Surprise at White Sulphur Springs, WV

     

We've written before about the Greenbriar in White Sulphur Springs, WV. It's a place we've stayed every other year as an extension to a business meeting of Steve's.  This was our last meeting and it caused us to wonder if we'd be back for a visit on our own.

The Greenbriar history begins in the 1850's, when it was called The Old White.  For us it's always held the charm of the old south and, well, a racial divide that's less charming. It's a place that has both evolved and is stuck in time. 

There's plenty of options to be found on over 6,700 acres with more than 700 rooms in a mix of residential buildings as well as the immense  main white columned structure. Don't let the simple exterior fool you. The interior is a riot of patterned color made famous by Dorothy Draper and prototypical of what we think of today as typically southern decor. Let's just say  that without Dorothy, there would never have been a Lilly Pulitzer. 

There is every imaginable diversion here from renowned spa and fitness to horseback riding, skeet shooting, fly fishing, tennis (indoor & out), pools, bowling, croquet and even shuffleboard. Kyacking and rafting are close by and hiking through the property up to 3,000 feet provides amazing views. Did we mention the new, understated casino? Shopping, galleries and an artist colony offer diversion, along with cooking demos and multiple restaurants to tempt  - or send you back to the gym. 

Did we mention golf?  There are three courses, including the oldest in the PGA tour. And yes, that's us. Steve found his glove and dusted off his golf shoes. Me - well the last time I played 9 holes was over 2 days in Fiji three years ago. And before that? Probably a decade. But we did 8 holes together, only lost a couple of balls in the water and had a terrific time. 

Always looking for a place that might satisfy the ever expanding interests of our grandchildren and their parents - and at only 2-1/2 hours from DC - who knows? Maybe this southern charmer is just the ticket. 

Seoul - from Kimchi to Candy-apples

Traveling further west - we are visiting Seoul in South Korea. At about 39,000 square miles, South Korea would easily fit between Los Angeles and San Francisco. The nation's population is 50-million, but half live in Seoul, making this city and it's catchment area far larger than any American city.  Mid-August and Independence Day week means we are being spared the crowds, but it still doesn't seem that traffic here could compare with NYC, the LI Expressway or traveling to The Cape. There is a very modern, ever growing subway system that seems to do an amazing job.  

                                        

Architecture is very modern and prominently seen in extremely tall buildings. Shopping is clearly a serious pastime, with large above and underground shopping centers and multi-storied department stores sprinkled throughout the city. Frequently seen groups of brightly colored, tethered toddlers is evidence that you can never begin too young. Besides an endless selection of clothing and jewelry there are incredible food departments to be found. Think Dean and DeLuca on steroids. Besides prepared foods, there are incredible displays of flowers. Vegetables are beautifully arranged. Lettuce is fanned out and selected leaf by  leaf. Fruit arrangements appear like pieces of art - whether bagged in pyramids or carefully cupped individually in a plastic nest - almost too beautiful to eat. Naturally there is a wide variety of kimchi, but if you would prefer macaroons or candy-apples, they are there for the taking. 

                                         

Large  Buddhist  temple complexes are an oasis amid urban life. Bongeunsa is close by to where we are staying, south of the Han River. The tall white standing Buddha is its icon. Thousands of white paper lanterns have attached prayers and can be seen blanketing the inside of various shrines or cutting white paper streams up the hilly terrain. 

                

Monks play music, lead prayers and conduct funeral services inside brightly painted wooden buildings that remind us of Bhutan. Shoes are left outside as worshipers select a cushion and enter for prayer. Guests are respectfully welcome to join, although the level of activity at the complex makes this somehow feel inappropriate. Maybe we will return and enter at a quiter moment.

Eugene - the Next Chapter

Always our favorite place to travel, we've just spent a wonderful weekend visiting Erin, Jeremy, Clara and Evie at their new home! They've left downtown Eugene for 10 acres in a more rural area in Oregon's renowned wine country. Although within reach of town; horses, cows, sheep and pastures prevail along with acres of forestland. 

               

Plans are still evolving, but the chicks and bunnies have arrived. (This chick roosting on Evie is now about two months old and ten times the size.). Goats and sheep may be next, to help keep the property tamed. A small raised garden is a place holder for a much larger area for vegetables and flowers and eventually a fruit orchard.

                                   

We should have taken lots of pictures to share, but were  too busy exploring the property, Steve (yes Steve) helping  to finish the chicken coop, going to the local children's outdoor theatre, swimming and an adults only night out at a local vineyard for wine tasting, food and music. 

                                     

The girls have clearly embraced their new home. It's hard to imagine them anywhere else. We are so pleased for the whole family and can't wait for our next visit. 

Maine - 228 vs 3,478

A picture describes it all. 

Maine's general coastline is 228 miles long. However, it's tidal shoreline, which measures where the tide meets the shore, is whopping 3,478 miles - and this doesn't include the circumferences of it's many islands. With the exception of Alaska, Maine wins as having longest tidal shoreline in the US. Add in a tidal range that can rise and fall as much as 20 feet - YES that happens twice a day - and life can get really interesting!

Maine Cruising

There's little in the world that compares to coastal Maine. Where Mystic, CT and Newport, RI may boast centers of early commerce and wealth, coastal Maine has an uncountable number of charming towns, which have changed little in a hundred years or more. These quintessential locals often boast a lighthouse protected  harbor, white  Victorian homes with bright flower filled gardens and a view of rich, dark green hills tumbling down to the sea filled with mostly modest sized, and often "working", vessels. 

Much of Maine's coast runs east to west, thus the term "down east".  The coastline is punctuated with rivers, which can run 30 or more miles deep into the coast and several miles wide. Add in maneuvering around lobster pots, and countless islands,  and boating through Maine is like skating on lace - beautiful but filled with treacherous areas to avoid. 

                                     

Swing bridges are one way for cars  and boats to share navigation of  this irregular coast. These images give you an idea of how the bridge "swings" open and closed to give everyone a chance.  This is the swing bridge leading into the "back" of Booth Bay.  Miss the opening and it's tea time, as you circle round for 30 minutes or more until the next opening. 

                                              

Booth Bay is one of those "quintessential" towns. Note the red "marina office", that barely holds it's mitress Judy. A lovely town, that creeps up the hill to a second harbor, boasts a music focused art center and has enough summer traffic to support several art galleries and a number of B&B's. 

            

The charming wooden foot bridge links the main town to the harbour's residential side, which sports a few lobster shacks with picnic tables and steaming corn and lobsters filled cauldrons. Where Booth Bay is one of those quintessential, somewhat tourist focused,  Maine villages often teaming with people enjoying ice cream, it is coincidentally juxteposed to close by artist colony Mohegan Island, which has an unapproachable 4-slip dock with an equally unreacahable dock master! 

With our guests, the Johnson's, we venture on to several of our favorite anchorages, including Jewel Island, Christmas and a Pulpit Harbours. Finally it's time to get back to civilization.  We choose Rockland, just in time for Maine's annual Lobster Festival.   Along the fairway - among fried "everything", brightly lit rides, booths and live music - we kept seeing the same familiar faces. Do you recognize anyone?

  

                                                 

Rockland is a US Coast guard center, that was hosting a weekend of tours on one of its older schooners, as newbie replaced veteran crew. Besides having terrific working marinas, Rockland has several noteable museums. The Farnsworth has a permanent collection of multi-generational Wyeth paintings, as well as it's own and rotating exhibits. The Lighthouse Museum will provide more than a glimpse of an indispensable technology.

                                                 

 You'll be amazed at how much is packed in this bustling town. Everything is reachable within a 15-minute walk. Camden, similarly sized but a slightly more upscale town,  is a short 20 minute car, or slightly longer bike ride away, with several notable restaurants and the Owls Head Transportation Museum in between.  

We love this area by sea, but it's equally magical by land. Plan to find yourself in the neighborhood. 

Newport - Clifftop Cottages and Acres of Masts

If you are a boater, a pilgrimage to Newport RI is on your short list. Newport fame began as a commercial and whaling center, making the town unusually cosmopolitan. At its height of prosperity in the mid 18th century, all ended abruptly in 1776, when the British began a three year occupation and destroyed over 500 buildings. After the British departure, the French army used it as an outpost. Newport never fully recovered.  

However in the 1800's it continued as a commercial port, with ships as large as 200 feet, coming from far and wide. While sea captains began leaving the area, wealthy Southerners, and their counterparts from New York, Baltimore, Boston and the Carribean returned, building "cottages" on the cliffs overlooking the harbour as their summer retreat. By the llate 1800's, Newport became the unchallenged summer playground of the Gilded Age's ultra wealthy. World War I and stock market crash again changed the harbors character. The Navy to expand its influence but when it left in 1973, commercial businesses took over the waterfront and places like 'Blood Alley", where polite society had never dared visit,  have become wildly popular destinations for all. 

                                    

Approching the harbour today, one is inevitably heralded with racing sailboats and all manner of boats large and small funneling into the well marked opening  of this large protected area. The massive "cottages" from a bygone era dot the cliffs and, if you make it to land, are worth a visit for their diversity and incredible interior workmanship.  

Marinas and mooring balls are plentiful. There are literally acres of sailing masts. Some marinas specialize in motor boats, with many yachts well over 100 feet. Beautiful old schooners ferry folks out for day and sunset cruises. Water taxis provide cross harbour access. As you find your way, steeples along with other historical buildings dot the shore.  Boater or no, Newport is a pilgrimage worth making. 

PS - Technology can be a little too helpful. The previous Mystic post refers to a "vascular" bridge, when what was meant was a BASCULAR bridge. However, in reality, this is a "SWING BRIDGE". Bascular bridge's create an opening by hinging up from one side. The blogmiester will attempt to better check her future sources. 

Historical, enjoyable Mystic Seaport

 A working preservation shipyard and a recreated 19th century seafaring village are just a couple of reasons why Conecticut's Mystic Seaport is worth visiting. We stopped here 10 days ago on our way back from Long Island. 

Arriving by boat requires coordinating timing with a vascular bridge, which swings closed to allow both Amtrack  to whizz by and long cargo trains to lumber through. There aren't many of these swinging bridges left and they're always interesting. This one is particularly large and wide, making a dramatic arc across the water that is worth waiting for, unless you're really hungry for that mid afternoon ice cream. 

           

                      

Mystic Seaport is a fairly large complex of both live period demonstrations relative to 19th century life and various museums reflecting the technology and lifestyle of that time. For children,  there are several hands on "maker" opportunities, so bring a child along so you can join in the fun. The Museum of America and the Sea is considered to be the nation's leading maritime museum. 

                   

The Charles W. Morgan is the jewel of Mystic Seaport. This whaleship was launched in 1841. After an 80-year career that spanned the globe, she is the oldest American commercial vessel still afloat and the last remaining wooden whaleship in the world. This summer she embarked on a voyage to several New England destinations, and was actually in Boston while we were in Mystic. But we got a glimpse of her through the exhibits and workshops and will have to return to see the her when she gets home. 

Fisher's Island

Next stop, after leaving Montauk Point on Long Island was the 11 mile crossing to Fishers Island. The only tricky part of the crossing is making it through The Race, where rip tides arise from the competing Atlantic Ocean and Long a Island Sound currents. A majestic stone light house,that looks like a small castle, was built in 1870 to guide ships through what can be a treacherous crossing.  Once to the other side, you enter Fisher Island's large protected harbour. 

We are somehow drawn to islands and frequently anchor nearby, going ashore to explore.  These microcosms each have an immediately observable persona. At nine miles by four, Fisher Island is close to ten times the size of Useppa. About 230 live here year round, with the population swelling to 2,000 during the summer season. Daily ferries from Groton, and other close by Connecticut towns, bring workers and supplies the 2-5 miles from the coastline. Unlike Useppa, there are cars, trucks, a post office and about 6 shops in the village. But don't forget to bring milk, bread or eggs or you'll be waiting for a mainland delivery the following day. Ice cream, however, is no problem with Topper's being a must stop in the village. Several outlying boutiques and galleries are open, generally on the weekend from 10:00-12:00, so plan your time carefully. 

                        

Homes are traditionally cedar shingle. They range in size from truly modest to palatial, in a New England sort of way. Let's just say its a stretch to think of 5-bedrooms in 4,500 sq. feet as a "cottage", even if it is cedar shingle. Folks are very friendly with bike riding and sailing as obviously popular activities, although the island also boasts one of America's 100 best golf courses.  License plates from Connecticut and New York reflect a debate that raged for years as to which state F.I. belonged to. New York won, although a call here from New York is still considered long distance! 

The first European landed here and named the island Visher's Island in 1614. By 1640 sheep were being raised and it's history began. Clearing  of stone to create walls and using local wood for building leveraged the island's natural beauty.  But hurricanes and storm surges have several times conspired to essentially denude the island, most recently in 1950. Residence clearly treasure the uniqueness of the island and have helped to restore it back to its verdant natural state. One doesn't get the sense that there is much real estate churn, but that shouldn't discourage you from boarding a Connecticut ferry and coming for a days outing. You would certainly feel most welcome. 

Cruising the East End

When bringing Blue Chip north, we usually race past everything north of New York harbor in our hurry to get back to a Boston.  This year, we had crew interested in going to Long Island, so we thought, why not? Now we're wondering why we don't spend more time on the east end of Long Island? 

Sag Harbor was our first stop. Tucked into a wide, well protected harbor on the northern edge of Long Island's southern tip, Sag was an important waling site in the early years. In the 1900's it was the Bohemian Hampton, overlooked by the development that overtook most of the east end. Homes are generally modest and families abound, making it more laid back than many of the other towns. But the village is filled with well curated shops, excellent restaurants and several live theaters.  Don't miss Bagel Bouy - serving some of the most amazing bagel and lox we've had in a long time. 

The American Hotel is an institution, boasting guests who are arts royalty. With only a handful of rooms, it is one of the hottest tickets anywhere in the Hamptons. We joined old and new friends for a fantastic dinner, then walked back to BlueChip.  

Three Mile Harbor was our next stop. We anchored out to a quiet sunset and watched as a full moon rose over the horizon. 

Between Steve and I, we've lived on Long Island for nearly 5 decades. Watching the Hamptons develope, we had bemoaned the disappearance of it's many farms and fishing villages. After not spending time here for the last decade, it's easy to loose perspective on the uniqueness of this place. Small villages sprinkle the landscape. Inlets, harbors and small islands provide numerous boating options. With so many family and friends living close by, we're wondering why we stayed away so long?  

Boston weekend!

We had a truly super and relaxing Fourth of July weekend. Hurricane Arthur had us starting early, but the best, besides a Red Sox win (we're overlooking the loss), was having family visit. Tim came and immediately dug into a renovation project. Jen brought her friend Chris to share her discoveries from her last visit, although Chris had done some of his own research, so there was plenty to choose from. 

Captain Steve took us all out for a Sunday luncheon harbour cruise on Blue Chip. Immediate relaxation and the hope they'll come back to visit Cal and us soon.