Monday, November 19, 2007

Thanksgiving Vacation

Light posts this week due to my brain heading out early for the holiday. By the way, does anybody else go out of their way to avoid the holidays with the fam?



BF and I are heading to Cooperstown for the big day. He's looking forward to the Baseball Hall of Fame, and I am eager to get a glimpse of the Cardiff Giant. We almost always try to escape during the holidays, especially Thanksgiving and Christmas. We're also a Weird US couple, and we've traveled to a couple of incredible places.


The Hope Cemetery in Barre, Vermont was amazing. It had snowed just the day before, and everything was so pure and blinding.

Pics from Roadside America. Ours are better, but I have no idea where the files are. Oh well!


Centralia, PA: an old town disbanded by an underground fire that's been burning for decades. Fascinating and eerie place to visit. This was our first trip as a couple, on my birthday. I remember most vividly driving along quiet old highways buffeted by sheer drops into coal pits on either side, coming to a Danger sign as smoke wafted from cracks in the asphalt.

Picture from Offroader


Fonthill Castle, in Doylestown, PA warranted a second visit, with it's never-ending tile and hidden rooms. We went back for the candlelight tour in December and explored the concrete rooms as a small orchestra played on the ground floor. I can't recommend this enough.

Outside and Inside. That's the Columbus room on the bottom; the tile details the history of Columbus' missions. It's beautiful and overwhelming.


We've seen old mining villages in the middle of nowhere, and winced as a tour guide at Howe Caverns regaled us with off-the-record stories about people defecating in the underground streams. We've had perfect little dinners in places that don't show up on most maps. We've oohed over homemade shanks at Sing Sing Prison, and aahed at ancient magic tricks at the Mercer Museum. I hope that Cooperstown knows what it's up against...

10 comments:

WendyB said...

Ooh, I've heard of that underground-fire town. That's fascinating. I must confess, Thanksgiving is NOT my favorite holiday. A little trip out of town is a good idea.

riz said...

Can you explain how one 'gets into' cemeteries?? i don't get it.

Anonymous said...

wow that burning fire town sounds and looks amazing i would love to visit it one day.

Sally Jane Vintage said...

I'm about to relocate to PA and I'll definitely have to check these places out. Thanks for the tips.

Valley Girl said...

Fascinating! I'd totally love to tag along with you guys!

In Yr Fshn said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
WendyB said...

Riz, "death" is usually the answer to that question ;-)

In Yr Fshn said...

I can't believe I missed that! Well done, Wendy.

s.i. michaels said...

Gotcha on the family thing. We're spending turkey day with the madre & her husband and ONLY the madre & her husband. And Christmas will be the two of us.

I saw the fire town on 'The Daily Show,' I think. There was still one old man living there and the interview was hilarious but kind of sad.

In Yr Fshn said...

Ambika: Aw, the Daily Show? That sort of depresses me. I love TDS, but this town was pretty special; I hate to think of it being made into a mockery. Ah well. I guess everything is fair game nowadays.