Cal Anderson Park (Seattle, WA)

While visiting Seattle, WA last month, I stopped by Cal Anderson Park, a public park in the city’s Capitol Hill neighborhood.  It’s located in the middle of the city, not too far from the downtown area.  The park has a fountain, reflecting pool, walking paths, a plaza, and sports fields.

The park isn’t small, but it’s not too large either.  It’s about three city blocks long and one-and-a-half blocks across.  According to the Seattle Parks and Recreation website, its entire circumference is 2/3 of a mile.  It seems like a nice place for walking dogs, playing sports, and otherwise getting some fresh air.  Despite its small size and urban location, it does offer adequate open space for outdoor activities.

According to the Cal Anderson Park Alliance website, Calvin “Cal” Anderson (d. 1995) was the “first openly gay Washington State elected official.”  He was a U.S. Army veteran who served in the state’s House of Representatives and Senate from 1987 to 1995.  He fought for several issues, including low-income housing, gun control, and civil rights.  He is known for advocating for laws to prohibit discrimination based on sexual orientation.  Senator Anderson died in 1995 of complications from AIDS, a year after being elected a state Senator.

There are walking paths intersecting the park from each side.  On its northside, a stand-out feature is a cone-shaped concrete fountain with cascading water.  Also on the park’s northside, there is a walking path called the AIDS Memorial Pathway (AMP).  It includes several pieces of artwork.

A series of protest signs commemorate Seattle’s response to the AIDS crisis.  Besides being a space for recreational activities, Cal Anderson Park is known as a location for protests and social activism.  In recent years, it was known as being the center of the Capitol Hill Occupied Protest (CHOP) in 2020 to protest the killing of George Floyd and police brutality generally.

 

 
Continuing along the AMP, “Ribbon of Light” sculptures are made of laminated glass.  I was here during the daytime so they weren’t illuminated.  They are placed here for reflection and remembrance.  In addition, the “Names Tree” is a digital memorial to the thousands of lives lost during the AIDS epidemic in Washington state.

Nearby, there is a nice reflecting pool.  I didn’t notice anyone going into it, but I can imagine people dipping their feet into it or sitting around it.

In the middle of the park, there is a lot of open space for recreation and picnics.  Some the grass was dead and sparsely planted.  It was the middle of August after all, so I guess it wasn’t the right time for a perfect lawn.

Continuing southward, there are full-size soccer and baseball fields, complete with soccer goals and a baseball diamond with a backstop.  The fields were well maintained.

Next to the recreation fields, there are basketball and tennis courts, complete with abundant graffiti.  They are located right next to residential buildings.  I didn’t see anyone playing here at the time.  Right next to the courts, there is a small skatepark with many ramps and jumps.

At the southern end of Cal Anderson Park, I saw a large group of people doing yoga-like exercises.  By far, this part of the park was the most populated while I was visiting.  People seemed to be having a lot of fun.

 

Cal Anderson Park is an interesting place to visit.  Since it’s in the middle of an urban neighborhood, it provides a necessary greenspace for local residents.  According to Historic Seattle, its origins date back to the late 19th century.  While it’s not the most noteworthy tourist spot in Seattle, it is worth checking out due to its place in contemporary social movements.

Havre de Grace, Maryland

Havre de Grace is a small city in northeastern Maryland.  It is located where the Susquehanna River empties into the Chesapeake Bay.  Its name is French and translates as “Harbor of Grace.”  Historically, it was runner-up in the vote for the capital of the United States in 1789, and it was later burned down and plundered by the British during the War of 1812.  Today, it is a well-kept, quaint, waterfront city.  I visited it for the first time right before Halloween 2023.

Amtrak and Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridges

On the city’s northern side, the Thomas J. Hatem Memorial Bridge carries U.S. Route 40 traffic across the Susquehanna River.  The Amtrak Susquehanna River Bridge takes Amtrak trains across the river on its Northeast Regional line.

Amtrak Susquehanna River Bridge and Boat Launch

Numerous boat launches are located along Havre de Grace’s waterfront on the Susquehanna River and Chesapeake Bay.  In the picture above, the backyard of the American Legion leads right out to a dock on the river.

Tidewater Grille Seafood Restaurant

I was able to walk along the shore of the river near David R. Craig Park and south of the American Legion grounds.  The shoreline almost reminded me of a beach with its sandy soil, discarded fish, and driftwood.

Downtown on Washington Street

Much of the Havre de Grace’s downtown is located on Washington Street and St. John Street.  Many small antique shops, restaurants, and other stores are there, more than a typical city of its size.  In 2020, Havre de Grace had just under 15,000 residents according to the most recent census.

Downtown on St. John Street

The downtown was very clean and well-kept.  Some areas were a bit hilly.  It felt very safe, and I saw many other pedestrians shopping and enjoying the nice fall weather.

Halloween in Havre de Grace

Rochambeau Plaza, a sort of gateway into the downtown along North Washington Street, is named for a French general whose troops passed through the area in 1781, according to a historical marker there.  While I was visiting, it was adorned with various Halloween characters for the then upcoming Halloween festivities.

Harmer's Town Art Center

Harmer's Town Art Center, which is located just two blocks east of Washington Street, is an open-air art gallery.  Its large mural park features various works of art depicting the city’s history, and a lot of it is painted on the sides of buildings.

Winner's Circle Art

At the art center, The Winner's Circle features a mural of race horses, including a horse and jockey sculpture.  Harmer's Town Art Center is well worth checking out and very enjoyable to stroll through on a nice day.

Docked Sailboats

Along the city’s waterfront, many sailboats and other sea vessels are docked and tied.  Many of the areas are obviously located on private property, but some of the sailboats are visible from public areas.

Concord Point Promenade

A must-see area of Havre de Grace is the Concord Point Promenade and Park.  It is located at the southeastern part of the city at the mouth of the Susquehanna River, right where it meets the Chesapeake Bay.  The park is very flat and walkable, and the views of the water are breathtaking.

Concord Point Light Station

Located in the park is the Concord Point Light Station, a famous Havre de Grace landmark.  According to a historical marker there, the lighthouse was built in 1827, and it was originally lit with nine whale oil lamps.  It was decommissioned in 1975 as the oldest Chesapeake light in continuous service.

Mouth of the Susquehanna River

According to the Havre de Grace Visitor Center, the promenade is less than a mile long and offers a picturesque view the Susquehanna River.  While walking along the water, it felt longer than that, but part of it may not be part of the official walk.  It is located next to Tydings Park, the Decoy Museum, and the Maritime Museum.

Great Blue Heron

While walking along the promenade, I spotted a beautiful great blue heron relaxing near the shoreline.  It seemed mostly oblivious to me while I tried to snap several photos.

House Near the Waterfront

Walking through the town itself felt like walking through a typical shore town.  A lot of houses will catch your eye as you traverse its streets.

British Landing Historical Plaque

Havre de Grace is a city with a rich history that is important for an understanding of America’s early years.  This history is laid out on various historical markers and plaques throughout the city, including the failure of 20 of its defenders to stop 400 invading British troops from coming ashore in 1813.

Discover Havre de Grace Map

Millard Tydings Memorial Park, located at the southern end of town, provides additional views of the Susquehanna River.  It contains the Yacht Basin where numerous boats are docked.  The park also has a picnic area and playground.

Boats at Millard Tydings Memorial Park

Havre de Grace also contains a few museums, which I was unfortunately unable to visit during my brief stay.  I highly recommend a visit for any American history buffs or anyone else who enjoys quaint towns with picturesque waterfront views.

Charles Town, West Virginia

Charles Town is a small city of 6,500 people in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.  Who is Charles and why is the town named after him?  Why is it called a town when it’s officially a city?  It’s a place with a lot of history, and I learned more about it from the abundant informational signs and historical markers throughout the downtown and beyond.  I’ve heard about Charles Town from people who take daytrips to visit Hollywood Casino there.  On a whim, I decided to take a drive there myself to check it out.

Charles and Washington Streets in Charles Town, WV

The main downtown thoroughfare is Washington Street which runs East and West through the middle of the city.  In contrast to many towns of a similar size, it actually has more active stores and restaurants than abandoned buildings, which is instantly a good sign.  People were walking around, and it felt very safe.

Charles Washington’s Town

Charles Town is named in honor of Charles Washington (d. 1799), a business and plantation owner and the brother of George Washington, the first president of the United States.  Charles Washington personally laid out the streets for the town and named some of them after his family members.  According to a historical marker, he petitioned the General Assembly of Virginia to establish the town in 1786 on his own land.

Charles Town Historical Marker

According to signs in the downtown area, Charles Town is famous for being the home of W.L. Wilson, the Postmaster General who started the first rural free delivery in America in 1896.  It is also known as the place where John Brown was convicted of treason in 1859.  According to Prologue Magazine, he was the most important figure in the struggle against slavery immediately before the U.S. Civil War.

The Trial of John Brown

Mr. Brown was connected to terrorism for the Pottawatomie raid in the Kansas Territory in 1856 and his raid on Harpers Ferry in 1859.  On the first raid, he and his men killed five pro-slavery settlers.  At Harpers Ferry, he seized the U.S. arsenal with 18 soldiers.  He was convicted of treason, murder, and conspiring with slaves to revolt, and he was hanged.

Charles Town City Hall

In addition to a city hall, post office, courthouse, and bank with a historic appearance, Downtown Charles Town has several restaurants, stores, and other businesses.  The main part of the downtown area is only about six blocks long, but the sidewalks and intersections are very walkable.

Zion Episcopal Church

Zion Episcopal Church is a historic church located just one block south of the downtown on Congress Street.  The church was built in 1851 to replace the original church which was built in 1815 and destroyed by fire.  According to a placard, the church’s cemetery contains the graves of over 70 members of the Washington Family.

Abolitionist Ale Works

Abolitionist Ale Works is a brewery located in the heart of Downtown Charles Town, and its name is derived from the city’s long history of abolitionists.  The brewery also doubles as an AirBNB with a rental condo upstairs.  Rather than sitting at a bar or table inside, I sat at a table outside to enjoy the nice weather.  Music was playing over the speakers, and I noticed that darts and other games were available to play.  I ordered an IPA and a Pork BBQ artisan pizza, and both were very good.  I highly recommend checking this place out.

Evitts Run Park

On my way out of town, I walked past Evitts Run Park.  It’s a small park with a playground, basketball court, and Evitts Run flowing through the middle of it.  It has a walking path with a small pedestrian bridge over the creek.

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races

Hollywood Casino at Charles Town Races is located on the outskirts of town.  As the name implies, a horse racing track is located there, in addition to a hotel, casino, and restaurants.  It is owned and operated by PENN Entertainment, which is a publicly-traded company with properties across the United States.

Hollywood Casino Floor

The casino has quite a bit of slot machines and table games.  I was impressed by how large it is.  The entertainment venue also gets a lot of big-name comedians, musicians, and other performers.  It was very clean and a cool place to explore.

Heading East on Route 51

I drove out of Charles Town on Route 51, heading east.  There were several fast-food restaurants on the way, and you can get a good view of the mountains off in the distance.  Overall, I really enjoyed my visit to Charles Town, WV.  It’s a place with a lot of history, and it really offers a lot of fun and recreation for such a small city.  If you’re in the region, I highly recommend visiting and seeing it for yourself.

Martinsburg, West Virginia

Martinsburg, WV is the county seat of Berkeley County, and it’s the largest city in the Eastern Panhandle of West Virginia.  It’s an older city that was established all the way back in 1778.

Route 5

I had driven past it on my previous travels but decided to stop by and check it out this time.  I entered Martinsburg on Route 5 via Queen Street.

FAA Records Center

After parking my car, I proceeded toward the downtown area on foot.  As I walked down King Street, I passed an old building at the corner of Maple Avenue.  It was labeled the “Federal Aviation Administration Records Center,” and the sign above the door read “The Arts Centre.”

Broadwater Federal Building

On the next block, I walked past the Broadwater Federal Building which houses a U.S. District Court.  The building appeared to have a utilitarian, federal, modernist style.  It was very quiet on a Saturday afternoon.

The Journal Newspaper

As I continued walking down King Street, I came across The Journal which is Martinsburg’s daily newspaper.  I also saw Journal newspapers for sale downtown.

Berkeley County Courthouse

The Berkeley County Courthouse is located at the intersection of King and Queen Streets.  It’s a classic brick courthouse building with a golden dome.  It’s topped by a tower with a directional wind vane.

Martinsburg Public Library

Directly across the street from the courthouse building is the Martinsburg Public Library.  It had a small stone courtyard with benches out in front.

Martinsburg Town Square

As I crossed over Queen Street on to East King Street, I noticed an operational fountain in what is called the Martinsburg Town Square.  The streets were laid with brick for the small one-block square.  A few tiny areas of greenspace were located on both sides, with some concrete tables.  A few groups of people were gathered there to enjoy the nice weather.

Civil War Placard

An informational sign summarizing the Civil War history of Martinsburg is placed near the fountain in the town square.  It describes how both Union and Confederate troops had occupied the city at different points in time.

A Martinsburg Historic Property

Walking around Martinsburg, some buildings and houses have a plaque affixed to them, which reads, “A Martinsburg Historic Property.”  This particular house is located at the bottom of East King Street at Water Street.

South Queen Street

I decided to backtrack to Queen Street which really makes up the most significant portion of the downtown.  The first thing I noticed was a GOP Headquarters building which was flanked by a Democrat Party headquarters just two buildings away.  Due to their close proximity, I’m sure that they regularly engage in some lively debates.

Uncle Joe’s Barbershop

Uncle Joe’s Barbershop, which according to its sign was established over 100 years ago in 1915, looked like one of the more interesting businesses in the downtown.  It had a traditional striped barbershop pole.  As I briefly looked at the place, a man from a pickup truck shouted, “Hey, get out of there!” and attempted to make a menacing scowl at me.

DeFluri's Fine Chocolates

DeFluri's Fine Chocolates is a family-owned chocolate shop right in the middle of the downtown.  Having an operation that produces homemade candy is a pretty unique attribute to have in a smaller city.  I wish I would have stopped inside, but I didn’t have a lot of time to browse around.

North Queen Street at St. John’s Lutheran Church

The downtown area is fairly walkable.  The sidewalks are wide and mostly well kept.  Unfortunately, many storefronts are abandoned or closed up, a very common sight in cities across America.

Mugs & Muffins Farm to Table Kitchen

Mugs & Muffins is a breakfast and brunch establishment that is set back and sandwiched between two larger buildings.  It has an espresso bar and a few tables out front.

Downtown Postal Station

Martinsburg’s main post office is located outside of the downtown area, but a tiny downtown station of the post office is available there.  It was closed at the time, but it seems like a place that offers scaled-down services of a typical post office.

MARC Train

At the far northern edge of the downtown area of Queen Street, I saw a MARC passenger train moving slowly across an overpass.  MARC is an acronym for the Maryland Area Rail Commuter, and it has three major lines.  The Brunswick Line is the one servicing Martinsburg, and it carries passengers all the way to Washington, DC.

Belle Boyd House and Visitors Bureau

After realizing I had reached the edge of the downtown, I turned on to East Race Street and came across the Belle Boyd House.  This building also happened to house the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Convention & Visitors Bureau.  If you’re interested in picking up official tourism information about the region, this place would be a good start.

Belle Boyd Placard

An informational sign describing Belle Boyd is appropriately placed in front of the house.  Maria Isabella "Belle" Boyd was born in Martinsburg and became one of the Confederacy's most notorious spies.  She was an alleged informant of Confederate General Stonewall Jackson in the 1860s.

Martinsburg Roundhouse

Just east of the Belle Boyd House, Race Street runs into the parking lot for the Martinsburg train station, and it has a large building known as the Martinsburg Roundhouse.  This B&O Railroad building seems to have been preserved for historical purposes, and I was unable to tell if it is still used for anything.

Martinsburg City Hall

Martinsburg City Hall is located right downtown on North Queen Street.  In addition to typical government offices, it also houses the police department.  It’s a large brick building and easy to spot.

North Queen Street

Queen Street really feels like a classic Americana downtown.  There are three-story buildings on both sides of the road, and parking meters dot the sidewalks.

Lewis Hardware and Antiques Shop

Many businesses appear to be empty and abandoned; however, there are signs of life.  There are tattoo parlors, coffee shops, a hardware store, and an antique place.

Berkeley Art Works

Clearly, civic organizations are attempting to revitalize an art scene in the city, with some success.  Berkeley Art Works had some really cool pictures in its storefront windows.  I particularly enjoyed the cat pictures.

The Peppermill

If you look around on some of the side streets, you could find some hidden gems, like bed and breakfasts and family restaurants.  The Peppermill restaurant on West Burke Street looked like an interesting place to try.

Berkeley Medical Center

On my way out of town, I passed by the Berkeley Medical Center on Tavern Road.  From the outside, it looks like a fairly large, full-service hospital.

Hoss’s Steak and Sea House

On the northern side of the city, a few restaurants are located on Route 9 off of Interstate 81.  Restaurants like Laddie’s, Waffle House, and Hoss’s Steak and Sea House are just a short drive off the highway.  I have eaten at this particular Hoss’s and really enjoyed the salad bar and my cheesesteak entrée.  It was very clean, and the service was great.

Olive Garden Italian Kitchen

Further down Interstate 81, which passes by Martinsburg on its west side, many stores and restaurant chains have locations here.  In addition to Walmart and Target, there are several well-known restaurants, like Chili’s, Panera Bread, Chipotle, and Olive Garden, which has a really cool fireplace inside.

City of Martinsburg Seal

Martinsburg, WV is an interesting city to visit.  It reminds me of smaller cities in Pennsylvania, and it seems to be well kept for the most part.  Many historical landmarks are scattered throughout, and the downtown area does show signs of life.  However, it has clearly seen better days like many similar towns in America.  Hopefully, it can continue turning things around.