The Pennsylvania Military Museum

Posted on October 1, 2018 by Janette

State College is a beautiful area of central Pennsylvania.  Known mostly for the location of Penn State’s main campus, this area has so much more to offer.

I recently traveled out this way to visit the Pennsylvania Military Museum in Boalsburg, about five minutes down the road from State College.  What a gem!  Considering that Pennsylvania has the 4th highest veteran population in the country, it is nice to see so much history preserved to educate the public on a number of things that you don’t hear about in school.  This museum makes the snapshots of bygone eras come to life with their displays and moving stories.

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Inside, the museum houses all things related to Pennsylvania military history.  From weapons, jeeps, and tanks to memorabilia, trench art and medals, this place has so much to see.

Also, learning about the monuments on the grounds of the property was very moving.  Attention to detail was used even when choosing the site, in addition to recreating scenic elements of European battle settings to the left and right sides of the building.

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This quiet, hidden gem is a must-see for anyone in the area…especially on a beautiful day.  The grounds have a walking path that circle the monuments and it’s a great way to take a stroll or walk your dog while soaking in some history.

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Beach Time!

Posted on September 16, 2018 by Janette

I made sure to start my 37th year off right…with a trip to the beach!

Since I don’t live a block away from a coast with salt water anymore, I clearly understand how I’ve taken it for granted in the past.

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My birthday jaunt to Bethany Beach, Delaware was only a long weekend, but it was perfect and definitely worth the drive.  I recommend not following your initial GPS directions if you are traveling from the north and told to use Route 1.  Take the hint from the one road sign that says “DE beaches, use 113.”

The town center is adorable, boasting small businesses, local restaurants, and novelty shops all along the strip that is located one block back from the beach.  Every side street along the strip has access to the beach and also has plenty of metered parking.

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A nice sized boardwalk is the barrier between shopping, food access and the beautiful sand that beckons.

Unfortunately, I did not snap any photos of the pod of dolphins playing in the ocean just beyond the people playing in the ocean…that would have been awesome.  In any case, it was a beautiful thing to watch and it was the only time I saw dolphins from the shore so clearly.

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Delaware was good to me so it may be a location I frequent in the future.

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Happy Birthday to Me!

Posted on September 8, 2018 by Janette

For some reason 37 has always been my favorite number.  I remember thinking it would take forever to get to this ago.  Now it’s upon me and I’m pretty happy with that.  I mean, I couldn’t wait for my 30’s to begin.  I was done living my life and making decisions for other people.  I made sure I would live my 30’s for me.  Fast-forward seven years and I think I’ve done just that.

These seven years have been filled with lots of different types of experiences and challenges.  I’ve been around the world, visited 9 countries, 2 states, changed jobs 4 times and had 2 surgeries.  But, challenges have been welcomed since they propel life forward and always allow for opportunities to grow.

At various points in my adult life, I’ve felt the need to focus on a particular topic or area that I’ve felt I’ve been lacking.  One year I vowed to read more books, ensuring I read at least one each month to work through my stockpile.  At certain times I’ve focused on travel.  One year I decreed was my “year of education” in which I signed up for multiple seminars at the local community center, scoured the internet for online tutorials on many different topics, and even took ballroom dance lessons.

As I’ve been away from my home state for a span of 10 years, I want my 37th year to be filled with experiences that involve getting out of the house and doing things locally.  My hometown, state, and surrounding area have a lot to offer that I’ve either never experienced or don’t remember well.  This area of the US has been untapped from my perspective so I will focus on not being such a homebody for the next year.  I truly love being a homebody most of the time…but with taking care of a house and yard (which I’ve never had to do in my adult life before) can easily suck up all available free time.  I really want to ensure that I make time to stop and smell the roses…on a regular basis.

Using my at-least-once-a-month rule, it should be pretty easy to fill the calendar with at LEAST 12 things I’ve never done in this area I now call “home.”  And…I’m already getting started!

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Spring in Baltimore

Posted on May 6, 2018 by Janette

As soon as the first nice day came around, some of my family members and I went on a day trip to Baltimore.  It had been years since I was there last, so I thought we needed to take advantage of that opportunity.

Our first stop was the Walters Art Museum.  I had never heard of this place before, but it opened in 1934 and began as a personal art collection.  The museum is free and the collection includes works from Egypt, Greece, Italy, the Middle East, China, etc.  In addition to the type of items I expected to see, there was also a Faberge Egg exhibit that was pretty awesome.

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Right down the street, about one or two blocks away, was “The Washington Monument” of Baltimore and the George Peabody Library.  The monument can be climbed, but we did not reserve a time to explore that.  We just wanted to walk around the pretty park-like area, take some photos and then check out the library.

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The George Peabody Library always seems to come up when discussing the most beautiful libraries in the world, or the most amazing, etc.  Trust me, it did not disappoint.  Although there are plenty of people using the library for study, I found myself among a handful whose sole purpose was to look on in amazement and snap a few great photos.

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After a picnic lunch in the parking lot, it was on to the National Aquarium.  Once again, it had been many years since I had visited this tourist trap, and it was so nice to return.  I felt like a kid again as we moved through the exhibits or walked down through the spiral ramp, watching the sharks and stingrays float by.  We happened to be there during feeding time, so I really loved getting to see the divers hang out with the fish, deliver some lunch and photo-bomb visitors pictures.  🙂 It was also pretty nice to see Ed, the injured sea turtle who was rescued, had a flipper amputated and is now a crowd favorite.

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Although the museum is a bit on the pricey side, I feel there really is a lot to see for the ticket price.  My feet were tired from walking to every exhibit and reading all the information on display.  Considering this was the only thing we had to pay for, besides parking, it really was a cheap-ish day in the city, combined with time by the water.

After a very long cold season, it was so nice to spend half of our day trip in 85-degree weather, enjoying the outdoors.

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A Little Ocean from the Ocean State

Posted on February 10, 2018 by Janette

During the holidays I finally made a trip back to Rhode Island to visit the town I used to live in.

On one hand, I was disappointed that I could only run into a few friends from town.  Then I thought how amazing it is to know that the people in my life from a few years ago are out and about, doing awesome things, in the middle of their own adventurous chapters.  Since I left Rhode Island, one friend earned a Bachelor’s Degree, one received a Master’s Degree, one opened a business, two moved out west, one moved south and one found love and moved to Indonesia…crazy huh?

Anyway, it was so nice to go back and visit the friends who were available and take pictures of the water I always miss.

Enjoy the few pictures that I was able to snap on a beautiful evening after a short trip to a place I once called “home.”

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Sculpture in New Jersey

Posted on October 9, 2017 by Janette

Since being back in Central Pennsylvania, I’m very happy to say that I’ve been able to seek out some pretty awesome locations and points of interest around three hours away in various directions.  I definitely recognize that in my youth, I did not research what was close by to investigate.

A few weeks ago I was able to explore “Grounds for Sculpture” in Hamilton, New Jersey, only about two hours and 15 minutes away from home.

The compound is expansive with over 42 acres, 300 sculptures plus indoor exhibits that rotate.  I hope you enjoy some of my favorites shown below.  If you are anywhere in the surrounding area, this place is definitely worth a day trip!

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Virginia is for Lovers…of caves.

Posted on August 30, 2017 by Janette

This post is a bit overdue…but a busy life can be a rewarding life…and I’m happy to have a few things to share very shortly.

Who knew that just three hours south of my hometown, people from around the world flock to an area in Northern Virginia to go spelunking.

On the surface, the ground is lush, the trees are mature, the area is filled with adorable small towns – the kinds that have lots of antique stores and ice cream shops.  Below the surface, however, is where most of the action is.

On the way down to Virginia, I was sure to be on the lookout for interesting things to see.  The goal was to travel to Luray and see the caverns.  I was stunned to find out that Luray was a hot spot for international travelers…who knew?

I also didn’t realize that there are handfuls of caverns in that area of Virginia.  The scenic byway (Skyline Drive) is also not to be missed.  It does cost $20, but the ticket is good for a week or so, which came in useful.  On a beautiful, sunny day, it was awesome to wind around the curvy road, pulling off to take some photos, seeing other tourists from all over the world.

Not far from the scenic byway is Skyline Caverns.  It was a nice, unexpected excursion.  Originally, the first day of the weekend was going to just be a travel day to get to the hotel in New Market.  We were going to see Luray the next day and drive home the day after that.  However, with so much to do at our fingertips, I was pretty excited that we were able to do so much more than expected.

Skyline caverns was a great way to get a taste of what was to come.  The tour group was a decent size and our guide was friendly, knowledgeable and entertaining.

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The next day we made our way over to Luray Caverns.  We happened to be there over Memorial Day weekend, but no matter when you go, I’d suggest getting there super early to get a good place in line.  There were no assigned reservation times, so I wanted to get there early while waiting in line would be more comfortable, and get onto one of the first tours.  (The line wraps around the building and down the sidewalk, so waiting in the mid-day sun would have been uncomfortable.)

Our tactic worked! We were on the second tour and we were able to have our awesome cavern tour (which includes a hymn on the famous cavern organ) in no time.  After the tour, we had a snack, looked around the gift shop and then decided to head on to another adventure.

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We passed a little town square filled with tents, like for a craft show just a few miles away.  I guess many things were happening for the holiday weekend, so we strolled around talking to all the artisans.  I picked up some homemade body scrub before making my way over to the pulled pork BBQ stand.

With a full belly and plenty of time to spare, we decided to check out Endless caverns as well.  There really were many to choose from, but Endless was on the way back to our hotel, so that was an easy choice for us.

The tour was a bit smaller and it was nice to have more time to take pics and look around.  The compound itself was also nice, perched on a hill, surrounded by nature, near a campground.  Everything in this area seemed to be family and pet-friendly.

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Travel Quotes, Chapter 4

Posted on June 2, 2017 by Janette

“I am not the same, having seen the moon shine on the other side of the world.” – Mary Anne Radmacher

Travel changes you.  It changes your perception, your thought patterns, your patience, your dreams.  It makes you consider things you never would have thought to consider before.  I’ve traveled more than the average US citizen, obviously far less than some…but if I never travel again, the very fiber of my being has been impacted and forever changed for the better because of those experiences, in large part due to traveling solo.

“Being solitary is being alone well:  being alone luxuriously immersed in doings of your own choice, aware of the fullness of your own presence rather than the absence of others.” – Alice Koller

By getting out of your comfort zone just once in your life can change everything in your world magical ways….

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Travel Quotes, Chapter 3

Posted on May 24, 2017 by Janette

“Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage.” -Anais Nin

“The life you have led doesn’t need to be the only life you have.” -Anna Quindlen

 

Don’t be afraid of doing something uncharacteristic.  If life is dull, take a step down a different path.  I’m not saying quit your job, become a hippy and live in a tent the rest of your life.  Quite frankly, that job is necessary for most people to travel in the first place.  All I’m saying is try to live more fully.  Forego buying that cute pair of shoes or the newest cell phone that just came out five minutes ago and put a few dollars every paycheck into a travel fund.  Once you have enough to play with, look into a few destinations, read travel guides and blogs, and when you’re ready, buy a ticket.  The ticket could be to a new city, state, country or continent.  Your happiness will grow and your life will expand just for giving it a try, regardless of the number of miles you travel.

🙂

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Travel Quotes, Chapter 2

Posted on May 12, 2017 by Janette

“No place is ever as bad as they tell you it’s going to be.”  -Chuck Thompson

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.”  -Aldous Huxley

 

Have you ever noticed that the most negative and worrisome information tends to come from negative and worrisome individuals who tend to watch too much TV and don’t travel enough, or at all?

I believe human nature is mostly good at heart.  I believe that like attracts like, and I believe things happen for a reason.  I also believe that everyone should take responsibility for their actions, research an area before you travel and ultimately go where you feel you should go and spread your wonderful human nature as far as you can.  I guarantee you’ll be rewarded many, many more times that not…so don’t put too much energy in the naysayers.  Will your experience be perfect?  No…trips are usually perfectly imperfect.  But in the end, you’ll have a life-changing experience, and most likely prove a large number of people wrong, while everyone else is jealous of your courage and sense of adventure, while being upset at themselves for being overcome with fear and negativity.

Go into the unknown and show the unworldly people how amazing the world is!

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