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The Mission Inn
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| (Tuesday, 10 August 2010) Written by Keith Rhoades |
| The Mission Inn, now known as The Mission Inn Hotel & Spa, is a historic landmark hotel in downtown Riverside, California. Although a composite of many architectural styles, it is generally considered the largest Mission Revival Style building in the United States. I’ve been to the Inn once before for it’s famous Christmas Festival Of Lights. However, my intention for this trip was to also visit the Historic Fox Theater which was showing a screening of Gone With the Wind. Fox Theater Riverside has the distinction of being the same theater Gone with the Wind was screened in pre-release and pre-premier in Atlanta, Georgia. The property began as a two-story, 12-room adobe boarding house called the "Glenwood Cottage" built by civil engineer Christopher Columbus Miller in 1876.... (4575 more chars) |
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La Brea Tar Pits
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| (Sunday, 18 April 2010) Written by Keith Rhoades |
| After 31 years, I returned today to the LaBrea Tar Pits and George C. Page Museum both iconic tourist destinations in the Los Angeles area. Why do I remember it was 31 years ago so vividly? Because the last time I went there was on a field trip in Mrs. Sanford;s fourth grade elementary class. At the time I didn’t appreciate the rich history and geological significance I just knew it was a day we didn’t have to go to school! Today was typical Los Angeles weather, 80 and sunny, and perfect day for a stroll through Hancock Park which houses the George C. Page Museum and La Brea Tar Pits. The La Brea Tar Pits (or Rancho La Brea Tar Pits) are a famous cluster of tar pits around which Hancock Park was formed, in the urban heart of Los Angeles. Asphalt or tar (brea in Spanish) ... (4329 more chars) |
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Lee's Retreat
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| (Saturday, 27 March 2010) Written by Keith Rhoades |
| I got an early start today as I knew I had a long drive today of over 200+ miles and I was going to take the slow, back country road, scenic route. I left Williamsburg about 8 am and headed west on Hwy 5 also know as the Old Plantation Road. The Old Plantations were all along this road and some are still there to this day providing tours. A funny thing happened to me along this road. I read that President John Tyler’s Home was in Virginia and it was called Sherwood Forest Plantation. I was driving down Plantation Road and saw a sign that said Sherwood Forest Plantation and in small print "Home of President John Tyler". So I got out of the car and opened the fence gate and started walking around. Along the drive came this Mercedes SUV and an old fat... (2982 more chars) |
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Colonial Jamestown, Williamsburg, and Yorktown
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| (Thursday, 25 March 2010) Written by Keith Rhoades |
| Today I bit off a bit more than I could chew! I usually cram a lot into one day but today was almost too much for even myself and I still don’t feel like I really got to see everything. I debated where to start this morning and figured Jamestown would be first since it was the first settlement back in 1607. I found out there were two “Jamestowns” to visit. One was the National Park which was the original site of Jamestown and they are still conducting archaelogy digs on the site. The other is called Jamestown Settlement which is a re-enactment rebuilt version of the original right next door. I went to see both. Unfortunately the Jamestown Settlement had a million school children on field trips so it was not that enjoyable for me. But Historic Jamestown on the National ... (4124 more chars) |
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