Magical history tour
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4,650 miles. 20 days. One car. Two kids. A ton of luggage.
We just returned from a three-week road trip—an early-U.S. history tour, you could say. We wanted our kids to learn about the colonial era, the Revolutionary War, and the Civil War, and see some of the great sights and monuments on the East Coast. Also, my husband and I both had family members coincidentally renting houses not far apart up in Maine, and they’d invited us to visit. With the promise of cooler weather and a grand, old-fashioned family adventure, we mapped our route, I hired a garden sitter to keep dragging the hoses around at home, and—gas prices be damned—we were off.
After two long days of driving, we detoured to see Niagara Falls, rationalizing adding a couple of hours to our day’s journey by saying the kids needed to see the most powerful waterfall in North America. (My DH and I saw it from the Canadian side one cold winter day more than a decade ago.)
That evening we rolled into Saratoga Springs, New York, home of Garden Rant‘s Michele Owens. I’ve had the pleasure of meeting fellow Ranters Amy Stewart at a book signing and Susan Harris and Elizabeth Licata at the Garden Bloggers Spring Fling here in Austin, so of course I couldn’t resist the opportunity to meet Michele as well. She and her amiable husband generously made time for our visit during a busy Friday afternoon, serving our road-weary crew refreshments on her screened porch overlooking her lovely town garden. Our kids ran off to play with hers and had such a good time they didn’t want to leave.
I’ve been a southern gardener all my life and didn’t recognize anything in Michele’s upstate NY garden except hydrangeas and roses. Even her boxwood looked different. So when she showed me around, I think every other question I asked was, “What is this?” She told me I’d come during a transitional time in her garden, but it was cloaked in shades of green, and a collection of white flowers, including the hydrangeas in the photo above, simply glowed in the evening light. Thanks, Michele, for sharing your garden with me and for your hospitality.
The next day we visited Ft. Ticonderoga, which put on a 250th anniversary reenactment of the Battle of Carillon in the French and Indian War. Thought not as hot as Austin, it was very warm, and I was impressed that the reenactors could stand to wear their tights, heavy layers, corsets, etc. People wore a lot of clothes a few hundred years ago, didn’t they? However, the Native American reenactors wore, ahem, very little—just a loincloth and leather leggings. I was too shy to photograph them. Click here for a look at the King’s Garden near the fort.
This plea at a quaint rest stop in Vermont cracked me up.
We spent a lovely 4 days in Orr’s Island and Round Pond, Maine. Here are a few of my favorite scenes: the Maine coast, above.
Whitewashed lighthouse.
Lobster buoys on a shingled shed.
Heading south, we stopped near Boston in historic Concord to visit the site of the Shot Heard Round the World (the start of the Revolution), Louisa May Alcott’s house, and this old cemetery, where U.S. flags decorated the graves of veterans born in the 1700s.
We ended up in the Big Apple over Independence Day weekend, and on the 4th of July we enjoyed a tour of the Statue of Liberty and nearby Ellis Island, where shiploads of immigrants entered the U.S. in the 1800s and early 1900s.
It was special to us to see the Statue of Liberty and read the poem inspired by her on our nation’s day of celebration of independence and freedom.
We stayed at a hotel in the Financial District, cattycorner from the former World Trade Center and with a sobering view from our room of the construction there. Reflecting on the promise of freedom and welcome embodied in the Statue, contrasted with the values of the 9/11 attackers, provided plenty of food for thought.
But it wasn’t all somber reflection on our visit to the greatest city in the world. We played in Central Park, saw Wicked on Broadway (fantastic!), ogled dinosaurs at the Natural History Museum, ate NYC-style pizza, wandered through Chinatown, and window-shopped in the grand stores around Madison Ave.
Next came Philadelphia, where we saw Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell, and a detour to the incredible garden Chanticleer. A few days later we arrived in Washington, D.C., where we took an evening stroll (which turned into a death march) to visit the monuments, including the Washington Monument pictured above.
Here’s the Jefferson Memorial.
D.C. was hot and humid, but not as bad as Austin, and we enjoyed the Smithsonian museums, a tour of the Capitol building, Arlington Cemetery, and the other memorials and monuments. But after NYC, we found it hard to get around in D.C. There’s little parking, the Metro stops are few and far between, and distances between attractions are long and hot, especially for children. Plus, we thought the Mall looked tired and unkempt (the grassy areas were half dead and straggly, temporary wooden fencing marred the views, and lights along sidewalks were out), not befitting the nation’s capital. I hear that renovations are being proposed for the Mall, and I think a makeover is definitely in order.
After Washington, D.C., we drove to Colonial Williamsburg for a day of history and fun, and then to Monticello, home of Thomas Jefferson (above) and a National Historical Landmark.
Jefferson was crazy about plants and gardening, and the reconstructed gardens emulate the grounds as he knew them. Pictured here is the long vegetable garden. Closer to the house are the flower beds, where, according to the official brochure, “[t]wenty-five percent of the flowers cultivated at Monticello were North American natives, and the gardens became, in part, a museum of New World botanical curiosities.” Jefferson was a native-plant enthusiast who left detailed records of his plants and sketches of his designs. Surely he would have been a garden blogger had he lived today.
We finished up our trip with a tour of Mammoth Cave, the world’s longest cave and a national park, in Kentucky, then had two more long days of driving to get home. It was wonderful to have several weeks of unstructured family time, and I hope the kids have lasting memories from the trip.
My only complaint about the trip was that our itinerary, packed with sightseeing and many destinations, left no time to visit the many garden bloggers along our route. We passed oh-so-close to the homes of Cold Climate Kathy, Ranter Elizabeth Licata, Art of Gardening’s Jim, Ranter Susan Harris, Clay and Limestone’s Gail, and Ledge and Gardens’ Layanee—and it pained me not to be able to stop by for a visit. However, as my family rightly pointed out, this was not strictly a Pam vacation. Alas. 🙂
If you’ve had any trouble accessing my site in the past couple of days, you’ll have noticed that Digging was temporarily suspended by my server. A malicious hacker was apparently using my site to attack another server, and when Bluehost discovered what was going on they abruptly shut down my site (and my email account). Needless to say, this was an unpleasant event at the Penick household, but my computer guru spent long hours last night upgrading our software to try to get the lowlife out of the system. We’re not sure all the bugs have been worked out with the upgrade, and my design site is still not fixed, but Digging is at least up again. Please let me know if you see anything amiss with the site as we continue to straighten things out.
All material © 2006-2008 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
Pam,
You made every mile count. What a great organizer you are.
Donna
Hi, Donna. I am a born organizer, but I did have help organizing this trip from my travel-loving father. When I was a kid, he took our family on a similar trip that inspired this one. We may have passed close to your garden too, huh? I could just sense all those garden bloggers out there. 😉 —Pam
Pam, it sounds like an awesome trip. Right there where you crossed from Kentucky into Ohio a “short” two hour detour up to Indianapolis would have brought you to May Dreams Gardens. “Next time”! It sounds like you had a good time. I hope your garden survived. I hear it was hot in Austin, so whoever watered your plants for you deserved a big bonus.
Looking forward to your post on Chanticleer.
Hi, Carol. I just knew you couldn’t be too far off. If only we could have made that two-hour detour! Next time, indeed.
Yep, my garden sitter is my hero, and I hope she found the payment rewarding enough to do it again one day, until I get an irrigation system anyway. —Pam
What a wonderful trip you had, and the memories you gave your children will stay with them always. Thanks for sharing your beautiful photos of a great vacation.
Thanks, PerennialGardenLover. I hope they’ll always remember this trip as fondly as I do my childhood road trips. —Pam
We took the kids on a similar trip but did not go as far north as you did. We all have good memories from that trip-but the things my kids remember most is the heat and humidity! Hope your gardens survived. Mine did pretty well while we were in Colorado. Glad you all are back safe and sound.
Oh dear, you’re supposed to leave the heat and humidity behind by going north. However, we had some of that too, but I kept reminding everyone—not as bad as in Austin! Colorado is a Texan’s dream come true in the summer. Wish I could go there too this year. —Pam
What a trip – I think it is really important for kids to appreciate their country’s history and diversity of landscape etc.
I do too, which is part of the reason I wanted to drive instead of fly. You just see more that way. However, the reality is that I’m looking out the windows more than the kids, who travel beautifully thanks to in-car DVDs. 😉 —Pam
Wow, that’s one impressive trip. And Maine looks like it was relaxing and gorgeous.
Ah, Maine. It’s such a beautiful place. If only it were closer. We used to go up more often when we lived on the East Coast, but since we’ve been in Texas we’ve opted for Colorado to escape the heat and see natural beauty. It was nice to smell the sea again. —Pam
Welcome home Pam. What a great family adventure. I can’t wait to see what you have to say about the gardens you visited.
This site seems to be working ok. What a kick in the pants to come home and find the mess you had waiting for you. I hope all is straightened out now.
I’ll be posting about Chanticleer and the King’s Garden at Ft. Ticonderoga soon. Stay tuned! —Pam
What an impressive trip! The photos are wonderful. My favorite is the one of the Maine coast – that is incredibly beautiful. I was in D.C. last August (hot and humid like you said) and I too thought the Mall grass looked terrible. You would think they would do something about that! LOL
Thanks, Phillip. I’m not a big lawn person, but I think when it’s the main landscaping feature of a nation’s capital it should be well groomed, right? —Pam
Pam, it sounds like an absolutely wonderful and truly memorable trip. Your kids will remember this and be grateful to y’all for many years. When we did something similar with ours about 10 years ago, I had hoped to see Monticello but there just wasn’t time. We did visit Mount Vernon and the gardens there were spectacular. I’m looking forward to hearing about Chanticleer and seeing more of your always excellent pictures.
Thank you, Cindy. We had to leave out a few things we really wanted to see too, like the Empire State Building and Mt. Vernon, due to lack of time. Ah well, there’s always next time. —Pam
Now that you’ve seen Niagara Falls, the next time you go to Maine you can take the southern route across New York and stop in for a visit. (Me and Cold Climate Kathy are right on that route.) Chanticleer is a garden that the whole family can enjoy. Can’t wait to see your pix. And having grown up in Maryland, the grass never looks good in July, though I think they can do better with the Mall.
The next time I drive through NY, I will stop by, Craig. I knew there was someone else along the route that I wanted to meet. And you’re right about Chanticleer being enjoyable for the whole family. The kids LOVED exploring all the paths and discovering the whimsical elements. —Pam
My lord, I’m exhausted just hearing about that trip. Then to be in DC at its hottest and muggiest – yuk! And you’re SO right about the dismal conditions on the Mall, and the difficulties that tourists have getting around. Really the only way to do it is by bicycle!
And next time MAKE it Pam’s vacation and come visit us all!
Bicycle—now there’s a good idea. Wish we had thought of it. I do so wish I could have stopped by to see your lawnless garden, Susan. Next time! —Pam
Wow, that is a stunning itinerary. Glad to hear it was fun and that everyone is still talking. I can’t believe you all fit everything in AND managed to be in NYC for the 4th.
Bet you’re happy to come home and sit in your peaceful garden. Welcome back.
It did feel good to be home again, Bonnie, and stroll through the garden. It’s still too hot to sit in it though. —Pam
Maine is so very much like Nova Scotia that I’ve always loved our trips there. Perhaps next time, you can hop on The Cat and come across for a visit. 🙂 Your photos are lovely — thanks for sharing your trip with us.
I don’t know what the Cat is, but I’m guessing it’s a ferry? Thanks for the invitation. A visit to Nova Scotia would be lovely one of these days. 🙂 —Pam
What a wonderful trip and thank you for sharing! I just found found you and I am a fellow gardener also in the deep South. (Alabama) I have just had a horrible hacker do something similar to me. I was down for quite a while. I just don’t understand that mentality. ??? Anyway, I am so glad I found your blog!
Selia
Thanks for visiting, Selia. I’m sorry to hear you went through the hacker problem too. They can’t keep us down though, can they? Blog on! —Pam
Looks like you had a great trip. I’m glad your blog is back up. It is a shame how a few people can ruin the hard work of others.
Jan
Always Growing
So true. But I’m just happy to have the site back up again. (Thanks, DH!) —Pam
What a wonderful vacation. I love American history and have always wanted to visit the sites you were at. Your children will really understand more about it now that have actually been to the places they learn about it in books.
I think so too, Jane Marie. Thanks for the encouraging words. —Pam
Welcome home, Pam! Hope your garden is okay. It sounds like you found a caregiver. What a grand trip; any time with your kids at this age will always be remembered by all as the most precious years. Only too soon, they’ll be teens and you’ll have to pry them away from “activities.”
Libby, thanks so much for your referral for a garden sitter. Clare did a great job keeping the garden watered while I was gone. And thanks for the reminder to enjoy this age with the kids before they grow up. —Pam
That looks like a great trip. Thank you for letting us tag along. I glad your family let you get to Chanticleer and to see Mr. Jefferson’s garden.
The kids were dubious about going to Chanticleer, but it turned out to be one of their favorite places on our trip. —Pam
Sorry about your computer troubles, glad you are up and running again. It was fun to read about your trip and see all of your great shots. They were all great, but the one that jumped out at me and is probably my favorite is the shingled shed with the buoys.
I’m glad you enjoyed the Maine photo, Robin. It’s a fave of the kids too, who loved seeing all the colorful buoys in the bay and on the sides of sheds. —Pam
Lovely trip. I’m most envious of your visit to Monticello. I’ve wanted to visit that garden for a very long time. I’m not sure I would characterize Jefferson as a “native-plant enthusiast”, though. He was enthusiastic about EVERYthing: native plants (because there was so much new and undiscovered), selected strains, new farm equipment and inventions, farming techniques from all corners of the globe. He was curious about everything and anxious to swap information and plants with everyone. Yes. He would have loved blogging.
You are right, MSS. What I meant was that Jefferson wasn’t snobbish about native plants. He brought home plants that he saw growing in the meadows and woods and put them in his garden borders. He originally envisioned a formal French garden for the west side of Monticello, our tour guide told us. But then he saw a naturalistic English garden and changed his mind, laying his own garden out in flowing borders backed by plantings of large specimen trees, connecting the garden to the larger landscape rather than setting it apart.
I hope you get to visit Monticello one day, MSS. I know you’re a fan of TJ. It was quite something to walk through his home and see his things. —Pam
What a fabulous adventure!!! Monticello is one of my favorite places on the face of the planet – I’ve been twice and I never fail to be amazed by Thomas Jefferson’s genius. I’ve been inspired and I’m going to post one of my favorite Monticello photos on my blog. Come check it out if you like! Also, I have to say I’ve been hatching a plot for a somewhat similar trip – I’ve been thinking of taking the train from D.C. all the way up to Maine next summer (with many stops along the way of course). As always your photos are amazing and an inspiration!
Thanks, Chandra! Your train trip sounds like a grand adventure too. What a fun way to travel, especially with children. I look forward to reading about it on your blog. And I will definitely stop by to see your Monticello photo. This was my second visit too (the first time I was a teenager), and the place truly is a treasure. —Pam
What a marvelous trip. Very well thought out. Well, now you have to plan a Pam vacation-and hop over to the Caribbean to boot!
A Caribbean garden and beach vacation would be marvelous. —Pam
The trip you took reminds me soooo much of the trip my family made a little over 10 years ago (when I was in Junior High). We did the whole Williamsburg, Monticello, Concord, Louisa May Alcott’s house, and quite possibly even the cemetery…and I only remember that we visited a cemetery because there’s a picture of me walking amongst the headstones wearing my “Get a life” sweatshirt… we also did Philadelphia, New York City (which involved us waiting on a street corner in Queens at 3 am for a taxi), and DC that trip…we called it our “planes, trains and automobiles” trip because that’s how we traveled. (or alternately “The Revolution” vacation…my mom and dad ALWAYS did the educational vacations…)
Katina, it seems this is a popular trip. I also took this trip with my family when I was in junior high (way more than 10 years ago, though) and thought it was great, though by the end we were barely speaking to each other after three weeks in the car. We started in South Carolina and drove all the way up to Montreal before turning south again. I just hope my kids will remember this trip as fondly and want to repeat it with their kids one day. —Pam
Oh, what an adventure you had! I love me a good road trip 😉 I especially like the photo of Thomas Jefferson’s garden. I am making it a point to make it out that way someday.
I knew TJ’s garden would be of interest to the garden-blogging community. I just wish I’d taken more photos of it. I hope you make it out there one day, Michelle. —Pam
Your vacation sounds like the ones we went on when our son was young…Maybe more organized then ours were! We took a train trip that was fabulous from St Louis to Chicago, from there to Seattle, then from there to San Francisco and we ended up in Santa Fe… It was quite an adventure. Sorry about the computer/blog nightmare…that would be very upsetting. I must say, I missed your posts!
That sounds like an amazing trip, Gail. I am thinking of going west next time too. By the way, I didn’t think anyone would miss me as I had pre-written several posts and post-dated them to publish while I was gone. But I’m glad to know I was missed anyway. 😉 —Pam
The photos and story are wonderful, Pam – what a trip! Your kids will be able to write great essays about “What I did on Summer Vacation”. If they get cravings for NYC style pizza there’s a good place in my part of Austin ;-]
We visited some of the same places -Washington DC, Niagara Falls, Mammoth Cave – with our kids too, but as separate yearly vacations rather than one big tour. We never made it to New York City, however – that’s still on the wish list. I’m jealous that you saw both ‘Wicked’ and the Statue of Liberty!
One year we stayed in a hotel right on the Mall during the week surrounding the 4th of July, and we became part of the enormous crowds at the Smithsonian and the Folklife Festival as well as at the 4th of July celebrations … maybe you were just seeing the Mall in post-party shape?
Sure hope the computer problems are solved – it sounds downright nasty.
Annie at the Transplantable Rose
Annie, you’ve simply got to go to NYC. It was my favorite part of this trip as a teenager, and 25 years later it was still my favorite part of the trip.
We did see the tents for the Folklife Festival while we were in D.C. I hope the Mall was in that state because of a great party, but I kind of doubt it. The signs of neglect were evident all up and down the Mall as well as on the far side of the Tidal Basin, where Jefferson’s Memorial sits. And since there’s talk in Congress right now about a makeover, I think it’s a commonly acknowledged problem. —Pam
Pam: You are great parents! What a gift to give your children. So glad you had a safe trip. You were so close, yet so far away! Your pictures are beautiful. I love the shed with the buoys! Next time it may be a ‘Pam’ trip! I did worry about your site. Hope all is secure.
I will hope for a Pam trip next time, too, Layanee. Even though I didn’t get to meet you, it was much fun to be your radio show guest. Thanks again. —Pam
Pam, we made nearly the same trip except you made it further north and east than we did. How interesting that in these days of high gas prices we both too the long history trip.
I’m so glad you’re back. Missed you.~~Dee
Did you make a similar trip, Dee? I look forward to reading about it, if you decide to make a post. I’m behind on blog reading, so I’ll pop over and look right now. —Pam
Wow, sounds and looks like it was such a great trip!
It really was. Thanks for visiting, Karen. —Pam
Ugh… sorry to hear about your blog troubles, Pam… glad that things are getting fixed, though.
When you were in Akron, you were SO close to where I work that it’s not even funny! Since it looks like an historical-based trip, can I guess that you went to Hale Farm and Village?
I didn’t realize we passed that close to you, Kim. But I felt those garden blogger vibes along the road. 😉
No, we missed Hale Farm and Village. Was that a big mistake? I don’t know about it. —Pam
What a great trip! Shoulda called me; I would have taken you to a great Niagara Falls pizza joint. It’s only 15 minutes from me and I go there every week. It looks like you were on the American side. I hope you walked on Goat Island–it is such a nice wilderness.
Elizabeth, it was so hard to keep my fingers from dialing your number while we flew through your city to see Niagara Falls. Our Buffalo detour was unplanned—it occurred the same day we drove across New York and had a few hours with Michele on the other side of the state. No, we didn’t get to walk on Goat Island due to a lack of time. But I’m glad the kids got to see the falls, even for a quick look. They are grand. —Pam
I don’t go to the pizza joint every week–I go to see my sister. (Rereading, I sound like a real chowhound!)
Ha! I’m sorry we missed the great pizza joint—and seeing your garden. I look forward to your Garden Walk pics. —Pam
Not really… I was just trying to guess something historical and garden-related that you might have stopped to see in Akron, But on second thought, you probably hit Stan Hywet Hall & Gardens… if you didn’t, that would definitely be worth checking out next time! 🙂
I bet Ohio has all kinds of great destinations. But to be honest, we were just passing through on the most direct route to Ft. Ticonderoga and then on to Maine. I’m glad to know about these places for future reference. —Pam
In defense of the National Mall in Washington, DC, events like the Fourth of July fireworks are followed up by the National Folklife festival, every protest you could imagine, every conference, reunion, pick-up frisbee and softball games, sun bathers, dogs, etc… Mall events start in March and go through November.
What lawn could survive all of that human activity?
I think we all have high expectations of such a public space. We want it to be usable and beautiful. It’s simply not possible.
I’m sure it was the excessive heat and humidity that kept you from noticing the gorgeous (NATIVE!) garden and ponds around the National Museum of the American Indian. Perhaps you didn’t stroll far enough toward the House end of the Capitol to see the gorgeous grounds of the Capitol and the National Botanical Gardens. And you seemed to miss the gorgeous gardens of the Hirshhorn and National Gallery of Art, both of which mix sculpture and plants splendidly.
I’m sure it was just an oversight as you were racing to get into some blessed air conditioning.
PS: Did you at least notice the wonderful interior atrium garden at the National Gallery?
Suzq, thanks for your comment in defense of the Mall. I am sure you are right about the toll those events take on the grass, not to mention summer itself and probably a commendable “green” thriftiness about water usage by the parks service or whoever maintains it.
However, I saw evidence of neglect not just in the lawn but in the way the Mall was maintained—many lights burned out along walkways at night, grass untrimmed along the walkways by the Reflecting Pool, etc. Nothing major. It just didn’t seem well kept, as I’d expect the National Mall would be. And then when I read that a restorative effort was being proposed in Congress, I assumed that it was a commonly acknowledged issue. I don’t mean to suggest that the Mall lacks beauty or usefulness. It’s still a wonderful place to visit, and it’s great that the city allows residents and visitors to use it as a park.
I saw the Capitol grounds, and they were OK looking. We did stroll through the grounds of the Hirshhorn and National Gallery of Art, and they were lovely. And your comment makes me really wish we’d had time to visit the Botanical Garden and the American Indian Museum, both of which I glimpsed from the street and wanted to see. We just ran out of time, and my family had already humored my garden obsession with a visit to Chanticleer in Pennsylvania. 🙂 Next time I will definitely visit them—in a cooler season. —Pam