The "The Start Of The Railroad Through Lancaster, Pennsylvania" Story

It was an ordinary day.  The woodcut titled "Railroading In Old Lancaster" on page 12 of the Lancaster New Era from Monday, July 19, 1920 showed Downtown Lancaster with a railroad car from the Lancaster & Columbia Railroad coming across the bottom of the sketch.  The article was part of the "Travels In Old Lancaster" column which is a series of  historic facts and illustrated with reproductions of rare photographs, drawings and woodcuts.  Pretty neat to look South on North Queen Street toward center city and the Courthouse which at one time stood in the center of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.  

A woodcut showing North Queen Street, looking South, after
the completion of the Lancaster & Columbia railroad. Click to enlarge.

The story that went with the sketch talked of the large eight-wheel train car that passengers can now take via the Lancaster & Columbia Railroad.  The fast and comfortable rail car is not excelled by any other in the United States.  It now takes only two days to make the journey from Lancaster to Pittsburgh, PA.  But, after reading the next sentence of the story, I realized it wasn't meant to be for 1920.  The story about the new train was from an advertisement in the Lancaster Examiner of eighty years before that, in 1840.  "Back in those days Lancaster was the most important inland city in the Union and had a population of 8,000.  The rail line was said to be the most costly and valuable public line ever made in the United States.  The city of Lancaster paid for most of the construction of the part that ran from the bridge on the Big Conestoga through the city along the right of way now used by the Pennsylvania Railroad (as of 1840).  In the woodcut that was featured in the article, the station would have been found in the North American Hotel, where the Brunswick now stands (in reference to 1920).  Close by the locomotive in the woodcut stood the "Pioneer Hotel" and directly south where the drug store looms up, once the Museum, was the car office.  It was in 1831 that the railroad was brought to Lancaster after several meetings yielded a petition to the Pennsylvania Legislature for and on behalf of the citizens of Lancaster, to alter the present route of the railroad so as to make the City of Lancaster a point according to the directions of he act of General Assembly.  It was in 1934 that the fight was won and at a council meeting on October 3, 1834, 'it was resolved by both councils that a committee be appointed to wait on the governor at Columbia and invite him to the hotpitalities of the city.'  According to the files of the Lancaster Examiner the Governor was 'waited on' and the whole party took a trip to Philadelphia on a car drawn by one of the old engines, 'John Bull.' It was during the World's Fair in 1893 that the 'John Bull' passed through Lancaster once again under its own power to Chicago where it made one of the most interesting of the exhibits."  In the same newspaper of July 19, 1920 was an article by "The Scribbler."  Many of my stories in the past have referenced Jack Brubaker who is today's "The Scribbler" in the Lancaster Newspaper.  The 1920 Scribbler wrote of "Getting Up" in the morning and how aggravating it can be.  "But, it's nicer to lie in bed" he tells his readers.  He then goes on to tell of Samuel Clemens and how he wrote of rising early to see the sun rise.  He also said that if Samuel Clemens would have had the chance to rise early in Lancaster County, he would have made the Garden Spot his permanent residence.  "He would have enjoyed the rattle of wagon taking the milk to the creamery, the crowing of the roosters, the lowing of the cows, the barking of the dogs, the crying of the baby in the next house, the scream of the whistle of a distant locomotive, the jolting racket of the heavy team taking the grain to the mill for chopping, the morning songs of the birds and the laughter and chatter of the children would have banished sleep from the city dweller no matter how drowsy.  And, once awake the sting in the nostrils from the smoke of the fresh-made fire in the kitchen and the appetizing odor of the morning meal would have spurred even the lazy Mark Twain into dressing.  Samuel Clemens would have loved the Red Rose county had he been able to visit our town."  "The Scribbler" has been a part of our newspaper since the early 1900s and the stories of today are just as intresting as they were back then.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "A Remarkable Place Known As Marble Bar" Story

It was an ordinary day.  I'm now beginning to realize that my wife and I may miss a rescheduled trip to the island of St. Martin. We originally had made plans to travel in May, but that never happened due to the COVID-19 virus.  And now, it will more than likely be the same with our new plans to visit in mid-October.  Thus, we anticipate having to make a few adjustments once again.  To make up for the disappointment, we have taken to looking at websites that feature beautiful beaches and mouth-watering food.  A few days ago I opened a link to a place known as Marble Bar, Australia.  Town sounded really neat until I began to read about it.  Seems the remote desert outpost, where the temperature soars above 95 degrees Fahrenheit for an average of 200 days a year, calls itself the "hottest town in Australia."  The town got its name from a nearby jasper bar that was mistaken for marble.  The heat waves in the town are hotter and longer than anywhere else on the searing continent.  The town has fewer than 200 residents that just love the fact that the burning earth can melt the soles of shoes and that the water running from the "cold" tap comes out hot.  The past year the town broke its own record by having the thermometer hit at least 113 degrees on 32 days.  Standing outside on a "cool" morning can feel like standing in front of a roaring wood stove.  

The red mark shows where Marble Bar is located on Australia.

So why is all this happening?  Climate Change is the answer!  And, the town on the west side of the island is warming even faster than the rest of the world.  By the end of the century, Marble Bar could be an average of 3 to 4.5 degrees Celsius warmer.  Residents talk about their pride in being able to withstand the scorching heat while sipping a beer in a corrugated iron shack built in the late 1800s which has no air-conditioning.  A local government worker says they really don't want to know if they are going to fry or not.  Most of the residents were drawn to Marble Bar because of the promise of gold.  The entire island is beginning to feel the wrath of climate change with unpredictable and ferocious disasters from flood to drought to the catastrophic bush fires this past summer which razed thousands of homes and destroyed more than a billion animals.  The people who call Marble Bar home already know what others will soon call normal.  The trick is to stay hydrated, keep out of the sun in the hottest hours of the day, and never travel more than 10 minutes by car without water to last days in case of a breakdown.  In 2003 a British tourist perished miles from Marble Bar after his vehicle became bogged down and he left it to look for help.  In 2018 four others died in just two months in the Australian Outback's fiery conditions.  But, for some, the island is paradise.  One 72-year-old former photographer and goldsmith from Italy was lured to the desert since he felt that "nature here is untouched."  Some find the best way to cope with the extreme heat is by working underground.  Murray Millwood has built and runs his own gold mine 165 feet below the surface of Marble Bar where the temperature is a comfortable 80 degrees.  Mr. Millwood said time goes quick underground since "There's no sun to torment you."  After reading about this remote place on earth I felt so lucky to be able to visit a place like St. Martin where the temperature averages between 75-80 degrees year round.  So, if I don't get there in mid-October, I can wait until the spring of 2021.  At least I don't have to endure the scorching heat found in Marble Bar.  But, life is a journey with its ups and downs and after just going through a terrible "down", I'm hoping for a welcome "up" in the near future.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Did You Know That A Globe Isn't An Accurate Depiction Of The World?" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out a story titled "5 Ways Maps Have Warped Your View of the World."  It was an article I found on the "Travel Trivia" website which somehow was deposited in my mailbox a few years ago, but one that I haven't deleted...yet.  

Logo for the Travel Trivia website.

The story told me that I tend to trust information that I get from educational settings and resources around me.  I thought for a minute or two and realized they were correct.  This is particularly true when I see the same images over and over again and realize that there must be agreement among experts on said topics, or they wouldn't continue to publish the same images.  This is especially true of the Mercator projection map which is a two-dimensional representation of Earth's geography created be 16th century Flemish cartographer Gerardus Mercator.  

In 1569 he created a projection map that has had a lasting influence on how we all view the world.  Unfortu- nately, this two-dimensional rendering of the three-dimensional sphere we live on has some distortions.  Right?  Those distortions and the way Mercator chose to work within the limitations of the transfer from three dimensions to two dimensions have warped the way people view our globe.  Seems there are at least five misconceptions of a three dimensional globe then there are in real life.  #1 is that on a 3D globe, Africa is really bigger than we think.  On a globe Canada seems to take up quite a bit of the top of the globe and dwarfs many other countries and even whole continents.  Canada on a globe appears to be larger than Africa.  But, Africa is quite a bit larger than Canada.  Actually, Canada would fit three times inside Africa.  Try taking a globe apart and flattening it and see if that's the case.  Seems mapmakers wanted more space to add details to their land, while the intricate portrayal of African countries and their inter-locking roadways, waterways and geological features was simply less important to those who had the power over such decisions.  So, today most people think Africa is much smaller than it is in real life.  #2 is that Africa appears to be divided in half by the equator on a globe when in fact Africa is primarily in the Southern Hemisphere.  #3 is that Mexico appears to be smaller than Alaska. A fact that, too, is untrue.  Seems that land masses on the top portion of the map, such as Alaska, got an extra boost in size.  The single state known as Alaska dwarfs Mexico and makes it seem like Mexico could easily fit inside Alaska.  Once again...not so!  Mexico takes up 758,450 square miles while Alaska is 663,300 square miles in size.

Globe of the world. Is it accurate?

 #4 is that Greenland is much smaller than you may think according to a globe.  Greenland is geographically located in North America and on a globe receives a stretched distortion that makes it look huge.  On a globe, Greenland looks longer than Africa  and wider than South America.  The truth is Greenland is only 836,330 square miles making it smaller than not only the entire continent of Africa, but also a single country within it (Algeria).  Actually Greenland is not much more than a large island off the coast of Africa if placed next to it.  #5 is that Antarctica Isn't as massive as it looks on a globe.  Seems the South Pole received the same treatment on the globe as the North Pole.  It looks massive and it really isn't.  The South Pole doesn't stretch from edge to edge around the bottom of the globe as it looks as if it does.  While it is 5.4 million square miles in size, it is not the gigantic presence it seems to be on a three-dimensional globe.  Actually, Russia is larger at 6.5 million square miles even though it doesn't look to be on a globe.  Asia is the largest continent on the planet and is three times the size of Antarctica, but a globe doesn't appear to show it that way.  The first known terrestrial globe that has survived was made by Martin Behaim at Nürnberg in 1492.  Many others have followed with much the same sizes for most of the parts of the world.  I have been searching for a globe to put in my office for...well, lets say most of my lifetime.  But, I have never purchased one...yet.  And, now that I know it shouldn't look as is does, perhaps I'll just forget buying one.  The last thing I need now is more fake facts in my life.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "To Go...Or Not To Go? That Is The Question" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Sitting in my lounge chair reading the morning newspaper when I said to my wife who was sitting nearby, "Listen to this!  The airlines are beginning to issue statements as to how they will handle flight reservations due to the coronavirus.  One of the airlines listed in the article I just read was American.  They already suspended flights to China, South Korea and Italy, but will not charge anyone who needs to change flights or delay travel due to the coronavirus."  Now, that may make it easier for us if we find that our flight to Sint Maarten may be canceled due to Sint Maarten not allowing flights from the United States to land at their airport to try and help prevent the spread of the virus to their country.  We made arrangements about a year ago to return in the spring to our favorite destination in the Caribbean, but have now become concerned about our chances of missing our trip this spring.  Seems that a few other airlines are following the same procedures that American is taking.  But, for Carol and I, the flight is just one part of our problem.  I called our travel agent who helped us plan our flight and asked about the insurance we purchased when we bought our flight tickets.  She checked with the company and told us that the airlines had reported to them that they would transfer flights or allow us to change our reservation to another time without a penalty.  If not, they would cover the cost as part of the policy we purchased.  The final part of our problem is the rental on St. Martin that we made a partial payment on about a year ago.  So, I emailed the travel agent whom we have dealt with for the past 20 years and has helped us change our reservations in the past without any charge.  I explained our problem to her and she in turn told us that it is too early to worry about anything yet.  She is an optimist to say the least.  But, she is also a very caring person and has done so much for us in the past from changing our location when she found the owners of the rental we were scheduled to stay in decided they wanted the couple of weeks we had planned on staying there.  She got us a very nice place with a better location for the same price we had planned to pay for the first location.  Also found my car key fob in the safe of the rental we stayed in last year and mailed it to me free of charge.  You can't ask for a better agent!  But, this coronavirus has us worried, no matter what others may say about it.  Do we really want to visit a location 1,500 miles away that may have a number of infected people?  Are their medical facilities capable of handling a large number of infected residents and visitors?  Would Carol and I, being just visitors to their home, be treated as they would their own residents if we became ill?  Today's paper did say that the this virus, much like many others, does not survive in warm climates and I must admit, the island is warm year round.  Could it not last long on the island had it surfaced at all?  Have you noticed all the question marks I have been using?  We will hate to miss our trip to our favorite location, but should we take the chance the virus creates for us?  We just don't know.  I guess it will be a waiting game and at least we know we will not lose any money because of those who we have worked with for many years. I guess it could be like committing suicide to take the chance not knowing the answers to many of our questions.  So, we will play the waiting game, hoping that all will be well, but knowing the chances of that happening are rather slim.  It was another extraoridary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "From The Fountain Of Youth To The Discovery Of History," Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with Carol about a trip we took after our first year of marriage in 1967 to Florida.  We spent two weeks traveling along the east coast and finally arriving in Florida.  After a few days of exploring Florida we landed in St. Augustine.  The city was beautiful and we actually had a chance to drink the water of The Fountain of Youth.  Because of that you are now able to read these stories today.

This sketch is what I assume is the church in St. Augustine

While in St. Augustine we made a visit to an old church called the church of St. Augustine, Nuestra Senora de Los Remedios which was  originally founded in 1572.  We thought that our church in Lancaster, PA, St. James Episcopal, which was founded in 1744 was old, but it was nothing in comparison to St. Augustine.  The city of St. Augustine has existed for more than 450 years when it was founded by Spanish conquistador Pedro Menendez de Aviles in 1565.  That is 42 years before the English colony at Jamestown, Virginia was founded and 55 years before the Pilgrims landed on Plymouth Rock in Massachusetts.  

This is part of a skeleton found

Therefore, St. Augustine is our nation's oldest city.  The parish church known as St. Augustine was destroyed three times; 1586 during a raid by Sir Francis Drake, 1599 by a fire and hurricane and in 1702 when the  British burned it to the ground.  The exact location of the original church was not discovered until 2010.  During construction in the city' historic downtown, a trench was discovered and a wall that marked the rear of the church.  Then in October of 2017 Hurricane Matthew damaged much of the city.  

The wine shop archeologists looking for remains

A wine shop on St. Augustine's plaza was damaged and was in the process of being renovated when, during examin- ation of the soil under the shop, human remains were found.  During the first week of digging, archaeologists discovered an adult skeleton and an adult skull.  One was a white European woman and a man of African ancestry.  Outside the wine shop was found a leg bone and another skull from two other graves.  Then they found a few children.  Pottery fragments found with the skeletons date the burials between 1572 ad 1586, a few years after St. Augustine was founded.  It is now believed that the burials came from the floor of the Church of Nuestra Señora de la Remedios, the parish church built in St. Augustine shortly after the colony was established in 1565.  

A full set of teeth can be seen in this photograph

It was said that the mission churches across Florida buried everybody in the church floor.  It  was  considered consecrated ground.  The skeletal remains may have come from the location of what at one time was the original church in the city.  The church that Carol and I had visited in 1968 wasn't the original  church, but the location chosen to rebuild the church after it had been burned to the ground by the British in 1702.  Perhaps the discovery of the skeletal remains will help in locating the original location of St, Augustine, Nuestra Senora de Los Remedios.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "A Thrill Of A Lifetime!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Taking an online quiz asking me how much money is thrown into the Trevi Fountain in Rome every day.  My choices were: $750, $1,200, $3,500 and $10,000.  My guess was $750 and I was way off!  Correct answer was $3,500 a day.  It was back in 2010 that Carol and I joined a group of members from St. James Episcopal Church in Lancaster, Pennsylvania on a trip of a lifetime to Italy.  We had anticipated heading to Rome and the day after a visit to Assissi we entered Rome.  Our tour guide for the entire trip was Mary Lou Broucht  who was the assistant minister at St. James and who had taken numerous trips to Italy with youth groups from St. James.  Our daughter Brynn was lucky enough to have traveled with Mary Lou on one of those trips.  We arrived in Rome about 4:00 PM after a day of traveling and headed to Hotel Pace Elvezia which would be our home for a few days.  After checking into our room, we headed with a few others to a corner cafe for supper then back to the hotel for an early night's sleep.  

Standing in front of the Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

The first full day had us visiting the Coliseum, Pantheon, St. Paul's Cathedral, Di San Callisto Catacombs and finally the Trevi Fountain.  Had a chance to see it in daylight and then again when the lights came on in the evening.  

The Trevi Fountain at nighttime.

It was everything we had ever heard of, as well as seen, in books and movies...and more.  Gives me chills as I type about it!  We heard a story about a visitor throwing packets of red dye in the fountain two days before which made the water look as if it were blood.  Must have been a very unusual and moving sight.  Well, Carol and I had a few chances to throw a few coins in the water and made the most of our photo opp.  The Trevi Fountain (Italian: Fontana de Trevi) was designed by Italian architect Nicola Salvi and completed by Guideppe Pannini and several others.  It stands 26.3 meters (86 feet) high and 49.15 meters (161.3 feet) wide.  

Carol and I throwing a coin into the Trevi Fountain.

It is the largest and most magnificent fountain in the city and considered one of the most famous fountains in the world.  You may have seen it in one of the following movies: Roman Holiday, La Dolce Vita, The Lizzi McGuire Movie, Sabrina Goes to Rome and my favorite...Three Coins in the Fountain.  The fountain was refurbished in 1988 to remove discoloration caused by smog  and in 1998 when the stonework was scrubbed and all cracks repaired as well as the fountain being equipped with recirculating pumps.  The backdrop of the fountain is the Palazzo Poli with a triumphal arch on the palazzo façade.  To stand in front of this iconic piece of architecture in one of the most beautiful and historic cities in the world was...well, incredible.  And, to take a few coins from my pocket and share them with Carol to throw in the water was unbelievable.  The chills I felt told the whole story for me.  We then redid the coin throwing with a friend taking our photograph as we stood, back to the fountain, and threw the coins over our shoulder.  And, to think that over $3,500 is thrown into the fountain every day is amazing.  The money that is collected every day does more than just inspire good luck to it's visitors, it is donated to a local charity that helps the less fortunate.  It was published that in 2016, $1.5 million was thrown into the fountain which was used to subsidize a supermarket for Rome's needy.  And, what about trying to reach into the fountain to get one of the coins as a souvenir.  Well, it is illegal and the fountain is patrolled by quite a few gendarmes.  You can read all you want and look at thousands of photographs or movies of the Trevi Fountain, but to stand in front of this iconic fountain and throw a coin into its water is indescribable!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Country Names With Meaning" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with our traveling friends Jere and Just Sue about where we may want to visit the next time we travel together.  We have traveled to Hawaii a few times as well as to quite a few islands in the Caribbean.  We have also taken a few cruises, one being a trip through the Panama Canal which was really interesting and fun.  So, do we want to revisit a favorite spot from the past or try some place new?  I grabbed my scrapbooks and began looking through them and Googled a few of the locations to see what we might have missed on a first or second visit to an island or location.  We traveled to Jamaica years ago.  Would another trip be as much fun and what else could we visit if we went back to Jamaica?  

Rafting on the Martha Brae River in Jamaica. Click on images to enlarge them.

Climbing up Dunn's River Falls, Rafting on the Martha Brae River and seeing where James Bond battled evil Dr. No were events we have already accomplished while on the island.  As I read I found that Jamaica was home to the Taínos who were indigenous Arawak people who lived on quite a few of the Caribbean islands.  When Columbus traveled to the island in 1494, his second time to the island, he found the island was called by its Taíno name, Xaymaca, "the land of wood and water."  Thus, it became known to visitors as something similar.  Made me think about how many other locations we have traveled to whose name really meant something.  The Caribbean gem known as Barbados is the birthplace of rum and has over 80 white sand beaches.  

Bottom Bay Beach in Barbados.

One of my all-time favorite beaches, Bottom Bay Beach, is on Barbados and we have been there both times we have visited Barbados.  This island's name comes from the bearded fig tree.  The Portuguese sighted Barbados in 1536 on their way to Brazil and called it Los Barbados which meant "the bearded ones" in reference to the bearded fig trees that grow on the island.  We also made a few stops at small towns and islands on or close to Mexico.  Found out that the Aztecs believed in many gods, including Mexitli, the god of war.  His name came from two words: metzli and xicdli; moon and naval.  Together, with the suffix ...co, which means "the place where", Mexico means "the place in the naval of the moon.  

The "Land of the Rising Sun"

Have you ever heard Japan called "Land of the Rising Sun"?  In the seventh century a Japanese envoy changed the name to Nippon which is a translation of "origin of the sun."  Since the sun is central to Japanese mythology the name highlighted that importance.  But, how the name Nippon turned to Japan is questionable.  The final "island" that has a special meaning to it's name is Italy.  

A one day side trip during our visit to Italy was to Venice.

Carol and I visited Italy with our church many years ago.  One of the neatest experiences we have ever had!  Originally it was called Vitalia, a word rooted in Latin which means "Land of Cattle."  When the Greeks took over the area they changed the name to Italoi which is the Greek word for Vitulus (calf).  Later the Romans extended the name to cover the entire peninsula.  Many more locations thorughout out the world have names with a meaning.  You may be able to name a few.  But, our final choice for our next trip is Antigua which is part of the nation of Antigua and Barbuda.   Their name means "Land of 365 Beaches."  We have visited Antigua once before and never found those 365 beaches.  So...why not try to do so!  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "TravelTalkOnline Special Member" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Checking out one of my favorite websites known as TravelTalkOnline.com Forums which is a travel site where you can find information as well as "post" with others who are also members of the website.  The forum which gets the most daily activity is the St. Maarten/St. Martin site.  Other travel sites are British Virgin Islands, US Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, Cancun - Isla Mujeres - Mexico, Africa, Cayman Islands, Jamaica Resorts and Beaches, General Islands, Southern Caribbean, United States & Canada, World Wide Travel, Afloat, Charter Boat Reviews and Questions, and Nude Resorts, Beaches and Cruises.  There is also a Classified Forum, Trip Report and Photo Archives, BVI Trip Reports, Mexico Trip Reports and SXM (St. Martin) Trip Reports.  This is followed by Frequently Asked Questions, Testing, SXM People Talk, BVI People Talk, Recipes, Photo Galley Testing, BVI Photo Gallery, SXM Photo Gallery, General Photo Gallery, British Virgin Island Photos, and General Travel Photos.  

Site page when it opens. Click to enlarge.

So, you can see that when you access the website, you may be on it for quite some time if you plan to read some of the posts as well as post something yourself.  I found the site in 2009 and enjoyed reading all the posts so I eventually joined.  When you open the site you are sent to the Portal page which shows the most recent posts.  You can also click on "Forums" to pick an individual forum, "Birthdays" to find out when everyone on the site was born, "Active Threads" to follow along on many posts on one particular posting and "Forum Help" which can tell you how to post and add photographs as well as other items.  I'm not exactly sure how many members there are on the website, but I'm sure there are hundreds if not thousands.  So, today when I opened the site to check to see if anyone posted on my thread I started on the General Caribbean site about things to do in Antigua, I was surprised to see the photo of my wife and myself in the bottom left corner of the website.  The heading read "Member Spotlight" and features a member every day.  

Photo which appears next to each post I make.

Under the photograph of Carol and I on the island of St. Martin was my site name of "biglar" with the state in which we live as well as how many posts I have made since I joined in 2009.  I have used the site to question other readers about prices of rentals, best time of the year for travel, places to visit on the island  we may want to visit and to add photos for others to enjoy.  If you enjoy traveling and need help with a place to visit or prices of trips, pull up the site and ask your questions.  It's free and it's fun to hear what others think of places you plan to visit or may have visited.  I especially enjoy the trip reports which others post telling you where they ate meals, what beaches they visited, prices of food and lodging, car rentals and a variety of many other topics.  I have gained a few new friends whom I now visit with when traveling.  Hope you enjoy your visit to www.traveltalkonline.com.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy. 

The "The Lancaster-York Heritage Region: The Corridor Of Culture & Commerce " Story

Our tour boat for the River Discovery Tour on the Susquehanna River.

It was an ordinary day.  Carol had just asked our tour guide if we will see big piles of dead Bald Eagles under the wind turbines when they come into view?  As we meander down the Susquehanna River on our River Discovery Tour the huge wind turbines on the property of Turkey Hill Dairy loom high above us to our left.

The wind turbines from Turkey Hill Dairy.

 Carol's friend Marg had told her that the wind mills have killed many birds, since they were erected in 2011.  The turbines have reduced the dairy's greenhouse gas emissions by roughly 5,900 tons annually which is the equivalent of removing 1,000 cars from the road.  The wind turbines stand 262 feet in the air, thus the reason why some fear they are killing birds.  

Our tour guide for our trip, Kevin.

Our young and handsome tour guide, Kevin, looked at her and said, "You're the second person to ask me that today!  And, no, I don't think they have ever killed any Bald Eagles let alone any other birds.  But they do supply all the needed energy for Turkey Hill as well as places around them."  The day is cool for a day in early September with the temperature in the mid-60s as we begin our tour of the mighty Susquehanna River after leaving from the dock at the Zimmerman Center for Heritage.  

Safe Harbor Dam.

The tour is a new event this year and is a free activity due to a grant from the National Park Service and Pennsyl- vania Depart- ment of Conser- vation and Natural Resources.  It was a year ago that I wrote a story telling about this area along the Susquehanna River being named the 50th National Heritage Center.  I assume the funds for the water excursion came from the U. S. Park Service.  

The Pennsylvania Railroad tracks run under this water trough.

Three hour and a half long tours leave the dock below the Zimmerman Center daily.  They were supposed to stop at the end of August, but I recently received an email telling that the tours would run a few more weeks.  Asked for tickets and Carol and I are sitting in the small watercraft with about a dozen other people enjoying the history lesson our guide is giving to us.  We headed south, or downriver, until we reached the Safe Harbor Dam which is a hydroelectric gravity dam that was built between April of 1930 and December of 1931.  During the 60 minute ride our guide pointed out various species of birds as well as a Bald Eagle nest high in the trees along the shore.  

One of a few Bald Eagles we saw.

He also pointed out where the Susquehanna and Tidewater Canal was located.  At one time it ran between Wrightsvile, PA and Havre de Grace, MD, at the head of the Chesapeake Bay.  As we headed north he told us about the start of the Pennsylvania Railroad system along the eastern shore of the Susquehanna which was primarily very high rock formations for quite a distance.  The railbed was constructed along the rock with several aquafer troughs running over the rail line.  The troughs were necessary due to the amount of water running through the rocks along the shore.  We also learned of the very large shad population and how the fish were gathered from the river years ago.  Stories of the Native Americans and early settlers to the area gave us a look at what life was like along the river years ago.  

Stick sculptures can be seen along the shoreline.

We headed upriver toward the Veterans Memorial Bridge which opened in mid-1929.  It used to be called the Columbia-Wrightsvile Bridge and was the longest multi-arch concrete bridge in the world.  Twenty-eight three-ribbed open-spandrel reinforced concrete arches, each spanning 185 feet carry the bridge across the Susquehanna between Lancaster and York Counties.  

It is on the National List of Historic Places and is still the longest such bridge in the world.  We didn't reach the bridge due to the shallow water, but turned once again and headed back to the Zimmerman Center.  The weather was chilly and the water sprayed on us a few times, but we enjoyed our trip learning about the history of the river.  Our thanks to Kevin, our guide as well as the River Discovery Tours for the free history lesson.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

Another water trough over the railroad tracks.

A cormorant sits on a rock in the river.

The Veterans Memorial Bridge which connects Wrightsville and Columbia.

The "LDub's 15 Travel Suggestions For A Great Vacation!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got off the phone with a friend who will be traveling to a Caribbean location in the near future.  Was asking about one thing after another in order to make their visit easier and more fun.  I questioned him why he would call me and he said, "Because you have taken so many trips to the Caribbean that you probably know everything there is to know."  Wow!  Carol and I have been traveling since 1999 when I retired from teaching and have traveled to most of the Caribbean islands as well as a few other countries.  Didn't really think about it, but I guess I could be of help to someone who has done very little traveling in their life.  So, to help them, I made a list of things they may want to do or consider before they travel.  Check out my suggestions and see if they may be of help to you.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

1. If you do not have a passport and are traveling outside the United States or its territories, get one in plenty of time before you plan to travel.  It may take a few weeks before you get the passport, so don't wait until the last minute.  If you have a passport and haven't traveled for some time, check out the expiration date.  The US State Department recommends that your passport has at least 6 months of validity beyond your travel date to avoid expensive and lengthy travel disruptions.  You may be refused boarding of your plane or even refusal to allow you to enter the country upon arrival if you don't have 6 months of validity left on your passport.  Don't learn the hard way.  It is recommended that you renew your passport 9 months before you travel. 
2. If you have medical problems or are on special medications, make sure you visit your doctor and find out if travel will harm you.  Also, make sure you have enough of any medicine needed to last you during your vacation or if you may have to remain an extended period due to an unwanted occasion.  I always make sure I have the medicine in the bottle it came in with the label in place.  If it is a prescription medicine, make sure you have it in the prescription bottle or package it came in.  
3. If you have an early flight and have to travel for an hour or more to get to the airport, you may want to make arrangements to stay overnight the night before your flight.  Makes it easier in the morning and you don't have to worry about traveling in bad weather the morning of the flight.  Plus, if you make arrangements for Park & Fly, you stay at the hotel the night before you leave and can leave your car at the hotel for up to two weeks at most locations.  Parking on the day of flight can be costly in some locations.  
4. If you enjoy to take photographs with a camera, make sure it is in good condition and you pack all the necessary lenses and filters a week or so ahead of time.  Make sure all batteries are charged and you have an extra SD card or two to take with you.  
5. If you wear hearing aides, such as I do, make sure you have extra batteries and any other parts that are removable and changeable on the hearing aide.  I also take a small plastic container that I can keep the hearing aides in while swimming or in case you visit a place that is rather noisy.  
6. If you have pets, don't wait until the last minute to make arrangements to board them.  Also, relatives and friends may not like to keep the pets for you, but don't know how to get out of it.  Don't put them on the spot; find a boarding location.  We have someone come in the morning and feed our cats and usually a second person come in the evening to do the same.  And...we pay them for doing it.  Make sure you have plenty of food for the pets available for those who will be feeding them.  Make these arrangements about a month or more ahead of time if possible.
7. Make sure all the batteries needed for your iPhone, computer, laptop, etc. are charged and make sure you take the charger with you.  Some countries have 220v instead of 110v so you may have to take an adapter with you.  Check that out a month ahead of time so you have time to buy one if necessary.  I have found that many items now allow both 110 and 220, but make sure you read the info on them just to be sure.  Make sure you have copies of anything important on your phone or computer just in case you have trouble with the device or may have it stolen.  You can usually buy a new one, but all your old info, such as photos from an event a month or two before your trip, may be lost.
8. Carol and I love to go over our itinerary many times before we travel so we can decide what places we want to visit on any particular island or if there are any special restaurants we want to eat in during our trip.  Might you need a reservation that is hard to get?  Do it before you leave if possible so you know you will not miss it. 
9. How about a rental car to be able to travel at your convenience.  Check out prices, but also check out how reliable the place or person you rent from may be.  Make sure you have INSURANCE!  Both on the car and on the other person you may run into by mistake.  You may want to have an extra driver put on the policy in case you become ill and can't drive.
10. Do you have enough cash for vacation?  Some countries don't use the same type of money that you may use.  When we travel to St. Martin we can pay in US dollars, but find it may be better to pay in Euros.  If we charge something in St. Martin, I always charge it in Euros since the rate will be better and my credit card company doesn't charge a fee to do so.  If you plan to use a credit card to charge items, make sure of the expiration date on it before you leave.
11. Do you have something special that you want to pack to take with you?  Maybe something to give to your hosts at another location.  We at times take an item that can be found only in Lancaster that we want to give to our hosts.  Don't wait until the last minute to get that.  And, when we travel we sometimes pack a noodle to use in the water or our snorkel gear.  If you have to buy that when you get to your location, you may have to pay more for it and when you go home you will then have two of them.
12. Most airlines allow 50 pounds in your check-in suitcase.  Make sure you weigh it and then put the scale in that check-in suitcase to be used again on your return trip.  One time I put it in my carry-on and it was questioned at the airport since it had a large metal hook on it.  Do you take way too may items with you that you will never wear?  I know people like that!  How many things can you wear on a week vacation, especially if you are on a beach vacation.  Eliminate some items so you have less to carry.  If you are traveling with someone, maybe you can put everything in one suitcase instead of two.  You will save you $50.  And, don't wait until an hour ahead of time to pack your bags.  Do it a few days ahead of time.  You know you will forget something if you do it last minute!
13. Most people have come to rely on their phone for directions when they get to the location where they are going.  I'm not one of them!  If I know I will need directions or a map, I take them with me when I go.  We have been to St. Martin close to 15 times and I have the best map that tells me the names of streets on the island.  Really neat to be able to lay it out the night before we plan to go to a location to check out directions.
14. Finally, get a good night's sleep before you head to the airport.  That is unless you arrived at the airport the night before and are staying at a location near the airport.  That to me is the best way to do it unless my flight is at noon or afternoon.  
15. Enjoy your vacation.   I assume you deserve it!

The "You Still Have A Few Days!" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Weather is beginning to warm and I am ready to begin another summer of lawn mainten- ance.  Forsythia bushes are in bloom, but their blooms don't last more than a few days.  The day lillies are a few inches above the ground and the grass is trying to find enough energy to begin growing once again.  I don't always enjoy outdoor work, but I find it does give me a reason for getting some exercise.  

One thing I have never done in my life is take a trip to Washington D.C. this time of year to see the cherry blossoms that surround the Tidal Basin at this time of year.  They too last only about two weeks before the blooms disappear.  This year the Cherry Blossom Festival runs from March 20 to April 14 so if I care to see the blooms, I had better get a move on.  Predicting when the cherry trees will reach their peak bloom is a tough job.  

National Park Service horticul- turists study the trees carefully for months before issuing their predictions.  Buds usually begin to emerge in March and can last up to two weeks, depending on the weather conditions.  The peak bloom date is based on the day that 70% of the blossoms of the Yoshino cherry trees are open.  Frost, high temperatures, wind and rain all play a big part in trying to arrive in time to view their blossoms.  

It was back in 1910 that 2,000 cherry trees were shipped on a Japanese ocean liner to Seattle, Washington and then transported by train to Washington where they were planted along the Tidal Basin.  First Lady Helen Taft helped in the planting of the first few.  But, the majority of these trees were infested with bugs and had to be destroyed.  The trees that now stand along the Tidal Basin are related to those adjacent to Tokyo's Arakawa River, and after WWII, cuttings from these trees were sent back to Japan to help replace those that had been destroyed by bombs during the war.  

It was in 1935 that the first cherry blossom festival was organized.  In 1938 a group of women chained themselves together near the trees hoping to make a political statement against President FDR.  They hoped to stop the workmen who were preparing to cut the cherry trees down to clear ground for the construction of the Jefferson Memorial.  Eventually, a compromise was reached where more trees would be planted along the south side of the Tidal Basin to help frame the memorial.  Well, you still have a few days if you wish to partake of the festivities associated with the National Cherry Blossom Festival this year.  If you go just look for the activity tents that are set up on Maine Ave. SW along the Tidal Basin's main parking lot.  There you can find a performance stage, food tents and dozens of portajohns.  And, it's all free, as it should be!  Smell the aromatic blossoms and take in the sights of our nation's capital.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - The photos are from this year's festival that were posted on the festival's website.

The "Travel Through The Ages" Story

A favorite TV show of mine.

It was an ordinary day.  Talking with my wife about the TV show that we enjoyed that only lasted for a few short months, Pan Am.  Show was based on Pan American Airlines as it operated in the early 1960s at the beginning of the commercial Jet Age.  We never had the chance to fly anywhere until the mid-1980s when our children were old enough to travel to Disney World in Florida.  We never thought we would be able to afford to fly, but by that time in history, flying was more affordable to the America family than ever before.  I recently read a summary of travel throughout history beginning in the 1900's.  120 years ago about the only means of transportation was the horse and buggy.  In the 1910's travel was possible across the oceans on ocean liners and when Henry Ford began mass producing his automobile, land transportation soon became easier for those that could afford the luxury of an automobile.  In the 1920's travel became affordable on the rails.  In the 1930s the airplane became accessible to the masses, but was still expensive.  The 40's found that most families could afford to purchase a family car for the first time.  The 1950's ushered in an era when the car was still the preferred and most inexpensive way of travel, but flying became cheaper.  In the 60's, even with plane tickets costing on the average of 40% more than they are today, it was still a neat way to travel.  The 70's saw a slight shift away from flying due to the thought that flying was a luxurious method of transportation.  That, plus the airlines began moving their seats closer together so they could get more people on the plane.  Oh for the 70's and the amount of leg space they had back then, even with the reduced amount.  Affordable flying came about in the 1980's when the average American family, such as mine, could afford airline tickets to go to Disney World.  Once again the leg space was reduced to make up for the cheaper prices.  

You just knew they weren't going to make less money, right!  The economy seat frenzy began in the 1990's and smoking was no longer allowed on planes, even in the restroom.  Flying became almost a normal thing to do for the average American.  Airport security changed after 9/11/01 with long lines at check-in as they searched both the suitcases as well as the body.  Economy seating exploded making it harder and harder to enjoy a luxurious experience unless you could afford the more than double-the-price 1st class tickets.  We are now in the Modern Age of flying with in-flight connectivity offered along with satellite entertainment options; naturally with an additional cost.  The older airplanes are now being put to rest and newer ones are in the air.  The modern renaissance of flying has begun.  But, you know, Carol and I still loved the Pan Am TV show and seeing how it used to be.  Made us realize how good we have it today even if you did have more leg room and a finer meal back in the late 50's and early 60's.  It was a more simpler way of life.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Negroes Are America's Last Pioneers" Story

The Reverend Stanley Imboden

It was an ordinary day.  Wishing Reverend Stanley Imboden a "Happy Birthday" on Facebook.  After writing my birthday greeting I decided to take a look at a few of Stan's posts on his Facebook page.  One of the first posts I observed featured the green cover of "THE NEGRO MOTORIST GREEN-BOOK".  A publication I had never heard of before, but one that I will now never forget after reading his comment as well as a few online articles about the publication which defined "Negro" travel throughout the United States during its history.  As a young child my parents took my brother and I on weekend trips as well as a week-long vacation during the summer months.  Not once did I ever notice, or even think of, Negroes being anywhere near the locations we were visiting.  We took trips to the Chesapeake Bay for fun in the sun; swimming and playing in the sand.  As I grew older I entered elementary school in an up-scale white school district.  It was at this time that I began to notice and associate with Negros.  At age 12 I wanted to to play organized baseball so bad that I talked my father into allowing me to join a team.  He found one in the newspaper that practiced in the south end of the city, which was where most of the Negroes lived.  After my first practice I was part of the team.  There were 15 boys on the team; five of us white and the rest Negroes.  

Cover of the Negro travel guide.

I loved it!  We were coached by two men, one Negro, Mr. Hawkins, and one Caucasian, Mr. Keifer.  My dad volunteered to drive through the south end of the city to pick up boys for every practice and game.  To me, we were all part of a team.  Skin color didn't mean a thing to me.  Today, as I viewed "The Green Book" I learned of an entirely new world that existed in the late 1940s and early 1950s that I never knew existed before.  As I read online I found a book written in 1965 by John A. Williams titled "This Is My Country Too" that said he didn't believe white travelers had any idea of how much nerve and courage it required for a Negro to drive coast to coast in America.  Items needed for travel where nerve, courage, a great deal of luck supplemented by a rifle and shotgun, a road atlas and Travelguide which would list places in America where Negroes could stay without being embarrassed, insulted, harassed or worse.  He noted that black drivers needed to be particularly cautious in Southern states where they were advised to wear a chauffeur's cap or have one visible on the front seat and pretend they were driving a car for a white person. Along the way you would have to endure a stream of "insults of clerks, bellboys, attendants, cops and strangers in passing cars."  "The Green Book" helped the Negro traveler by listing accommodations for black travelers, places that would allow Negroes to eat as well as use the restroom and even places to refuel.  Not once did my dad or mom ever tell me the hardships that those boys on my team faced when they tried to go on vacation as we did after the baseball season ended.  As I grew I went to junior high and high school and never once did I have a Negro in any of my classes.  As a student at Millersville State Teacher's College in Millersville, Pennsylvania I did see a few Negroes on campus, but didn't have any in my classes.  After graduating from college and having more time, I began to coach baseball and went back to the same neighborhood where I played to form a team of young boys.  We, too, were very good.  I totally enjoyed the experience while driving the same streets as my dad did years earlier, picking up the boys to take them to practice and games.  Once again we were a multi-cultural team.  While teaching in the same high school from where I graduated, I began to have Negroes in classes.   I had Negroes as well as Latinos and many other nationalities on my Yearbook Staff.  All of my adult life I have realized the animosity suffered by most minority groups and have tried my best to alleviate that animosity in my classes and extracurricular activities.  But, I am sorry to say, I did not realize the total abuse that Negroes faced just to take a simple vacation with their family in the late 1800s and most of the 1900s.  As I read the post by Rev. Imboden today he told of a good friend of his whom I had the honor to meet years ago.  Rev. Imboden wrote:  "Jim Crow" Southern States and many Northern "Sundown Law" Communities harshly discriminated against African Americans, especially as they sought places to stay during travel. The Green Book previously posted on FB by another person listed the familiar name of our late friend, true gentlemen and Lancaster civic leader, the honorable Nelson Polite who for many years welcomed weary travelers of all colors to his Lancaster home. Nelson is in heaven now and there's no Green Book needed there. For years Nelson and I served on the founding Board of the Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Scholarship Fund in Lancaster city. He is dearly remembered.  That book cover will forever remind me of the hardships faced by the Negroes as they attempted to take their young families on summer vacations such as my mom and dad did for years when I was a young child.  I'm positive it still happens, but hopefully not to the extent that is used to happen.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

The "Milestone: The Road Side Survivor" Story

It was an ordinary day.  Just got back in the car after walking back and forth along Rt. 30E searching for a stone marker, aka milestone, telling me the distance I am from Philadelphia as well as the distance I am from my hometown of Lancaster, Pennsylvania.

 A few years ago I added a small note to one of my stories telling about milestones and I recently learned of the location of a few more and began a search for them.  I posted a note to a local Facebook page asking for help finding local milestones and when I got a few responses I began my search.  

A beautiful Lancaster County scene along busy US Rt. 30E in Lancaster
County. This is known as the Willows Bridge which is a combination of
two bridges.  The Miller's Farm Bridge linking Providence and Strasburg
Townships built in 1871 and the Goods Ford Bridge that crossed the
Pequea Creek and was built in 1855.  Both bridges were slated for demo
in 1962, but Mr. Adolph Neuber, who owned the Amish Farm and House
was given the Miller's bridge to preserve and he purchased the Goods
bridge to use to repair the Miller's bridge.  Both bridges were used to
restore the Willows Bridge.  Mr. Neuber's restaurant, which stood closeby,
was called The Willows and stood from 1931-1996.  I can remember eating
there on many occasions while growing up.  Today there are less than 30
covered bridges remaining in Lancaster County.

Today I was trying to find one that was said to be near the Amish Farm and House, the Target store and the Ameri- can Music Theatre along Rt. 30E.  I parked the car nearby and told my wife I'd be back in a minute or two as I walked toward the busy highway.  Walked through  the old covered bridge that at one time carried all the traffic that now flows on six lane highway near me.  I looked along both sides of Rt. 30 as well as near the covered bridge, but with no success.  

The milestone in front of the Amish Farm
House.  It reads 51 M to P - 5 to L.

After getting back in the car I told Carol of my failure and she told me to drive past the entrance to the nearby Amish Farm and House, since the poster on Facebook  suggested that to be the location.  The Lancaster County tourist attraction is close to 100 yards from the busy highway, but I gave it a try anyway.  As we approached the bus lane in front of the attraction, Carol pointed to her right and said, "There it is in front of the place."  I guess it only made sense since the current highway was moved to the south years ago when it changed from the two-lane road to the 6-lane road that it is today.  The stone appeared to show etched lines that read 51 M to P, 5 to L which would be 51 miles to Philadelphia, 5 miles to Lancaster.  

Another Lancaster Turnpike milestone
is in front of Lancaster's prison.  It says
62 M to P by the Turnpike.

After some searching online I found that there were originally 13 stones that were placed on the north side of the Philadelphia to Lancaster Highway in 1795 by Joseph Price.  These milestones marked the distance from the Market Street Bridge (30th Street) in Philadelphia to Lancaster.  I found that GoogleEarth was used to check the distances and the longer distance measured 53 miles, but the 5 miles to Lancaster was accurate.  Reading more I found that there were 10 historic turnpikes that ran from Lancaster to cities or towns such as Lititz, New Holland, Oregon, Marietta, Harrisburg, Philadelphia, Manheim, Columbia, Millersville and Strasburg.  These locations were connected with a "pike" or a "turnpike", thus Oregon Pike, New Holland Pike, etc.  

This stone stands in front of the Country Patches Bed &
Breakfast at 3157 Lincoln Highway East.  It reads 53 M(iles)
to P(hiladelphia) 9 M to L(ancaster).

In Lancaster's newspaper is a column each week called "The Scribbler."  Jack Brubaker is known as such and he writes a weekly column on newsworthy or historical topics.  He recently wrote of a fellow named David LeRoy who has written a book called "Roadside Survivors: Historic Milestones on the Old Turnpikes and Post Roads of the Northeast."  

This Historical marker tells the story of the Philadelphia & Lancaster Turnpike Road.

In the book he says that Lancaster County is "A hub for markers."  Mr. LeRoy discovered his first milestone about 40 years ago and he hasn't been the same ever since.  

This book is interesting and can be found
on Amazon.com.  Author is David LeRoy.

The book is interesting and tells many stories of his discoveries as well as the size of milestones.  Most are 5 feet, 6 inches tall with approximately half buried underground.  Most are stone with a few being concrete, wood or iron.  Lancaster's turnpike from Philadelphia to Lancaster actually ran to our neighboring town to the west, Columbia which borders the Susquehanna River.  The milestones were used to determine postal charges as well as distances.  Mr. LeRoy has discovered more than 400 milestones which makes the dozen or so that I have found a very minor feat.  That's OK with me since I still had fun driving around the county with my wife discovering places we hadn't seen for years.  One very familiar place though, St. James Episcopal Church in downtown Lancaster, brought a smile when, as passing by it, I reminded her that's where we were married.  "I don't remember that!" she said with a questioning look on her face.  "I must have forgotten that when I had my amnesia a few weeks ago."  Then we both had a good laugh.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.

This milestone is on the Lititz Pike near the town of Lititz.  You can see the distances to both places on the stone.  The Lititz Pike runs north-south.

This milestone is on the Marietta Pike to the west of Lancaster.  3 L - 22 M.

Another milestone on the Harrisburg Pike.  The cable company was using it to hold the excess cable from the above line in place.  It reads 1 L - 24 M to H.