Hi everybody...forgot to mention that we had a great visit with Gabriela and Benj mwhile in Maine...and in fact had a special breakfast served to us by by Benj in the restaurant he is working in for the summer, prior to attending the University of British Columbia this fall...Good luck, Benj! and now I turn this final blog over to my beautiful and wonderful wife..

Hello to you all of you with Love...
I can't believe we are almost home..harold had a dream and i am so happy to hve been able to be part of it..all the excitement of each day was a joy...the weary times are forgottenand my appreciation of this country knows no bounds...every president left a heartfelt mark..especially woodrow wilson...he would not sign a bill that would not allow anyone who could not speak english to entere this countery..that means neither of our grandparents could have come to america..AND ELIZABETH AND LOUIS and PAULINE AND BENJAMIN would not have had ua and we woulfd not hav e had you..so thank you again woodrow wilson..thank you sylvia and ruth for being there for me...so long for now..maybe we will take that train across canada..could b e. love you all be well a d happy..mother daras grandma

Final Resume

...We are in Palm Coast, Florida ...about 4 hours from returning home tomorrow and retrieving Tiger and Hershey!...It has been a fabulous trip...but like a dream now that is over..Can you believe that Daras told me she was a little sad about it being completed...she felt as tho she wanted to continue some more!....

The saga began when Ellen and Tony visited us in early May...and immediately after arrival suggested we start then and there by visiting the Truman Little White House in Key West...and in minutes we left in their car and had a swell 2 day visit...and it gave Daras and me the impetus to start!

We therefore left on our journey on May 11th...with a 2 day visit to Plains, Georgia with the pleasure of spending Mother's Day in the Maranatha Baptist church..sitting thru the service and then having Jimmy Carter presenting an hour and a half Sunday School Lesson as he paced directly in front of us...as we sat in the front row center and spoke without notes for an hour and a half..I was permitted to take photos and then we had our picture taken with he and Rosalyn outside of the church..
We then visited his museum in Atlanta...and then visited several more Presidential sites in South and North Carolina, Williamsburg, Virginia...had dinner with our charming Grandaughter, Tori in Charlottesville, where she is a student at University of Virginia...many more sites visited in Virginia and environs...then, an evening with our friend Peggy Bouffard in Williamsburg...and more Presidential sites visited...and then to DC where our daughter Ellen and Husband Tony graciously offered thier house for us to use as a base....Dinner with Grandson Alex was great...and he suggested and taught me how to Blog...!..while there we also had dinner in Georgetown with our lovely Grandaughter, Liz preparing our meal in a very upscale Restaurant in which she is employed as part of her Summer training as a very Special Chef! During this stay we saw all the Presidential sites possible...and it was the beginning of my blog..
Since I am thanking all those who aqssisted in one way or another, I would like to first thaqnk my beautiful wife, Daras who not only agreed to accompany me in this endeavor, but did it graciously and was so very helpful in many ways, including bolstering my efforts and giving me so much encouragement...My daughter Janet who met us in Annapolis on a Sunday morning for a belated Birthday brunch....My daughter and Son-in Law Deena and Michael who offered their home in NJ for a resting site..and my Sister, Shanlee who provided a similar roost, while in Pennsylvania...and my daughter-in-law and son, Pam and Jim who provided us lodging and a very exciting Birthday Party/Dinner for Jim on June14, his Birthday! Another re-union took place when we had dinner and a local sight-seeing tour of Little Rock, Arkansas with Richard Shreiber, the son of Shula who was Daras' roomate in her college days. AND not to forget all our friends and family who were kind enough to communicate with us regularly by E-Mail and telephone which served to provide and keep the warmth and kinship alive during the many weeks away at such distances...Thanks to all of you!

The trip was made possible by the Honda Corporation whose vehicle was so dependable, especially the GPS who directed us without fail to every nook and cranny we requested.
Another thanks to the Casio company whose very compact digital camera made photo taking so easy....and to all those wonderful National Museum Archivists and National Park Guides and volunteer Docents who offered so much information...

Some Statistical Facts:

The trip took about 9 weeks


We drove over 10,000 miles by road
and 3000 miles by Air

We stopped for one night in each of over 50 Hotels/motels
without one reservation

We visited about 90 or more Presidential sites!

We used about $1500 of Gasoline!


I recognized that there were 3 phases of this project:

1. Research all sites and ploan the itinerary
2. Visit all the sites
3. Write the "Thank You America" Book....to be done!

Daras is asleep...and I am aware that she wants to write the final note on this blog...so in the AM it will be done!

Had another very productive day! After leaving for Greeneville, Tennessee this morning we passed over the final time zone in about an hour and finally we are back on Eastern Daylight Saving Time....it was like meeting an old friend again!...then after noon we reached the Home territory of President Andrew Johnson...the first thing we visited was his grave site in the Andrew Johnson National Cemetery..It became recognized as a National Cemetery in 1906..
His family plot with his own tomb being very prominent was directly o0n a very steep summit on Signal Hill which is now knownas Monument Hill...His wife and children and other members of his and his wife's family are buried there as well...It was said that he selected the site himself and it was confirmed after his death by a very loyal ex-slave who continued to work for him and the family for pay! Altho he was a slave owner he had freed his personal slaves far before the Emancipation Proclamation...His father died when he was 3..he and his brother was sent to a different town to learn tailoring by becoming an apprentice...He ran away after breaking a window..and a reward of $10 was offered by the tailor for his capture..but he moved miles away...opened a tailor shop...self taught to read and write and the rest of the history will be explored in my book! We saw the tailor shop...his boyhood home and the home he retired to post-presidency...It is a very interesting story which has great consequence in American History...Hang on for the ride!...I can't wait to get started!.....We then drove again..over and thru the Cumberland Mountains...and the adjacent to Ashville and over and thru the Great Smoky Mountains of Tennessee and at the foothills of the Blue Ridge...It was a twisty, winding road which revealed exciting vistas for our pleasure...We stopped in Spartanburg, South Carolina for the nite..leaving about 2 days for our return to Hershey and Tiger!....

I wiil finally finish this blog tomorrow..with some personal o0bservations and maybe so0me interesting statistics...stay tuned...

One more to go! Visited thye "Hermitage" of Andrew Jackson in Nashville today...He was quite a man...and sure left his mark on the Presidency...He was a helion as a kid...served in 4 wars!...Fought in Revolutionary war at age 13...was a drinker and a womanizer and a gambler...evidently gave up "the good life" to become an attorney! Invited into Politics and the rest is History that you will read in my book...Married a divorcee (who wasn't divorced"...fought a duel after she was slandered...Killed the opponent etc! Story of Andrew and Rachel emenated.. The house sits on 1100 acres...great big mansion...very impressive....Mother and wife played an important part in his life....and he worked extremely hard post-presidency to get Polk elected....another interesting story!Saw his and Rachels grave at the home...

Was told by one person at Museum that Polk and his wife were buried at the Capitol building in downtown Nashville...dashed back there...and walked up thousands of stone stepsw intyo the Capitol..and then hundreds more steps down in the back to the East Lawn...Found Polk and his wife's tomb...very impressive and also saw big statue of Andrew Jackson on horseback there as well as statue of Andrew Johnson!....Tennessee claims all 3 Presidents as their own..but all 3 were born in North Carolina...another story to relate later!

Left in a hurry to drive 70 miles southwest to Columbia, Tennessee where the home of Polk is located...really appreciated the beautiful countryside and farmlands an d great highways of Tennessee. The house was very nice...about 10,000 square feet...beautiful maqnsion...allowed to walk all thru it ...got all the "dirt" about him...and his Presidency was confirmed by everything we saw and heard there to agree to my pre-conceived evaluation...He was REALLY a GREAT PRESIDENT...not apparently appreciated yet today....He worked himself to death...would not seek a 2nd term,,,since he was exhausted...and died within 3 months after leaving the White House...His widow wore nothing but black clothes for the 42 years she lived follwing his death....Much more to tell later...very, very interesting....

Many books were pujrchased in all places and as I drive...Daras is reading them constantly and enjoying...wait until she tells you...and me, all about it!

Time for bed...we drove to about an 1-1/2 hour west of Knoxville to a nice hotel..good dinner and bed.....Tomorrow we go thru Knoxville directly to Greeneville and the Home of Andrew Johnson...That will be the FINAL stop...and then back to Hershey and Tiger!

Will tell you all about it tomorrow!

Heading East!...left Little Rock after a very good nite's sleep...almost missed the Free Continental Breakfast...but we made it!...drove on a very good straight Highway..I-40 all the way from Little Rock to Nashville...extremely fast travel thru very pretty farmland for the most part on a hot, but beautiful sunny day....Most of the farms were planted with soy beans..with a few in corn..pretty rolling hills and we had the thrill of crossing the upper part of the Mississippi as we drove thru Memphis, Tennessee...Arkansas to our delight was beautifully green...lovely foliage and in all a pretty state....one of the stops for diversion was a drive offf the highway down a little country road for about 15 miles to a boating and camp site along the Tennessee River where they produce natural water pearls by introducing into the Mussels located there with small seeds of shell...we saw a short documentary displaying the activity and of course, Daras was able to pick up a little ring as a remembrance...We reached the Hermitage after closing time...found a nice motel..had a "southern" type dinner and now to bed. The ride today convinced us farther as to how nice is our country! Tomorrow morning we visit Jackson's "Hermitage" home and investigate his life with Rachel...can't wait to hear the story!
Tune in tomorrow to find out about it!

visited Clinton's Home from birth to age 5....He evidently remembers this place and has been quoted as saying that he feels that it had the most direct effect on his personna...interesting?...
His mother and her mother were Nurses...when he was quite young his mother left to go out of town to nget her degree as Nurse Anesthitist...and he was cared for by his Great Grandfather and particularly his grandparents...and a grand uncle...His Grandfather had a grocery store and Bill said that his grandfather especially was the one who taught him the most...They lived in a rented modest home which they subsequently were able to purchase...HIs mother taught him to add and subtract and recognize numbers from Playing Cards she hung randomly on tghe kitchen curtains!...He was a good student...joined everything he could and eaqrly on decided to become a politician!..the house was interesting and I had great opportunity to get lots of good pictures...The town is little...sort of poor and had a very large black population...an interesting fact was that Vince Foster was in his Kindergarten class..later becoming a close adviser and ultimately it was theorized that he committed suicide by shooting himself!...as we were in the house the train just close by went thru and the train whistle nearly blew our ears out!
We left and took an easy drive on a nice highway for about 60 miles ( a hop-skip-and jump for us!) to Little Rock and directly to his Archive sponsored Museum...It is in what was a former Industrial area...and alongside the Arkansas River...and next to a large old brick private railroad station that belonged to a now defunct company...It is now a School sponsored by the Clinton Foundation...and an other interesting fact is that there is an adjacent 3 sectioned draw bridge type bridge next to the Museum that was built an d operated exclusively by the company...there are plans to rehabilitate it to use it asd a foot bridge for tourists who desire to cross the river aqnd visit other Little Rock Museums in the area...
The Museum is quite unusual in appearance,,,supposedly to represent "a bridge to the 21st Century"...It is covered by glass panes with the upper panes covered by perforated aluminum panels that are somewhat translucent because of the perforations...It is large..raised on straight columns appearing as sort of stilts..and long and rectangular in appearance..It is surrounded by rectangular lawns in rigid rectangular areas with walkways separating them..and with geometrically placed young trees about them...In my opinion, it is not particularly attractive, and rather industrial in appearance...
Inside it was somewhat the same..the exhibits were placed in stright lines with the basic architectural supports being intentionally visible...and some of the photographic images were diifcult to visualize because of the harsh glaring daylight entering thru the walls...there however was a very interesting view of the River and Downtown area thru the perforated aluminum panels....All the exhibits identified with the very positive actions of Clinton as President..and portrayed him in every successful manner...There was also a section displaying Hillary's activities as well as his Vice-President, Al Gore...Probably since most of the activities portrayed being non-historical in timing to us, and with such a contemporary bare presentation of the building, we were not able to gain that warm, and reverential sensation of history in this instance . Of course there was a very good short documentary presented in the small theater.
There is a trolley like bus that was included in the tour that takes you from the front of the Museum into the down town section to allow you to visit the gigft shop/book store location...we took the opportunity and purchased books etc..and then returned to the Museum and our van.

I neglected to mention that just prior to reaching the Museum I stopped a short distance away and made a reservation in a hotel ..and upon entering, I exchanged "Hello's" with Wolf Blitzer and his wife!

After leaving the Museum we met with Richard Shreiber, Shula's sonwho has lived in Little Rock for 35 years! we had dinner together...and then he graciously took us for a tour of the city, including the Governor's Mansion and his own personal very lovely home....His wife and 2 sons unfortunately had previous engagements and we were not able to meet them...It was a very pleasant and warm re-union...and greetings were extended both ways to all our kin!...Then, it was time to return to the hotel and BED!...Tomorrow we are off to Nashville and the Hermitage!

It was a day of travel....JUst to get you caught up....we flew to LA...saw both the Reagan and Nixon Libraries...then on the 5th of July...we drove on the various Freeways...again...and went to the favbulous Gety Museum...Daras was hoping we would have time...and we did..
Let me tell you a little about it..

We arrivede about an hour early..the woman at the entrance would not let us in until opening so we drove on the crazy Freeways again and found a place for another breakfast...and then when we returned she waived the $8.00 parking fee since she made us go and return...very nice, eh?
The parking is down a ramp in amultistoried garage and then up the ramp for many floors until we could find a space..then, an elevator to the tram level...wait at a station similar to an elevated train...and then the tram arrives whioch is a cable car...Up and up into the sky to the summit of a mountain with a drop off into the valley below which is awesome..and almost enough of a challenge to keep the breakfast which we had just eaten...where it was supposed to be!

The first view ofr the Museum directly on the peak of the mountain is startling....There are several tiers of very wide stone steps up to the open plaza which has 5 extremely contemporary buildings all reachable from this plaza...and also into the enclosed glass enclosed Atrium...Along the steps are flat large round concrete containers holding very colorful desert type plantings , all of which were in blossom...and several large stone or bronze statuary adjacent, includun g some of John Moore's....very impressive...The buildings themselves were constructed of rough gray/tan stone in combination with white ceramic coveredf metal plates which were startingly white...and the buildings themselves were constructed on several random like levels, multistoried and abstractingly unbalanced and cantilevered ledges in their style...If this is difficult to understand..it is also difficult to explain!...The view thru the buildings permitted views of sky..into infinity...and being surrounded with other pinnacles of the desert mountains..it is a sight to behold! The Museum opened in 1997...and employs 1200 employees..including 700 volunteer docents...The main entrance is at the 3rd level...and each building has several exhibits ..many of which are constantly changing....The first viewing we did was of 1600/1800 European artists...and included paintings, furniture and sculptures with most of the most famous artists being represented...There was a very large Cezanne which had not been publicly shown before...It was extremely large...and the most popular exhibit was one of a 1800 artist who did paintings of animals for Lois XV....they were absolutely beautiful and there was a sufficient number of them to term it a Menagerie!...The principal animal featured was a Rhinoceros that had travelled Europe for about 15 years in the 1840's...she was named Clara...and was so popular everywhere including China that images and sculptures were made of her by various artists...and included in ceramics, bronze, lamps, tables etc! It was Daras' time to purchase books so check with her to get a more informative discussion....we finally had enough so we took to the Freeways again...found the car-rental location and went to the Airport...There was the usual...dressing and undressing..the body frisking..the inspection of bags and suitcases etc...and finally we collapsed in the plane for the 3 hour flight back to Austin...arriving after midnite,,,It was a long day!

Today, we awakened refreshed?...and drove from south central Texas to North Eastern Texas...and we can verify that Texas is large!...finally after driving near the border of Louisiana at Shreveport...we crossed the border into Arkansas and found our way to Hope!...Tomorrow morning we will visit Bill Clinton's Birthplace...and see if we can determine what influence it had on him....Keep posted to find out!

'..till then...Nite!

Only one more to see!

...Visited Nixon's Museum today..spent about 4 hours there!..It is a one floor sprawling, larger than we expected attractively presented Museum..with many knowledgeable and pleasant docents..It nis the most recent of the National Archiv Museums opened...began as privately built and funded as many of the others were..and then accepted officially for support by the National Archives....Saw a very well done documentary in a very comfortable large movie theater... visited many large chambers of exhibits, again tastefully and artfully presented...learned a good deal about his Presidency...raised some questions in both of us by presenting information that we were not aware of previously...saw where he became a leader in many things he pursued prior to his political career....Saw the House he was born in and lived until about 9..and toured it...all original furnishings n..was originally in a farm area...viewed his early family life...recognized that they were Quakers...enlisted and became Officer in Navy...Had one large exhibit about his "China Connection"...His election campaign against Helen Gahagan Douglas was shown..and his speech while being selected as Eisenhowers Vice President and being accused of illegal fund raising...and his role in the Middle East as well as Vietnam....Most of this information was clouded in our minds by the stigma of his Watergate episode...It raised questions...that I will have to sort out subsequently..too soon to pass judgement now!
His burial site is right adjacent to his birth home in a lovely garden...black granite headstones for he and Pat...and close by is the Helicopter he used...

We also attended a very nice huge Symphonic Band Concert in a replica of the White House that was invigorating Patriotic music,,,was exciting....Bought gangs of books...drove to an other hotel..will see Getty Art Museum tomorrow and then head for airport to fly back to Houston..pick up the van and start heading HOME...SAWrkansas next stop!..see you then!

Hi everybody!

...couldn't get internet service laqst nite...so we get two trips tonite!

Got to the LBJ Library/Museum yesterday...in Austin, Texas ..on huge sprawling campus of
University of Texas...Lyndon wanted it in Johnson City about 60 miles away, near where he gaduated Teachers college..but LadyBird was stronger...;and insisted that it be in Austin, the Capitol and her Alma Mater!....She also did most of the groundwork..with architects etc.....and she has to be commended since it turned out so well....The only erro0r however hyappens to be the selection of the tan pitted marble used on the exterior as well as the floor surfaces..The crevices retain dirt..and tend to crack, so the entire front of the building is entirely scaffolded for pressure cleaning..so I was not able to photograph the exterior...but I made up for it inside!
The building is rather square extending up for ten stories...the tenth floor contains his replica of the Oval Office of the White House..but is about 94% of the true size since it was not originally planned for...and not sufficient space was allotted..The office was utilized by him frequently post-presidency...and since he refused to come in the front door and go up the elevator..he insistede on having a Heliport on the roof and thereby able to go down privately one floor to enter!!...We observed the room and the key difference from other replicas we have seen previously, is that there is a bank of TV screens next to each other in cabinetry to provide him to watch the 3 stations simultaneously..he evidently was an avid observer of the news produced...
There is also an Autorobotic figure of him in an alcove on the 4th floor..dressed in farming like clothes, with cowboy boots and 10 gallon hat that moves life-like with hand, arm, head and eye movements while he is leaning on a white barnyard fence and telling humorous "downhome" jokes and stories to assist in better explaining of some of his political maneuvers...It actually provoked out-loud laughter from both of us...and confirmed his apparent strong sense of humor... About the perimeter of the room in what appeared to be a gigantic open lobby were displayed a host of the personal gifts he had received over the term of his office from many important personages from foreign lands.
From this open area you can look up to the tenth floor on a facade of glass windows in one huge panel exposing all the documents and papers of his Presidency filed away neatly in individual book-like containers...It is impressive and certainly enhances the significance of the purpose for the research library...

On the 3rd floor which is the level of the entrance most of the public museum is observed...It displays in several sections most of the efforts he expended in getting Congressional Approval of many of his statutes..particularly relating to Poverty, Care of the Elerly and Poor, Educational opportunities for the young and Civil Right programs, among the white and black races,, Daras remarked after witnessing much of this that she felt "she owed him an apology" since much of this information wasn't previously understood by us...I agreed...However, the negative press he received in relation to the War in Vietnam was his undoing....It was noted that this dilemma was inherited by him from his predecessors and waqs not initiated by him..We learned how the trauma of this inheritance plagued him..and understood the reason for instituting a military draft and increasing the soldiers and Marines to battle....resulting in Anti war protests..draft card burning, rioting in the streets, civil rights battles aqnd culminating in the assassination of Martin Luther AKing and Bobby Kennedy..they were rough times and the USA paid the penalty...Despite these tubulent times he was able to initiate Medicare and Medicaid...Initiate HeadStart..Student loan programs..Gi Bill of Rights etc...He evidentlyt appreciated the need of these programs and many, many more since his childhood stemmed from a background of poverty as well...That explained why he decided " to not seek or accept the nomination for President"realizing that the time necessary to campaign would detract him from his continuing
efforts to accomplish those goals....The sad story was that he died just 3 days prior to the negotiated settlement of the Vietnam war! I have so much more material and insight in his Presidency based on him as an individual, that I think will prove to be rather startling when I write of it!...Hang in!

We were exhasuted after leaving the Library, but were satisfied of how much we accomplished...It was gratifying...

Monday morning very early..6AM found us in the hotel van being whisked to the Austin Airport for the flight to Los Angeles...the Airport was...as is most of them...a calamity...shoes and all parcels and bags searched..a few times...we barely had time for coffee and a bun..and we took off...The flight of about 3 hours was uneventful and we disembarked in another very busy airport...arranging for a car rental with a GPS took some doing..but soon we were on our way to the Reagan Library in Simi Valley....It was "rush hour"...and each and every Freeway demonstrated it...The LIbrary is way up in the mountainous area north of LA..It is typical desert and the vistas visualized were awesome..you could see in the valleys communities miles away...breathtaking...and not easy driving at the pace most autos were travelling! The Library was about 50 miles from tha eairport and is situated directly on the summit of the highest mountain peak in the area..and is reached by driving upward for a few miles on a winding canyon-like road. The multiple connected building are California/Spanish in design with rough crude beams, red tile roofs and arches...all delightfully lqandscaped with very colorful desert blossomong flowers...It is a beautiful sight.. We were told that this Library is the VERY LARGEST of the 12 Archive supported museums..and after a few hours of inspection we were in agreement! Most of the displays, instead of being the customary posters and printed material were actual photographs, some blown up in size that truly identified the event that affected nhis governing and the direction it was taking our country...It is extremely well done...and could be described as affording a very"comfortable and satisfying" experience. There were also several rather small and somewhat intimate alcoves where very significant documentary videos were shown..all contributing to the very positive effect of validating his Presidency...Much homage was paid to Nancy, as well. A Highlight of the Museum is the ahnger space on the lower level where the entire Boeing 707 which had been used by Reagan and other Presidents is suspending from the ceiling...and you are permitted a walk thru while docents explain each chamber of the interior to you...culminating receiving a photo of you as you enter the plane as a souvineer,,,for $10.75!! The final act was to walk thru a simulated east wing garden laqwn to the burial site of the President...It is awesome...providing a view almost to infinity to the opposite mountain range over the huge valley below! A few books were purchased and we returned to our rental car...set the GPS for Nixon's Library in Yorba Linda, near Anaheim and wormed our way in adifferent direction for about another 40 miles or so thru traffic and found it...Reaching Anaheim was a pleasaqnt repreive from the fast moving freeway traffic...we drove by the museum which was already closed..found a suitable lodging...and I am now going to literally "drop into bed"!...See you tomorrow!

A very busy Sunday...

...The Hill Country is amazing...it extends in South Central Texas from Austin, the capitol to down to Fredeicksburg about 80 miles south..It is one very huge swath of High hills and huge ranch areas in every direction...when on top of the hills you can see the world!....I can now understand why Lyndon Johnson called it home!....He was born here...we toured his birth home today..saw a video biography of him in the Museum there...and really learned how he really waqs born into poverty...No electicity..no indoor plumbing ..and lots of hard work...He left the site and moved about 15 miles further south to a ranch that his grandparents and parents farmed as tenant farmers... His father had finished about 8th grade...was a very bright man..who could do almost everything...from haircutting to selling real-estate..to trading cattle etc...anything to make money he evidently was a great salesman...and was reuested ultimately to go into politics which he did...and took young Lyndon with him on all his political tours...and evidently "showed him the ropes"....Lyndon was a precocious child, and with his nmother who was a college graduate.and with her insistence was permitted to enter school at age 4.. He apparently was a good student and graduated High School after 11th grade which was a far as school went at that time..His first school was a one room school with students of all grades attending at the same time...It was recollected that when he was required to read it was necessary that he sit on his teacher's lap...He had moved back from town to the farm at age 11 to when he was 15....and did many daily fasrmchores in the early morning before attending school which waqs several miles away....When he was 15 and could find no employment, he and about 4 other boys purchased an old Ford car and left for California to try and make their fortunes...but after 2 years of very menial work he returned to the farm...and worked there..picking cotton etc.....after his father borrowed considerable funds to buy the farm...but unfortunately with drought and other misfortune lost the farm and declared bancruptcy....His mother and father both became depressed..his father turning to alcohol...and dying prematurely...His mother left to live with a daughter...after she had convinced young Lyndon that the only hope for the future for him was to obtain a college degree...and upon her advice enrolled in the local State Teachers College...gained his degree and began teaching school... The rest is history as we shall see i9n my forthcoming book...and gain insight into what motivated him to initiate "The Great Society" after becoming President!...It is truly a heroic story....

As we took a tour on a little bus of all the ranch area..we saw evidence of the recent flood...one of the small bridges we travelled over had been submerged above the railings as we coulsd see the level of debris on the banks of the river...This river traverses directly thru the ranch and is an important reason for it being so important to him....There were several small groups of deer noted as well as Antelopes that Lyndon had imported with an occasional buffalo..and of course, sheep and cattle....we walked thru the ranch home...and then drove directly all aqround the beautiful but somewhat modest appearing ranch house that was the Texan White House that he and LindaBIrd lived in...No tours, however and we noted several young people who evidently were relatives or friends who were using the pool, riding horses or little All-Terrain vehicles for amusement...we saw his various cars and one especially that he enjoyed was a German mabnufactured little convertible that was a car-boat and it was said that he would frighten unwaring guests when taqking them for a ride he would plunge it directly into the lake...scaring the wits out of them!...There is much more to tell..but it must wait.."the best is yet to come"....or "the Rest of the Story" is to be told!.....\

we left then in 90 degree temperature...no rain...sunny skies and returned some 50 miles to the outskirts of Austin...to see the Archival Museum tomorrow on the campus of University of Texas...I understand that he wanted the Museum in Johnson City or Stonewall neaqr the ranch...bot Ladybird was the boss..she insisted on it being located at her Alma Mater!...we shall see tomorrow!...Hang on for the ride...The next morning we fly to Los Angeles!

..a very full Saturday

Drove to College Station thru fields of grain..a bit of corn and soy and unlimited areas of pasture dotted with cattle...and the prominent oil well pumps....I imagine that the farmers who had these oil well blemishes on their fields of green are supplementi9ng their income handsomely...especially since I have been motoring for these great distances!....
The Bushy 41 Museum was shocking when we first saw it..It is absolutely the largest one we have visited so nfar...and it is beautifully positioned on the Campus of Texas A & M...but...when we entered we were dismayed to learn that the Museum was virtually closed to undergo a $15,000,0000 renovation!...all the contents had been waqrehoused...and after walking thru the lobby and a few of the adjacent rooms we nfound it difficult to imagine what more could be done to enhance the building...but ...it was the fact...It is scheduled to reopen in November 2007..
However, we were fortunate enough to view a wonderful biography of the President in the Movie house and I was able to take some very interesting pictures...one of which was an original oil painting of Presidents #41 1nd #43 in the same picture...being the only one ever painted of a President and his son who was also a President!...and of course several more very useful books were purchased!

We then walked on a cement path behind the museum and around an attraqctive pond which was evidently stocked with fish since there was signage that if any fish were caught with non-barbed hooks they must be released....and completing the walk which wound thru a forested area for about a 1/4 of a mile, I came upon the fenced in plot of grass with stone pillars indicating the names of both Barbara and George and their birth dates...This is to be the site of their burial after their demise...and there was a small horizontal stone marking the grave of their liitle girl who had died as a small child..

The weather was bright and sunny and hot...about 90...and we set the GPS for Austin and took off...with the windows wide open and sailing thru the farmland with the wind blowing on our faces...we were entranced...It was a fantastic feeling where at one time, Daras remarked "that if I lived around here" I would like to own a truck"! Is that what a little Jewish girl from Camden, NJ would be expected to say??? At any rate, we drove into Austin..made reservations for our stay at the Hilton Airport hotel for Monday nite...and we are to fly to LA on Tuesday AM...returning on Thursday nite to stay in the same hotel....We then were directed to Joes Shrimp restaurant where we had a dinner of....shrimp, of course!...We left again since it was still light out and headed for Johnson City where we expected to visit President Johnson's Ranch...and anticipated locating a motel enroute...but...we had to drive all the way to Johnson City before we found the first one!..Fortunately it was a suitable one....The drive this time was thru and up and down what is referred to as the Hill Country...and it certainly was...the vistas we saw from the top of the hills was spectacular so the time went by rapidly...TomorrowH AM we visit the Ranch....Yippie-I -O H ( Cowboy term!)

Friday...and another visit!

...We were so pleased to see no rain today!...and we drove to the "Big D' and visited the Book Repository where unfortunately JFK met his demise....The building is now privately owned and operated..with an admission charge required...You need pass thru a metal inspetion gate to enter and after passing thru the customary gift shop!..you take an elevator to the 6th floor where evidently Oswald was lurking...and you can look past the cardboard crates thru the open window down beyond the grassy knoll..and an X is painted on the street exactly where the Kennedy car was located when the dastardly act occurred....It is eerie...but, the total presentastion, including videos, news articles, and descriptive posters telling all the gruesome details are tactly presented...I subversively took a few pictures which you will subsequently see..All in all, it was a rewarding visit! When we left to return to the van..it was the end of the work-day...and beinfg Friday, the end of the work week....You never saw such traffic...It made oujr own I-95 look like a pasture!..but, we perservered and drove for about an hour to near Waco, Texas and bedded down..Incidentally, the terrain as soon as we reached the Texas border changed, becoming much rougher and coarse with fields of grain..and many cattle on pasture land with the soil being notably red in color...and the fields being dotted with Oil digging and pumping apparatus...Tomorrow we plan to be at Johnson's Museum..in Austin...and Sunday at his LBJ ranch and on Monday AM if I can arrange the ticketing we fly to LA for a few days to do Nixon and Reagan!...Then back to Austin for the trek home with Bush Sr, Museum in College Stationh, Texas..nex Hope and Little Rock, Arkansas..and a stop in Nashville!...I hope I can arrange the flight in the morning..until next time....keep well...

Thursday in the rain...

arrived to visit the Eisenhower Museum in Abilene, Kansas....Abilene is a big small twn..and the Museum is located just off the Highway..in a very beautiful Plaza type setting with 4 attractive tan marble buildings at each quadrant..One is the Visitors center where nwe purchased admission tickets and and the customary supply of research books...we also were able to see a very comprehensive biography of the President in a comfortable Movie theater....

Then we walked to the nearest building which looked like a chapel and was so named..It was a Memorial Place of Meditation...and upon entering the marble grave slabs of Ike and Mamie are resting side by side...In front of the wall at thier front are pew seats to provide opportunity for silent meditation...It was a fitting setting which provided the reverence it required...

We then walked across a path to the side surrounded by a beautiful lawn and trees to the Library...It was of similar tan marble construction and house the myriad of letters, books etc of Ike's 2 term very active Presidency and on the 2 floors were several artifacts, particularly gifts given to him by many potentates thruout the world...It was very interesting...and my visit to the office of the archivist, I discovered some personal framed photos which I was able to photograph....
On the opposite side of the Plaza waqs Ike's original Farm House home which we were permitted to enter and photograph...All the contents are original...It was a white frame, typical looking farm house which when entering and exploring gave the understanding that this had been a very warm, intimate and very stable family...They were members of a Protestant sect which appeared to be similar to the Quakers...and Ike was the 3rs son of a family of 7 sons!
One brother died when quite young but 6 sons survived ...and all lived harmoniously in this little house!...That should certainly provide a lesson in "getting along" with others..
I took many pictures inside the house which was very gratifying....

The next stop across the plaza was the Museum...aqnd what a museum it is....We were informed that since Ike served the public for about 20 years in his role as Military leader and as President, we would see a tremendous amount of contents...and we sure did!

There were exhibits of his boyhood on the farm, since the house was on a farm on the frontier...and then his school years..including athletics etc...and then his lengthy military srvice commencing in West Point...the war years...the post war years and then the Presidency!...
All his interactions with many important people globally were well documented...As Daras and I wandered thru the many chambers and rooms we became more and more tired...and neaqr the conclusion of the visit we were just about all spent!....We returned to our van...sat for a while to compose ourselves and then set the GPS for Dallas, Texas! We discovered it was about 6 1/2 hours away..almost 500 miles...and with the weather eports realized we were heading directly toward the Flood areas in Texas!...As we drove south...it began drizzling...getting cooler and finally raining much harder...We also realized that we were no longer driving across the rolling plateau of upper Kansas, but driving thru the golden wheat fields of the plains of lower Kansas...
no more corn..but grain and grazing cattle....We drove for about 2 1/2 hours and as it approached 6:30...and the driving became more difficult..we found lodging and dinner in Kansas just above the Oklahoma border...we looked forward to an early bedtime...and much needed rest...we hoped!...and perhaps some better weather in the morning.....The last report we obtained, however is that the torrential rains continued south of us...thru Oklahoma and especially in Texas...we shall see!.....Talk to you in the morrow....

2 days of blogs

..couldn't find internet access yesterday so here goes with Tuesday and Weddnesday..

Visited Herber Hoover Museum and Library in West Branch, Iowa...Very nice setting in park like area..low tan stone conservative looking building...what else?...His Library became accepted as one of the 12 Archives supported museums...and is very tastefully presented...AND....after visitng both Daras and I felt that we had done an injustice in the past to his term of office...He really was a very intelligent, self-made very wealthy and talented man...who did his utmost to serve this nation...It is very unfortunate and most likely that the Great Depression he has been given the blame for...was not directly his fault...He was trained as a geologist at Stanford...worked almost in every country of the world...accumulated much money....and was the engineer and initiater of Hoover Dam...wbhgich served to provide much power for the southwest...He was the first President to be elected from west of the Mississippi..and was quite devout...being a Quaker....His wife, Lou was also a geologist ..also trained at Stanford..and made great contribujtions for women's liberation and was of great sujpport to the Pre4sidency...He. like Grant was born in a tiny 2 room house in West Branch which was a frontier town in his day... His father was a blacksnith who died when Hoover was about 6 years of age and he was then shujttled about to grandparents and others who reared him, while being separated from his other siblings...Much more in depth in my book....

We left West Branch and drove...again to Independence, Missouri...and parked for the nitE..

Today which I think is Wednesday we visited Trumans Museum which was sort of a homecoming for us...In driving here however we travelled totally across Iowa and Missouri...and tonite we are in Abilene, Kansas...."There ain't no moss on us!"

The reason for the homecoming feeling was brought about since Kirksville, Missouri, the place where nthe Osteopathic Medical Profession had it's beginning is where I interned...It is located in the north-east corner of Missouri...and when Daras arrived to be with me after her graduation from college...we pinched some pennies together...bouth a $2.00 box camers..got on the Wabash Railroad and travelled down to Kansas city to visit my schoolmate friend (Harold Olan) who was interning there...After spendong some time with him we wandered by foot into Independence...found the house that the practicing President lived in while in Missouri..It was his Mother-in-Law's house...no one was around and I prompted Daras to go up mthe walk to the porch so that I might take her picture...when...secret service sprung from behind every tree ..with bells ringing...and cautioned us that she was not permitted...Bess and Margaret were home...and the President was in the White House...so...we left...a bit dissapointed!

Then, while in General Practice in Cherry Hill several years later (1953?)...I decided to try my new conveertible for a drive to Kansas City to attend a Medical Meeting...and when approaching Independence, realized that I had read that Truman who was retired, had opened his library in Independence...so we found it...and stopped..we parked on the street directly in front of the small non-impressive appearing building with minimal signage identifying it's purpose...and I opened the door to enter...As I entered and noted a small vestibule with a solitary receptionist at a insnificant appearing desk...with 5-6 small cub scouts in short pants and their scout leader similarly attired...President Trumaqn opened a door at the head of the wooden stairs...saw me and said, " Howdy folks...welcome!..I'm just about to show these scouts around the museum...would you like to join the tour"?...Of course, we were in agreement...He needed a shave..wore no tie and had brown scuffed shoes..but we took up his offer...and what a tour we had!...He apparently always spoke without reservation to the usage of 4 letter words...and certainly demonstrated his sense of humor...He took pictures off the wall..made comments..with frequent chuckles and then asked the one security guard for his keys..and escorted us thru the center lane with boxes and cartons piled to the ceiling while remarking, " theres a lot of crap here given to me by ptentates from all over the world, but I really don't know whnatsd here...but it doesn't belong to me...it belongs to you"!.....and then we walked down the back stairs...where I p;rexceded him and stopped at the landing, and in order to make conversation...asked him what he thought of the Republican's chance of winning the next election?"...His response was instantaneous...and with his finger pointing at me, said," Sonny...if this country votes Republican...it deserves to go to Hell"!...I got my answer, and we left...

The museum today is 100 times the size of the original one...the Highway it was on is much widened.. a bridge overpass is there now...and when I inquired of everyone i met as to what happened to the original building everyone looked at me as tho I was daffy!..Noone believed the story...The contents of the building are the best...there is much interactive opportunities to answer questions posed to you about present and past government..that you respoind tom by pushing bujttons...and the resp0onses are calculated by percentages for your observation...It is truly magnificient!....Much more ion my book to come...and hundreds of pictures!
AQfter leaving, I felt somewhat betrayed by no one believing my story...so I made a U-Turn...went back to the Research Library..introduced and identified myself..met withthne \Chief Archivist who listened to my story without laughing ...exchanged business cards with me and promised to find the information I seeked and forward it to me...I finally felt vindicated!

The ride then was over the Missouri/Kansas border..driving 2/2 way across Kansas and we reached Abilene!....Daras mentioned that not only could you place the entire population of nthe USA in this narea..but probably the entire world's!...The expansive Plateau of grain fields, and pasture lands presented itself in high rolling hills which again afforded some magnificient sights..
Until tomorrow...au revoir....

A very exciting day of travel...

Monday...whew!...the days are just flying by!...I had a bit of trouble today...evidently I left one of my many hook-up wires at the last motel..(where ever that was?)..it was the power cord to repower the battery in my camera...and I would be at a great loss without it...so, We hunted all around the city of Dixon..and believe it or not Wallmart came to the rescue! However we spent a good deal of the morning before the problem was solved...and then we visited the Boyhood Home of President Reagan...The little big town of Dixon is really a very thriving community...and of course they pay great homage to their most important personage...His image and name is all over!...The home in which he lived as a boy was a rental when he was there...and it of course was totally renovated...but yet retaining it's appearance to what it was when he was resident there..In fact I saw a video of a Homecoming he had there several years before he died, when he remarked.."if the house looked this good when I lived here..I probably would never have left"!....He was a real hometown boy...and relished it...He made several remarks as to how indebted he was to his former teachers...and later identified that to them...A story we heard however that he was somewhat michevious..and on one 4th of July...despite knowing that Fireworks were illegal to use in the town, he threw a large torpedo near the prominent mid-city bridge..."threw a perfect strike"...and was immediately picked up by the Police!...His father had to pay $14.85 in fine...and he was appropriately reprimanded... He played on the local football team...and also played football with neighborhood nkids on the side lawn of the house...His mother was devout and a member of the 1st Christian church...taught Sunday school and he and his mother attended services there, while his older brother (Moon) and his father attended the Catholic church.. There were 3 bedrooms on the 2nd floor...and he and his brother slept in the same bed in one of them...His parents had thier bedroom and the third on was utilized as as a sewing room where she frequently had her customers come up for their fittings while she altered their clothing....He was the Drum Major in the local mYMCA band and marched in town in their parades...and his real clim to fame was when he served as a Lifeguard some distance from their home at Lowell Beach Park which was on the large adjacent river...He was credited during his service period to have saved 77 lives!...demonstrating "quick decision..and following rapid action"!...That seems to be a good quality to be President...doesn't it? Both of his parents were very liberal and ndemonstrated no prejudicial behavior, ...at one time when a regional baseball team came to plaqy his team in town...their were 2 black players on it and the local Hotel would not permit to stay ther...so...he invited them to stay at his home understanding that it would be perfectly acceptable to his parents!...I bought books...and took lots of pictures...you wil;l see them, I promise!

Next, we drove abot 60-70 miles to Galena, Illinois to visit Grant's Home there...
As you know Daras and I have as our prime purpose to pay homage to all the Presidents that have served to enable this country to prosper...but, we found as we drove along...that we were equally impressed with what a great country this really is!...Just the trip so far has taken us thru so much variety of topography and scenery that we are just about speechless...today was one of those days...Yesterday we drove thru miles and miles and miles of rolling countryside viewing huge green fields of corn,,for as far as you could see in all directions...it was interspersed just a tiny bit with an occasional field of soy beans...and virtually no cattle grazing....we wondered what they did with all that corn...Today was no different...the farms were magnificient..the homes on them were large..kept in immaculate condition..and the Silos right next to thm were huge and bright and shiny silver....It gave the overall appearance of prosperity....We could not believe the amount of corn fields...and in speaking to my daughter Jan, swhe mentioned that she had recently read a book that raised the same questions...This truly is the "Breadbasket of the USA"...and probably the world...It makes you wonder how sinful it was for our pioneer population to force the Native Americans...more and more westward...apparently robbing them of the opportunity to continue living in their homestead... Maybe someday, I'll get the explanation as to why??? My daughter suggested that these farmers are being subsidized by our Gov ernment to grow this surplus of corn...and Cattle and Chickens have been trained to eat it as food nrather than their usual menu of grass??...and I wonder if all these corn crops have been planted to prepare for our proposed Ethanol use as fuel fo our cars??....maybe?? BUt the sight is beautiful....and then as we continued northwood to the most northwestern part of Illinois, near the Minnesota border, the terrain changed rather abruptly...It became extremelly hilly...the hills being like mountains high on the ridges and we found that this area is the highest point in Illinois...The sight looking far down on the farms and small villages m the valleys was breathtaking...and reinforced our gratitude of being able to live in such a wonderful country!....Maybe it was the height and the rarified air that made us both feel it...but ...so be it!
Galena is a bustling, little city with the Historic area being a tourist haven!...All the properties apparently conformed to remaining in the same Victorian like period...and there were an ample number of quality restaurants, cafes and boutiques to nsatisfy every need,,,, Grant's Home which he lived in after the Civil War was given to him by the local citizenry...completely furnished..in appreciation of the success he had during the Civil War...His father had a Tannery ther prior to tthe war also...where he had been employede...but hated the work...The Civil War saved him from that fate...He used the House as today's Presidents use Camp David. When he became President he would return periodically....The house was large and almost all the furnishings are original...I was permitted Picture taking...so I did!

We left to drive southwest into Iowa..after crossing the river and the reverse scening occurred ..
We drove to the Hoover Museum in West Branch, Iowa...after closing...found suitable lodging...and are looking forward to getting to know Herbert Hoover...This will be the 6th National Archive Presidential Museum...leaving 6 more to visit!.....See you tomorrow...and I apoligize for being so wordy...but it deserved it!

2 more stops...

we arrived at Eureka, Illinois, the home of Eureka College which Ronald Reagan had attended...being Sunday they opened at noon..but we arrived about an hour before...and to our pleasure a young man invited us in to the Student Meetin Hall where the museum is located...They were having an annual luncheon to celebrate an anniversary date...so we entered the museum being entirely alone and entirely on our own...The camera got overheated in my snapping of pictures...and we certainly learned a lot about their favorite alumnus...
The coolege is a Christian school...and Reagan and his older brother and hus Mother were members of the church that sponsored the school...It was a small, typical little mid-western school..leaning to theologic studies and Ronald received a BA in Social Studies and Economics...He apparently was involved in extra-curricular activities, being a guard on the football team, on the swimming team and in their drama and acting department...There were many pictures and letters attesting to the fondness and attachment he had to thbe school and it's teachers..occurring during his political career as Governor of California as well as the Presidency...Mention was demonstrated of his Motion Picture career as well. We watched a biographical video of him after we turned the VCR on ourselves!...After thanking them for their courtesy we left to drive to Tampico, Illinois which is the town Ronald Reagan was born in...We made it just before closing but the woman who invited us into the storefront was more than gracious in showing and telling us all about the President!...She mentioned that she also was the Postmaster for the town and her husband who was nthere was also generous with anecdotal comments!...We found out that Ronald was born and lived in an apartment which was directly over the bakery which was next door...On the other side of the former grocery store we were in was a still existing funeral parlor!...His father who apparently was alcholocic was Irish Catholic, and his mother was of a Protestant den omination...was musically trained..played the piano in the church she regularly attended with her 2 sons! The funeral dircto0r whose name was Max Parent was very fond of all the children in the neighborhood and took on the role similar to a scoutmaster...Ronald's father worked for the grocery..did odd jobs and was a salesman...He changed locations frequently following one of the more prominent merchants who he worked for..so Ronald moved from this nlocation as a baby of 3 months...and had many other moves until he settled into a small city named Dixon which was about 30 miles away, at athe age of 6....
I was escorted up the steps to the apartment of what had previuosly been the bakery..shown all about and saw the actual room he was born in...weighing in over 10 ponds, with his mother being advised to have no more children after that episode!...Apparently his father when first seeing him after the birth...suggested that he looked like a "Dutchman"...and the name, DUTCH remained with him!...I bought an autographed book...told the woman and her husband thanks...and we left to drive to Dixon. Found dinner and lodging....and will visit the house and city he lived in during his formative years...see you then!

...another very exciting day!..

..it was kind of rainy all day..but did not appear to daunt our interest in any way...and we entered the very interesting building of Lincoln in downtown, Springfield...It is several blocks away form his home in Springfield that we visited with all our children about 46 years previous!
The inside of the museum is the last word..there are 4 theaters just inside the lobby that present video documentaries with srreal imaqges superimposed on the presenter....It outdoes Disney..not cutsey, but truly informative...In addition there are several small alcoves with continuing documentaries of equally informative material...all the while,,it is not crowded and the presentations are given to reasonably small, somewhat intimate groupings...It is splendid and a real treat...Included in all the presentations are an unbeleivable number of priceless documents and artifacts under glass inhermetically sealed enclosures, but close enough for direct scrutiny!....there were also mannikins that were so life like that it was startling, in settings so real that it defied imagination...If I sound excited...I am!

We had a lite lunch in their attractive cafe...and purchased some more books!

We then drove to the Home he lived in which we had visited many years past..but now were not able to park on the street directly in front...bjut on a lot nearby...and found it was necessary to visit the admission office nearby before being permitted to visit the house...A guide escorted us thry while narrating a very informative talk...There were some changes within the house to better control what is most likely a larger amount of visitors than in the past...It was worthwhile..and the entire area of about 2 square blocks have Reproductions of actual homes of the era in Village fashion!

...and then we drove to the cemetery...called Oak Ridge where there is a huge momument with 4 superimposed statuettes on it's 4 upper levels depicting battles of the Civil War...It was very impressive and the actual site of he and his wife's burial..

The next drive was further...about 20 miles or more northweat of the city where we visited the area where he lived from about age 21 for 6 years....He had built a raft to ship goods down the river onto the Mississippi when it went aground due to a drought at New Salem..He became enamored with the town and remained...It was here he self-taught himself to become a lawyer,,,being a surveyor prior to that... We learned much more of his personal and early political life at this museum...It of course will "all be in the book"! Many, many pictures were taken....and the we were off ...again...heading to Eureka College about 60 miles north...It was thwe college Reagan attended,,,It was past closing time...so we folund sujitable lodging about 15 miles away...none being present in Eureka!...It opens tomorrow, Sunday at noon...Hurrah...we can sleep later!...talk to you tomorrow!

another day...another museum!

...Left after Breakfast and drove directly to Indianapolis, Indiana...easy pleasant drive..on good highway thru farmland...arrived at Home/Museum of Benjamin Harrison... He built the home on what was farmland in 1874.....arrived here from Miami University, in Ohio where he was Law Professor...Born in North Bend, Ohio... Began with interest to becoming a minister...studied with a Reverend Scott...fell in love with his daughter Caroline...married her and decided to study law!

Taught at Miami University of Ohio..had 2 kids..practiced law in Indianapolis..made some money..built big home in Indianapolis...When we arrived had to wait outside until we were instructed to ring bell on either 1/2 hour or the hour...As we did, we were invited in by a well trained docent who gave us a personal tour of the entire house...It is a 3 swtory extremely well preserved, gorgeous home of about 10,000 feet with 14 1/2 foot ceilings and attractive naturally stained hardwood trim in doors...It contains about 80% of the original furniture, decor and original paintings aqnd photos...and only the parlor was restricted from entering since the original carpet is on the floor!...Otherwise we were permitted to enter in each room and wander as we wished, only nwith the caution to not touch!...and I was permitted to take as many photos of anything I desired, so long as I did not employ flash...what a treat!....For example there was an original painting of Abraham Lincoln as a young man which had been hung over Lincoln's body at his funeral which was given to Benjamin since he was one of his most personal freinds!...and I photographed it for my book! He remained an Attorney until the Civil War when he volunteered for service...comissioned and served with General Sherman...then receiving a promotion by General Hooker...to a General himself. He enjoyed Army life, but left when summoned by nLincoln who had founded the National Republican Party to set up the Repiublican party of Indiana... Some anecdotes were: He was first President to install electricity in the White House...His wife was one of 3 President's wives to die while they were in office..His wife was quite outspoken.. a forerunner of women's lib..and the first wife to take an active role in her own agenda... She became ill with Tb...brought a young neice to assist her in home when she became bedridden...and directed her husnand to re-marry as soon as possible following her demise, since he needed that type of support...Shortly after her death, he married the neice who was the same type woman even tho she was 28 years nyounger than he!...I photod a photograph of Benjamin holding the young daughter she bore him...resembling more of being grandfather, rather than father..You will see it when I learn to post the pictures! More anacdotes...He was a close freind of John Philip Sousa who was Conductor of Marine Band and we heard a familiar March of his played on his original Music player which utilized Copper perforated disks which preceded the Phonograph...It was thrilling to hear! He also soigned six states into the Union...more than any other President and also signed Hawaii as a Territory!
It was his father who signed the Declarati0on of Independence! There were many other pictures I was able to photograph of personal and official content.....for example, we saw the actual bed he died in...and found out that he had a large summer house in Cape May, NJ!
All in all it was a remarkable visit to a home of a remarkable man..who certainly pplayed an important role in the development of our wonderful country...you shall see.....

It was a 2 hour visit and we promptly aimed our van toward, Springfield, Illinois...and enroute had a light lunch and still arrived at tge Lincoln Museum just a few minutes before their closing...giving us nan opportunity to "learn the ground rules" for tomorrow morning and of course sufficient time to add to my book collection!..The van is now more like a "mobile Library"..than a van for our travel purposes! See you tomorrow!

lots of miles today!

...left for Cincinnati after breakfast and reached it about 10AM....Visited the home and Museum for William A. Taft...The home was built by his father who was also quite an able Politician..His fathers name was Alfonso and left quite a legacy for his son, the President to attempt to equal...He was extremely wealthy and helped William and his nsiblings receive the best education possible....The father had been married previously and William was a child of his 2nd marriage....William was close friend of Teddy Roosevelt and his VP...When Teddy's term was over ...he assisted Taft to become President as member of Republican Party...Roosevelt went to Africa on safari...and upon his return found that Taft did not follow the policies that Roosevelt had set...They became serious enemies...and Roosevelt decided to run again for President..but thyeepublican Party did not want him, and the nominated Bryan unstead....Teddy then formed a 3rd party...called the "Bull Moose Party" which served to divide the Republicans with the result being that the Democrat candidate, Woodrow Wilson won in a shoo-in!
Taft was the biggest President..6ft 2 inch and 330 lbs!..He was also first to throw out a baseball to start the season...and his wife was the first nto plant the Japanese Cherry Trees near the Washington Monument!...bought several more books....and left to drive to Loisville, Kentucky!

Arrived in afternoon to the Zachary Taylor National Cemetery...He and his wife are buried there and he has a monument with a statue of him atop...It is a Military cemetery with some WW I veterans and many more WW II and Korean veterans buried there,,,All graves have small uniform sized headstones in precision like lines...An interesting fact is that the reverse side of the headstone has the veterans spouse identified on it and her grave is directly behind the veterans...^This was the site of the original homestead....

We left to drive then...back to Indiana and arrived just before closing at the fabulous home of William Henry Harrison....
The woman docent was gracious enough to remain open to allow us a sufficient time for our tour...He and his family lived in tyhe house called "Grouseland" for about 12 years.....It is amazing that altho he only was President for a little more than a mo0nth, succumbing to pneumonia after receiving a chill while giving his inaugural address...that he was able to make such an impact in Presidential history...We watched a very interesting biographical video presentatioon...took lots of pictures....and bought some more books!

An interesting anecdote was that President John Adams had appointed him as Governor of the entire Northwest Province and it was William Henry Harrison who arranged for Lewis and Clark to do their very famous exploration....More to come....in the book...!

By this time daras and I felt that we had done enough...so suitablr lodging and dinner were sought.....Tomorrow is Indianopolis!

a very full day...again!

...drove thru very beautiful country on a very pleasant warm and sunny day... The drive thru the Mennonite farmland was so pleasant...and easy...took country roads all the way to the southwaestern portion of Ohio into North Bend, Ohio...tiny town where Wm Henry Harrison is buried in Congress Green Cemetery...there are markers at the house where he lived and Benjamin Harrison was born,,,and about a 1/4 mile away is a huge obelisk monument attestin g to the site.. Across the narrow road is the tiny cemetery where he and many of the other family are buried...A man by the name of Symmes purchased a great pice of land for 67 cents per acre with the help of George Washinton..It was known as the Miami Purchase...Hence, in driving down from upper Ohio we drove directly thru Miami University of Ohio...which Wm Henry Harrison had attended!...The grave stones were decaying and scarcely decipherable..but there was a joint plot for the Symess nand Harrison family...since Symmes first and then the Harrisons owned the cemetery...and Symmes daughter married W. Henry Harrison!...It was awesome plodding over and around all the crumbling heaqdstones..but of course, reverential...I said "Thanks!'...and left...

Next was a drive down the same narrow road which should have taken about 15 minutes to the town of Point Pleasant, but took an hour since the road was closed for repair of a bridge and took us an hour to reach instead....It was necessary to drive over the border ninto Kentucky and back again to reach it...We arrived at the tiny one room downstairs...and one room up the ladder in which Ulysses S. Grant was born!..it was built in 1817,,,and the Grant's moved in in 1821...wer saw the room he was born in...and from which he moved when he was about 1 year old.....so..

We then drove to hid Boyhood Home where he lived from age 1 until he left to attend West Point! It was a small brick house in a small village among the adjacent farmland ..His father was a tanner, with the shop directly across the street...The church..the one room school house..the teacher..and his boyhood friends were all within a 2block area..very cozy.....He attended the 1st grade at the school...but then his father sent him to another more distant school where he thought the education better
...Evidently his father was reasonably well educated because when his mother had died he was sent off to live with a Todd family who were financially secure...The Todd son ultimately became a Governor of Ohio.. Grant's father evidently was also a shrewd merchant because in addition to his Tannery he provided Horse and wagon transportation for people as well as lumber...and nyoung Ulysses when he was about 15 became very proficient at handling the horses...which he enjoyed.. However, he hateed the "blood and guts" of the tannery and as a result didn't want to work in the tannery...and ncouldn't stand to see the raw carcasses pf the hides being prepared...so much so that he would only eat meat if it were so well done as to resemble leather! There were many boyhood friends in the area with the Bailey's up the street being one of them..That house is still moccupied being a Bed and Breakfast presently...a large colonial frame house...Their son was attending West Point...was not doing well...and didn't like the military and threatened to quit...which he did...The boy's mother confided her discontent with Jesse Grant (Ulysses father)...who then promptly arranged for Ulysses to try to gain admission,,,since it would be an excellent education...and free!...Ulysees had to be coerced and urged to attend...he really did not want to go..but he did!,...The boy who left West Point became a Doctor...went into the Civil war and was killed...His name was Bartlett Bailey...
Ulysses name originally was Hiram Ulysses...the name Ulysses was his nfather's choice and Hiram "came out of a hat"....He was aqlways called "Lyss"...and was eldest of 6 children..all of whom received good education...since his father required it!... His mother was relatively unemotional and reserved...did not condone bragging etc...and not easily rattled...she did not visit Ulysees in the White House...not impressed!.....The "rest of the story" will follow when we arrive in Galena, Illinois where he returned after leaving the Army!

It was a very full day!...We the drove to about 100 miles from Louisville, Kentucky....
Talk to you later..

very exciting day!...

arrived at Ford's Museum about 10:30 AM...located in a beautiful setting near Art Museum downtown Grand Rapids...On the outside it is a gorgeous building..fountains and waterfalls very impressive...Even nicer inside...saw a documentary about Ford in the theater...visited gift area...of course purchased ..i9ncluding books...My Library is growing by leaps and bounds!

The 2nd floor had exhibits...many, many rooms with an unbelievable amount of very exciting material;...took hundreds of pictures...Has a replica of his Oval Office which is breathtaking as well as his Cabinet room which you may enter...very authentic...It was amazing as to how much very important decisions he made during the 2 1/2 YEARS of his term...and was very impressed with him as a President and a true Patriot. His biography is for certain one of being a genuine "All American Boy".....Adopted and took name of Stepfather...Pardonede Nixon...became VP after resignation of Agnew...and President after resignation of Nixon.....'nuff said?"......There was also a large section where the exhibit of Terrorism on loan from the SPY museum in DC was for view....amazing display....and realizing he waqs offered to join several NFL football teams and deferred to go to Law School...at Yale....and was told that he mentioneed that if he were offered the same opportunity from a mAJOR lEAGUE Baseball team..he would never entered politics!....Visitede his Grave site adjacent to the Museum with the headstone already in place for his wife, Betty....Also waqs told that Bill VClinton had visitede the museum last night!...He sure gets around...wonder why?.....

Then back in the van for a long haul back to the southwestern part of Ohio to visit 3 more places tomorrow!..had dinner and found very nice motel in Amish area Farmland in Indiana about a 2 hour ride to Cincinatti (sp?)... The Ford Museum was the most impressive of the Archival supportede museums we have yet visited....'till tomorrow...au revoir....send me a note when you think about it...

..2 days travel!...

...forgot to tell you how surprised we were to see the milesw of Vineyards in upper NY STate as we travelled westward toward Ohio....Must be tremendous source of income to area..
However after leaving NY and just over border in Ohio we first stopped at James A Garfield's Home in Mentor, Ohio...it is in a park-like setting and called Lawnfield...Large house with huge graystone addition for a library put on by his wife Lucretia after his death when she received considerable donations of money in his memory..she also built a large conical tower to which was affixed a large windmill which generatede sufficient mechaanical power to push water from the well under pressure to all the inside plumbing of the house...as well as a stone addition to the Carriage house which contained the apparatus to provide gas service to the home...She was a woman before her time! The visit gave us much information about the President...

The next stop was at Harding's home in Marion, Ohio...
He built the house in 1891 as a gift to his wife prior to his marriage to her..She was several yeaqrs his senior and had eloped several years previously and had a small son...who was never adopted by Harding...He lived with his grandfather...and her father dis-owned her when she marriede Harding...He was the owner and publisher of the Marion Star newspaper and met his wife when she was supporting herself and her son by teaching piano...she gave lesswons to one of his relatives...
Hardind died in California after returning form Alaska from a visit..He went to Alaska by railroad, but returnede to California by ship...His V.P. Coolidge succeeded him...
His wife died of Bright's Disease about 16 yeaqrs after his demise.
A tour of the home provided much information about his Presidency as well as some insight into his personna...It was a rewarding visit...

The final visit of the day was in Fremont, Ohio...up near Lake Ontario....It waqs the HUGE home of Rutherford B. BHayes called "Spiegel Grove"....It also was within a park...and he and his nwife...and his son and wife are bujried on thne property....The home was given to him byh a very wealthy uncle..who also provided for him handsomely at his demise...Rutherford really had BIG BUCKS...and lived it!...It hade been mentionede that this house/museum gave FDR the idea to attempt the same thing officially with the National Archives.
The uncle bought the lqand in 1845..built the house in 1859 and completed it in 1863..with Rutherford assisting init's construction... He was the only President other than Jefferson who involved himself so deeply in the construction.....It so much impressed Daras that she remarked "she could move in today!"....
Rutherford's father died 2 monthsw before he was born....and his wife was the first wife of a President to have a college education! He was the embodiment of the statement that "rich is better than poor"!


We then drove north to the edge of the lake..had a Perch fish dinner and a waterfront room in the hotel...not bad!


Today was a more restful day...Had the van's oil changed and had an opportunity to do my bookkeeping while it was being serviced....then drove up into Michigan about 2 hours later and reached the Library of Prtesident Gerald Ford...Beautiful building directly on the campus of Univeersity of Michigan at Ann Arbor....We were well received by the Head Archivist who was pleassed to show us about and even opened the door and permitted us to enter Ford's personal office which he last visited in 2004....and permitted pictures!
There was no doubt of the esteem that was reciprocal by both the University and Ford...He was the MOst Valuable Player during the time he plqayed Cernter on the Football team...and there waqs evidence of his character as an Eagle Scout etc...all over the library!...He appeared to be the ALL American bOY......iwas easy to gain insight into what he was made of...and much information was elicited about his term of office...The Library is financed both by the University as well as the archives...and is used primaqrily as a research library...

We left then to drive for about 2 1/2 hours to Grand Rapids where tomorrow AM we will visit the Museum....'till then...Arrivederci (sp?) we just had dinner in an Italian Restaurant!

wireless available today!

Hi everyone...Missed a day n yesterday since no wireless access,, so here goes:

Saturday..June 16
Left hotel after good nites rest....drove about 2 miles to Fair Lawn Cemetery in Buffalo....It is a very large and well kept cemetery and ver impressive, particularly with so many huge, artistic quality granite monuments...There wqas even a composite large monument presentation designede by Frank Lloyd Wright in 1928....We visited the Family plot of President Millard Fillmore with just a few headstones enclosed The largest memorial was a pink granite obelisk which desinated him as President etc...but was more moving were tyhe 4 tiny upright granite slabs which were placed directly over the graves...A very small weathered one was his which just had the initials M. P. F. etched on it...It certainly suggested his simple character and frugality!..A somewhat larger one indicated his wife, Abigail and the other 2 were their children...I saw a tiny American Flag withiun the closure evidently dropped from a ceremonial wreath for Memorial day...and reached in and took it for my cillection as a mimento...as I told him, "Thanks"..! for doing his part to continue the progress of the USA..

When the visit was concluded we left to return near the hotel and to Teddy Roosevelt's Inaugural site...He had been Vice-President to McKinley..and had filled in for him at the Pan-American Exposition when it was opened...and a few days later Mckinley visited on President's Day...and while shaking hands in the crowd was shot at point blank by an american zealot who tried to "make his place in history"....The President survfived...and Teddy remainede at thisw Wilcox Mansion as a guest of Col. Wilcox his friend,,,After about 4 days as the President appeared to be recovering...Teddy left to join his family at vacation in the Adirondacks,,,when he was urgently summoned to return at the sudden unexpected death of the President...A ceremonial Oath of Office was programmed by the Sec'y of War and the oath administered by a Federal Judge...About 40 VIP's attendend. It evidently was a sad and emotional Inauguration with many participants, including Roosevelt shedding tears! The house was immense and regal...My book will disclose more...

We the immediately dashed...really sped to the next location which was the home of Millard Fillmore..which was in East Aurora, NY....The home was quite large and impressive...but nothing similar to the Wilcox Mansion we had juswtr visited...Fillmore was a poor man with only an 8th grade education, nand had been trained in several trades after serving various apprenticeships....but belatedly took the necessary steps to serve apprenticeships with various lawyers and finally passed the bar exams for the practice of law...He really became educated after his marriage to Abigail who was several years his senior...She had been a school teacher and straightened him out! More will come in my book...getting interested???

We the drove west again to just beyond the Ohio border where we found lodging and dinner! ZZZzzzz....




Now we reach today..Father's Day...JUne 17

Warren Harding...James A Garfield and Rutherford B. Hayes....one after aqnother today...miles apart...but it will have to wait 'till tomorrow...too tired!...Nitey-nite!

...a day of travel

...Left this am...right down the street of our motel to the banks of Lake Champlain and boarded the Ferry to take us across the lake to Port Kent , N.Y. it was an hour trip...beautiful weather...warm and sunny...and smooth sailing!....I had promised Daras a Cruise...and I lived up to it!.....We then elected to drive toward Buffalo, NY and took a small road directly thru and over the Adirondacks...It was thrilling...circuitous, and up and down all the way to Utica where we met a major highway dirctly toward Buffalo...We did no Presidential research but sure had oooh's and aaah's.....We made Buffalo at about 5:30 and lucked into finding lodging in a lovely hotel 2 blocks from the Museum.. This is where Mckinley was assasin ated and Teddy Roosevelt inaugurated...The museum opens at noon tomorrow,,,so before we go there we will visit the Cemetery where President Millard Fillmore is buried!...2 Birds (Presidents) with one stone!
See you tomorrow! drop me a line so I know I am getting thru!

another exciting day!..

Left early this AM to drive directly to Plymouth Notch, Vermont...crossed the Connecticut river and we were in Vermont...It was a great drive on secondary roads winding thru and over forested mountains,,with an overhang nin manynof nthe locations to give the appearance of a tunnel!..I know now why the Green Mountains are named that...event he thicly forested roads cut thru the stone montains reveal green colored stone!..The ride was like a roller coaster..but we made it...and the village of Plymouth notch was like a greath of spring...the sun was bright..the Lupines were in blossom...and it was comfortably warm... The Calvin Coolidge site cobnsists of the store and cinnected rear little house in which he was born and lived is there...still furnishede with original furniture and personal articles...including the bed he was born in!...Right across the street is the larger house they moved into when he was a bit older...and directly across the street was the Church he attended which waqs built in abo0ut 1840..we were in the interior and it is entirely panelled with thin hardwoods in avery attractive pattern....of course many photos were taken....The house indicated that he was primarily a farm boy and rose early each AM to do the required chores..and we saw his carriaqge which was built by his father as well as the very necessary Sleigh for winter travel...Eight down the street was the Cheese factory that the family ownede..and is still functioning as well as the general store he was born into!...We purchased fabulouloy tasteful cheese to mail to all our children...hope they arrive intact...I also purchased several books for my research...We also saw a short video as a biography of hid life in the museum...It was a very satisfying visit.,,,,and the we aimed our GPS for the other President born in Vermont...Chester A. Arthur.....and it was a long distance away...in the northwestern corner of Vermont about 15 miles from the Canadiasn border...the route we took included driving thru Killington and Stowe...The distance was about 180 miles and about 5 hours long!..It was literally cut thru the forest and thru the mountains in a serpentine, winding narrow road sometimes too naqrrow to have amiddle line and with hairpin curves...there also were several detours thru even narrower roads because of detours due to bridge wash-outs! The scening was absolutely breath taking...High in the mountains and peering down thgousands of feet to the valleys and lakes below...dotted with tiny communities...When we finally reached the final road we found it was a dirt road which we traqversed for about 5 miles, now in Hill-farm country....When we arrived we found a small frame building used as a museum for President Arthur and a Granite monument pin-pointing the exact location where the house stood that he was born in!...AQt the museum I gained much informastion which gave me insight as to the personna of Arthur...I can't wait to return home and commence writing!

Well we accomplished as much as we hoped for today...and then left to return southward, on a different route to reach Burlington, Vermont for a great Roast Beef dinner and lodging!....
I wonder what tomorrow will offer? See you then!...Drop me a line when you can...

I Made it!

Had a good nite's rest and we were noff nthis morning non acold..drizzly and raining Northeast day! Brrrrr! Drove to Concord, New Hampshire..the address for President Franlin Pierce was sort of vague...so had a little difficulty finding Information Center nearby...and to our dismay the Pierce Manse would only be opening for the season this weekend!,,,and after driviong in thee rain and thru the beautiful and imposing White mountains!....BUT...the person behind the desk gave me some information and several npublished pamphlets that told of the major house of his lifetime...and I called the number and it too was closed!...however not being daunted nI found a number to call if desirious of a personal tour of this major home which was about 35 miles farther North....and I called...and Glory be!...the man who answered who lived several miles from the locationj...volunteered graciously to meet us there and give us THE PERSONAL TOUR! We hustled and blundered on the mountain roads in the rain and found it....
The guide was an elerly gent who really lived Pierce...and when the house was open actually wore the 1830 dress of the day!
We saw the barn attached to the house and the interior of the house as well...AQlmost all the original furnishings and personal items were nther for us to0 explore...almost without any restriction...We walked thru about 20 rooms on both floors and saw all the original paintings and certificates...with authentic signatures.. President Pierce's father was a very dominant influence on Frank(lin)...and the President also had an older brother who was his hero...The father and son were both in the Military during Revolution and war of 1812.. The House which was built by the father waqs used as an INn..a Tavern..a Post-Office and a Sherrif's station...and his father had been..owner of Inn and Tavern...Postmaster and Sherrif at various time including several local political offices and Governor of New Hampshire twice...Not only was he extremely active,,but charismatically handsome!...What an act for the young Franlin to follow...but he did!...He too was Handsome with a large shock of black hair over his right brow..but waqs extremely shy, particularly with the women! Franlin lived in the house from infancy to about age 36...so the influences of all the patrons, politicians and Military who utilized the various functions of the house must of played an important part in his development...He attended Bowdoin collegenin Maine and then, Dartmouth...for law.....we learned much more of his personna...and it will be useful for my book...We spent about 2 1/2 hours with him, and at the conclusion we were all exhausted...After much thank you's to this gracious man we left to drive back down to Concord and find a route that would take us to our next location which would be over the Connecticut River into Vermont...We also learned that it is virtually impossible to drive across East West roads...since they barely existed!...Therefor it is necessary to retrace steps from North to South again to commence a new direction North to the next stop...Obviously itg is due to the position of all the mountain ranges....
We found our way therfore to Lebanon, New Hampshire for dinner and lodging and tomorrow AM we drive about 50-60 miles to Plymout Notch, Vermontt which is the birthplace of Calvin Coolidge. See you then!

John Adams...and...John Quincy Adams

Drove to Quincy, Mass. Took excellent tour of houses that Father was born in and nnext door was son's...Side by side..2nd an d 6th President... First in line was Deacon John Adams...shoemaker ...and farmer and large landowner...Sent son John Adams to Harvard...becamr president...His son...felt the cause as well...became President...Both had strong wives!...Abigail and Louisa....All 4 burriede in Granite boxes under Church floor which we visited...Lot's more to tell...later!

Drove to JFK library on Sunday...Place empty...we were first in!...Beautiful building on campus of University of Mass...overlooking Charles River...good exhibits...but sad...realizing a life with so much promise being cut short!...Big play about Cuban Missile Crisis...Jackie and her entertaining at WShite House and his Brother ...Bobby!....
Much ado about his family and his father....Speaking of Rivers...it became apparent how much they influenced the growth of USA... The Delaware..The Charles,, The James and the Chesepeake area...The Potomac The Susqehanna..The Hudson...Boston Harbor...NYC Harbor...Phila Harbor etc...interesting.

Drove 2 hours to Pam and Ji9m's House...Surprise Dinner for friends and US for Jim's Birthday which is on Flag day...June 14th!...Had a great reunion with our Grandkids ( Gabriela and Benj) who are great and also look fine aswell as Pam and Jim...Late nite for us...and to bed!

Next ASm...bid farewell and drove to downtown Portland where Benj has summer job waitiong tables at nice restaurant right on the water!..He served us Breakfast...and of course tried to be as generous as possible...

Left directly from there to Campobello ...about 5 hour scenic drive thru the mountains...speaking of mountains, we have been on Appalachian, Adirondacks, Berkshires, Catskills and Poconos so far...More to come? We arrived at Lubec, Maine which is the most eastern city in the usa...when we were at Key West we noted that we were on most Southern!..
Drove over the short Lubec/Roosevelt Bridge after passing Canadian Customs and found lodging in a Log Cabin near the Roosevelt home...The Lodge we slept in was built in 1915...There was not only no wireless for computer...BUT no TV!...Had great dinner at Seafood dinner about 4 miles away...A nice quiet nite and a much needed good sleep!....This Am we took a tour of the Roosevelt "Cottage"...all 32 rooms of it!....Almost all furniture remained there as well as all personal items...Very well presented and gave good insight as to the life-style the family enjoyed...
It was a memorable visit...and we learned a great deal...

Left the museum and retraced our steps to Jim's office..surprise visit from us with some more gifts....and met his office staff...all nice people and a thrill for us! He and his family are leaving early tomorrow Am for Tennessee for a music concert for a week...SO...we bid adieu again...and left for dinner and lodging on the route to Concord, New Hampshire!....The travelliung seems to be getting easier...or maybe we are just numb?......'till next time....

almost caught up!

Am in Quincy, Mass tonite...saw all about the Adams Family...but will try to catch up to get current...Hang on!

Hooray we are in NYC!...Bus ride from Penn station to 122nd street and Riverside Drive...very impressive and well cared for National Park site. Large domed building on summit of hill overlooking Hudson River...story was he wanted to be buried in Arlington or other Military cemetery, but rules did not allow for spouses...So...Mayhor of NYC offered the site...and she grabbed it! Saw both crypts..and got lots of info...will include in book!

Back alway down to tip of Manhattan for another !$1.00 per and went into Federal Hall...Also National site...good info and more literature...It was where Washinton's 1st Inaugural speech was given!...Much more in my book!

Fraunces Tavern..off of Wall st... Tavern where Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, madison all conferred about the development of iNDEPENDENCE...AND cONSTITUTION!
They evidently liked to eat, booze and work as I do!..Restaurant still operating..had late lunch there!...Tour guides...and lots of pictures! Washington gave Farewell Address to Troops there and WE were in the ROOM!...

Pooped out again...and got the train back to Hamilton..and a nite at Deena and Michaels!

Next Am..on our way to Calwell, NJ...Grover Cleveland's Home....where he was born...and only lived there as small child..beautiful brick home...2 fabulous women who were guides..one for 28 years..it was lunch time when they generally close...but remainede open for us!..very nice....It is only museum for him..privately endowed, but not sufficiently...got all excellent background about he and his family...almost all original furnishings and personal mimentos...Took lots of pictures...even heard 2 songs sung by the one woman concerning his election campaign against Harrison...and the possible paternity question!...Very funny...she will mail me the music!
Can't wait to start writing the book..so many anecdotal stories to tell!

Drove to Dey Mansion...Washington's Headquarters during Revolution.

Drove to Hasbrouke House...in Newburgh , NY...High on a hill overlooking a bend in the Hudson...across the river is higher mountain..Beacon nHill where he had soldiers who had even better view down the river..watching for British..and where they planted large wood poles linked together by heavy chains to thwart i9nvasion of british by boat!...Lots of cannon...
He w3as in this house for the longest period during the revolution..16 months...got great pictures and lots of stories to tell!

Onward to Hyde Park...2nd official Archive Museum we visited....Saw film documentary in theatre..home schooled until he went to Groton when it was new...Mother's maiden name was from Flanders...De La Noye...hence, Delano!saw his stuffed bird collection...saw pictures of Fala ( Murray the Outlaw of Fala Hill)...saw the interior of house ..every room..his MOTHER"S and his and his wife's...Father built tower on 3rd floor where he was tutored...and saw elevator where while in his wheelchair he would pull on the ropes to ascend or descend...didn't trust the electricity....Many stories...and many pictures...

Then drove to Kinderhook, NY..Van Buren's Home ...very Deutch

enough for today...almost caught up...will elaborate about Van Buren next blog...very interesting personna! Then, we go to Grant's cottage where he died...and today's visit to the Adams!!!!!

Hope you are enjoying...drop me a line and make a comment...anything!

continuing...

Drove back to Ellen and Tony's house...dropped bags..parked car a short drive away in Hotel garage...walked back...lot's longer walking! Her house is just off of Dupont Circle...Ambassador's Row../very impressive....Had very warm and pleasant reunion with Liz (Elizabeth) who had just finished 1st day's work for summer vacation from school as Chef in a very hi-grade restaurant in gEORGETOWN...hAD DINNER IN THE RESTAURANT WHILE SHE WAS WORKINHG THERE ABOUT 2 DAYS LATER...GOT "EXTRA AMOUNT PORTION OF Delicious appetizer!"
hAD DINNER WITH aLEX THE NEXT NIGHT..WHO SHOWED ME HOW TO ATTEMP THIS BLOG...uSED THE mETRO...AND LOT'S AND LOTS OF WALKING TO SEE d. c. Saw the White House..the Capitol..The Archives with show of "Schoolhouse to Whitehouse" just what I wanted...Met Educational dIRECTOR WHO OFFEREDE TO MAIL ME THE PHOTOS OF THE ENTIRE SHOW!...FOR FREE!...WOW! Have to credit the pictures etc in my book.....Halleluyah!
Next day..back to Metro...saw Wilson and his wife's tomb in National Cathedral...took pictures....Went to Lincoln Memorial...went nin....went to Jefferson Memorial...walked in...went to FDR Memorial ..walked in...went to @nd World War Museum...walked some more...took gangs of pictures!
another day...another ntrip...Arlington Cemetery...lots more walking...saw kENNEDY gRAVE SITE AND ETERNAQL FLAME AND ALSO SAW THE ONLY OTHER pRESIDENT BURIED THERE..Taft! Saw the Changing of the guard at the tomb of unknown soldier...saw the memorial of the Battleship, Maine....and The Memorial to Astronauts! Also graves of George Marshall...Gen. Pershing...Audie Murphy ...veterans of Civil war...Spanish American war...Korean and nvIETMANESE WAR ..Afghanistan and Iraq war....The house on the Summit was General Robert Lee's..and Union army took it for cemetery before civil war was over!....It is now referred to as Lee Memorial or Arlinton House...we toured it! It was from this house that Memorial Day was proclaimede and became National holiday! The flag at entrance was flying at 1/2 mast...since a half hour nbefore every burial it is lowered...and there are about 24 burials daily!!! We finally made it home!

Next day...went to National Portrait Gallery...great presentation of Presidential photos...and I photographed them! Then went to Ford's theatre..sat in front row...took pictures of Lincoln Box and had great verbal presentation from the stage...The house across the street wher e Lincoln died is closed for repair..but I took pictures! Went to Blair house where nTruman lived during first term while White House was being renovated...more pictures....and much more walking!

Sunday...met our daughter Jan in Annapolis for brunch at Deli...since she was to shop Whole Foods for a party she was giving...Spent a delightful few hours with her...Left to drive to Deena nd Michaels in Tabernacle, NJ...They were both working in garden around swimming pool...nice day...nice weather...Great warm re-union again!

Monday...Memorial Day
Had breakfast in great restaurant with Deena and Michael...returned home...they worked outdoors...and we....rested. Had "chinese" that nite!

Next day...drove to Atlantic City...visited Shula (Daras' roommate from college...had dinner and left to drive to Jenkintown, Pa for reunion with my sister...and to bed!

Next ,morning..lwrote on computer...took train downtown to see Independence Hall...took pictures and excellent tour...Lucked into Archeological Diog at 6th and Market where while digging for new foundations for building uncovered George Washintons original foundation for his home while in Philadelphia!...will only be visible forr aa few weekws!...talked to archeologist who showed us the curved footing of bay-windoe gEORGE HAD ADDED ON HOME...SUGGESTED THAT THIS PROBABLY WAS FORERUNNER OF FIRST "oVAL OFFICE!"

Next day...Valley Forge...took pictures
Gettysburgh...Pictures if where Lincoln gave Emancipation speech..
Eisenhower retirement home...guided tour...and nlots of pictures
Drove to LancaSTER...SAW GRAVE OF jAMES bUCHANAN IN TINY DOWNTOWN CEMETERY...DROVE TO HIS LUXURIOUS HOME IN lANCASTER..HAD TOUR
House is called "Wheatland"....beautiful home...good lecture..learned all about him....
went to Dickinson..and Law school practice law in Lancaster which was capitol of Pa.!
Saw his law office...
Next day..drove to Mercersburh Academy wher his birthplace home is located...more pictures!

Drove back to my sister's ..Met Deena and Miichael ande we all went to delicious Middle East Restaurant for dinner.

Next day...drove to Easton, Pa with my sister to attend Graduation commencement of Moravian High School graduation ceremony of her grandaughter, Lara Paige Pollack...a lovely girl..daughter of Denise and Matthew Pollack!...Had dinner with them...and home to bed!

Next day was Sunday...again...drove downtow2n to visit more Presidential places....went to old customs house..being usede as Portrait Museum for many important Pre and Post revolutionary personages...and displaying the beginning of democracy!...Pictures of Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Hamilton, Franklin, Madison etc..more pictures
...walked to Liberty Bell exhibit...several guides lectures..very educational and more pictures!

..walked to the building that housed the Original Supreme court...got guided lecture...took pictures...went int "documents building"...original copies of Declaration..Bill of Rights etc...
and then invited to country club dinner by Andy and Patty..son and daugghterinlaw of my sister...good food and better company...and home to bed!

The next morning we drove to Hamilton, NJ...took train to NYC...will get me close enough to write in more detail...I hope!

Sorry for the typos...and the abbreviated summary...It may get better next?