AMAZING ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA

“For our elders and ancestors, whose voices were silenced but whose courage created us.”

The earliest recorded documentation on the area that is now Arlington, Virginia was recorded by Captain John Smith in June 1608. Smith painstakingly described the geography and indigenous villages, approximately 200, he encountered while in command of a 30-foot-long shallop manned by 14 men. The land was traditionally the ancestral home and hunting ground of the Doeg, Pamunkey, Piscataway and Tauxenent tribes. To date, greater than twelve prehistoric Native American sites have been located within the county. #allinarlington

Gulf Branch Nature Center, located in the Gulf Branch Stream Valley, was a Native American fish camp. The 19th-century log cabin’s main exhibit showcases park artifacts, Woodland Indian information, pottery and a replicated version of Smith’s 1608 map. 

By the end of the 17th-century there were a few colonists and remaining natives in Arlington. In 1841 it was ceded to the government to become part of the Federal District of Columbia, the nation’s new capital. In 1847 it was retroceded to Virginia and became Arlington County. At 26-square-miles It is the smallest self-governing county in the US. Petite though it may be, Arlington County has so much to offer that it is a destination in itself as well as a convenient hub for daytrips to the surrounding area. 

Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (WMATA) has 11 stations in Arlington, one of which, Rosslyn Metro Station, houses one of the world’s longest continuous escalators. The ride is 194-feet, 8-inches and takes more than 2-minutes. For those preferring to see Arlington in several different ways there are 10 walkable, eclectic neighborhoods to investigate, 1,100-acres of parks to explore and 75-miles of multi-use trails. Arlington earned the title of Fittest City in America 2018 to 2023 from The American College of Sports Medicine. No matter what your transportation options the menu of sites and attractions will leave you in awe. 

Arlington, because of its location, has always played a significant role in US history. There are 34 sites on the Black Heritage Trail, showcasing their history from the colonial to the modern era. 

Benjamin Banneker was a free man who surveyed Washington, DC. He was an astronomer, mathematician, clockmaker, writer of his own almanac and abolitionist. An original 1-foot-square Benjamin Banneker Boundary Stone marked on the north side with 1791 is situated in a fenced in area in Benjamin Banneker Park. 

Dr. Charles Drew ‘s childhood home is a National Historic Site viewable from outside only. His research in blood transfusions led to the ability to develop blood banks, saving thousands of lives, in WWII. In 1941 he was named Director of the first American Red Cross Blood Bank.

The Ball-Sellers House is the oldest extant house in Arlington. John Ball, the original owner, built the house on 166-acres in 1742. The Carlin family moved into the house after Ball’s death and owned at least 3 slaves, who worked inside the home, Nancy and two unnamed men. Bronze markers, inscribed in remembrance, have been placed on the lawn. These “stumbling stones” are the first dedicated in the state.

The most visited sites in the 640-acre Arlington National Cemetery, the second largest in the country, are those of the heroes who are interred there, the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, John and Robert Kennedy, Joe Louis, Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and the Changing of the Guard. The best way to tour the cemetery is by tram with narration and 6 tour stops. 

Arlington Cemetery sits on land that was once the plantation of Robert E. Lee. The estate was confiscated by the Union in May 1861 to build forts and establish headquarters because of its proximity to southern lines. Fleeing African Americans settled there to be safe and eventually Freedman’s Village, more a campsite, was established there in 1863. In 1865 the Freedman’s Bureau took over and founded a real village with homes, shops and schools.

On May 13, 1864 Brig, Gen Montgomery C. Meigs began burials on the grounds to ensure that the Lee’s never lived there again. Mrs. Lee left the grounds in 1861, leaving the house and Washington relics in the care of her enslaved housekeeper, Selena Gray. Selena protected the property to such an extent that the George Washington items were cataloged and taken to the Smithsonian and 33% of the furniture on the

tour is original to the mansion, saved by Selena.

James Parks was born on Arlington Plantation in 1843. When they took control he joined the Union and became the first gravedigger. Prior to his death in 1929 he requested to be buried there. According to the law he was not military and could not be interred there. The government passed a special act to permit his burial with full military honors and he rests in Sec. 15, Grave 2. President Truman desegregated Arlington in 1948.

The 1802 Greek Revival mansion sat on 1,100-acres overlooking DC. The Lees wed in the parlor. Tours are available. The plantation had as many as 200 enslaved and 2 restored slave quarters are on view in the rear of the house. The quarters were those of the house workers and are original.

The free Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Museum ‘s mission is to relate the history of drug use, explore the i

mpact of drugs on the individual and society and interpret the role of DEA agents. Featured exhibits are a Pablo Escobar death mask and a prison suit and two gold and diamond-encrusted guns owned by El Chapo. @stayarlington

Residence Inn Arlington Rosslyn is perfectly located to access all the activities in Arlington and Washington. It offers all of the bedroom amenities and a full kitchen, fitness center and full breakfast. 

Be amazed in Arlington!

Experience Flyover Chicago

“Now I’m flying through the stars, hope this ride will last forever!” Chaka Khan

                  Visitors can opt to view the “real” Chicago through a series of walking tours, by water aboard a boat cruising the Chicago River, the world’s sole backwards streaming river, created by a public project in 1900 to protect the freshwater supply into Lake Michigan, or by flying over it using state-of-the-art technology created just for the Flyover Experience. Chicago’s newest attraction is an exhilarating aerial-type experience that soars across the city at an adrenaline pulsing pace. Chicago’s nearly 3-million residents occupy 77 unique communities on 234-square-miles of land, all best introduced by Flyover Chicago. #Choosechicago

                  Prior to first European contact Shikaakwa, as it was known by Native Americans, was a trading site and migratory hunting ground at the juncture of the Chicago River and Lake Michigan. Robert de LaSalle produced the first written mention of an area he pronounced as Checagou in his 1679 memoir. Father Jacques Marquette, a French missionary, and Louis Jolliet, a French-Canadian trader are recognized as “discoverers” of the region in 1673. Regional tribes then established a transitory trade system with the French for the next hundred years.

                  A French trader of African descent burst onto the scene in 1779. Jean Baptiste Point du Sable established the first permanent trading post where the river met the lake. He was born in Haiti of an enslaved mother and French sea captain father. His mother died when he was ten and his father had him educated abroad. He spoke several languages, collected fine art and had highly developed business acumen. He was the first nonindigenous settler in Chicago where he owned 800-acres, a 5-room home, a trading post, and a complex of buildings including housing for his workers. His life embodies the qualities of the city itself, resilience, strength, creativity and the ability to embrace different cultures. On October 25, 1968 he was officially recognized as the Founder of Chicago. A bust of du Sable is at 401 N. Michigan Avenue. themagnificentmile.com

                  Chicago is considered the Birthplace of Modern Architecture largely due to The Great Fire of 1871 that resulted in the loss of 18,000 buildings and a building boom that drew the country’s best architects. In 1885 the first skyscraper, a 10-floor, Home Insurance Building, was completed. Frank Lloyd Wright also came and designed structures. Two, the Robie House and Unity Temple, are now UNESCO World Heritage sites. 

Chicago was a hub for newcomers from 1850 through 1910, some from other cities and many European immigrants. From 1916-70 much of the movement was Black Migration from the South for economic opportunity and more than 500,000 African Americans moved to the city. WWII increased European migration because of wartime conditions. The influence of new cultures and Chicago’s unique ability to absorb new cultures and be enhanced by the inclusion is woven into the fabric of the city.

 “The Bean” is an iconic artwork designed to capture the skyline and reflect it to onlookers in Millennium Park. “Cloud Gate,” its formal name, was designed of 168 reflective stainless-steel panels to be 33-feet tall, 42-feet wide and 66-feet long for a total weight of 110-tons. It is one of the largest permanent public outdoor artworks in the world and the first of its type in the US. 

The Chicago Board of Trade Building was constructed in 1930. The 45-story, Art Deco, building was the tallest in the city until 1965. Atop the building’s tower stands a 31-foot, aluminum, 6-ton sculpture of Ceres, Roman goddess of agriculture, holding a sheaf of wheat and a pouch of grain. She wears a crown of wheat to represent the structure that housed the world’s largest grain exchange. Sculptor John H. Storrs left Ceres faceless. Apparently, he believed the building was so tall that no one would ever see it!

Flyover Chicago provides numerous thrills, not the least of which is soaring to sites that are otherwise not accessible. You move through The Bean and get up close and personal with Ceres. The total experience has three sections. Part One includes an introduction to the people and places you will see. In the second section you are given explicit safety instructions. Then you are seated during the flyover as you experience an original soundtrack, smells, smoke, mist and a drone generated ride on the streets of Chicago, skimming the water and lingering around and through the most famous sites. #Experienceflyover

The production was 3-years in the making and it is the first production of an urban environment. The ride is 9.5-minutes long and research has proven that is the optimum amount of time. Guests can learn about the people we meet during the flyover. All of the people and institutions are “real” Chicagoans. Don’t miss the singular items in the gift shop. It should be noted that Flyover Chicago is fully accessible for those with physical and sensory limitations.

Believe it or not, the thrill is not gone. Guests can visit a number of places that were highlighted. 

Manny’s Deli is a definite must. The 80-year-old deli is so iconic that it is a go to location for the Obamas and other presidents and celebrities, Clinton, Steve Harvey, etc. The menu is huge and the food is either made on site or locally sourced. They have won numerous awards and been showcased on several food shows including “Diners, Drive-ins and Dives.” I guarantee you will find your bliss.

Swift & Sons Tavern is located across the street from Wrigley Field and the view of the activity around the field is almost as great as the food.

Miru at the St. Regis creates a special dining atmosphere. The chef’s specialties are shareable dishes and elegant breakfast options. Miru is Japanese for view and the view from the restaurant over the city is breathtaking. Also, note the architecture and artwork in the public spaces.

Duck Duck Goat offers Chinese-American inspired cuisine. Chef Stephanie Izard goes beyond your standard options and combines flavors in a special way. Private dining rooms are available and each room pays homage to an aspect of Chinese culture. 

Flyover Chicago is in a remodeled movie theater on the 3,300-foot Navy Pier. The pier was constructed on a base of 20,000 logs in 1916. It is lined with shops and restaurants where Chicago’s famous fare, Chicago-style pizza and Chicago-style hot dogs, can be purchased while listening to a jazz soundtrack. 

The Sable at Navy Pier, a Curio by Hilton property, is convenient to everything. Guests are treated to extraordinary cleaning measures and the room amenities include river views and designer bath products. The hotel provides a Fitness Center, Lirica Restaurant, a Concierge, free WIFI, and 24-hour front desk services.

Flyover Chicago and experience the best of the best.

 

 

Arkansas Traveler on the Little Rock Civil Rights Trai

                                       “What you see depends upon where you stand.”

The first enslaved Africans were brought to the Arkansas area during the French and Spanish colonial era. Six were listed in the first census in 1723 at the establishment of the settlement and by 1798 56 enslaved were documented in the final census prior to the Louisiana Purchase. People of African descent, both free and enslaved, have been present from the founding of Arkansas, in its years as a territory, statehood, secession and the 20th and 21st centuries. www.littlerock.com

The labor of the free and enslaved was so beneficial to the economy that importation continued at a furious pace until the white population grew alarmed at their numbers. The vast majority of the slaves worked in rural areas, on plantations or small farms. An 1842-3 law made it illegal for any free black to enter Arkansas and in 1850 all adult freedmen were forced to leave or be re-enslaved.

When, on May 6, 1861 Arkansas seceded from the Union the 1860 Federal census reflected that there were 111,115 slaves, 144 freedmen and a white population of 324,125 statewide. A Civil War quickly followed, ending in 1865, when all former slaves were freed by the 13th Amendment of the Constitution.

In March 1866 the government established the Freedman’s Bureau, an agency designed to provide food, housing, education, medical assistance and legal support, for the betterment of indigent whites and those once enslaved. The bureau was one of the primary vehicles created during Reconstruction (1861-1900), a period earmarked to integrate the newly freed into the larger population with equal opportunities and rights. www.nps.gov/reer/index

Many “unreconstructed” southerners believed that although the South had lost the war, they would win the peace and the hallmark of this effort was to keep the blacks in their place. This was accomplished by night riders, lynching and unequal or a lack of justice. The NAACP led African Americans in the legal fight for Civil Rights. In 1954 The U.S. Supreme Court, in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, Kansas, overturned separate but equal facilitating school integration and equal protection.

Little Rock, Arkansas’ portion of the Civil Rights Heritage Trail is extremely important on the road to freedom and no visit to the city is complete without it.

The Old State House Museum is the oldest state capitol building west of the Mississippi. It now houses a museum that relates the states’ history from 1936. The original legislative chamber is on view.

William Clinton Presidential Library & Museum on 30-acres, built to represent “the bridge to the future”, explores the issues of Clinton’s presidency with emphasis on the state of Civil Rights at the time. Highlights of the galleries include an exact, life-sized, replica of the Oval Office and a Presidential Limousine.

Esse Purse Museum makes a unique contribution to an understanding of black social life in those years. The museum interprets the history of purses for 100-years. Each era is in a case with the purse and its contents. Several cases are devoted to African Americans and an entire gallery relates the story of African American women’s contribution to the home economics movement. Essepursemuseum.com

Mosaic Templars Cultural Center (MTCC) was founded in 2001 to preserve and promulgate the state’s African American history from 1870 onward. Exhibits can be accessed on self-guided and guided tours. The Arkansas Black Hall of Fame is located in the center. The center offers educational materials and special events. Mosaictemplarscenter.com

Little Rock Central High School National Historic Site stands as a huge symbol of the Civil Rights struggle for equal education and equal protection enforcing the 14th Amendment. After the 1954 decision on Brown v. Board the Little Rock Board of Ed. immediately refused to desegregate. Realizing this was an untenable stand, on May 24, 1955 they put forth a gradual integration plan. Their 3-phase plan would begin in 1957. Arkansas NAACP President Daisy Bates and the NAACP contested the plan. Nine Little Rock black students were chosen to become the first students in the then Central High School. The intimidating 7-floor, 2-block long, 1-block wide was built in 1927 and strategy and support meetings were held at the Bates’ home. Her home was repeatedly vandalized, bombed and the site of cross burnings. Tours can be arranged in advance. Her courage was honored with numerous awards and when she carried the Olympic torch on the Little Rock portion in 1996. 

The Nine first tried to enter on September 4, 1957 and were turned away. After several attempts to enter through shouting crowds, on September 25th President Eisenhower sent the Army's 101st Airborne and federalized the National Guard to escort them into Central High for classes. The school is the only functioning school within a National Historic Site.

Your first stop should be the visitor center and museum for background information. Ranger-led tours are available from there. Across the street is the gas station that was used by news services to tell the world.

The Little Rock Nine Memorial on the grounds of the State Capitol, “Testament,” depicts the nine students as life-sized bronzes. The diorama is positioned so that visitors can interact with the figures and are facing the governor’s office so that these events are kept in the forefront of their thoughts. #visitLittleRock

On June 11, 1968 Abbey Roads Studio produced a solo by Paul McCartney. The song, “Blackbird,” is a tribute to the “struggle in the southern states.” McCartney stated that the blackbird is symbolism for black girl.

Follow the Civil Rights Trail and be changed forever.

"For us, the bottom line was every single morning of our lives for nine months, we got up, we polished our saddle shoes, and we went to war." Melba Patillo Beals, one of the Little Rock Nine