North America Travel

Louisiana: New Orleans French Quarter

Reconnecting With The Past

by John Goodrow

Surrounding the banks of the Mississippi River are aspects of both the past and the present. Looking out into the river, the steamboats Creole Queen and Natchez take visitors from the French Quarter up the river and transport them into the distant past when the river was the highway of exploration. These steamboats use a paddle wheel to propel themselves along the river. Imagine a time in the past when similar ships steamed upstream loaded with bails of cotton and passengers of many types. You might meet a southern belle, or even a riverboat gambler. Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville founded New Orleans in 1718. By 1860, the city had over 185 million dollars in commerce using the Mississippi River and a variety of ships from paddlewheel boats to flat-bottomed boats. The French Quarter exudes French and Spanish influences.

Walking inland from the river port, looking just ahead is an imposing figure of General Andrew Jackson on a reeling horse and surrounded by iron gated fences and palm trees with a backdrop of the three spires of Cathedral of St. Louis, King of France. The square was originally named Place d’Armes during the French period and Plaza de Armas during the Spanish period, or Weapons Square. This grassy plaza commonly known as Jackson Square (700 Decatur Street) is named for Andrew Jackson. He had a critical role in the history of the New Orleans.

France controlled Louisiana from 1718 until 1763. At the end of the French and Indian War, Spain gained control but returned Louisiana to French rule in 1800. The raising of the American flag in 1803, in this square ended colonial rule in Louisiana. In the War of 1812 only nine years later, it fell upon General Andrew Jackson to prevent the British from capturing New Orleans. With only a small group of soldiers, militiamen, Indians, and a few pirates, he was able to defeat the powerful British army.

Beyond the statue of Andrew Jackson are the trio of the Cabildo, Cathedral of St. Louis King of France, and the Presbytere. The Cabildo (700 Chartres Street) is a museum that commemorates the seat of colonial power under the Spanish. It was the center of municipal government in New Orleans until 1853. The final transfer of Louisiana to the United States occurred here. Do not miss this museum. It has many artifacts throughout the early history of Louisiana and has an exhibit on the third floor with more extensive coverage of New Orleans through the present time.

After leaving the Cabildo, enter the St. Louis Cathedral (615 Pere Antoine Alley). Towering above the surrounding buildings with its three steeples, it is the oldest active cathedral in the United States. The cathedral is the seat of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans. There have been three churches built on these grounds. The first church was built here in 1718 and designed by Adrien De Pauger during the initial period of French control.

A significant portion of the French Quarter including the cathedral was destroyed by a massive fire in 1788. The Cathedral of St. Louis completed its reconstruction in 1794, during a period of Spanish colonial possession. During the construction of the new church, Louisiana and Florida were included as a diocese by Pope Pius VI with the new church as a cathedral with Luis Pefialver y Cardenas of Havana as its first bishop.

After Louisiana became part of the United States, the population of New Orleans grew rapidly. In the period of fewer than fifty years, the St. Louis Cathedral needed additional room leading to the construction of the third church in 1850. The enlargement required many improvements to the structural walls of the church. The reconstruction reused the bell tower, but nothing else. The church has many notable residents buried under its floors, including the designer Adrien De Pauger as well as members of the French clergy of colonial Louisiana.

After all of your adventures reliving the past, enjoy some refreshments and entertainment. The French Quarter has plenty of places that will satisfy these requirements and is the oldest part of New Orleans. It was founded in 1718 and was known as Vieux Carré. The rest of the city developed around this area and received its current name as English-speaking residents arrived in New Orleans.

For a quick bite to eat and some light jazz head over to Music Legends Park (311 Bourbon Street). Their menu features everything ranging from beignets to sandwiches while jazz musicians play for your entertainment. You will have statues of music legends such as Irma Thomas, Fats Domino and Allen Toussaint welcoming you to the park.

As the afternoon gives way to early evening, head down to Pat O’Brien’s (718 St. Peter Street). This bar has been in business since before 1933 when it transitioned from being an illegal speakeasy to a legal drinking establishment.

The building that they use began its life as the French Theater Company in 1791. They introduced their signature hurricane drink during World War II. At the time, O’Brien’s had too much rum on hand but not enough whiskey, so they came up with an unusually bright red drink made of rum, fruit juice, and syrup. The drink gets its name from the shape of its glass container. The drink is usually served in a plastic glass, although you can get it in a hurricane glass for a nominal fee. The plastic glass makes it easy to carry your drink during your exploration of the French Quarter. It is legal in New Orleans to drink in public as long as you are not using a glass container. Their menu also offers a variety of other alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. The staff will serve you light food items ranging from sandwiches to soups and gumbo.

If You Go:

Taste of New Orleans Private Walking and Food Tour

The climate in the summer tends to be very humid, and an umbrella will help for both pop up showers and protection from the sun.

For history and general knowledge:
Visitors Center
Cabildo
Cathedral of St. Louis, King of France
Jackson Square

For dining and entertainment:
New Orleans Musical Legends Park
Pat O’Brien’s Bar

About the author:
John Goodrow is a seasoned traveler, having visited every continent except Antarctica during his career in the United States Navy. Currently living and working in Mississippi, he enjoys traveling to historic and lesser-known areas throughout the world. He shares his knowledge of early American and Military history through travel writing.

All photos by John Goodrow

Las Vegas: Fascinating Neon Boneyard

Signs of the Time

by Noreen Kompanik

Las Vegas has always oozed glitz and glamour with its multitude of casinos, top entertainers and high rollers. But, no more than in the days of the Rat Pack, Liberace and Elvis, when millions of visitors flocked to a booming Las Vegas – often referred to as “Glitter Gulch” in its heyday. Even today, as people close their eyes and think of Las Vegas, nothing comes to mind more often than those magnificent, pulsing multi-colored neon signs in the middle of the desert that beckoned travelers and guests to fabulous Las Vegas.

Las Vegas wasn’t always just desert. At its founding, Las Vegas was more of an oasis. The city traces its name and its roots to a Mexican scout, Raphael Rivera. A member of the Antonio Armijo trading party traveling to Los Angeles along the Old Spanish Trail from New Mexico, Rivera and his compatriots were looking for a watering hole. At the future site of Nevada’s largest city, Rivera discovered fresh water artesian wells surrounded by verdant green valleys. The flows from these wells fed the Las Vegas Wash which runs to the Colorado River. In Spanish, Las Vegas translates to “the meadows”.

By the early 20th century, water from these artesian wells was being piped into town. As a result, Las Vegas became a well-known water stop, first for wagon trains and later railroads along the trail between Los Angeles, California, and points east such as Albuquerque, New Mexico.

And it was in Los Angeles in 1923 that neon was introduced to the United States by Earl Anthony at his Packard Dealership. Soon after, brightly lit neon signs were capturing the nation’s imagination. From the very start these amazingly colorful signs literally stopped Los Angeles traffic in its tracks lighting up the night much to the delight of awestruck drivers and pedestrians alike.

In 1931, construction started on the Boulder Dam, later renamed Hoover Dam during President Truman’s administration. Las Vegas’ population swelled from 5,000 to 25,000, primarily workers hired to build the dam.

Gambling was legalized in Nevada in 1931, and it didn’t take long for word to get out that Vegas’ greatest asset was not its artesian wells, but its casinos. Freedoms of the Old West like gambling and prostitution drew visitors and travelers from far and near. The allure of profits in these vices soon attracted East Coast organized crime.

Money from drugs and racketeering built the first of many casinos. Mafia bosses like Bugsy Siegel helped transform Las Vegas into one of the world’s top tourist destinations. The transition of Vegas from western watering hole and construction worker bedroom community to its “Sin City” moniker of today was complete. Visitors flocked to the city to partake in the offerings of low-cost luxury and fantasies fulfilled.

In 1941, the El Rancho Vegas resort opened just outside the city’s jurisdiction. Other hotel-casinos soon followed, and the section of highway became known as “The Strip.”

Small gaming parlors began lining Fremont Street, setting the stage for a revolution in entertainment. Influenced by the neon-lit theaters of Broadway, Las Vegas harnessed electricity generated by nearby Hoover Dam to power Glitter Gulch, the arcade of hotel-casinos that followed the Golden Nugget’s opening in 1946.

Neon put the “fabulous” in “Welcome to Fabulous Las Vegas.” And Vegas was surely at its fabulous peak in the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. The “Rat Pack”- Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Joey Bishop and Sammy Davis, Jr. and other big name entertainers along with the casinos lured visitors by the thousands to the desert. Light it up and they will come. And light it they did. Vegas became a super nova of light – a dazzling showcase of the entertainment world with its iconic signs like the Vegas Vic, the waving, smoking cowboy, the exotic camels of the Sahara, and the classy star-studded Riviera.

In the 1960s, the tall high-rise emerged as the new building type in Las Vegas. Expanding along with the soaring stories, neon signs grew larger and more detailed. Massive signs began to feature items such as Aladdin’s lamp, the Dunes Arab sheik, or the studded high heeled shoe of the Silver Slipper.

Though Vegas will always be famous for its gaudy glitz and glamour, it has not been known for its preservation efforts to keep its vintage history alive. Casinos have come and gone and in the wake of constant refurbishment or rebuilding, many of the old neon signs were replaced or even lost. As buildings were demolished for newer, more modern, gigantic edifices with their new colorful (and more economic) LED lighting, many of the old glittering marquees of Vegas’ yesteryear have disappeared forever from the Vegas landscape.

Las Vegas Neon Museum

Interest in rescuing these retired signs, however, began in the 1970s with local historic preservation groups. In the 1980s, a committee of the Allied Arts Council began actively saving neon signs. Out of their efforts, the Neon “Boneyard Park” Museum was born.

Located in downtown Las Vegas, the museum is renowned for rescuing these famous architectural landmarks from the graveyard of oblivion and displaying them so the public can once more relive the memories of old Vegas.

The Neon Museum’s tour begins in the visitor’s center that occupies the historic lobby of the now defunct La Concha Hotel. A brilliantly salvaged Vegas icon of the past, this distinctively shell-shaped building was designed by acclaimed architect Paul Revere Williams. Its fascinatingly curvaceous mid-century modern design is distinctively reminiscent of the era’s atomic and UFO Space Age culture.

Originally constructed in 1961 on Las Vegas Boulevard South (next to the Riviera Hotel), the La Concha lobby was saved from demolition in 2005 and moved in 2006 to its current location to serve as the museum’s Visitor’s Center.

Guides possess extensive knowledge of the neon signs. They relate the history of neon sign production in Las Vegas, tell tales relating to many of the signs on display and stories of the talented people who designed them. Their delightfully informative tour through the artful two-acre outdoor Neon Boneyard is a heart-moving stroll down memory lane. The boneyard is home to some of the most historically treasured and world-famous signs of Las Vegas – from Caesar’s Palace, Binion’s Horseshoe, Golden Nugget, and the Stardust.

Even before our tour started, the docent described the boneyard tour as “part history, part art, and completely awesome”. Once a dying art, the museum has created a new renaissance for neon signs in Las Vegas, and they are regaining popularity. Even the city has gotten involved with an ordinance requiring a small section of historic downtown to keep and maintain their neon signs in order to forever capture and restore traces of a rapidly disappearing Las Vegas with the nostalgic charm of neon. And, according to our guide, the preservation effort continues to gain momentum.

150 vintage neon signs, seven which have been completely restored to date, are located in rows from ground level and higher and can all be viewed up close. The museum’s impressive collection of vintage signs represent some of the most celebrated Las Vegas properties and casinos dating from the 1920s to the present.

But other historical neon signs have also found their way to the neon boneyard, with their own fascinating stories to tell like El Portal, the first theater and luxury movie palace established in the city of Las Vegas in 1928 on downtown’s Fremont Street. The Green Shack was Vegas’ longest operating restaurant built in the early thirties, catering to Hoover Dam’s construction workers and suppliers. The restaurant was famous for its chicken, steaks and bootleg whisky during Prohibition.

Walking through the outdoor museum, it became increasingly clear that the signs aren’t just physical evidence of the once spectacular icons of Vegas- they are the magic moments imprinted on the memories of the several generations who visited the Stardust, Moulin Rouge, Riviera, Sahara and others. Each sign has its own unique story to tell. And in all the razzle dazzle of what is now a newer, bigger, flashier Vegas, it’s easy to forget that these iconic places were the ones that literally put Vegas on the map.

As Elvis Presley once said about Vegas “if you see it once, you’ll never be the same again.” Perhaps this is one reason the Neon Museum is such an important part of keeping the Vegas memory alive. Its visitors and patrons long to “remember when.”

If You Go:

Las Vegas Neon Museum is located at
770 Las Vegas Boulevard North, Las Vegas, NV 89101

Las Vegas Museum Tour

About the author:
Noreen Kompanik is a published freelance travel writer and photographer based in San Diego, California. She is a member of the International Travel Writers and Photographers Alliance and International Food, Wine & Travel Writers Association. She shares her adventures, published stories and photos on her www.facebook.com/Whats-In-Your-Suitcase-322531634589666/Facebook site.

All photos are by Noreen Kompanik
Welcome to Las Vegas neon sign
Rat Pack painting on downtown Las Vegas wall
Original Sahara casino neon sign
Neon Museum Boneyard neon sign.
Original Stardust neon sign

Whitney Plantation: A Louisiana Museum Dedicated To The Slaves

by Connie Pearson

John Cummings, New Orleans attorney, is determined for us to know the real truth about slavery in the South. When blacks and whites are fighting in the streets over the latest injustice, and the whites make the mistake of saying about the blacks, “They just need to get over it,” John Cummings wants us to know what the “it” is. He is dedicating himself and millions of his own money to educating visitors who come to Whitney Plantation, the only plantation in Louisiana with a singular focus on the plight of the slaves.

Thanks in large part to the Federal Writers’ Project which was a part of the WPA (Works Progress Administration created to provide jobs for unemployed Americans after the Great Depression), 2300 individual interviews were recorded with people who were in slavery at the time of the Emancipation Proclamation. Most were children when they were given their freedom but were quite elderly when they told their stories. Interviews were primarily conducted between 1936-1938, but many from Louisiana carried over until 1940. The details and descriptions they shared were chilling. It is unimaginable to believe such inhumanity to man was tolerated, allowed, even culturally accepted.

The exhibits, artwork, tour information and historic buildings on the grounds incorporate slave narratives that represent all victims of slavery in the United States, not just the ones who worked on the grounds of Whitney Plantation. This is a place to remember, to pay respect and to raise awareness. According to an article in The New Yorker by Kalim Armstrong: “The Whitney Plantation is not a place designed to make people feel guilt, or to make people feel shame. It is a site of memory, a place that exists to further the necessary dialogue about race in America.”

On the plantation grounds, you will find several slave cabins brought in from nearby Myrtle Grove. Twenty-two cabins that existed at Whitney were torn down in 1970, so the present ones are authentic but are not in their original location. The Antioch Baptist Church (formerly known as the Anti-Yoke Baptist Church) has a significant history that you will hear when you tour. Inside are many sculptures created by Woodrow Nash intended to represent slaves of Whitney Plantation as they looked in 1864 when the war ended – as children.

You will see the Field of Angels, which is a memorial dedicated to 2200 slave children who died before their third birthday, and you’ll also pass the Wall of Honor listing the 350 slaves who were actually a part of the Whitney Plantation. Sugar kettles, forged by blacksmiths and representative of the sugar cane production, are scattered throughout the grounds, and occasionally you will hear the sound of a bell. Slaves had no voice, so the bell is rung to symbolically “give them a voice.” Excerpts from the Federal Writers’ Project interviews are inscribed in various locations. Most mention types of punishment used and the rampant sexual exploitation. Here is an example from Julia Woodrich which is less graphic:

My ma had fifteen children and none of us had de same pa. Every time she was sold she would get another man. Dey didn’t sell da man dat she would be with. Dey didn’t marry before de war. De missus taken an alphabet or some book and read somethin’ out of it and den put a broom down and dey jump over it, den dey was married. Sometimes dey would give dem a chicken supper.

Swamp land surrounds the plantation, so it is easy to imagine the alligators, snakes and other dangers a slave would have encountered if he tried to run away.

By all means, visit other plantations on River Road, the historic stretch of highway between New Orleans and Baton Rouge. See the gorgeous mansions and learn about life before, during and after the Civil War. But please don’t leave without spending time at Whitney Plantation. It is a vital part of a story that America needs to acknowledge and memorialize.

If You Go:

Whitney Plantation, 5099 Highway 18, Wallace, LA, is open every day except Tuesday from 9:30 to 4:30. Admission is $22.00.

Whitney Plantation, Museum of Slavery and St. Joseph Plantation Tour

Some of the other plantations in the area:

Lodging: Holiday Inn Express, La Place, LA

Dining

B & C Seafood – Vacherie, LA
Spuddy’s – Vacherie, LA
Connie’s Grill – Reserve, LA
New Orleans Hamburger and Seafood Company – La Place, LA

About the author:
Connie Pearson is a native Alabamian, wife of 46 years, mother of 3 and grandmother of 12. She is a retired elementary music teacher who is now a travel writer and blogger. She is the author of Telling It On the Mountain: 52 Days in the Life of an Improbable Missionary. Visit www.theregoesconnie.com

Photos by Steve Pearson:
Slave cabin
Whitney Plantation sign
Woodrow Nash sculptures inside Antioch Church
Field of Angels

The du Pont Family Mansions

by Kurt Jacobson

Hidden in fragrant forested areas of Delaware and Pennsylvania are three of the famous du Pont family mansions and gardens. These grand estates have something to draw all ages to witness the glorious past of American industrialism when it was fashionable to build a fortune and leave behind an estate for the public’s enjoyment. The three du Pont family members left Nemours, Longwood, and Winterthur to be enjoyed by us common folk, were quite different. What they had in common was they were all part of the gunpowder family’s legacy, wealthy and wanted to share these special estates with all who wished to visit.

When I moved from the West to Baltimore, history engulfed me like never before. Shortly after moving to Maryland a work associate at my wife’s workplace told her to check out Kennett Square, Pennsylvania and Longwood Gardens. I had no real idea what it would be like, but we were ready to explore our new region and Kennett Square was a mere hour and ten minutes up scenic Route 1. Within the first month of arriving we drove up to Kennett Square and explored the historic downtown and Longwood Gardens not knowing how much both had to offer. We would find out over the few months after repeated visits.

Pierre S. du Pont, 1870-1954, found out about a place called Peirce Farm and its impending sale of trees for lumber. This was no ordinary forest. This was a collection of stately heritage trees planted and tended with care for decades; Pierre couldn’t stand the thought of these trees being cut down for lumber. Here is an excerpt from the Longwood Gardens website:

I have recently experienced what I would formerly have diagnosed as an attack of insanity; that is, I have purchased a small farm,” Pierre du Pont wrote to a friend soon after purchasing the Peirce farm in 1906. However, he added, “I expect to have a good deal of enjoyment in restoring its former condition and making it a place where I can entertain my friends.”

After purchasing Peirce farm Pierre set about planning and building a six hundred foot “Flower Garden Walk” one of the most popular gardens to this day. His love of fountains was ready to blossom at Longwood. Pierre started with a simple pool with a single jet of water in the middle of the Flower Garden Walk. Many more fountains would follow. The Open Air Theater followed five years later and many a performance was held in this stage with modern lighting and fountains. Several concerts are held in this historic venue throughout the summer and if you purchase concert tickets they include garden admission.

Pierre was just getting started on his country estate. He would go on to add the Italian Water Gardens, an extension on the old Pierce home, a conservatory, and the Main Fountain Garden pumping 10,000 gallons per minute as high as 150 feet high! Pierre also had an astounding Aeolian pipe organ designed for the Conservatory with 10010 pipes. This organ literally had all the bells and whistles and delights visitors to this day with an interactive organ display. Catch concerts played by computer memory of past performances, or by expert organ players throughout the year.

Pierre and his wife had no children and started a plan by establishing a foundation in 1937 to guide the gardens estate’s future. Two years after his wife died Pierre received approval from the IRS for his Longwood Foundation to operate Longwood Gardens as a public garden with “tax exempt” status: “for the sole use of the public for purposes of exhibition, instruction, education and enjoyment.” Now the public could come and enjoy walking in the forests, meadows, flower gardens and conservatory in peace and beauty where previously only family and invited guests could go. This giant of industry was president of DuPont and Nemours and Company 1915-1919 as-well-as General Motors from 1915-1920. At Longwood, visitors can see glimpses of this great man’s life through a self-guided tour of his home and gardens. An estate you will never forget.

From Kennett Square we travel next to one of the homes of Henry Francis DuPont, 1880-1969, north-west of Wilmington, Delaware. Henry functioned as farm manager on Winterthur since 1914. This was no small farm. At its height in the 1920s the farm encompassed some 2,500 acres and employed around 250 with turkey, chicken, sheep, pig and dairy farms. A prize winning herd of Holstein-Friesian cows were also raised on the farm. In 1927 Henry inherited Winterthur and set about making changes to the humble twelve room home built in 1837 by relatives. During 1928 through 1932 Henry dramatically increased the size of Winterthur by adding a new wing.

Henry and his wife Ruth were collectors of early American decorative art and architecture elements. They opened the home to the ticket buying public where visitors could view their extensive collection. The family moved to a smaller home they called “The Cottage” where they could live in peace and quiet now that the main house was a museum. In 1961 First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy visited Winterthur and was so impressed she invited du Pont to head the Fine Arts Committee, which oversaw the restoration of the White House.

The grounds are also open to the public and feature a “naturalistic” design. This park-like garden is a treat to walk in the spring when the azaleas are in bloom, and songbirds sing the praises of the season. Winter visitors get to see how the wealthy decorated for the Christmas holiday. The tour culminates with the Flower Tree, a very tall, natural Christmas tree decorated in dried flowers. During dreary days of winter this is a warm and inviting place to visit. Spring and fall are also tops in my book and I try and visit the gardens during these gorgeous days in the Brandywine Valley.

The next estate visit is Nemours, named after the ancestral home in France. The story of Alfred I. du Pont is my favorite. Alfred grew up a child of the powder mills and became a great benefactor of the common laborer. He worked hard to become the wealthy person we read about in the visitor center and even enjoyed forming and conducting the Tankopanicum String Orchestra made up of workers and du Pont family members alike. It was said of him, “If mister Alfred knows you in the powder yards, he knows you in Wilmington.”

Alfred lost both parents when he was thirteen just weeks apart. At his father’s deathbed he remembered being told, “Son, I’m not going to be with you long. You must get an education and then come back, take off your coat and then ask your uncle Henry for a job. I think the old company may need you sometime.” Alfred took his father’s advice which served both him and the company well. This fourth generation gunpowder maker started as an apprentice powderman in 1884 at the age of 20 by hauling loads of wood and charcoal alongside the regular crews. He did well and advanced swiftly through the ranks. He made partner at the age of twenty-five and eventually bought the company with cousins Pierre and Coleman du Pont in 1902.

Alfred built Nemours, a large 47,000 sq. ft. mansion and took only 18 months to complete under his expert guidance. Nemours was inspired by Marie Antoinette’s Petite Trianon in Versailles. The French gardens cover over 300 acres and features exquisite landscaping. Building Nemours was partly to enchant his second wife, but it seems she wasn’t thrilled with Nemours or Alfred. Alfred would face both career and personal difficulties that could ruin a lesser man with three marriages, and being ousted from the company he loved. Alfred’s greatest legacy is the Nemours Hospital and outpatient clinics spanning five states specializing in children’s care. Come read his storyline in the visitor’s center, tour the house and gardens, and see what this amazing man achieved and left to the public.

There is so much to see at these three estates it would be best to stay for two or three days. It would be hard to find a more appropriate lodging than The Inn at Montchanin Village near Nemours. The village of Montchanin is close to the original DuPont powder mills. Once part of the Winterthur estate, the village was named after the grandmother of du Pont’s founder.

The Inn at Montchanin Village is now a quiet country inn with a spa, restaurant, and luxurious suites for the discerning traveler. Many of the 24 unique suites have a private courtyard and garden. Krazy Kats restaurant serves fresh, northeast seasonal cuisine in regal-cat inspired dining room. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner Krazy Kats is one of the best restaurants in the area.

Even if you only have time for one of these famous du Pont mansions it’s worth a visit. All of the four du Pont historical properties listed above are easily accessed from Philadelphia airport, Wilmington’s Amtrak station or Interstate-95. Come get a taste of American history at its best in the Brandywine Valley.

If You Go:

Longwood Gardens
1001 Longwood RD
Kennett Square, PA 19348
Open Sun-Wed 9-6
Thurs-Sat 9-10
Phone: 610-388-1000

Winterthur
5105 Kennett Pike
Winterthur, DE 19735
302 Winterthur road for GPS
Tues-Sun 10-5
Closed Thanksgiving and Christmas
Phone: 800-448-3883

Nemours
850 Alapocas dr
Wilmington, DE 19803
Open May 1- Nov 13
Tue-Sat 10-5
Sunday 12-5 (mansion 1-4)
Phone:302-651-6913

The Inn at Montchanin Village
Route 100 and Kirk rd
Montchanin, DE 19710
528 Montchanin rd for GPS
Phone:302-888-2133

About the author:
During three years of food blogging as the Fast and Furious Cook Kurt Jacobson saw other food bloggers incorporate travel into their blogs. After following suit, with an occasional travel post he found he liked travel writing better than food blogging. With extensive travels to Japan, New Zealand and all 50 U.S. States travel writing suited him well. Most of his writing has a food element; after all, some of the best travel stories come with a side of food. In his first year travel writing he has been fortunate to have dozens of articles published in online travel sites and magazines. The best part is the journey is just getting started. Let’s take a trip!

All photos by Kurt Jacobson:
Nemours mansion
Longwood flower garden walk
Longwood water lily garden
Winterthur mansion
Winterthur flower tree
Nemours staircase

A Glimpse of Russia in Sitka, Alaska

by Cynthia J. Notti

Sarah Palin’s infamous quote about seeing Russia from her doorstep has some truth to it. If you visit the remote island of Little Diomede you can see Russia’s island Big Diomede. At a mere 2.3 miles apart, the international dateline runs between the two islands separating Russia from the United States by a whole day. So, in theory, you can travel two minutes to Russia and be 23 hours into the future. I don’t recommend you time travel this way, as it is illegal to cross the Bering Strait.

If you lived in Sitka, Alaska in the mid 1800’s not only could you see Russia from your doorstep, you’d be living in its capital. 250 years later you can take a walk through Russia America. Sitka has a rich Russian history from where Russia first flew its flag, to where the sale of Russia to America took place. I was teleported back to a time once forgotten all interspersed with locally crafted beer, the best Alaskan scallops I’ve ever tasted and arts and crafts by local Alaska Native artists.

I started my day at Alaska’s oldest and smallest National Park, or as the locals call it, Totem Park, In the center of the park is a commemorative plaque to mark the battle of 1804 between Russia’s Alexander Baranov and the Kiksadi Indians. This decisive battle marked the last major Native resistance in Sitka to European domination of Alaska. A storyboard depicts this historic event. Take special note of the Russian blacksmith hammer shown, the Kiksadi first acquired the hammer as a war prize in their attack on the Russian fort at Old Sitka. The hammer is on display in the Visitor’s Center.

I explore the rest of the Park’s trails and two hours and two miles later I head back towards town. A five-minute walk up Lincoln Street and you’ll arrive at the Russian Bishop House. Built in 1843, this restored simple structure is one of the few surviving examples of Russian colonial architecture. This two story mustard yellow building was once the headquarters for the Russian Orthodox Church, than later the Russian Mission Orphanage, now it’s a historic house museum. Stepping inside are photographs and artifacts that will make you feel and understand what it was like to live in Sitka during the Russian-American period, read up on Saint Innocent of Alaska, as you’ll see more of him on this tour.

After that my stomach is demanding lunch. The next building over, at 407 Lincoln Street is Bayview Restaurant. Located on the second floor of the Bayview Trading Co. This local pub serves burgers and beer. Best place to savor local and regional beers of Alaska and the view of the harbor isn’t bad either.

Continuing West on Lincoln Street, you go barely a block and St. Michael’s Russian Orthodox Church is sitting right in the middle of the street, literally. Built in 1844 century, it was the earliest Orthodox cathedral in the New World and the oldest church in Alaska. The Russian American Company funded the project, the bells were forged in Alaska and the clock fixed in the bell tower was made by Saint Innocent of Alaska himself. Stepping past the royal doors you’ll find a treasure trove of Russian ornate Old World icons from the 1700 and 1800s. Most notable icons are Our Lady of Sitka (better known as the Sitka Madonna) and Christ Pantocrator (Christ the Judge or Christ Omnipotent), both are by Borovikovsky.

Once you leave St. Michael’s keep heading west, towards the water, go just a few steps and turn right on Barracks Street. The road will take a slight left however continue straight. From the street you won’t be able to see it, as the location is inconspicuous. Located in a grassy vacant lot is a weather worn picket fence bearing remnants of white paint that encloses the gravesite of Princess Aglaida Ivanovina Maksoutoff, the wife of the last Russian Governor, Dimitri Maksoutoff, she passed on December 18, 1862.

Originally three blockades were built to protect the Russian settlement; if you look closely at the remaining one, you’ll notice chainsaw marks, which indicates the blockhouse is a replica and was reconstructed on the site of the original. Located directly across the street from the Princess grave, perched on top of the knoll, these blockhouses were incorporated into a stockade wall that guarded Old Sitka. Peek inside to find an old cannon. The site is marked with storyboard about a church, the lands and a divided town. Also located here are the gravesites of original Russian settlers and their corresponding stories.

Head back the way you came, down Barracks Street, turn right at Lincoln Street and in a couple of buildings, on the left side of the street is 202 Lincoln or better known as The Russian American Building 29. Built in 1835, it is one of the few Russian buildings surviving today and the only Russian colonial commercial structure standing in Sitka.

Continue west on Lincoln Street and in a few yards you’ll come to a large sign that marks Castle Hill, also known as Baranof Castle. Tlingits, Russians and Americans have all claimed and occupied this site. First as a lookout point to defend the Tlingit Indian’s home, then Baranof’s Castle was the focal point of the Russian American company and housed the Russian Government and lastly the site where the transfer of Alaska to the United States took place in 1867. This by far is my favorite Russian American site not only because of the historic significance but also of the commanding 360-degree view over the town and water.

Now teleport yourself back to present day and head down Katlian Street to the Pioneer Bar, a fisherman’s and local hangout where the dress code is Xtra Tuff boots and Carhartt jackets. They’re all to friendly to give you their favorite spot to fish, enjoy the sunset, whale watch or tell you stories about bears that make their way into town. We end our perfect day by going next door to 256 Katlian Street to Ludvig’s Bistro, this unassuming little restaurant is the place to eat fresh local seafood from Sitka’s fisheries. I ordered the Tuscan Scallops, which are Alaskan scallops in prosciutto and truffle oil, with a nice and expensive bottle of Italian wine. We ate and recapped our amazing day while watching the sky change colors as the sunset in this most historic little Alaskan town.

If You Go

How to get there
Alaska Airlines, 800-252-7522
Alaska Marine Highway, 800-642-0066

Where to stay
Best View – Fly In Fish Inn Lodge, 907-747-7910
Budget – Super 8, 907-747-8804
Downtown – Sitka Hotel, 907-747-3288

Where to eat
Mediterranean – Ludvig’s Bistro, 256 Katilan Street 907-966-3663
Sushi – Little Tokyo In Sitka, 315 Lincoln Street 907-747-5699
Pizza – Pizza Express, 1321 Sawmill Creek Rd. 907-966-2428
Ice Cream – Harry Race Pharmacy, yes a pharmacy but they have an old fashioned ice cream parlor here. 106 Lincoln Street 907-966-2130
Local Crafted Beer – Bayview Pub, 407 Lincoln Street 907-747-5300

More Information
Sitka Historical National Park – 907-747-0110 Visitor Center Summer Hours: May – September, Daily 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Visitor Center Winter Hours: October – April, Tuesday – Saturday 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. For Sunday & Monday hours call for hours.
Sitka Convention & Visitors Bureau – download a free vacation planner. 907-747-8604
About the author:
Cynthia Notti is a travel writer who can be found in Anchorage, Alaska when she is not riding a donkey through the mountains above Petra or exploring some similar locale. She has a degree in Business Administration and has worked for many years in the business world before focusing her attention on travel. She is currently working on her web site, www.discoverytravel.club and social media presence.

All photos by Cynthia J. Notti:
Bishop House – The historic Bishop House is now a museum.
View of Town – View of Sitka from the walking trail of Totem Park.
Sitka Totem Park – This totem will greet you as you enter Sitka National Historical Park or as the locals call it Totem Park.
Russian Church – Russian Orthodox Church is located in the center of Lincoln Street.
Princess Gravesite – Gravesite of Princess Maksoutoff, the wife of Alaska’s last Russian American Governor, Dimitri Maksoutoff.
Castle Hill – A panoramic view of Sitka from Castle Hill.