Heading East...destination Keyser, WV

On Sunday, after breakfast and coffee chat, we hit the road, destination Keyser, WV.  I was excited to visit with my cousin and her family in the foothills of Appalachia.  Jill retired as the Librarian at the local university in Keyser, WVU/Potomac.  A mixture of newer and older areas, some quite depressed, but beautiful with the mountains as their backdrop made up the community.  Not much different from any other community, really...except, it's surrounded by mountains.

Jill showed us around, and we ate at a cute breakfast spot, toured the city library where Jill works part-time, and then retreated to her home for great conversation. Jill and I have just recently gotten to know each other, having found each other on ANCESTRY.  Long story, but a cousin on my dad's side.  We hit it off right away the first time we met a couple of years ago. 

Jill is a plethora of information.  A walking one-gal Chamber of Commerce.  Something she and I have in common; always promoting and supporting our communities in many ways.  There is a lot of Civil War history in the area. Jill shared several stories and historical facts with us.  Too much to remember, but interesting just the same. 

Jill's hubby, Biard, is an amazing musician we learned. He has his man-cave shed full of musical instruments, mostly guitars, along with parts and pieces to repair them with. He's been in bands, but no longer.  

It's so interesting to be in another area of the U.S.  Anywhere in the world, really.  But, to see our own country and the differences in the geography and cultures and learn the history of each, is really intriguing.  

We loved every minute with Jill and Biard, but we were on to Cumberland, Maryland, where Jill and Biard's daughter, Heidi and her husband, Kevin, live.  Heidi, too, is a librarian, but does not work in that field any longer. Kevin is a professor at another university in the area. 

Upon arrival to Cumberland, we settled into the B&B that Heidi got for us.  The Bruce House Inn was lovely.  We had the entire main level for ourselves, which consisted of the bedroom ensuite and gathering room with a fireplace.  

                  

Once settled, we met Heidi for lunch at a trendy cafe in the historical area of Cumberland. Heidi is such an interesting young gal.  Highly intelligent, active in the arts and social activism.  She travels quite

often to New York City, where she has friends on Broadway.  We'll travel to New York City with her someday. She knows the ins and outs of the city and will be awesome to go with.  Heidi gave us a tour of the Canal Place area, shared various stories of history of the area and took us to a great little spot where several original log cabins have been moved to this location. 

Both saving them and developing a cool artists' colony for tourists.  Each houses an artist either full-time or on the weekends.  Most were closed on this day, which was disappointing.  I could have spent a lot of time there.  Also, this area was up in the mountains. 

Jill was supposed to have come to spend time with us in Cumberland, but a road closure for a "standoff" did not allow her to come and meet up with us and the next day, she was not feeling well.  We were bummed that our time with her was so short.  Heidi and Kevin did a wonderful job of entertaining us over a couple of meals and wonderful conversation back at The Bruce House Inn.  Both are very delightful.

Before leaving, we asked Heidi to take us into a "holler".  One, because we didn't really know what one was, and we wanted to experience this cultural difference.  We came out saddened by the living conditions.  Extremely poor and run down, this area was just along the edge of town, down a gravel road at the foothill of the mountain.  

Our time here quickly ended and we headed east from Maryland to the Atlantic Coast.  

Here are some more photos for your enjoyment. 

            

 

Travel inspires me to be better!

 

We've had the pleasure of getting to do some traveling this year and I have many who want to know about the trip we just took out East. I thought I'd use this platform to share most of it with you.  I'll post a few times, breaking it down in a manageable way, throwing a few photos in here and there.

Firstly, though, I hope by sharing, it encourages you to get out and travel.  A day or long weekend trip, a few miles or several thousand.  It doesn't matter.  Make the time to do it.  I find it inspiring, transformational, energizing and refreshing. And home always feels better when you get back. 

Remember this tree and 
its beautiful color. Peoria

This trip I'm going to share has been a couple of years in the "saving".  When I started planning it, after Steve and I decided which direction we would be heading, I quickly realized that it was going to need to be three weeks long.  We had two sets of family we wanted to stop and see along the way and spend a couple of days with each.  Other than that, we had no specific time frame or scheduled events until the last week.  And there was no real 'planning' to be had, as we like to start, stop and stay as the mood or area inspires us.  The only thing on the agenda, after the family visits was Iowa to the East Coast for harbor hopping or bust.

We left home on Wednesday, October 12th, stayed overnight in Peoria, Illinois (a destination in and of itself) and arrived in Amelia, Ohio on Thursday evening, at the home of my cousin, Cathy, and her hubby, Marc.  Just outside of Cincinnati, they have a lovely, comfortable home in a little area of in-town acreages. 

A meal, a sleep and then we hit the road on Friday a.m. for breakfast in Cincinnati and a little site-seeing.  We ate breakfast in a cool, upscale, but nothing frivolous, restaurant right by the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge spanning the Ohio River and connecting Ohio to Kentucky, A Taste of Belgium at The Banks. I'm all about the atmosphere of a place first and foremost.  I would not consider myself a

Beltucky

 food snob, but if I were, the food here would fit the bill, as well. Goetta Hash and authentic Belgium waffles were on the menu. We ordered Bier Cheese & Pretzels to share (YUMMO), Steve had the Goetta Hash and Cathy had the Beltucky.  I think I had my usual, scrambled eggs and fixin's and a pumpkin hard cider. It was more 'brunch' time, than breakfast, I must add. The first cider of many on this trip.  

The last time we visited, Cathy took us into a really neat area of Kentucky. We made our way back into a different area of Kentucky on Saturday...more about that later.

Who remembers WKRP in Cincinnati?  It's still a 'thing' there.  The cities claim to fame, maybe?  Oh, maybe it's the Bengals, or the Reds? I don't know.  What I do know is that they have pretty impressive sporting arenas and areas dedicated to the tourism that comes into the area.  

This is the suspension bridge that connects Kentucky   and Ohio. We'll drive over another Roebling Bridge   as we make our way, eventually, through New York   City...how do you think we did?

My cousin, Cathy and I in front of the famous sign. 
 The weather was picture perfect

Next stop, Findlay Market.  A rough and tumble area of Cincinnati, but full of character with cool eateries and shops.  A farmer's market on steroids, I guess you might call it. Fresh meat, seafood, baked goods and more. Butchers and deli's that have been there for generations. Artists, makers, creatives, etc. call this area home. Permanent entities, open on the regular with the area bursting at the seams come the weekend.  Can I just say I loved everything about it?  EVERYTHING.

The sites, the sounds, the makeup of the area...the inhabitants.  It kind of has the feel of New Orleans, only on a very miniscule level. Cathy said it's pretty rough there after dark.

A nice Mexican dinner, where I had the first of many fish taco meals that I'd try on this trip. We ended the day over conversation at Cathy and Marc's. We were pooped.  

SATURDAY, October 15th

On Saturday, we found ourselves lazing around a bit, with coffee and chit-chat. Soon, we were off to Augusta, Kentucky, the hometown of George Clooney.  His parents still live there and his Aunt Rosemary's home is now a Museum, of which we toured.  She lived there until her death a few years ago.  The drive was beautiful, as we got off the highway and took a less traveled country road.  We drove alongside the river until we came to the ferry, to which we drove onto and ferried across to Augusta.  What a delightful and charming town.  A river town.  There's just something special about a river town, don't you agree?  

We were hungry and quickly went into another trendy, hip place, Beehive Augusta Tavern.  As I said earlier, atmosphere sets the tone, and this did not disappoint.  We were seated upstairs in this 1796 Landmark.  There is so much history here.  Click on the link I shared above for the Beehive and then click on the MORE tab, then click on history. 

 After a scrumptious, yet not ordinary meal, we perused the quaint shops housed in 300-year-old buildings before heading to the Rosemary Clooney Museum. Huge fans of White Christmas, the movie, Cathy and I were enamored with the costumes and memorabilia from several of Rosemary's movies.

Cathy new that the Clooney family still resided in the area and that Mrs. Clooney, George's mom, had an antique shop.  Well, it turns out that the one shop we didn't go in was hers.  We thought it was a gallery.  So, I high tailed it back over to see what it was all about and enjoyed a delightful conversation with Nina Clooney.  A darling lady, very tiny, but a real beauty.  Heck, I didn't ask her a thing about ol' George, we talked shop. Turns out we had a bit in common😊 

Rosemary Clooney Home,
now museum

Nina Clooney

My Cousin, Cathy and I
in front of the Sisters display. We learned 
that Vera Allen passed away
at a young age from Anorexia

Bing Crosby and Danny Kaye's
costumes

Steve and I with my cousin Cathy and her hubs, Marc

Thanks for coming along on the first leg of our adventure.  There's so much more to share.  Please leave a comment and share if you would.  I like to know your thoughts, too.  Have you traveled?  What has been your favorite place so far? Where would you go back to again?  Are you inspired and energized by traveling?  Our next leg takes us to the Appalachian Mountains of West Virginia and Maryland.
Beth

Doobie Brothers...sixty, inspired and freedom.

My husband, Steve turned sixty two weeks ago and I follow him in a few weeks.  I loved my 50's and look forward to what my sixties bring on.  

This past Sunday, August 22nd, we did our stint at the Iowa State Fair, where we've volunteered at the Cultural Center (CC).  We thoroughly enjoy it.  This time, everyone we spoke to had come from out of state; Texas and Colorado, or had not been to the fair since their youth.  We brought out the map, marked where they currently were, and then tipped them off to where "we" felt the highlights of the fair were.  My to go spots, after they spent time in the CC: Agricultural Building, Bill Riley Stage, Pioneer Hall, Fabrics and Threads, etc.  Steve points them in the direction of the animals and machinery.  

While in the CC, I enjoy all the exhibits and vote for my favorite miniature display.  If I know of anyone entering exhibits, I try to find their work, specifically.  Kudos to those who enter...there are a lot of creative and artistic people out there.  I've always thought I'd enter, but I never have.  I think the quilts are some of the most beautiful works of art there is. The patterns, colors, quality-superb.  

After our four hour stint, we then start off by going our separate ways, see above.  We meet up, usually at the Bill Riley stage, food in hand for a quick bite and rest.  Then, we're off again, doing our thing, saving the spots we both want to go to together.  We had several hours to kill until the concert we were going to that evening.  We took the sky glider up to the hill, visited Grandfather's Barn and the artists in residence in that location.  There were many enjoying the beautiful day, sitting at shaded bistro tables with a glass of wine.  There were jewelry makers, potters and painters doing selling their pieces.  Remarkable, each one.  We took the sky glider back down, grabbed a bite to eat, then went to the concert.

As I mentioned before, we are at the ripe old age of SIXTY!  Yes, I'm saying it loud and pointed.  How did we get here?  What does this new milestone mean and how does it feel.  One day at a time.  A new freedom comes with age but, it doesn't feel any different.  Freedom...

Leading up to the concert, I surmised it'd be an older demographic.  Hands down. I was not incorrect.  I'd say we were some of the younger ones.  Seriously!  There were quite a few walkers, wheelchairs, and canes assisting this crowd with getting around.  At 72 years old, the Doobie Brothers

have been playing and singing for 50+years.  They sounded exactly the same. It was a great concert.  

I consider myself an observationist...my spell check tells me that it's not even a word. I looked it up, it doesn't really appear to be an official word, but, remember my use of freedom...I'm using it here. Anyway, I do like to observe and people watching is one of my fave things to do at the fair.  Anywhere really, when I take the time to do it. And, people at the fair are some of the most interesting characters you'll find anywhere.  I always wonder why people would wear white shorts/pants to the fair? High heels?  Dressy clothes?  I digress.

So, back to the concert.  There was an older-than-me gentleman that I had been observing.  He was in his late seventies, early eighties, I'd guess.  He was bent at the waist a bit, used a cane and had a little wobble to his step.  He walked past us a couple of times.  The last time I observed him, he was hobbling down the stairs.  Seriously, it was difficult for him. But, he made it, stood in front of the stairs on the platform, placed his cane on the garbage cane beside him, so it was close and wouldn't fall.  Right then, right there, he was in his element.  A man of 20 again.  He was singing and playing the air guitar. His age disappeared from his face.  No one but he and the band and his memories.  

In observing this man, my whole evening was made.  Two songs, that was all he had in him...or maybe it was all he needed. Or, maybe it was the two songs that meant the most to him.  The songs he wanted to hear before they left.  He grabbed his cane, turned around and motioned for someone to come down from the seats behind him.  She came down, and they left, beating the traffic besides.  

It was a spectacular day into evening with the Doobie Brothers, sixty, inspired and freedom!

Fall BackRoads & ByWays Junkin' Tour

Fall Back-Roads and By-Ways Junkin' Tour

The shopkeepers are busy getting ready for the fall edition of the Back-Roads & By-Ways Junkin' Tour.  We've added SIX new stops to the tour this fall.  PLUS, we have added a SPONSOR Accommodation:  Hotel Pommier, a refreshed and upbeat hotel on Indianola's north side.  Plan to stay in Warren County and make a weekend of it.  No need to stress about getting to all the venues...take a leisurely drive and meander through the prettiness that is southern Warren County.  

Most all venues are out in the country, with outdoor settings.  Follow the event page to get a Google Map link...GPS/GOOGLE MAPS will be your best friend and way to get around.  Please remember, not all locations have restroom facilities.  Each community has a Caseys or Kum & Go, but you'll find food at Uncommon Grounds and The Farm-Warren County for unique eats, sweets and drinks.  

Most all venues have Facebook Pages:  LIKE their pages, as well as, the SPONSOR PAGE:  Wander Warren County Iowa, to follow along and get updates. 

Lula Belle Designs

Uncommon Grounds

Pamela's Place

Roots of Indianola and Jeff Tadsen Art

The Mosaic Rooster

The West Place

Patina of Time (Photography on FB)

The Bunkhouse Antiques

The Farm-Warren County

Kerry Johnson Works

Burlap & Roses at Crooked Hedge Farm

Lumynosity Fiber Arts

Timber View Antiques

The Little Shop of Hoarders (no FB)

Bramble Wood Acres

Hotel Pommier (accommodations sponsor) 

NEW DATES SET for the 5th Annual Backroads & ByWays Junkin Tour

New on the tour
Bochner Farms

I'm working on marketing and promo today for the upcoming 5th Annual Back-roads & By Ways Junkin Tour. The date, which usually runs the first F/S in June had been MOVED TO JULY 17/18TH due to C19. Please click on the link to go to the EVENT PAGE and mark your interest, so you'll get updates as the time gets closer. Many of the venues are outside and all but two are in Warren County, Iowa. The two that are not, are just over the line.

You'll enjoy the great rolling countryside of our area, explore new venues, and feel at home with those that have been on the tour since it started four years ago.  

The MAP will look different! But, you'll not be disappointed, I'm certain. Plan to spend the day...or better yet, the weekend in Warren County Iowa. There are several unique places to stay, too!  #wanderwarrencounty #bbjt #bbjtjuly17182020 #backroadsandbywaysjunkintour #warrencountytourism #bochnerfarms

Redbird Freedom

Wow, I have to tell you, we have been living in the craziest of times, haven’t we? The world is literally shut down. Except for essential businesses, most people are working from home and the world, literally is following a ‘shelter in place’ rule. Some areas are on complete lockdown. This has been going on since mid March here in Iowa.

Easter was yesterday.  Although I fixed a traditional meal, it was just Steve and I.  Everyone had their own meal with their own little family. My sis suggested we all video call via messenger, so we did that...and it was fun. I especially worry about my Mom, she lives alone. I guess, out of all of us, she’s the one most likely to do okay, having the independent living down pat. The other thing she has going for her...not having to adapt to having someone around 24/7, that many, if not most, are experiencing. It’s a funny thing, really!

We’ll never forget these new terms, our new reality and how our lives have changed:  shelter in place, social distancing, lockdown, quarantine, video conferencing, face shields, n95 face masks, tv shows from remote locations(basements, campers, kitchens), Covid19, hand sanitizer, toilet paper shortage, global pandemic, stay home. The list goes on and on.

We’re accustomed to seeing our grandkids most any time we want. Now, not getting to, has been the hardest. Two of them have had birthdays, and parties that have been cancelled. We’ve gotten pretty creative in our visits. Picnics at a distance, car to people chats, FaceTime, surprise Easter eggs hunts set up after dark with videos and photos so we can ‘watch’ and ‘see’.

Some gal pals, and I, have gotten together over the past couple of years for a weekly Bible Study. I texted the following to them this a.m.  I also linked them to my inbox daily devotion. I feel it was written just for me.

“Good morning...the sun’s out and truthfully...I needed it to be out today. This pandemic ‘sheltering in place’ is getting harder for me and the gray days do not help. I wonder how you all are doing?  

From Proverbs 31 Ministries 4-2020

I, honestly, have been on a couch potato, watching tv, no ambition spiral for the past four days😜. I’m tired of that and myself. One thing I have tried to do is walk a mile most days. I do find it clears my head...and works my ass!  I find sitting at my pond brings me some peace. 

The piece I’m sharing today is just what I needed and it came right to my email box. I get something everyday. I hope you find it as uplifting as I did.” 

Free bird, caged song

I hope you’re doing well.