A tale of 2 churches

 Nine people were shot and killed during a Bible study session at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in Charleston, South Carolina at 9 pm on June 17, 2015.  A few flowers adorn the gate next to this sign and serve as a reminder of what transpired.

 St John the Baptist Catholic Cathedral in Savannah, Georgia was dedicated in 1876, burned in 1898 and was rededicated in 1912. The interior is beautiful: no signs of the early tragedy.

 

Savannah and the beautiful old homes

Yesterday was a gorgeous day and in Savannah, that means  everyone was outside.  We walked around Forsyth Park and enjoyed the views of homes constructed in the 1800s.  

I love the porches, gardens and staircases.

The city had so many squares lined with trees. It is just a beautiful city!

On the road again: Smoky Mountains!

We had the opportunity to drive through Smoky Mountain National Park during the late afternoon, just before sunset.  Wintertime colors are muted, and patches of snow and ice dotted the landscape.  These are just a few of my faves.

Niagara Falls: from Canada

Niagara Falls!  Mark and I had both visited the falls but never together.  We had a brief moment of sunshine when we arrived, but then the clouds and fog rolled in. 

I have a call every Friday at 2 with a client.  So it doesn't matter where we are, I take a pause.  Mark snapped my picture.  I am very grateful for my bose noise canceling headset: without it I couldn't take these calls!!!!

The boats to the falls were a big attraction for some, but not really something we were interested in.  It was fun to watch from the shore!

We took the tour under the falls.  It was amazing to hear the water roar from underneath.

This was my favorite view of the falls.

There are a million pictures of the falls: so this is a picture of birds with the falls as a background.  

This is not the busy season but there were people everywhere!  I think I am not a fan of putting cameras in every hand: the selfie takers were out of control.  There wasn't any picture etiquette: just people pushing to get in for their shot.  

This was my favorite spot.  You could see and feel the power of the falls from here.  The green water was just beautiful.

Niagara Parks cultivated beautiful gardens and maintained pristine grounds.  

The US falls from the Canadian side.  Obscured by the fog and the mist, the view was very gray.  It seemed that black and white was the only way to go.

The Delaware Coast: our last summer weather.

We worked our way over to the Delaware shore at Rehoboth Beach.  The Delaware shore state park was a great stop for visiting the ocean, enjoying seafood at local eateries and taking in a little shopping.  The Indian River inlet bridge was gorgeous during the day and at night. Ocean currents hit the shore in a way that deposits more sand on the south side of the inlet, so pumps have been installed to redeposit it on the north.  

We didn't see the no pets sign until after we left the beach.  

Georgy loved the beach odors: she sniffed out every hole and puddle of water.

I love crab meat: doesn't matter how you fix it, I'll eat it.  So, when we found this spot on the water, we had to stop for some fresh crab salad.  

This inlet is a very popular fishing spot and the place is peaceful after labor day.  I suspect that this place is crazy busy in the summer!

The bridge was particularly beautiful at night.

The hour and a half ferry ride on the Cape May-Lewes ferry was just a great way to experience the ocean and enjoy the weather.  

It was Georgy's first ferry ride and she hid out under our chairs most of the time.

Washington DC: 9/11

Our only planned stop along the way was a meeting of the Association of Real Estate License Law Officials in Washington, DC. We called College Park, MD home for a week while Mark attended meetings in the city.  I'm a huge fan of the DC transit system.  The network of buses and trains will deliver any destination with just a short walk on the other end.  Given the shortage of parking and the regular gridlock on the highways, I can't imagine traveling the city any other way.

It was pretty sobering to see all the flags in the city flying at half mast.  

The Capitol dome is being restored: it looks so strange with all the scaffolding around it!

The World War II memorial: I wasn't as excited about the picture of the memorial as I was about the picture of the sun and the airplane.

The Washington Monument from the World War II memorial.  (this was after 9/11, note the flags are flying high!)

The Atlantic side of the WWII memorial.  

The Korean War Memorial. 

I've been to Washington, DC many times, but this is my first stop in the US National Arboretum.  It was a lovely respite from the heat and beautiful contrast to the concrete jungle.

Just some orchids: they're my favorite flowers. 

I'm told that the pineapple is a symbol of hospitality and welcome. Somehow with all the spines, they never seemed very welcoming to me!!

The EPA

There are no words for this picture.  

The monument on 9/11