, check out Jimmy T’s.
Now, I grew up about an hour and a half away from D.C. and have been many, many times. But I have never been to any of the Cherry Blossom Festival events. This would be my first time experiencing D.C. during one of its busiest times of the year. After walking around the Capitol Building for a few, I headed to the Parade. I’d never seen a parade like this in person. I’d watched on TV from the comfort of my own home many times. After finding an empty spot just past the grandstand, I, with thousands of others, waited for the parade to start. After the first thirty minutes of the parade, I began to wish I had paid for a seat in the grandstand where I could sit and watch the parade in comfort rather than struggling for position to get a good picture and even see the parade.
After that first half hour, I was getting really warm in the sun and tired of trying to see the parade over the heads of others. I decided it would be better for me to start making my way to the Sakura Matsuri-Japanese Street Festival. So I headed toward the nearest Metro station and began making my way towards the Street Festival.
Now, if you don’t know much about D.C. let me tell you a few things. One- D.C. is made up of four areas; Northeast, Northwest, Southeast, and Southwest. Two- There are roads that have the exact same name and are NOT connected, NOR are they in the same area. Even though I knew this, I ended up going to a different part of D.C. looking for the Festival. In my family, it is never a good trip unless one of us gets lost.
After realizing I was in the wrong location, and finding my way to the correct location, I finally found the Street Festival. I was instantly overwhelmed as I approached. After I paid my entry fee, I began to explore the large festival area. There were food and merchandise vendors everywhere, as well as a few stages that had bands or martial artists performing.
Since I had gotten lost and spent more time than it should have taken to get here, I realized I was getting hungry. Being as I have never really had Japanese food, I was looking forward to trying some. I made my way around the food vendors and chose one where I got something that resembled chicken lo mien. I also picked up a cup of honey dew bubble tea. After eating my food, and forcing down the tea that I did not find refreshing, I began exploring.
My first stop was the stage closest to the entrance. A Japanese band had just finished their performance and a costume contest was starting. All of the contestants that I watched had costumes that they had obviously spent time and money on. All of them were dressed up as some type of Anime or Manga characters. None of which I was familiar with. In fact, I was starting to realize that most of the festival goers were anime or manga fans.
After watching the costume contest, I began to explore the many vendors there. Many of them were selling anime and manga products. I saw a Japanese food tent where they were cooking in various Japanese styles, a martial arts demonstration stage, and another performance stage. I tried my hand a few times to win prizes, one being a free trip to Japan! Sadly, I didn’t win. One of these days I’ll make my way there. I talked to a couple of the tourism booths and got information. On the last stage I saw a band tuning up before a performance. I decided to stick around and check them out, because they seemed really interesting. They had quite a mixture of instruments. You had the usual guitar, bass guitar, and drum set ups. But they also had a saxophone, flute, and even bagpipes! After enjoying their first song, even though I had no clue what it was about or what the lyrics said, I decided to leave the street festival. I had been on the move for twelve hours now and was in need of a break. I’ll admit, I was hoping for a little more of the traditional culture and history. But for $10, I couldn’t complain about the street festival.
I had plans to attend events that evening at the Carnegie Library. The event was called the Cherry Blast. They were going to have sushi and sake workshops, cosplay competition, a dance party, live painting, anime fashion show, and more. The cost to have access to everything was $75. After experiencing the street festival, and the Cherry Blast sounding like a bigger version of the street festival, I decided to forego the Cherry Blast and call it a day. I was definitely disappointed in not seeing more about Japanese culture other than anime and manga. I was hoping to see more about traditional culture and history. I guess to get what I was looking for, I’ll just have to go to Japan. Which is just fine with me.
A Celebration of Friendship with Japan Over the course of four weeks starting in late March, The National Cherry Blossom Festival takes over Washington, D.C.
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Almost 153 years ago, one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War took place in a small town named Gettysburg. The battle took place from July 1, 1863 to July 3, 1863. With the total estimated casualties around 51,000 dead, wounded, or missing, it is no wonder it was one of the bloodiest battles. The site of the battle is now known as Gettysburg National Military Park and encompasses 5,989 acres with close to 1,400 monuments, markers, and memorials spread out across it. The park also sees about 1.8 million visitors per year.
I had been to Gettysburg several times before, but my children had never been, so my wife and I decided to take them on a day trip to Gettysburg to explore the battlefield. The drive was about two hours and the kids were excited to be seeing a new site. When we arrived, we saw that the Visitor’s Center parking lot was already pretty full. After finding a spot we headed inside.
The Visitor’s Center is also the location of the Gettysburg Museum and the Gettysburg Cyclorama. We paid the admission for The Gettysburg Museum Experience which included the museum exhibits, film, and cyclorama. Our first stop was the theater to watch “A New Birth of Freedom” narrated by Morgan Freeman, a film about Gettysburg, the battle, and the aftermath of the battle.
At the conclusion of the film, we headed up the escalators to the cyclorama. The Gettysburg Cyclorama is a 377-foot-long, 42-foot-high oil painting by Paul Philippoteaux that completely encircles the viewing platform. The foreground is a three dimensional area littered with relics from the battle, grass, dirt, and wooden fences which make it hard to distinguish where the painting actually begins. After a short program, the lights are brought up so you can see the true beauty of this piece of art.
After taking in the cyclorama, we headed downstairs to view the museum exhibits. As we walked through the museum we saw swords, uniforms, firearms, personal effects, and many other items. While my 12-year old son was not as enthusiastic about the museum, my 10-year old daughter was. She wanted to see each and every last item and display. It made me feel proud to know that she wanted to learn about all of it.
Presentation Sword of Col. Orlando H. Morris, 66th New York Infantry
At the end of our time in the museum we spent a few minutes in the gift shop before heading back to the car. There are several different ways to explore the battlefield. You can take a 2-hour guided tour with a licensed tour guide in your own vehicle. They also have guided bus tours that have scheduled departure times. Or if you just want to go your own route, you can take the auto tour on your own with a map. We opted to go our own way as we had a few spots we really wanted to see.
Our first stop was the Observation Tower on West Confederate Avenue. This spot gave me and my daughter a spectacular view of a huge portion of the battlefield from the Confederates side of the battlefield. Sadly, my wife and son were not feeling up to the challenge of climbing up the many steps. But as my daughter said after she decided to do it, it was their loss.
We then headed over to the top of Little Round Top. From here, you get another wonderful view of the battlefield. This is where you saw Jeff Daniels playing Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of the 20th Maine Infantry defend the advancing Confederate troops in the movie Gettysburg. The hill is strewn with plenty of memorials and monuments. One of which you can actually climb stairs to the top of for an even better view. It also looks down upon Devil’s Den, which was our next and last stop in the battlefield.
Little Round Top
The Devil’s Den is a ridge that is strewn with huge boulders and rocks about 500 yards west and 100 below Little Round Top. It saw a large portion of action on the second day of the battle and is thought to be one of the more haunted areas of the battlefield as it saw about 2,600 casualties. My wife headed to the top of the area while my children and I climbed around and explored the rocks, imagining what it would be like to have fought a battle there.
Devil’s Den
After a few hours of being out in the battlefield, we decided to get lunch. A few years prior, my wife and I had visited Gettysburg with a tour group and ate at a local buffet. We decided it would be perfect. So we headed to General Pickett’s Buffets and filled our bellies. The food is pretty good quality, the staff is friendly, and on top of it all, it was affordable.
General Pickett’s Buffets located right near the battlefield.
After lunch we decided to explore the town a little bit before heading home. We shopped our way through several souvenir shops and found a small candy store that got us all excited. Sweeet! is a small candy store on Baltimore Street that has over 2000 types of fun and retro candy. We spent easily 30 minutes in the store trying to decide what to buy. This store had so many candies that I remember from growing up and hadn’t seen in years. It was hard to decide! We finally each made our selections, grabbed a few regional sodas, and paid for our items. If you are ever in Gettysburg, you’ve got to stop by and check this shop out!
Our final stop before we headed home was the Gettysburg National Cemetery. We slowly walked through the site seeing all of the grave markers. It was amazing to see how many there were. I was truly amazed at the size of it all. Places like the Gettysburg National Cemetery and Arlington National Cemetery make me realize how truly thankful I am for all of the soldiers who have fought and are fighting for our great nation.
Devil’s Den, Little Round Top, and a Buffet #gettysburg #pennsylvania Almost 153 years ago, one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War took place in a small town named Gettysburg.
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Almost 153 years ago, one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War took place in a small town named Gettysburg. The battle took place from July 1, 1863 to July 3, 1863. With the total estimated casualties around 51,000 dead, wounded, or missing, it is no wonder it was one of the bloodiest battles. The site of the battle is now known as Gettysburg National Military Park and encompasses 5,989 acres with close to 1,400 monuments, markers, and memorials spread out across it. The park also sees about 1.8 million visitors per year.
I had been to Gettysburg several times before, but my children had never been, so my wife and I decided to take them on a day trip to Gettysburg to explore the battlefield. The drive was about two hours and the kids were excited to be seeing a new site. When we arrived, we saw that the Visitor’s Center parking lot was already pretty full. After finding a spot we headed inside.
The Visitor’s Center is also the location of the Gettysburg Museum and the Gettysburg Cyclorama. We paid the admission for The Gettysburg Museum Experience which included the museum exhibits, film, and cyclorama. Our first stop was the theater to watch “A New Birth of Freedom” narrated by Morgan Freeman, a film about Gettysburg, the battle, and the aftermath of the battle.
At the conclusion of the film, we headed up the escalators to the cyclorama. The Gettysburg Cyclorama is a 377-foot-long, 42-foot-high oil painting by Paul Philippoteaux that completely encircles the viewing platform. The foreground is a three dimensional area littered with relics from the battle, grass, dirt, and wooden fences which make it hard to distinguish where the painting actually begins. After a short program, the lights are brought up so you can see the true beauty of this piece of art.
After taking in the cyclorama, we headed downstairs to view the museum exhibits. As we walked through the museum we saw swords, uniforms, firearms, personal effects, and many other items. While my 12-year old son was not as enthusiastic about the museum, my 10-year old daughter was. She wanted to see each and every last item and display. It made me feel proud to know that she wanted to learn about all of it.
Presentation Sword of Col. Orlando H. Morris, 66th New York Infantry
At the end of our time in the museum we spent a few minutes in the gift shop before heading back to the car. There are several different ways to explore the battlefield. You can take a 2-hour guided tour with a licensed tour guide in your own vehicle. They also have guided bus tours that have scheduled departure times. Or if you just want to go your own route, you can take the auto tour on your own with a map. We opted to go our own way as we had a few spots we really wanted to see.
Our first stop was the Observation Tower on West Confederate Avenue. This spot gave me and my daughter a spectacular view of a huge portion of the battlefield from the Confederates side of the battlefield. Sadly, my wife and son were not feeling up to the challenge of climbing up the many steps. But as my daughter said after she decided to do it, it was their loss.
We then headed over to the top of Little Round Top. From here, you get another wonderful view of the battlefield. This is where you saw Jeff Daniels playing Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain of the 20th Maine Infantry defend the advancing Confederate troops in the movie Gettysburg. The hill is strewn with plenty of memorials and monuments. One of which you can actually climb stairs to the top of for an even better view. It also looks down upon Devil’s Den, which was our next and last stop in the battlefield.
Little Round Top
The Devil’s Den is a ridge that is strewn with huge boulders and rocks about 500 yards west and 100 below Little Round Top. It saw a large portion of action on the second day of the battle and is thought to be one of the more haunted areas of the battlefield as it saw about 2,600 casualties. My wife headed to the top of the area while my children and I climbed around and explored the rocks, imagining what it would be like to have fought a battle there.
Devil’s Den
After a few hours of being out in the battlefield, we decided to get lunch. A few years prior, my wife and I had visited Gettysburg with a tour group and ate at a local buffet. We decided it would be perfect. So we headed to General Pickett’s Buffets and filled our bellies. The food is pretty good quality, the staff is friendly, and on top of it all, it was affordable.
General Pickett’s Buffets located right near the battlefield.
After lunch we decided to explore the town a little bit before heading home. We shopped our way through several souvenir shops and found a small candy store that got us all excited. Sweeet! is a small candy store on Baltimore Street that has over 2000 types of fun and retro candy. We spent easily 30 minutes in the store trying to decide what to buy. This store had so many candies that I remember from growing up and hadn’t seen in years. It was hard to decide! We finally each made our selections, grabbed a few regional sodas, and paid for our items. If you are ever in Gettysburg, you’ve got to stop by and check this shop out!
Our final stop before we headed home was the Gettysburg National Cemetery. We slowly walked through the site seeing all of the grave markers. It was amazing to see how many there were. I was truly amazed at the size of it all. Places like the Gettysburg National Cemetery and Arlington National Cemetery make me realize how truly thankful I am for all of the soldiers who have fought and are fighting for our great nation.
Devil’s Den, Little Round Top, and a Buffet #gettysburg #pennsylvania Almost 153 years ago, one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War took place in a small town named Gettysburg.
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A few years ago, I became friends with a man who would become a huge inspiration in my life. We soon became very close friends and our families did the same. In getting to know him, he introduced me to the world of whiskey, bourbon more specifically. He taught me how to truly experience bourbon. He also told me of his travels as he and his wife drove to multiple distilleries in Kentucky. I listened to his stories and experiences and began to dream of one day doing the same thing.
Fast forward to a few months ago. While coming up with different trip ideas for 2016, I remembered my friend’s stories. So I began researching and reading about Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail. The Trail consists of 9 distilleries around the central Kentucky area. After reading about the trail, I determined it was doable. So I booked a hotel for a few nights and set a date.
The only light available was from my headlights.
The day of departure, I got into my car and pulled away from my home in Maryland at 12 am. I had decided to put the majority of my 10-hour drive at a time when the fewest people would be on the road. While this alleviated the majority of any traffic I would encounter, it also made for a long, sightless drive. If you’ve never driven through the mountains of West Virginia at night, imagine driving down a pitch black, curving highway where you see only 10 cars in 4 hours.
That is the perfect size glass of bourbon for me!
Having left early, I made really good time and made it to Louisville, Kentucky in about 9 hours. My first stop was the Evan William’s Bourbon Experience in downtown Louisville. I wasn’t expecting to find a distillery in the middle of the city. While it isn’t a full on distillery, it does distill an artisanal bourbon on site. The tour is about an hour long and includes a tasting towards the end of the tour. The tour goes over who Evan Williams was and what he did for the area. The tour ends in the gift shop on the second floor where they sell their products, some of which can only be purchased at the gift shop and nowhere else.
This is what the barrels look like that contain the craft bourbon made on site.
After Evan William’s, I headed to the outer area of Louisville to the Bulleit Frontier Whiskey Experience. The first time I pulled up to the front gate and saw a closed barrier, I thought I was at the wrong entrance or location. After driving around a bit, I went back to the gate and realized it WAS the entrance. As I walked into the visitor’s center, I realized a tour was already beginning. I quickly paid the small admission fee and joined the group. They walked us through the labs, distilling rooms, and even through Tom Bulleit’s office. Like most tours, they explained the process of distillation, placing it in barrels, and the aging process. While it seemed to be a short tour, it was still very interesting. Plus, we got to taste more bourbon!
This meal was so delicious that I came back the next day and had the same thing!
With the first day of distillery tours being done, I headed off to lunch. A few friends had recommended a location called Mark’s Feed Store. While the name seems like it would be someplace to buy food for horses and cattle, it is in actuality a barbecue joint. By this time, it was about 2 o’clock so I didn’t have to compete with the lunch crowd. I ordered the pork bbq platter with baked beans and sweet potato fries. And of course, since I’m in the south, and eating bbq, I HAD to order a sweet tea.
Being the home of the Kentucky Derby, Lousiville has these type of sculptures all around. Each one is different!
I then spent the rest of the day exploring the area around my hotel in downtown Louisville. It was actually felt very similar to Baltimore to me. The big “night life” area was called “Fourth Street Live”. In Baltimore, we have an area that is just like it called “Power Plant Live”. So, feeling the comfort of this area allowed me to relax and enjoy the early evening.
The next morning, I woke up and realized I had no idea where to get coffee. For me, this was a huge issue. I’m used to my usual routine of getting a cup of coffee from either my own coffee pot, or my local coffee shop. So, I was forced to run to Starbucks for coffee. While I’m not against Starbucks, I’m not fond of the prices. But getting up early so I could be at my first distillery when they opened was a huge thing. If I wanted to stick to my schedule, I had 4 distilleries to visit.
Visitors building at Marker’s Mark.
I drove about an hour south of Louisville to Loretto, Kentucky. The drive was beautiful. Going through small towns like my hometown made me feel like I was back home. The drive, that the GPS took me, actually took me directly past the other three distilleries I would visit. As I got closer and closer to the Maker’s Mark Distillery, the more I thought I was being led to the wrong place. But eventually, I found the entrance.
The area surrounding the Maker’s Mark distillery is amazing! The long entrance drive increased my excitement. I had heard so many things about the distillery and was so happy to see that everything I had heard was true. I made my way to the visitor’s building and bought my ticket for the tour. I was able to get into the second tour of the day and was amazed. I ended up spending about two hours at Maker’s Mark. It was a really cool tour that included the distilling rooms, packaging room, rick house, tasting room, and finally the gift shop. In the gift shop, you can actually purchase a bottle of Maker’s Mark bourbon and dip it yourself in their signature red wax.
My personally hand dipped bottle of Marker’s 46 Cask Strength.
After purchasing a bottle and dipping it at Maker’s Mark, I headed back toward Bardstown and visited the Heaven Hill Bourbon Heritage Center. Like the day previously, upon arrival, a tour was just beginning. Figures. Again, I quickly purchased a ticket and joined the tour. The tour was short and simple. Our guide, Herb, spoke to us about the making of bourbon, the history of Heaven Hill, and also about the company. He then took us on a tour of a rick house and showed us some of the special barrels that would never be opened. The oldest barrel in the rick house was placed there on November 8, 1971. Almost exactly 10 years before I was born! We then headed back to the main building where we tasted three of Heaven Hill’s products; Rittenhouse, Larceny, and Elijah Craig.
By this time, it was around 1 o’clock. I knew my time was limited as all the distilleries were done with tours at 3:30, and I still had to get to 2 more! I headed directly to Four Roses in Cox’s Creek. When I arrived, I purchased my ticket for my tour and perused the gift shop. While sitting outside enjoying the weather and waiting for the tour to begin, I spoke with a local family. The man’s father was in town visiting and he and his daughter were showing his father the distilleries. During the tour I found myself talking with the family about the area and themselves. We toured the bottling room, private tasting room, and rick house before headed back to the visitor’s center and tasting some of Four Roses’ bourbons.
It was now 3 o’clock. I was beginning to freak out. I knew my final stop for the day was not far and knew I could make it. I raced away from Four Roses and headed for the Jim Beam American Stillhouse in Clermont. I’m happy to say that I DID make it to the location before the final tour started. Unfortunately, all tours for the day had sold out by 11:30 am. I was disappointed. This was the one fact I had overlooked. Jim Beam is very popular, and I had even been told to purchase a ticket prior to even coming, but I ignored that. Since I wasn’t going to be taking a tour, I perused the gift shop and headed back towards my car. As I left the building I came across the family I had just spent time with at Four Roses as well as a few others I had met throughout my day. I informed them that all tours were already sold out. We exchanged grumblings and disappointment, but said our farewells and went off to enjoy the rest of the day.
I headed back toward Louisville and began to make plans for the next day. I would now have to lengthen my final day in Kentucky. I would find a way to visit four distilleries on my final day before making the 10-hour drive home. It would make for a very late arrival back home, but I wanted to complete my journey. Sadly, while relaxing in my hotel room, I received a call that would end my trip. I would have to leave early the next morning to drive straight home to deal with some business back home.
While I was sad that my journey was incomplete, I was happy to know that I would see my family the next day and get to spend some unexpected time with them. I may have come home, but part of me is still back in Kentucky, waiting to finish my journey on Kentucky’s Bourbon Trail.
U.S. Road Trip: Kentucky Bourbon Trail Part 1 #TRAVELKY #kybourbontrail A few years ago, I became friends with a man who would become a huge inspiration in my life.
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During my travels around the United States and the world, I intend to participate in various adventurous events in support of charities and non-profit organizations. So, back in January, I traveled to Sandy Point State Park just outside of Annapolis, Maryland. The reason for my trip was to participate in the 2016 Maryland State Police Polar Bear Plunge. This event has been held every January since 1997 and supports the Special Olympics of Maryland.
This year was the 20th annual event and was the biggest to date. This year, participants known as plungers raised $1.9 million. I personally raised $325 without much effort thanks to a few very good friends and family. Even though $325 doesn’t seem like much, it all goes towards training the athletes and putting on competition events for them. And these athletes could not be more thankful for all the donors, sponsors, and participants that help make this event the highlight of their year.
So, what does it take to participate? You start by signing up to participate and raise a minimum of $75 to participate. With that $75 you will receive a wonderful Polar Bear Plunge sweatshirt, and the gratitude of the athletes, their families, and coaches. For me, this event gives me thought feeling that I can somehow make a difference in the life of another person. These athletes are amazing and deserve the same opportunities as everyone else.
The next thing it takes to participate is jumping into the cold water during the month of January in Maryland. This year, the temperature was 39° plus the wind chill made it feel like it was in the low 20s. But the water was a balmy 37°! So technically it was warmer in the water than in the dry air. Except for the fact that you have clothes on in the dry air! If diving into the icy water is not something you’d like to do, you can support these athletes in another way. You can either donate directly to Special Olympics of Maryland, or you can sponsor a plunger who is willing to jump into the water.
This was not my first time participating in this event so I already knew a few tricks to making the event more manageable. One of the key things to remember is to wear a minimal amount of clothing. For women, a simple bathing suit (1 or 2 piece) and water shoes. For men, a pair of swimming trunks, or speedos if you’re into that, and water shoes. Now, this may seem crazy, but there is a good reason. In weather like this, the moment your wet clothes hit the cold air, they can and will begin to freeze and become icy. Water shoes are better than old sneakers because the sneakers will also retain a large amount of the water and make your feet that much colder.
Now that you’re done with a dip into the icy water, you will want to get changed quickly. A wonderful thing at the event is the large tents that are right on the beach for people to change in. One for the men, and one for the women. Inside, there are several large heaters that pump out hot air making it much warmer than outside. I learned many years ago that these tents are pretty safe to leave your belongings in, so a few items can make a huge difference in the changing process.
Start off with a large beach towel to lay down on the sand, preferably near one of the heaters. This is simply a flooring for you to stand on when removing your wet clothes and avoiding a large amount of sand between your frozen toes. Second, a small and lightweight beach chair. That way you have somewhere to sit while removing your wet shoes and later putting on dry socks and shoes. It isn’t really necessary, but I found it much more comfortable than the towel on the sand. Finally, is your second towel for drying off, a plastic bag for wet clothes, shoes, and towels.
During the time before and after your plunge, there are plenty of things to do, see, and experience. You can head into the Rams Head Ice Lodge and grab an adult beverage and listen to some live music. There are also food vendors with some warm food to fill your belly. Or perhaps climbing the rock wall or just visiting some of the vendors who are sponsoring the event.
One of my favorite things to do is to meet the police officers that are working the event and let them know how much I appreciate all that they do and for putting on the event. By far, I love meeting some of the athletes that benefit from this event. This in and of itself makes it worth getting cold for a few minutes. To see their smiling and happy faces when I speak to them and they thank me for participating, is one of the greatest feelings in the world.
Although the next event is almost a year away, I’m already in plans to participate again, but this time in a much larger capacity. I plan to take part in the Super Plunge and plunge once every hour for 24 hours straight. In order to do this, I must raise $10,000. It is a large amount, but I feel that if I start soon, then I will easily be able to reach that goal by January 2017. No matter what I raise, I will be back to plunge into the Chesapeake Bay in support of this great cause!
Why Would I Jump Into Freezing Water? During my travels around the United States and the world, I intend to participate in various adventurous events in support of charities and non-profit organizations.
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The reason for this portion of our day having its own article is that the specific location deserves it. Agecroft Hall was built in Lancashire, England around 500 years ago. The Langley and Dauntesey families called the Hall home for centuries until the 1920s when T.C. Williams, Jr. purchased the Hall, had it dismantled and shipped to Richmond, Virginia. There he had the building re-built in a modified configuration which is the current layout today.
credit: http://www.agecrofthall.com
As my son and I pulled into a parking spot on the property, we were blown away by the size of this place. It is massive! Surrounded by large trees, backed by the James River, and with a total property size of about 23 acres, it is like walking into a fairy tale. We took a few minutes photographing the exterior of the building before we headed inside.
credit: A. Padgett 2016
Upon entering the Reception area, we were greeted by several staff members. While purchasing our tickets, we were informed that we could photograph the outside of the building and grounds, but no photography would be allowed at all inside the Hall. After purchasing our tickets, we headed back outside to explore the grounds a little before the tour started.
Along the eastern side of the Hall, there is a series of gardens. Even though it was the middle of January, the gardens were still impressive. I could only imagine how beautiful they are in the spring and summer.
Behind the building, there is an enormous open yard that goes down to a tree line that then goes down to the James River. My kids and my dog would love to run and play in an area this big. Heck it’s bigger than some parks in my hometown.
credit: http://www.richmond.com (Alexa Welch Edlund)
At the beginning of the tour, you are presented with a short film that tells you a little bit about the building and its history. I found it to be very interesting and made me more excited to tour the building. The first area we came into was a the Armour Gallery. On display were sets of armor from the 16th and 17th centuries. We heard about how the original home’s architecture showed simplicity in its design.
credit: shakespearetheage.blogspot.com
The next area we entered was the front hallway. The woodwork and craftsmanship of the handrail on the stairway is unbelievable. There is also a beautiful wooden chest that has such intricate wood inlay that you’d swear it was painted instead of carved.
credit: shakespearetheage.blogspot.com
In the Great Hall, you are greeted by an enormous window that was original to the building when it was in England. With high ceilings, stone floors, and wood paneling walls, you’d think you really were in England. I was fascinated by the tapestry hanging above the fireplace. To think that all of the items in this building are of the time period!
credit: shakespearetheage.blogspot.com
Next was the Great Parlor. This is where guests of the owner would be given the best place to sleep. They would have the best of furniture and linens. With a large fireplace and easy access to the dining area as well as the Great Hall, I’d be more than willing to stay in this room!
credit: shakespearetheage.blogspot.com
After making our way through the dining area and learning about how people were seated, or stood, at the table, we headed upstairs. On the second floor we made our way through two small private bedrooms and into a small study where the man of the house would spend many hours.
credit: shakespearetheage.blogspot.com
credit: shakespearetheage.blogspot.com
The next to last stop was the Williams Library. Now THIS is my dream room! A giant library that could also be used as an office. I would just live in this room and never come out. With a fireplace, plenty of seating, a HUGE table in the center, and shelves upon shelves of books, I’d be in pure heaven.
credit: shakespearetheage.blogspot.com
I’ve been to many historical sites and buildings, but have never been this enthralled with a location. There is so much history in this building. Plus, the fact that someone bought it, had it dismantled, shipped to the U.S., and then re-built, is mind blowing. Had T.C. Williams, Jr. not done this, the building most likely would have been demolished due the state it was in when purchased. If you are ever in the Richmond, Virginia area, make sure you make a stop at this amazing location. The small fee for the roughly hour long tour is well worth it. I promise you will not be disappointed.
Day Trip to a Southern Commonwealth Capitol (Part 2) #RVA #VisitRichmond #AgecroftHall The reason for this portion of our day having its own article is that the specific location deserves it.
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On the banks of the James River in Virginia, Richmond is a city rich in American history. Founded in 1737, Richmond has seen much of this country’s history. During the American Civil War, Richmond served as a capitol city for the Confederacy. Since then, it has grown to a city of roughly 200,000 people and is the capitol of the Commonwealth of Virginia.
credit: http://www.richmondgov.com
Being a city on the smaller end of the spectrum, you can find a central spot to park and explore on foot. Being as I needed the exercise, that’s what I did. I found a parking lot near The Greater Richmond Convention Center, grabbed my bag, and headed out for the morning portion of this day trip.
At the visitor’s center located at the convention center, I stocked up on brochures, pamphlets, and tourist maps. I spoke with the lady working there, and she pointed me in the direction of a lot of interesting sites and things to do. You could easily turn a trip to Richmond into a multiple day event. Afterwards, I wandered through the small gift shop and posed for the obligatory picture with my head in a wall.
On this trip, I brought my 12-year-old son, who is interested in what I am doing and wants to be involved behind the scenes. He also adds a bit of comic relief to my life. As we made our way towards the Virginia State Capitol Building, we passed several historic churches and some old theaters.
credit: A. Padgett 2016
As we entered the area of the Capitol, we were greeted by The George Washington Equestrian Monument. Unfortunately for us, some much needed restoration work was going on, so we were unable to see much of its glory.
Along the rear of the Capitol Building, there are several statues and memorials. They included Maj. Gen. William Smith C.S.A., Lt. Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson C.S.A., and Hunter Holmes McGuire, M.D. There is also the beautiful Virginia Civil Rights Monument. It’s nice to see all aspects of our history being presented and supported.
Before making our way to the front of the Capitol, we stopped to admire Virginia’s Executive Mansion. Completed in 1813 and restored in 1999, this Federal-style Executive Mansion is the oldest serving governor residence in the U.S.
Coming around the front of the Capitol, which is the center of Virginia’s political leadership, we were given wonderful views of the Oliver Hill Building and the U.S. Court of Appeals. I love the architecture of these buildings. They simply don’t build them like this anymore, which is sad.
The scale and the beauty of the Virginia State Capitol Building are massive. As much as I love the design and layout of this building, I feel like they could use a little bit of color. Anyone got a paint brush?
Instead of touring the inside of the Capitol, we chose to stroll through the Shockoe area of downtown. As we passed many buildings that have been renovated, restored, and updated, we eventually find ourselves at Richmond’s Canal Walk.
The Canal seems to follow the original canal that allowed for barges to bypass the falls on the James River. Similar to other canal or river walks, the path is well maintained and used. You see everything from couples taking a stroll, to people jogging, and people riding bikes. Having grown up in a city on the water, canal and river walks like this make me feel at home.
By this time, lunch was on our minds. We talked over all of our options and chose to follow a suggestion given to us at the visitor’s center. We made our way back to the car and headed a few miles out to a barbeque joint called Buz and Ned’s.
My absolute favorite style of food is barbeque. As we pulled up, we could see the outside grills and smokers working. The smell was absolutely mouthwatering.
Inside, we were met by an awesome staff who greeted us and asked where we were from. After a short exchange of short conversation and ordering our food, we found a booth and prepared for our feast. I ordered a large pork sandwich with fries and baked beans and my son got a small brisket sandwich with fries and corn bread. Needless to say, we were VERY pleased with our food.
With our bellies full, we began to discuss where to go next and what to do with the rest of our day before we made the three-hour trip back north. We looked through the brochures and pamphlets and my son chose a location he really wanted to visit. So we decided to drive a few miles back and visit a 15th century Tudor-style hall that was originally in Lancashire, England. We were going to go and visit Agecroft Hall!
Day Trip to a Southern Commonwealth Capitol (Part 1) #RVA #VisitRichmond On the banks of the James River in Virginia, Richmond is a city rich in American history.
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(via https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hFoHYgL0VpQ)50 AMAZING Facts About Star Wars
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