June 26, 2010
Today marks the mid-point of my adventuring. To celebrate this momentous occasion I took my mom and dad along for the ride. The day started off with some delicious eggs, bacon, and pancakes that mom whipped up as she reminded me of the grump I used to be in the mornings growing up. To which I commented, “Let it go, I’m no longer grumpy in the morning since I don’t have to listen to dad singing.” We headed east today to the town of New Bern to see the Tryon Palace and the Birthplace of Pepsi. As we drove down the road, ma and pa told stories of my nephews who are hysterical. Two thinks pomegranate takes the poison out and Cor said to the window guy, “Can’t you hear?” But that’s a different story.
It took a couple hours to get down there. We went to Tryon Palace first. It was an old mansion built in the 1760’s for $80,000 that burnt in the 1790’s. George Washington danced here once. It was then restored in the 1950’s for 3 million dollars. The house is quite nice, but no pictures allowed. I turned of the flash, the sound, and the illuminator and shot from the hip. I may have got a few arms and legs in the picture, but not too bad. The house was quite fancy with marble carved fireplaces and plaster molding. The forks of that time only had 2 tines and the knives were quite wide. There were no closets as we know them today and the clothing would have been atrocious to wear – stockings, corsets, hoops, wigs. Then there are the chamber pots. Thank goodness Thomas Crapper improved the flushable toilet in the 18th century. No joke! His name was Crapper, but he did not invent the first flushable toilet. The staircase was amazing; no bottom supports required.
After touring the house, we went outside and toured the stables then the gardens. I’m sure we were quite a site. Three people running around, each with a camera, taking 100’s of pictures literally over 400. Welcome to the Shutterbug Family. We take pictures of everything – even each other taking pictures which we find hysterical. The gardens were quite spectacular. There was an English Garden with lots of shrubs and brick paths. There was an archway of trees, naked statues (I’m not sure what the draw to these things is), wells, and water fountains. There was also a flower garden with flowers as big as my head and a vegetable garden. After the garden, we visited the kitchen where I learned that you can buy a brick of tea as well as other vintage items. I just might have to order some of this tea in a brick. The cook in the kitchen said that they threw bricks of tea in the Boston harbor during the tea party not bails. You learn something new everyday! We left the house and went to tour the Hay House. It had the neatest kitchen in the basement which smelled of lemon and spices.
Three blocks down the road we went to the Birthplace of Pepsi, which is almost sacrilegious considering that my dad is a die-hard Coke guy. A pharmacist named Caleb Bradham invented Brad’s Drink in 1898 now know as Pepsi-Cola. The place is just a little store now and I was a little disappointed that they didn’t have a “real” drink fountain. I guess I’ll have to stop by Bells and Whistle next time I’m home for a trip-around-the-fountain. None the less, the store was cute and I drank a Pepsi. Along the way to and from the Pepsi shop were bear statues of all shapes and colors. I’m not sure what bears have to do with New Bern, but it was entertaining. Also was a little fire hydrant guy and a Bible-Banger guy handing out million dollar bills.
Total pictures take for the day: Me = 148, Ma = 70, Pa = 203. Like parents, like daughter.
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