More Airplanes

Posted on December 17, 2016 by kcbernick

Friday, December 16, 2016

We went back to the National Naval Aviation Museum this morning to take a trolley tour around the grounds where we could see more of the collection of airplanes here. During the tour, we learned about what the letters mean on the airplanes: B for bombers, F for fighter, R for reconnaissance, etc.

While on the tour, we had the good fortune to see six of the Blue Angels practicing.

Back in the building, we viewed a short video showing what it’s like for the planes and helicopters taking off from and landing on an aircraft carrier – quite impressive.

Not content with this, we drove to the Air Force Armament Museum located by Elgin Air Base near Valparaiso, FL. Not only do they have airplanes, they have bombs and cruise missiles. There is a gun vault with over 180 handguns, including flintlocks, dueling pistols and Civil War pistols.

This museum was established in the mid-1970’s, using a WWII Enlisted Blub building.  About a decade later, a new facility was built and deeded to the US Air Force. Several planes are inside the building, but most are displayed outside.

We drove back to our hotel via Navarre Beach, about 20 miles with the Gulf of Mexico on one side and Santa Rosa Sound on the other, affording us some lovely views of the waves and white sand beaches.

Tomorrow, we head out bright and early, going to back to cold, wintry weather. I’m not too happy about that.

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Battleships and Aviation

Posted on December 16, 2016 by kcbernick

Thursday, December 15, 2016

We left New Orleans this morning, headed to Pensacola Beach. On the way, we stopped in Mobile where Mark and Dad visited the USS Alabama Battleship Memorial Park, which has been home to the battleship since late 1964. It was commissioned in 1942 and served in both the Atlantic and Pacific theaters during WWII. It was decommissioned in 1947, retired in 1962, and scheduled to be scrapped, when the citizens of Alabama raised funds for its preservation as a memorial to the men and women who served in WWII. The ship was awarded to the state, and the museum opened in January, 1965. Five years later, the submarine USS Drum was acquired by the museum.

In 1986, the ship was declared a National Historic Landmark.

Our next stop was at National Naval Aviation Museum in Pensacola. This museum contains over 150 restored aircraft from the Navy, Marines and Coast Guard, displayed in two buildings and on the grounds. The museum is located at the Naval Air Station in Pensacola, the oldest naval air station, and the home of the Blue Angels Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron. We spent two hours there, but may return tomorrow since we were able to see only a fraction of the planes and exhibits.

Ed trained in a similar gunner’s pod.

After a delicious dinner at McGuire’s Irish Pub in Pensacola (best Shepherd’s Pie I’ve ever eaten,) we arrived at our hotel ready to put our feet up.

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National WWII Museum

Posted on December 15, 2016 by kcbernick

Wednesday, December 14, 2016
We visited The National WWII Museum in New Orleans today. Dad is a charter member, so he was excited to be able to visit. The museum opened its doors on June 6, 2000, on the 56th anniversary of D-Day. Originally intended to commemorate the storming of the Normandy beaches, it was designated by Congress as America’s national WWII museum just four years later.

Dad was welcomed by staff and volunteers at the museum. Everywhere we went in the museum, he was recognized and thanked for his service. He wore a special lanyard that identified him as a WWII veteran, and was give royal treatment throughout. It was gratifying to see the respect he and other WWII veterans received at the museum.

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There are currently five buildings, with more being added. One building, the Boeing Center, houses several airplanes, trucks and tanks. There are four viewing levels, allowing us to see the airplanes from several angles.

Before joining the Army Air Force, Dad had worked at North American Aviation in Inglewood, California, where a couple of the planes had been built. The B-25 bomber was used in the Doolittle Raid on Tokyo. It’s the largest fighter here, equipped with 14 forward-firing machine guns, more than any other Allied aircraft. The P-51D was fitted with a Rolls-Royce engine, giving it a greatly extended range, which allowed longer bombing flights than had been possible earlier in the war.

Another building was devoted to the battles in Europe and in the South Pacific. Dad had served in the South Pacific so, after the aircraft, this was most important to him. Mark and I found it fascinating as well.

Dad was stationed on Tinian, near Guam.

After touring the exhibits, we watched Beyond All Boundaries, a video production about the history of World War II. The production included some environmental enhancements – rumblings under our seats as we watch the airplanes drop their bombs, or ships shoot their cannons, a bright flash and wind following the drop of the A-bombs. It was quite a stirring production.

It was a full day, but Mark and I still managed to spend a little time on Bourbon Street after dinner, where we watched the people and enjoyed some good music.

The long and short of it.

 

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Ducks!  and Weather for Ducks

Posted on December 14, 2016 by kcbernick

Monday, December 12, 2016

We picked up Dad at my brother’s house early this morning, and headed for Memphis. The driving was better today since it was not quite so cold out. We experienced less “range anxiety” as the range returned to normal levels. We still experienced some reduction, but closer to 5% rather than 25% on our first day. I will need to do some research – want to know what parameters Tesla used to get a range of 250 miles. Must we drive at 45 mph with no heat, and all downhill?

We reached our hotel in Memphis, The Peabody Hotel, famous for the ducks that march through the lobby daily at 11 am to swim in the fountain until 5 pm when they are returned to their $200,000 Duck Palace on the roof. We won’t be here to watch the parade, so we went up to the roof to visit the “palace.” There are five mallard ducks, four hens and one drake – we can see mallards any time at home – so not quite as thrilling as I expected.

The Peabody Ducks tradition dates back about 80 years. The hotel’s general manager had just returned from a hunting trip and he thought it would be amusing to leave three of his live decoys in the hotel fountain. Back then, hunters used live ducks as decoys rather than the wooden or plastic decoys of later days. A bellman, a former circus animal trainer, taught the ducks to march across the lobby. This bellman was given the position of “Duck Master.” The ducks are raised by a local farmer, and they reside at the hotel for three months before being returned to the farm where they live as wild ducks.

The Peabody has been placed on the National Register of Historic Places. Their lobby is decorated for the holidays. Among the displays is a Gingerbread Village made with 400 pounds of sugar, 120 pounds of flour,  4 gallons of molasses, 300 eggs,  5 pounds of gingerbread spices and 50 pounds of candy. You can make your own now, but you will need several elves to help you assemble it – 250 elf hours required.

By the way, duck is not served anywhere in The Peabody.

Tuesday, December 13

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Ready to leave, just need the car

This was another long day of driving, and learning more about how the Tesla performs in various types of weather. We started out with great range, but by afternoon, the skies opened up and we experienced heavy rain for several hours. About mid-afternoon, range anxiety kicked in again as we watched the battery’s charge drop fairly quickly.

The rain was very heavy, accompanied by lightning and some wind, and I even received a warning on my cellphone about potential flooding in the areas we were driving through. Actually, I was more concerned that people behind me would see the vehicle, especially since we were driving under the speed limit. Mark turned on the hazard lights to make us more “seeable.”

By the time we reached New Orleans, the rain had stopped and the temperature was in the low 70’s. It was wonderful, a good end to a very long day.

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Frozen Fountains

Posted on December 13, 2016 by kcbernick

Sunday, December 11, 2016

Our driving range was greatly reduced on Saturday because of the bitter cold, plus snow and wind. We drove 5-10 miles below the speed limit, and reduced the heat significantly, to make it from one charge station to another. Normally, we could expect to get up to 250 miles on a full charge, but with the cold weather, we were closer to 180 miles. That meant more and longer stops along the route. We were quite happy to arrive at our destination, where we could plug in overnight.

We stayed at the Hampton Inn by the Country Club Plaza in KC.The Hampton has two J1772 electric vehicle charging ports in its parking ramp. Neither were in use, so we could plug our Tesla in to get a lovely charge overnight. The port gave us about 48 amps, compared to the normal 40, something that excited my husband. 



Kansas City Power & Light has established a Clean Charge Network, which includes over 1,000 electric vehicle charging stations, located throughout the city, and generally free of charge, so people can charge while at work, dining, shopping, etc. The city has made it very easy for the local commuters to use electric vehicles.

Kansas City is known as the City of Fountains, although most do not operate during the winter. Most are located in beautiful parks. A foundation was established in 1973 to raise money for construction and ongoing maintenance of fountains. There are now 48 publicly owned fountains, and about 150 others, that can be enjoyed by residents and visitors. They certainly do enhance the city. The fountains are re-energized on Fountain Day, the second Tuesday in April, and they usually run through October.

The Country Club Plaza is beautifully decorated for the holidays, with most of the buildings outlined in light, the switch thrown by a local celebrity on Thanksgiving evening. Country Club Plaza opened in 1923, and was the first shopping center designed to accomodate shoppers arriving by automobile. It seems appropriate that there is a Tesla dealership located on the outskirts of the Plaza. The buildings were designed architecturally after Seville, Spain, and the Plaza has been named in Project for Public Spaces’ list: 60 of the World’s Great Places. I read through the list, and am happy to say I’ve been to thirteen of them so far – I have a lot more traveling to do. 


We spent the day visiting my brother and his wife and their family, which has been growing for a few years, and continues to do so. He has three children and four grandchildren, with number five arriving in the spring. Great-grandpa Ed was well entertained by all. It was a delightful day of reconnecting with this vibrant and loving family.

The boys were especially intrigued with the Tesla.

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Two Below, or Why We Don’t Always Love Minnesota

Posted on December 11, 2016 by kcbernick

Saturday, December 10, 2016

I started this blog about 3 1/2 years ago, to journal about a road trip with my father, age 90 at the time. He turned 94 a few days ago and we’re on another road trip, to visit the World War II Museum in New Orleans. On the way, we’ll visit a few more museums as well as friends and family. 

When we left early this morning (before sunrise,) our car registered two degrees below zero. Even for Minnesota, this is brutally cold. I would be more excited about heading south right now, but New Orleans is relatively cold as well, with a projected high temperature of about 54, better than freezing anyway.

We are taking our Tesla Model X on its first road trip, and I’m trying to not feel too anxious about making it to the next charger. Normal range for our vehicle is about 250 miles per full charge, but with the cold weather it seems to be closer to 200 miles. Generally, that’s enough to get us from supercharger to supercharger, but we are going through some supercharger deserts along the way. Fortunately, there are many other low charge options that we can access if necessary.

If you aren’t familiar with Tesla’s Superchargers and their network, here’s a short primer. Tesla has over 3,600 Superchargers in the US so far, and is adding more daily. As a Tesla owner, we can use these facilities at no cost, and achieve a full charge in 45 minutes or less, depending on how far the battery has been drained. In addition to the superchargers, there are another 3,700 destination chargers – hotels or restaurants with slower chargers – that allow the traveler to “top off” as needed between superchargers. Superchargers are primarily located along the major interstates, i.e., I80, but there are still some wastelands, especially Arkansas, West Virginia, and North Dakota.

We ran into snow in southern Minnesota, accompanied by some wind. Saw several vehicles in the ditch in Iowa. Every winter, drivers have to relearn how to drive on snow and ice. Maybe they think it will be different this year! 

As we entered Iowa, we saw a sign proclaiming the Silos and Smokestacks National Heritage Area, which is one of 49 federally designated heritage areas in the country, which are all affiliated with the National Parks Service. I was not aware of this before today. The area covers most of the northern and eastern parts of Iowa, and celebrates the heritage  of American farming and agriculture. Among their many projects is an oral video history including stories from century farms, dairy and crop operations and elevator operations. 

After a long day of driving, and stopping to charge the car, we reached Kansas City with its balmy temperature of 39 degrees. We definitely pushed the limits on the Tesla, but now we have a better understanding of its capabilities. It’s amazingly comfortable – no car butt even after 500 miles. 

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And Yet Another Book Report: “Travels With Charley: In Search of America” by John Steinbeck

Posted on November 24, 2016 by kcbernick

I have read a few of John Steinbeck‘s novels in the past, and generally found them to be quite depressing. Once I was no longer required to read them for school, I chose to avoid him as a writer. However, since I am determined to read all of the books listed in the Atlas Obscura article by Richard Kreitner and Steven Melendez: “The Obsessively Detailed Map of American Literature’s Most Epic Road Trips,” I had to give Steinbeck another chance. I much prefer Travels With Charley: In Search of America, written about a 1960 road trip he took, accompanied by his dog, Charley.

At the age of 58, Steinbeck purchased a truck and had it fitted with a camper, which he named Rocinante, and set off from Long Island, NY, on a 75 day journey which took him through 34 states. He thought he had lost touch with the people he had been writing about for years, so hoped to rediscover America and its inhabitants.

He writes very descriptively of the people he met and the adventures (or misadventures) he had along the way. After traveling for several thousand miles, Rocinante blew a tire. Steinbeck’s description left me laughing: “And in Oregon on a rainy Sunday, moving through an endless muddy puddle, a right rear tire blew out with a damp explosion. I have known and owned mean, ugly-natured cars which would have done this thing out of pure evil and malice, but not Rocinante.

“All in the day’s work, I thought; that’s the way the ball bounces. Well, this ball had bounced in eight inches of muddy water, and the spare tire, under the cab, had been let down into the mud…I lay on my stomach and edged my way, swam my way under the truck, holding my nostrils clear of the surface of the water. The jack handle was slippery with greasy mud. Mud balls formed in my beard. I lay panting like a wounded duck, quietly cursing as I inched the jack forward under an axle that I had to find by feel, since it was under water. Then, with superhuman gruntings and bubblings, my eyes starting from their sockets, I levered the great weight. I could feel my muscles tearing apart and separating from their anchoring bones.”

After reading prose like this, how could I not forgive him for his depressing novels? At the time that he was on this journey, Steinbeck was suffering from heart disease, and he was discouraged from taking this trip. He was fortunate to have survived the incident described above.

Then, when I read of a gathering with family members in California, I was reminded that some things never change. Although the political discourse was publicly civil at the time, it could be anything but that indoors. His political views differed from his sisters, and there were heated discussions about John Kennedy being a so-and-so and Robert Kennedy buying sacks of votes, how anyone could reconcile Richard Nixon, what about Checkers, and did no Republican ever buy votes?

Several critics claim that the travelogue was partly fictionalized. It’s argued that it would have been impossible for him to talk to so many people and never be recognized. It’s also argued that he was not alone for most of the trip, and that he spent many nights in very nice hotels or homes of friends. It really doesn’t matter to me. He captured the spirit of the country he drove through and of the people who populated it. I found it an enjoyable read, one that was hard to break away from.

I’m still not interested in revisiting his novels, however.

UPDATE: April, 2020, Just read Cannery Row, and loved it. Will try another Steinbeck novel now: Sweet Thursday.

 

 

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Another Book Report: “A Walk Across America” by Peter Jenkins

Posted on November 11, 2016 by kcbernick

Peter Jenkins set out on a journey to discover America. On the way, he discovered himself. He began his walk on October 15, 1973 in New York and ended it about one year later in New Orleans. He walked away from a failed marriage and walked toward another one, which sadly ended in failure as well. Image result

Jenkins appealed to National Geographic for a good camera. In exchange he would write an article for them. The article led to A Walk Across America, published in 1979. This is another of the books mentioned in the Atlas Obscura article by Richard Kreitner and Steven Melendez: “The Obsessively Detailed Map of American Literature’s Most Epic Road Trips.”

The author is two years younger than I am, so I remember the turbulent times of the early 1970’s. During his walk, Richard Nixon announced that “I am not a crook” in response to concerns about Watergate; Gerald Ford was appointed Vice President after Spiro Agnew resigned amid charges of income tax evasion; the Endangered Species Act was passed; Patricia Hearst, granddaughter of William Randoph Hearst, was kidnapped by the Symbionese Liberation Army; Hank Aaron broke Babe Ruth’s home run record; Alberta Williams King, mother of Martin Luther King, Jr, was shot and killed while playing the church organ; the House of Representatives Judiciary Committee adopted articles of impeachment; Philippe Petit walks across a high wire slung between the World Trade Center’s twin towers in New York City; Nixon resigns and Gerald Ford accedes to the Presidency and then pardons Nixon for any crimes he may have committed; Evil Knievel attempts to rocket across the Snake River Canyon (unsuccessfully.)

A Walk Across America, Peter Jenkins. 1979.

Jenkins was disappointed in his country and wanted to leave, to live anywhere else but here. He told this to a friend, and was advised to know more about the US before he made such a decision. He decided to give the country one more chance,and learn about it by walking across the US. This first book follows the first leg of that journey. He stayed in a few spots for weeks or months, earning money to continue the walk, at times living with a local family. He learned that kindness as well as meanness comes in all colors, and with all accents.

During the 60’s and 70’s, many people, disillusioned with the establishment, went off to join communes. Peter spent some time at one such commune, The Farm, about 75 miles SSW of Nashville, Tennessee. It was established in 1971 by Stephen Gaskin, a writing instructor at San Francisco State College. Frankly, he read like a cultist to me, and I fully expected that this commune would have passed out of existence long ago. I was wrong! It is an operating commune with about 200 members on seven square miles of land, which they farm. They offer trainings in sustainable farming practices; they are know for the Midwifery Center; they run an ecohostel and a few Bed & Breakfast establishments. They embody the spirit of those original hippies.

Did you know that Winston County, Alabama, the Free State of Winston, attempted to secede from Alabama during the Civil War? Residents here were strongly unionist, and their representative to the state’s secession convention, Charles Christopher Sheats, refused to sign the the secession ordinance. Sheats was expelled from the convention and imprisoned for treason until after the end of the war. Winston experienced some turbulent times itself following this rebellion within a rebellion.

Peter Jenkins is a travel author who has penned several other books about his travels in America. I truly enjoyed his writing style, so may have to try a few more.

 

 

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Book Report: “Blue Highways” by William Least Heat-Moon

Posted on November 6, 2016 by kcbernick

Blue Highways: A Journey Into America is another of the books listed in the Atlas Obscura article by Richard Kreitner and Steven Melendez: “The Obsessively Detailed Map of American Literature’s Most Epic Road Trips.”

This is the seventh of the cited books that I have read so far, and each one immediately becomes my favorite. I hope the five remaining books will be equally rewarding.

William Least Heat-Moon is of English, Irish and Osage heritage, and his birth name is William Lewis Trogdon. His father called himself Heat-Moon, and his older brother calls himself Little Heat-Moon, therefore, William decided he is Least.Image result

In 1978, after losing his job as an English professor, and learning that his wife was seeing another man, William Least Heat-Moon set off from Columbia, MO, on a journey that circled most of the United States, His goal was to travel only backroads, the highways drawn in blue in the old Rand McNally road maps.

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He turned an old van into a traveling camper that he named “Ghost Dancing” for its grey color, and covered 13,000 miles in the next three months. Along the way he learns the stories of many people, which are the stories of America. He, in turn, shares those stories with the reader, along with facts and histories of the areas he travels to and through.

Least Heat-Moon’s descriptions are so clear that you almost believe you were there with him. They are so beautifully written that you will wish you had been. This book is the first of his Travel Trilogy, and I will probably add the next two to my list of books once I get through the five remaining from the “Obsessively Detailed Map.”

 

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WOW

Posted on October 1, 2016 by kcbernick

Women on Wheels – September 30, 2016

This was a short road trip, but a road trip nonetheless, so I’m writing about it.

I had the pleasure of spending an entire day with 40 plus amazing women as we visited three different businesses in the area. These women are all members of the Forum of Executive Women (FEW), a business women’s organization that will be celebrating its 35th birthday this coming January. Throughout the years, I’ve watched FEW grow and evolve to meet the changing needs of women in the St. Cloud area, while remaining true to its mission:  to promote growth and connections among professional women.

Today was about education, networking and fun. Those concepts work well together. We met this morning at Park Industries, a 60+ year old manufacturer of stoneworking equipment, the tools that are used to cut granite and other stone for countertops, etc. While I’ve known of Park Industries for many years, and of the tremendous good works they have done in our community, and while I know and admire people who work there, I really didn’t know exactly what they do.

After coffee and bagels, we listened to a presentation by Joan Schatz, Co-Leader of Park Industries. Joan gave an inspiring talk about leadership, tying her points to a tumultuous white water (white knuckle?) rafting trip she took some years ago. She linked this to the tumultuous times that Park Industries went through during the last recession, as a business closely aligned with the housing industry.

Joan’s Leadership Lessons are:

  1. Get the right people in your raft (about hiring the best people for your company’s culture)
  2. Be prepared to be unprepared
  3. Embrace unexpected solutions
  4. Never worry alone
  5. Give up control to have impact (difficult to do)
  6. Get back in the raft (my favorite)
  7. Progress trumps perfection
  8. Be accessible and visible
  9. Be comfortable being uncomfortable
  10. Dignity (not just for yourself but for others)

We then took a tour of the plant, and I need to bring Mark back as I know he will love it. I loved the fact that I saw a woman welder!

After the tour, we boarded a bus and headed to Marco, a technology business that has been located in St. Cloud for over 40 years. Marco is another company that is fully vested in making our community a better place. The company started out as a small typewriter shop, and now empl0ys over 1,000 people in several Midwestern States.

Does anyone remember typewriters? I do. I took typing in high school and almost failed. Thank you Sister Imelda(?), for taking pity on me and giving me a C. That’s why I had to go into accounting rather than secretarial work.

We enjoyed another presentation, by Jennifer Mrozek, CFO. Jen talked about her career with Marco and what she does to help empower other women working there. Again, it was an inspirational talk. I am so proud to be associated with some very capable women in our area.

We toured Marco and I forgot to take photos.

Back on the bus, and we drove to Millner Heritage Winery, located in nearby Kimball. After all, all work and no play makes Jill a dull girl! After a delicious lunch, we sampled six wines, all from local grapes, bred for the Minnesota climate. We were entertained throughout by Don Millner, CEO, vintner, singer, story teller and tractor/trolley driver.

After the wine tasting, our group split in two for a trolley ride through the vineyard, on this beautiful Minnesota fall day. I will not hesitate to tell you that my group was far and away the one having the most fun, including doing our own version of “the wave” on the trolley.

 

By the way, tomorrow is the first day of Millner’s Grape Stomp, so if you’re free, you might want to head on over.

I think I’ll have to take Mark here as well. Date!

This is the third year that FEW has hosted a WOW Event, and my first time attending. It won’t be the last!

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