This photo was taken as I boarded the last flight of AYCJ in Long Beach, California.

This year, I learned a few things about traveling on a long trip.  These things aren’t as big on shorter trips, but become more obvious the longer the trip.

Delays happen

From traffic delays getting to the airport to delays departing from the gate to delays getting your bags at your destination, delays will always happen.  Plan for them, allow extra time, and go with the flow.  You won’t get to your next spot any faster by getting upset.

Burial Hill in Plymouth, Massachusetts has been used for burials by Plymouth residents since the 1620s, including passengers of the Mayflower and Governor William Bradford.

Early grave markers were made of wood that have since deteriorated. Starting in the mid-seventeenth century stone markers were used, including the oldest belonging to Edward Gray from 1681.

The twelfth State Capitol I visited was in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was designed by Richard K. A. Kletting in 1912 and completed in 1916.

The USS Constitution, berthed in Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston, was launched in 1797, and set sail the following year to protect American commerce.  On August 19, 1812, she took on the British frigate HMS Guerriere in a half hour of intense combat.  During the battle that maimed the British ship, cannon balls bounced off of the USS Constitution with little effect.  One sailor exclaimed “Huzzah! Her sides are made of iron!” and she was given the nickname “Old Ironsides.”  Between 1844 and 1846, she cruised around the world covering 52,000 miles in 852 days.  She is the nation’s oldest commissioned warship.

Living on the west coast for much of my life, I have taken granted the beautiful views I see each day. The crashing waves into boulders where ocean meets land, the sunset disappearing into the horizon, and all the sand that always manages to get into my shoes and socks. It wasn’t until I visited the northeast that I really appreciated the coast and noticed there are different features among the west and the east coasts.

On the west coast, the waves crash into the boulders that were placed there by humans to break the violent waves that come in the winter, taking the backyards away from homes perched on top of bluffs above the beach. It depends on the day, sometimes you can see a beautiful sunset that reflects off the water until the sun disappears into the ocean. Other days, fog can hide the sunsets and even views from far away.

Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays! Here’s a photo from Salt Lake City, Utah.

This photo was taken on the observation deck above the Oregon State Capitol in Salem.

The eleventh state capitol I visited was in Augusta, Maine. The first State House was completed in 1832. In 1911, much of the building was demolished except for the front and back walls, and was doubled to a width to 300 feet.