Vacation - NJ, PA, DE, DC, VA

As promised, here's a quick summary of last week's trip, with a few of the many pictures. As I noted earlier, the primary purpose of this trip was to attend my daughter's graduation from George Washington University Law School, in Washington, DC.

We started out by visiting High Point State Park in New Jersey, home of (you guessed it) the highest point in New Jersey. We've been "collecting" these high points, at least the easy ones, as we've traveled to various parts of the country. This one is only at 1803 feet, and is driveable almost to the monument.



Next, we wound our way south through the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, stopping at Raymondskill Falls on the way. This is reputedly the highest waterfall in Pennsylvania.



When we reached the southern end of the park, we were at the water gap itself. We hiked the Appalachian Trail about two miles to the top of Mount Minsi, which towers above the gap on the Pennsylvania side. New Jersey is across the river. This picture is from a viewpoint along the way.



After staying in Stroudsburg, PA, for the night, we headed south to stay with friends in northern Virginia, stopping at Longwood Gardens on the way. This place was huge, with both indoor and outdoor gardens, and we didn't really do it justice, even though we spent well over an hour there.



Leaving Pennsylvania, we headed toward another state high point, in Delaware. The actual high point is in a private mobile home park and can't be accessed, but this nearby sign counts as the high point as an alternative.



Finally arriving in northern Virginia, we prepared to attend several graduation-related events in Washington, DC. We went to a GWU Law School awards ceremony and a Dean's reception on Saturday, followed by the main university graduation and the law school graduation ceremonies on Sunday. The Washington Mall was a decidedly very cool place for the main graduation.



Monday was time to head for home. Hearing that the Potomac River was unusually high from recent rains, we decided to make a stop at Great Falls Park to see the thundering falls with the water really running. And thundering they were.



We were planning to stop somewhere in central Pennsylvania for the night and finish the drive on Tuesday. That left us time to visit the National Civil War Museum in Harrisburg, as well as an attraction that had intrigued me with its billboards for decades, Roadside America in Shartlesville, PA. This place has to be seen to be believed, especially the "Night Pageant". God and country are alive and well in Pennsylvania. And pay no attention to the man behind the curtain. Excuse the blurring, but the light was a little low.



We stopped in Frackville, PA, for the night, and stuffed ourselves with dinner and breakfast at the famous Dutch Kitchen Restaurant before heading home. Now it's time to get back to normal.