Capitol Tour; "Odds" & Ends and musings

We toured the inside of the Pennsylvania State Capitol. It was absolutely gorgeous! I am always amazed at the talent, skill and artistry of the founders of our country. I marvel at the pride they must have taken in their work to do such beautifully detailed workmanship.

Inside the annex

Inside the Capitol Building:

The Dome!

A school group having their picture taken on the steps! They were so cute and so well behaved. As we were leaving they were all lining up to use the restroom. I'm glad I got in there before that group!

More of the dome

The ceiling of the House of Representatives:

A stained glass window in the House of Representatives:

The House of Representatives:

Side wing of the Capitol dome:

Courtroom:

Chandelier:

(notice the figure in the center)

"Odds" & Ends:

They had these cows all over town *?*

All the firehydrants we saw were painted like this *?*

(they weren't all painted exactly alike, but painted just as wierd all the same)


I guess pigs now fly!


And remember the pink fountain on the Capitol grounds? I guess it is for breast cancer awareness~


So this wraps up our stay in Harrisburg.

Things I've learned while I was here:

There is at least one church on every block, if not on every corner.

There is no where to get a decent ice cream cone and no place for a milk shake!

For being the birthplace of Hershey Chocolate, there isn't a morsel to be found!

Half the streets downtown look like alleys.

People are the same pretty much wherever we go and I love seeing, meeting and talking with them! I don't even mind being called "Ma'am"!

It's been a great stay. I didn't even mind the miniature bathroom! I've had the friendliest "housekeepers". I wish I could make them all pen pals! I love these trips. I love seeing the older parts of our country. These are my Loui Armstrong trips where I get to see all the different colors of the rainbows and I love every bit of it.

But I'm so ready to go home. I'm ready to sleep in my own bed, do my own cooking, do my own laundry, even clean my own little bathroom! And I'm so ready to give my kitty some loving! I'm ready to get settled back into my corner of this rainbow we live in. So till next time I bid you adieu!

Walking the Susquehanna and loving the architecture~

Tonight we walked the Susquehanna again, going the opposite direction from Tuesday's walk. It is such a pretty walk, but I'm afraid the camera just doesn't do the view justice.

I love the architecture in these old cities. I want to hear their stories!

Pennsylvania State Capitol

Tonight we walked the grounds of the Capitol building.
It was a gorgeous Capitol Mall.

View from the back:




Notice the "pink" fountain!
What is up with that?

View from the front:

As much as we loved the grounds of the Capitol Mall, our favorite site was the State Street Bridge also known as the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Bridge.

Sorry, but the photos just don't do it justice. It was pretty impressive to stand across the street and look up at these amazing pillars!

Tonight's sunset:

Susquehanna River

Tonight we took a walk along the Susquehanna river~

Enjoy!

This is the house of said "Harris" that Harrisburg was named after:

As we were walking back from the riverfront, we were walking along this historical district when a gal walked out of her house just as we were passing. Almost without missing a beat, we fell into conversation and had quite a nice visit until our paths took different directions. This is another reason I love these trips. The world can feel so big and I can feel so insignificant, then we can be walking along in a place so far from home, strike up a conversation with a total stranger and feel like instant friends without ever knowing their names and knowing we will never see them again. With each visit and each friend made, this large world grows ever smaller.

A Little Respect Please!

Today we flew to Harrisburg, PA!

We had to get up at 3 this morning to make our 7:30 flight. Reminded us of our getting up at 3 on Saturdays to work in the temple!

This flight was Neals "maiden voyage" with his pacemaker and it was not a pleasant experience. Neal got Mr. Natzi Frisk Man. How much can you hide in one pacemaker? And just what effect does said pacemaker have on the items sent on the conveyor belt through the scanner? Mr. Natzi Frisk Man wouldn't let anyone near Neal nor his possessions till he was quite done with Neal. Go figure. I felt so sorry for Neal. And to think this is what he will have to endure every time he flies. Just pray that they are not all like Mr. Natzi Frisk Man.
(sorry there isn't a picture of Mr. Natzi Frisk Man, I was afraid he would take my camera away from me and I would never see it again!)

Our first plane:
(Actually this is the plane that was parked next to us, but looks just like ours!)

The view from our plane!


Our second plane!


I had to laugh when we boarded and I sat down and looked out my window and saw this!


Then before landing I saw this come down!


Thankfully the flight wasn't very long because this plane was the loudest puddle jumper I've ever been on!

After landing it was a short 20 minute taxi ride to our hotel.

One thing I always look forward to on these conferences with Neal is the hotel we stay in. We've had some really nice hotels!

Well . . . .

Welcome to the Crowne Plaza in Harrisburg!

This is our room:


This is our view:


And this is our bathroom!

Yep, this is it!

The, "You can shower, shave and do your paper work without taking a step" room!


And finding a place to eat dinner was something else. Downtown Harrisburg reminds me of a cross between Nashville and Richmond. A lot of homeless right outside our hotel door and the places to eat near by are just a bunch of bars. So we ended up back in our hotel for some pot stickers and a couple of cob salads for dinner and that actually hit the spot for us!

I hope this doesn't sound like I'm complaining, I'm not. Every trip has it's story. Tomorrow I'm all set with the lap top so I can listen to some good conference talks and with some knitting to keep me company while Neal is in class. And tomorrow is always another day to see just what this part of the country is like. And that is why I come on these trips with Neal. I love seeing the personalities and characters of each little part of the country that makes up this most wonderful place we live, the Untied States!