Susanne Gunning

New York City – June 22 until June 29, 2011 – Museum of Modern Art

July 20th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

The Museum of Modern Art was featuring two exhibitions while we visited NYC:

Francis Alÿs: A Story of Deception

May 8–August 1, 2011

For me the works raised questions about the pointlessness of some human pursuits; the example of a number of young people joining together on a sand dune and digging for hours in what turned out to be a fairly futile exercise to me encourages viewers to question their actions. The artist recorded the participants recalling their experience of having worked so hard and the feeling of having done so much but when they looked at the sand dune their labour had been in vain, there was no visible change. It seems to me that sometimes the amount of time we spend on activity seems to be disproportionate to the result.

German Expressionism: The Graphic Impulse

March 27–July 11, 2011

Powerful woodcuts of Max Beckmann, prints of Emile Nolde and works of the famous Expressionist Kandinsky were key to this exhibition.

MOMA, NYC

7 nights in New York City – June 22 until June 29, 2011 – New York City Streets

July 19th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

We walked the city streets …..

Times Square

During the day, Times Square is a sign filled part of New York City. Times Square is along Broadway and Seventh Avenue, from 42nd to 47th Streets.

Times Square

The Naked Cowboy - Times Square, NYC

Greenwich Village, NYC

We celebrated our arrival with lunch at an Italian restaurant called ‘Bice’. On other days we dropped into soup and salad bars, and sampled street food of hot dogs and pretzels.

Iced Ginger Juice at a small, vegetarian cafe near Central Park.

Pretzel

New York Cheesecake!

Friends recommended dining at the River Cafe under the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn and we’re happy they did! We went there by train for Sunday Brunch and enjoyed good food, excellent service with expansive views of Manhattan and the Hudson River.

After brunch at the River Cafe, Brooklyn

View from the River Cafe terrace across the Hudson River to New York City

River Cafe under the Brooklyn Bridge, Brooklyn

7 nights in New York City – June 22 until June 29, 2011 – Hotel Elysee

July 19th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

The Statue of Liberty, New York City, USA

We stayed at Elysee Hotel for seven nights; it was rated highly on Trip Advisor and here is the review I posted:

Loved this hotel – ideal location a little away from the intensity of Times Square but so close to 5th Ave and the heart of NYC. The welcome was warm, friendly and they even presented me with a bottle of bubbly and chocolates for my birthday. Every evening except for Sunday we were able to come back to the lounge and enjoy a wine with cheeses and other nibblies – this was a welcome way to finish the day and start the evening in such an elegant setting. The room was very comfortable and even though we were street side and only 3 floors up it was not noisy. This hotel really made our first stay in New York City a delight!!

Other reviews can be found at the following the link: Trip Advisor - Elysee Hotel. The hotel was centrally located at 60 E. 54th St., New York City, NY 10022.

A small room just off the main lounge where a light buffet breakfast was served in the morning and wine and cheese were served in the evening; it was furnished with a piano, bookshelves and a desk with computer and printer.

In our room ...

A comfortable spot for breakfast in the morning and drinks in the evening

USA roadtrip comes to an end … on June 22, 2011

June 20th, 2011 § 2 comments § permalink

From Agoura Hills near Los Angeles in California to Watkins Glen, New York.

And from Watkins Glen, New York to Middletown, New Jersey to complete the trip.

We’ve travelled 6753 miles over 68 nights through the following 18 States: California, Nevada, Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey.

And we’ve stayed at the following 24 Campgrounds, RV resorts and Walmart carparks:

Orange Grove RV Park , Bakersfield, California

Upper Pines Campground, Yosemite NP, California

Zion Canyon Campground, Utah

Mather Campground, Grand Canyon, Arizona

Walmart carpark, Albuqueque, New Mexico

Walmart carpark, Lubbock, Texas

Tall Pines RV Park, Shreveport, Louisiana

French Quarter RV Resort, New Orleans, Louisiana

Grayton Beach State Park, Florida

Walmart carpark, Tampa, Florida

Sugarloaf Key/ Key West KOA, Florida

Walmart carpark, West Palm Beach, Florida

Kathryn Abbey Hanna Park, Jacksonville, Florida

Skidaway Island State Park, Georgia

Briarcliffe RV Resort, North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

The RV Resort at Carolina Crossroads , Roanoke Rapids, North Carolina

Staunton / Walnut Hills KOA, Staunton, Virginia

Big Meadows Campground, Shenandoah NP, Virginia

Hickory Hollow Campground, Rockwood, Pennsylvania

Virginia’s Beach Campground, Erie, Pennsylvania

Niagara Falls Campground and Lodging, Niagara Falls, New York

Watkins Glen KOA Camping Resort, New York

Mountain Vista Campground, East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania

Pine Cone Resort and Campground, Freehold, New Jersey

Our last campfire for the trip at Pine Cone RV Resort, New Jersey...

Goodbye to our Roadbear RV - dropped off at Middleton, New Jersey, June 22, 2011

June 08 – June 11, 2011- Niagara Falls Campground and Lodging, Niagara Falls, New York.

June 11th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

Our 141 mile route from Erie to Niagara Falls. This also shows how Niagara Falls is situated between the two smallest of the 5 'Great Lakes' - Erie and Ontario.

Our visit to Niagara Falls has certainly been beyond expectation. Many people told us that the ‘Canadian side’ gives the best view of the Falls, so we booked a Canadian morning tour with Bedore Tours. We were not disappointed; the ‘Maid of the Mist ‘ ferry ride and the journey ‘Behind the Falls’ gave us opportunities to feel the falls and get wet!

Our guide was informative and it was interesting to learn that nowadays 50% of the water from the Niagara River is held back from the falls for hydro-electricity generation and at night the % increases to 75% being held back by both the Canadians and the Americans. This has decreased the amount of erosion caused by the falls; erosion over the last 12,000 years has caused the location of the falls to move about 7 miles south from Lewiston to where they are now in Niagara Falls.

We also enjoyed the American side of the falls. Niagara State Park is home to the American Falls, Bridalveil Falls and views of Horseshoe Falls; we explored the park with its observation tower, islands, trails and views of the rapids as they rush towards the falls.

The rapids moving towards the American Falls in Niagara State Park, New York.

Bridalveil Fall

American Falls

American Falls from Niagara State Park, New York.

The top of the American Falls from Luna Island, Niagara State Park, New York

Ready to board 'Maid of the Mist'

'Maid of the Mist'

The mist in front of Horseshoe Falls

Horseshoe Falls from Canada

'Journey Behind the Falls'

'Journey behind the Falls'

'Horseshoe Falls' as seen from 'Journey behind the Falls' viewing point.

June 05 – June 07, 2011 – Virginia’s Beach Campground, Erie, Pennsylvania

June 10th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

Virginia’s Beach Campground is on Lake Erie, which is 290 miles long, 58 miles wide and 65 feet deep. Out of all of the ‘Great Lakes’, it is the second smallest lake after Lake Ontario. Staying on the shores of the lake meant we saw it’s many changes in colour and mood. At times calm, its water like glass. With storms and wind it came up choppy, but never was the lake more spectacular than at sunset.

June 02 – June 04, 2011 – Hickory Hollow Campground, Rockwood, Pennsylvania

June 10th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

This was a picturesque 200 mile route that left all of the Interstate highways and freeways far behind; spring had brought green pastures to Pennsylvania, and the bright barns were the only reminder that winter had been before.

We booked Hickory Hollow Campground because it is an approximate half way stop between Staunton,Virginia and Erie, Pennsylvania; also the park had excellent reviews from RVers who had been there before.

Hickory Hollow Campground, Rockwood, Pennsylvania.

Lake at Hickory Hollow Campground

When we arrived near Rockwood, about 70 miles south of Pittsburgh, it felt we were in the middle of nowhere; we were prepared for some relaxing days, walking around the lake and swimming in the pool in the campground. Like many places we’ve stayed, there were surprises and Hickory Hollow Campground was to be no different.

First we were quite amazed that we were staying close to a small township called Shanksville, the site where Flight 93 came down on September 11, 2001. Although a memorial now stands to remember those who died in the plane crash, we decided not to visit.

On a brighter note, to our surprise and delight we discovered that our campground was just 23 miles from ‘Fallingwater’ : a house designed by Frank Lloyd Wright and built 75 years ago in 1936 and completed in 1937.

The house was built for a wealthy department store owner, Edgar Kaufmann, his wife Liliane and his only son Edgar Jr. as a summer weekender away from the industrial city of Pittsburgh. The Kaufmann’s originally planned for a house with a view of the waterfall, however, Wright designed the house to be a part of the waterfall.

The ‘cantilever’ construction features on the exterior of the house with wide spaces extending from the bedrooms and living areas; this cantilever construction is repeated throughout the interior with built-in book shelves, desks and sofas made from black walnut from North Carolina and suspended without any visible signs of support.

Organic in nature, the house blends and harmonises with nature, as the exterior enters the interior. Unusually for 1936, each bedroom had a bathroom.

Here are a couple of personal photographs, but if you would like to see more of the house; the following link will take you to the official website: Fallingwater.

The other ‘fun’ part about Hickory Hollow was that we met some good people – Kenny and Brenda, from not far away in Maryland, who were also staying for the weekend. They welcomed us to their campfire on the Friday evening and again on the Saturday evening to share a meal with their family, who came to visit. Times like these make our trip very special; what better way to get to know people than by sharing stories around a campfire!

May 26 and May 31 – June 01, 2011 – Walnut Hills Campground, Staunton, Virginia

June 10th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

196 mile route from Roanoke Rapids to Staunton, Virginia.

We stayed at the Walnut Hills- Staunton KOA campground for a night before heading up to Shenandoah National Park for Memorial Weekend and again for 2 nights after the weekend before heading to Rockwood in Pennsylvania.

The park had a large pond with fish, ducks and geese. Tall, horse chestnut trees were flowering throughout the park and the swimming pool was a welcome relief on the hot days that we spent there.

May 27 – May 30, 2011 – Memorial Weekend – Big Meadows, Shenandoah National Park

June 10th, 2011 § 0 comments § permalink

On the other side of the road from the Byrd Visitor Centre and Big Meadows Campground is a large tract of cleared land called the ‘meadow’. They are not sure how it came to be there but it was probably cleared of trees many years ago by settlers, before Shenandoah was proclaimed a National Park. It has been decided that the meadow should be maintained and in order to do so it is virtually divided into thirds; each year on a rotation basis one section is burnt, another has its grass cut and the third is untouched.

We were fortunate to explore the area and hear of its history through Ranger Kate, who led us through the meadow and encouraged us to consider its importance in relation to the plants and animals that lived there.

May 28, 2011 – Historic Rapidan Camp in Shenandoah National Park, Virginia.

June 8th, 2011 § 2 comments § permalink

A ranger led program to Rapidan Camp started with a 30 minute ride on a small bus to what was President Hoover’s Summer retreat. The guide helped us to understand the era of President Hoover , why he chose this location, and gave us an insight into what happened when President Hoover and his wife Lou Henry stayed there. The ranger also encouraged us to question to what extent Hoover had influenced Shenandoah becoming a National Park later in 1936.

President Hoover, needed a place to escape to on weekends; he stipulated that it needed to have streams of brown trout, be within 100 miles of Washington DC and to be cool in the summer.

Rapidan Camp, Shenandoah National Park

A cabin was built especially for Prime Minister Ramsay McDonald's visit and another small cabin was built for his daughter, but like many of the buildings that were there many years before , they no longer exist.

A cabin was built especially for British Prime Minister Ramsay McDonald's visit and another small cabin was built for his daughter, but like many of the buildings there many years before , the cabin built for Ramsay McDonald's daughter no longer exists.