Adding two more states - Alabama and North Carolina

I found three Traditional Caches, six Virtuals, two Earthcaches, five Adventure Labs, attended one Community Celebration Event, found one whereigo, six Benchmarks and DNF two - a Traditional Cache and an Adventure Lab Bonus Cache during my two-week trip.   I added two more states that I had not as yet cached in - Alabama and North Carolina.  I have cached in 36 states.

Road Scholar - Trip to Atlanta, Montgomery, Selma, Birmingham, Greensboro, and Alexandria November 6 - 21, 2021

Saturday, Nov. 6 - I rode Vancouver Cab to Portland International Airport at 4:00A.  I caught the Alaska Airlines flight to SeaTac at 6:00A (seat 18F).  I had a three hour layover so I checked into the Alaska Airlines Lounge.  I left SeaTac at 10:05A for Atlanta (Seat 6F bulkhead).  I arrived about 5:45P.  I took a cab ride to the Hyatt Place Atlanta/Buckhead.  After I checked into the hotel I purchased a Caesar Salad for dinner at 8:30P.  I had a great night's sleep.

Sunday, Nov. 7 - Following breakfast, I rode Marta to the High Museum of Art located on Peachtree Street in Midtown, the city's arts district.  I looked at the art, had a Charcuterie Box lunch with Diet Coke, and found "The Shade" (Geocaching Virtual) in the far reaches of the grounds. 

103 members of the Atlanta Art Association never made it back from their month-long tour of famed European art galleries.  They were among the 130 people killed on June 3, 1962 when Air France Flight 007 crashed off the end of an Orly Airport runway after an aborted takeoff attempt. Mechanical failure caused the crash.  The bronze cast of Rodin's The Shade that stands on the grounds of the High Art Museum, encircled with the names of the patrons, was donated to Atlanta by France in memory of the victims of the crash.

I took Marta back to the Buckhead station and proceeded to get lost.  I took a Lyft from 3495 Buckhead Loop NE (with the help of the security guard) to the Hyatt Place arriving at 4:30P.  I checked in with Road Scholar table and got my welcome packet.  We had an Orientation session.  We went to a local restaurant for dinner. 

Monday, Nov. 8 - Following breakfast, we heard a speaker.  We went to the Martin Luther King Jr. National Historic Site where we visited the Martin Luther King Memorial and Dr. and Mrs. King's Crypt.  We saw the Historic Ebenezer Baptist Church where both King and his father were pastors.  We had lunch at Paschal's.  Paschal's was a meeting place for key civil rights leaders and strategists.  After lunch, we visited the Apex Museum.  We had dinner at Louisiana Bistreaux. 

Tuesday, Nov. 9 - Following breakfast, we heard about important people of Atlanta that changed the future of the city.  We traveled to the Georgia State Capital which contains a wealth of Civil Rights History.  I found the benchmark at the front of the capital.  I saw a plaque "The Battle of Atlanta" and a new statue of MLK.  We walked across the street to eat at the local capitol cafeteria.  We traveled to South View cemetery (1886), a historic African-American-founded cemetery located 15 minutes from downtown Atlanta. 

Wednesday, Nov. 10 - Following breakfast, we traveled via bus approximately 160 miles to Renaissance  Montgomery Hotel.  Upon our arrival in Montgomery, we stopped at the Rosa Parks Museum depicting the events that started the bus boycott and early Civil Rights movement.  We had lunch at a local restaurant.  After lunch, we drove by Dexter Parsonage, home of Martin Luther King while he was pastor in Montgomery.  We ended up at the Dexter Avenue King Memorial Baptist Church where Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr. first preached.  The church was also a center point of the Montgomery bus boycott.  Next we visited the Freedom Rider Museum.  We checked into our hotel in the late afternoon.  I ate dinner at The House restaurant.  I watched "Survivor" on TV.

Thursday, Nov. 11 - Following breakfast, I set out for the former Montgomery Union Train Station to find a benchmark.  I ended up finding two benchmarks.  I attended the Veterans Day Dedication of the "Return from the Argonne" Statue.  The Alabama National Guard did a Fly Over.  There was a 21 Gun Salute.  There were four speakers including the Mayor Steven L. Reed.  Afterwards there was a reception in the Union Station Train Shed.  A military band played as we had lunch which included a grilled ribeye sandwich, sides and a drink.  I returned to the hotel where I joined the Road Scholar group to travel to the next stop.  I wandered around the lovely Peace and Justice Memorial Garden with its Memory Wall - "These bricks were made by enslaved Black people in Montgomery, Alabama in the 1850s".  Later I found "Big Fish Tails" geocache along the Alabama River.   We had dinner at the hotel at the end of a very long hallway.

Friday, Nov. 12 - Following breakfast, we loaded our suitcases on the bus and we were off to Birmingham.  The drive to Selma was approximately 50 miles, taking about an hour.  And then approximately 90 miles from Selma to Birmingham, taking about two hours.  I found a geocache under a metal bench seat at a nearby small park.  We stopped at the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma where I found a Benchmark.  The group walked across the historic bridge tracing the footsteps of the civil rights markers.  Selma is best known for the 1960s Selma Voting Rights Movement and the Selma to Montgomery marches.  We checked into the Hampton Inn & Suites-Downtown-Tutwiler in the late afternoon.  We had dinner at Ocean. 

Saturday, Nov. 13 - Following breakfast, we visited a variety of sights aboard the motorcoach, learning about the Civil Rights Movement and its events in Birmingham.  We had lunch at a local restaurant.  We visited the Vulcan Park and Museum on Red Mountain to learn about Birmingham's industrial past.  I found a Virtual Cache and a benchmark.  The statue is the largest cast iron statue in the world.  We had farewell dinner at a local restaurant. 

Sunday, Nov. 14 - The Road Scholar group left very early this morning to return to Atlanta.  I had a late checkout from the hotel.  I left my luggage at the front desk and took a Lyft to the Art Museum.  After visiting the museum, I took a Lyft back to the hotel at 2:30P.  Train car 2010 did not leave for Greensboro, NC until 5:34P.   I took a Lyft to the Amtrak Train Station at 3:15P.  I boarded the Amtrak train about 5:35P.  I had Enchiladas, diet coke and a brownie for dinner.  Uncomfortable night's sleep as the bed was not fully extended.

Monday, Nov. 15 - I arrived in Greensboro, NC about 7:22A.  I was given French Toast breakfast to go.  I took a Lyft to the Hyatt Place Greensboro/Downtown.  I ate breakfast at the hotel.  It was bitterly cold in Greensboro.  I took a Lyft to the International Civil Right Museum at F. W. Woolworth retail store at 1:15P.  The brass footprints in front of the museum were a Virtual Cache.  Afterwards I ate a small sub at nearby Jimmy Johns.  I caught a Lyft at 4:30P back to the hotel.  I wanted to do the Earthcache this afternoon but it was just too bitterly cold. 

Tuesday, Nov. 16 - I rose very early in order to catch the 7:29A northbound train to Alexandria, Virginia.  Evidently a freight train derailed as such Amtrak was delayed.   I was bombarded by messages from Amtrak for several hours giving me updates: 11:24A, 11:36A, 12:03P,  12:15P, 12:27P, and 12:45.  So I got a chance to get the Earthcache after all.   I took a Lyft to Kiser Jr High School on Benjamin Parkway about 7:50, hiked down to the bridge and trail, and walked along the woodsy path to the small waterfall.  Afterwards I took a Lyft back to the hotel about 9:20A.  I took a Lyft to the Amtrak Station at 11:30A.  By 1:00P I was on my way north.  I had free Viewliner Roomettes on both segments.  I arrived in Alexandria about 7:00P.  My eldest son, Jeff, met my train.  We went to dinner at Delias in Alexandria, VA.  Jeff dropped me off at the Comfort Inn.  I was given a corner suite however the bedroom was far too noisy from nearby freeway so I took over the living room.  Both rooms had attached bathrooms.

Wednesday, Nov. 17  - I traveled via Lyft at 10:40A to the Van Dorn Metro Station.  I rode the Metro to Pentagon City.  I purchased a cashmere/wool scarf at Nordstrom, had Cranberry Turkey Sandwich for lunch in Nordstrom Cafe, and ate chocolate dip madelines from Starbucks while I charged my IPhone.  I rode the Metro to Van Dorn Station and then took a Lyft at 3:10P to the hotel.  Jeff picked me up in the evening.  We had dinner at El Paso Mexican Restaurant

Thursday, Nov. 18 - I took a Lyft to Van Dorn Metro Station.  I rode the Metro to Alexandria.   It was warm today.  I had to haul my coat and scarf around all day!  I completed the "Historic Houses of Alexandria, Virginia" five locations including having a private 1 1/2 hour tour led by Liz Wallach of the historic Lee-Fendall House. I noticed the GC number on the Adventure Lab cache page however I did not understand how Adventure Labs work so I did not know to go for the Historic Houses of Alexandria, VA Bonus Cache. Argh.  I stopped at Five Guys to get a grilled cheese sandwich with sliced tomatoes.  I got a large free lemonade drink. I rode the Metro to Van Dorn Station where Jeff picked me up.  Jeff, Donna and I attended the GIFF 2021 Community Celebration Event at the Kings Park Library in Burke, VA.  Afterwards we had dinner at Giardino Restaurant.

Friday, Nov. 19 - I decided to rest all day.  I watched the entire season of "Below Deck Mediterranean" on TV.  I witnessed life at sea inside a luxurious yacht.  I ate the grilled cheese sandwich with sliced tomatoes for lunch that I had bought yesterday at Five Guys.  Jeff and I had dinner at Guapo's of Shirlington.

Saturday, Nov. 20 - Jeff, Donna and I went geocaching.  We did seven Adventure Labs, Virtuals and a Cache in Maryland and Delaware.  I found a Municipal Tank NGS benchmark in historic Denton.  We ate at Agave Mexican Restaurant in Lewes, DE.  We drove through DC viewing the lighted Capital, large blue chicken with its reflection, Washington Monument, and Lincoln Memorial. 

Sunday, Nov, 21 - My trip is coming to a close.  I got my Comfort Inn  "breakfast" - bottled water, a protein bar, a small container of Dole fruit, and a breakfast roll.  Jeff picked me up at 10:00A.  Jeff put my luggage in his car.  We found Zombies love to shop,  Historic Fort Washington Adventure Lab Bonus!!,  Clearwater Nature Center Earthcache, and North Beach - A Sharp View.  We ate at Plaza Mexico in North Beach, MD.   Jeff bought an item at the nearby Antique Store.

Jeff dropped me off at Alaska Airlines at National Airport about 4:00P.  I checked my suitcase and traveled to the Alaska Airlines Boarding Gate.  Fairly smooth flight to PDX.  I sat in 1F First Class (window seat).  I  had a fruit plate - green salad, roll with butter, cheeses, crackers, green and purple grapes, sliced green apples and lemon tart with a side of raspberry sauce - for dinner.  After landing about 9:50P, I retrieved my suitcase with the aid of a man who lives in West Linn, Oregon.  I took a PDX Yellow Cab to Vancouver.  It was a truly great trip but I was glad to be home!

Meet Rose Red

I have been Geocaching since October 2004.  My Geocaching name is Rose Red from the Brothers Grimm's story "Snow White and Rose Red".  Snow White was quiet and passive.  I'm not.

I admire strong girls and women both fictional and real: Jo from "Little Women", Jane Eyre, Mary Lennox of "Secret Garden", Caddie Woodlawn, and, of course, the original Nancy Drew.  In later years I admired Katherine Hepburn, Katherine Graham of The Washington Post, Princess Diana, Hillary Clinton (for being one classy lady and for being a thorn in Donald's side), and Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Susan Collins (R-ME) and Liz Cheney (R-WY) for standing up for what is right.

Who are the boys and men both fictional and real that I have admired?: Tom Sawyer ("Tom Sawyer"), Atticus Finch (Gregory Peck of "To Kill a Mockingbird"), Frank Towns (James Stewart in "The Flight of the Phoenix"), and Charles Brubaker (James Brolin in "Capricorn One"), President Jimmy Carter, President Barack Obama, John Dean (Watergate), Frank Lloyd Wright (as architect not his private life), Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger, Warren Buffett, and Bill and Melinda Gates for their Foundation (not his private life).

Two ships dock in Portland, Oregon at the same time, a first for Vigor Shipyards

 On Friday, Oct. 15, I went to the Willamette Bluffs in Northwest Portland to see the Ruby Princess.  A cacher had found my Earthcache letting me know that a cruise ship was docked below.

Later in the day two cruise ships were dry-docked in Portland at the same time, the first time anyone can remember this happening at Vigor Shipyards. 

Norwegian Cruise Line's "Pride of America" sailed under the St. Johns Bridge and pulled up alongside a larger ship, Princess Cruises' "Ruby Princess" Friday evening.

Ruby Princess left about 3:00am Saturday morning.  At 951 feet long, it was the largest ship ever at the Vigor Shipyard.  It holds more than 3,000 passengers.

Vigor Shipyard boasts the largest dry dock in the U.S.  It is 960 feet long, just nine feet longer than the cruise ship it was working on.

I had planned to watch the cruise ship sail the Columbia River but when I checked at 4:00am the Ruby Princess was already passing Ridgefield.