LeVeque Lincoln Tower for the 4th of July Celebration

This past 4th of July hubby and I did something a bit different.  We made hotel reservations at at LeVeque Lincoln, the tall thin white building you see on the left.  This is in downtown Columbus, Ohio.  For many years it was the ONLY sky scraper in the city and you could see it as you traveled north or south of the city, quite a landmark.

It's located at 50 West Broad Street and stands 555 ft and 5 inches tall.  When it was opened in 1927 it was the 5th tallest building in the country.  The Architect was C. Howard Crane.  Through out the history of the building it has held a Theater, a hotel, offices, and apartments.  It is now a part of The Autograph Collection of Marriott Boutique Hotels.

My lobby picture didn't come out very well, so this from The Marriott Webpage.
Notice the stars behind the check in desk.

And the star gazing picture and telescope in our room decor.  

Throughout the hotel and webpage there are many references to Under the Stars, Beneath the Stars...navigate your way to a Luxurious stay.  The hotel has been an aerial lighthouse for Amelia Earhart...the star of the skyline.

Looking at a picture taken at nigh with the top of LeVeque Lincoln Tower being lit, you can certainly see why (though discount those other buildings, as they wouldn't have been there then).  Photo Credit again to Marriott.

 A very spacious and well appointed room.

 Even the vanity in the bathroom is quite attractive

It's rate for me to think a shower is spacial, but this one sure was...very pretty and spacious.

 Before you head back to your room for a night of dreaming under the stars, the staff makes this happen.

I took two pictures so you could see how the galaxy on our ceiling actually changed.  It was very cool.  We came back from watching Red White, and Boom (the fireworks display), had a drink in the bar and we walked into our room, before we turned on the lights this greeted us.  AND after we got ready for bed this continued...not sure how long.  I did purposely stay awake looking up to enjoy it a while before nodding off to sleep.

Marriott's picture of the bar which was too dark for me to get a decent photo that evening.

One of the entrances to where the elevators were going up to the residences.  Look at the detail in this historic building.

AND the gorgeous elevators!

You can tell we were in a perfect spot from this aerial photo of the fireworks...almost behind the huge display in the sky you can make out the LeVeque Lincoln Tower.

A fun way to spend the Holiday!


PLEASE leave me a comment when you come visit, so I know you were here. Your visits and comments are very special to me. AND remember, leave your name and url and not your google+ profile link or your blogger profile link. Name and url takes me right to your blog post so I can reciprocate the visit. Profile pages do not.

The Great Hallelujah Holiday Tour of Churches

This past Saturday, hubby and I attending this years Hallelujah Holiday Tour of Churches.  Despite the fact that it rained the whole day.  There were about 300 of us in attendance.  This annual tour includes beautiful old historic churches in downtown Columbus.  I wonder if other cities have something similar?  At each location someone told us a bit about the history of the church and there was a musical selection or two.  

The first church was First Congregational Church, built in 1931.  Of the four churches, it was the newest; but historically the one that I enjoyed learning about the most.  Located at 444 E. Broad Street.

Look at the beautiful pipes in this large organ.  This is one of two organs in this church.  One also in the back of the church in the balcony area.  The style of this church is Late Gothic Revival, and the  architect, John Russell Pope also designed The Jefferson Memorial and the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC.  He was joined with a local architect, Howard Dwight Smith, who designed Ohio Stadium.  Both men are quite noteworthy, as are the buildings they designed.

The wood carving was beautiful and the stained glass window breathtaking.  I imagine on a day with sun out instead of rain, the light coming through this goregous window would be even more spectacular.  

But what made this church so remarkable to me, it's it's history.  On Sept 24th in 1852, 42 members of the then 2nd Presbyterian Church who were abolitionist, decided they could no longer remain with the congregation.  So with a loan of $1,000.00 started a new church.  Their church was The 3rd Presbyterian Church.  The movement and the church grew, and a new location and new building built.  The also decided the needed a new name, and thus became First Congregational Church.  Through multiple leaders and locations and growth the church always remained keenly involved with social justice issues.  

In 1882 Dr. Washington Gladden led the church.  The many years he led the Church are referred to as The Gladden Years.  He preached a regular sermon and always had a 2nd sermon where he taught and spoke about issues of the day, like proper treatment of Black Americans, proper treatment of workers period.  As a result, The Washington Gladden Social Justice Park was dedicated in his honor and memory, quite recently On Oct 28th, 2018.  This park is the first Social Justice Park in the country.  We plan to return to read all plagues on a day when it's not raining.  The park is next door to The Church.

**Please return to read about the other 3 churches on this wonderful tour, check to see if you have something similar in your area.  AND....yes, I will be getting back to posting about Italy, but given the time of the year...the posts about this Christmas Tour of Churches seems most appropriate.



PLEASE leave me a comment when you come visit, so I know you were here. Your visits and comments are very special to me.

Casa del Corregidor, Marbella Spain

 Casa del Corregidor built in 1552 is one of the oldest stately houses in Marbella, Spain.  While this picture looks like a power washing or painting is needed

 This part is quite beautiful.  Click to enlarge and see the details on the 2nd and 3rd floors.  These area's are not open to the public.  The bottom level is a restaurant.  Were we ate 2 scrumptious meals, because one just wasn't enough........more on that tomorrow in part two of this post...D for dinner.  The building has a blend of 3 types of architecture, Gothis, Renaissance, and Mudejar.

 The historic sign tells us the house was that of The Chief Magistrate.

Another shot on a different day, light was a bit better.  Please click to enlarge and look at the balcony area in.

A building 462 years old....in the Olde Town Marbella.  We loved it there.  Put this on your list, as an historic spot, and pop in tomorrow ......come hungry the food is superb!

**REMINDER, please leave the url to your actual blog post, NOT your google+ page, NOT your blogger profile/dashboard page. Use the name and url option, or leave a hyperlink. **After the close of April's A-Z, I plan to continue to write a post a day in the month of May using again the A-B-C's as my guide. My focus for the month of May will be Spain.

Rafting

Rafting!  This is white water rafting and there are many places you can enjoy this.  Some are fun float down the river in hot water type trips, others much more strenuous fighting rapids.  What time of year you can has a lot to do with how high the water can be, how difficult the rafting might be.  There are different sized rafts piloted by skilled guides.  Hubby and I enjoyed a white water rafting trip years ago out in Utah.  There was some calm and we were able to take in the beauty of the area.  There is one picture of us in the raft......this isn't it.  Perched high on a cliff a professional photographer snapped pictures as the rafts rounded the bend.  You then had the option to view them and purchase them later.

State Parks, National Parks and Forest Preserves often have organized raft trips that vary in skill needed.  I'm not a good swimmer and so once was probably enough for me to feel that my card is punched on this particularly outdoor activity.

Goodness, we're rounded in on Letter R of our A-Z challenge, not many letters left.

Want an R destination?  Get your Kicks on Route 66

**After the close of April's A-Z, I plan to continue to write a post a day in the month of May using again the A-B-C's as my guide.  My focus for the month of May will be Spain.  I've been planning and almost have every letter thought out.  If others are interested in continuing to blog daily using our A-B-C's, please let me know.  We could start a linky and continue what we've begun during April.  I don't imagine it will be anywhere near the scope of the annual April Challenge.  But, if you're interested, please let me know in your comment.  And even if you're not up for another blog challenge, do stop back in, I have much to share from recent travels to Spain.**

If you're a new follower, please let me know so I can reciprocate.

Historic Destinations

Moving right along with the A-Z challenge today brings us to H.  Words that start with H and have to do travel.......for hubby and I the biggest word is History, Historical.  We love visiting historic landmarks around the country, and elsewhere.  Touring and learning the story behind something to me makes it all so much more enjoyable.  Whether we stop to read an historic sign, or tour a historic home, or visit historic battlefields or enjoy the art that surrounds historic monuments; we always learn new things in our travels.  Doing this gives us a better understanding about how our country developed.

One thing hubby and I don't share an interest in though is a haunted tour.  I always want to take them, and he never does.  A haunted tour takes place at night, and I don't want to do that solo; so...it's something I've yet to do.

However, I've lunch at a Haunted and Historic Tavern.  Click here for the story about the murder.
Where....right here in Ohio.

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.

St. Mary's Cemetery in Marion, Ohio

Look at this beautiful sculpture of Jesus on the Cross.  It's taken in St. Mary's Cemetery in Marion, Ohio.  When I was a child we lived in Marion and would cut through this beautiful cemetery to get to The Park and to Harding's Memorial.  I don't think as a child I paid much attention to the beauty there.  Now, I enjoy traveling to cemeteries and find them interesting both for the artistic older stones, the history you can learn while there.  Sometimes the names you see will match those you see on street signs, sometimes other things jump out at me.

 Look at the dates here, born in 1844, Domenico Sansotta.  This jumped out at me for two reasons, the date and the name reminded me of what I thought I heard a woman I work with say was her maiden name.

 This jumped out, as it was nearby and is the same name, but look carefully...this is a Bronze Star Medal World War II Veteran.  I always love to honor our Veterans.  And certainly with the name of Dominic and the above Domenico there are related.

 Goodness this family truly served our country.  Joseph here was in The Navy, while above Dominic was in The Army; both in World War II.

And another beautiful Sansotta stone.  As it turns out, this is indeed family to my co=worker, so I was so pleased I had photographed these stones.  Makes me feel closer to her, honoring her family.  I was visiting this cemetery with a childhood friend who also remarked about how beautiful the cemetery was and how differently we feel about it now as adults vs a cut through when we were children.

When hubby and I travel, I almost always visit an interesting cemetery.  You learn so much about differently areas of the country, or other cultures if not in the U.S.

Did a little research and found Domenico immigrated here in September of 1921 on the San Giorgio ship from Naples Italy to the port in New York before settling in Marion, Ohio.  His parents were Diego and Pellonia (Pisane) Sansotta.  He was born in Cimina, Italy.  He lived to be 86.  I have his last address noted and hope to be able to photograph the house this interesting Italian Immigrant lived in.  He was an American Citizen.  I think I would like to have known this interesting man.

Related some of this to people who live in Marion, I also learned that Marion had a very strong and rich Italian history...I didn't know that before I took these photographs in St. Mary's Cemetery.

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.

Vom Fass in St. Louis

 Vom Fass, a most unusual shopping venture located at 7314 Manchester Road, in Historic Maplewood (St. Louis, Missouri).  A wonderful selection of imported oils and vinegar.

 Wine and Liqueurs a plenty.

 Scotch, Special Single Malts and Irish Whiskey.

You're able to taste before you purchase, select the size you want and obtain ideas of how to mix and match from a very well informed and friendly staff.  In addition to the shopping and tasting before you shop; they have cooking classes, wine and Scotch Tastings and menu's.  The selection of Balsamic and Fruit Vinegars is astounding. 

Vom Fass was opened on Dec 9, 2009 and has become quite popular with the locals.  But, fear not you can order on line if you're not in the area.  But, if you're going to be in the area, do check out their cocktail class and coffee crawl.


Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.

Get Your Kicks on Route 66, Missouri

While I don't make a habit of looking down when I walk...look what you can see if you actually look around when walking.  It was raining the day we spent time walking the historic area of Maplewood Missouri, so pictures were a quick snap and move on.  I didn't even take time to read the plaques that day.  But, found several that were very interesting.  The signs says 66 Park in Theater (drive in).  Young folks may have to look that up.  lol  This was locaetd at 9438 Watson Road.  It was built in 1947 by Flexer and after one year taken over by Wehrenberg who operated it til it's closing.

This was located on historic route 66.  I get my kicks on Route 66...something else young folks might need to look up.  We old folk well remember the song and the tv show.  This open air theater advertised "cool breezes" long before air conditioning came about.  There was a playground up front for kids, pony rides, ferris wheels even throughout it's history.    Teens called it the passion pit.  It held 800 cars and had 4 concession stands.  The picture was taken by Chuck1231 and uploaded to Cinema Treasurers(along with 2,551 others). 

Drive In's popularity lessened with more available on tv, with folks going to the movies and having air conditioning.  66 Park in Theater closed after the 1993 season, and was demolished March 19th, 1994.  Though I also found information that said it was razed in 1996.  It made room for a grocery store, National and after that a Schnucks.  Now there's a shopping center there and all that remains is memories of historic route 66, drive in movies are a thing of the past.

Hope you'll take time to listen, Nat King Cole Singing Get your kicks on Route 66

Pop in Often, remember Menu Mondays for dining tips, Traveling Tips on Thursday, and any day for vacation destinations.
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Historic Episcopal Church Graveyard, Beaufort South Carolina

Though one often sees flags honoring those that came before us when walking through a cemetery, it's not all that often you see a non United States Flag.  Here you see 2 Union Jacks, the flag of England.  Buried here are 2 British Soldiers whom we fought against.   They both fought and died in The Battle of Port Royal Island, near Grays Hill on Feb 3, 1779 and were buried here 3 days later on Feb 5th.  The South Carolina Militia wanted to show the world, that even though they fought against someone, they were honoring those who had fallen by giving them a Christian burial.

 This historic church cemetery has veterans of The Revolutionary War, as above and Veterans who served their side in The Civil War.  Here lies Alston W. Brightman of The Confederacy.

Here lies little 4 year old Noel Earl, the son of W.D. and M.E. Schwartz.  He was born Dec 8, 1898 and died Jan 25th 1902.  There is such an interesting mix of burials in this historic cemetery from family people to military, young and old.  You begin to feel the history of the area and it's peoples are you ponder what their lives were like.

Mr. and Mrs. Gordan buried side by side in sectioned area with well cared for stones.  William A was born in 1836 and died in 1886; while his wife Maria Lloyd lived til 1909.  The inscriptions on their stones placed loving by one of their children. 

Here's table style grave, one I assume referred to when we learned gravestones were used as surgical tables during The Civil War.

Read previous post for additional information about the historic church, Saint Helena's The Episcopal Church

Free Seats available, Worthington Ohio

Flat Stanleys here with another Fun Friday with Flat Stanley adventure. St. John's Church was formed way back on Feb. 6th 1804. Can someone please do the math and tell me how old this church is? It indicates it's the First Episcopal Church established in the Northwest Territory. The sign tells us the church was completed in 1831. And that the historic graveyard in it's backyard was established with the burial of Captain Abner Pinney. You might know him, since he's a friend Stanley talked about before HERE.
This is the flip side of the sign Flat Stanley is showing you. The alter was brought with the original settlers and is still in use inside this historic little church on the corner of High Street and State Route 161 in Worthington, Ohio. The graveyard has 317 documented burials of which 5 are Revolutionary War Veterans and 7 are veterans of The War of 1812.
The church is The Gothic Revival Style. I've attended a wedding in this beautiful little church. Stanley wanted to show you the sign here beside the door. SEATS FREE! Anyone ever seen that listed outside a church before?
The bell for the church was also brought here by the first settlers and served the community well since it was used for more then church; but school as well. That same bell is perched high across the street from the church in the bell tower of the community's school.

Flat Stanley suggest the kids look for corner stones, and signs at churches near them to see how they are. Do they have a bell in the bell tower? Does the church have a small cemetery associated with it? Have the kids draw a church, discuss why in years past a cemetery was often associated with the church. How the church was used for community events, community meetings and the center of the community.

Kids love blocks, maybe they could build a church with their blocks. As you look for churches you can walk or ride your bikes too point out the various architectural styles.

As always doing activities with kids helps them learn and remember a location or event. Math, coloring, block building and discussion can be done to enhance to experience with so many of Flat Stanley's adventures.

If you missed any, catch up here:

• April 23, 2010 Books and Parks (Upper Arlington, Ohio)
• April 30, 2010 Traitor or Hero (Worthington, Ohio)
• May 7, 2010 Flat Stanley and his friend Captain Pinney (Worthington, Ohio)
• May 14, 2010 First Flight and Flat Stanley (Worthington, Ohio)
• May 21, 2010 Up The Indian Mound with Flat Stanley (Columbus, Ohio)
• May 28, 2010 Flat Stanley goes to Camp (Upper Arlington, Ohio)
• May 31, 2010 Honoring Those who Served on Memorial Day (Upper Arlington, Ohio)
• June 12, 2010 Signs and Flat Stanley, (Worthington, Ohio)
• June 18, 2010 Breathe Easy with Flat Stanley (Columbus, Ohio)
• June 25, 2010 Stanley at The Masonic Museum (Worthington, Ohio)
• July 2, 2010 Special 4th of July with Flat Stanley (Worthington, Ohio)