Strombotne.com » locations

Grandeur

cs — Tue, 29 Mar 2011 01:58:00 +0000

As a road warrior I can, as often as not, find myself in a plain vanilla generic Marriott Garden Express. While there is some benefit to consistency and comfort in routine expectation it is a delight to sometimes stay in an older property with historic flavor. The Netherland Plaza is that. Adjacent is the storied Carew Tower The whole shebang came to fruition due to the lucky financial timing of Cincinnati tycon, John Emery. Find a copy of the Walking Tour & Pocket History booklet from the Bellman and immerse in the splendor of a bygone era. Much of the Brazilian rosewood panel, marble, and French Art Deco has been restored and preserved. The Pavillion Caprice, a three-tiered setting, is said to have been patterned after the ballroom of the USS Leviathan. This room was originally the hotel’s nightclub and boasts Doris Day’s first professional appearance at age 16. There are, of course, other grand spaces to view and tales of famous visiting personalities outlined. But, this review was meant as a sample taste and not the spoiler.

Yates Mill Pond

cs — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 15:05:05 +0000

We happened upon this old grist mill purely at random and stopped to have a look see and learn how it worked. The structure has a storied past exemplified by this snippet: “…in the midst of the Civil War, the mill was sold to Phares and Roxanna Yates, James Pennyâ€™s son-in-law and daughter. Pennyâ€™s involvement in the murder of a Mr. Franklin may have brought on the sale. According to legend, Franklin was a Northern sympathizer who Penny killed for not paying a $700 mill debt. In 1865, Franklinâ€™s widow supposedly told Federal troops occupying Raleigh that her husbandâ€™s death was due to his support for the Union. The soldiers tried to burn the mill by setting fire to the entrance. Charred wooden beams today attest to the unsuccessful attempt.” An historic building, this mill now enjoys a park setting with daily tours available. Knowing that the offered 1 hour talking tour could be condensed into a 3 minute read on Wikipedia mobile we were happy to wander free about — discovering a nature loop trail around the conservation pond and watershed in the process.

The Seeing Eye

cs — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 20:54:46 +0000

Seen: This memorial by J. Seward Johnson of Morris Frank and dog Buddy on the Morristown Green downtown classroom. Seeing Eye Dog, an ubiquitous term for guide dogs, is actually a trademark that was genericized. See historic photos here.

Union Station

cs — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 13:58:49 +0000

No Smoking in the ticketing lobby today. You can make out the uneven wear from decades of foot traffic; undulations reflect in the polished marble floor of the North Hall waiting area. The Union Station in Kansas City was built as monument to train travel before the age of airlines or the personal automobile. Its usage peaked during WWII and then began a long decay until the building structure was rescued less than 10 years ago. There is some interesting history here which includes Harvey House and a gangland shoot-out. I felt wonderment as I strolled through.

Highbanks

cs — Wed, 11 Mar 2009 23:08:40 +0000

Arrive by car if possible because of traffic congestion, noise and fumes on State Rte 23. Once inside the park though it’s solitude and refuge. Splendid natural hardwood forests are on view from all sides. There are some ups and downs and an occasional switchback but the trail is wide hard pack crushed rock. Quite a few people take exercise here in the Highbanks Metro Park. I sampled the Dripping Rock Trail which is a marked loop.