Campus tour
College Park, MD
Obviously, I’m not getting out much at the moment. Greeze, I was just in a major car accident a week ago. All things considered, it’s actually a miracle I’m moving at all. Walking up and down the stairs to my room is almost more than I can handle, but I’m determined to not let this accident take everything away from me. So, as a compromise I decided to settle for a few shorts walks around campus as a way to keep my ‘photo-day trip’ trend going. Campus is closed so I can park where ever I want. It’s minutes away from my house, so I can easily get back when I’ve had enough.
McKeldin Mall
View from the library towards the Admin Building
Testudo, at McKeldin Library
View of Mall towards the library
The mall has been the focus of two of my walks. Usually because after walking around it I’m done, so it’s all I see. It wears me out so I have to leave, but also because I think it’s a nice part of campus. Testudo’s shiny nose is from students rubbing it for luck on the way to exams and such, something I’ve contributed to on numerous occasions.
Notable Buildings
Cole Field House
Memorial Chapel
Cole Field House holds a lot of memories. I’ve been around long enough to have watched some great games there. Comcast is a great arena, but the atmosphere doesn’t really compare to Cole. Loved that place. Hmmm… I spent quite a few nights camped out in there waiting for basketball tickets!
Campus
HJ Patterson building
Talbot Hall, a dorm
I absolutely love my campus. I can’t help it. It’s beautiful, although I may be a tad bias.
Misc
I had to add a picture of a campus squirrel. They’re just such a part of the experience, so how can I leave them out?
I’ve enjoyed photographing the campus, even if the lightening wasn’t the best. I’ve been looking for an excuse to do it. I’m considering venturing out a little further soon, but I’ll have to play it by ear at this point. I’m taking things one day at a time.
The Flickr set: campus photos
Day 2: Back to city life in New Haven
New Haven County, CT
The second day of my weekend with my sis was spent walking through the nearby Greater New Haven area. We had such a great time yesterday together, it seemed like a good way to continue with the positive momentum. There was something for both of us. There was plenty of shopping for her and old, historic buildings to photograph for me.
Lighthouse Point Park
Long Island Sound
New Haven Harbor Lighthouse
1916 Carousel at Lighthouse Point
The park is actually really nice. There were huge grass fields, picnic areas, a couple of play grounds and beaches. What more could you want from a park?
The lighthouse is along the Long Island Sound, on a spot known as Five Mile Point in the New Haven Harbor. It isn’t open to the public, nor is it currently in use. A new lighthouse was built in the harbor. Still, it is stunning sitting along the water. The nearby working carousel is absolutely beautiful. The two spots were being prepared for what appeared to be a small wedding. Great location choice. The ceremony was going to be on the beach in front of the lighthouse, with the reception inside with the carousel.
We planned to have lunch at this park yesterday, but I couldn’t find it so we had to make due with a little community park. This time I was much more prepared with detail, accurate directions. Lesson learned.
Veterans’ Memorial Park
Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial
Before reaching downtown, we stopped at a visitor center along Long Warf Road and walked through the waterfront Veterans’ Memorial Park. The largest of the park’s memorials was dedicated to local Vietnam veterans, however two smaller stones were added for local Korean War veterans and Purple Heart recipients.
Downtown
Chapel Street
New Haven City Hall
Historic New Haven Green
We basically walked a square around downtown, following Chapel, York, Grove and Church Streets. Of course, there were a couple of detours, but that was the general path. On Chapel Street we stopped at a few stores for my sister, who was a trooper through the entire thing. She just moved right along with me and put up with all the photo pauses without complaint.
Several historic churches lined the historic green, which also contained the city’s Flagpole War Memorial. The green was a nice little oasis in the city. It was a perfect place to snatch up a piece of grass during the school day and read, or play Frisbee, sunbath, or whatever.
Yale
Payne Whitney Gym
Law School
Vanderbilt Building
Yale University took up most of downtown, which means our New Haven walk turned into a campus tour. It’s definitely a nice campus, with a lot of old buildings. Generally, it seemed very photographic. I don’t think I was able to really capture that, but for someone with a little more time, there were some great pictures to be had.
I have to say, the maps of downtown and of campus made it seem like both were HUGE. Well, the proportions aren’t what they seem. We were both thrown off once we began walking. We blinked and that landmark we assumed was very FAR away was right there. It was odd.
Today’s Flickr set: city photos
After a nap and cleaning up from the long day, my sister and I went out to dinner. We had a great time. We were able to sit down and talk, just the two of us. We haven’t had such an opportunity since she moved up here for work. I think it gave us a chance to reconnect and I loved it. It was very much needed, for both of us.
Wandering the streets of Annapolis
This morning I scheduled a blood donation with the American Red Cross. It’s something I try to do on a regular basis, but I’m rejected half the time, due to low iron. Well, that’s what happened today. They deferred me. Boo. Oh well, I’ll try again in a week or so.
Anne Arundel County, MD
After my failed blood donation attempt, I took a trip to the Maryland state capital. I needed to add a little variety to my weekend trip scenery, so I switched it up to a small, historic city along the Chesapeake Bay. Really, talk about a great combination… tons of history and a body of water. What more could I want? Not to mention there’s two colleges packed in as well. There’s plenty to see.
City
Maryland State House
All of the state government buildings are grouped together on one side of the city, which is where I started. Turns out the government parking deck is free on the weekends. Much better than paying by the hour when I intended to stay for the entire day. The Maryland State House, which is the center piece, is the oldest state capitol in the country still in use. I meandered around its circle for awhile. There are several memorials, including statues of Maryland natives US Justice Thurgood Marshal and Chief Justice Roger Brooke Taney, scattered on the grounds. It is a beautiful building. Tours are available, but I didn’t take one. I’m not sure what the weekend tour schedule is like, but the building didn’t seem to be open while I was nearby.
Main Street
Maryland Fire Rescue Services Memorial
The state fire and rescue memorial was one of the first things I noticed as I drove in. I’m not sure what to make of its location. It certainly caught my eye, but it’s awkwardly located in terms of visiting. It’s in a roadway island on the outskirts of the city. Anyway, the statue, entitled Between Morning and Midnight, depicts a firefighter and EMT ‘walking up to heaven’ leaving behind a family of three. There are two nearby low-walls listing the state’s fire and rescue personnel killed on duty.
Annapolis Harbor
Chase-Lloyd House
There were several historic houses noted in the tourist information booklet, so walked by several. The Chase-Lloyd House was closed for a private party and the rest weren’t open yet when I passed by. I should probably put a little more thought into my timing.
College Campuses
United States Naval Academy
Tecumseh Court
Stribling Walk, with a statue of the academy’s unofficial mascot, Tecumseh
I took a guided tour of the Naval Academy. It cost a couple of bucks, but to be honest, I wasn’t sure how things worked. I assumed I might need a ticket to walk around campus, which is what I wanted to do, however, that doesn’t seem to be the case. To get onto campus, an official form of ID is required, but that’s about it.
I walked through the academy’s mini-museum in the visitor center while I waited for my tour. It was interesting. They had a small exhibit about the former midshipmen who ventured into space, but most of it was about campus life and what is expected of those that attend.
Our guide told us the upperclassmen were away for the summer, either at home or at sea, leaving the campus relatively empty. The only students left were the new ‘Plebes,’ or freshmen, and a few upperclassmen instructors. Apparently first-years spend the summer months on-campus learning the ropes before the upperclassmen return and normal life begins.
I thought the campus tour was neat. We went into a few of the buildings and the guide was nice resource to have. We went into see the gym, a residence hall, Memorial Hall, which was beautiful, and John Paul Jones’ tomb in the Navy Chapel. There are also several Navy and Marine memorials randomly placed throughout the campus. It’s a very nice campus. The football stadium is a good distance away, but it’s visible from the road heading in and out of the city. It’s huge, as one might expect for Navy football.
Saint John’s College
McDowell Hall
I was too tired to walk through too much of the St. John’s campus. I caught part of it along my way back. It seemed like it was pretty little campus. Really, I basically stepped onto it for a moment, looked around and went on my way. After five hours of walking, I was beat and just wanted to get back to my car.
I had a nice afternoon. The city was quite peaceful, with very few people out. I certainly didn’t mind, that’s just the way I like it. Although, things did begin to pick up in the afternoon as people began to crowd around the market near the harbor and fill the shops.
It turned out to be a rather cloudy day, and it shows in my pictures. I think they turned out okay, but nothing spectacular.
Today’s Flickr set: city photos
This time I had a very detail pre-plan, which I think helped. I mapped out the walk long before I reached the city, and it made things much easier. I also left without feeling I missed something. I’m definitely going to add that piece to my next trips.
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