THE EAGLE HAS LANDED

While I was growing up the Bald Eagle, symbol of America, was on the endangered list for extinction. This majestic raptor was once very common throughout the United States, but their numbers steadily dwindled from loss of habitat and competition for food from human westward expansion. By the late 1800’s their numbers were already in sharp decline, but then were further decimated with the use of DDT and other pesticides. This weakened their eggshells which were often crushed during incubation. On the Fourth of July, 1976, our country’s bicentennial anniversary, the Bald Eagle was officially placed on the endangered list by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. 

For a kid growing up in New Jersey the Bald Eagle was truly just a symbol and not a “sighting”. Unless I visited a zoo, or traveled out west somewhere or got up to Alaska, where most of the Bald Eagle population now resides, I had no hope of seeing one.

That has changed. The Bald Eagle’s numbers have risen since the banning of DDT in 1972 and Federal and State conservation laws protecting the animal and its habitat. Once down to under 500 nesting pairs in the continental U.S. the numbers have risen to over 10,000 nesting pairs. In 1995 the US Fish and Wildlife Service upgraded the Bald Eagle’s status to “threatened” and in 2007 removed from the endangered species list. Seeing a Bald Eagle in the area is now plausible. Although not as plentiful as they were before the European invasion of North America, when they may have numbered up to half a million, the Bald Eagle population is coming back. Readers of this blog may remember a trip Team VFH made this past January to the Conowingo Dam in northern Maryland.  Large numbers of Bald Eagles winter there feeding on fish that get sucked through the turbines on this Susquehanna River edifice. But now it is possible to see Bald Eagles and not have to leave New Jersey!

At the northern end of my hometown of Lambertville, NJ there is currently a nesting pair of Bald Eagles. There is at least one eaglet. They have made their aerie on a power line tower near the Route 202 bridge. Walk along the towpath and right where the canal passes over the Alexauken Creek you can see the nest in the tower to the west. Bring a chair and enjoy this wonderful display and sigh with pleasure knowing that few animals ever make it back from the very brink of extinction.

(c) 2014 Deborah Faust

In deference to this nesting pair the 14^th annual Civil War re-enactment weekend at the Holcombe-Jimison Farmstead Museum, just north of the power line aerie, will NOT be firing off their cannons. The eaglets will not be disturbed. Please note because of this event there is no free parking usually found in the area beside the 202 bridge. You can still park for free in town and enter the towpath at Elm Street and head north.

HOLCOMBE-JIMISON FARM

If you’re interested in getting something to eat and still want to see the eagles, visit Ed and

Debbie at the Homestead Farm Market. The market is on Main Street in Lambertville. At the Homestead you can buy lunch, fresh produce, drinks, some of the best apple pie on this earth and flowers and then ask if you can look through their telescope aimed right at the nest. It’s free and although supposedly only out Tuesday through Saturday, if you ask Ed in a nice way he’ll set it up for you.

HOMESTEAD FARM MARKET, LAMBERTVILLE, NJ 

If you can’t make it to Lambertville or you need a daily fix of Bald Eagle antics there are several webcams on the internet, most notably, for me, is the Duke Farms Eagle cam. In operation since 2008, 8 million viewers have watched the male and female return every year to the same nest.

 BALD EAGLE CAM AT DUKE FARMS 

LET THEM EAT CAKE

FRENCHTOWN

This is the second of our 8 part series visiting New Jersey sites of a particular statue honoring soldiers from World War 1. This year marks the 100 year anniversary of the start of this war. The extremely detailed “Spirit of the American Doughboy” Viquesney statue features a soldier striding forward into “No Man’s Land” holding a grenade above his head in his right hand and carbine in his left. The soldier carries a backpack and a gas mask pouch is across his chest. He steps between two tree trunks and the original statue had barbed wire laced between them. Around 300 of these statues were erected throughout the country to honor our war heroes and approximately 140 are known to still survive. New Jersey has eight.

The surviving statues are in various conditions. The last statue we visited in Secaucus was sort of leaning. The Frenchtown statue is in better shape, having been refurbished and cleaned a number of years ago and with a replacement bayonet added in the mid-90’s. This particular memorial and its “Spirit” statue honors 43 men from the Frenchtown area who served in the war and stands on the grounds of a local elementary school on Harrison Street, also known as Route 619.

THINKING of VISITING?

LOCATION

Frenchtown is one of several charming little Delaware River towns in New Jersey, all of which are potential destinations by themselves. It is a few miles north of my hometown of Lambertville, so technically this truly is a “vacation from home” as I personally consider all of this in my backyard. Why, just getting to Frenchtown is a joy as it is at the northern end of a scenic driving byway recognized by both the state and federal governments. The byway is basically route 29 and offers wonderful views of the Delaware River as it passes through historically important towns like Raven’s Rock, Stockton, Lambertville, Titusville and Washington’s Crossing State Park on the way to Trenton 34 miles south. Following an old track bed of the Belvidere-

Delaware River scenic byway

Delaware Railway and the old towpath of the Delaware and Raritan Canal there is a multi-use trail that goes the entire length of the byway and is ideal for running or biking, as long as you don’t mind dodging deer or an occasional snapping turtle on the wooded Delaware & Raritan Canal Park trail. Ending in Frenchtown are Routes 513, 12, which starts in Flemington, and 619 which goes north along the river towards Milford. Directly across the Delaware is Uhlerstown, Pennsylvania. An earlier entry of this blog talked about the Tinicum Park Polo Club just south from Frenchtown on the Pennsylvania side. The club holds matches at the park nearly every Saturday May through to October. Opening Day is May 17 this year.

 DELAWARE RIVER SCENIC BYWAY

slow down...

The Spirit of the American Doughboy memorial is on the grounds of the Frenchtown Elementary School on Harrison Street, which is also Route 619. If you come from Route 12 or 29, make your way to Bridge Street and then head north onto Harrison Street. A word of caution, the speed enforcement is spirited in Frenchtown and limits are strictly monitored, especially along Harrison Street and even more so near the school. Perhaps you should plan your trip when school is not in session where the speed limit drops to 15 mph? There is plenty of parking on the street or nearby. The school and the memorial are at the north end of town, near 8^th street. It is a quiet town with many beautifully painted Victorian homes set on large lots. The downtown area features many shops, galleries and restaurants. It is a pleasant place. Some call the town a secret treasure. Frenchtown and its environs are well worth a day or overnight trip. There are several charming B&B’s in the area and although it is very rural here, New York City and Philadelphia are little more than an hour’s drive away.

(The Short) HISTORY                                                                              

The normally placid Delaware River has been a huge influence throughout the history of America. Today bridges cross the river in several places from Philadelphia to the New York state border, but during the colonial era commerce and people were transported across the river by ferries. Often the ferries were little more than a dock and boat and the site was named for the owner of the ferry at the time. The original name for my hometown, Lambertville, was Coryell’s Ferry and Frenchtown went by names like Calvin’s Ferry, Mechlenberg’s Ferry and Prigmore’s Ferry among others. Because Frenchtown’s ferry was so strategic during the revolutionary war the owner and his employees were exempt from militia duty. A grist and saw mill had started up in the area at that time and the growing settlement was called Sun Beam. Years later members of a prominent Huguenot family from Switzerland (although some have said they were from Belgium), arrived in the area and purchased large tracts of land. The (very short version) of the story says they were fleeing the French Revolution and its Reign of Terror and somehow settled on this western edge of New Jersey. Over the years Paul Henri Mallet-Prevost and his family became prominent members of Sun Beam and he even served as a justice of the peace. Because of his accent and his stature in town neighbors began to refer to Sun Beam as Frenchtown a mistake that has endured all these years.

Frenchtown embraces its small “mistake” to this day with a Bastille Day celebration every July.

 MORE HISTORY 

ATTRACTIONS, FOOD and DRINK

FRENCHTOWN

Most of Frenchtown’s business district is centered on a two block stretch of Bridge Street and Race Street, where many little shops and galleries are found, some with “French” motifs. Two yearly Christmas gift destinations for me in town are The Left Bank Home décor store and Sunbeam Toys, both on Bridge Street. Frenchtown lends itself to meandering strolls as it is quiet with little nuggets or stores or galleries worth exploring. There is parking along the towpath near the river just past the Bridge Café and along Bridge Street. Just park your car and start poking around.

SUNBEAM TOYS

Just south of town along Route 29 is the Frenchtown Roller Rink. It’s a dinky little place where my kids would go to skate when they were younger. Incredibly, this ancient relic recently produced two Olympians, Kyle Carr and Chris Creveling. They were inline speed skaters who transitioned to ice and competed in short-track speedskating in the recent winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Both Olympians started on the Frenchtown Speed Team when they were around 10 years old. In Sochi Creveling took silver with the Men’s 5000 meter relays.  The cash only rink is open throughout the week in the afternoon and evenings. Check their website for times and prices.

FRENCHTOWN ROLLER RINK

Over the past ten years the Delaware has flooded several times and will swell with winter melt or after storms. Residents of the river towns always keep an eye on the capricious Delaware and conversations in coffee shops often hover around its antics, but most of the time the Delaware is a placidly flowing, shallow river. During the summer the river brims with kayakers, canoers and tubing. Located in the same parking lot as the Frenchtown Rolling Rink is the Delaware River Tubing Company, where one can rent equipment. With your rental fee you get a couple of hot dogs at the RIVER HOT DOG MAN where you have to stand in line knee deep in the Delaware to get your food. There are several other rental houses on both sides of the Delaware, but this is the closest one to Frenchtown. This is a wonderful way to spend a lazy summer afternoon on the Delaware.

At the bottom of the hill is a parking lot and boat launch area for your own watercraft.

Food in Frenchtown is eclectic.  There are fancy places like the Frenchtown Inn, on Bridge Street and diners like the Frenchtown Café which serves wonderful breakfasts. Prepare to wait in line here. Both are on Bridge Street. The Bridge Café is also nice for a light lunch. It is in a renovated station house that once served the Belvidere-Delaware Railway. They have outdoor seating on the former platform with great views of the river and bridge. The National Hotel on Race Street serves interesting and diverse cuisine like crabcakes and Lebanese small plate appetizers. There is an upstairs formal restaurant and bar and downstairs in the renovated cellar is the Rathseller. Sadly their selection of beers is pedestrian. Hopefully this will change soon. Cocina del Sol is a byob Mexican restaurant on Bridge Street.

Usually if I travel the distance upriver I will go a little further to Milford where the Ship Inn is located. They are NJ’s first brew pub since the prohibition era. Very British and very nautically themed, the Ship Inn has a small selection of British style beers brewed on the premises served in 20 oz. British sized pints. There’s usually a couple on hand pump. According to their website, their beer is never too cold and never too fizzy. The menu has several British inspired foods like Scotch Eggs and Cheese and Onion Pies and not so British Nachos. Go on

THE SHIP INN

Wednesdays for their Fish and Chips special, when a pint is included in the price. The Ship Inn is in a renovated Victorian, doesn’t have a television, but it has an open mic night every Tuesday and live entertainment on Saturday nights. The wood for the bar came from a two lane bowling alley that was once in the building. It has a tin ceiling and brick walls and seafaring things hanging from the walls and pewter mugs hanging above the bar. You can buy locally grown food at the Ship Inn and then have your growler filled for $5.00. This cozy, local joint is a personal favorite. If you pass through Frenchtown on Harrison Street to see the World War 1 memorial, you just keep going north until you come to a traffic light make a left and the Ship Inn is on your right.

 THE SHIP INN, MILFORD, NJ

 Thanks for reading... hope you'll visit. The next stop for our tour of the NJ World War 1 statues is Dover.

The Jewel of the Meadowlands

SECAUCUS
This is the start of Vacations From Home’s tribute to our fallen heroes from WWI, the War to End All Wars. The global conflict began 100 years ago, with the United States entering the war in 1917. Many of the memorials remain to this day and approximately 10% of them feature the Spirit of the American Doughboy by E.M. Viquesney. New Jersey has eight of these unique statues and our first visit is to Secaucus.

Secaucus

Like many of the remaining “Spirit” statues, the memorial is on Municipal property. Here it stands in front of the town hall on Paterson Plank Road and the dedication is to Joseph Hassenforder, the only soldier from Secaucus to have died in the conflict. Corporal Hassenforder was killed on July 15, 1918 and is buried in the Oise-Aisne American Cemetery, about two miles outside Fere-en-Tardenois, France. The “Spirit” statue is remarkably detailed after all these years, but can use some attention as he is listing a bit to his right.  It is also an interesting golden color and looks like he has been painted.

THINKING OF VISITING?

LOCATION

Secaucus is a popular town. Every year thousands of people pass through it via Route 3 on their way to New York City, which is just 4 miles away, or zip along on the NJ Transit trains that stop at the Secaucus Junction on their way to Manhattan’s Penn Station. Looming across the Hackensack River, which is the town’s western border, is Metlife Stadium where the Giants and Jets play and where the Super Bowl was recently held. Football fans may recall the Jets in their heyday had their “Broadway” Joe Namath. Conversely when the NY Football Giants migrated to the Meadowlands, their quarterback at the time, Joe Piscarcik, was called “Paterson Plank” Joe. Paterson Plank Road is the main thoroughfare through Secaucus. Despite all these “visitors” to Secaucus, it was somewhat shocking to discover it is a lovely little town, like an eddy off a turbulent river. Secaucus is called the Jewel of the Meadowlands for good reason, and despite the traffic hurtling along the highway, there is block after block of neat clean homes and quiet streets. It is serene.

ATTRACTIONS and HISTORY

When I lived in Northern New Jersey, my first introduction to Secaucus (other than commuting through it) involved the numerous outlet shops that are dotted throughout the vast industrial area that comprises much of the town. Secaucus was one of the original “outlets”, a word and concept fairly deluded now. Many of the stores are actually distribution warehouses for the products they sell. It’s not very fancy, but good buys can be found. Go here for a map of available shops.

SECAUCUS OUTLETS

Before it was a shopping mecca and jewel of the Meadowlands, Secaucus was home to over 50 pig farms and the porkers vastly out-numbered humans. Between the pigs and the rendering plants; the farms supplied meat to Newark and New York; it was smelly. I remember the old joke: ““you smell caucus before you Secaucus.”  The pigs are gone though and Secaucus is a little suburban town and home to a “Spirit of the American Doughboy” World War I memorial.

Another attraction is the Meadowlands Exposition Center on the westbound side of Route 3 that hosts varied events. Just recently the Great Beer Expo was held there and near there are many chain restaurants and some large stores like Wal-Mart are in this area. 

GREAT BEER EXPO

For future events at the Meadowlands Exposition Center:

MEADOWLANDS EXPOSITION CENTER SCHEDULE

Secaucus is also a good place for eco-tourism. The Hackensack River is the western border and there are trails throughout the meadowlands. One can rent canoes or kayaks, launch their own watercraft, or go on a guided tour of the marshlands offered by the Hackensack Riverkeeper, April through October.  It can be gritty though, with traffic whirring along the Turnpike, but it is so incredibly close to New York City. To see such natural beauty in the heart of this crowded metropolitan area is a fascinating world worth exploring. Of course, trail heads begin in places like… “next to the Stop ‘N Shop at the Mill Creek Mall” and perhaps fans of the Sopranos may feel this is a stomping ground for T’s crew, but that’s all fiction…right?

HACKENSACK RIVERKEEPER

Jewel of the Meadowlands

Parking

Because of Secaucus’ proximity to NYC, be aware that parking is a premium. The Municipal Complex is on the corner of Paterson Plank Road and County Road with no available parking on those streets. The facility has free parking in the back of the building, but I would not leave the car there to go explore the rest of the town. Signs for permit parking for residents only are prevalent on the side streets. There are a number of timed parking spots further down Paterson Plank Road and there is a little strip mall a few blocks away that does not seem to have a time limit.

FOOD AND DRINK

You want local New Jersey flavor? Go to Charlie’s Corner, across Paterson Plank Road and down a few blocks from the memorial. It is a good, honest cash only dive bar patronized by nearly every New Jersey character possible. There are bikers and hipsters, young professionals and old coots like myself. It’s loud with a robust sound system and a stage in the middle of the circular bar that hints that Charlie’s was once a strip joint. Not sure of this, but they do play the music loud. The Strokes was pounding through the speakers the night I stopped in. The décor is busy with pictures of patrons plastered all over the walls and sparkly things hanging from the ceiling. Sadly it was just the usual suspects in the beer department and it’s not the sort of place you ask for a beer menu. I saw someone with a Brooklyn Lager and ordered that for $5.00. Charlie’s is a bit seedy, but worth the stopover. Charlie's is at 1254 Paterson Plank Road.

Charlie's Corner

A few good recommendations for cheap, decent food are all at the Plaza Center down the road from the memorial. It’s a strip mall where you can park for a while. There’s a good pizzeria that serves generous slices at Plaza Pizza and next door is Vito and Sons Italian bakery; great pastries and cookies as well as cold sandwiches. If you’re lucky they have fresh mozzarella for sale the day you visit.  But, by far my favorite place to eat is the Bagel Buffet at the far end of the plaza. It’s a great place for sandwiches and salads all at reasonable prices. It’s clean with plenty of tables. There are no waitresses. Instead you order at the counter and as you wait you can watch them prepare and bake bagels in a huge oven. After they are boiled the baker arranges them on moistened slabs of wood that rotate into the oven. It’s fascinating.

There are so many reasons to go to Secaucus.

The next stop on our New Jersey excursion will be Frenchtown.

Thanks for reading.

Jersey Doughboys

This is not a military blog, but as the 100 year anniversary of the conflagration of the Great War approaches, Team VFH has thought to honor our fallen heroes with visits to the area’s WWI memorials. In an earlier entry we introduced you to the ubiquitous E.M. Viquesney statue, “Spirit of the America Doughboy”. It was produced in great quantities by the Indiana sculptor and roughly 300 were erected across the United States. There are approximately 140 still standing in various locales like town squares or parks and the relatively small state of New Jersey can boast it has eight. The statue is of an American Doughboy striding forward into “No-Man’s-Land”, holding a grenade in his right hand above his head. It is estimated by some historians and researchers that of all the WWI memorials erected 10% feature the Viquesney Doughboy.

To find statues in your area a good source is this database.

SPIRIT OF THE AMERICAN DOUGHBOY DATABASE 

“Doughboy” is the nickname given the American Expeditionary Forces that flooded Europe when this country entered the war in 1917. There are many theories over the origin of the moniker. One comes from the Mexican-American War of 1916 when the dusty infantry were called "Adobes" by the cavalry, but the somewhat derisive nickname became very popular. If you are interested in reading further about the Doughboys and the AEF, here is a good website, 
HISTORY OF THE AMERICAN DOUGHBOY

New Jersey played a very important role in the war effort. Over 150,000 soldiers from NJ served in WWI and over 3,800 paid the ultimate sacrifice. Camp Merritt in Cresskill, NJ was a staging area for much of the AEF who were then deployed to Hoboken before being shipped overseas. Around 4 million soldiers passed through Camp Merritt during the war. NJ also contributed to the war through weapons materiel and shipbuilding. 

Okay, so perhaps only history buffs would be so inclined to visit these and similar memorials, although given the upcoming anniversary of the “War to End All Wars,” one should pay homage to our heroes. Understandably, endeavoring to trek to the towns that have a “Spirit” statue (and at least one that is similar, but NOT a Viquesney, in Verona) just to see the memorial may not be on the top of your list of things to do, but VFH has decided to sweeten the pot and lure you with things to do in or near these particular towns. Readers of this blog will know that we shall focus on places to eat and have a drink. Hopefully after following our antics, you too will be so inclined to take a road trip and amble through some New Jersey towns to see their Jersey Doughboys. Perhaps you will be inspired to search for "Spirit" memorials in your own neck of the woods. Remember the database is a good resource, and even the Smithsonian has a listing of known Viquesney statues to help you in your search.

Again, there are eight "Spirit of the American Doughboy" statues in New Jersey. They are in Belmar, Dover, Fair Haven, Frenchtown, Matawan, Perth Amboy, Roselle Park and Secaucus. We shall visit each one and report on our visit.

Our first stop will be Secaucus! 

 FOOTAGE OF WWI SOLDIERS EMBARKING FOR WAR FROM NEW JERSEY

The Lost Generation

This year is the hundred year anniversary of the “War to End all Wars”. The spark that caused the conflagration more commonly known as World War 1 was the assassination of the Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to the Austria-Hungarian throne. Ferdinand and his wife were shot by Gavrilo Princip in Sarajevo, Yugoslavia on June 28, 1914. If you travel to Sarajevo you can see footprints etched in the sidewalk where Princip, a hero to the Yugoslav cause, fired his weapon and changed the world.

Princip's footprints

The ensuing diplomatic crisis from the assassination evoked international alliances forged by countries over decades and in a month the world was at war. The four year conflict between the Allied and Axis Powers quickly ground to a halt with trench warfare that saw the use of heavy artillery, machine guns, chemical weapons, barbed wire and, for the first time tanks and airplanes, all with deadly efficiency. Seventy million military personnel became embroiled in WWI and the world suffered at least 37 million military and civilian casualties.  Such bloodshed and devastation had never before been experienced at this scale and it had a lasting effect on the world, giving rise to a disaffected core of young men who were disillusioned after what some historians have termed an aimless, stupid war.

Gertrude Stein called them a “Lost Generation”.

The United States remained neutral even after the Lusitania was sunk by German U-Boats in 1915 with the loss of 128 American lives, but after January 1917 when the Germans sunk a number of U.S. merchant ships, war was declared on the Axis powers.  The American Expeditionary Forces, more commonly known by the enduring nickname “Doughboys” made a difference in the war. Major battles included Cantigny, Belleau Wood, St. Mihiel and the Meuse-Argonne Offensive. In 1 ½ years of fighting the AEF suffered nearly 53,000 battle deaths and over 200,000 wounded.

Varied memorials to the veterans were erected in communities across the country as they welcomed home their wounded and honored their dead. The most common statue from the time is “The Spirit of the American Doughboy” created by a sculptor from Indiana, E.M. Viquesney. It is his most enduring and well known work and according to his records he created upwards of 300 of this statue, although this number may have been inflated by Viquesney. The statue is of a doughboy walking into “No Man’s Land”, that area between the trenches. Tree stumps and barbed wire are at his feet. He holds a grenade in his right hand over his head and a bayonetted carbine in his left. He has a square gas mask pouch on his chest, a backpack and wears a flat steel helmet. The details of the soldier are uniform through the various versions Viquesney created, either in copper, stone or zinc.

Though this detailed statue shows him approaching battle a Viquesney quote said: “I do not

SPIRIT

urge the building of war memorials to perpetuate war, but to impress on American Youth the desirability of peace.”

Other similar statues of the American Doughboy were erected, but it is Viquesney’s that is the most common. Production of the statue began in the 1920’s through to the mid-30’s. Some no longer exist, others have been moved or some are missing parts of the statue. In all 30 states had claimed a Viquesney statue at one time. Active restorations continue by those dedicated to the ubiquitous doughboy and a listing of the whereabouts of the Viquesney (and other) doughboys can be found on various websites as well as the Smithsonian. But, because Viquesney left an incomplete listing of where his doughboys were sent, no one knows for sure how many are there and some doughboy statues are mistaken for Viquesney’s.

VIQUESNEY DOUGHBOY DATABASE

This year, as part of the Wounded Warrior Project, Tour of Honor will ride in search of all of Viquesney’s Doughboys, and hopefully find a few not listed in any database. Regardless, this AMA (American Motorcycle Association) sanctioned Tour of Honor is a way some honor our heroes and help contribute to veterans’ causes. It begins April 1.

TOUR OF HONOR

We at VFH chose to honor our fallen heroes in a different way. Nothing will get me on a motorcycle, but I shall endeavor to visit known Viquesney Doughboy sites in at least New Jersey. There are eight, mostly on municipal grounds or small parks at intersections. Come back for our ride and perhaps you can too honor our American Doughboys.

For The Birds

Just south of the Pennsylvania border the broad Susquehanna River empties into the Chesapeake Bay. Creating electricity from the flow of this river that has its headwaters in Ostego Lake at Cooperstown, New York, is the Conowingo Dam. Route 1 travels over the dam and although the Conowingo is not a proud edifice like the Hoover, it is quite the tourist attraction. Bald Eagles are readily seen fishing the waters beneath the dam, mostly from mid-October through January. It is the greatest gathering of Bald Eagles east of the Mississippi. During the peak viewing times hundreds of these majestic birds can be seen at one visit, although lesser numbers of eagles can still be seen throughout the rest of the year. Several species of gulls, heron and vultures can be readily seen as well, but it is for the Bald Eagles that people visit the Conowingo.

(C) Baltimore Sun

Birders and photographers gather here on a daily basis and there is quite a culture built up around the Bald Eagles. A google search of the Conowingo Dam reveals how popular (and free) this destination is to curious onlookers as well as professional-looking photographers. There is even a Facebook page devoted to the Conowingo Bald Eagles. Don’t fret! Although your lens may not be as big as those who gather to snap action shots of this symbol of America, you must not feel inadequate. The Conowingo is worth visiting even if you are just hauling out an instamatic.

VISITORS GUIDE TO THE BALD EAGLES AT CONOWINGO DAM

ANOTHER BALD EAGLE LINK

HANFORD BIRD CLUB

When the Conowingo releases water to generate electricity with their turbines fish get trapped in the mechanisms above the dam and get sluiced through to the other side, often dazed and disoriented. Red caution lights alert the birds the turbines are opening and the fantastic display of nature begins. This is the prime time to view the birds as they are the most active. It is possible to time your visit with the release of water by calling the Conowingo Dam “hot-line” at: 888-457-4076.

 

Conowingo Dam, looking south

There are two places to watch, either down near the water at Fisherman’s Park or along the fence line across from the island and the twin power towers, although you can also sit in your car and catch glimpses. Be sure to back into the spot. Be sure too to dress warmly and to take food for the invariably long wait. There are picnic tables and portable toilets, but nothing else, so arrive prepared. The entrance to the viewing area is on the south side of the river. The street off Route 1 is Shuresville Road then a left onto Shuresville Landing Road.

I missed the release of water that day when I recently visited the dam. The edifice itself was impressive and gulls swirled in the air and vultures perched on the dam itself, but I did not see a Bald Eagle. Just a few photographers remained and they were talking among themselves about their craft. They snickered at me when I hoisted my flip phone to snap a picture, but I ignored them. It was a mild day and I walked the grounds and read about the fish elevators that bring spawning fish upstream and about the tours that the Conowingo Dam authority had recently started up again after 12 years and the efforts to renew the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission license for the 85 year old hydro-electric plant, which will expire on September 1, 2014.

On the way to the Conowingo Dam I stopped for snacks at the Herr’s Factory tour and outlet. It’s just a few miles north of the Mason-Dixon Line in Nottingham, Pennsylvania and directly off the highway. I didn't time the tour well either and did not wait for the next one. Instead I stocked up on supplies and snacked on some chocolate covered pretzel sticks as I visited the Conowingo. The Herr's store is open Monday through Thursday 9 a to 3 p and Fridays for two hours, 9 a to 11 a.

Commando Time Is Over

Despite shivering away the days as winter rapidly approaches us in the Northeast, Team VFH remains resolute. Summer soon will come again; although not soon enough. Winter never holds much more appeal than football season and hot chili. We’re not skiers or ice skaters, and after the initial ooh and ah of a glorious autumn spiked with colorful leaves, we are left with a rapid descent into darkness and cold temperatures.  

UGH.       

I hate winter

The allure of the holiday season is short-lived. The stress of Christmas shopping and the amateur night antics of New Year’s Eve makes this year-end stretch difficult. Even toasty fireplaces lose their charm after a time and who has money to escape to warm climes for a weekend? Certainly we don’t have that latitude and so we are stuck with the winter doldrums and our only respite is of fond memories from last summer and planning summer dalliances for next year.

Ah! Last summer was wonderful and exceptional. You may remember fair reader that your favorite cheapskates went on an extended road trip through the lowcountry of South Carolina. Memories of great food, wide beaches and warm water makes facing winter all the more grim. After wonderful stops in Myrtle Beach, Murrells Inlet, Charleston and Beaufort, we headed out to Hilton Head Island for a week with friends.

Hilton Head was so very different that the rest of South Carolina. Our hosts in Hilton Head, Sally and Dave, are charter members of Team VFH, but they are less inclined to travel on the quick as our pocketbooks dictate. We need to sniff out deals, but our hosts are star-bellied Sneetches comparatively. Thankfully Team VFH leader, Janet, is a long time bosom buddy with Sally so they gladly overlooked our relative poverty and invited us into their summer home at Hilton Head.

Hilton Head breathes affluence. It is a rich person’s golfing mecca as there are a gazillion courses to play in the area. Human forms of star-bellied Sneetches on Hilton Head Island are often represented by denizens wearing plaid pants and toting a putter everywhere, even into the supermarket. Multi-million dollar homes are often torn down by new buyers to erect better abodes in sequestered gated communities called “plantations”.

I love summer

After having traveled the length of South Carolina lowcountry, skirting the shoreline, Hilton Head was certainly a change for your intrepid explorers. Since Hilton Head is in South Carolina one would think the genteel arms of southern hospitality would embrace us while there, but those attitudes quickly dissipated. It’s not that people weren’t nice, it’s just that things were more quickly paced as visitors scurried to their tee times or meal reservations. Plus the charm and culture of the lowcountry was somewhat missing at this vacation destination. Gullah culture, like basket weaving or delicious shrimp and grits, prevalent throughout the area practically vanished on Hilton Head Island, or, when found on the plantations it had an almost “Disneyland” quality to the presentation, as if visitors needed to be reminded where they were vacationing. Of course examples of this purest form of West-African culture can be found on HHI, but one will have to get off the plantation and look for it. Here's a link that may help if you are so inclined. If you decide to travel only to Hilton Head and nowhere else in South Carolina, take a day to explore this rich and enduring history.

Gullah Culture on Hilton Head

Conversely, Team VFH's HHI vacation last summer was in two parts, two separate, completely different vacations in South Carolina. Our trip began at the Grand Strand of Myrtle Beach and Murrells Inlet and continued through the charming cities of Charleston and Beaufort and the surrounding countryside. We ate and explored the culture of the area at a leisurely though determined pace, and there was much to see. Upon our arrival on Hilton Head we settled, quickly, into relaxing mode and our exploring ended. Of course, we did get to experience a different culture in Hilton Head, but it was moneyed and tony. Most of the people we encountered were not from South Carolina. The island, off the plantations, was fast-paced. It was an expensive beach town/island with lots of shopping and golf courses, but there was no “city” or “town square”. Though it was in South Carolina, South Carolina was not necessarily found in Hilton Head. It could have been anywhere, but it just happened to be located on this beautiful sneaker-shaped South Carolinian sea island.

And, it was beautiful. Overlook all the “nuances” that made Hilton Head so very different than the rest of the lowcountry and you are left with a great place to vacation. Golf if you must, but with 12 miles of wide, sandy beaches Hilton Head was an absolute delight for this wannabe beachcomber. Although access to some of the beaches was private all of it was public, from the surf to the high water mark. There is ample parking for the day traveler as there are several areas that had meters, or you can purchase a day pass to the Sea Pine Plantation, our home for the week, for access to the south beach area and Harbor Town area.

Head Head Island beach particulars

The Atlantic here is warm and clean. Starfish and sand dollars are abundant and little sting rays frolic sometimes at the surf line. When it is low tide, the sand gets firm and flat and riding bikes is a great way to travel, although a head strong breeze makes the process a bit laborious.

There are several places to rent bikes for the day or the length of your stay on Hilton Head and I would highly recommend doing this if you decide to visit.  Our morning conversations were often about the low tide, and we would plan our daily ride along the shore accordingly. The island does cater to bikers as there are paths everywhere on Hilton Head and in Sea Pines, our vacation home for the week, trails allowed us to go anywhere without the use of a car. If not for the allure of some very good eating on HHI we would have never gotten into the car for the duration of our stay.

 

Star-bellied Sneetches we ain't

Yes, summer cannot return soon enough.

Be careful out there on New Year’s Eve…it’s amateur night

Love

Janet and greg