Thanksgiving trip and stops at the Air&Space Museum and Woodrow Wilson Library

We had a good trip to Maryland. The weather was good and the scenery along the way stunning. I was impressed with Virginia, its rolling hills and acres of forest along Route 81. We had missed the striking fall colors but the grey skeletal trees were still appealing in their own way. The landscape looked like we all do in our autumnal season!

Spending Thanksgiving with the family was a good idea. We spent time with both brothers, and my Dad who was very happy to see us. And I was especially thrilled to meet and hold my beautiful baby niece. Finally I am an aunt to my younger (by 16 years) brother's first child. It seems backwards, but I was a grandmother before becoming an aunt. In fact our daughters became aunts before I did! 


When we left Maryland to return to Knoxville after the Thanksgiving long weekend, we toured the Smithsonian National Air & Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia. This is the companion facility to the Air & Space Museum on the National Mall in Washington DC, and it opened in 2003.  We had flown into the adjacent Dulles Airport many times over the years, but never visited the museum before.  Since our driving route south to Knoxville took us right past the area, we took the opportunity to stop in for a visit.

The facility is huge, with hundreds of planes on display, and thousands of other exhibits. 

my plane nuts hubby, happy as can be

layout of museum with all the planes listed

Some of the large aircraft on display include:

• Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a Cold War-era stealth reconnaissance plane, and fastest aircraft at Mach 3.3 at 85,000 feet

• Air France Concorde, operated 1976 – 2003, Mach 2 at 60,000 feet

• Space Shuttle Discovery, in operation 1984 – 2011, 39 earth-orbital missions, 365 days in space

• Boeing B-29 Superfortress Enola Gay, the most sophisticated bomber of WWII, dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima August 6, 1945

• Boeing Dash 80 (prototype for the Boeing 707), famously barrel-rolled in publicity stunt over Lake Washington during Seattle’s 1955 Seafair festivities. 

We took a 90-minute docent-led tour through the facility that provided an interesting overview of the museum by taking us to each section and giving a detailed description of an aircraft exhibited there. It would take many more hours to see all we would like to, but we had to move on.

Another “theme” for our RV touring is to visit presidential libraries along our route.  Since our return route to Knoxville along Route 81 took us past the small town of Staunton, Virginia, the location of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library, we stopped overnight at the Olde Staunton Inn B&B.  This is a grand old home of a wealthy farmer that was purchased about a dozen years ago and refurbished into a B&B and home of the owner.  We had dinner at the Depot Grille, a restaurant in the town’s old rail depot, and then were in time to watch Staunton’s annual “Blue Ridge Christmas Parade” with over 100 floats along Beverley Street.

The next morning, after a filling breakfast at the B&B, we went in search of the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library. 

The “manse”, or residence of a Presbyterian Church minister, was the birthplace of Thomas Woodrow Wilson in 1856, a year after his father became the pastor of the Staunton Presbyterian Church.  Less than a year later the family moved to Georgia.  After President Woodrow Wilson’s death in 1924 the manse was restored to its appearance in 1856 when Thomas Woodrow Wilson was born.  We took a guided tour of the house which provided interesting details of 19th century life in Staunton.

American-made Wheeler and Wilson sewing machine

One antique item on display in the manse that caught my attention was this sewing machine. Photos were not permitted but the kind docent let me photograph the item entry in the museum's catalog of objects.
What caught my eye were the treadle pedals in the shape of two feet. I doubt my feet would fit into the Cinderella-sized shoe pedals!  This machine, a Wilson & Wheeler made in Bridgeport, Connecticut, sold for between $150 and $300, and predates Singer who bought the patent.
We don't know if Mrs Wilson would have owned a sewing machine since they were pricey. But it was interesting to me to know that women were sewing on machines as early as 1850.

The museum in the next building housed the Presidential Library and displays of President Wilson's life. He graduated from Princeton University and later earned a Ph.D. from Johns Hopkins University.  He went on to become president of Princeton University in 1902 and then Governor of New Jersey for one term in 1910.  In the presidential election of 1912, some Republicans, unhappy with William Howard Taft, split away and formed the Progressive Party with former President Theodore Roosevelt as their candidate. The split allowed the less-popular Democrat Woodrow Wilson to win the election.  He was reelected for a second term in 1916.

Woodrow Wilson is best remembered for his role in World War I.  Most Americans were initially isolationist, considering it “Europe’s War”, and wanted to remain neutral.  However America had closer cultural and trade ties with England and France and began to see Germany as the aggressor.  Two German actions in particular eventually changed American attitudes: German U-boats implemented unrestricted submarine warfare and sank the cruise ship Lusitania killing 1200 passengers including 128 Americans; and, the British intercepted a German message asking Mexico to attack the USA if it entered the war, and Germany would support Mexico’s reconquering of lost territories in Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

While Woodrow Wilson had campaigned for the presidency promising to keep the US out of the war, he saw no alternative after these actions and asked Congress for a declaration of war, which occurred in April 1917.

Woodrow Wilson is also remembered for his attempt to establish the League of Nations after the war. At the Paris Peace Conference, the final Treaty of Versailles included many of Wilson’s ideas, but the Treaty was voted down by Congress, and the United States never joined the League of Nations.

On the home front, Wilson's legacy includes establishing The Federal Reserve, and reducing tariffs on imports which resulted in the first federal income tax.  He opposed restrictions on immigration at the time when the influx of 14.5 million Catholic and Jewish immigrants from central and southern Europe before the war was viewed as a threat to the traditional Protestant American values.

The pamphlet for the library and museum has an interesting perspective on Wilson's contribution as president. It states - 

DEMOCRACY HAS A HISTORY, TOO.

Thomas Jefferson taught us what democracy is.

Abraham Lincoln taught us how democracy works.

And Woodrow Wilson taught us to protect democracy, at home and abroad.

  

Wilson suffered a stroke in 1919 while still in office, left office in 1921 and died in 1924.  He is buried in the Washington National Cathedral.

Woodrow Wilson's 1919 Pierce Arrow is still functional and participates in Staunton parades

From Staunton we completed the drive back "home" to Knoxville and got ready for our next adventure: journeying along the 444-mile Natchez Trace Parkway from Nashville, Tennessee to the terminus at Natchez, Mississippi.

New Orleans, Louisiana

It was an easy 141 miles to Bayou Segnette State Park, where we arrived early Sunday afternoon, stayed 5 more days, and had a great time touring the area and enjoying the camaraderie of our Alpine friends.  

The drive to Bayou Segnette took us along Rt 90, across bridges, past mile after mile of sugar cane fields and trucks carrying their harvested loads to refineries. It was green and flat to the horizon. We were in a delta region of bayous, swamps and alligators, parishes (counties) and French names. And where folks say "Y'all" a lot.

there was a steady stream of trucks transporting sugar cane, full loads
going one way, empty trucks returning the other way

sugar cane fields and a factory

smoke from fires in sugar cane fields to remove the outer leaves 
during harvesting

 view  ahead

one of many waterways and bridges

swamps

This gem of a park is located in Westwego on the west bank of the Mississippi River, just southwest of New Orleans.  It spans 676 acres, offering numerous recreational opportunities. The RV campground is spacious, the sites large and level with full hookups. The park was our base from which we ventured to tour attractions in the area. The only down side is lack of Internet and spotty cell service. 

We were in New Orleans back in 2002 on our 4-Corners trip around the US in Eurovan camper. A lot has happened here since then, most notably the devastating hurricane in '05. We were looking forward to seeing the city again and also the outlying attractions.

the WWII Museum complex 

We toured the National 
WWII Museum, a military history museum. Its main focus is the American experience in the war, with D-Day in particular. It is most definitely a tribute to the American forces and their contribution to ending the war on the European front. The museum complex spreads across several buildings and the displays are so detailed that it took us a couple of visits to go through them, and we still didn't see everything. It eventually gets to a point of over-saturation taking in so much information and detail all at once.

We watched a moving film narrated by Tom Hanks, Beyond All Boundaries, that included some 4-D effects (including rumbling seats) to create a more realistic experience. Likewise many of the multimedia exhibits made you feel like you were a participant rather than just an observer. For instance in the display featuring troops in winter conditions, the gallery was darker, colder, and there was snow sprinkled on the trees and ground.

The Boeing exhibit featuring WWII bomber planes was opened in 2013. Boeing's participation in the war effort was key, and having lived in Seattle, home of the original Boeing plant, we could relate to their contribution. 

B-17 bomber

The various galleries with information boards and displays included first-hand accounts from living survivors involved in the fighting. The soldiers' reminiscences were moving. 

This war was fought on such a global scale that it affected most of the world, not only those in direct line of combat fire.
While the lives lost on both sides was staggering and the fighting brutal, what hit home was that this war required sacrifices from everyone beyond the battle field. Families across the globe were all affected in one way or another. Although America resisted becoming involved, once Pearl Harbor was attacked, the conflict became an American one too as the US stepped up to give aid to the European allies first, and then to face battle on the Pacific front. So while fighting ceased in Europe, there was no homecoming for the US troops who continued the battle on the Pacific front.   

One of the pavilions portrayed how the war affected American everyday home life, even though the battle was ongoing thousands of miles away. Besides the food rations, the war posters and advertisements on cereal boxes supporting the cause, there was a Victory quilt hanging up in the war era period home display. Its colors and red V's made a loud statement. The war became a unified effort for all sexes and age groups to do what was necessary to achieve final victory.

To that end, sewing was an important enterprise as the military needed nylon parachutes and cotton and wool for uniforms. That left civilians with fabric shortages so on the home front women had to make do by sewing their own clothes and quilts, and patching or re-purposing older items.

We walked down to see the mighty Mississippi River and strolled along Royal Street in the French Quarter, enjoying the city ambiance and its distinctive architecture. 

New Orleans, a city connected by bridges spanning the mighty Mississipp

one of several stores carrying souvenirs and Mardi Gras accessories

it feels and looks like a different city

charming architecture and intricate iron trellis work

One evening the whole group gathered at Elizabeth's Restaurant, owned by the Peck's son, Bryan. It was a memorable and special evening where we were treated to an impressive haute cuisine meal, enjoying several elegantly presented and most delicious courses. 

We were also taken on a personal tour of the establishment and action center in the kitchen. 
If you're ever in New Orleans, be sure to go to Elizabeth's and order their praline bacon. The tradition of bacon strips laced with syrup and pecans began in this restaurant and Bryan is continuing the tradition since taking over the establishment.

our Alpine friends

We went on a swamp tour with a real Cajun guide who spoke an interesting dialect which was occasionally difficult to understand. And true to his promise, this self-proclaimed "swamp dweller" and alligator hunter did find several alligators for us. The surrounding scenery as we floated in and out of bayou waterways was most picturesque and tranquil, belying the treacherous underworld teeming with alligators and snakes. It would be easy to get lost forever along these water passages as every bend in the bayou looked similar.

one of many prehistoric survivors sunning itself on a log

captivating and mysterious scenes on the bayou

white egrets were easy to spot 

trees dripping with Spanish moss 

more alligators

more pretty scenery

up close those teeth look lethal

We visited Houmas House, an historic plantation first established in the late 1700s. Also known as the Sugar Palace, the mansion has changed hands several times and was enlarged by 1840 to its present state. The current owner, a bachelor, lives here. 
The plantation is long gone, and today as with many historically romantic places, Houmas House is registered as a National Historic Place and is also a wedding venue.      

Michael with Houmas' southern belle

Our tour was all about the interior of the mansion and its furnishings rather than the historic plantation operations. The lively guide, dressed in period costume, was entertaining and also informative as she took us through most of the home, including the bedroom of the current owner. 
The video presentation we watched prior to the tour was more informative about the origins of the plantation. As with all of US history, the rich and fertile land originally settled by the Houma people (after whom the plantation was named) was taken from them, turned into a sugar plantation and subsequently sold a couple of times, enriching the owners who had the means to build this imposing Greek revival mansion with its massive Doric columns. It is a reminder of the riches that provided this lavish lifestyle for the plantation owners in the 1800s. Prior to the Civil War, a couple of the wealthiest land and slave owners of the antebellum south called this mansion home. I was disappointed not to learn more about plantation life or about the sugar industry.

I think these old oaks, well over 100 years, are magnificent.. and could tell many tales

on the upper floor balcony overlooking the grand oak-lined avenue leading to the mansion

Among the many artifacts on display inside the mansion, this pair of pistols was used in a duel fought in 1807 between the owner and territorial governor, in which one of them sustained an injury to his leg. Duels were a common practice for settling disputes concerning a gentleman's honor. The small conical shapes in the photo here are bullets. I learned that the number of rings around the base of the bullets identifies their source: confederate bullets have two rings, union's have three.
I admired the beautiful embroidery, apparently created by the hands of the previous lady of the house. 
 

We had a good chuckle about the story behind the circular stairway, which is also an engineering feat since it has no other supports. Apparently this is the private staircase used by women to ascend to the upper floor because it was not only unseemly for males to see a woman's ankles but if they did, it was tantamount to disgrace, or if the male were suitable, instant marriage. Perhaps scheming couples used this ploy to their advantage... 
Social rules of behavior were very defined and strict in the antebellum south.











We stopped at the Westwego Shrimp Lot and learned a lot about weights and sizes of shrimp. Westwego began as a fishing village and continues the tradition. Chatting with a couple of women who operate these family-run stalls, we were given some insight into the fishing industry in this region. One of the young women described how from the time she was a young girl, she has helped her grandmother operate the stall. These family-operated businesses have been here for at least a couple of generations. It's a tough way to earn a living, relies on all family members to contribute, and requires the menfolk to be away from home for weeks at a time. In addition to shrimp, some vendors also sell fish and crab. We saw blue crab up close. 

blue crabs really do have blue claws

Tomorrow we head north. Since our series of Alpine rallies has brought us to the Southern US, we planned to drive the historic Natchez Trace Parkway between Natchez and Nashville.  But since Thanksgiving is approaching, this would be a great opportunity to go further north to see my Maryland family. It will be good to see dear old Dad and to meet my month-old niece in person. So we will drive north to Maryland first, and then return to do the Natchez Trace in reverse, Nashville to Natchez, on our return trip.

To avoid the risk of driving the Alpine in snow over Appalachian passes (like we did back in 2014), we will leave our home on wheels at the Soaring Eagle RV Park near Knoxville, Tennessee, plugged in to power to keep pipes safe from possible freezing temperatures, and proceed north in the Jeep. Knoxville to Maryland will be a 550-mile drive, and along the way back we have a couple more stops conveniently along the way: the Air & Space Museum in Chantilly, Virginia and the Woodrow Wilson Presidential Library in Staunton, Virginia.