Day 1 - Conway, AR - Sacramento, CA

Over the summer, I was feeling the call/drive/motivation for a road trip and was fortunate enough that my good friend and travel buddy, Carolyn Scott, was up to accompany me.  We most recently (in April 2018) did a trip in the Pacific Northwest.  This time, we're back on the West Coast, but a little further south:  Northern California and Southern Oregon.

We had an uneventful flight this morning from Little Rock to Las Vegas.  Clouds obscured much of our view until Arizona, but I was happy to be able to see the Grand Canyon from 38,000 feet.  Unfortunately we flew directly over Hoover Dam, so no spotting of that on this trip.  Our approach into Las Vegas was interesting as it was to the southwest so the Strip buildings were literally zooming by right outside the window.

After a short 30 minute layover, we were on our next plane and off to Sacramento.  Soon Lake Tahoe was passing the right side of the plane and we turned into our approach.  After landing and on the way to the baggage claim area, we took note of how nice, airy, and beautiful the Sacramento airport was.  Other airports should study it.

We grabbed our rental car and made our way to our hotel.  After unpacking and having a small rest, we headed to Old Sacramento which is a historic waterfront area downtown.  With 53 historic buildings, Old Sacramento has more buildings of historic value condensed into its 28 acres than most areas of similar size in the West.  A boardwalk sidewalk sits above the former streets which flooded in the 1850s.

The two hour time difference caused us to be really hungry by 5:00 so we snuck into Fat City Bar & Cafe where we had a terrific dinner surrounded by Tiffany-style lamps overhead.  A block away from Fat City, there's a nice path along the Sacramento River from where we saw the Ziggurat Building in West Sacramento.  Nearby was also the Tower Bridge, a vertical lift bridge that is on the National Register.  Recently, it was part of controversy as the city voters selected the paint color, gold.  Many of said the final result didn't accurately represent the gold color they chose.

Following our brief after-dinner walk, we got back to our car and did a driving tour of Sacramento.  We passed the State Capitol building, made our way through Midtown, and then ended up enjoying driving up and down the roads of East Sacramento where amazing homes have been preserved and improved.  This "Fabulous Forties" area includes Tudor, Colonial Revival, Arts and Crafts, California Bungalow, and Craftsman homes with broad streets and overhanging trees.  It was a real treat to see these beauties.

That's it for today.  We start driving tomorrow as we head to Sutter's Mill and then through the Stanislaus Forest up to Lake Tahoe!

Day 10 - Elk City, OK - Conway, AR

Our last day of vacation and it was a driving day, of course.  That's the only problem with Colorado, it's a good 2 day journey there and back.  We had a great 2 room suite at the La Quinta in Elk City and after breakfast, we applied the last stickers to our Stow-a-Way and loaded up.  About an hour and a half later we arrived in Oklahoma City.  We didn't have a lot of time to sightsee, but we did stop at the Capitol Building.  Franklin loved walking around the Arkansas State Capitol building earlier this year so I thought he'd enjoy the Oklahoma one too.  It's been years since I've been there myself, but I did spend some time there as a kid.  I attended two state History Day competitions in the Capitol and I remember going into conference rooms to be interviewed about my historical papers, plus sitting at in the chairs on the floor of the House for the awards ceremony.  Also, in 1989, I paged for the Speaker of the House, Jim Barker from Muskogee (shortly before he was ousted from the position).  I served for a week and learned how to get around the Capitol pretty well.  When we arrived today, we discovered that the west exterior side of the building is under construction, but we soon found a door in.  After a run through security, we had the building to ourselves essentially.  We ended up in the House gallery and the memories came flooding back.  I had forgotten that the carpeting was green and that the ceiling had stained glass panels.  However, I pointed out the exact seat I sat in as a page (near the dais so the Speaker could summon me quickly).  I also pointed to the spot I sat for the History Day awards ceremonies.  We scampered down the back stairs and ended up outside the Speaker's office (same location as it was in 1988) and I explained how there's actually 3 offices inside:  reception, conference room, and private office.

Running short on time, we went back into the rotunda and I marveled at the inside of the dome.  The dome was added to the building in 2002, so I'm still not accustomed to it being there.  The last time I visited, there was a flat stained glass ceiling over the rotunda so what's there now is visually better, but still not the same.  We loaded back into the car and soon did a drive by of the OKC Bombing Memorial as Jason wanted to see it.  My sister later told me there is a good museum there now too, but we were out of time.  We pressed east and ate lunch in Shawnee.  Afterwards, the Cubs were playing so we piped in the game over the radio and were soon crossing the state line into Arkansas.

This vacation has come to an end, but it was fantastic!  The ten days away did a world of good for me and I hope the kiddos made some lifelong memories.  It'll be good to review photos over the next week or so and relive the adventure, but for now, it's back to the office and normal daily life, which sound appealing!

Day 9 - Washington, DC

This hotel really is nice as it has allowed us to spread out a bit.  The girls are on the sofabed in the living room and there are two separate bedrooms for the rest of us.  Thanks, Residence Inn.  We walked 2 blocks to the Pentagon City Metro station, purchased our fare cards, and off we went.  The weather today was unbelievable.  A stiff breeze out of the northwest and temps in the mid-70s this morning greeted as we exited the Metro near the Capitol building.  We walked along the east side and saw the Library of Congress and Supreme Court buildings as well.  Because of time limitations, we didn't schedule any tours on this trip, but rather just enjoyed the outdoor architecture.  We walked around to the west side of the Capitol and discovered the reflecting pool had quite the chop on it due to the wind.  We continued west past the Smithsonian Museum of the American Indian and arrived right at 10:00 am for the opening of the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum.

The Air and Space Museum never disappoints and today was no different.  Having just been to the Kitty Hawk area, we wanted to make sure we saw the Wright Flyer.  We even learned a few things we hadn't heard in North Carolina.  For example, it only flew 4 times because as the brothers were discussed the 4th flight, a gust of wind came along flipping the plane over and completely damaging it.  The hanging planes and rockets fascinated the kids as did being able to walk into a 1970s 747, a simulator where you try to land a plane on an aircraft carrier, and the exhibit on the different planets.  The food court has been redone too as the Smithsonian has smartly brought in McDonald's, Boston Market, and a pizza place.  This is MUCH better than it used to be.

Our next adventure took us to the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History.  I remember that as a kid, I really didn't like this museum, but I must admit that it has grown on me over the years.  Their newer mammals and ocean life exhibit are top notch, use current fonts and layouts, have interactive features, and have LED lighting.  I still don't go through the mineral and gem area much anymore.  Once you've seen the Hope Diamond, you don't really have to see it again.

All this museuming caused us to need an afternoon pick me up.  Fortunately there is a line of food trucks from one side of the Mall to the other near the Natural History Museum.  Half of us stopped a great ice cream truck that was blaring 50s music and serving up classic soda shoppe favorites.  We found a patch of lawn to sit on and enjoyed our break.  The group separated after this as Lena and I ventured to the American History Museum while the others went to ride the Metro and see the outside of the Nationals Stadium.  The Amer. Hist. Museum recently opened a renovated west wing on the 2nd floor entitled, "The Nation We Build Together."  One gallery in particular, "Many Voices, One Nation," was particularly good as it presented the historical challenges faced by so many in this country, but in the end, we've come together (mostly) to create our current America.  It's always good to see old favorites too:  the Greensboro Lunch Counter where the sit-in of 1960 occurred, the Star-Spangled Banner, Abraham Lincoln's hat from his visit to Ford's Theatre, and the tiny personal desk on which Jefferson wrote the first draft of the Declaration.

Lena and I finished before the others, so I decided we would search out the Hamilton-related statues nearby, plus take a look at the White House on the way to meet the rest of the group at our traditional picture-taking spot:  the Albert Einstein Memorial on the corner of the National Academy of Sciences property.  The last time we had our photo taken here, it was 2 weeks before Christmas in 2009 and it was FRIGID!  Today was MUCH more enjoyable.

Now that the gang was back together, we trekked across Constitution Avenue to the Lincoln Memorial.  I LOVE this memorial; it's truly my favorite, especially at night.  As we approached, we could hear a loud voices either shouting or singing and we soon discovered there was a Latin religious group performing a concert/revival on the steps of the Memorial.  While it did limit the great photos we could have gotten, I also recognize that the Lincoln Memorial has served as the backdrop for concerts, protests, speeches, and many more over the years, so while today's event was quite loud, it was very fitting.  President Lincoln has not moved from his seat, I'm pleased to report, and he was gleaming ever so bright as ever.

We finally raised the white flag and decided we were too tired to get to a Metro stop, take the train back to Arlington, and then walk 2 blocks to the hotel, so after we got through the WWII Memorial and up to the Washington Monument, we called an Uber.  Within 5 minutes we were being whisked away and arrived at our hotel with sore feet, backs, and sleepiness crashing upon us.  What a long, fantastic day.  Tomorrow is a travel day, but we'll still see lots of cool things along the way.  One week until we return home!