Friday, August 28, 2009

Big Field Trip update

Hello all!

I know it has been several weeks since I last updated you all. I have been home for over two weeks and working hard to finish up my personal projects and farm work. My flight home went well, though I was delayed in Detroit for over an hour. They had to wait for another crew to come in to pilot our flight, and then we had to wait for the guy to push us onto the runway, so my 12:10 flight didn't happen until 1:20. I did make it home safe and sound, though. The purpose of this update is to record what I wrote in my travel journal about the week long field trip we had the last week. I will not be going into details because I am using the dial-up internet at home. Once I get back to Knox and high(er)-speed internet I can post pictures.

Here it is:

Saturday, August 1
Got up
Ate breakfast
Helped tutor's wife clean out food from fridges and cupboards
Departed Deerfield at 10:30
Went to New Haven, CT to Yale University
Saw Yale's campus, rare book library
Ate lunch
Went to American and British art galleries
Left New Haven at 4:30 for Washington, D.C.
Ate at Cracker Barrel in New Jersey at 7:30
Checked into hotel at D.C. at 11:30
Watched TV and slept!

Sunday, August 2
Got up
Ate breakfast in hotel lobby Starbucks
Walked to mall; saw Washington Monument in the pouring rain
Went to Ford's Theatre; very impressive exhibits and presentation; saw Petersen House (the house where Lincoln died)
Lunch in the Post Office building
Holocaust Museum
Museum of Natural History
Ate Ethiopian dinner
Relaxed at the hotel

Monday, August 3
Got up early
Ate breakfast
Went to National Museum of American History - met former fellow, LONG tour and talk
Ate lunch at National Museum for the American Indian
Explored American Indian museum
Left D.C. to go to Alexandria
Minor problems with hotel reservations
Ate topas for supper
Relaxed in hotel

Tuesday, August 4
Got up
Ate breakfast at Holiday Inn
Went to Mount Vernon; toured mansion, grounds, and learning center/museum
Ate lunch at Mount Vernon restaurant; tried Virginia ham
Went back through museum; watched all media including interactive video
Went to George Washington's gristmill and distillery
Drove to Williamsburg
Checked into Governor's Inn
Ate dinner at pizza place
Hung out at hotel

Wednesday, August 5
Got up
Ate breakfast at hotel
Went to Historic site; saw Governor's mansion and gardens; Wythe House
Lunch
Tour with furniture curator
Walked around village; saw shops-went to tradesman shops; watched movie at visitor's center; bought books
Dinner at Food for Thought
Amazing ice cream at Sno-to-go
Wrote groups thank yous
Hung out

Thursday, August 6
Woke up
Breakfast at hotel
Visited conservation labs-objects/metal, furniture, musical instruments, painting
Lunch
Jamestown-historic village; epic orientation video; watched turtles in swamp!
Drove 7 hours to go to Delaware
Ate at T.G.I. Fridays
Checked into hotel at 11 pm

Friday, August 7
Got up
Ate breakfast
Drove to Winterthur
Met with Richie and Rosemary after tram tour of gardens
Went to archives and saw manuscript collection
Lunch with staff
Toured period rooms; 2 1/2 hour tour, impressive rooms
Free time - went to Enchanted Woods fairy garden and gift shop
Went to dinner at Lois and Jason's (former fellows)
Drove to Morristown, NJ
Checked into hotel at 11:30 pm

Saturday, August 8
Got up
Went out to breakfast
Historic Speedwell-home of American telegraph
Lunch with Steve Miller at his home-former fellow
Morris Museum; automated musical instruments in permanent collection were SO COOL!
Met Ellen, curator of instrument exhibit and former fellow
Went to Ford Mansion-Washington's headquarters in New Jersey
Went swimming at hotel
Dinner
Wrote thank yous
Hung out

Sunday, August 9
Got up
Went to breakfast
Set out for New York City
Went to MET-American Decorative Arts wing, medieval and Renaissance wings
Lunch at MET
Went to Tenement Museum-SO AWESOME!
Got out of city
Headed back to Deerfield
Ate at Greek-owned diner
Got back
Said good-byes
Packed and went to sleep

I know this isn't interesting to read, but I thought you should know what I did. There will be stories for those of you at Knox. I will also be printing pictures at some point for the scrapbook that will eventually get done. I have a whole box of publications and things that I want to include in said scrapbook. I'll have to get to it soon! Enjoy!