Tour of the Masonic Temple in Philadelphia

For $10 you can tour the beautiful Masonic Temple in Philadelphia!  The Mason who led the tour wasn’t the nicest fellow or the most dynamic, but the Temple made up for him!  The photos are in order of my tour and there were quite a few rooms, so I didn’t post all of them.

Oh and in case you’re wondering what Masons or Freemasons are…according to Wikipedia…

“Freemasonry (or Masonry) is dedicated to the Brotherhood of Man under the Fatherhood of God. It uses the tools and implements of ancient architectural craftsmen symbolically in a system of instruction designed to build character and moral values in its members. Its singular purpose is to make good men better. Its bonds of friendship, compassion, and brotherly love have survived even the most divisive political, military, and religious conflicts through the centuries. Freemasonry is a fraternity which encourages its members to practice the faith of their personal acceptance. Masonry teaches that each person, through self-improvement and helping others, has an obligation to make a difference for good in the world.”

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What to See in Philadelphia

There is so much to see and do in Philadelphia!  I started walking towards the Philadelphia Museum of Art and Boathouse Row.  This domino sculpture is pretty cool!  I like it sometimes when there is someone in my photo, because they become an actor…like in this photo…it’s almost seems this lady was posing for me!

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City Life in Philadelphia

I arrived in Philadelphia Monday evening to the home of my lovely Couchsurfing hostess…Claire.  She was still at work, so I had detailed instructions on where to find the keys to her beautiful City apartment that is located near Rittenhouse Square.  All of the lights were on when I arrived to welcome me.

This is her living room.  I love window seats!  She is a voracious reader and just outside of this photo on the left is another built-in bookcase with books!

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Hiking on the Appalachian Trail

Hiking on the Appalachian Trail was another bucket list experience!  I discovered that you can hike Lodge to Lodge, so you don’t have to carry a tent and food (other than snacks and lunch), along a 17 mile portion of the trail through Virginia in the Shenandoah National Park.  If you’d like to plan your own trip, the details are here.

These are some of the images I encountered while hiking…

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Unique People of the United States

I love people…well most people!  Many people like to have their photo taken.  Some of the time I sneak a photo…because I want a natural shot.  Here are some of the people I’ve taken photos of in the United States in the last couple of years (other than friends and family).  They all seem to be playing a part…

St. Paddy’s Day Festival

Cincinnati, Ohio – 2012

“The Party Girl”

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Hiking Tent Rocks, New Mexico

Hiking Tent Rocks, New Mexico is like being on an alien planet.  According to Wikipedia…

Kasha-Katuwe Tent Rocks National Monument, located 40 miles southwest of Santa Fe, New Mexico was established as a U.S. National Monument by President Bill Clinton in January 2001.

The area owes its remarkable geology to layers of volcanic rock and ash deposited by a volcanic explosion. Over time, weathering and erosion of these layers has created canyons and tent rocks. The tent rocks themselves are cones of soft pumice and tuff beneath harder caprocks.

A 1.2 mile (1.9 km) recreation trail leads up through a slot canyon to a lookout point where the tent rocks may be viewed from above. A 1.3 mile (2 km) loop trail leads past their base.

This is my favorite photo from the day…

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Hiking the Colorado Trail

Hiking the Colorado Trail is a perfect way to spend the day!  The scenery is picture perfect!  I hiked a portion of the Molas Trail, an 8 mile round trip hike, that descends to the Durango Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad, and follows the Colorado Trail for a little ways.

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Hiking Olympic National Park, Washington

Hiking in Olympic National Park, Washington is a feast for the senses!  I was blown away by the natural beauty!  I was there in July of 2011 and the weather was glorious.

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Tarpon Springs, Florida

As I’m revamping my site…I came across this post I neglected to post while on my 6-week road trip adventure…so…a break in the regular telecasting…

Tarpon Springs is another quaint and historic town in Florida!  Through the years I’ve visited most of the “fun in the sun” areas in Florida…Miami..Key West..Ft. Lauderdale..Orlando..St. Augustine..Ft. Myers..Coco Beach…Panhandle, so I was surprised to discover a few of the quaint towns in the Tampa Bay area.  Staying with a local and receiving guidance from her made the difference!  Thanks Zully!

Today, I ventured off on my own and explored the Tarpon Springs area.  With a population of over 23,000, it has the highest percentage of Greek Americans of any city in the U.S.  The main street (E. Tarpon Ave.) has some street art (which you know I love) and antique stores.

Browsing in the windows, one store caught my attention–Tarapani’s.  It has been run by the same family for 101 years–I spoke with the son and Grandmother–who were the only people in the store.  They had some very interesting items and paintings…

This beautiful park was located at the end of the main road…

If you turn right onto Alt. Rt. 19, it will bring you to Dodecanese Blvd.–turn left and you’ll find a street filled with Greek shops & restaurants and the Sponge Docks…

Lots of fishing boats were docked.  Some with sponges…

This flower’s beauty stood out to me…

I walked to the end of the street where I found these fishermen.  Notice the fish in mid-air.  I asked permission to take a photo and they said sure and stood there.  I said, “You can keep working” and the guy on the left said, “Oh, thanks!”.

Walking back to my car I took a final photo…

Driving through a residential area of Tarpon Springs, I spotted this lovely home…

I hope you enjoyed your tour of Tarpon Springs and will come back again soon!

Sunset Magic

A couple of days ago my friends–April & Wayne–and I were at Fort Myers Beach to listen to one of Wayne’s favorite bands at the Holiday Inn, which is situated on the beach.  Being a local, he knows where to go!  Of course, we had to witness Earth’s daily wondrous display of beauty…the sunset!

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When looking back at this photo…we don’t recall what we saw…but liked the photo…

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April and I both like to do handstands, cartwheels, and generally just act like kids…so we rushed out in the sand and Wayne started snapping…

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We both really liked this photo…it’s quite funny with all of the legs flailing around…

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This one has a frenzied motion appeal…

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Now we’re to the calmer…controlled stances…

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We want this for everyone!

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After all of that fun…we danced for a while!

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It’s fun to engage the crowd!  April pulled these gentlemen up to dance and they were quite surprised and good dancers!

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I’m leaving Florida today to drive back to Cincinnati and will arrive tomorrow evening.  Just in time to put up my Christmas tree, do a little shopping, baking, attend events and get used to the chill!

I had a great six-week road trip and loved meeting all of the new people, seeing new sights, and experiencing new activities!  I’m very grateful and also grateful for all of you!! 🙂

Beach Magic

Yesterday, April and I had a great day at the Fort Myers Beach!  While I was taking a dip in the ocean, I looked up at April and she looked as big as the buildings.  It reminded me of the movie that Darrel Hannah was in where she was a giant.  It also got me to thinking of how that applies to life and people–how everyone’s perspective is unique to them–shaped by events and people in their lives.

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While taking a walk along the beach (which is on my left), I thought this scene of houses and a bit of inlet water was quite pretty.

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On our walk, there were plenty of shells to examine and decide which ones were keepers.  Here’s April on the hunt…

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She found this nice spiral…

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I love how the water sparkles like diamonds when the sun hits it, so I asked April to make some magic….

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There is magic all around us if we open our eyes!

Maracas Mania

My friends — April and Wayne — were such fun when I asked them to dance and shake the maracas before we went out for dinner!  April is in her early 40’s…don’t you think she’s “hot”?  She’s very athletic…in fact she’s out jogging right now as I do this post.  She rides a Harley, runs in charity events, bought a boat recently (so she skis)…practices yoga and is a certified holistic health coach (or something like that)!

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Of course, Wayne, the guy — has to take it to the next level — juggling with them!  And he does it quite well!  Isn’t he cute!  Wayne is also quite amazing!  He’s won awards in his age group (which is still the Fabulous 50’s) for swimming.  He swam 12 miles around Key West last year!!  He turned me on to the Yoga place here in Fort Myers.  He’s also almost single!

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Hopefully, we’ve entertained you!

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Stay tuned for the next installment of fun!