The League of Extraordinary Saguaro

One of the best signs of spring – The Cleveland Indians spring training game in Goodyear, Arizona

After years of thinking and planning, I achieved another of my baseball goals – I attended spring training. I chose to follow the Cleveland Indians to Goodyear, Arizona (a suburb on the southwest edge of the Phoenix metro area). I grew up a Cleveland Indians fan – I remember listening to games with my grandfather. I returned on Wednesday from Arizona, after attending three Cleveland Indians games and watching the team take infield and batting practice. I enjoyed the proximity to the players – you could hear the chatter when one of the infielders missed an easy grounder. I’m ready to go back.

Here’s a recount of my trip.

I flew into Phoenix, arriving the last Wednesday in February. On my way to the hotel, I visited the northern suburb of Cave Creek. I visited the Cave Creek Museum, which displays an old church used by the community, as well as a typical cabin used by tubercular patients who moved to the area. (It has wooden shutters that can open to allow a breeze to flow through.)

Thursday morning I drove to downtown Phoenix to tour the state capitol. The Arizona State Capitol is composed of several buildings. The historical capital is now the Old Capitol Museum and includes displays not only on the statewide officeholders, but many aspects of Arizona history. The Senate and House of Representatives have moved into their own separate office towers. I was able to view the chambers from the gallery. The entire complex is similar to Florida – an old state capitol (now museum) between legislative buildings and in front of a state government office tower.

From the State Capitol, I drove west to Goodyear, to the complex the Cleveland Indians share with the Cincinnati Reds. The Indians have nine fields (six of them full fields) surrounding a massive clubhouse. I arrived too late to see more than a few players taking additional batting practice. I made the 10-minute walk to Goodyear Ballpark, to watch my first spring training game. The Cincinnati Reds served as host to the Indians (a favor that was returned the following day). The ballpark’s design reflects that it was built in the middle of an open area. The stadium seats 10,000 or so (the size of many Triple-A facilities), but there is plenty of open space in the outfield corners. This open design allows for a whiffle ball diamond in the deep right field corner, out of the range of all but the strongest-hit foul balls. Vendors ringed the concourse. The ballpark was staffed by volunteers (mainly retirees) from both Arizona and elsewhere. (Is it too early for me to volunteer for 2035 spring training?) The Indians won the game against the Reds 12-3. The major league players started the game, but left after four or five innings. The rest of the game was played by minor league players and those veterans trying to earn a spot with a new team.

Friday morning I was one of the first two customers patronizing The Arizona Gentleman Barber Shop in Sun City. The barber shop is tucked into one of the multitude of shopping centers along busy streets, all of them low-profile with modest signage. The Arizona Gentleman Barber Shop has four chairs and three barbers were present when I arrived. The shop is decorated with sports pennants from major league teams and colleges. I talked baseball with Bill. We talked a little about the Dodgers, and about the spring training stadium used by the Arizona Diamondbacks and the new Cubs park in Mesa. When Bill confessed to being an incurable Cubs fan, I asked about the team’s pitching.

I managed to catch infield practice and batting practice before Friday’s game. After enjoying the banter and the chatter among the fans, I watched the Indians shut out the Reds 4-0.

It began to rain just after midnight Saturday in the Phoenix area. The weather system left about an inch of rain in most places. The local weather forecasters were covering the event as “winter weather” and were cautioning the locals about driving in it. It sounded similar to weather forecasters in NC warning residents about an inch of snow. I tried not to laugh derisively at them, as I know it rains too seldom in Phoenix for drivers to get much practice.

The rain did pause long enough at Surprise Stadium to allow the Kansas City Royals to play 6.5 innings against the San Diego Padres. The Royals were leading 7-3 with one out in the bottom of the seventh when the rains returned. The game was called almost immediately. Surprise Stadium felt cozier and more like a minor-league stadium, with the team clubhouses for the Royals and Texas Rangers located on the outfield corners. The main entry is in center field and there is no entry behind home plate. The first stadium I have seen without it.

After attending services at a church nearby, I watched a Sunday afternoon game at Goodyear Ballpark. The host Indians defeated the Seattle Mariners 6-3. I thought about attending additional games Monday and Tuesday (all spring training games in AZ start at 1:05pm). Instead, I decided to play tourist around Arizona.

Monday I visited the main campus of Arizona State University in Tempe. And then I drove down towards Tucson. Interstate 10 runs through large stretches of empty Arizona countryside, with occasional signs warning drivers to watch for blowing dust. In Tucson, I took Interstate 19, which is measured entirely in the metric system. (Good thing I paid attention in Mrs. Holloway’s fifth-grade math class.)

I visited the Titan Missile Museum in Sahuarita. The key attraction to the Museum is the ability to tour a decommissioned nuclear missile silo. It is the only site remaining of the Titan II missiles. We walked down the steps into launch control and we also saw the missile bay. It is a basic, utilitarian military construction, with a launch control that resembles those featured in TV shows.

Monday afternoon I spent in awe of the great saguaro cactus. I drove through Tucson Mountain County Park and later to Saguaro National Park, both featuring fields full of saguaro and other cacti. Fully mature saguaro are those with arms, and many are a century or two old. I did my best to learn about the majestic plant, indigenous to the Sonoran Desert (in Arizona, northern Mexico and eastern California).

Tuesday I drove to Wickenburg, once known as the Dude Ranch Capital of Arizona as the area contained many of the popular, early ranches. I visited the local Desert Caballeros Museum and walked around the rest of town. I also visited the McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park in Scottsdale. The Scottsdale Railroad Museum is located at the Park, and houses the Roald Amundsen railroad car used by FDR and three other presidents. I walked the length of the car (which was built to be self-contained with its own sleeping, dining, and entertainment quarters) and stood on the back platform, pretending I was FDR greeting voters on a whistle-stop 1940 campaign.

I spent most of Wednesday traveling home.

My 50-State Project Scorecard (with number of states in which I have done each):
States Visited (47) – Arizona
Haircut (38) – The Arizona Gentleman Barber Shop, Sun City
State Capitol (33)
Church (36) – Estrella Mountain Church, Goodyear
Movie (34) – Anchorman 2 at Harkins Arrowhead, Peoria
Barbecue (33) – Bryan’s Black Mountain Barbecue, Cave Creek
Baseball (29) – Spring Training, Goodyear and Surprise
Community College (36) – Scottsdale Community College “Fear the Artichokes”
Complete State Sets (24) – Arizona

A field of saguaro at Saguaro National Park, west of Tucson

My Baseball Bucket List

While experiencing a warm spell last weekend, I found myself wishing I could attend a baseball game. But since it’s mid-January, I have a few more weeks until college baseball gets in full swing. (Yes, pun intended.)

I really don’t need any excuse to go to the ballpark, and I have seen a fair number of things happen on and off the field at a baseball game. However, there are a few things  I would still like to experience at a baseball game.

1) See a perfect game in person. I’d like to see a pitcher throw a perfect game: 27 batters up, 27 batters down. I’ve seen three no-hitters in person, but each losing team had at least two baserunners.

2) See a team turn a triple play. I’ve really only seen one come close, but the defense made a major shift just for that chance. It takes poor baserunning by at least one batter. Or at least one incredible catch.

3) Attend a baseball game in all 50 states. There’s something timeless about a baseball game. The way the field looks, the rules followed. The local flavor comes through in the promotions and the other patrons. Through the 2012 season, I have seen a baseball game in 24 states.

4) Participate in an on-field promotion. One of these days I would like to participate in an on-field promotion. Most on-field games are geared towards kids, so I think I’d like to try a Great Car Giveaway or something like that.

5) Throw out the first pitch. At some point, I’d like to do this. I think it would be an honor. Maybe if I make it to all 50 states.

6) Attend every level of organized baseball. Through the years I’ve made it to every level of organized professional baseball, independent leagues, international play, college baseball (NCAA Divisions I, II, and III), and summer league ball. I have never made it to watch a school that competes in the NAIA.

7) Attend the College World Series. In Omaha, Nebraska. I’ve never been there, but it looks quite fun. I may need to adopt a team to get tickets.

8) Attend spring training. Either Arizona or Florida. I have a slight bias towards the Cleveland Indians in Arizona or Minnesota Twins in Florida, if only because I have followed those teams.

9) Visit the Grand Cathedrals of Baseball. I’d like to visit the grand old cathedrals of Major League Baseball – Fenway Park, Wrigley Field, and Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

10) Attend a Cleveland Indians game. I grew up following the Cleveland Indians, but have never attended a game.

11) Get a haircut at a baseball game. If you’ve read any of my previous posts, you know that I like unique locations for a haircut. Not sure where I can do this yet.

12) Watch a game from a luxury box. Just once. Just to see how the other half lives.

13) See a NCAA Division I conference college baseball tournament. I managed to catch college tournaments at the Division II and Division III levels. I tend to be out of town over Memorial Day weekend, when most tournaments are held.

14) Attend a baseball game with my nephew. I am a baseball fan because I learned to follow the games on the radio and by talking with my grandfather. I never played. I would love to instill the Love of the Game in my little nephew once he gets to be a little older.

 

Visit a seafood market

The Biggest Little Store You Ever Saw, near Wilmington, NC

One of the items on my list of “Things to See and Do” is to visit a stand-alone seafood market. Not one attached to a restaurant or part of a large market. I had visited a seafood market in Slidell, Louisiana back in July 2003, a market that I am sure was damaged by Hurricane Katrina. I didn’t remember much from the visit and have sought to visit another one ever since. The seafood stands at Pike Place in Seattle are world-renowned and there is a small stand at the Sanitary Fish Market and Restaurant in Morehead City. Both are parts of larger attractions. In contrast, the Eagle Island Fruit Stand and Seafood is a small store tucked between large shipping/freight companies along US 421 on the west side of Wilmington, NC.

The fish market is in the southern part of the building and has a selection of fish and other seafood on ice. It’s not a particularly big place, but the locals seem to know where it is. The store has more items than the menu has letters, so they have taped additional paper signs around it. The fish and shrimp appear to be freshly caught, and I did not see any of the delicacies advertised. The ordering process seemed rather simple, as I watched the fishmonger wrap the selections. I didn’t order anything, content to watch the store and the local fishermen.

The fruit stand itself is in front of an old-fashioned general store, complete with Moon Pies, glass bottles of Dr. Pepper, and a plethora of pork products and barbecue sauce. I bought a Moon Pie, a glass bottle of Big Red, and one of Bob’s famous brownies. I ate them all while sitting in the parking lot.

The Menu

The Merchandise

Hike at least a mile on the Appalachian Trail

Trailhead on US 11 outside Troutville, VA

Over Thanksgiving weekend I hiked a portion of the Appalachian Trail. After reading Bill Bryson and others, I set a goal to hike at least a mile of America’s most famous hiking trail. The portion I chose was in Virginia. The trail crosses US 11 at the southern edge of Troutville, itself a few miles outside Roanoke.

I parked my car in the little parking lot and proceeded to start uphill. I figured out that white squares marked the trail every so often, with two squares indicating a turn in the trail. The trail itself seemed rather modest, and seemed to me almost too frail to reach all the way from Georgia to Maine. I hiked uphill to a railroad crossing and after crossing the grade, immediately started uphill again. Given that it was fall and most of the leaves had fallen, the trail was somewhat difficult to follow. I made it about halfway up the mountain, turned around and hiked back. I achieved my goal.

The weather the Friday after Thanksgiving was cold and windy. I was not motivated enough to go beyond the mile I hiked, as I did not have the proper equipment or supplies. I don’t have the ambition or commitment required to go the entire length of the trail either.

(2015 Note: Over the past five years I have felt like a wimp for quitting halfway up. On Thanksgiving weekend 2015, I returned to the scene. The weather was warmer this time. This time I made it all the way to the top, leaving the woods and reaching the crest of a grassy ridge. I think this hike was closer to 1.5 miles. And I can now say, “I have met the mountain and it is mine.”)

Watch a Major League Baseball team and all minor league affiliates

In July 2010, I achieved the distinction of watching a home game for a Major League Baseball team and all its minor league affiliates. I achieved it due mainly to trying to achieve other goals.

Major league baseball teams frequently have six minor league affiliates (although some have 5 or 7 instead). Affiliates are ranked in four separate classes, distinguished largely by the years of professional experience the player has. Players first playing professional baseball are frequently assigned to short-season (or Rookie) leagues. The first full season (around 120-140 games) they play is often Class A baseball. Class A is often separated into High-Class A and Low-Class A, with players moving up to High-Class A midseason. Class AA is where most fair to modest prospects end their careers, the rung above Class A ball. Class AAA is the step right below the majors, with many players shuffling between the major leagues and AAA during the year due to injuries.

How I saw the entire organization –
In 2005, I set out to see all ten minor league teams in NC, three of them affiliated with the Chicago White Sox. A visit to Chicago and a few side trips, and I managed to visit all seven teams. Here’s the list:

1) Major leagues – Chicago White Sox (June 4, 2009) v. Oakland Athletics. White Sox lost 7-0, Mark Buehrle pitching. My backup date was July 23rd, the day he pitched his perfect game. (I still haven’t seen one.)

2) Class AAA (International League) – Charlotte Knights (August 6, 2005) v. Durham Bulls. Knights won 7-3.

3) Class AA (Southern League) – Birmingham Barons (July 30, 2010) v. Chattanooga Lookouts. Barons won 15-4.

4) High-Class A (Carolina League) – Winston-Salem Warthogs (July 3, 2005) v. Kinston Indians. Warthogs won 3-2. I watched them again in 2010, now known as the Dash.

5) Low-Class A (South Atlantic League) – Kannapolis (NC) Intimidators (June 4, 2005) v. Augusta GreenJackets. Intimidators lost 8-6 in 10 innings. Named for the late Dale Earnhardt.

6) Rookie (Appalachian League) – Bristol (VA/TN) White Sox (July 5, 2008) v. Elizabethton Twins. Bristol lost 6-3. Elizabethton pitcher threw six perfect innings.

7) Rookie (Pioneer League) – Great Falls (MT) Voyageurs (September 1, 2009) v. Billings Mustangs. Voyageurs won 16-5. Team is named for either Lewis and Clark or a 1959 UFO sighting at the ballpark. The team embraces both ideas.

Orbit, the Great Falls Voyageurs mascot

Postmarked: Birmingham, Nashville, and Little Red Corvettes

I took a long weekend trip to fill in a few things on my Things to Do in a State (and to cross off another goal). Not a haircut related trip, though. Friday I flew direct to Nashville on Southwest. I’m not one of the millions of Americans in love with Southwest – I am willing to pay a little extra to reserve my own seat on the plane. My bag, however, enjoyed flying free.

In Nashville, I visited the state Capitol and then went to The Hermitage, Andrew Jackson’s home. I then drove from Nashville to Birmingham and watched a Birmingham Barons game in Hoover that night. Why? I can now say that I have watched a major league team and all its minor league affiliates play a home game (the Chicago White Sox have affiliates in Charlotte, Birmingham, Winston-Salem, Kannapolis, Bristol and Great Falls).

Saturday I went to the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute and saw the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church. They rebuilt the steps years ago, but put a marker to note the 1963 bombing. There are some interesting sculptures in the park across the street. Saturday night I went to another Barons game. (I bought tickets to both games in case Friday was rained out, so naturally I had to use both of them.)

Sunday I drove from Birmingham up I-65 through Nashville to Bowling Green, Kentucky. I called my brother from Bowling Green (he told me once in college that I should call him if I was ever in BG). I watched the Bowling Green Hot Rods (a Single-A team that has been in town for only two seasons) beat the Lansing Lugnuts in auto-themed affair and venue (yes, the mascot is Axle the bear and the gift shop is the “Body Shop”).

Monday I visited the National Corvette Museum in Bowling Green. All Corvettes are made in Bowling Green, KY, should you ever need that information in a trivia contest. I drove back to Nashville and then flew home.

The Scorecard:
State Capitols (23) – Tennessee
Community Colleges (23) – Calhoun Community College, Decatur, AL
Baseball (19, 20) – Birmingham (AL) Barons, Bowling Green (KY) Hot Rods.
Complete State Sets for all activities (12, 13, 14) – TN, AL, and KY.

Other findings –
1) There is some dispute about where Andrew Jackson was born. Some of his detractors claim he wasn’t born in the United States but on a ship in the ocean. He was born in the Waxhaws, a region that straddles the NC/SC border. If he was born at his parents’ house, he’s a Tar Heel. To cement this claim, he is one of the presidents on the statue “Presidents NC Gave the Nation” located on the NC Capitol grounds. If he was born at his aunt’s house two miles down the road, he’s a South Carolinian. To mark this spot there is an Andrew Jackson State Park. How does the Hermitage settle this? By saying he was born in “Waxhaw, SC.” There is no such town that I know of. Waxhaw is a town in NC. TN stakes its claim by three statues/busts in the Capitol, plus a painting or two.

2) Ski. I drank two bottles of it at the Bowling Green game. The drink made famous by the Kentucky Headhunters in the song “Dumas Walker” (“We’ll get a slawburger, fries, and a bottle of Ski. Bring it on out to my baby and me”). I had it in Jackson, OH when we drove home once. I also realize how few people actually remember that great 1990 country hit. We played it in marching band my freshman year.

3) It is harder to find a little red Corvette in the National Corvette Museum than one might think. I took my picture next to one of them in the Hall of Fame. My rental, a 2010 Ford Focus, felt like he was treading on enemy grounds.

A 1981 red Corvette at the National Corvette Museum, Bowling Green, Kentucky

The Rhythm of the Rails

Midpoint of the trip – east of Williston, ND

How I Achieved my Goal of Traveling Across America by Train
(My experiences aboard the Empire Builder in June 2010 – title courtesy of “The City of New Orleans”)

Why – I wanted to travel across the country by train, attracted by the nostalgic days of train travel. I have read a number of books about cross-country travel, and several books about the building of transcontinental railroads. So I put it on my list of Life Goals when I first wrote the list in February 2007. I have been working on this goal for the past couple years.

How to do it – To travel across country by train requires at least two separate legs. Many early railroads terminated in Chicago, and when Amtrak took over passenger service in 1971, it adopted the routes of those railroads. There once was a route from Jacksonville to LA, but service was stopped when Hurricane Katrina destroyed the tracks east of New Orleans. I traveled the length of the Lake Shore Limited route between Chicago and New York City’s Penn Station: from Toledo to NYC while part of my college’s Model United Nations team in 1998, and I covered the Chicago to Toledo section last year (and then repeated the Toledo to Buffalo segment).

To cross the rest of the country, I had to pick a route between Chicago and the West Coast. There are four basic options: the Southwest Chief (Chicago to LA), the California Zephyr (Chicago to Oakland), and the Empire Builder (Chicago to Seattle or Portland). I considered seriously only the Empire Builder, named for the founder and builder of the Great Northern Railway, James J. Hill. He lived most of his life in St. Paul, Minnesota, and I learned of him when I lived there. I chose Seattle over Portland because Seattle was the original terminus of the Great Northern (Portland was the terminus of the Northern Pacific, which merged with the Great Northern to become what is now Burlington Northern Santa Fe.) The Empire Builder is a scheduled 45 hr, 15 min route from Seattle almost straight east to Grand Forks and then through the Twin Cities to Chicago.

My accomodations – I chose to rent a sleeper for the two-day trip. On my previous train trips, I don’t remember sleeping more than an hour or two. When I was 20, I could handle it better than I did last year. All meals were included, so when I booked it in March, I paid a fair price for it. The Superliner Roomette is 6’6″ by 3’6″. It contains two first-class seats facing each other and next to the window. On the other side is enough room for a large armrest (or closet large enough to hold three garments, on the opposite side). The two seats can be pulled into a bunk (I could roll from side to side, but not down the bunk). There is a fold-down bed above the window (about 4′ off the floor), with seat belts to strap yourself in. The compartment can be sealed by sliding glass door, with curtains for privacy. It also blocked most noise, my earplugs cancelled out all the rest but the train whistles. When sitting on the bunk I had enough room to put on shoes and stand, before opening the door.

A recap of my trip – The Empire Builder was scheduled to leave at 4:40PM PDT on Tuesday, but one of the sleeping cars had plumbing issues. It took an hour to connect a replacement car. We made that hour up, but then lost it again in Wisconsin a couple days later due to freight traffic. We arrived in Chicago an hour late on Thursday, at 4:45PM CDT.

The “rhythm of the rails” was unsteady enough to make reading and writing difficult enough to cause me to do little of either. I had taken Thomas Wolfe (his book, since he was 6’7″ in life, he could not have fit in the compartment with me) and a couple other books, a journal, and some other things to work on. Thankfully, my neighbor across the hall was very friendly and talkative, so we managed to pass the time quite well. She is a retired state worker from Kansas and has a son a few years older than me. I resolved to get off the train and walk around the stations whenever I was permitted to do so. I disembarked at such fine places as Wenatchee, WA; Whitefish, Shelby, and Havre, MT (pronounced Hava); Minot, ND; St. Paul, and Winona, MN; and Milwaukee. I also tried to get pictures of as many stations and scenery as possible. I did fairly well, although the train moved too fast for others. I missed some stations because I was on the other (south or right) side of the train. I called my brother while sitting in the station in Williston, ND. We had a rousing conversation that was dropped only once.

By and large, I stayed in my sleeper. The lounge car is great for sightseeing, but is crowded by all those traveling in coach who want more room. I didn’t attend the NPS ranger talks, since I had found a documentary film last year when I was researching the trip. Since all my meals were included with my accomodations, I didn’t spend any money in the cafe car.

The best part of the train trip were the meals. Amtrak operates its dining cars as communal seating. Or said another way – four to a table at all times, and you fill one table before moving to the next. Traveling alone, I had the opportunity to meet many interesting folks – a couple from Sequiam (pronounced Squim), WA, a nursing instructor from South Puget Sound CC, a retired couple from Traverse City, Michigan, a retired couple from Springfield, IL, and a typical Wisconsin couple (athletic and she was very blonde) that appeared to be in their late 30s. These dining arrangements forced me to be more extroverted than I typically am. I managed to have rather lengthy conversations with people I had just met.

Overall, I enjoyed the trip immensely, as it thoroughly fulfilled my expectations. I took the opportunity to appreciate Chicago’s Union Station this time (last year I was driven through by a RedCap porter as I had five minutes to catch the train) and King Street Station will be beautiful once it is restored. Many of the stations along the way were beautiful too, including the classic architecture of the Columbus, WI, station. The scenery was beautiful all trip, from Puget Sound to the glaciers in MT and the rolling plains of eastern MT and ND. I never learned to walk smoothly on the train. I did manage to get a good six hours of sleep each night, as the train rocked me to sleep. I was so used to the train that when I got up during the night Thursday/Friday in Chicago I walked over to the window and opened the drapes before I realized I wasn’t on the train anymore.

Several observations about train travel –
1) Who rides in sleepers? Mainly retirees visiting their grandchildren. I felt very young next to them. In fact, my parents would have, too. Kids my age ride in coach (and their kids too).
2) There’s a train culture. Many of the people I met had made numerous other trips. Quite a few were connecting to other trains, but some were doing the same thing I did – flying to one destination, taking the train to another airport, and then flying home.
3) I enjoyed hearing the almost constant train whistles. And the rocking rhythm of the rails. I imagine the drivers of the vehicles stopped at the crossings were frustrated at having to stop, particularly in Tomah, WI, where the train blocks several roads while it loads and unloads passengers.
4) I was not unique about wanting to travel on long-haul trains. Many had already done it, and a few were doing it with me.
5) Traveling across America by train is a rather pedestrian goal. I was fascinated by the other stories, particularly by the couple that drove a rental RV from Iowa to Alaska and was then taking planes and the train back.
6) After using the restroom while the train was moving, I ignored the “Please Stay Seated” sign on my flight home today and used the lavatory anyway. Using it was easy despite the turbulence.
7) I might take another train trip, but probably not do it the same way. I’ve thought about doing the City of New Orleans between Chicago and, yes, New Orleans.

The start of the trip – Seattle’s King Street Station

The end of the Trip – Great Hall at Chicago’s Union Station

Thomas Jefferson Schlepped Here…and Tyler Too!

Thomas Jefferson writing the Declaration of Independence in Colonial Williamsburg’s Merchant Square

I have achieved a Life Goal – “Visit Colonial Williamsburg again (as an adult).” I was there 16 years ago. I remembered parts of it – the Courthouse and the Capitol, but not others. I also went to Jamestown, whose recreation wasn’t even on the drawing board in March 1994. They got it done for the 400-yr anniversary.

While there I took a self-portrait wearing more ridiculous headgear – a 17th century soldier’s helmet.

I visited two more Presidential sites in Virginia (I’ve now done 20 of 42 Presidents). No, “let’s see Obama’s barber” does not count as a Presidential-related site. Seeing Presidential Sites is a Life Goal. Tyler was eminently forgettable as a President. As is his ancestoral manse, which is still in the family. Go off the paved road, take a self-guided tour, and feel like you’re trespassing. Quite possibly the oddest Presidential museum I’ve seen. Berkeley is the Harrison family ancestoral home, where W.H. Harrison wrote the speech that killed him. OK, so it was more because of his machismo in not wearing a hat in the sleet and rain.

I stayed across the street from the College of William and Mary. I may be wrong, but I think I stayed there back in March 1994 with the American Legion. I really don’t remember. I did tour the campus, taking pictures of the Jefferson and John Tyler statues. It’s the first non-OSU campus visit I think I made.