Another breath of viral free air to celebrate the beauty of America with some favorite images of mine (some previously posted in earlier pieces).
Maine.
Our time in Maine last summer was unfortunately cut short when Cora became seriously ill and we had to fly home. During the few days that we spent in Maine we were treated to picturesque harbors, classic lighthouses and local color.
Port Clyde Maine
Dawn at Marshall Point
Lobsterman’s Buoys
Port Clyde Maine
Mendocino, California
Cora and I visited the coastal towns of Mendocino and Fort Bragg during their annual salmon festival. Mendocino was originally founded as a logging town in 1852. Fort Bragg, a few miles north of Mendocino started out as a military garrison in 1857. Today both towns are popular for their festivals, views of the Pacific, hiking and whale watching.
Town of Mendocino from the banks of the Mendocino River
Foggy sunrise at the mouth of the Mendocino River
Below, Fort Bragg Salmon Festival. Salmon on the grill. Flipping fish.
Louisiana
Three years ago Cora and I drove south from Mississippi through Louisiana. Near the town of Lafayette we took a swamp tour and then headed south to New Orleans. 
Washington DC and Virginia
In 2015 Cora and I travelled to Washington DC. It started out as a short vacation to watch the San Francisco Giants play the Washington Nationals for a weekend. We turned it into a two week trip, seeing more of the nation’s capital and the state of Virginia.
National’s Park
Detail Women’s Vietnam Memorial
Marine Corps Memorial
Changing of the guard, Tomb of the Unknown Soldier
Sunrise Chancellorsville Civil War Battlefield
Union soldier’s gravestone Fredericksburg VA
Rural Virginia
Below, Music at the Carter Family Fold in Hiltons, Virginia. Hiltons is a tiny town deep in the woods of southwest Virginia. The Carter Family Fold is a music venue dedicated to the preservation of old timey and bluegrass music. Janette Carter of the famous country music Carter family (June Carter was the wife of Johnny Cash) founded the Fold. Drinking and smoking are not allowed and musicians are not allowed to play electric instruments. The rule against electric instruments was set aside for performances by Johnny Cash. Cash played his last concert at the fold 5 months before his death.
Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello
Mabry Mill, Virginia
Be safe, keep your distance and soon we’ll be travelling again.
Thank you! Really uplifting!
Thank you Hettie. I’m glad that I could provide a little relief. Stay well.
Wonderful pictures! You live in a beautiful country with so many very different landscapes, cultures, climates and sites. I would love to see Washington DC once and also Dixie country and the swamps.
Thank you. There is absolutely a lot of different cultures and flavors. Hopefully you will be able to visit these places once our worldwide crisis is over. Stay well.
Fabulous photos!
Very nice photos! I was thrilled to see The Carter Fold. I live 30 or so minutes from there! If you ever make it back this way and are a fan of country and or bluegrass music The Birthplace of Country Music Museum is a Smithsonian affiliated museum that celebrates the historic 1927 Bristol Sessions, which included the Carter Family, Jimmie Rodgers and several other musicians. Might be worth a visit for you if you ever get the chance.
Thank you Kim. We were staying in Abingdon when we went to the Carter Fold. We were at the end of the trip and were only able to spend two nights before we drove back to Richmond to catch a flight home. If I’d had more time I would’ve wanted to see more of the Crooked Road. It’s places like the Carter Fold that make a trip memorable. When we were in Nashville we went to a small music club away from Broadway called the Station Inn for some bluegrass At a little town near Lafayette LA. we listened to Zydeco at a venue that used to be a movie theater.
I like the small out of the way places for food and music. Sometimes they might look a little sketchy but they represent the real flavor of a region. Thank you again for visiting.
I’m in Bristol, just a few minutes south of Abingdon. Small world! And I agree, it’s the out of the way places that give you the true feel of a region. Come back and visit when all of the craziness is over. Be safe!
Nice photos, at some point travel restrictions will be lifted. Last night I watched the American Experience episode on the 1918 flu pandemic. Even though they didn’t have the scientific knowledge and resources of today, the pandemic eventually ran its course. It was compared to a wildfire that runs out of fuel and burns itself out. Because we have better knowledge and capabilities, that may allow for this pandemic to run out of fuel and burn itself out also. Social distancing is so important. The other evening, John Oliver showed a clip of the Kentucky governor urging distancing and mentioning a group of idiots that held a COVID-19 party. Oliver’s exasperated comment was “Oh, for fuck’s sake!” I feel the same way when I see photos of groups of people in a park or on public playgrounds. Come on y’all, get a clue and get with the program.
Thank you Scott. I’ve been mulling over watching the Spanish Flu episode but right now I’m having enough trouble dealing with one pandemic.
Such amazing pictures!
Thank you so much. Thought of you when I posted those CW battlefield pics.