Blog for adaysouting.com

Since I have been writing about my travel adventures for A Day’s Outing, I have done many new things. I have taken trips to natural bridges and caverns, visited botanical gardens and recently, I have begun to stop by roadside graveyards.  I know that graveyards are not a typical destination, but I have come to appreciate their quite serenity and the glimpse they offer into the past and into the history of a community.

In most parts of the world, stone is the material most often used to mark graves.  Many of the headstones are marble, granite, slate, sandstone or some other local stone that could be carved or inscribed.  Markers can be a simple stone or an ornate, carved statue.

I really like the old headstones and statues.  The design, inscription and the personal information all help to paint a picture of the person and their life.  The graveyard itself is often surrounded by an old wrought iron fence or stonewall that lends a sense of permanence to the place.  On a recent trip to Abingdon, Virginia I stopped by a graveyard that had a tall, mounded hill in it. I have never seen one before, but I believe this is an earthen mausoleum.  There was an iron gate in front that one could open, but out of respect, I didn’t go inside.

Visiting graveyards might not be for everyone, but if you do see one on your travels, you might want to stop by for a peek at history and a moment of quiet contemplation.

I am guessing you have heard of a gristmill before, but have you ever visited one?

Luckily, you can find old mills all around the world.  Mills were a central part of local communities for hundreds of years, maybe a few thousand years. The earliest reference to a mill is from 71 BC – from a king’s palace in Asia Minor.

Growing up, I have heard a mill referred to as a gristmill or a corn mill – these are really any mill that grinds grain. Historically, a local mill is where the farmers brought their own grain and had it ground into meal or flour. They gave the miller a small percentage of the meal or flour as the “miller’s toll,” instead of cash.  Most towns and villages were dependent on their local mill to turn their crops into flour because bread was such an important part of their diet.

While the local mill may be long gone, millstones can be easily found. The millstones are what grind the grain. They are laid one on top of the other. The bottom stone, called the bed, is fixed to the floor, while the top stone, the “runner” is mounted on a separate spindle. A wheel called the “stone nut” connects the runner’s spindle to the main shaft, and this can be moved out of the way to disconnect the stone and stop it turning, leaving the main shaft turning to drive other machinery. This might be a bit confusing, so here’s a really fun graphic of how a water driven gristmill works. (the two gray circles at the top of the graphic are the millstones)

Keep an eye out for historic mills as your traveling. You might come across a millstone in a town’s square or find a working mill and bring home some freshly ground corn meal. Here are just a few that you will find on A Day’s Outing:

Bale Grist Mill, Napa, CA

Cedar Creek Grist Mill, Woodland, WA

East Rockaway Grist Mill Museum, Rockaway, NY

Historic Prater’s Mill, Dalton, GA

Kerr Mill at Sloan Park, Mount Ulla, NC

Pine Creek Grist Mill, Muscatine, IA

Find historic districts gristmills on A Day’s Outing…. and don’t forget to download the iPhone app so you can find new places to visit while you’re out and about.

I have always liked the look of cobblestone roads, but had never thought about their history or function before.   It wasn’t until I was being guided through historic Richmond, VA that I learned where all those rounded “cobble” rocks came from.

In the 1700 and 1800’s, ships arrived in port cities up and down the east coast of the United States. The ships unloaded cargo and took on new cargo at each port. To keep a ship from riding too high in the water when the cargo weigh was low and to control its buoyancy and stability, ballast was added to weigh the ship down. Cobblestones from river cobble and quarried stone were used as inexpensive ballast weight.

In port cities, the earliest streets were little more than sandy and muddy avenues.  As sailing vessels arrived, the cobblestones they carried as ballast were often deposited along the shoreline.  For many cities, such as Richmond, Jamestown and Savannah, cobble ballast became an inexpensive and durable material for paving sandy or muddy streets.  Cobblestones prevented ruts from forming in the road during dry weather and allowed roads to remain passable in wet weather.  Cobblestones were the perfect recycled material for building roads.

Find historic districts with cobblestone streets on A Day’s Outing…. and don’t forget to download the iPhone app so you can find new places to visit while you’re out and about. Then the next time you are walking down a cobblestone street, you can imagine the stones as ballast cargo that an ancient ship carried from some far-flung place to that port city.

My visit to the Art Institute of Chicago reminded me how wonderful volunteers are.  As I walked into the museum, a smiling woman greeted me.  She waved me over to the front desk and asked if I had ever visited the Art Institute before.  I clearly had the — this museum is huge and don’t know where to begin — look on my face.  When I said it was my first visit, the volunteer pulled out a map and started showing me all the wonderful exhibits the museum had to offer.  This amazing volunteer had been with the Art Institute for more than twenty years.  She knew each collection and offered different ideas on how I could enjoy the museum and where some of their signature pieces were to be found.

As I made my way around the museum, I saw other volunteers with huge stickers on their shirts that read “ASK ME”.  This was a simple reminder that volunteers are waiting to answer any question that you may have about the art and to guide you to the galleries you are looking for.

My favorite question to ask a volunteer in a museum is “What is your favorite piece of art?”  I enjoy seeing their face light up as they share their passion for their institution and a special piece of the collection that they adore.  The wonderful volunteer that greeted me as I entered the Art Institute of Chicago told me about the gallery with the Miniature Rooms. I too fell in love with these wonderful pieces and I may never have found them without the help of a volunteer.

Find museums on A Day’s Outing…. and don’t forget to download the iPhone app so you can find new places to visit while you’re out and about.

I grew up in Roanoke, Virginia where a neon sign of an H&R coffee pot loomed large over the historic downtown market and a huge neon star shown across the Roanoke Valley.  These two icons from my childhood led to my lasting love of neon signs.

When I was young I had no idea how the amazing colors were created or how neon could make it look as if coffee poured from a pot and into a cup.  I have since learned that neon signs are made using electrified, luminous tubes of light that contain neon or other gases.  Although only neon gas was originally used in “neon” signs, it is now simply used to make the reds and oranges we see. Argon, or an argon-neon mixture, is now used in most signs to produce a range of colors, along with adding phosphorous to sides of the bent glass tubing.  To improve the color of the light, a small amount of mercury can be added as well. When the tube is ionized by electrification, the mercury evaporates into mercury vapor, which fills the tube and produces strong ultraviolet light. The ultraviolet light interacts with the phosphor coatings in the tube to produce different colors.

As you travel around the country, you’ll find both old and new neon signs.  Of course, you’ll see dozens of neon signs for beer, but I’m a fan of the large, bold neon signs that take artistry to create.  And if you happen to be visiting Roanoke, Virginia make sure you look up on Mill Mountain for a glimpse of the neon star – then you’ll know you are in the Star City of the South.

Find great things-to-do on A Day’s Outing…. and don’t forget to download the iPhone app so you can find new places to visit while you’re out and about.

I started taking photos out the window of our car awhile back.  It started when I wanted to take pictures of old farmhouses that looked like ours.  We really couldn’t stop every time I saw a house I wanted a picture of, so I started to take photos while we drove on by.

Now I take photos of all sorts of places as we speed down the road.  I wrap the cord around my wrist, hold on tight to the camera, roll down the window and snap away.  I have many blurry images, but with a digital camera it is easy to delete the photos you don’t want.  I also have really fun photos of building, signs, animals and the beautiful countryside all taken from a moving car.

One of my favorite all time photos is one I took in Washington D.C. of the Jefferson Memorial. We had been visiting one of the Smithsonian museums and were headed out of town. As we drove by the Jefferson Memorial, I rolled down the window and snapped a photo.  I know that I can’t stop ever time I see somewhere wonderful, so instead, I take a photo as we fly on by.

Find fun things-to-do on A Day’s Outing…. and don’t forget to download the iPhone app so you can find new places to visit while you’re out and about.

I didn’t know what to expect.  I was visiting the Washington National Cathedral without knowing its history or just how amazing it was going to be.  I know I should have done a little research before our outing, but I have been so busy that I didn’t.  I made up for it by I learning a ton while I was there.

After 83 years of construction, the cathedral was completed in 1990.  Formally named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, the Washington National Cathedral is the second largest cathedral in the country and the sixth largest in the world.  Built, as it would have been in the 14th century as a Gothic cathedral, the Washington National Cathedral extends almost the length of two football fields.  It stands as one of Washington D.C.’s highest points, this soaring Gothic cathedral rivals the Washington Monument and the Capitol.

The aspect of the cathedral that amazed me was the juxtaposition of the immense 14th century Gothic architecture and the contemporary elements in the stained glass windows.  There are many small chapels in the cathedral with themed stained glass.  The War Memorial Chapel honors men and women who have dedicated their lives to the service of our country.  The central alter window in this chapel is of Jesus dressed in camouflage upon the cross.  Surrounding this are images depicted in stained glass of women and men who fought in wars from the Revolutionary War to World War II.  There is another chapel that displays kneeling cushions that volunteers have needlepoint.  Harriet Tubman, an African-American abolitionist, humanitarian, and Union spy during the American Civil War, has an ornate prayer cushion in her honor.

While I was mesmerized by the inside of the cathedral, all my son could talk about were the gargoyles on the outside.  A gargoyle is a carved stone grotesque (from the Latin root of “Grotto”, meaning a small cave or hollow). A gargoyle is a spout designed to move water on a roof away from the side of a building.  The Washington National Cathedral has 112 gargoyles. The different designs are amazing, and the gargoyle my son was excited to see was the one of Darth Vader.  You have to search for it, but here’s a hint… it is on the “dark side” of the building.  A wonderful book that we read before our trip is the Guide to Gargoyles and Other Grotesques.

The cathedral sits a top 59 acres.  The grounds include the Bishop’s Garden.  I was only able to snap a photo of its welcoming twelfth century Norman arch.  The Bishop’s Garden is on the south side of the Cathedral. Inside its stone walls are two herb gardens, a rose garden, two perennial borders, a Shadow House and winding stone paths.

The next time we visit, I will make sure we have more time to enjoy the Washington National Cathedral.  We’ll also bring a pair or two of binoculars so that we can really see the gargoyles.  I think we will also pack a lunch and enjoy the Bishop’s Garden from inside its stone walls.

Here are a few fun facts to know before you visit (I learned these while I was there):
Height of Cathedral’s center tower: 30 stories tall
Total cost of building the Cathedral: $65 million
Total years of construction: 83
Number of stained glass windows: 231
Number of gargoyles: 112
Number of angels: 288
Weight of the entire Cathedral: 150,000 tons
Heaviest single stone: 5.5 tons

Find other great things-to-do on A Day’s Outing…. and don’t forget to download the iPhone app so you can find new places to visit while you’re out and about.

Railroads have a long and illustrious history dating back 500 years.  Early railways were created on wood and stone rails - and were powered by people and horses.  The first commercial steam engine was introduced in 1812 in England.  In the 1830s-1860s there was an enormous railroad-building boom in the U.S.  President Lincoln signed the Pacific Railway Act in 1862 authorizing the construction of the first transcontinental railroad.

Today, you can visit railroad museums all across the country.  You can learn about the history of rail transportation, see how railroad technologies have changed over the years and climb aboard some of the retired engines, cars and cabooses that made rail travel possible.  If you really love trains, there are also miniature railroad museums that highlight the amazing toys that have been created.

You can also take a ride on a train yourself.  While passenger train travel isn’t as popular now, I really enjoy it. My family took a train from Charlottesville to Philadelphia during spring break.  My husband and I loved not driving and the kids thought it was an adventure.  Cathy wrote about her family’s trip on the Auto Train from Virginia to Florida. Whether you are riding on a train or visiting a museum, you are sure to have fun.

Elizabeth’s post on hiking in the winter made me start to think about all the things we can do to get outside in the winter. After watching many of my neighbors out walking and running on a freezing cold New Year’s Day, I also decided that it’s really just about dressing for the weather.

My kids and I spent a great birthday weekend with my sister and nephew snow tubing at a ski resort near my house. We bought a family season pass this winter to go skiing and snowboarding there, but tubing was something we all (and virtually anyone else) could easily do. We had a blast. As you can hear in the video below, on of the littlest in our group thought it was “awesome”.

A few tips for snow tubing -

-Make sure you are dressed to be outside in the cold for about 2 hours and the for brief periods you will be going up to 25 miles an hour.

-If you do not have reservations (many of the sessions at some resorts sell out on weekends and holidays), get there a few minutes early to purchase the tickets and make the most of your time slot.

-Remember, like anything, it can be dangerous. Make sure the heaviest person is in the front when making a train, keep your feet from hitting the berms, and make sure you look before stepping into other lanes after your trip down.

Here are a few of the things I found on A Day’s Outing -

Candlelight Ski & Snowshoe Hike Winter, WI  February 5th, 2011

Turtle Fambeau Flowage Ice Fishing Jamboree Mercer, WI  February 26th, 2011

Ice Fishing Rumble Phillips, WI  March 5th, 2011

Cross Country Ski & Snowshoe at Bristol Mountain Nordic Center Canandaigua, NY

Utah Olympic Oval Ice Skating Salt Lake City, UT

Wenatchee River Road Snowshoe Trail Leavenworth, WA

I fell in love with miniature rooms at the Art Institute of Chicago. I have seen miniature portraits before at the Gibbes Museum of Art in Charleston, S.C. but never an entire miniature room. You might think that a miniature room is simply a type of dollhouse, but they are so much more.

Miniature rooms are created on a scale of 1 inch in miniature to 1 foot in real life (or 1:12). Everything is precisely represented in this scale, from lighting fixtures to the minute decorations on dining room chairs. One of the most famous collections, created by Mrs. James Ward Thorne, is housed at the Art Institute of Chicago. Mrs. Thorne began creating the rooms in the 1930’s using a collection of English and French miniature furniture pieces she had purchased during her travels abroad. Mrs. Thorne employed craftsmen during the depression to create and furnish more than 100 rooms. Many are exact replicas from houses in the United States and Europe. The rooms faithfully depict the architecture and interior design of their periods and countries, including rugs that she had specifically woven for each room.

English Reception Room of the Jacobean Period, 1625-1655

After you marvel at the craftsmanship in the Thorne Miniature Rooms gallery, there’s still so much more to see at the Art Institute of Chicago. There are famous French paintings, iconic American works, modern collections and Asian ceramics to enjoy. Whether you live nearby or are visiting Chicago for a few days, make sure you spend time at the Institute. You’ll be glad you did.

French Boudoir of the Louis XV Period, 1740- 1760