matthewcward
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We spent this morning in Louisville shopping for some Kentucky Bourbon. While I confess that I do prefer Scottish Whisky, and that is really my favourite tipple, it is good to taste some local specialities, and Kentucky bourbon can make a nice change. This history of bourbon is also quite interesting. It’s not clear why
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We drove from Cass across West Virginia, stopping at the New River Gorge National Park. When I lived in the USA 40 years ago there was no national park here has helped to promote the beauty of this region. Designated as a National Park and Preserve in 2020, and covering over 70,000 acres, the park
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We drove on down into West Virginia and stopped at the Cass Scenic Railroad. We took the ride to Bald Knob, the third-highest point in West Virginia, which offers breathtaking panoramic views of the surrounding mountains and valleys. It was a four-and-a-half-hour round trip climbing over 2,300 feet, twisting through dense forests. Where there was
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Our journey from Charlottesville to Rockfish Gap, and then along the 105-mile-long Skyline Drive to Front Royal, was not just a scenic drive. It was a journey through history, a road that was a product of President Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal. So the road itself is a piece of history. The Harry F Byrd
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One issue that was clearly very predominant at both Williamsburg and Monticello was how to interpret the stories of enslaved people and how to depict the relationship between the Founding Fathers and slavery. I thought the presentation at Williamsburg, which is the story of all the people who lived here, not just the famous ones,
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We did a gardens tour at Monticello. The gardens are not that impressive, particularly compared to the gardens at any British country house. But the tour itself was fascinating and said a lot about Jefferson. The guide discussed how Jefferson was interested in discovering what was an American landscape. That really piqued my interest. I’m
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As we drove from Williamsburg to Charlottesville, the sight of Monument Avenue in Richmond stirred a mix of curiosity and reflection. I was eager to see the transformation of the colossal Confederate Memorials that once graced the boulevard. Reflecting on my time in Virginia in the 1980s, I recall being captivated by Monument Avenue’s ‘quaint’
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From Philadelphia, we headed on down to Jamestown and Williamsburg. I completed my PhD at William & Mary in Williamsburg and even worked as an interpreter for a summer at Colonial Williamsburg, but it had been a long time since I had been back. I was impressed by the interpretation in the museums in Jamestown,
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Because of the delights of our extended stay in Jersey City, we didn’t get to spend quite as much time as we had hoped in Philadelphia.I’ve spent more time in Philadelphia than any other American city, but not usually as a tourist. I was struck by how much of the meta-narrative at Independence Hall still
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Yesterday, we embarked on our real journey, picking up our car for a day filled with plans. Driving in Manhattan was an experience unlike any other. I’ve navigated through bustling roads in Chicago, Washington D.C., London, and Paris, but nothing could have prepared me for the chaos of New York drivers. It’s a place where
Early American Musings 