Rhinebeck Aerodome Museum (Red Hook, NY) -- July 2014

RHINEBECK AERODOME MUSEUM (RED HOOK, NY) – 8 July 2014

When you plan to visit an area, a good thing to do beforehand is request the travel guides for the area.  Not only does it give you lists of places to eat and stay, it’s a good way to learn about the available attractions.  That’s how I heard of this place.  A museum dedicated to the early days of aviation, and WWI-era planes?  Dude, I’m so there!  Mum had also (independently) come across this, and thus suggested it as well.  I told her it was already on my list of things to see.

Located off of Stone Church Road, west of Route 9 (also known as Albany Post Rd), the Old Rhinebeck Aerodome is situated next to the Old Rhinebeck Airport.  Rhinebeck is currently a private airport, not something which commercial flights land at.  The signs leading to the area were very clear, but it was strange when we pulled into the parking lot that there were no other cars.  We checked the informational printout from the webpage and verified that we arrived on a day it was listed as being open.

We stepped across to the Airport area, where there a half-dozen hangars we could look in and see the old planes.  The fronts were roped off, so we didn’t go in and look close at them though.  There was a concession stand which was closed up, and a long set of bleachers that went along the runway.

Obviously this was designed for spectators for an air show.  The brochures I read had mentioned how those happened on the weekend, but since this was in the middle of the week, we expected to see some activity here.

I’d seen another building on the other side of the parking lot (up a hill and around a corner), so we went up there, which was the actual museum portion.  Ah, now we were where we wanted to be, but having things marked a little better would be nice.  The Rhinebeck Aerodome Museum consisted of three large brown aluminum hangars on side, and then a fourth hangar on the other (which was where the gift shop and admission office was).

The self-guided tour started in the hangar next to the gift shop.  It was a well-lit area, but could’ve used a fan or two to move some of the air around.  On the edges of the walls were various displays, and in the center were the airplanes.  There were pictures of famous aviators, which included Eugene Ballard (the first black pilot, who was featured in the film Flyboys), Howard Hughes, and Amelia Earhart.

Of course, no display on the pre- and WWI pilots would be complete with something on Manfred von Richthofen, the Red Baron himself.  Ignore the politics for a moment, and think about the skill required for him to have the impressive record he did.  Is it any wonder why his enemies gave him a full-flourish funeral?  It was out of respect for this ace.

One thing which was interesting was America’s first licensed female pilot, Harriet Quimby.

In our modern sensibilities, we tend to forget the barriers which needed to be broken in regards to gender and race.  Let’s add to that the artwork on the side of this 1915 Nieuport 10, with its skull and bones.

Many of the other air museums I’ve been to were associated with working air shows, so the planes present were still fully operational.  It didn’t appear any of these were, although it probably wouldn’t take much to get them in order.

Another thing to remember when walking past these early flying machines is that many of these are now over a hundred years old, and others are getting close.  WWI started in 1914, and that seems like “recent memory” to me (probably because of studying I’ve done of the period).  The majority of the working ones were parked near the Airport.

We then headed into the aluminum hangars across the way.  These came off as more storage than display.  The planes were parked in a way like they were trying to squeeze as many in as possible, so it made it difficult to fully look at and admire each one.  Also there was no air moving at all in these hangars, so they were rather stifling.  I tried to spend as much time as possible looking at the planes, but those buildings were not designed to be comfortable on a summer day.

Keeping in mind the historical value of these items, to me it didn’t seem there was much of an effort to preserve them.  I expect some tires to be flat and rubber cracked, some tears on the canvas of the wings, and paint flaking on the body, as these things are ancient.  What I didn’t expect was the state in which they were being kept.  I have real concern that bird, rodents, or other critters will decide to nest in these, and ruin them further.

While there was a replica of the 1903 Wright Brother’s flyer (made in 1970), some of the historical pieces was the 1914 Morane Saulnier.  This was the “modern fighting planes,” as it had a forward machine gun, and steel plates on the propeller to keep it from being shredded by it’s own bullets.

As I like the Red Baron, of course I’m going to enjoy a 1917 Fokker Triplane DR-1.  Von Richthofen might’ve preferred this when in combat, but it was known to break apart during flight, and eventually was withdrawn from operations.  Only 320 DR-1’s were built, and none survived to today.  Like the Wright Flyer, this was a replica.  Considering the planes represented here are nearing the centennial mark (if not past it already), it’s difficult to find originals.  Perhaps some did exist in Europe, but those were probably destroyed as collateral damage during WW2.

I noticed this more when looking at the 1940s era items, but I still get a chuckle out of seeing manufacturer names that we know today on these early items.  All those Japanese imports we see on our roads now once made weapons used against us.  American companies (like General Motors) were no different geared up for the war effort.  But when the corporation is now involved in something completely different, I find it interesting to see where they came from.  This 1918 D-III was produced by the German firm Siemens, who today is involved in the computer industry.

When we arrived, I wasn’t sure if we were going to have enough time to cover all this, and we were able to cover everything in just over an hour.  That even included me playing with the cut-out for the photo opportunity.  Mum needs to zoom in a bit more when taking these shots.  >grin<  You can’t see the goofy expression on my face.

Inside the gift shop, I did speak a bit with the person there.  Some of the relevant movies they were selling included the aforementioned Flyboys, and The Great Waldo Pepper (which I’d pointed out to Mum we saw info about when we were in Elgin, TX, where parts of that were filmed).  I recommend the 2008 German film The Red Baron as one which should be included here, due to the obvious subject matter.

So overall I’m glad I visited here to see the slice of history, as I’m sure there are few locations which have anything remaining from the era.  But I have to honestly give it three out of five stars, and most of that was for the historic value of the items on display.  I would really like to see more preservation of these relics before they’re beyond recovery.  Perhaps that’s something the Commemorative Air Force (CAF) could step in and provide some guidance on.

          For anyone who is a fan of aviation, then this is some place which should be checked out.  For everyone else, you should at least go to support the efforts of the museum to keep these items on display (especially for those who aren’t too far from this).

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

Old Rhinebeck Aerodome:  http://www.oldrhinebeck.org/

Old Rhinebeck Airport:  http://www.airnav.com/airport/ny94

Eugene Ballard:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eugene_Bullard

Amelia Earhart:  http://www.ameliaearhart.com/

Red Baron -- Manfred von Richthofen:  http://www.german-way.com/notable-people/featured-bios/manfred-von-richthofen/

Harriet Quimby:  http://www.nationalaviation.org/quimby-harriet/

Commemorative Air Force (CAF): http://www.commemorativeairforce.org/

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FDR Presidential Library (Hyde Park, NY) -- July 2014

FDR PRESIDENTIAL LIBRARY (HYDE PARK, NY) – 8 July 2014

We headed inside the Presidential Library and Museum building, and once again we were told no flash photography.  This was self-guided, and the brochure showed us the various sections from the early life of FDR, to portions dealing with each of his terms.  A far section of the building (which has limited access) contained the books, paintings, and various papers during Roosevelt’s life.  Those would require special circumstances to be viewed, as that’s usually done by scholars.

Looking at the family history of FDR, I knew that Teddy Roosevelt was a cousin, but I didn’t have the specific nature of how close until I read the information here.  Eleanor Roosevelt (whose maiden name was actually Roosevelt) was of Teddy’s family line, so she essentially married a cousin.  It was noted that Teddy actually commented about Eleanor “keeping the family name.”

Some of the more interesting things I learned about were the assassination attempt in February 1933 when FDR was the President-elect, and the alleged affair he had with his secretary (Lucy Mercer).  It doesn’t sound like there was anything truly physical which happened, but the allegation of impropriety would’ve been enough to damage his career, so FDR cut off contact with her.  After that, he and Eleanor pretty much just “kept up appearances” (much the way Bill and Hilary were doing in the 90's).  That also explains the separate bedrooms too.

One interest thing is that late in FDR’s life (some months before his death) he did reconnect with Lucy, much to Eleanor’s dislike.  Lucy was married and had her own life, and I’m sure it was more him needing someone to talk to understood him personally, than trying to “recapture old times.”

The exhibits of the first and second terms talk about the economic crisis of the Depression, and Prohibition (both of which FDR inherited from his predecessors).  In one picture which showed the marches to repeat the 18^th Amendment Mum commented that her father was probably there.  There were also numerous artifacts of campaign pins, mugs, and such.

Entering the area of the third term, the political cartoons of FDR’s face on the Sphinx was humorous.  The press was making comments about him venturing into territory no previous Chief Executive had done, but it wasn’t to the level of the mud-raking we see today.

And then we get to the WWII era (which is my personal favorite).  While other displays were replaying the Fireside Chats which you could listen to, I liked seeing the actual footage of the “Day that will live in infamy” speech.  Seventy years later it’s still powerful and moving.  There were maps of the Axis aggression, and even a piece of the USS Arizona.

The museum also was not apologetic about FDR’s decision to support the Japanese internment camps.  That’s an example of extreme over-reaction against an easily-identified group.  Even those blemishes need to be remembered, so the lessons learned won’t be forgotten.

One real interesting tidbit was the state visit by England’s King George VI in 1939 to discuss the growing concern about Hitler in Europe.  Certainly there was a real rapport which was formed by the two men, and the Royal Family got to enjoy simple American pleasures like a hot dog picnic at Hyde Park.  What made it interesting was before that, no reigning British monarch had ever visited America.  Tuck that fact away for your next Trivial Pursuit game.

The war years did more to pull the country out of the Depression than any economic stimulus package FDR’s administration could’ve come up with.  The displays showed some about America’s involvement in the war, but more dealt with the home-front and how FDR kept the country together and focused on the objective.  Some of the wartime propaganda posters were hanging about, and these were more of the tamer ones I’ve seen.  Looking at these with the Political Correctness of the 21^st Century gives a different message than that of a nation at war who believed they’re very way of life was in danger.

The museum then led into the period of FDR’s death, and the change of leadership that came with it.  There was some information about the conclusion of the war, but it focused more on FDR’s burial and how the country adapted after that.

Following that section was an area dedicated to Eleanor Roosevelt’s life after that.  There were many displays about the work with charities and various organizations up until her death.  One thing which was interesting was the display of the contents of Eleanor’s purse.  This wasn’t things like her hair brush, lipstick, and the usual female debris, but the various cards within her wallet.  Eleanor was issued a Concealed Handgun License by the State of New York in 1957, but I’m sure has rubbed a number of newer Democrats the wrong way.

The last section we went through was the vault containing personal books, papers, and paintings, as well as the 1936 Ford Phaeton which FDR drove when he was at Hyde Park.  We could look through the windows at each of the sections, and see some of the contents.  The area with the painting had them hanging on sliding panels so they could be easily accessed.  I wonder if these items got rotated with what was in the Mansion periodically.

We returned to the main Visitor’s Center where we started the tour, and noted the section where materials requested from the library would be brought out for those who wanted to access them.  Near there is a sculpture of FDR and Eleanor who just await you to sit next to them for a photo opportunity.

         Near here are places dedicated to the life of Eleanor, and further up the road was the Vanderbilt Mansion, so there are a lot of historical places to see in this area.  There’s easily enough here to make a full day of exploring, or even as a long weekend.  But if you live in an area where there’s a Presidential Library, or have the chance to visit one, take the time to do so.  It’ll be worth it.  This is the second I’ve been too, and I would like to get to other ones as soon as I can.

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

FDR Presidential Library and Museum:  http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/

Teddy Roosevelt:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theodore_Roosevelt

Lucy Mercer:  http://content.time.com/time/specials/packages/article/0,28804,1908008_1908007_1907977,00.html

FDR’s Face on the Sphinx:  http://www.archives.gov/publications/prologue/2001/summer/roosevelt-and-his-library-3.html

Fireside Chats:  http://www.history.com/topics/fireside-chats

“Day That Will Live in Infamy” Speech:  http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/5166/ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3VqQAf74fsE

Japanese Internment Camps:  http://www.ushistory.org/us/51e.asp
Vanderbilt Mansion: http://www.nps.gov/vama/index.htm

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FDR Mansion (Hyde Park, NY) -- July 2014

FDR MANSION (HYDE PARK, NY) – 8 July 2014

Heading north on Route 9 (also known as Albany Post Rd), we passed Marist College and the Culinary Institute of America, and then started to see the familiar name and images of the only President to have served more than two terms.  We knew we were nearing our destination, the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library & Museum.  Also nearby was the FDR Mansion, and that was our first stop.

The last time I’d been to the FDR Mansion was back in 1987 on a senior high school trip.  My parents had been here most recently about five or so years ago, and the Presidential Library hadn’t been constructed yet.  While the Mansion wasn’t our primary objective this trip, it was only a few additional dollars to the admission cost to have the tour (and we arrived just in time for a tour to start).  The tour started in the lobby of the Visitor’s Center, and then we walked past the Library to the Mansion.  Considering the level humidity present, having a small tram present to bring the tour to the Mansion would’ve been nice (especially for those older folks).

As this is a historic site, it falls under the jurisdiction of the US Park Service, so a Ranger served as our guide.  There were about twenty in our group, and we gathered out in front of the Mansion as the Ranger gave us some background of the dwelling.  This had been the Roosevelt family home for many years, and FDR was even born here.  When he entered into politics, FDR still resided here, and his wife Eleanor moved in with FDR’s mum (who was still living).

FDR was a strapping young man until about his 30s when polio cost him the use of his legs.  For some reason I thought that had happened to him during childhood.  (No matter how much you think you know, there’s always room for new knowledge and clarifications.)  The Ranger pointed out the steps with the short railing which FDR would struggle to get up, so he would put on the appearance of being strong.  A wheelchair (which FDR referred to as “The Machine”) was kept inside the front door, so he could maneuver around the house.  It was noted that the press was asked not to photograph the President from the waist down because of this, or take no pictures when he was in “The Machine,” and they obliged.  Somehow this situation happened in the modern day the press would be so accommodating.

There was a room on the front to our right (north) which had darkened windows and we wouldn’t be able to enter during the tour.  This was the room where FDR and Churchill discussed important strategies during the war.  Beyond that, we’d be able to explore the first and second floor (third was closed to the public), and no flash photography allowed.

Inside the foyer, the decorations remained much as FDR’s mother has wished it, with the more recent additions of some political cartoons, small sculptures, and other things honoring FDR’s presidency.  The Ranger had mentioned when we went to the front parlor to look for the early type of television there, as FDR had one (keep in mind it was an expensive luxury item then).  I noticed immediately, probably due to having seen pictures of it before.  I had to chuckle that my parents didn’t recognize it, and they had the opportunities to have seen one first hand.  For those who don’t know, the early televisions had the tube projecting upwards, and a mirror was used to allow a sitting view to see the images (unless you wanted to stand over it).

Next to that was the first floor library.  What got my immediate attention was there was a raised platform with a railing which limited you access to the room to pretty much the entryway.  My parents and I commented that wasn’t there previously.  I suspect it was done to keep tourists from touching the various artifacts and furniture, in order to help preserve them.  I do admit it would’ve been nice to wander about the room a bit to see what books were on FDR’s shelves, but the preservation of historical items is more of a need as far as I’m concerned.

The Ranger then took us to the second floor where the various bedrooms were, including the very room FDR was born in.  This section had a bit more natural light, so non-flash picture taking was much easier.

FDR and Eleanor had separate bedrooms, which didn’t strike me as very odd.  Older couples tend to have separate beds, if not bedrooms, especially if there’s different schedules (one’s retired when the other’s not), or medical-related stuff (like Restless Leg Syndrome).  Eleanor’s room was rather reserved, but FDR had the larger suite.  In the window was a silhouette of his beloved dog Fala, which may not have been noticed by most visitors.

On the second floor was also the converted dumb-waiter (a pulley-operated elevator) which FDR used to move between the different levels of the house.  The third floor wasn’t open to the public, as it probably had more sensitive artifacts.

The tour then has you exit to the back patio and down some stairs back to the grounds.  The mansion is on top of a large hill over-looking the Hudson River, so it has a great view.  I do seem to recall on my last visit a bunch of my classmates (and myself) all running down the hill to see who could make it without falling down.  In my more mature and adult manner, I enjoyed the view of the green mountains of the Catskills off in the distance.

That was the extent of the guided portion of the tour, as we were then free to wander the rest of the grounds.  There was an extensive flower garden nearby, but we went in just to see the grave sites of FDR and Eleanor.  It was a bright and sunny day, and my parents like to be in some shade when that happens.

Heading in the direction of the library, we ducked around to the backside, per the Ranger’s suggestion.  There was a monument of two human silhouettes surrounded by barbed wire, and at the base had one of FDR’s “Four Freedoms” written on each side (thus this area was called “Freedom Court”).  Nearby there were two busts facing each other, one of FDR and one of Churchill.

The silhouettes were made from pieces of the Berlin Wall (thus still had the graffiti on them), and represented the cooperation between US and UK against Germany during WWII.  I found it an interesting piece of art, but certainly an auspicious reminder of the results of the conflict.

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

Marist College:  http://www.marist.edu/

Culinary Institute of America:  http://www.ciachef.edu/

FDR Mansion Historic Site:  http://www.nps.gov/hofr/index.htm

“The Machine” (FDR’s Wheelchair):  http://www.fdrlibrary.marist.edu/aboutfdr/polio.html

Early Style Television Set:  http://www.tvhistory.tv/1941-GE-Model-90-12in.JPG

Eleanor Roosevelt:  http://www.firstladies.org/biographies/firstladies.aspx?biography=33

Fala (FDR’s Dog):  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fala_(dog)

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St. Croix, US Virgin Islands -- June 2014 (Part 8: Leaving the Palms at Pelican Cove)

DAY EIGHT:  Saturday, 7 June 2014

So the body decides to wake me up at 4 am, long before it’s even reasonable to watch the sunrise.  Being this was my last morning, and my return flight wasn’t until 2 pm, I wanted to sleep in a little.  Not.  The Palms had free WiFi, so I was able to watch another movie on the Kindle.  That was one of the reasons why I brought it.  Today there would be one last sunrise, one last stroll on the beach, and one last time of sitting on the patio to soak up the rays.  I wasn’t going to swim this morning because I didn’t want to pack a wet bathing suit.

Out on the beach I encountered Michelle again, who was out looking for sea glass.  Her legs were all chewed up, red welts all over the place.  Seems that the people who had been in the room right before her brought an infestation there, and she’s been made a meal by it.  She told me some other stories of how her experience was here, from poor service and rude staff to constant problems with her room, and even being ripped off by cab drivers.  I had such a vastly different experience both at the Palms, and on the island in general.  I’m not detailing everything she told me because this is my travel experience, but I am sorry things didn’t go good for her.

Michelle and I had breakfast together that morning, which is where I got to hear the majority of her issues.  She was not impressed with the omelet and stale bagel she had.  My scrambled eggs with home fries and muffin were quite good.  Odd that two people next to each other have different experiences.  We bid farewell to each other after breakfast.  I’d given her my card (like I’d done with many other people), and hoped that I’d continue to remain in contact with some of them.

That prompted an idea.  I’d finished the book I was reading (Hyperspace by Michio Kaku), and while it was interesting, it wasn’t something I’d probably reference again in the future.  Since the Palms had a “take a book, leave a book” library there, I decided I’d leave it.  But what I also did was stick one of my cards in it.  I dated the card, and made a note to whoever finds this to not only visit my blog site, but to contact me to let me know they’d found this.  Figure this will be an interesting social experiment.

My phone and email are listed on the card, but I asked to be contacted via email (with the subject line of “I Found The Card”).  I want to hear about the person who locates this, and what experiences they’ve had.  In a way, it’s a message in a bottle.  I may never hear a response, but it’d be pretty wild if I did.

I got myself packed, and used the remaining time to sit on the patio to enjoy the fresh air, the sun, and the general good feeling this place has.  Was the trip everything I wanted it to be.  Mostly.  I did some good stuff, but I would’ve enjoyed some deeper inter-personal relations while I was here.  And the shoe-string budget meant I didn’t eat as well as I should’ve.  Stuff to plan and consider for when the next trip happens.  It would’ve been a great birthday gift if the good parts of How Stella Got Her Groove Back had occurred.

After getting cleaned up, I went to the front desk at 11 am for the check-out.  My flight doesn’t leave until 2 pm, so I had some time to kill.  My bags were in the car, and I hung out at the bar with BJ.  He gave me one final drink for the road..  I then bid farewell to the Palms, and already thinking about what it’d be like to be coming back here again.

When I’d gotten the rental car, I had the plan to bring it back as empty as possible.  Silvara was under ¼ tank, so I was on track with that.  As I was driving down the lower section of Route 75, I went past the island’s Department of Agriculture.  The only reason why I make that reference was because some cows came barreling out of the field, and across the road.  Because I was paying attention to the road, I was able to slow down to avoid them without any sudden actions.

I arrived at the airport, returned Silvara, and got checked in for my flight.  All the ads for USVI tourism mention that American citizens don’t require a passport to come here.  That is only half-true.  You don’t need a passport to arrive on the islands, but you sure as hell need it to leave.  I’d been through this before, so I knew the drill.  When coming back from overseas, you have to fill out a customs form to declare what you purchased and such.  That form is then processed upon your re-entry into the States.  Here, you do all that (and go through Customs) before you leave.  That’s in addition to the standard TSA bag inspections and such.

As I sat in the airport waiting for my flight, I alternated between reading my book and playing games on the Kindle.  There’s not a lot of room here to keep walking around, and no WiFi.  I was flying out on American, and they did something I never saw an airline do before.  (Keep in mind the last time I flew American was in 2010 for my birthday trip to Turks & Caicos.)

After all the first-class people were boarded, then the people who only had one carry-on bag (no matter what section their seat was in) were then allowed to board.  Since all I had was my backpack, that meant me.  (I’ll resist going into another diatribe about the people who have multiple carry-on bags and/or really freakin’ huge ones which don’t fit in the overhead compartments.)

Once into the air, the captain said our route would be taking us over Grand Turk.  Since I wasn’t able to see TCI coming in, I hoped for that chance now.  I was able to take some pictures of the blue water from the airplane window, but I’m very sure none were Grand Turk.  When the captain said we were going past it, I think it was on the other side of the plane than me.

During the flight I chatted with a woman and her young daughter who were also returning from St, Croix.  She said they’d gone over to see the beer-drinking pigs, and that was the highlight of their trip.  To each their own.  Most of that flight I had my headphones on.  I will have to say I got an amusing chuckle as the daughter was watching Frozen on the portable DVD player, and was signing along with it.  I really couldn’t hear anything, but I know someone on the plane was being driven crazy.  The plane’s free WiFi was down, so I couldn’t watch anything on my Kindle, but I got a lot of Tetris played (in between taking various pictures from the window).

The return trip I’d done before, so I knew the drill.  I landed in Miami, and since I was switching carriers (American to Delta) for the last leg of the trip, I had to leave the secure zone, walk to the other side of the airport, and re-enter at the Delta terminal.  Since I knew that, there’s another reason why I didn’t bring any Cruzan-filled carry-ons with me.  It would’ve been nice if at some point I didn’t have to do that in Miami.  Perhaps next time, I simply could fly American the entire way.  Even better, perhaps SouthWest will have everything worked out with Air Tran by then, so I could take them.  Might as well earn points when I fly.

The leg from Miami to Atlanta didn’t have anything memorable, but the final leg (Atlanta to Austin) did.  The AC didn’t work very well on the plane, so it was freakin’ hot.  It did come on every now and then, which kept it from being a complete hot box.  That’s also why we left Atlanta an hour late, because the mechanics had been trying to fix it.  When we landed in Austin, I swear they were holding the airport open just for us.  It made sense to use the bathroom then because I still had to drive to Round Rock, and there’s always a wait for the checked bags to come out.

My suitcase is hunter green, to help it stand out from the black bags that everyone else has.  The pink tape I used to highlight it helps me know it’s mine, because no one else would probably mark their bag in such a crazy way.  It was easy to spot when it came along the carousel.  And it was easy to spot that the lock on the main compartment was gone again.  Since that was twice this trip, that really pissed me off.  I’m sure my suitcase had been raided again by TSA, but considering the lateness of the hour, I’d deal with it the next morning once I’d gotten home and slept.  The bus ride back to my parking space was uneventful, and I retrieved Argent with no issues.  Silvara had driven okay, but I’d missed my faithful chariot (who, by the way, will have been mine ten years this October).

One thing I did notice upon my return to Austin was the change in the air quality.  Since I’d just spent a week in a place with fresh air free of the allergens Austin has, I could fee that crap return to my lungs now.  Strange I hadn’t thought about now better my breathing was until I’d gotten back.  Once I’d returned home, I was tired so I flatlined to much-welcomed sleep.  That was the end of the trip.  I had all day tomorrow to sleep in, do laundry, and get groceries before returning to work.

Now I don’t usually talk about souvenirs and things I pick up for people.  The journal of where I went is what’s important, not the material things I gathered (whether for myself or for others).  Part of my visit down to St. Croix would be to find a wedding gift for my nephew (who was getting married next month).  I wanted to find something which was unique and something enjoyable.

I’d seen rum cakes when I was in TCI, which were very good, but you could obtain them all over the Caribbean.  On this trip I discovered Cruzan also made rum cakes.  (While they may’ve been sitting at the Distillery, I first noticed them in a shop in Christiansted called Sonya Ltd.)  Cruzan rum cakes came in a nice metal tin, as opposed to the cardboard containers the others came in.  I got a coconut-flavored one and a banana-flavored one, figuring that Rob & Lauren could take them on their honeymoon to enjoy.

I’d also picked up a shot glass for Brian, and had some small inexpensive trinkets I’d gotten for my co-workers.  Those were all in a bag which disappeared out of my luggage.  I had another bag with some shirts I’d gotten, and some other small trinkets, which didn’t get touched, so I wasn’t completely robbed by TSA.  And the stuff stolen didn’t end up costing me a whole lot in cash in the first place, but it’s the whole principle of the matter and the negative emotion it created.  Also the frustration that I know there’s no recourse for it.  I can complain to TSA, but that will do as much good as shouting at a hurricane to make it stop.

I will let my AAA travel agent (Krista) know about this.  These situations were not her fault, and nothing she could’ve anticipated.  But the travel agency needs to know what is going on out there (with their vendors, airlines, and such).  They might already be capturing information like this.  Speaking up for things like this can help keep similar situations from happening to others in the future.

Some last words about St. Croix.  My first trip there was in 2012, and this one was 2014.  I’d love to go every year, but currently the cash isn’t there for that.  But I want to make sure the next St. Croix entries are in 2016.  Perhaps this time I actually will celebrate my birthday on the beach.  Or even better, someone special will be with me.

For more information on the places visited or mentioned:

            Palms at Pelican Cove:  http://www.palmspelicancove.com/

            Sonya Ltd:  http://sonyaltd.com/

            St. Croix Hook Bracelet:  http://theislandhookbracelet.com/

Cruzan Rum Cakes:  http://cruzanrumcakes.com/

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