Category Archives: Travel

Remembering NYC: 2006

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As you can see, I was very pregnant by the time our second trip to NYC rolled around. Just two months later, our Atticus was born. πŸ™‚

The picture’s bad, taken with a cell phone, and recaptured by my Droid tonight from a print. (What happened to those files?!)

Here are some things we remember about this trip:

  • We were only there two nights, July 26-28, the shortest stay so far.
  • We saw “Rent” at the Nederlander Theatre. Awesome production!
  • We stayed at the New Yorker, which was nice enough, but way too far away from any subway stops.
  • We stopped in St. Bartholomew’s on the way to St. Patrick’s. Remember, I was pregnant and it was late July…hot!! This stop changed our lives … long story (to come)!

NYC Wedding Trip :)

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This year marks the first in many that we won’t be spending the end of July in New York City.

Usually, we save up all year long to take a few days alone, Kevin and I, exploring the city. This year, however, all savings went toward a downpayment on our new home. Totally worth it, yes, but we’re still in #miss mode.

We decided to take this week, when we’d originally planned to make the trip, and document the years we’ve enjoyed.

Six years ago next week, we sold whatever we could — jewelry, a guitar, a knife collection, etc. — and scraped together the money to spend a few days in Manhattan … and get married!

We left Danville on Monday, July 25, 2005.

Although I’d been twice (once with students to Columbia’s journalism camp and once to sing with a band at the Hard Rock Cafe), it was Kevin’s first time in New York. You should’ve seen his widened eyes and dropped jaw! Or his panicked look when we rushed onto the first subway car at the last minute. So precious! πŸ™‚

That first train ride took us from near the Howard Johnson’s on 8th Avenue, where we stayed that trip (it’s another hotel chain now) downtown to City Hall, where we waited in line sweating like crazy in the heat to get our marriage license.

After we explained their marriage code to them (long story! :P), we finally left with that license, but it was so late by then that we had to wait until Wednesday to get married…

At 10:20 a.m., on Wednesday, July 27, 2005, we were married in the Manhattan City Clerk’s office. Our witness was a lady who lived in Harlem and got married just before us.

When we left City Hall, we walked right into a “Law and Order: Criminal Intent” set.

We headed up to Times Square, had lunch at TGI Fridays, and experienced “Phantom of the Opera” for the first time!!

After crashing for hours at the hotel, we rushed down to the Empire State Building, getting in line just before 11. We knew they took the last elevators up at 11:15, and we wanted to be up there on the night we were married, so we’d bought our tickets in advance.

So when the guy in charge of the line, already on a major power trip, told us they were closing early, I got pretty upset to say the least. I got on the phone, called directory assistance (no smart phones at the time), and called the manager of the Empire State Building to complain. πŸ˜›

Within five minutes, that manager had come down personally to escort us to the elevator!

We spent the final 15 minutes of the day we got married on top of the world. πŸ™‚

And then we ran uptown to Central Park and found the last carriage ride of the night.

It was definitely a day we will never forget. πŸ™‚

The Old Register Building

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If I saw this old stone entrance in any other city, I’d be wowed.

Look at those columns! Worn down, yes, and the metal rails aren’t that attractive, but still…

Here in my hometown, however, I usually just walk right by, if I’m even over in that part of downtown.

How many other things around me am I not appreciating, places and people alike?

Lord, help me to be open to my surroundings, to see the beauty in everything and everyone around me.

Shangri-La

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July 2006. I was very pregnant with Atticus, who was born in September of that year.

Ryan, Lucas, and I rode down 86 into North Carolina, past Yanceyville, where Kevin was working in the prison, to Shangri-La.

Lucas was almost two years old; Ryan was 13. It was a pretty fun, but hot, afternoon, if memory serves. Lucas was so excited about the little stone buildings that it took Ryan and me both to keep him off them.

I remember going there years and years ago with my mom and dad.

The man who built it was so nice; he would come out and show off his miniature masterpiece, enjoying the company of people who stopped to admire it.

Since he died, the place changed hands, the buildings aren’t kept up like they used to be.

And the new owners didn’t seem to care much for visitors. (I guess I should be thankful they didn’t call the law on us.) They made their presence known but didn’t come out to chat.

River Walk

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River Walk

We headed to Dan Daniel Memorial Park today to enjoy the southern (and mostly shaded) end of the Riverwalk Trail. What an awesome way to spend the good part of a day! It’s definitely the best thing Danville ever did!!

When I asked them about their favorite part of the day, both Lucas and Atticus said they liked throwing sticks and rocks into the river best. πŸ™‚ Kevin said the best part was that he got to kiss me. πŸ™‚ And I liked holding Kevin’s hand and taking lots of pictures (and not having to be in a single one). πŸ™‚

Some other things we liked and didn’t:

  • Awesome giant sycamores on “Ghost Tree Island.” πŸ™‚
  • Lucas stopped to pick up every caterpillar and worm he saw on the trail. πŸ™‚ πŸ™
  • Atticus fell and scraped up his knee. It bled a lot. πŸ™
  • A biker told us about a black snake up the trail, but we never saw it. πŸ™ πŸ™‚
  • A big group of people came out from a little path to the river with their fishing equipment, but when we looked down the path to see where they’d been, we also saw all the trash they’d left behind. πŸ™

And it’s in the gallery above, but I just can’t resist posting this rainbow picture separately!!! πŸ˜‰

River Walk 71

Thanks for looking. πŸ™‚

An Urban Hike

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Last August, Kevin and I trekked up and down our hometown’s Main Street, aiming to see Danville with new eyes, those of tourists.

It worked.

All of what we’d seen over and over through the years proved totally different up close.

We parked near the river and walked south, up what used to be a bustling downtown that died for many years and is now slowly coming back to life. Up we walked through “Millionaire’s Row” with its grandiose Victorian houses, including the Sutherlin Mansion, which is now a museum. And on through West Main and the Averett University area. And back.

It was a long and hot day. I don’t think I’m exaggerating when I say it was every bit of four miles and every bit as hot as 95 degrees.

But it was so worth it!

(Another set of pictures from a restored home we were fortunate enough to have an impromptu tour of that day will be posted separately soon. :))

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Living Waters

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A second picture for my DanvilleType.com idea. πŸ™‚

I love the hand-drawn script and the way the text starts all bold and deliberate, then thins and spreads. And by the time it gets to “CHURCH,” it’s a sans-serif block.

I wonder if it’s thematic, or if they went with a freeform, whatever-happens approach. And I wonder about the spacing. And the color choices.

It’s definitely not what you would expect out in the middle of the country.