With the sound of the bugle playing Taps and a salute from the honor guard, my Dad's cremains were finally laid to rest yesterday next to my Mom in the Fairbanks family section of a cemetery in Homer, NY. It had been a journey from his October passing until yesterday. The family had decided to wait until warmer weather coupled with the cemetery not being open for new burials until mid-April. Welcome to Upstate NY, so much for warmer weather because it was a cool 60 degrees yesterday.
Military Honor Guard Homer, NY May 30, 2026
I had the honor of accepting the flag for the family. Which was a very nice surprise. Earlier, I had been given a folder with his records of military service which I found fascinating to read through. I think I am going to put the flag in a case and store some of his service connected document in the case along with the flag to document his service to our great nation.
Following the graveside gathering, we headed back to my sister's, house south of Rochester, for an afternoon celebration and a bit of a family reunion. Yes, for those looking at a map of Western and Upstate NY, we drove about 6 hours yesterday between the different locations.
And with a final salute, another veteran was laid to rest. He answered our nation's call, twice!
Delta MD-80 Landing at Atlanta Atlanta, GA May 29, 2026
Travel yesterday went mostly smoothly. The flights were on time and very nice. Chris and I enjoyed an airline other than Southwest where the boarding in not chaotic and it seemed that we were actually appreciated as passengers and not self-loading cargo.
We landed in a driving rainstorm at Atlanta, where we had to change planes to continue onto Rochester, NY. I watched a jet land on a parallel runway. I had forgotten how huge is Atlanta Hartsfield, we taxied for what seemed like 20 minutes after landing to get to the gate.
Out the Hotel Window Henrietta, NY May 30, 2026
The concourse at Atlanta was, as usual, a nightmare. People everywhere. The mix was humorous. People from the north were wearing coats and those of is from the south were in shorts. Fortunately, I brought a coat.
We had just enough time to traverse the concourse as we arrived at one end and were departing from the other. We did not need to hurry, but we also did not have time to explore.
Arriving in Rochester, we had a terrible tome at the Hertz rental counter. I'm a gold member and for some reason they did not have my reservation tagged properly. But, it seems that I was not the only person with issues. Long after all of the other auto rental desks were empty, there was an hour long line at Hertz with two harried employees trying to process people! Ugh.
But, we finally secured a vehicle and joined up with family for the afternoon and then back to our lodging for the night.
Today, we go to the cemetery for Dad's inurnment and then back to my sister's for afternoon festivities. We had waited for the inurnment, hoping for warm weather. Well, we see how that worked out. The high today is forecast to be all of 60 degrees in this region! So much for shorts and sandals.
Today is a travel day. Chris and I are aboard our trusty Delta flight to Rochester, NY. Hoping for a smooth travel day and good weather. It is really humid in the Palm Beaches. I can’t even get a picture outside due to the condensation on the windows.
First stop is Atlanta which is always a mess. From there onto Rochester. Finn is enjoying a holiday with his second family.
They are closing the doors and we are ready to fly.
UFC Arena under Construction The White House, Washington, D.C. May 2026
Construction of the Roman colosseum began under Emperor Vespasian in AD 72 and was completed by his son Titus in AD 80 with final modifications made by Domitian in AD 82. Authoritarian leaders seem to enjoy hosting sporting events.
Which brings me to the White House. Our president is building a modern colosseum on the White house grounds. He plans to host an Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event on Flag Day and his birthday. Modern gladiators will compete at this event.
How depraved is that?
The People's House will be host to a gladiator style sporting event.
I'm revolted!
Of course, this is after the president destroyed the East Wing, plowed under the Rose Garden, and added far too much gold to the venerable People's House. The White House is not the residence of an emperor, it is the residence of a public servant. He doesn't realize that he is living there at the pleasure of "We the People" and shouldn't be making changes on a whim. He doesn't own it, he doesn't rent it.
And why is this all happening? To distract us. To keep us from pulling back the layers of corruption and uncovering what is happening in America today.
I was shocked when I logged my almost 18-mile ride yesterday. I have ridden just over 7,000 miles on my bike. And in terms of miles ridden in a month, the over 175 miles ridden this month are my most in a month since July last year. I guess I have been slacking off a bit in terms of getting out on the streets.
Chris at Tiki52 Tequesta, FL May 26, 2026
I enjoyed riding yesterday, even though the winds were strong in my face for parts of the ride. The southeasterly wind gusted to about 30 MPH at times and that really added stress to a ride. But, I am getting into good shape.
For the evening, we headed off to $2 Tuesday at Tiki52 collocated with the Blowing Rocks Marina. With the temperature sitting at a pleasant 87 degrees and a nice breeze coming off the water, we enjoyed sitting under the Tiki for Happy Hour and dinner. We enjoy Tiki52 for its relaxed dining, good prices, and dog friendly atmosphere. Finn accompanied us last evening, as he often does. He really enjoys the Happy Hour wings!
It was an enjoyable day after the holiday weekend.
And now, on to Hump Day with a travel day looming on Friday.
Red-bellied Woodpecker High on a Palm Tree Shoot Tequesta, FL May 23, 2026
The weather here in South Florida was nearly perfect for a Memorial Day celebration. Chris, Finn, and I celebrated alone and together.
Marley Keeping a Watchful Eye on Us Tequesta, FL May 25 ,2026
We began the day by heading over at our friends' house looking after their cats. We were not there long as it was a litter box day. Their automatic Whisker robot litter box needed a bag change. While the litter box is fully automatic, it requires human assistance to change the bag which holds the used litter. While changing the bad is an easy process, it still smells like, well, cat poop!
We headed back to the house to enjoy lunch and relax a bit.
The highlight of the day, believe it or not, was watching the last five innings of the Orioles game. I finally activated my MLB app so that I could watch the games. The Orioles have been so disappointing thus far this season that I have avoided becoming too attached to the team. But after yesterday's gutsy and thrilling win over the league leading Rays, it is hard not to get excited. Of course a walk-off two-run home run will help with the excitement, but considering that the score was tied 2-2 at the end of 9 innings and the final score after 13 innings was 7-5, it was a hugely exciting extra inning slugfest game. And it was the O's first win against the Rays in 4 games this season.
1. It is Memorial Day and the final Monday of May. Whew. Where did the month escape to? Heading into June next week, there are just 31 Mondays remaining in the year.
2. It is good that we, as a nation, take a day to recognize the ultimate sacrifice made by true patriots to secure our freedoms and liberty through the centuries. As this country celebrates the 250th anniversary of the signing of one of the most consequential documents in human history, The Declaration of Independence, we must rededicate ourselves to creating a nation that embodies the spirit of that document.
Sandhill Crane Tequesta, FL May 24, v2026
3. I enjoyed nice ride yesterday, although the winds was a bit strong at times. OK, really strong. I came across the first Sandhill Crane that I have seen in quite a while. That is was alone was also a bit weird. I normally see them in pairs. Perhaps the other member of the pair is sitting on the nest somewhere?
4. The Orioles managed to split a doubleheader yesterday. Yay. There are still mired in 4th place in the division and starting a series with the Rays today that could drop their season through the floor. Ugh!
5. I'm confused. If Iran is totally destroyed, as the administration declares, why do they get to set the terms of the end of the conflict? Stuff like this does not make sense. To the victor go the spoils and the terms of the conflict's resolution. I'm afraid that our president thought he would get a quick win and be hailed as a warrior hero rather than as a mediocre commander-in-chief. We are wasting our military resources and national treasure in pursuit of fleeting glory that will not happen.
6. Today in History. Four years after the United States won its independence from Great Britain, 55 state delegates, including George Washington, James Madison and Benjamin Franklin, convene in Philadelphia to compose a new U.S. constitution on May 25, 1787.
The Articles of Confederation, ratified several months before the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781, provided for a loose confederation of U.S. states, which were sovereign in most of their affairs. On paper, Congress—the central authority—had the power to govern foreign affairs, conduct war, and regulate currency, but in practice these powers were sharply limited because Congress was given no authority to enforce its requests to the states for money or troops. By 1786, it was apparent that the Union would soon break up if the Articles of Confederation were not amended or replaced. Five states met in Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss the issue, and all the states were invited to send delegates to a new constitutional convention to be held in Philadelphia.
I know, I live in a condo. How on earth could I have yard work to accomplish?
But we did! Chris and I spent the morning raking, mowing, and laying much--in two different yards.
Chris Finishing the Mulch Tequesta, FL May 23, 2026
We began the morning at the home of friends who are on a cruise in Europe. We raked leaves, magnolia trees lose leaves all the time, and mowed the lawns. It was the second time we mowed since they departed. I admit, I miss mowing just a little bit. I love riding a tractor around a lawn.
After finishing with the friend's yard, we headed back to our home and mulched the path in the back of the condo. We keep the path mulched as it helps keep mud out of the house. It also looks nice and Chris needs an outlet for her gardening spirit. The plants in our yard are still recovering from the hard freeze we experienced during February--but are greening up nicely.
We were engrossed in our outdoor activities all morning, relishing the pleasant weather. However, we had to be exceptionally efficient at our friend’s house because a significant storm, complete with thunder and lightning, was approaching. As I was finishing up in the yard, I savored the refreshing pre-storm breeze. We promptly left to return home to Finnegan, who is terrified of thunder. Surprisingly, the storm never reached our home. Despite our home being only two miles away from our friends’, the weather can be quite different due to our proximity to the ocean.
Heading out of Manatee Pocket Port Salerno, FL May 22, 2026
Chris, Finn, and I headed out of Port Salerno yesterday to enjoy a day on the waters of the ICW and St. Lucie River. It had been since March that we had risked life and limb on the water. Much of that has been due to travel schedules and weather. I have canceled at least two boat days because of poor weather conditions.
Path form the ICW Beach to the Ocean Peck Lake, FL May 22, 2026
The plan was to head off to our favorite, accessible only by boat, beach and then into Stuart, FL, for lunch. We called an audible, however, upon approaching the beach. The boat did not have a ladder in the bow and that meant, for a beach landing, we would have to go down the stern ladder into the water and walk around the boat to the beach. Neither of us felt like getting wet just to walk to the beach and so, even though we were a few yards from beaching, we decided just to head to Stuart where we can dock and stay dry.
View from the ICW headed for Stuart Hobe Sound, FL May 22, 2026
The wind began to increase as we headed for Stuart and the St Lucie River became choppy. I have been reading about how to better trim the engines to help the boat move through choppy waters more smoothly and I was able to implement what I had read. I was very happy with the result. And so was Chris and Finn. Finn parks himself right under my feet if the water becomes too choppy.
We arrived in Stuart without issues, although upon arrival at the Stuart Courtesy Docks we were greeted by a large sign stating the docks were closed. Being inquisitive, we motored closer to be able to read the small print and discovered that the docks will be closed form July 2026-April 2027 for reconstruction. It is going to be a massive project, apparently. As the docks were still open, we were able to tie-up and enjoy wandering around Stuart and enjoying lunch at our favorite cafe, the Osceola Street Cafe on SW Osceola Street in downtown Stuart.
By the time we finished in Stuart, the winds had become strong at 15 MPH or better. That meant the St Lucie River was rough with a moderate chop. The trip back to Pirates Cove Marina was not too bad, despite the conditions. Although we ended our day earlier than planned, we had a good time on the water and wandering around Stuart. It is going to be tough to find a new place to visit while the docks are being reconstructed, but Jensen Beach may be a good spot. I will have to check it out.
It is going to be quite a weekend and I am glad that we are not traveling until next weekend, maybe the craziness will subside.
Today is a boat day. Chris, Finn, and I will be heading out on the ICW for some enjoyment. It should be a beautiful day and we will enjoy some beach fun on North Jupiter Island followed by shopping and lunch in Stuart.
I was encouraged by some things that happened in the Congress yesterday, especially concerning the $1.8B slush fund that the Acting Attorney General and Trump want to establish. It was reported as follows:
Republicans were angry they had no advance warning about the plan, questioned the legal basis for the fund, were unhappy with Blanche’s descriptions of how payments would work, and said they wanted no part of it. As former Senate majority leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) put it: “So the nation’s top law enforcement official is asking for a slush fund to pay people who assault cops? Utterly stupid, morally wrong—Take your pick.” (Letters from an American)
Then, Congress departed for the holiday weekend a day early.
But before they left, the House Republicans managed to cancel an important vote on the Iran War.
House Republicans on Thursday abruptly canceled a vote on a resolution directing President Trump to withdraw U.S. forces from Iran or win approval from Congress to continue the war, after it became clear they lacked the votes to defeat the measure.
The retreat was a striking setback that exposed fractures within the G.O.P. over the conflict at a moment when the party has begun pushing back forcefully on Mr. Trump and his agenda. (NY Times)
Maybe there is some positive change afoot in Congress.
I had read a lot about this relatively new attraction right in the Everglades and I determined it was well within a full-charge of our EV. So, we headed out on an adventure to discover the attraction.
View of the Everglades Everglades Elevated Boardwalk May 21, 2026
It was about a 90-minute drive, each way, using the Florida's Turnpike. Fortunately the traffic was normal and there were none of the typical traffic disasters to slow our journey yesterday. The boardwalk is located off I-75, Alligator Alley, and we had never driven on this portion the road. I was unaware of the toll, but since we live in a state with no personal income tax, I have come to expect a lot of pay-to-play opportunities.
Finn and the Gator Everglades Elevated Boardwalk May 21, 2026
The boardwalk was well marked on my Apple Maps and it directed me right to the parking lot. The boardwalk is located at a large rest stop, which is great because there are restrooms and vending machines available. The site is nicely maintained and almost beautiful. It is not authentic Everglades, however. It borders on the Everglades and does provide some nice views of the real authentic Everglades. Some people think the Everglades is a lot of nothing, but the density of wildlife and plant-life is really astounding.
There were plenty of dragonflies keeping the mosquitos at bay. We did not need bug spray, although we had packed some, just in case. The Everglades can, at times, be overwhelmed by mosquitoes and other biting insects. There is precious little shade, however, and sunscreen is a must!
A view of the boardwalk Everglades Elevated Boardwalk May 20, 2026
Walking the elevated boardwalk is interesting and fun. There is signage to help visitors understand the what they might be seeing. It being late-May, the animals were scarce. We saw a small 4-foot gator swimming in the lagoon, but aside from a small turtle and some mosquito fish as well as the usual birds, there was not a lot of wildlife happening.
We were lucky with the cloudy day, which kept the searing rays of the sun at bay.
I had planned an hour or two for the stop based upon the website. In actuality, we were there for about 45 minutes. And that may include the restroom break.
Recommendation. This is a great rest stop activity while journeying along Alligator Alley, I-75. It is not a suitable as a destination for a drive of much over 45-minutes. This would be a nice stop for people planning an airboat adventure in the Everglades I noted airboat docks in the area.
Yesterday, due to their principal rival playing to a draw, my Premier League team, Arsenal, broke a 22-year drought and won the league! They had finished in second place a number of times and finally captured the title with one match remaining in league play.
I believe I became an Arsenal fan as they won their last Premier League championship. As I recall, I was in London on business and watched the game on television. I got caught up in the excitement of the fans and have been cheering for them ever since.
Maybe the Orioles will break their World Series drought soon.
Dog not Restrained Playing in a Yard Tequesta, FL May 19, 2026
I grew up in a very rural area. A two lane road with wide shoulders passed in front of our house and once I learned to ride a bike, the shoulders were my ticket to freedom. I loved to ride my old coaster bike. I'm not sure they even make them anymore, but it was a single speed bike and to brake I had to push backwards on the pedals. I often biked on roads where there were no houses for long stretches though the hills of Upstate New York. I learned to change inner tubes and maintain the bike in rideable condition. It is crazy to think that I never even thought about communication although I might be a long way from help. We did not have cell phones then--they weren't even invented. If I broke down I would either fix it myself or knock on a door and ask to use the phone.
Aside from inattentive drivers, the most dangerous thing that I used to encounter along the roads I biked were dogs. In our 1960s rural area, many people allowed their dogs to be in the yard without restraint. I used to tense whenever I saw a dog because there was a better than even chance that I was going to become prey in a game of chase. I have been chased by many dogs and, in total self-defense, I learned how to motivate a dog to leave me alone with my foot.
I recalled those times this morning as I passed two unrestrained dogs who ignored me because they were properly trained and under their owners control. I realized that times have changed in the intervening almost 60 years since I was riding the roads in Danby, NY.
Even restrained dogs usually ignore me as I pass their owners. I no longer tense when I see a dog, I expect it to be calm and allow me to pass without more than a glance.
Mount St Helens Erupting Bettmann Archive/Getty Images Published:February 09, 2010
1. The third Monday of May has arrived. Yup. Only one Monday remains in May and that is also Memorial Day. There are 32 Mondays remaining in the year.
2. Aside from a trip to Home Depot, Chris and I stayed in yesterday and watched movies. None of them were particularly special, but they were entertaining. We tried to watch the Director's Cut of Alien, but gave up after about an hour. I had forgotten how plodding that movie was.
3. It was oppressive outside. Hot and humid. A true South Florida beginning to Summer. I was encouraged, however, because the high in Odenton, MD, was 86 degrees and we only reached 85 degrees with a nice wind from the ocean.
4. The Orioles managed a couple wins this past week. They are still playing sub-optimal baseball. They have slipped to fourth place in the division, ten games out of first place.
5. How interesting is it that a treaty from 1797 provides clear insight into the minds of the founding fathers with respect to the establishment of religion in the United States. The Treaty of Peace and Friendship between the United States of America and the Bey and Subjects of Tripoli of Barbary, signed January 3, 1797, lays out clearly that the current Christian Nationalism push by the administration is not in keeping with the intent of the Constitution's Article 1 regarding the "establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof". Article 11 of the referenced treaty makes a very clear statement:
Article 11.
As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion, — as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of Musselmen, — and as the said States never have entered into any war or act of hostility against any Mehomitan nation, it is declared by the parties that no pretext arising from religious opinions shall ever produce an interruption of the harmony existing between the two countries.
6. Today in History. At 8:32 a.m. PDT on May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens, a volcanic peak in southwestern Washington, suffers a massive eruption, killing 57 people and devastating some 210 square miles of wilderness.
Called Louwala-Clough, or “the Smoking Mountain,” by Native Americans, Mount St. Helens is located in the Cascade Range and stood 9,680 feet before its eruption. The volcano has erupted periodically during the last 4,500 years, and the last active period was between 1831 and 1857. On March 20, 1980, noticeable volcanic activity began with a series of earth tremors centered on the ground just beneath the north flank of the mountain. These earthquakes escalated, and on March 27 a minor eruption occurred, and Mount St. Helens began emitting steam and ash through its crater and vents.
Fish in the Lake from the Tractor Tequesta, FL May 16, 2026
Yesterday, Chris and I enjoyed a bit of a throwback Saturday.
Why throwback?
Well, I went to a friend's house and mowed his lawn. Living, as we do, in a condo I do not mow lawns and it was something that helped define summertime life in Maryland. If the lawn needed mowing, Saturday was the day. Too often, after work during the week I was too tired or distracted by some other chore to get the lawn done and so Saturdays became lawn day.
I enjoyed tooling around the yard on my tractor. That was a wholesome memory. I remember that until we moved to our house in Elkridge, I owned only a push mower and it was not self-propelled. After mowing the lawn at the house the first time, and it took 5 hours, we realized that a tractor was necessary. Over the course of our over 20 years there, I owned two tractors.
The Ice Cream Store Tequesta, FL May 16, 2026
I was able to tool around my friend's yard on his electric tractor, yesterday. The very one that I wrote about needing the battery replacement a few weeks ago. He got it done and the tractor works fine. They live on a small lake and as I was mowing near the water's edge, I saw a fish swimming by the shore. I also used his self-propelled lawnmower to do some of the trim. A nearly perfect Saturday.
The Lawn Tequesta, FL May 16, 2026
During the afternoon, Chris and I enjoyed another throwback activity, we went to the local ice cream vendor. Palm Beach Ice Cream makes the best ice cream in the area and we spend a lot of time talking ourselves out of going there, but gave into our desires yesterday. I remembered that after the chores were done, we used to head off to Cindy's in Elkridge for ice cream. Unlike Cindy's however, Palm Beach Ice Cream is open year round.
Lawn mowing, ice cream, and the smell of fresh cut grass. It was a throwback Saturday.
North Fork Loxahatchee River Tequesta, FL May 15, 2026
TGIF was yesterday.
And the weekend began with the passing of the day.
I began yesterday with a nice 18-mile ride around Tequesta. The Loxahatchee was flat as I rode over the Tequesta Bridge. It was a beautiful and hot day.
Chris and I ended the day at dinner with friends in Port St Lucie. All-in-all it was a great Friday.
Reflecting on recent world events including the summit in China I, sadly, believe we are seeing the end of America's stabilizing influence on the world. Democracies are under fire, including ours, and the only bright spot I see is what happened recently in Hungary where the people took control of their destiny after 16 years of extreme right-wing oppression.
Try as we might, it is hard to escape the cold reality that the current administration is more concerned about increasing their personal wealth than ensuring the well-being of Americans. To consider that the President has increased his personal wealth by $5.1B during the past year is unfathomable. Even worse, is the $10B lawsuit he filed against the government which is going to be adjudicate by his former personal attorney who is not the Acting Attorney General and could substantially increase his net worth at the expense of Americans.
We continue to get fleeced by Trump, his billionaire cronies, and drained by fighting an unauthorized and unwanted war with Iran and we can't fun health care and food assistance programs, why?
The Republicans scream fraud, but cannot apparently comprehend that the most egregious fraud is happening within the walls of the White House.
The Snack Food Aisle Publix, Tequesta, FL May 14, 2026
Shopping for food is a difficult experience. The stores appear intent on making the experience as complex and bewildering as possible.
How can shopping for food be complex? Well the are the 2 for's, BOGOs, buy 3 and get 1, buy 2 and get 1, 3 for, 4 for and even 5 for. And it is deceptive. I got trapped the other day buying bread. The kind that Chris likes appeared to be on a BOGO, until I got to the register. The specific bread she likes, while the correct size and in the family which had the BOGO was not the specific variety that was offered on the BOGO. Ugh! I need to have a law degree to shop.
And even items not on special can be deceptively priced. The cereal I prefer is a recent case in point. Yesterday, I had a choice between the standard or the family size box. I initially grabbed the family size thinking it would be the better value. Not so fast! When I compared price per ounce, the family size was more expensive per ounce. And not just a little bit. Who does that?
I thought that was all bad enough until I realized that the snack food aisle is one long continuous landmine of price, size, and multiple offerings. And in our Publix it is the longest single section of the store other than the soft drink section.
Nothing in the snack food aisle is standard. The package sizes vary across producers and even within products. Stretching it out into a single long aisle makes cost comparison shopping is nearly impossible. And the multiple varieties of potato chips make the head spin. Chris and I spent nearly 10 minutes selecting potato chips. Really? Like the world is going to end if we don't buy the best value potato chips.
At least the pickles I use on my sandwich were on a BOGO! That seemed far easier than selecting potato chips.
From the Deck of the Titanic Boynton Beach, FL May 13, 2026
Yesterday's highlight was attending the Titanic: An Immersive Voyage in Boynton Beach, Florida. The location was a short 45 minute drive away and well worth the wait. I had hoped to have attended the experience during March, but it was sold out. I secured the yesterday's tickets well over a month ago.
The Narrative
The timed entry was strictly enforced and we were ushered into the displays right on time. A nicely formatted 24-part audio narrative was provided on our phones with air pods connected. The instructions provided with the tickets advised people to bring headphones or AirPods to be able to access the additional historical information.
The voyage began by standing on a reproduction of the bow of the Titanic for a picture and then examining a number of static displays accompanied by a wealth of information about the ship. There were also images of the interior of the ship, but much of the information presented was from or based upon the movie.
Scene from the 360 degree movie Titanic: An Immersive Voyage
There are three unique highlights of the voyage. First was a 3D tour beginning undersea exploring the actual wreck and then progressing through the recreated interior of the ship through to the sinking. It was a mini Titanic movie.
The 3D experience was unique but I felt it had a couple of flaws. The scaling for some of the video was too much larger than life and detracted from the story and in places the video moved too fast through the ship and was disorienting. Do not misunderstand, I enjoyed the 3D experience and wearing the special goggles, but I also noted that there were definite places where the program interpolated the scene causing some small disconnects. I give them an A+ for effort but only a B for execution. They could have ended the session better by transitioning back to real footage of the wreck and then resurfacing to complete experience that was started.
First-Class Dining Room Titanic: An Immersive Experience
The second highlight was the 360-degree movie experience sitting in a comfortable room with an actual-size modified lifeboat. This was a true 360-degree experience and added a lot to the overall experience of the day. I learned a lot of factual knowledge from the movie, for instance the reports of icebergs from other vessels in the area were never forwarded to the captain for action form the radio operator. I also learned about the poor quality rivets that were used.
The third highlight the experience provided was the name and information about a real passenger. Our task was to check their status of that person on the Memorial Wall which was the final exhibit in the show. That was a sobering experience.
From the 360 Degree Movie
My assigned passenger was 18-year old First Class traveler, Daniel Warner Marvin. Checking the wall for his name, I searched the rescued area first and found an 18-year old woman with the same last name. I then found him among those who were lost. I surmised that they were married. But there was no information available at the exhibit to confirm that hypothesis. The hook is to go online afterwards to find out more about the passenger. And I did! They were newlyweds ending a three-month honeymoon. He is reported to have told his wife as he loaded her into a lifeboat: "It’s alright, little girl. You go. I will stay." His body, if recovered, was not identified. His wife was pregnant at the time and later gave birth to a girl.
My final observations about the experience concerned the physical space. The static displays were too close to each other, the gift shop was too large for the amount of items they offered and the Memorial Wall did not have nearly enough space. Adding a small research center for those wanting to explore more about their passenger or even about other aspects of the disaster would be a nice touch.
So, my recommendation--this exhibit at $45 is a bit pricey given the total time to visit is about 1h20m. but, the senior discount made it worth the visit. Overall, I give it 4 out of 5 stars. Let me say that Chris loved the entire experience!
We were treated to a hard rain yesterday afternoon. I was fortunate to get out onto the streets before the wetness arrived. I have been working on conditioning and was very excited that 63 percent of my 18-mile ride was in the cardio or peak workout range. I crossed the 100-miles ridden this month mark with the ride yesterday.
The skies were blue as I began the ride, but the gray storm clouds were already gathering as I pedaled into the driveway. I expected the rain to begin no earlier than 11 AM and I completed my journey just after 10 AM. The rain began about 11:20 AM.
I am planning to accomplish the three bridge ride again soon and am planning to add some additional streets to increase the distance a bit. The ride to Hobe Sound the other day crosses two drawbridges, but the three bridge ride, while having only two drawbridges, crosses much larger bridges situated on main highways. Larger means higher and harder.
Today there will be no biking as we are headed to the Titanic Exhibition in Boynton Beach. It is about an hour away, depending of course on traffic.
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