Dear Readers,
Wishing you only the happiest of holidays and a wonderful new year!
Love,
Your travel friend Constance
My trip to San Francisco three years ago turned out to be a bit of a bust. I came down with a terrible sinus infection and was in bed for several days. I was able to pull myself together for the last 3 days of my trip. I got to visit Alcatraz, eat chocolates in Ghirardelli Square, take a ride down windy Lombard St, sample wines in Napa, and on my last day I finally took in the view of the majestic Gold Gate Bridge. It’s another amazing feat of mankind and officially one of the modern Wonders of the World!
Graceland: The Home of The King! This was during my trip to Memphis, TN. I took a day to visit and tour Elvis Presely’s home. Here I am outside the front gates of his estate. The man certainly had impeccable taste: green shag carpeting, peacock stained glass, yellow lightning bolts, and a circular spinning bed, complete with ceiling mirror (oh my!). There’s an adjoining museum on the premises which houses all of Elvis’ platinum records and dazzling costumes.
Here I am in front of the Alamo in San Antonio, Texas, where I learned about the 1836 Battle of the Alamo during the Texas Revolution. It was originally built as Roman Catholic Mission to educate and convert Native Americans to Christianity, and it is now a museum. But it’s seen no shortage of uses. During the Mexican War of Independence it was used as a prison, before that it was a hospital, and much later, after serving as a military base, it was even a grocery store!
Ahoy, Lady Liberty! Here I am in front of the Statue of Liberty in New York, NY. This was taken on my first trip to the Big Apple. I was not only impressed with New York City’s grandeur, but with it’s rich history as well. Inside the statue, the following words are engraved:
“Give me your tired, your poor
Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore.
Send these, the homeless, the tempest-tossed to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door!”
On this day, I also visited Ellis Island, where I searched the Wall of Honor for some of my long lost relatives. The wall only contains the names of a fraction of the immigrants processed at Ellis Island, but I was able to find a name I believe to be my eighth cousin, twice removed, on my father’s side. It was truly a moving experience that brought tears to my eyes. I imagine my ancestors braving the harsh seas, sailing toward the horizon with the dream of a better life waiting for them in the Land of the Free!
Hello, Mr. Presidents! Here I am posing in front of the majestic Mt. Rushmore in South Dakota. Did you know that it took fourteen years to complete the memorial? And it only stopped due to lack of funding. The original plans were for the presidents to be sculpted from head to waist. Standing by this great site of Americana, I felt like Eva Marie Saint in North by Northwest!
