50 States, Day 199

  50 States, Day 199  Annapolis to Fredericksburg, VA   134 miles
 
"Hope waits but does not sit. It strains with eager anticipation to see what may be coming on the horizon. Hope does not pacify, it does not make us docile and mediocre. Instead, it draws us to greater risk and perseverance."
~Dan Allender



Annapolis, the Capitol of Maryland, got off to a great start, as we parked a half block away and walked in the front door. And the strip search? The nice policeman waived QG through without identification (contrary to the sign) and
waved me through after the alarms went off. Apparently I didn't look like a terrorist, a source of great comfort to me.  
However, due to budget cuts, no tour. I'm okay with that (although QG mentioned that many State Houses used volunteers), but no brochures either. Come on, people! We were free to wander the main floor however. And the budget is going to be FINE, because they just approved gambling in their fair state. Cool. Just spend that money and the gamblers will make up the shortfall.



Maryland's Capitol, humbler than most of its peers, has plenty to brag about. For instance, George Washington visited here. Yep. Built in 1796, this baby is old. The oldest still working Capitol in the country. And its dome is the biggest wooden dome in the world. The building sports marble, nice stenciling, awe inspiring columns, with limestone and brick construction. Perhaps most amazing, the building has been remodeled extensively numerous times and isn't a rat maze. In fact, skilled craftsmen restored much of the building to its former glory.



We braved the rain and wandered about the historic district, gawking at history in the humblest abodes. Then I spotted a much larger dome, copper clad over limestone. Surely this is a more substantial building-federal? When I ran that by QG, she said we're near the Naval Academy, so it must be their chapel. Phsaw! I knew she was wrong. We headed there, and behind the Naval fence...once again, she was right. D'oh!




We fired the scooter and headed to Virginia. The reason we didn't run the (PP!) Gerbing gear today was because today was the day after yesterday. Since the last two days have been warm and comfortable, the idea of forty eight degrees didn't sink in until the cold crept through our bones. What a time of beauty. The colors are darker with an autumn twist, conjuring
colors of pumpkin pie, camouflage, and (PP!) Reese's Peanut Butter Cups. Full sun brightened the day, tricking us into thinking we may not be cold. A sign pointed to 'Washington National Park' so we took a quick right turn. Rode five or six miles, no park. But once again the detour treated us with winding roadways and cinnamon flavored woods.
"Hey, darlin' we're in the South now. Like the Confederate South."
"Oh, yeah that's right."
And we'll be in the South until April some time. Cool.

We rode onward toward Richmond and on a whim, hung a right once again and headed to Fredericksburg. The friendly guy at the Visitor Center waxed eloquently and loaded us up with ideas, so we decided to spend two days here. It’s going to be awesome. Getting hungry and cold enough to border on crabby, we found a Motel 6 and
dropped a few things off then rode to dinner. All in all, a wonderful day. We just should have plugged in.

Now thawed, happy and ready, Quilter Girl!

It is warm in the room!  I am so glad that we took this turn as Fredericksburg is a very interesting town with lots of old buildings.  The ride in (on the Fredericksburg turnpike) was a great ride on a winding, hilly road with trees on both sides.  The trees were in process of dropping their leaves, so if the trees weren't colorful the ground around them was.  To find this cute town at the other end was a bonus.  We will visit the battlefield tomorrow and spend some time in town, strolling along the historic sidewalks.

Dinner was a simple meal at a Perkins, turkey dinner for Kevin and a grilled turkey & cheese sandwich, finished with a slice of chocolate silk pie. The meals were great and we brought the extra home.  Gotta love those leftovers!
QG


Clarification: PH pointed out that Pearl Harbor took place on American soil. I stand corrected on my 'no battles on American soil anymore' statement. Thanks, PH and my humble apoogies. 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

2 comments:

702sandbagger said...

I just toured pearl harbor and at the time of the attack I don't think Hawaii was a state of the United States So you may still be sorta right???

Unknown said...

Wow. I checked and sure enough, Hawaii became a state in 1950. Since I've been with QG 24/7 for 201 days, I hardly know how to act... Being right! Just kidding. Thanks, 702. KP