This day December 17th is a very significant day in the history of aviation.
In 1903 - The Wright Flyer became the first powered, heavier-than-air machine to achieve controlled, sustained flight with a pilot aboard, and here we were looking at the actual machine!
Not a replica but the 'real thing' - slightly mended of course after all these years.
Monday, December 18, 2006
as landed on the moon
We did the recommended 'bus' tour on Saturday taking all the sights including more museums than I care to think about, memorial to everything the US have dabbled in over the years and Arlington Cemetery.
Sunday we braved the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Very interesting to get a feel for the actual size of the rockets, space capsules and Lunar Lander, seeing pictures never really gives the real idea of the scale of things. Makes you realise how brave these people are.
Sunday we braved the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum.
Very interesting to get a feel for the actual size of the rockets, space capsules and Lunar Lander, seeing pictures never really gives the real idea of the scale of things. Makes you realise how brave these people are.
white house
Friday saw us on the road for six hours travelling up the Interstate 95 to Washington DC, excellent if boring road.
Thanks to superb map reding by Mary we only had to drive twice around the one way system in the friday night rush hour, before reaching our hotel.
Very centrally placed only two blocks from the White House.
Thanks to superb map reding by Mary we only had to drive twice around the one way system in the friday night rush hour, before reaching our hotel.
Very centrally placed only two blocks from the White House.
Fire Department
The most exciting happening during our short stay (apart from the train that is) was the local fire engine out to get coffee!
AMTRAK
Strange place, apart from a short rush hour it’s a bit like St Albans on a wet Sunday - no signs of life. I thought I saw a train, but shortly after I took its photo it backed away from the station again, perhaps it was shy?
The street is lit by thousands of bulbs in the trees at night, just all life has moved out to the 'Mall' which as with all such out of town developments has done nothing for the centre of town shops.
The street is lit by thousands of bulbs in the trees at night, just all life has moved out to the 'Mall' which as with all such out of town developments has done nothing for the centre of town shops.
Fayetteville Market House
And so we landed in the USA on 13th, Alison collected us and left us in a downtown Fayetteville Hotel, right opposite the City Hall and Police Station! The Market House was built in 1832 on the site of the old State House, which was destroyed by fire in 1831.
It was within the walls of the State House that North Carolina had ratified the Constitution of the United States in 1789 and chartered the University of North Carolina. Also here North Carolina ceded her western lands to form the state of Tennessee. Built on traditional 'English' lines.
It was within the walls of the State House that North Carolina had ratified the Constitution of the United States in 1789 and chartered the University of North Carolina. Also here North Carolina ceded her western lands to form the state of Tennessee. Built on traditional 'English' lines.
Thursday, September 07, 2006
Braunston on a busy day
This is what Braunston was like during the rush hour.
We moved off the next day and went up through the repaired locks and tunnel to Norton junction, stopping there the night for our final BBQ and arrived back at Crick and home to inches of junk mail and kind neighbours having cut the lawn.
And finally:-
Total hours cruising: unknown but spread over 8 weeks.
Total distance travelled: in excess of 350 miles.
Total number of locks: at least 233.
Pictures uploaded to Flickr via hp laptop and nokia mobile phone using GPRS. See http://www.filesaveas.com/gprs.html for details of how to set this up.
From Flickr the pictures were then added to this blog using the 'blog this' feature.
We moved off the next day and went up through the repaired locks and tunnel to Norton junction, stopping there the night for our final BBQ and arrived back at Crick and home to inches of junk mail and kind neighbours having cut the lawn.
And finally:-
Total hours cruising: unknown but spread over 8 weeks.
Total distance travelled: in excess of 350 miles.
Total number of locks: at least 233.
Pictures uploaded to Flickr via hp laptop and nokia mobile phone using GPRS. See http://www.filesaveas.com/gprs.html for details of how to set this up.
From Flickr the pictures were then added to this blog using the 'blog this' feature.
new collar
This vital component is what had come adrift, the pin down in to the ground had broken and so the gate flopped around in a spectacular manner for a while. But was soon mended, and traffic resumed.
men and woman at work
On arrival at Braunston, there was much activity and lots and lots of boats - all waiting for the usual efficient BW crew to mend a lock collar that had come detached from the ground, luckily we were not in a hurry so moored up for a day.
sun set over boat
Despite the change in the weather, to much cooler and wetter days, some of the evening were really glorious, this was taken by Mary in her 'artistic mode', whilst moored near Polesworth
taking a short cut
I hope the owners of these new flats like canals, because they are pretty close to the constant throb of diesel engine going up the locks. We liked the patio door on the first floor, with one left open to allow the plaster board through.
strawberry fields
So you wondered where those supermarket strawberries came from, the answer is places like this, you could smell them ripening as you cruised past.
would you want to
Would you choose to moor here, this is in the middle of all the enginnering work, coffer dams and cranes were much in evidence as the canal was having foundations for the new railway line laid in and around it, I hope they leave a decent space for boats, some new bridges are very boat friendly and other are marginally fit for one boat to squeeze through.
Waiting at the lights
So here we are waiting at the lights, just as we settled down for a long wait the lights changed and we were off again.
Light Warning
Not expected on the canal, but sometimes engineering works prevale, in this case the upgrading af the fast line from two to four track.
No comment
Fradley Junction nature park on bank holiday monday, a nice lake and wooded walk hidden behind the junction.
speed merchant
Moored at Kings Bromley, one of the modern plagues of towpath life is the constant threat of being run over!
We met a nice young lad who explained to me how he evaded all the complex barriers put up to stop him racing up and down the canal.
This man was followed by his very young son also on a motor bike.
We met a nice young lad who explained to me how he evaded all the complex barriers put up to stop him racing up and down the canal.
This man was followed by his very young son also on a motor bike.
Saturday, August 26, 2006
4mph speed limit
There is a 4 mph speed limit on the canals - but I don't think it applies to this boat (only 18 inches long and powered by battery). It has been attracting the crowds though as it skims across the water - hope it doesn't run out of battery on the far side.
The sun is out at last, so perhaps it will warm up. We are staying here today (sat) and setting off home tomorrow.
The sun is out at last, so perhaps it will warm up. We are staying here today (sat) and setting off home tomorrow.
fishing
I have yet to see a Heron catch anything, but they keep trying. Here at Tixall as mentioned last year much of the wildlife has been decimated by escaped mink, but it it coming back. Sitting here yesterday we
could see the Buzzards wheeling in the sky and deer roaming across the other side of the river.
could see the Buzzards wheeling in the sky and deer roaming across the other side of the river.
The shop next door
And so in the rain we arrived back at Tixall on our way to Great Haywood Junction and the turn south on to the Trent and Mersey pointing home. We have been sat here for a couple of days, sitting out the Thunderstorms and miserable weather, this is August Bank holiday weekend. The local Pub does 'Old Spotted Hen' on draught, so worth staying around the extra day.
The 'shop' next door to us has been selling coal, as the night time temperatures (and day time) are pretty low compared to just a few weeks ago when we started out.
The 'shop' next door to us has been selling coal, as the night time temperatures (and day time) are pretty low compared to just a few weeks ago when we started out.
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