June 14, 2024 FLAG DAY
This next portion of our trip was planned so we could visit (and geocache in) a handful of counties to achieve a goal we set for ourselves: to find caches in all counties of New York, Connecticut, and Massachusetts. To do this, Brian had to drive our big van through Staten Island, Queens, and Bronx while I had my own challenges as navigator ... so many bridges, toll booths, confusing exits, and interchanges. We were very relieved when we managed all of that and reached Long Island for three days. A visit to Teddy Roosevelt's Sagamore Hill home and the drive out to Montauk Point were the highlights. To avoid NYC again, we happily paid for a ferry passage from Port Jefferson, NY to Bridgeport, CT.
We stopped at Indiantown Gap National Cemetery before leaving Pennsylvania.
The state Veterans' Memorial there is quite impressive.
We visited the National Lighthouse Museum on State Island. We have visited many
lighthouses from coast to coast in both the U.S. and Canada and around the Great
Lakes. Even the restroom was interesting.
In Bayonne, NJ we saw the 9/11 Teardrop Memorial - a gift to our country
from Russia. The names of all who died are carved around the base.
We were very close to Liberty Park in New Jersey so made a quick stop for a view
of Lady Liberty's backside and New York harbor.
Once safely past the outer boroughs of NYC, we made it to Long Island for three days of camping and exploration. Sagamore Hill National Historic Site, Theodore Roosevelt's home, and his nearby gravesite were our first stops.
A very nice rocking chair on a very nice porch with a very nice view
TR's Rough Rider uniform
Because of TR's vision, we have enjoyed camping and hiking in many national forests over the years.
We drove out to Montauk on the east end of Long Island.
Another nice place on Long Island is the Shrine of Our Lady of the Island.
reproduction of "The Pieta"
Holy Family sculpture
This part of Fire Island National Seashore is designated as wilderness, so we didn't venture very far.
Next door to the Fire Island Visitor Center is TWA Flight 800 Memorial where the plane exploded offshore here in 1996.
We had only one more county in Massachusetts to visit, so off we went for a day trip to Nantucket to finish our 42nd state.
our ride to Nantucket
Quaker Meeting House - outside and inside
Interesting stone and its history
old cobblestone streets
While in the Boston area, we had two more places we wanted to visit - JFK Presidential Library and Frederick Law Olmsted National Historic Site.
JFK Presidential Library was designed by I.M. Pei
We have visited eight presidential libraries; this one is not as overwhelming as some
(like FDR's) and the exhibits are well-spaced and end with an unadorned wall
that simply says "November 22, 1963." Those of us who are of a certain age remember
where we were when we heard about the assassination. I was at school and watched
the funeral on television a few days later.
Happy Flag Day
Family sailboat Victura and Boston Harbor
I knew that Olmsted designed Central Park and the grounds of the U.S. Capitol, but
we found out that he and his sons designed hundreds of parks in 47 states.
He is considered the founder of American Landscape Architecture. His home
and design studio are situated on less than 2 acres in Brookline near Boston and the
grounds appear larger than they really are.
We joined long-time friends for breakfast, then crossed into New Hampshire for the main objective of this trip . . . Mount Washington.
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