My
wife and I recently went into downtown Washington, D.C., as we do
periodically on weekends to walk around, always with the possibility of
seeing something new. We took the Orange Line on D.C.’s Metro Rail,
and exited at the Smithsonian Station, which takes commuters into the
heart of the National Mall. We had no specific destination in mind when
we arrived. However, upon exiting we noticed the Freer Gallery of Art
building, an institution that somehow escaped our notice in the past.
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Friday, August 24, 2012
Tour of the American Northwest, Summer 2012
During
the summer of 2012, my wife and I decided to take a trip to Glacier National Park, Montana. Starting from northern Virginia, just outside
Washington DC, the trip required driving 2,400 miles one-way.
The first two days of our drive was mostly uneventful, passing through Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin; all states we have lived in or visited the past. There were a few new sites on our second day of travel worth noting however. Traveling through Indiana on Interstate 65, we passed through the Benton County Wind Farm, consisting of 87 wind turbines. Passing through Wisconsin westbound on Interstate 94, we stopped at the Mars Cheese Castle to get a taste of Wisconsin’s reputation for cheese-making; our lunch lived up to that reputation.
The first two days of our drive was mostly uneventful, passing through Maryland, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and Wisconsin; all states we have lived in or visited the past. There were a few new sites on our second day of travel worth noting however. Traveling through Indiana on Interstate 65, we passed through the Benton County Wind Farm, consisting of 87 wind turbines. Passing through Wisconsin westbound on Interstate 94, we stopped at the Mars Cheese Castle to get a taste of Wisconsin’s reputation for cheese-making; our lunch lived up to that reputation.
Thursday, August 16, 2012
Nags Head; Outer Banks, North Carolina
My
wife and I completed our short trip to Nags Head, part of the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Normally, we don’t take much interest in beach
vacations, but the slower-paced atmosphere of the area and our decision
not to schedule activities in advance resulted in a relaxed vacation.
One of the first features of the cultural landscape that stands out at Nags Head is the lack of high-rise resort hotels. The tallest hotels are approximately five to seven floors and number less than a half dozen. There is also a small number one and two floor hotels to serve visitors. The dominant buildings in Nags Head are beach houses. Designed as low-density housing, beach houses provide limited accommodation for residents and visitors. As a result, Nags Head and the surrounding region does not suffer from severe congestion. There is plenty of space on the beaches and in the water to move around. These characteristics come together to form a relaxed atmosphere.
One of the first features of the cultural landscape that stands out at Nags Head is the lack of high-rise resort hotels. The tallest hotels are approximately five to seven floors and number less than a half dozen. There is also a small number one and two floor hotels to serve visitors. The dominant buildings in Nags Head are beach houses. Designed as low-density housing, beach houses provide limited accommodation for residents and visitors. As a result, Nags Head and the surrounding region does not suffer from severe congestion. There is plenty of space on the beaches and in the water to move around. These characteristics come together to form a relaxed atmosphere.
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| Nags Head, NC; viewed from a sand dune. |
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