OLA: Finding that Small is Beautiful, Connecticut and Rhode Island

tourists go around Newport, RI in these cute toy cars for two

Rhode Island is the smallest state in the US, followed by Delaware, then Connecticut.   Delaware was the subject of my post, Finding Gems on the Way to the Jersey Shore, so this post is about the other two.   Our adventures in all three states show that there is a lot of truth to the saying, ‘small is beautiful’.

the Harbor at New Haven, Connecticut

Connecticut

Connecticut is the 5^th fifth of the original 13 states and, as of the 2010 census, is the 29th most populous and 4th most densely populated of the 50 states .   Its first constitution, the "Fundamental Orders", was adopted as early as 1639 and heavily influenced the framing of the US Constitution (Roger Sherman of New Haven was one of the authors) and the development of the federal government.  

Fr. McGiveny, founder, Knights of Columbus
at the Knights of Columbus Museum, New Haven, Ct

The growth of industry and finance created a need for insurance the poor.  Fr. Michael McGiveny, up for sainthood at the Vatican, saw a need for an organization that could be a partner in the parish to help poor immigrant families. In 1882 he founded the Knights of Columbus, the largest fraternal service organization in the Catholic Church today with 1.8 million members and 15,000 councils worldwide.

The state’s geography has given it a strong maritime tradition, which continues today. Connecticut's other traditional industry is financial services. One of the most distinctive landmarks of the state is the Travelers Tower at the Travelers Insurance building in downtown Hartford. These combine to give the state has the highest per capita income, Human Development Index, and median household income in the US. 

Travelers' Tower, from where you can get a good view of Hartford, Connecticut

Trash Museum in Hartford, Connecticut leads the way

Even the recycling industry is benefitting from the innovative spirit in Connecticut. The CRRA (Connecticut Resources Recovery Authority) has established a country’s first, the Trash Museum.  It proudly demonstrates not only what trash accumulation does to the environment, but also demonstrates single-streaming  recycling (no need to sort) , leading the way in this industry.  

Yale Chemistry Building in New Haven, Connecticut

The other city of note in Connecticut is New Haven, home to the beautiful campus of Yale University, an Ivy League school. Bill finally saw this college that had offered him a full scholarship after  graduating from Pittsburg High School. He chose to go to Oberlin College near Cleveland, Ohio, though.  He found the Yale campus, especially the old district, so charming that Bill has no doubt he would have enjoyed Yale at least as much as Oberlin, if not more.

Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut

Harriet Beecher Stowe house in Hartford, Connecticut

This is accompanied by excellence in literary works! The lovely Mark Twain (1835-1910) House, where he saw much of his wealth disappear due to bad investments in the printing industry, is in Hartford.  It was amazing to find out that the Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896) Center and House sit on the same block.  Harriet Beecher Stowe’s landmark novel was ‘Uncle Tom’s Cabin’ which helped lay the groundwork for the Civil War. Mark Twain published the ‘Adventures of Huckleberry Finn’ 20 years after the Civil War, a scathing look at entrenched attitudes in the South, particularly racism.

flowers, rocks and water merge into one beautiful scene
at the Cliff Walk, Newport, RI

lunch at The Porch, soaking up the scene, Newport, RI

Rhode Island

Rhode Island, officially the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations (former names of Newport and Providence), is the 8th least populous but the 2nd most densely populated of the 50 states. It shares a water boundary with New York's Long Island to the southwest with many bays and inlets (14% of its area). It holds the distinction of being the first of the 13 original colonies to declare independence from British rule.

Roger Williams still overlooking the city he founded, Providence, RI

Betsy Williams' cottage at the Roger Williams Park in Providence, RI

Roger Williams was a theologian forced out of the Massachusetts Bay Colony so he and others founded "Providence Plantations" and he became the voice of religious freedom and the separation of church and state. Beautiful ideals! His statue and memorial stands at the highest hill overlooking the city of Providence, at Prospect Park. There is also a lovely Roger Williams Park and Zoo. The Sentinel Dog is supposed to be in the Zoo but it was closed.  But we found his wife’s cottage, a lake and the carousel village.

Amazing Waterfire at the Waterplace Park and Riverwalk, Providence, RI

Waterplace Park Memorial in Providence, RI, stands like a candle

 We stayed until sundown which came at 8:45 PM in Providence to watch ‘invisible men, all dressed in black, light 80 sparkling bonfires on Waterplace Park and Riverwalk along Providence’s three rivers. A moving and powerful work of art, Waterfire, with torch-lit vessels traveling up and down the river and haunting music that accompanied the ritual, has enchanted 10 million visitors since 1994. Each year about 25 lightings are sponsored from March to October every year.

at Forty Steps along the Cliff Walk of Newport, RI

Bill contemplating life at the end of the Cliff Walk, Newport, RI

But Newport is downright special. The Cliff Walk is a 2-mile walk along the coastline of the city which featured beautiful panoramas of the sea and land meeting together in spectacular beauty. We didn’t walk it though but drove to three of its most picturesque points: Forty Steps, The Breakers, and Ledge Road at the cliff’s end.  The Walk also gave us a wonderful vantage point to the backs of the elegant historical mansions on Bellevue Avenue, closely paralleling the Walk and coastline.

we found this mansion right on the Cliff Walk at Newport, RI

International Tennis Hall of Fame, Newport, RI

And, not to be forgotten since I am a die-hard tennis fanatic is this: the International Tennis Hall of Fame is in Newport. Tennis stars are regularly inducted to this elite honor every year. It was the first time I saw a beautifully manicured grass court. And, of course, I went berserk at the gift shop which featured many ordinary things in tennis motif! And at the Newport Casino was La Forge…there we had lunch al fresco at its Porch and noticed those cute little cars for two plying around town!

Venice-type gondolas are available at the Riverwalk, RI

                                                                            What beauty in history, traditions, governance, literature, nature, architecture, and sports in the two smallest of states: Connecticut and Rhode Island! Small is indeed beautiful!

made three new Filipina friends at the Riverwalk, RI

OLA: Being in the New York State of Mind

Joe, Dottie, Bill, me and at a campfire in Rondout Valley at New York's Cartskills

Carol on the grounds of the Vanderbilt Mansion

It is difficult to tell you stories about our trip to New York. It was a dichotomy of rural and urban, traditional and modern, agricultural and industrial. Billy Joel’s New York State of Mind prefers the former.

Yappy from MegaLink days!

                                       So this will be about the less known part of New York (the Big Apple will be the subject of  the next post) where we camped at the Rondout Valley Resort which is the home park of good friends Joe and Dottie whom we met early in 2010 in Florida. It is in a region of New York State called the Catskills along the Hudson River Valley: pretty, hilly, cool, green, rural, and serene.  Upstate New York, it’s called! And that’s where a friend of 12 years ago, Yappy, who now works in Manhattan preferred to visit with us.

Woodstock with 500,000 in 1969
 with Scott, Carl and Claire today!

And just 45 miles southwest was the site of the pivotal music festival of 1969, Woodstock in Bethel, New York, attended by almost 500,000, graced by about 30 well-known artists  like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Blood Sweat and /tears , Credence Clearwater, etc., and extended to 9 instead of 3 days! There, at the monument built by the owners of the dairy farm where the festival was held (it was an alternate site when at the last minute the city of Woodstock did not issue a license), we met three other enthusiasts: Scott, and Carl and Claire.

Bill at Franklin Delano Roosevelt's Springwood in Hyde Park

The place now houses a Woodstock Performing Arts Center, the Museum at Bethel Woods, and the hallowed grounds.  I identify with this flower power community, a rebellion in spirit. I was back in the Philippines, a sophomore in the University of the Philippines, seat of student power, at the time. We were rebelling against the establishment and, as a University Councilor of the Student Council, we had just laid the cornerstone of a piece of university land w called Freedom Park!

Eleanor Roosevelt's Val-Kill in Hyde Park
a couple of miles from Springwood

Martin van Buren's Lindelwald in Kinderhook

The Hudson River Valley is home to many mansions and estates. Martin van Buren’s (8^th president) estate called Lindenwald is in Kinderhook. The homes of Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the only 4-time elected president of the USA, and his First Lady and UN Ambassador, Eleanor Roosevelt are in Hyde Park. The Roosevelt family estate is called Springwood and his retreat, the Top Cottage. Eleanor’s is called Val-kill (kill means river) and the Stone Cottage. As a matter of fact, the stately Vanderbilt Mansion also lies in the Park! All these are now under the care of the National Park Service.

Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park

Walkway on the Hudson
longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world, near Newburgh

Actually, also in Hyde Park is the sprawling, lovely, and unique campus of the Culinary Institute of America. It beckons with awesome residence halls, comfy classroom buildings, and aromatic restaurants and bakeshops. Just a day’s class costs $250 so I can only imagine how much a degree costs, especially if one lives on campus!  Nearby,  on the road back to our campground, we saw a long unusual bridge across the Hudson. We found out it is called the Walkway on the Hudson, the longest elevated pedestrian bridge in the world (12 miles)!

The Plains, West Point parade grounds, where the bleachers cry out: 'ARMY BEAT NAVY'

Bill and I in front of the West Point Museum

We did not have the time to visit the Rockefeller Estate in Tarrytown  or the Sunnyside Estate of Washington Irving, the famous American poet and author in Sleepy Hollow. We also could not find the chance to visit Albany, capital and at the northernmost part of the state, where the tulip festivals were happening.  But we spent a lot of time in that hallowed place where the officers’ corps of the US Army is developed. Joe, a retired National Guard captain, took us on a tour of the US Military Academy in West Point.

West Point from our Hudson Line train on the way to NYC

Douglas MacArthur among the great generals at West Point

West Point has influenced so much of Philippine History. One of our former Chiefs of staff graduated from there in 1950, became a hero in the EDSA Revolution of 1986 that overthrew the 20-year Marcos dictatorship and became the country’s 12th President after Cory Aquino, Fidel V. Ramos. Under him I answered the call to serve my country and served as Deputy Commissioner of the Bureau of Internal Revenue. 

a view of the Hudson from West Point

We saw the statues of Patton, Eisenhower, and Washington, great American generals  but I was especially drawn to MacArthur who commanded the Pacific Fleet and returned, as he promised, to free the Philippines from Japanese occupation in WWII. They surrounded the parade grounds called The Plains where the graduation of the Class of 2012 will parade in review on Memorial Weekend as part of their graduation ceremonies.

the long gray line at West Point, cadets in review

the West Point Officers' Club

We were first registered at the Visitors’ Center where we viewed short clips of the history and significance of West Point, established in 1802 after the victorious American Revolution against the British. Then Joe gave us a tour of the galleries of the West Point Museum (one of the articles there was the Philippine Surrender Document by the Japanese in WWII). We also had the unique opportunity to dine with officers at the West Point Club, overlooking the Hudson. On Trophy Hill we walked where the American Soldier defended the fledgling country and a Monument in his honor towers over the Hudson.

the artillery at Trophy Hill in West Point

remnants of the chain that blocked the British
 from entering West Point placed at the narrowest portion of the Hudson 

I must admit, Billy Joel is right…the lesser known New York is every bit as amazing as New York City, although in quite a different way! For one, the towns always sleep as soon as it gets dark! 

   

Baking with Chocolate, Building with Steel OLA: Pennsylvania, Part 1

Hershey's Kisses being packaged in Hershey, Pennsylvania factory...

with Terry Allen in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania gave us so many finds so this is just Part 1! Hershey, Pennsylvania,baked with chocolate, offered us the opportunity to be children all over again!  Further west is Pittsburgh, the city built from steel, where Bill met with a colleague, Terry Allen, from Fiserv Document Solutions where Bill served as President.  

Hershey, Pennsylvania

the real Hershey factory in Hershey, Pennsylvannia

The Hershey School in Hershey, Pennsylvania

Contrary to popular belief, Hershey, Pennsylvania is a census-designated place (CDP) in Derry Township, Dauphin County with no legal status as an incorporated municipality. With a population over 12,000, it is popularly called ‘Chocolatetown, USA, the Sweetest Place on Earth.’ It is a must-see for children of all ages (like 68-year old Bill and 63-year old Carol): Chocolate World, Hershey Park, Hershey Factory, Hershey Museum, Hershey Hotel, Hershey Garden, Hershey School among all Hershey things!

the Hershey Hotel in Hershey, Pennsylvaniad

view o Hershey factoryy and Hershey Park from atop the hill
 at Herhsey Garden, Hershey, Pennsylvania

The Chocolate World was where we stayed the longest. Its Chocolate Factory Tour is free and so we took it twice! We also saw seen a film about the history of Hershey. It was the best 3-D (actually it was 4-D) film we have ever seen. Then we learned all about the different kinds of chocolates…how they taste, sound, and look! Even the gift shop is by itself an amazing experience with all kinds of chocolate goodies. Good thing there were enough free samples to last the day and not spoil the diet!

Carol at Chocolate World

Bill with a 5-lb Hershey chocolate bar at the Gift Shop

The real Hershey Factory is at the center of downtown with two Hershey smokestacks prominently seen from anywhere around the city. We had quite a day looking for the best angle to shoot from. We finally found it atop the hill where the Hershey Hotel, the Hershey Garden, and the Hershey School were located. It also gave us a more panoramic view of the Hershey Park, a good-sized theme park (Guess what the theme is?). It was truly a whole lot of fun for new kids like us!

the Hershey smokestacks at Hershey, Pennsylvania

PPG Place in downtown Pittsburgh Pennsylvania

Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The city of steel has grown to a city of charm. The PPG Place is a three-block area of glass buildings surrounding a charming little park. The Heinz Chapel stands on a corner of the beautiful campus of the University of Pittsburgh next to the Cathedral of Learning. The only National Aviary in the US, home to 600 species of birds, is at the city center.  And the Three Sisters, the only trio of almost identical bridges in the US span the Allegheny River in downtown Pittsburgh.  Self-anchored suspension bridges , they are built with steel and steel eye-bars instead of cables, and are all colored yellow!!! 

Three Sisters on the Allegheny River in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

the Cathedral of Learning

I was also thrilled to find out that there will soon be a Philippine Room at the Nationality Rooms of the University of Pittsburg, a unique collection of 29 classrooms in the Cathedral of Learning depicting and donated by the ethnic groups that helped build the city of Pittsburgh. The rooms and the building are both designated as historical landmarks and are still utilized daily, mostly as study rooms, but also in an extensive intercultural involvement and exchange program.

the India Room, one of 29 of the Nationality Rooms at the University of Pittsburgh 

Duquesne Incline, hugging Mount Washington

The Duquesne Incline is a funicular that scales Mt. Washington, the highest Pittsburgh hill. Completed in 1877, it is 800 feet long, 400 feet high, and is inclined at a 30 degree angle with an unusual 5 ft gauge. But we drove up the hill instead taking the Incline and found a panoramic view of the city, Heinz Stadium, the many bridges that span the Allegheny River. We also discovered there the dramatic statue of George Washington and Guyasuta who probably served as a scout for the young Washington in 1753. 

Statue of Guyasuta and George WAshington atop Mount Washington, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

the Saint Anthony Chapel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

But our biggest discovery was Saint Anthony's Chapel, built in 1880 by Fr. Suitbert Mollinger, pastor of the Most Holy Name of Jesus Parish in Troy Hill. The chapel houses 4,000 to 5,000 religious relics, the largest collection outside the Vatican! Our guide told us how Fr, Mollinger built the collections, mostly from his own money through the years. We also found out that there are the three classes of relics: first class-from the body of a saint or one near sainthood, second class-an object once in the possession of a saint, and third class-something touched by a first or second class relic. The chapel is truly amazing!

Other Lovely Towns in Pennsylvania

the handsome Pennsylvania State Capitol, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania

the original pretzel factory, Lilitz, Pennsylvania

Hershey is next to the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania which has the handsomest state capitol in the land!.And the Sturgis Pretzel House of Lititz, Pennsylvania, founded in 1861,is the oldest commercial pretzel bakery in the US and remains active today. Just 6 miles south is Lancaster, Pennsylvania where the Hershey campground of the Thousand Trails System was our home for 3 weeks.

Amish Village in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Wheatland, home of James Buchanan in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Bill met with another colleague from Fiserv, Gene Natale, at the outskirts of Lancaster. Since I did not join them, Bill brought home photos of the Mennonite and Amish life which flourish in the area. Tours gave him the difference between their lifestyles. Wheatland, home of James Buchanan, 15^th president of the US when the country was at the brink of the Civil War, is also a landmark.

with Gene Natale in Lancaster, Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is filled with great finds…from chocolate to steel, from universities to churches, from funiculars to bridges, from old to modern ways of living.  And we haven’t even talked about Philly yet!