Posted in Charleston, South Carolina, Travels, US, tagged "South Carolina", Charleston, Christmas, Marion Square, Summerall Chapel on Thursday, 25 December, 2014| 6 Comments »
Charleston, South Carolina has long been a favorite place of mine. My first visit in 1993 charmed me so much that I got married at Summerall Chapel two years later. Charleston has many wonderful memories and there’s always something new to explore.
Summerall Chapel at The Citadel
Christmas tree in Marion Square
…from inside the Christmas tree
Wreaths on the Old City Jail
Merry Christmas to all!
Posted in Scotland, Travels, US, Virginia, tagged "Scottish Christmas Walk", Alexandria, Northern Virginia, Photography, Scotland, ScottishWalk on Saturday, 6 December, 2014| 9 Comments »
The beautiful town of Alexandria (Old Town) was officially established by three Scottish merchants and the town is named after one of them, John Alexander. The city celebrated its Scottish heritage with the 44th Annual Scottish Christmas Walk. It’s actually an entire weekend of activities and a major fundraiser for The Campagna Center which supports children programs in Alexandria.
I’m a big fan of Scotland so, even with the threat of a downpour, I’m glad I attended the parade. Pipers in kilts and lots of dogs ranks as some of my favorite things.
Scottish Christmas Walk Weekend
Representative from the Scottish Government as the Grand Marshal
There were Scottish Societies from Baltimore, Philadelphia and Ocean County, New Jersey
Father and Son
Shamrock and Thistle
Mary Queen of Scots representative
Boy Scout with the flag
And then there’s the Scottish Darth Vader
…little more Star Wars characters
Dogs on Parade:
Biker with his sheltie dog
Lots of Westies
And of course there was a Santa with pipes:
Posted in DC, US, Washington DC, tagged Cherry Blossom Run, Fitness, GW Parkway Classic, Running, Washington DC on Friday, 5 December, 2014| Leave a Comment »
It was no surprise to me when Washington DC was ranked as the top “Fit City” in the United States by the American College of Sports Medicine. The two comments we always get from first time visitors to our nation’s capital are: “It’s such a beautiful city” and “There are a lot of fit and good looking people here.” The second comment is usually said while watching runners race by along the National Mall.
There are people exercising all over the city!
If you’re a runner, I highly recommend two 10mile/5k runs in the spring. First is the Credit Union Cherry Blossom 10 Mile/5K on 12 April 2015. You will run through the National Mall and the Tidal basin area where all the gorgeous Cherry Blossoms will hopefully be at their peak. This race is so popular, it requires a lottery. I haven’t been lucky enough to get a number through the lottery so I volunteered last year which guarantee me a spot for 2015. The lottery is open until 12 December. Click here to enter.
If you don’t get into the Cherry Blossom race, then there’s the scenic GW Parkway Classic 10 mile/5k on 26 April 2015. I ran this for the first time this year and loved it. The crowd was friendly and festive, I wasn’t the last one in (I’m not the fastest runner) and we lucked out with beautiful spring weather.
A few more fitness photos:
Biking
Running on Roosevelt Island
Water Sports
Posted in DC, Photography, Travels, US, Washington DC, tagged DC, Government, Supreme Court, Travel, Washington DC on Sunday, 23 November, 2014| 3 Comments »
Attending a session at the Supreme Court of the United States is an impressive experience. I was thrilled to listen to the attorneys arguing their case but was especially awed by the Justices. Those men and women are wicked smart which is comforting to witness since, as one of our three branches of government, their decisions affect all citizens of the United States.
It’s not easy to get tickets for the popular cases (those highlighted in the media) but it’s worth making the attempt to get in. I recommend getting in line early for the “hot” cases. If you’re interested in attending a court session, seating is on a first-come, first-seated basis. A line forms in the morning on the plaza in front of the building.
At approximately 9:30 a.m., limited seats are given out for the entire argument. If you don’t get tickets for that day, the police officers will start a “three-minute line,” which allows visitors to observe the Court in session for a brief period of time from the back of the courtroom. To find out if the Court is in session (Oct-April), click here for the schedule.
The Supreme Court building is located at 1 First Street, NE (between East Capitol St & Maryland Ave) and is open to the public Mon-Fri from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., excluding federal holidays. If the court isn’t in session, you can still visit a Courtroom Lecture, Visitors’ Film and Exhibitions.
Posted in DC, US, Washington DC, tagged Fountains, Senate Park, Travel, US Capitol, Washington DC on Friday, 7 November, 2014| 2 Comments »
Washington DC is filled with beautiful parks and fountains ~ here are a few of my favorites.
Fountain at the US Capitol building
WWII Memorial
Senate Park Fountain
Posted in Photography, Travels, US, Washington DC, tagged Congressional Gardens, Photography, Travel, Washington DC on Saturday, 25 October, 2014| 3 Comments »
Constitution Gardens is a lovely garden situated in the West Potomac Park near the intersection of Constitution Avenue and 17th Street NW. It’s along the north side of the National Mall and surprisingly quiet even on a gorgeous sunny Sunday afternoon. Established in 1965, the Gardens are open 24 hours a day and a Park Ranger is available to answer questions about the area. You will find rangers at the nearby Vietnam Veterans Memorial between the hours of 9:30 am and 11:30 pm.
The park area contains a large lake:
There’s a memorial to the 56 Signers of the Declaration of Independence with each of the signers signatures such as Benjamin Franklin:
The park includes several walkways and park benches:
From the park you have a great view of the Washington Monument:
We drove to the park because it was Sunday and parking is free but taking the metro is your best bet on other days. For additional information, go to the National Park Service website.
Posted in Beach, Big Island, Hawaii, Photography, Travel, US, tagged Beach, Big Island, Hawaii, Lava, Pele, Photography, Travel, Volcano on Tuesday, 16 September, 2014| 15 Comments »
Being from Hawaii, I don’t worry much about natural disasters. Whether it be earthquakes, tsunamis, lava flows or the every few decades hurricane. Lately, it seems every time I call my brother or cousin who live on the Big Island (Hawaii), it’s to ask them about a natural disaster. Last month there were two hurricanes heading their way and now it’s a change in the lava flow which is heading directly for the area of Puna (specifically the town of Pahoa) where my brother’s family lives. Kilauea volcano has been erupting since 1983 so the islanders will no doubt take it in stride and know everything will work out as it should.
Lava River
Not for the faint of heart or health
Lava Flow
Overlapping Lava flows
Lava Crater
Lava Reaching the Ocean
Walking on the Lava
Offerings to the goddess of fire, Pele
Beautiful drive in the Pahoa area ~ hope it’s not affected by the current lava flow
Puako Beach, Big Island, Hawaii
Another gorgeous sunset at the Mauna Kea Beach Hotel
Posted in Hawaii, Islands, Oahu, Travels, US, tagged Beach, Hawaii, Islands, Oahu, Parasailing, Snorkeling, Travel, Travels on Friday, 17 August, 2012| Leave a Comment »
After a vacation, it’s tradition that we list our top 5 things about the trip. We went to Oahu for a quick three-day trip and here’s our Oahu top five:
1) Snorkeling at Shark’s Cove on the North Shore. The ocean is calm in the summer and we got to the cove early enough to get a prime spot on the beach. The snorkeling was fun and being back in the pacific ocean felt fabulous.
2) Spending time with our friends, The Karamaths and The Petersons. Always great to see Army family again.
Heather, CJ and Hayden
Jake, Shelley and Hoss
3) Parasailing with Hawaiian Parasail Inc ($62 per person and $30 for their photos) in Waikiki:
4) Paddleboarding in Haleiwa, lots of turtles in the river/bay:
5) Driving along the North Shore ~ checking out all the beaches such as Sunset and Waimea Bay. For a few days, I was no longer a Displaced Beachbum. I will never tire of being on a beautiful beach!
Posted in Beach, Islands, Travels, US, tagged Beach, Carribean, Cinnamon Bay, Islands, St.John, USVI on Wednesday, 6 August, 2008| 2 Comments »
Cinnamon Bay should be called Sugar Bay because the sand is so white and soft. Like Trunk Bay, Cinnamon is located within the National Park. The beach has a small rental shop for items such as snorkel gear, boogie boards, etc. It’s a long winding beach with more waves than the other beaches on the island so it’s more popular with the “surfers” ~ a little more eye candy at this beach 😉
Posted in Carribean, Islands, Travels, US, tagged Beach, Islands, St.John, Travel, USVI, Vacation on Monday, 28 July, 2008| 3 Comments »
We made it back to the beach today ~ we’re in St.John, US Virgin Islands. It’s paradise and we’re all so happy to be here but both FG and FM are asleep already and I’m right behind them. It took 3 flights and a boat ride for us to get here. It was so worth it.
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Displaced Beachbums 