PA Tour: Part 2

Sunday was spent by more sightseeing. This was the house I lived in when I was born; Spring Lane, Boiling Springs, PA. My parents loved this house, it was built by Ed Berkheimer. My room was upstairs, the center window and the one to its right.

This is Children's Lake where my parents took me to feed the ducks on Sunday. The leaning tree looks so pretty in the summer.

Thats the Old Mill down at the end, photographed as much as our Brant Point Lighthouse.

Same thing with this clock.

Ed Berkheimer built this gazebo and its the site of many special events.

The Berkheimers have lots of pictures of my mom in this exact spot.

They too have a Christmas tree floating in the water that lights up at night.

My dad spread my moms ashes in this spot.

Marjorie is a great hiker and she took me to a part of the Appalachian Trail.

This symbol means to 'turn'. One slash means to continue straight ahead.

Kings Gap General Store is totally adorable. My mom loved coming here to get famous Kay&Ray Potato Chips. I am trying really hard not to eat the bag that I bought until I get home next week.

The barns in PA are absolutely beautiful, especially with their brick detail.

PA Tour: Part 1

On Saturday I headed 'home' to Carlisle, PA, where I was born. There, our family's dear friends the Berkheimers, were my host for the next two days and gave me a great tour. Our first stop was to see a tribute to Molly Pitcher, who was given that name as she had pitchers of water ready and waiting for the soldiers in the Revolutionary War.

She received military honors.

A mural showing Molly, the bridge with three arches, the old Town Hall, Flat Rock, etc.

We went by the boarding school site used to assimilate Native American with the mainstream; the idea that this might actually work (or that the Native Americans would actually want to leave their homes and families to become assimilated) is astonishing.

Marjorie was kind enough to take me back to the Carlisle Hospital where I was born. The unfortunate thing was that the hospital was torn down a number of years ago and now there are residents where it once stood. I am standing where perhaps the maternity ward may have been?

Here's the new hospital.

Saturday afternoon we went to Meadowbrooke Gourds on Potato Road (there used to be a big potato farm there).

Spray booth where they get all the gourds looking snazzy.

I forget what this contraption is called but its a big dust sucker for the shaving from the intricate design work.

Getting assembled just in time for the holidays.

These large ones are cleaned, dyed and used for wren houses.

Tree Lighting Cermony in Reston Town Center

Reston Town Center had a beautiful tree lighting ceremony Friday night complete with carolers and ice skating.

The girls, who were such troopers; it was freezing out.

With mommy.

With Auntie Suzanne and mommy

Black Friday

Thanksgiving was great and the fun continued when the ads arrived for Black Friday...

Cousins and mini-cousins looking for the door-buster sales.

The girls interpretation of what 'Black Friday' is...looks pleasant and civil and pretty to me.

We had to be on a mission! Alyssa's Christmas list included: "A goldfish. An IPhone (a real one). My own (fridge) for my room. A puppy!"

And Christa's list is: "Bendaroos. IPod. Pixos. Wii American Idol. Two wheeler scooter. Skirt with no shorts. More clothes. Wii remote. Snuggie for kids".

Map of the shopping centers; we had to have a plan!

Toys R Us opened at midnight, Target was 5am, Five Below and Michaels was 6am...

Oh yes, we left the house at this time Friday morning. Up at 3:45am and out the door, Old Navy opened up at 3am (!) so we were already tardy and had lots and lots of places to be.

Line at Target, about 5:20am.

The car filled up really, really fast.

Home around 11am, victory! Oh, and I can't help but mention that not only did we finish all of the shopping, we also wrapped it all and shipped it where it needed to go. Crazy, maybe. But I'm using the excuse that I cannot spend the last week of my road trip with a car filled to the brim with holiday cheer, it obstructs vision.