Stop #1 on my road trip was Gettysburg Civil War battlefield.   The Battle of Gettysburg was fought 1-3 July 1863.

This gun overlooks Pickett’s Charge:

A farmhouse on the battlefield:

The gun with a North Carolina monument:

A line of guns overlooking Pickett’s Charge:

The Pennsylvania Monument:

A Union gun overlooking Devil’s Den:

While driving through the fields, I found it amazing to think about what went on almost 150 years ago and that today I’m driving though the area where they fought. A humbling experience.

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

• Conclusion
• Liberty State Park
• Trenton
• Philadelphia
• Fort McHenry
• Washington, DC (Part 2)
• Washington, DC (Part 1)
• Manassas Battlefield
• Fredericksburg Battlefield
• Chancellorsville Battlefield
• Cold Harbor Battlefield
• Topsail Island, NC
• Charlotte, NC
• Shenandoah National Park
• Antietam Battlefield
• Gettysburg Battlefield
• Intro

So I’ve been absent for some time.   I became busy with work and personal projects and needed some time away from the blog.   But I’m back with many photo updates.

I’m currently on a road trip I’ve named my “America: F**k Yeah! Road Trip.”   A very good friend of mine from undergrad was getting married on the coast in North Carolina, and my sister recently moved to Charlotte, NC, so instead of flying, I decided to drive after I Googled my routes and discovered all the American historical treasures I could experience along the way.

So, last Thursday, I left CT bound for Charlotte, NC.   My first day took me through Gettysburg and Antietam Civil War battlefields as well as Shenandoah National Park.   After a few days visiting my sister, I set out for Topsail Island on the coast of NC, where I currently am.

What will follow in the next several days is a photographic journey of my adventure thus far and continuing to the present.

To start, I present you the seven state signs I passed on my eight-state drive on Thursday (the first one, I promise, says New York, but I missed it).

My tentative route takes me to Gettysburg battlefield, Antietam battlefield, Shenandoah National Park, Charlotte NC, Topsail Island NC, Cold Harbor battlefield, Chancellorsville battlefield, Manassas battlefield, a few nights in Washington DC, Fort McHenry in Baltimore, Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Trenton NJ where George Washington crossed the Delaware, and Liberty State Park in NJ overlooking the Statue of Liberty.

Stay tuned!

My “America: F**k Yeah!” Road Trip:

• Conclusion
• Liberty State Park
• Trenton
• Philadelphia
• Fort McHenry
• Washington, DC (Part 2)
• Washington, DC (Part 1)
• Manassas Battlefield
• Fredericksburg Battlefield
• Chancellorsville Battlefield
• Cold Harbor Battlefield
• Topsail Island, NC
• Charlotte, NC
• Shenandoah National Park
• Antietam Battlefield
• Gettysburg Battlefield
• Intro

One stop I left off my road-trip-to-Boston post was the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world. She first set sail in 1797, and during a battle in the War of 1812, she earned her nickname “Old Ironsides” when cannonballs of a British ship bounced off her wooden sides as if they were made of iron.

When I was deciding on road-tripping to Boston, I was browsing the Freedom Trail website. I either didn’t know or had forgotten the Constitution was in Boston, so when I saw on the website I could tour the ship, I was sold on visiting Boston. One of the reasons for my excitement was that I remember in 1997 when she set sail under her own power for the first time in 116 years to mark her 200th anniversary.   Here’s a U.S. Navy photo of the event:

So when I was in Boston, I made certain I visited the ship.

She’s currently undergoing restorations and is missing her masts, hence the shortness:

The guns inside:

Sleeping quarters for the sailors:

The tour guides aboard the Constitution are members of the U.S. Navy.   Their uniforms, which I neglected to photograph, are similar to those worn in 1813.   This is the hat they wear:

The Freedom Trail and the USS Constitution:

Her bow:

The water line:

Aft:

The guns:

The ship, the city, and the sailors:

I will definitely return when the restorations are finished.   What a remarkable, living piece of American history.

Get your finger ready to scroll because this one’s long!

In keeping up with my master plan of taking a road trip each month, I traveled to Boston, MA for the first time this month. Given my enjoyment of American history, I decided to spend the day walking the Freedom Trail downtown. What a fantastic and historic journey.

View from Boston Common:

Park Street Church:

Massachusetts State House:

Granary Burying Ground:

…home of Samuel Adams:

…Paul Revere:

…and John Hancock:

Pennies were left at each of their graves, but I haven’t found a solid explanation of why:

Here’s Paul again:

The Old South Meeting House:

The Old State House, near the site of the Boston Massacre:

Paul Revere’s house:

The Old North Church, where the two one-if-by-land-two-if-by-sea lanterns were hung, and a statue of Paul “The British Are Coming” Revere:

Inside the church:

For a fee, you could take a guided tour of the Freedom Trail (I didn’t). The tour guides were dressed appropriately:

Battle of Bunker Hill Monument (although technically the battle took place on Breed’s Hill):

294 steps up the monument gets you this view of Boston:

The monument again:

Many streets on the trail were lined with gas lamps. Here’s one with the Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge in the background:

One of things about the Freedom Trail I enjoyed was that the entire trail is marked by a continuous, two-row line of bricks. Following the bricks leads you to all the stops on the trail, and each stop is identified by a bronze marker:

Here, the trail is delineated from a bricked sidewalk:

And here, the trail crosses the road:

And here’s me following the red-brick trail:

I’ve you’ve been on the Freedom Trail, you will have noticed something is missing from my photo essay.   More on that missing something in the next installment.

Almost caught-up with my road trip reports. In July, my parents and my dad’s parents came to visit. One of the days they were here, we took a road trip to Newport, RI. Here are a few snaps from the day:

Some Newport architecture:

This street was the first in the U.S. to be lit by gas lamps (according to the sign on the side of the building):

The main drag:

The weather was terrific for nautical activity:

We made our way over to the Cliff Walk, a walking path along the ocean:

On our way home, we stopped in Mystic, CT for dinner.   Looking up the river:

And where did we stop?   Of course our dinner stop had to be:

Looking across the river:

Mystic at dusk:

The tall ship and the church:

I’m a few months behind on posting photos from my monthly road trips.   To start the getting-up-to-date process, here are some photos from my road trip in May to Hartford, Connecticut’s capital city. Since I moved to CT last April, I had never visited Hartford, so in May I decided to take the 15-minute drive and walk around the city.

The Connecticut State House:

A city dweller in Bushnell Park:

The Bushnell Carousel:

Pollinating:

State house dome:

The Travelers Tower in reflection:

A grandchild of the original Charter Oak, which you’ve likely seen on the reverse of the CT state quarter:

Along the Connecticut River is the River Walk, a nice walking path:

The Founders Bridge is one of the bridges that go over the path:

The trees were producing tree fluff:

Looking back on the city:

Just as I was returning to my car, the clouds started precipitating:

For my birthday, I took a road trip to my two favorite places in Connecticut: Mystic and Stonington.   I wanted to get dinner in Mystic and catch the sunset on my beach in Stonington.

The restaurant in downtown Mystic I ate at:

I had penne pasta with grilled chicken, Italian sausage, and brocolini in a garlic butter sauce.   Delicious!

View up the river from the drawbridge:

Sunset in Stonington:

For several days, I was looking forward to a sunset on the coast:

The last little bit of sun:

All gone:

Back in Mystic:

…as darkness falls across the land:

Until next time!

While my mom and grandma were visiting, in addition to road-tripping to Newport, Rhode Island, we road-tripped to Mystic and neighboring Stonington, Connecticut.   Of the several places I’ve visited in CT, Mystic and Stonington are by far my favorite.   Mystic is more of a tourist-focused-yet-charming-and-enjoyable town, and Stonington is a quiet-little-delightful coastal town.

Downtown Mystic:

View across the Mystic River:

A tree in bloom:

And you can’t stop in Mystic without getting some yummy pizza:

After Mystic, we made our way to a beach in Stonington.   Driving through Stonington:

At the beach, this seagull was enjoying some dinner:

Waiting for the sunset:

Coastal wildlife:

Ahh, salty sea breeze and a pleasant sunset.   Terrific!

After watching the sunset, we made our way back to Mystic.   A quaint little house in Stonington:

Back in Mystic, we grabbed some ice cream and enjoyed it along the river.   Splendid trip!   Can’t wait to go back!

In keeping up with my goal to take a road trip every month in conjunction with my mom and grandma visiting, I ventured to Newport, RI last week.   I only wish we had more time there because a) I love coastal towns and b) Newport is a beautiful place.   I’ll just have to go back!   Here are some snaps from Newport.

Crossing the Narragansett Bay via the Pell Bridge:

I imagine summer buzzes with nautical activity:

Streets of Newport:

Across the bay:

I discovered my shoes aren’t waterproof:

Coastal wildlife:

Catching the sunset:

This month, my work schedule was adjusted so that I work Tuesdays through Saturdays and have off Sundays and Mondays.   Having yesterday off in conjunction with my goal of taking a road trip every month led me the town of Essex, CT on the Connecticut River.   After seeing the website describing the town as “the best small town in America,” I took a drive.   And I wasn’t disappointed.   Essex is a charming little town, perfect for a nice day trip to walk around and soak in some sun and small-town river life.

Downtown:

A peaceful spot for a rest or a picnic:

New England charm white picket fences abound:

Looking off into the river:

Blowin’ in the wind: