Just got back from Washington DC

[TeaPot]

Managed to sneak off for four days to visit Wasington DC with hubby and youngest son, before said son goes back to school next week....

We had a brilliant time, walked our legs off, took lots of snaps, saw as much as humanly possible in 4 days and also sweated buckets! Silly me, thought heading "north" for a bit would mean cooler temps, but no! It was 102o one day....

Anyhoo, it was so lovely to see beautiful old buildings, park, hills, gardens, museums (most of which are free) and history everywhere. The city is beautiful, easily walked, the metro was quick and accessible, trolley tours too if you want to - I like those trolleys, gets the weight of your feet for a bit and you can still sightsee whilst having a "rest".

Must mention my near hysterics when I spotted a bed of Hostas in a garden -my favourite plant and I had a huge collection of them back home in my garden in Bovingdon, Hertfordshire. I can't grow Hostas here in FL :(

Two very interesting things we saw at Mount Vernon, home of George Washington. Firstly, his false teeth on display - which I found very bizarre and secondly the TV "Star" Dog the Bounty Hunter and his comely wife trotting around the gardens there along with us, our Son was so excited about this (Dog, not the false teeth......)

Every now and again we now manage to pop off somewhere historic, so DC has now been added to my list of St Augustine, Savannah, Charlotte, Boston and New York, Las Vegas (?) - well, the nearby Grand Canyon is old! Now we have permanent residency and the pressure is off, we find we can nip off more often for a break, unlike before when the business kept us tied down.

So, my latest need to see something old and beautiful has now been satisfied. Any recommendations for when I get the yearning again? :D

Love,

[kirtida8]

Glad you had a great time - really jealous as I could really do with a break of any kind LOL. What about San Fransisco and Yellowstone - definitely on my list of "to see"

[telco]

Yosemite

[timjotom]

You should have given us a call - we are about 45 minutes outside of DC in Virginia.
I can remember the first time we saw the Capital Building and the White House it was amazing.
I would recommend the trolley tour as you can see all the sites whilst sat down. All the Smithsonian museums are great and the fact that they are free adds to their appeal.
Glad you enjoyed your vacation.

[InnVic]

Im old and beautiful......!

[TeaPot]

You should have given us a call - we are about 45 minutes outside of DC in Virginia.
I can remember the first time we saw the Capital Building and the White House it was amazing.
I would recommend the trolley tour as you can see all the sites whilst sat down. All the Smithsonian museums are great and the fact that they are free adds to their appeal.
Glad you enjoyed your vacation.

Awww, sorry timjotom....quite new to this board so never knew you were from that neck of the woods. We could have stopped by for a cuppa.....:o

I agree with your comments about the trolley tour. When we go somewhere new the trolley tour is the first thing we do. It gives you the lie of the land and prepares you well to set off on foot once you have your bearings.

We thought the teeny bit we saw of Virginia, on the bus going to Mount Vernon, was beautiful - all hilly and green, is it pretty where you are?

Thanks Kay and telco for your recommendations, they are now on my list....

Forgot to mention before, my 11 year old sons favourite place was Abraham Lincolns Memorial and the steps outside where Martin Luther King gave his speech. Mine and Mr TP's were all the War Memorials we visited, WW1 and WW2, Vietnam, to name only two and also Arlington Cemetary - very humbling and moving.

I, for one, learned a lot on this trip....

....including the fact that George Washingtons false teeth were NOT made of wood.

Love,

[TeaPot]

Im old and beautiful......!

I have added you to my list........

:D

[timjotom]

Our door is always open to anyone wanting to stop by!

Virginia is very beautiful and green and we love it here. We love the fact that it has seasons and that we get snow in winter!

[Kriz1]

Yellowstone...Mt Rushmore...Little big horn...Devils tower...Montana...
Cape Cod....which is lovely even if I moan about it....

[Kriz1]

Im old and beautiful......!

Well I'm old...:rofl:

[TeaPot]

Our door is always open to anyone wanting to stop by!

Virginia is very beautiful and green and we love it here. We love the fact that it has seasons and that we get snow in winter!

Ahhh....seasons....miss them x

[InnVic]

I just noticed the tips of the Maple in our yard turning red......that means its not long till Fall!

[Kriz1]

I just noticed the tips of the Maple in our yard turning red......that means its not long till Fall!

I can tell by my neighbours Maple when Fall is on the way....

[kirtida8]

God please let fall come soon - I am dying in here!!!!

[JanetTom]

As a complete aside,my hubby and I spent a weekend in Arkansas, looking at land forsale, very cheap by comparison to FL. The state looked a lot like England, lush fields, nice hedgrows, lots of plants that we would have had in UK, so I know what you mean about the Hostas,TeaPot.( know Chipperfield and Hemel very well stayed at the Boxmoor Lodge hotel on many occassions)

We would eventually like to move, but schools dictate to us where we can move. We have a gifted child who is also a scratch golfer, and would like to play golf all year round, (we are now in FL) Ideally a state that has the seasons, but not to the extremes (too cold in winter/super hot in summer)
Plus somewhere that won`t hammer us on property taxes. It is a mommoth task to look at relocating the business, but may be necessary at some stage.

The main reason for the move is due to the heat.... it is not comfortable to be out in it, unless you are near a pool ... not a good work environment...

Any suggestions for other states we can do some research on would be appreciated.

Janet

[TeaPot]

As a complete aside,my hubby and I spent a weekend in Arkansas, looking at land forsale, very cheap by comparison to FL. The state looked a lot like England, lush fields, nice hedgrows, lots of plants that we would have had in UK, so I know what you mean about the Hostas,TeaPot.( know Chipperfield and Hemel very well stayed at the Boxmoor Lodge hotel on many occassions)

We would eventually like to move, but schools dictate to us where we can move. We have a gifted child who is also a scratch golfer, and would like to play golf all year round, (we are now in FL) Ideally a state that has the seasons, but not to the extremes (too cold in winter/super hot in summer)
Plus somewhere that won`t hammer us on property taxes. It is a mommoth task to look at relocating the business, but may be necessary at some stage.

The main reason for the move is due to the heat.... it is not comfortable to be out in it, unless you are near a pool ... not a good work environment...

Any suggestions for other states we can do some research on would be appreciated.

Janet

Hello Janet,

I got all wistful when you mentioned Chipperfield and the Boxmoor Lodge Hotel. We lived on Chipperfield Road, Bovingdon and used to pass the Boxmoor Lodge Hotel on our way to and from work.......on my last visit back home I sat outside "my" house in the car and just looked wistfully at it.

Glad you understand my love of Hostas......when we left I dug up as many as I could, put them into huge pots and distributed them to friends and family to be "looked after" until I return........

Good luck with your search for somewhere to relocate to, I will read with interest any comments made. I too wonder if I can stand this summer heat for the rest of my days, although the winters are lovely.

Kind Regards,

[TeaPot]

As a complete aside,my hubby and I spent a weekend in Arkansas, looking at land forsale, very cheap by comparison to FL. The state looked a lot like England, lush fields, nice hedgrows, lots of plants that we would have had in UK, so I know what you mean about the Hostas,TeaPot.( know Chipperfield and Hemel very well stayed at the Boxmoor Lodge hotel on many occassions)

We would eventually like to move, but schools dictate to us where we can move. We have a gifted child who is also a scratch golfer, and would like to play golf all year round, (we are now in FL) Ideally a state that has the seasons, but not to the extremes (too cold in winter/super hot in summer)
Plus somewhere that won`t hammer us on property taxes. It is a mommoth task to look at relocating the business, but may be necessary at some stage.

The main reason for the move is due to the heat.... it is not comfortable to be out in it, unless you are near a pool ... not a good work environment...

Any suggestions for other states we can do some research on would be appreciated.

Janet

Forgot to mention, I believe North and South Carolina and Georgia can be quite pleasant temperature wise, although I have only visited South Carolina and Georgia in the Spring personally - and the weather then was lovely.

Maybe someone else will have more information on them.

Love,

[OberonSH]

Two very interesting things we saw at Mount Vernon, home of George Washington. Firstly, his false teeth on display - which I found very bizarre and secondly the TV "Star" Dog the Bounty Hunter and his comely wife trotting around the gardens there along with us, our Son was so excited about this (Dog, not the false teeth......)




Wonder if you missed him diving through the white house window taking down the president...'Come on brau, time to go wquiet like!'

[Kriz1]

We have a golf course on every corner here...it can be humid more than hot...Taxes are low if you are in the right town..our is $1100 a year...we have snow but not always a lot...the downful to our area is the cost of living...but for young kids its a great place...

[Kriz1]

Some pictures from the Cape...

http://www.capecod.com/Photos.asp

My little town...

http://www.town.dennis.ma.us/photogallery.htm

[Kriz1]

Ok I should never go to look at homes...just found this and I really like it...

http://www.amy2.com/MLSLimitedDisplay.asp?fp=mlsdetails6-residential&mlsnumber=20513235&pg=1&pt=6

[SHEILA 13]

This home looks lovely,I wish !!!!

[Kriz1]

I was thinking B&B in the summer...

They are always full...

[InnVic]

I was thinking B&B in the summer...

They are always full...

Not viable as "income property" unless you spent a fair bit on it...no one shares baths these days so You'd have to put extra in and I understand on the Cape the season is very short so it would take you years to recoup investment. I could be your "consultant if you wanted to do B&B and become poor and prematurely aged like me!

[kirtida8]

Oh Kriz stop it - I am so wanting out of here. Too hot and absolutely exhausted.

[McSporran]

DC sounds great.

Lake Michigan is also beautiful (but far too much snow in Winter) - visit in Spring or Summer, the fresh water is great for all water sports.

[Kriz1]

Not viable as "income property" unless you spent a fair bit on it...no one shares baths these days so You'd have to put extra in and I understand on the Cape the season is very short so it would take you years to recoup investment. I could be your "consultant if you wanted to do B&B and become poor and prematurely aged like me!

The Cape season is now 9 months...and here its back to the old way of life...I was looking for a place for my mum...and if you could of seen the places we looked at it was like going back to the 50s...dark smelly and old with a bathroom if you were lucky...LOL!

If you lived in it...taking up one room......we don't do breakfasts in house on the Cape...you get a ticket to go to a breakfast place...or you have coffee and a D'nut...it would just be extra income...hubby has a full time job here...
renting out part of it for summer rental it is a 2 family home would bring in about $1500 a week...which is another idea....

[JanetTom]

What a fabulous house, looks very inviting, and a good size home for the price.

Will look into that part of US more seriously... thanks for the info...

Janet

[Kriz1]

What a fabulous house, looks very inviting, and a good size home for the price.

Will look into that part of US more seriously... thanks for the info...

Janet

Funny enough new larger homes sell cheaper here...old small homes cost more...they are easy to heat and cool....and people like to buy a bit of history...even if its only 70s history...:)

We have no real bad part of town in Dennis anymore...houses do not sell well if on a main road unless its route 6A...

If you do look this way....give me a shout...New England is a nice place to live....

[Kriz1]

Oh Kriz stop it - I am so wanting out of here. Too hot and absolutely exhausted.

You could always come up here and open a B&B with me....its a nice 75 today...sea breeze...not a bit humid....the sea is a deep blue...the sand white and cool...the gulls are calling...its really nice thinking about it.:)

[kirtida8]

You could always come up here and open a B&B with me....its a nice 75 today...sea breeze...not a bit humid....the sea is a deep blue...the sand white and cool...the gulls are calling...its really nice thinking about it.:)

OK you're on - just need to find a buyer for this place now - any takers? LOL it makes great money plus you have the added health benefits of weight loss and great skin!

[SHEILA 13]

I think there will be a mass exodus from Orlando soon !!!
Hey Kay wait for me !!!!;)

[Kriz1]

Maybe I should buy that house and you could all move in...:)

[InnVic]

If Kay moves up you could have lovely pressed sheets!...but perhaps I should lure her to Vermont!

[kirtida8]

If Kay moves up you could have lovely pressed sheets!...but perhaps I should lure her to Vermont!

I was hoping to get away from pressing - drat! :rofl: :rofl: :hug: Thanks for the offer - at least I know that a presser is always in demand.;)

[InnVic]

I only have a maximum of 7 sets of sheets a day to press (and 14 pillowcases) and have an air conditioned laundry room (dead posh eh??) You could cope with that with your eyes closed!

[Susie]

Hi Teapot

Lucky you to get a mini break, any break would do for me at the moment, hey ho

Lets get a new thread started and get a mini weekend away booked soon, pleaaaaseeeeeeeee

[Susie]

Ok I should never go to look at homes...just found this and I really like it...

http://www.amy2.com/MLSLimitedDisplay.asp?fp=mlsdetails6-residential&mlsnumber=20513235&pg=1&pt=6

Beautiful, just my sort of home,

[Susie]

Maybe I should buy that house and you could all move in...:)

Yes, a large one and

a safe haven for expats who do not get a visa and want to stay, ;)

[anniefromessex]

Susie, just what are you suggesting, ha ha!!!

Love Anniexxx

[Kerry]

Hi teapot, thought of you when i played golf at Little hey at the weekend, i used to live in Bovingdon high street years ago, may parents also lived in the high street, i rented the cottage next door to the butchers! just moved back to Hemel after a long stint in London, small world. my brother emigrated to florida from bovingdon 10 years ago.

[TeaPot]

Hi teapot, thought of you when i played golf at Little hey at the weekend, i used to live in Bovingdon high street years ago, may parents also lived in the high street, i rented the cottage next door to the butchers! just moved back to Hemel after a long stint in London, small world. my brother emigrated to florida from bovingdon 10 years ago.

Hi Kerry,

Nice to meet you! Ahhh, Little Hay Golf Club....we had our "leaving do" there! I took some golf lessons there many moons ago - still can't play golf though!

If it is the cottage I am thinking of, you must mean Fyffes butchers! Old Mr Fyffe still works in the shop - I popped in to see him when I was last home....

Where in FL is your brother? Do you have plans to come here too?

Thanks for saying hello.....even though you have me hankering after Fyffe's homemade pork sausages now. :D

[byjove]

Funny enough new larger homes sell cheaper here...old small homes cost more...they are easy to heat and cool....and people like to buy a bit of history...even if its only 70s history...:)

We have no real bad part of town in Dennis anymore...houses do not sell well if on a main road unless its route 6A...

If you do look this way....give me a shout...New England is a nice place to live....


So is mine historic then? Built in 1974!!!! :D

[Kriz1]

So is mine historic then? Built in 1974!!!! :D

My place is..it was built in 1970...