When the calendar page turns to the first official day of summer, I begin counting the days until the first official day of fall, as if I can hurry along the seasonal changes.  I can appreciate the beauty of summer with green grass, flower blossoms and wearing flip flops, but I am not a fan of heat and humidity.  Humidity tends to suck the life out of me so when the air cools in the fall, I feel as if I can breathe again.  There are those who profess they love the fall season but worry that winter is just around the corner.  I’ll take winter too.  One can layer on the clothing to stay warm, but only so much can be taken off to stay cool in the summer heat. You know what I mean?

Some things are just fun and fascinating to see.  It was with that mindset we visited the Smithsonian’s Udvar-Hazy Center.  Getting to see the Space Shuttle Discovery up close and personal was beyond fun and fascinating.  It was awesome.  And, it was a testament to man’s ingenuity and dedication.

I couldn’t help but notice the boxes of tissue as we entered the screening room at James Madison’s Montpelier.  By the end of the film, I understood the need.  Although it didn’t actually bring tears to my eyes, the story of Ellen and the enslaved community in which she lived at Montpelier, tugged at my heart.  It left me wanting to learn more.

We continue to wait.  Six weeks plus three days and counting…  To silence the inner countdown clock, if even for just a few hours, we took ourselves on a bit of an adventure to Great Falls National Park where we took a good long hike and spent the afternoon communing with Mother Nature.  And then we stuffed ourselves with hamburgers, fries and a decadent milk shake topped with whipped cream and a cherry.  It did the trick.  Unfortunately, today the inner countdown clock is ticking louder than ever.

As we climbed the flight of stairs, to the second level of the mansion at Mount Vernon, we ran our hands over the centuries old wooden railing; the same railing George and Martha Washington ran their hands over as they climbed the stairs of their home.

The Luray Caverns

Seventy down and sixty-eight back up – that’s the number of stairs and the only way to get in and out of the Luray Caverns in Virginia. And, surprisingly, there is no grand cave-like entrance; rather just a simple doorway near the gift shop that leads the way.