October 23, 2024 - Charleston, South Carolina - Wednesday

October 23, 2024 – Wednesday                    Day 28 of this journey 

Charleston, South Carolina 

On our way into Charleston this morning, we sailed by Fort Sumter. We didn’t actually see it as it was still dark, but later in the day, when someone else referenced it, it gives you pause to think about its significance. 

Over the time we have sailed with Viking, we have learned that sometimes you get lucky with your tour guide for the day, and sometimes you don’t. It’s just the luck of the draw. Today we were unlucky. It really impacts the entire day. 

The tour started with a drive through historic Charleston in very heavy traffic. Eventually, the bus parked, the passengers were divided into two groups, and we started our walking tour. Our guide obviously is used to conducting these walks without the assistance of the microphone and headpieces as she was shouting into the mic.

She offered a comfort stop for those needing it, then we continued the walk. There are many many old old Live Oaks in Charlston. They are majestic. Most houses from the earlier periods, are long and narrow. It is a style of building that was brought from Barbados. One room wide, but several rooms deep and 2 or 3 stories. Many had porches running the length of the house. It was required that the kitchen be in a separate building at the back of the property. This was due to the danger of fire. Most of these kitchen houses would have had quarters above for the slaves. 

St. Micheal’s church was open for tours today, so we were able to go inside. It is the oldest surviving church in Charleston. It was built between 1751 & 1761 and still conducts services. George Washington worshipped here when he was in Charleston, as did Robert E Lee. The bells and clock in the tower are from 1764. A couple of the stained-glass windows were made by Tiffany Studios in the late 1800s, early 1900s. Quite impressive.

Across from St. Michaels - US Post Office & Courthouse
1896

A beautiful side garden just a few doors from St. Michaels.

Next on the agenda was the Nathaniel Russell House. A neoclassical gem. Here, our guide turned us over to a docent that did an outstanding job of showing us the house and giving us a great deal of history as well as intimate details that made the house come to life in 1808 when it was completed. Each floor has similar features. A square room to the front, and oval room towards the center and a rectangular room at the back. The staircase is most unusual. It is elliptical and has no visible support. Each step is cantilevered off the previous. The house became a National Historic Landmark in 1960 and was put on the National registry in 1973.

Our docent is waiting for us in the doorway.

These are probably 3' tall. One is the earth, one is the heavens.

The amazing staircase. On the underside, they have a 
viewing window of the construction.

The oval dining room. Original china came from China. It took 
two years to receive.

Beautiful crown molding. This is trompe-l'oeil.

This is not trompe-l'oeil. I think these ceilings are 14'.

More trompe-l'oeil. This is yellow pine feather painted
to look like burl wood.

This room did not use trompe-l'oeil, Beautifully done.

Nathaniel Russell's rice motif South Carolina made bedstead.
You see the sheafs of rice carved into the post.

And, of course, the "necessary" chair

In restoring the house, many layers of paint were stripped off until they found the original color. It is now referred to as Russell Gold. Initially, much attention was given to the house itself. The kitchen and slave quarters were not touched. Now, they are doing an archeological review of those quarters. They expect to learn a great deal from this and eventually restore it to the 1800s as well.

After much more walking, we finally returned to the ship. After lunch and a rest, we headed back out to hopefully pick up a couple of minor items we could use. We utilized the FREE shuttle bus that Charleston runs. We had been given a map showing three different routes. We believed these routes to be closed loops. 

After making our purchase, we went back to where we got off the bus to get back to the ship. Closed loop? NO! It connected to a different route that headed further inland, then it looked like it was going to cross the river. It is after 3:00 pm and we have to be back to the ship by 5:00 pm. Sounds like a lot of time, but who knows how far this bus will go before heading back. 

Just about the time we thought we needed to get off and find a cab, the bus made a few turns and headed back towards historic Charleston. Then we were back in familiar territory. We got off the bus and headed in the direction of our ship. We were back on board a few minutes after 4:00 pm. Lots of time, but lots of walking. We are tired. We take showers, then head to the Explorer’s Lounge to get a drink.

Home Sweet Home

Tonight’s Daily Briefing begins with a farewell tribute to the guests that will be departing in Fort Lauderdale on Friday. Some nice photos are shown and brief comments by the Captain. Then they retracted the screen and just outside the auditorium were most of the staff. They came through a door, across the stage and up the staircase. It was a great send off and fun to see so many of the staff that we have met over the past month.

And a lovely sunset for sail away.

October 21, 2024 - Norfolk, Virginia - Monday

October 21, 2024 – Monday                          Day 26 of this journey 

Norfolk, Virginia 

Our sea day yesterday was still a bit on the rocky side. Seas were moderate, but were coming across the beam, so you really feel the side-to-side motion. 

Once we entered the Chesapeake Bay, it was still a long way to our dock. The sun was just beginning to add a little light to the east, but we were able to catch glimpses of some of our Navy’s vessels. Quite an impressive site. And something I was really looking forward to seeing.

Part of the US Fleet

Where we will be docking

The various aspects of the Naval base here are hard to comprehend. It is the largest Naval base in the world. It is the home and headquarters for the USN Fleet Forces Command. 4 miles of waterfront and 11 miles of piers and wharfs. The adjacent Chambers Field has 134 aircraft and 11 aircraft hangars. There is also a submarine base. Along with all of this, are many private providers supporting these ships and planes. 

We arrived at our dock adjacent to the Nauticus Center which is a maritime museum. Part of its display is the USS Wisconsin. It has 9 big guns and is something to see.

USS Wisconsin ("Whiskey")

We have the “included” tour today which is a bus ride to the Norfolk Botanical Gardens where we will spend a couple of hours. There are four busses of Viking passengers. For our bus, we spend the first hour on our own visiting various areas of the gardens. (They give you a great map.) It is a huge complex and very well done. 

The gardens were established in 1938 as a Works Progress Administration (WPA) project. Over 200 African American men and women were given the task of clearing the land and planting the garden. Within the first year they had planted 4,000 azaleas, 2,000 rhododendrons, 1,000 bushels of daffodils, and several thousand miscellaneous plants and bushes. 

It is surrounded on 3 sides by Lake Whitehurst. Canals have been added and during the summer you can take a tour of the gardens by canal. There are over 60 themed gardens that run a wide gamut of themes. We checked out the rose garden and the Japanese Garden as well as a hot house with tropical plants and orchids.

Part of the canal system

In the Japanese Garden - it was so serene

A Crepe Myrtle - quite alive, gorgeous smooth bark

At 11:00 am we are scheduled to take a 25–30-minute narrated tram ride around the gardens. It was a great way to get a better feel for all the different things they are doing. The tram itself must have been designed for school children as we all felt a little like sardines. We still had about 30 minutes left, so backtracked to the bonsai gardens which are adjacent to the Japanese Garden.

Twin redwoods

Goldenrod - something is always in bloom here.

A beautiful pyracantha in front of a golden bush.

 

One of numerous bonsai plants

Upon leaving the Gardens, we were to have about an hour of a bus ride to see more of Norfolk. Our tour guide wanted us to see some of the naval base, but there was an accident on the freeway that had turned the freeway into a parking lot, so she abandoned that idea and headed for downtown historical Norfolk, which is not far from our dock. Interesting history. 

We were dropped off at the dock and headed back to the ship. After lunch, we headed out to find a drug store to pick up a couple of items we could use. After walking for about an hour with no sign of a pharmacy, we headed back to the ship. When we are docked, there is always local security making sure we belong on the ship. We chatted with one of the guards and he confirmed that there wasn’t a pharmacy within walking distance. Oh well, at least we got in a good walk.

Our home. Haven't had too many opportunities to get a pic.

Since I’m in the US, and I’ve got good cell coverage, I checked in with my sister for a nice chat (although somewhat shorter than our usual). 

As we maneuver for sail away, we get a good view of some of the ships being worked on just across the river.

The one on the right certainly looks futuristic

On to Charleston, South Carolina. Oh, by the way, the weather is warming up nicely.

 

October 19, 2024 - New York New York - Saturday

October 19, 2024 – Saturday                        Day 24 of this journey 

New York, New York! 

Sail in this morning was super. We were to pass by the Statue of Liberty around 5:30 am. People who wanted to make sure they didn’t miss it, started getting up well before that. Including us. We were awake anyway in anticipation of the sail in, so got up and got dressed about 4:45 am. Viking being Viking, there was hot coffee and pastries available from about 5:00 am. 

Lights showed on the horizon, but we were still a long way out. Eventually, you could make out the Verrazano Narrows bridge. We will sail under this bridge in a little while. Once in the harbor, you begin to make out landmarks. There are also quite a few ships at anchor, waiting for their assigned berth or dock. One of the Expedition Team is commentating for us. His comments are broadcast to the outer decks and the Explorers Lounge.

These cranes are just being delivered from China. 
They will be put to use by one of the many container processors

Finally, Lady Liberty comes into view. What a beacon. She is beautifully lit. Standing on the bow of our ship; you can almost imagine how the immigrants of old felt upon seeing her welcoming them to a better life.

We are to dock at Pier 90 on the Hudson River side of Manhattan. What an amazing skyline.

We are taking an “optional” tour today that is a 7-hour combination of seeing sights from a bus and other portions mixed in that are walking. Many of the photos will have reflections and blurs due to being taken through the bus window. The architecture is amazing. Old and new, stone and glass. Streets are narrow canyons, there are flowers planted in pots, I wonder how they grow with so little sunlight reaching them.

Radio City Music Hall, already getting ready for the 
Christmas production.

Frequently, I see the reflection of an old building
in the glass of a new building. I find that fascinating.

The "Dakota" across from Central Park. John Lennon lived
here along with a host of other notable names.

We stop near Central Park so that we can get a feel for the park. We’ll walk for 30-40 minutes. I am really impressed with the park. Much of it feels untamed, some is groomed, but it feels very natural and not controlled. Of course, there are walkways/paths everywhere. There are people everywhere, there are lots of dogs, there are lots of vendors (although not a lot of hawking going on), We pass by Yoko Ono’s mosaic tribute to John Lennon. It is called Strawberry Fields. There is almost always a musician playing Beatles music near the spot.

One of the entrances to Central Park

The wilderness amid the concrete and steel

The city has difficulty keeping up with the birds.
They tend to build nests in inappropriate places.

What a view!

Trees are starting to turn and that probably adds to the charm today. Back to the bus we go and continue wending our way through the stop and go traffic until we get to Grand Central Terminal. We are going to the observation deck of One Vanderbilt. It is simply known as SUMMIT. One Vanderbilt is currently the 4^th tallest building in the City. It has only 73 floors, but each floor varies from 14.6’ to 24’ tall. My recollection of the standard height as 8’. The roof tops out at 1,301’ with a spire adding an additional 100’. 

The observation deck is the top 3 floors. It probably took 20 minutes or more to work our way through the line of people waiting. Security is tight, but my purse was not searched. Everyone has to put on booties. You are advised that part of the “Experience” is flashing lights and noise. I couldn’t figure out the reason for that. The elevator ride took less than one minute. You walk into a room that is floor to ceiling glass, the floor consists of mirrors, the ceiling is mirrored. A little unsettling, but the views of the city spread out below you are amazing. Such a different perspective to view all of this from above.

The Empire State Building

What's real? What's Reflection?

We enjoy the views and look at a couple of the exhibits but have had enough and try to find our way to an exit. We went around in circles for a while, but finally get on an elevator down. The agreement with the guide was that we would spend whatever time we wanted at the SUMMIT, then have time for lunch on our own and meet at the clock in Grand Central at 1:00 pm.

Grand Central Terminal

We are hungry and have learned that there is a food court on the lower level at Grand Central. We spotted a chicken place and ordered fingers and fries. It takes a little while for the order to come up, but it was worth it. Everything was very hot and perfectly cooked. 

We meet at the designated time and head back to the bus. We’ll be driving through more of the neighborhoods with each having a distinct flavor. We go past Times Square, Madison Square Garden, Trinity Church, Rockefeller Center (the ice rink goes into operation on Columbus Day) and come to a stop a block or so from the 911 Memorial.

Prometheus at Rockefeller Center & people ice skating

Times Square - just a few people

Madison Square Garden

Trinity Church at the Corner Of Broadway & Wall.
Think about Nicolas Cage and the movie National Treasure

Another of those reflections of the old in the new

It isn’t a lengthy walk, and we pass by a separate tribute to the firefighters. It is a very pleasant spot. The sound of the water falling in the pool is very peaceful. We don’t have time for the museum, but word is that it is excellent. After viewing both pools, (one for each of the towers) we go into what is known as The Oculus. It is a major hub for the NYC subway system. The exterior of the building seems more like a piece of sculpture. I’m glad I visited the sight. What came to my mind, is all the buildings around here. What must the people in those buildings have thought watching the disaster? Very moving.

One World Trade Center

The South Pool

The South Pool with One World Trade Center standing guard

The Oculus

The last thing on the agenda is getting the bus back to the Pier. Traffic is already very heavy. It takes quite a bit longer than usual, but the ship doesn’t sail until 11:00 pm, so there is a little bit of leeway. We are back in our room about 4:30 pm. 

Definitely a long day, but we are so glad we took this tour. The guide was just great, the bus driver was great. Would we come back? We aren’t sure. We’d love to see the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Museum of Natural History. But the mobs of people, the illegal vendors clogging the sidewalks, the block-long queues for restaurants and theaters and whatever, just aren’t appealing. 

Tomorrow will be another sea day heading for Norfolk, Virginia.