Travel tips

While Americans expect never to pay sticker price for a car, they’re often skittish about bargaining about prices in foreign countries although every travel book about Mexico suggests bargaining is an expectation. Perhaps our hesitance has something to do with the knowledge of how wonderfully well we live in the United States. We don't like to take advantage of people we provincially see as less fortunate. At any rate, on our tours in Mexico, the guides warned us, as the tour books did, to refuse the marked price and to pay not more than 20% below that. That is about the difference agreed upon whenever we did shop—Michael’s Cuban cigar, Rob’s leather belts, my rain-god sculpture—all from different locations. Michael and I were skittish, but Rob took the guides at their word and lo and behold, they were right!

One other caution about travel in Mexico. Agree on the taxi fare before entering the taxi. There are no meters. Your hotel concierge will give you an amount to expect to pay. When we left Plaza de Toros, for instance, the first driver, spotting tourists, quoted an outlandish amount. When Rob countered with the amount somewhat closer to the concierge’s suggestion, the driver immediately agreed. We were on our way with all parties satisfied.

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TRAIN TRAVEL & THE DINING CAR--2 THUMBS UP

Last year when we took the Autotrain to Florida, we enjoyed the company of other people in the dining car. It’s one of the pleasures of train travel. I’d like to share one experience with you that is typical of the nice encounters we’ve had. I’m ready for another train trip.

One of the unknowns about travel is who we will meet. At our Autotrain check-in, we choose a 7:00 dinner seating—early enough for cocktails with the other passengers in our downstairs compartment and late enough to give us some time before calling it a night. We’re pleased when we’re seated with a younger but shy couple.

Rob introduces himself and me, and a conversation begins. On the Autotrain the first question is always, “Where are you from?” and it’s the perfect icebreaker. They’re leaving from Virginia Beach. Great.

“We know Virginia Beach,” Rob immediately replies. We know people who live there, and we’ve vacationed there after dropping off our son at Virginia Tech.”

The ice melts away.

They just left Virginia Beach and are heading to Jacksonville with two cars—not for vacation but for three years.

“Are you in the Military?” I ask. That three-year stint is becoming code to me.

With that the conversation opens up. Our dinner companion is crew chief for maintenance on F-18 Hornets after working on Sea Hawk helicopters. He’s assigned to Florida and he and his wife, a cardiac nurse, are headed down to find a home.

We tell them about Michael in Iraq and Leslie from Virginia Beach. We talk of how Rob and I loved to lie on that beach in the sun watching the Navy jets fly out each morning and return in the afternoon—bursts of silver against the robin egg blue sky.

Our companions are anxious to talk too, and we hear their stories. They originally came to the United States from Sierra Leone, and he joined the Navy after college. That was ten years ago. They love their life.

We share a lovely meal with these two young people, sharing some experiences. We all agree that the relaxed feel of the Autotrain makes the trip a relaxing interlude to the often frenetic pace of life. It's nice to meet other people, and it was nice to have a chance to speak to this military couple and to thank them.

Meanwhile the train slowly rocked its way through the darkness past Selma, North Carolina—another sleepy town on dining restaurants food foodies travel reviews "Third+Age+Traveler" railroads trains Amtrak AutoTrain "dining+cars" dinner breakfast military Jacksonville "Virginia+Beach" our way south.

PORTLAND, MAINE - HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW'S HOME

Our visit to Maine led us to Portland’s Wadsworth Longfellow House, the home of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow until he left to teach at Bowdoin College.

The home has been painstakingly restored by the Maine Historical Society whose headquarters are located next door. Our very knowledgeable and enthusiastic docent is a member of the society. The home had been donated to the society by Longfellow’s daughter, Ann, who died in 1902. Most of the furnishings are original, and those reproductions such as wallpaper, carpeting, floor coverings, and curtains have been carefully reproduced based on notes, letter, and remaining artifacts.

There are quite a few pieces that really catch the interest as well as the imagination. The house belonged to Longfellow’s grandfather who served with George Washington during the Revolutionary War. In the house are three important examples of his high regard for Washington. The first is an engraving of Washington on horseback; the second is a pitcher decorated with Washington’s portrait and regarded as such a treasure that it was used only at Christmas; the third is an engraving of Washington ascending to heaven. These three artifacts tell an entire story of a man’s feelings.

Some of the furnishings were brought up from Longfellow’s home in Cambridge when he was a professor at Harvard. Included in this group are his Chickering piano and his flute. The poet, famous for “Song of Hiawatha,” “The Children’s Hour,” “Paul Revere’s Ride,” and other familiar poems, was also an accomplished musician.

I learned quite a bit about Longfellow, so highly regarded that a plaque honoring him has a place in Westminster Abbey’s Poet’s Corner, a place where I’ve stood in awe at the great men and women represented in that shrine.

On the walls of the house hang pictures of the older Longfellow, the one we’re familiar—a stern man sporting a long, flowing white beard. What I didn’t know was the tragic story behind that beard.

Longfellow’s second wife used wax to seal envelopes filled with locks of her children’s hair. As she did this one day, her dress caught fire, and though Longfellow tried to smother the flames, she was so severely burned she died the following day. He did not escape unscathed. His neck and face were also burned to such an extent that shaving became almost impossible, hence the flowing beard. And the constant reminder.

Pulling out my dusty and taped copy of Longfellow’s poetry that I inherited from my father, I’ll undoubtedly enjoy the time spent with him even more because of this visit. If you’re in Portland, perhaps taking the ferry to Canada or enjoying a visit to this state, make sure you take some time to visit Henry Wadsworth Longfellow’s home.

NEVER CALL RETREAT--HISTORICAL FICTION YOU SHOULD NOT MISS

Never Call Retreat is the third and final installment of this "what if" series by Newt Gingrich and Willian R. Forstchen, and it is as splendid as the previous two novels. What if the South won the Battle of Gettysburg? History tells us that the devastating losses the South suffered at this infamous battle so depleted its military strength that it never recovered. Indeed, Gettysburg was as far north as the South ever came.

By only slightly tweaking history, Gingrich and Forstchen have Robert E. Lee listen to General Longstreet's battle suggestion, change the original battle plan and site, and win the Battle of Gettysburg which fictionally occurs at another locale. The next two books, again by only slightly tweaking the circumstances or decisions of the commanding generals illustrate how difficult it is to plan a war, how colossal the losses may be, and how luck, weather, or a host of other unpredictable circumstances often influence the outcome of a battle, a campaign, or an entire war. These novels alter so little of history that their fiction seems plausible.

History does out as it must, but throughout the novels, readers are tense with expectation and suspense. Never Call Retreat is so well written that even a knowledge of history is sometimes muddled, and we wait to read the outcome--or at least the path to that outcome. The description of the battles, the thinking of the men in charge, and the recurrent appearances of characters, both historic and fictional, add to the evolution of the authors' thoughts.

One thing is certain. As historians, Gingrich and Forstchen respect both Grant and Lee. They are treated as the great leaders they were--noble in victory, humble and proud in defeat. Surely both men, despite ordering others to almost certain death, displayed a respect for life and love of country despite their fundamental differences.

Believe this--there is even a surprise ending! It brought a lump to my throat and a tear to my eye.

Kudos to Newt Gingrich and William R. Forstchen. These three novels are excellent in the way they treat history and the men and events that shape our history. I was so impressed by this series that I bought another "what if" book by them, Pearl Harbor. I'm looking forward to it.

books novels literature history war "Civil+War" Gettysburg Grant Lee battles army military Lincoln "book+series" "Never+Call+Retreat" "Pearl+Harbor" "Newt+Gingrich" "William+R.+Forstchen" "historical+fiction"

GET READY FOR SUMMER--THINK REHOBOTH BEACH, DELAWARE

Mr. McSweeny first told me about Rehoboth Beach, Delaware way back in 1967 or 1968, He loved it, and I’ve wanted to visit since then. Finally last July we were there at the beautiful beachfront Boardwalk Plaza Hotel, a perfect place to meet Allison and Don who had made all the arrangements for us.

Isn't there always a bit of a kicker in any vacation? Allison and Don had been to Rehoboth before and told of an ocean as calm as a lake with a fine, sandy bottom. We've met people from St. Louis who vacation there every year and say the same thing. Though our weather is beautiful, the sky clear and blue and temperatures in the high 80s, Hurricane Bertha sits off the coast of Bermuda and seriously impacts our beautiful weekend. The surf is rough! There are lots of pebbles. This ocean is angry; it’s no lake! We have no trouble going into the ocean which is a rather chilly 68°, but what the heck. It’s so hot on the beach. The water is refreshing. Some of us get tossed around a bit including me. Getting out of the water is a lot more difficult. The strong undertow keeps knocking me over and I get slammed around and tossed head over heels under the waves a few times. But I don't get hurt, and I find the experience more embarrassing than frightening. There is a man, however, who emerges with a chest scraped and raw. He was beaten down by the waves and pulled by their power across the pebbly bottom. Still, fighting the waves is part of the fun of the beach, and we do it enthusiastically. Other beachgoers are loving it. Some dig in the sand and build their own “levees” to hold back the flood. We’ve become used to seeing levees fail, and these do, allowing the ocean to sweep across the beach to form lakes and gullies wherever a declivity exists. That’s fun too, and the children splash or ride their boogie boards on these shallow ponds.

We raise our beach bags high above the sand and allow the water to wash over our feet. It’s an adventure! Leaving the beach around 5 PM each day, we four head to the rooftop spa and deck of our hotel, and we watch from on high the futile attempts to stem the tide. The water gets rougher and rougher and floods the entire stretch of sand. Rehoboth Beach is a beautiful city established in 1873 specifically as a resort. Over the years it has been popular to different demographics, and the result is a comfortable mix of people looking for a peaceful beach, good restaurants, interesting shops and an “olde tyme” feeling. If that’s what you’re looking for, you’ll find it all here. The main street is great. You walk past the big gazebo where you hear big band sounds on Saturday night. A trolley runs to other beaches in the area. Shops line the streets. One interesting aspect is that many shops have several outlets. There are several Grotto Pizzas (we didn’t try them) and Thrashers French Fries—a long-time staple. These french fries, vinegary and salty, are sold only at Rehoboth Beach. We tried them—Rob and I shared a $4.00 medium bucket. It’s huge. And nice. The repetition of outlets cuts down on the lines, and that’s pretty good on a hot day at the beach when you’re yearning for a nibble. I had to pop into Gidgets Gadjets to buy my sister a present. It hearkens back to our childhood and one of her favorite puppet characters. Of course I stopped in Del Sol but not before we watched a street chess game. Back on the boardwalk the atmosphere changes at the gazebo. Walk in one direction and you stroll past restaurants and hotels. The boardwalk is lined with benches just right for people watching. What is notable is that Rehobeth Beach is not lined with bars as so many other beaches are. If you’re into a louder scene, you have to move to beaches south of Rehoboth.
In Rehoboth, civility is the order of the day. Bike racks are provided, but for much of the year there’s no bike riding on the boardwalk after 10 AM. Dogs are not allowed for much of the year. It is a calmer world where you can rent your beach umbrellas and chairs and sit back and relax.

Walk in the other direction from the gazebo, and you enter fun land. At night this part of the Boardwalk is busy with people strolling in the pleasant, cool beach night. Many people enjoy ice cream cones from one of the many homemade ice cream stores.

There are games and rides galore. On one roof is a miniature golf course. Among the other games is that old horse race game where you squirt water to make the horse move. There’s 10¢ SkeeBall (REALLY) and old style bumper cars. I got a real kick out of these, and no, I didn’t ride the bumper cars—this time.

Rehoboth Beach is a lovely place to visit. You’ll enjoy the welcoming atmosphere, the apparently lovely and varied accommodations available, the spacious and clean beach, the restaurants and shops, and the amusements. It could be a perfect summer vacation. Check it out. vacations travel "travel+blogs" "Third+Age+Traveler" resorts beaches summer oceans "Rehoboth+Beach" Delaware "Hurricane+Bertha" surf waves sun boardwalks food snacks Thrashers "french+fries" pizza gazebo water sand "people+watching" holidays "bumper+cars" "Skeeball" "miniature+golf"