It has been weeks since I have posted. Blame it on the start of school and my brain being on overload.  I think about it daily, but never get there.

Interestingly, I joined my husband for a documentary this evening and it happened to be on John Denver.  I have always loved John's songs with the stories he told and the melodies he carried on his guitar.  I also remember how he tragically died at an early age in an airplane crash.  As the documentary progressed, the date of his death came up and the anniversary happens to be today.  He died in 1997 at the age of 53.

Several years ago, I remember walking along the beautiful, foggy beaches of Monterey, California.  I can remember how shocked I was when my family and I came across a marker on a rock commemorating the sudden loss of John Denver.  I don't recall that I knew where he had died until our morning walk.

As a Colorado native, his songs are calling card to the beauty of our state.  He was a long time resident of Aspen, Colorado, long before it ever became the ski town it is today.  Each time I hear one of his songs, I remember how much I enjoy his music.  As I watched the documentary, I learned more about his interest in both space and NASA and the oceans with his time spent with Jacque Cousteau.

I am surprised that this commemorative rock is in my collection.  It is an obscure location, but one worth remembering.  My own personal travel lesson is to always be open to where the day might take you.  There are surprises around every corner and many are worth reflecting upon!

To learn more about the portrait and the story of Dolley, take the time to explore the links below or read the book that can be found on Amazon.

It was too hard to resist National Hot Dog Day, especially since Moffat has visited the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Michigan.  Take a look at the attached Youtube videos for more fun!  Admit it, you know the Oscar Mayer Wiener song!!!

On this day in 1963, the zip (zone improvement plan) code was introduced by the US Postal Service.  The purpose of the zip code was to improve the speed of delivery.  Mr. Zip, a friendly cartoon character, was introduced to encourage Americans to embrace the use of the extra 5 digits at the end of an address.  

Follow the link below to learn more about Mr. Zip from the National Postal Museum

On this day, June 22, 1784, a resolution by the Virginia House of Delegates is made to have a GW statue created.

Walking a bridge is one of my favorite things to do on any trip.  Two years ago, our family was able to put the check mark on the bucket list for the Golden Gate Bridge.  We had seen it several years earlier on a previous trip, but this was the year for the walk.  Public transportation makes getting to the visitors center and entrance to the bridge very accessible.  We visited in July, and the iconic International Orange columns were shrouded in the regular fog of the bay area.  The details of the bridge were the most captivating to me followed by the view (although limited) of the city behind us.  Fort Point lies directly below at the SF entrance.  When the bridge opened in May of 1937, its 4,200 foot suspension span was the longest in the world.  Today, it is the ninth longest suspension bridge.  The bridge is an American icon and year after year my students love learning about it.

In honor of Patriot's Day, I am choosing to post Moffat's visit to Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Massachusetts.  Happy National Parks Week Day Two.  

My daughter and I were in Boston several years ago to cheer my college roommate on as she ran the Boston Marathon. As a traveler who wants to see and experience it all, we took the train up to Concord one afternoon to visit Minute Man National Historical Park.  For as much as I wanted to visit during all the weekend activities, we were unable to but were able to visit on Monday.

Due to the tight train schedule, my daughter and I took turns jogging to cross the bridge to make it to the visitors center before it closed.  I felt like we were doing our own miniature amazing race.  We were able to make it to the visitor's center where my daughter was able to turn in her junior ranger packet and receive her badge.  

We were able to take a slightly more leisurely pace as we walked back into town to catch the train. I still would have like more time.  What struck me as we walked back was that we were walking in a space that the start for the fight for our country's freedom began.  It was a little overwhelming to think about.  Along the way, the flowers that were beginning to bloom were a reminder of a new start.