Delaware, O Delaware!

Driving vacations are a long-standing favorite of ours for a number of reasons, including windshield time to allow long conversations on topics that haven't reached the front burner for some time.  Another reason is the change in scenery as you progress from home to your ultimate destination and back.  It gives you a perspective on the enormity and variety of this country in which we live.

This year, we drove from Des Moines to SW Virginia to central North Carolina to Washington DC to Delaware (O Delaware!) and then home through Maryland and West Virginia (avoiding the catastrophic floods).  Delaware was, I suppose, the ultimate destination because it was the last of the lower 48 states we had left to visit.  And it's a lovely little place, too!  :)  First stop was in central Indiana, which looked a lot like here.

 Next stop was the site for the TV series Justified, Harlan, Kentucky.

Then a couple of days in SW Virginia, the birthplace (as they say) of country music and bluegrass.  We drove on The Crooked Road, which had many landmarks devoted to "old-time" or "hillbilly" music.

Then, into North Carolina, winding our way to Charlotte and then Chapel Hill to spend some time with family.  Then, we drove up Route 81 in the Shenandoah Valley, which was just stunningly beautiful, with a number of quaint sites along the way.

That was the first week.  The second week found us in DC for the first few days, where we did some of the usual sightseeing.  

 For about 3 days, Diane was at a conference and I ... just laised around.  Isn't that what the "accompanying spouse" is supposed to do?

Then a little more sightseeing before we headed out.

Eventually, we made our way to Delaware, and had a stop at Annapolis, where we took a harbor cruise which gave a bit of history, including about the US Naval Academy there.  Boats like the gray one below were lined up like at a car rental lot, and were where naval cadets did their pilot's training.

In addition to driving the motorized vessels, cadets also learn to sail - on itty, bitty sailboats.  They were almost like bumper cars, knocking each other about.

 On our way home, we stopped in Columbus to see a lovely little botanical garden, which to my delight has Chihuly art glass installed in it.  Stunning!

Just a beautiful place, and in the words of AAA, a real "gem".  It was a swell trip, all 14 days of it, and while we were away, my grapevines have flourished.  Should be a good crop this year.