Friday was a beautiful day. Sunny and warm, but not hot. Julia drove the three of us over to the Longwood campus at 10:00 a.m. The program began with a talk about the university’s programs, followed by a tour of the campus. Longwood is now a general public university, but was founded in 1839 as a college for women. It became a state teacher’s college in 1884—then called the State Normal School. (Normal School was the usual name for teacher-training colleges in the 19th century.) The name Longwood was later taken from the 18th century plantation house that now serves as the university president’s home. The campus is a mix of buildings dating to 1839 together with newly completed Science Building and a new Fitness Center and a Communications/Theatre Arts building under construction. Not far from ... read more

Bhutan: Land of the Thunder Dragon was the theme of the 2008 Smithsonian Folklife Festival. Every summer, the Smithsonian Institution sponsors the festival on the National Mall to explore the culture and traditions of one country and one US state. The country featured this year was Bhutan. A range of outdoor exhibits told of Bhutan's arts, beliefs, foods, music, architecture, and traditional medicine. More 100 Bhutanese came to Washington, DC, to participate in the festival and present their country's traditions. I went to the festival on Thursday afternoon to learn something of Bhutan, a country I have never visited. Exiting the Metro at Smithsonian Station, I was greeted by a large Bhutanese Buddhist temple (lha-kang) constructed on the National Mall.The eye-catching temple formed the centerpiece of the Bhutan exhibition. Around it were tents with exhibits of ... read more

Today was the day to drive the opposite way along the Parkway and see what lay south of Niagara Falls. The drive in the direction of Lake Erie takes one along the Niagara River before it goes over the falls. A landmark of sorts is the wreck of a coal barge that has been sitting out in the river since 1912. When you see it, you think it must be a more recent occurrence. It is said that eventually the wreckage will break free and go over the falls. The town of Fort Erie takes it name from Old Fort Erie. Old Fort Erie was built in 1764. It dates to the end of French and Indian war period and was the first British fortification in the region. The fort's barracks, officer's quarters, powder magazine, and ... read more

Wednesday, and time to turn our attention on sights along the Niagara River as it races down the Great Gorge away from the falls. The Adventure Pass includes a reduced fare on the People Mover, an elongated bus that travels from Table Rock up along the Niagara River Parkway to Queenston Heights. We found it a great way to get around and not have to worry about parking. We picked it up, again at the Rainbow Bridge kiosk, and rode to the White Water Walk. Here, you also ride an elevator down to the river level. A path along the river allows the visitor to view the impressive Class 6 Whirlpool Rapids at several points. Form the photos, you might have the impression the Whirlpool Rapids is in the wilderness. But, it's very close to town. ... read more

Niagara Falls-the images it conjures! Maybe not as tall as Iguaçu. Maybe not as wide as Victoria. Nevertheless, Niagara is one of the world's great waterfalls and is a must-see. This was our second family trip to Niagara Falls. The first had been in 2000, when we stayed mainly on the New York side and made a few forays into Canada. The Canadian side appeared to have a greater variety to offer and more to do. So, this time, we planned to use Niagara Falls, Ontario, as our base. We drove up from Northern Virginia in two days, spending a night on the road in Binghamton, NY. We arrived in the Niagara area on Monday afternoon, headed directly across Rainbow Bridge, and quickly cleared Canadian customs. Our hotel, Courtyard by Marriott, was convenient to the Falls ... read more