After a night in Hagerstown, the next morning dawned clear but very cold. And knowing that changing out of a dress would likely be tough (if not impossible) today, I elected to go with a black turtleneck, tan stirrups, black tights and ballet flats. I put the red and black animal print skirt on over my stirrups, but decided it didn’t look quite right. Thus, my skirt stayed in the suitcase. (At some point I may post a picture just to get your opinion!)
At breakfast I did my usual “look for pre-packaged items to take back to the room.” I found what I needed, and a couple having breakfast in the breakfast room said “Have a nice day, Ma’am” as I walked by on the way out. (Yes, I responded appropriately, in a quieter, feminine voice!)
Did my appearance make a difference to the morning-shift desk clerk? Nope, not at all. She hadn’t seen my driver’s license, and addressed me as female during the entire check-out process.
On the way home, I stopped at several sites enroute. But no pictures…I have plenty of me in similar outfits in my photo archives. No interactions with others. And when I got to the Bay Bridge – no traffic! YAY!
I’m slowly gaining confidence that I look more like a woman than I used to, and feel comfortable as a woman. That helps a lot. Masks do help, and minimize the need for full makeup (though makeup does feel good to wear.)
Recent proliferation of porta-potties has been helpful in my limited travels. There are still some argumentative types out there, who pop off with the dreaded “S” word. So for that very reason, when I’m “beyond androgynous”, I’ve stayed out of gender-specific rest rooms. Probably at some point (like when the porta-potties go away) I’ll have no choice, but I’ll cross that bridge when I come to it. Do what has to be done and leave quickly will be the game plan…when it happens.
So that’s my recent excitement…now back to the business at hand! (In house-dresses at home, of course.) And I’m not planning any extensive trips in the near future…too much going on to concern myself with that. But rest assured that some kind of a two-plus week rail trip out west which I had planned for last year (and which got canceled due to the virus) is still in the back of my mind. Between my dresses and skirts, I have enough clothes for that excursion. No way I would forget about that…as long as it can be done safely.
What I had originally thought was going to be the last day of my recent trip began with quite chilly temperatures in Cumberland. I got up early again, slipped into my brown floral dress and black tights, with flats and a warm fall jacket, and loaded the car. Then I ventured to this well-known-brand “nice” motel’s breakfast area, once again in search of a couple of pre-packaged things which could serve as breakfast and/or mid-morning snack, or perhaps even lunch if necessary. Fortunately, I walked by carefully and looked in before entering. What did I see among the patrons but two “bubbas” with radical hair styles heavy beards, wife-beater-style sleeveless undershirts with no other covering, well-inked arms and necks, and scowls on their faces.
Hmmmm… No need to tempt fate with characters like that around, so I kept on walking – back to the room, via the long way. As I came down the back stairs, I saw the guys turning into their room, about 8 doors further down the hall from my room, carrying food similar to what I was looking for. So I reversed course back to the breakfast room. Success – no more “bubbas,” and lots of large prepackaged sweet rolls and bananas. After clearing out the rest of the stuff in my room, I drove to the front to check out – “You have a nice day, Ma’am!” “Thanks Miss, you too!” And I was on my way again.
First came a quick tour of Cumberland, including the B&O line toward St. Louis and its pretty stone viaduct, the tiny Amtrak “station” (if you can even call it a station) in current use, the grandiose former Western Maryland Railway depot now used by the Western Maryland Scenic tourist line, then east on I-68 and a side road, to find Rocky Gap casino and resort on Deep Creek Lake.
Next came a detour on a primitive gravel path literally “up the side of a hill” to find a scenic overlook with a spectacular late autumn view of the area from a perch at the top of the ridge. And then another detour to the C&O Canal National Historical Park at Fifteen Mile Creek.
Temperatures had warmed up enough to convince me to get out and set up the tripod for a selfie by the time I reached the canal…
But now it was late enough that if I headed home I’d be stuck in rush hour traffic at the bridge. So I exercised “plan B,” and called in a hotel reservation at Hagerstown. When I arrived in town, I stopped at a local sub shop to pick up dinner and lunch for tomorrow. I was once again greeted as a woman, at both the sub shop (where a man held the door for me) and the motel….
Granddaughter made a video call to us about 9:30 the other morning, and Grandma answered. I was working on the computer in another room. When granddaughter asked for Grandpa, wifey called me in. I was still wearing my “jammies” – the outfit shown below:
….including the sandals shown because I’d just been in the basement. But unbeknownst to wifey, granddaughter’s cousin and her mom were on the line, too. Good news is: nobody said anything about my wearing a dress, which they could have. There’s no way to pass it off as anything but a dress or feminine nightgown.
But this incident makes it easier to know what I will be wearing evenings/mornings next time we visit!
This is the rest of the day which began in the prior post – a VERY long day!!
Near Frostburg, and within sight of Interstate 68, I finally was able to see up-close a massive steel framework, which has been basically unchanged for perhaps 15 years (we.ve driven that highway several times.) It’s the landmark of a local church – God’s Ark of Safety – and is built roughly in the shape of the front half of a boat (or Ark?). The foundation for the un-built back half is intact, but appears to be deteriorating due to weathering. Apparently, the edifice is personifying the name of the church…but with no progress for all these years, whether they will ever get their ark finished is questionable!
Taking to back roads again, I detoured southwest toward toward Lonaconing, another little burg with a bit of history – the Lonaconing Iron Furnace, a part of the Georges Creek Coal and Iron Company which was formed and built in the late 1830’s. This huge edifice (50’ square at the base, 25’ square at the top, and 50’ high) produced pig iron at the rate of 6 tons per day, which was then taken to Clarysville MD and shipped by the B&O Railroad, to be used by others to make metal products.
This furnace was the first in America to successfully make pig iron using coal and coke instead of charcoal, so it is important in America’s history. However Congress lowered the tariff on imported coal, thus it was cheaper to buy Welsh coal from overseas than use Pennsylvania coal. Unable to compete, Lonaconing closed in 1855.
Along the valley floor were abandoned railroad tracks of the Georges Creek Railroad (former Western Maryland.) In what appeared to be a former railroad shop area next to the those tracks were stored about 5 old diesel locomotives and several freight/passenger cars, in varying states of apparent disrepair.
Finally I reached Westernport, a town of under 2000 inhabitants which in 1794 was known as Hardscrabble due to the rocky soil which made planting difficult. In the late 1790’s it became known as Westernport – as it was the farthest west navigable port on the Potomac River. Its cute little railroad station now houses a museum. I knew it would not be open, but it was nice to see another piece of history preserved. And to visit another town, which I will likely never see again… From Westernport, it was off to the motel in Cumberland. And the GPS took me over some interesting (not bad, just unusual) roads…
It had been another day of “she” – “her” and so on, by the few folks with whom I had personal interactions. No “side eyes” or other such issues.
I was still going to be eating my lunch from the cooler, which would minimize personal interactions. However, segue back to this morning. I had gone to the breakfast area before departing the hotel, to see if they had a prepackaged “something” I could take along for a snack. Yes, they did. The attendant showed me where they were, and said “Have a nice day, Ma’am” and so on. Very nice. As did the desk clerk…
Gas stations were another place for interaction, and no problems were encountered. I was just another female customer. Yes, the virus threat is still real, and with home life so busy at this point in time, I hurried to get out of there each time. Covid was not something I needed to take home with me as a souvenir.
Finally, the motel was in sight…”May I help you, Ma’am.” Another fine day! Bring on tomorrow…
Overnight, the weather changed a bit, with some sun in the morning, and cooler weather with rain showers in the pm. From the first night’s motel, there was a bit of backtracking involved, thus I got a chance to experience a few moments of glorious morning on Grand View!
Then it was on to the Flight 93 monument near Shanksville, PA. Now THAT was a sobering experience.
Do you remember where you were on 9/11/2001? And what you were doing? I was at work, and heard about the first airplane hitting the WTC. So I switched on the TV and kept it going in the background. Wifey was at home, and a lawn sprinkler was being installed, so she heard about it from the installers. Thus we both were aware. Much was said about the terrible tragedy in NYC, but the passengers captive on that hijacked plane had their own situation going on. They did their best to avoid further tragedy, even though it led to their own demise. The exhibits were both informative and in good taste.
An interesting theme: the building was laid out to let the major walkway to the overlook more or less follow the flight path of Flight 93 as it hurtled to the ground. It was hard to contain emotions at that point…my eyes did get a bit moist. And by the time I walked to the “Wall of Names” a few hundred feet from point of impact, the sun (which had been shining brightly earlier in the morning) had disappeared behind some very dark clouds which were moving in from the west. Appropriately enough, the skies started crying. At that moment, it seemed very touching and symbolic. May the victims of this tragedy all rest in eternal peace.
Fortunately the rain was not heavy and had subsided by the time I reached my car. I set out for the nearby burg of Meyersdale, a great place each spring to obtain freshly-made traditional maple syrup! Enroute I passed under the magnificent old Western Maryland Railway’s Salisbury Viaduct, which has been repurposed as part of the Great American Passage (GAP) hiking/biking trail, but with the cloudy skies and occasional rain, elected to “not” attempt to hike to the viaduct..
For such a small town, it was well-blessed with train stations, and yes, Amtrak does go through westbound in the evening and eastbound in the morning. (I’ve been through town numerous times as a passenger on trains 29 and 30!) Unfortunately though, no passenger trains stop there anymore. One station, on the CSX line, is still in use as a base for maintenance crews. The other station, on the abandoned Western Maryland line (now the GAP trail) serves as the local historical society. Nice to know that, like the viaduct, both were repurposed instead of being destroyed!
Leaving there, I headed for Frostburg (also on the Western Maryland line.) Enroute are a number of other railroad sites too numerous to mention, as well as the Keystone Viaduct, on the former WM line which now carries the GAP trail instead of trains! I had time to do a quick stop at several of them.
And when in Frostburg, it’s always good to stop at the old WM depot, which has been restored and is the western terminus of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. It operates between Cumberland and Frostburg, meaning that portion of the line is still maintained and in use! Not surprisingly, I’ve enjoyed this ride a few times…
Wishing you a happy and healthy Thanksgiving, wherever you may be! And if you don’t celebrate Thanksgiving…no worries. Have a happy and healthy DAY! Hugs, Mandy
Recently I was able to make a solo trip to do a bunch of railfanning, something I’ve been hoping to make happen for a long time. But what to wear was an easy choice to make, to put on a dress (or skirt!!) And this was a wonderful opportunity…
First day weather was fabulous…not cold, perfect for a turtleneck blouse and skirt, a change which I could easily make without much effort, right in the car. I left the house in turtleneck and stirrup pants, but changed not too many miles down the road. And it felt so nice, I was looking forward to this big change…
My first sightseeing stop was unfortunately a flop. I had always heard about an abandoned small section of the “original” Pennsylvania Turnpike which was bypassed in 1968. But I hadn’t been there yet. So I did my research, and found a spot near a major interchange, and headed there to see if I could find it.
Yes – I found the spot. However, the only car in the parking area was sitting in a pile of broken glass – from all the side and back windows being smashed out – certainly not an inspiring sight. Hmmm. Wonder if the vandals who did it were lurking in the nearby woods? Didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that perhaps I didn’t want to walk too far from the car (especially in a skirt, since I didn’t know if I was “passable” that day, or what might happen if I was. (Doggone it, there’s that word again!)
I drove around on nearby country roads for a while, hoping to find any other areas which had views of the old ‘pike, but with the exception of one overpass (and no steps leading up to the road), all I could find were overgrown embankments which required hiking/hill-climbing in the weeds. My nylons and legs weren’t going to survive the burrs and other high weeds. So, I gave up, in order to move on…
One of the sights I visited was a rail station in south central PA, which I had visited years ago to see the steam engine they had kept from being scrapped and were cosmetically improving it. They actually did finish the project a number of years ago, though it is now starting to show the effects of weather, despite being under a “carport for locomotives.” And the docent (a lady my age) offered Mandy (it was actually nice to be able to use my legal first name and be recognized as a girl) a guided tour of the site if I could return in an hour (due to her prior commitment.) Unfortunately I couldn’t return, so I had to give that up.
A few other nearby sites I visited were Dunkle’s Gulf service station and the Koontz coffee pot, both on US Route 30 in Bedford, PA. These are relics of a bygone era, though the gas station is still in operation, and I had visited it years earlier in the antique car. Think about it – when was the last time you saw a gas station operating under a Gulf sign? The Coffee Pot is still in relatively good condition, though it’s not an operating business. At least it still exists.
Ever heard of Gravity Hill in New Paris, PA? According to the internet, this is one many around the world. They all typically have the following characteristics: a hilly road in a rural (low traffic) valley, an obstructed 360 degree horizon, and on an “apparent” incline. The perfect setup for an optical illusion! You stop your car on the apparent “downhill” slope and put the car in neutral, look behind you to be sure nobody has come up on your tail, and then take your foot off the brake. Surprise! You don’t drift forward “downhill” – the car slowly begins to inch up the hill backward! Mother Nature isn’t really defying the laws of gravity. But in reality, it’s simply amazing!
Then it was onward, to the Ship of The Mountain (one of its many names since inception) at Grand View, on the Lincoln Highway (US Route 30) near the summit of Mt. Ararat in the Allegheny Mountains. The small 4 story hotel/restaurant (with entry at road level on the 4th floor) was built in 1928 as Grand View Point Hotel, and drew a large crowd because of the location and its “grand view.” The Lincoln Highway (2-lane with hills and curves then, and still is today) was bypassed by the PA turnpike and business dried up, causing several changes in ownership and eventual abandonment 1n 1980. It deteriorated rapidly through the 1990’s.
Just a month after the US “911” tragedy, it caught fire and burned to the ground, never to be replaced. What remains are: the pull-over on US 30, the remains of the roadside stone foundation and former pillars of stone forming the lower floors, all on the mountain slope which supported the building built on the side of the mountain. The abandoned and collapsing gas station remains across the road, but most importantly, the one thing which will never fade – that Grand View! A fabulous stop, to be sure, and a highlight of the trip.
After a touristy stop at the Old Log House in Bedford, and an obligatory visit to the nearby covered bridge, it was off to the hotel for the evening.
Now a few words about my trip. After I exchanged my pants for a skirt the first day, I locked them into a bag which was buried in the trunk. I don’t travel light. But even so, this trip was unusual in that I brought food for 2+ days of lunches and evening meals with me in two coolers. I’m still not comfortable mingling with people of unknown Covid status, due to the virus – which is still infecting people.
When I had to be around people, I was wearing a mask. But remember, this was mostly boondocks travel, and there weren’t a lot of people out. Restrooms were not a problem – due to real restrooms being closed there were porta-pots everywhere I needed one. I obligingly used the women’s after one of two women in a short line for the women’s porta-pot reminded me that I was headed for the men’s! (I guess I “passed.”) The line moved quickly, though, and we all were soon on our way, with only a little “girl talk.”
And at the motel, I was addressed as a woman the entire time. Makes me wonder if they even bothered to look for the big M on my license! (Not that I’m complaining, mind you!)
Time for my annual antique show…in another town in Maryland. It had been cancelled last year because of the virus. And nobody knew whether anyone would even show up this year! (As it turned out, there was nothing to worry about…they did!)
I left home wearing black stirrup pants and a brown turtleneck blouse, pantyhose and my trusty old flats, the same way I’ve dressed for the last many years. Exhibitors have to arrive early and wait in line till the registration desk opens…a fabulous chance for socializing. I was wearing a mask, and carrying my purse.
One of the female exhibitors came over to stand by me, and we struck up a conversation. Beginning with her comment that “Us girls have to stick together, don’t we?” Soon there were three of us girls (60+ in age), talking up a storm. No topics in particular…weather, where we live, antiques, and so on. It got interesting when a guy (known to one of the girls) came up and addressed us all as “ladies.” He asked my first name, and I was so very thankful that it’s now a female name. No fake name needed. “Pleased to meet you, “Ma’am.” He shook my hand, and I had to remember to do it gently! Our conversation was cut short when the line started to move…”You girls all have a good day!”
Once inside and set up at my area, there was no change from usual in how the nearby dealers who know my birth gender treated me. But the visitors (and those who didn’t know me) generally they assumed I was female and used appropriate terms, or in some cases, none at all. I had brought my own lunch in order to avoid the crowded lunch area frequented by unmasked attendees…and likewise my own dinner. It was a boring evening back in the hotel room, but not worth the risk of being out among unmasked-and-likely-unvaccinated people.
Restrooms were a possible issue. As I know some of the female vendors, using the women’s room was not an option. Dehydration helps, as can knowing where the least-populated men’s room is (along with locking my purse in the trunk of the car which was parked in line-of-sight with the front door and the attendant.) So, no issue there…
And no issues at the hotel, either. It was pleasant to be addressed properly as “Ms. Sherman” by the desk staff.
The second day was similar to the first, and it was/is so wonderful to be interpreted as female by strangers. When the show was over, I packed the car to head back to the hotel, having had another successful antique weekend… I stopped by the front desk to pay for a snack and was pleasantly surprised to be addressed as “young lady.” I could get used to this…
Guess what arrived the other day, not too many days after receiving the package with my sandals?
It was my order of 2 pairs of flats! Both were ballet style and both had ornamentation on the vamp, one pair with traditional feminine string bows, and one with a flatter detail, looking much like a bow made from fabric! I’ve been waiting for this shipment for a while! Now to see how they fit!
When I showed the catalog pix to wifey before ordering, her preference was for the pair with the fabric bow, but she wanted to see how both pairs fit before “blessing” either one. And when I put the string bow pair on, I heard “those are so cute, and go perfectly with your housedress, but you really do look like a girl in them. How do they fit?” My response was sadly truthful: “Not so good – very tight, not comfortable.” “OK, now try on the other pair.”
So I did, and the fit was wonderful – like night and day.
No breaking in would be/was needed. Her comment: “You need the shoes, so keep these and send the ones with the string bow back. I like these better.” “Thanks, they fit so nicely. Just curious: if the first pair had fit better than these, would I be keeping them instead?” “I really don’t know – with the cute bows, they’re so girly. I’m just glad the fit worked out this way.”
I thought to myself that it would have been nicer to be able to keep the other pair, but half a loaf is better than none. “Now, go put your sandals on…”
You may recall that I’ve had problems keeping my large toe nails in one piece, and have been using help from my nail tech to patch them with acrylic. In addition, she keeps them painted white (it was Wifey’s choice of color – I’d have preferred teal or better yet, a nice feminine red) to disguise the repairs.
During our recent visit to see our son and family, somehow the repair got cracked. Might have something to do with the old work boots I wore for a recreational hike we took. A dark line (the crack again) appeared through the polish, which alerted me to the issue. After arriving home, I scheduled a visit to the nail salon for the earliest possible date, to have all 20 nails worked on.
At the nail salon!
This visit (with me in capris, turtleneck blouse and sandals) was uneventful. No other customers – no interesting “girl talk at the pedicure chair” this time! Guess all the other girls in the area have had their fall pedis already. And the nail tech was quiet, as well. Wonder why the whole place was silent? But with all the quiet, I got a chance to grab a quick pedi pic – unfortunately this was not one of their better patch jobs. But it will get refinished next time!
Several days later was my appointment with the eye doctor – across the bridge (again), toward Baltimore. In my first attempt at getting dressed, I put on a turtleneck tunic, stirrup pants with pantyhose and ballet flats. Wifey reminded me that the temperature was still in the 50’s. She handed me a new outfit – “something a bit more contemporary”: my light gray capris, one of Mom’s black blouses, and my new sandals (off came the pantyhose – bare legs, of course). “There, that looks much better. With that outfit, you’ll be right in style. Just don’t forget a necklace and bracelet.” So, I grabbed my one of each, plus my car keys and purse, and headed west, across the bridge…
Given my feminine appearance, I actually debated changing into my denim dress for the office visit, under cover of it being so close to Halloween. The staff knows me as “Mr.” and I didn’t want to cause any issues, so “no dress.” But unbenownst to me, the seed for discussion of that issue had already been planted, and today was the day for it to sprout.
After my exam and some small talk, the doctor said staff had requested clarification of how they should address me. So we discussed approaches to this, including possibly omitting any gender-specific greeting and go with my “now female” given name, perhaps preceded by “Ms.” to minimize any customer awkwardness over my appearance. She will talk to them about it.
And the doctor (who’s “on our side”) volunteered that she has a relative whose 6 year old son loves pink, wears dresses (including to school), and identifies as female, even at that young age. I’ve read about those situations on-line, but this was my first contact with anyone actually in that situation. And there I sat, entirely dressed in a feminine outfit, including jewelry…needless to say, I forgot to mention at least some of the discussion when I got home.
Wifey was quite right in revising my outfit – a number of other girls were wearing capris and pretty blouses, with sandals. When I got home I told her “Thanks for making me change clothes, dear. It’s a cute combo, and I certainly wasn’t the only one dressed this nicely.” “I didn’t figure you would be, sweetie. You and the other girls will likely be wearing these outfits a lot in November. There’ll be plenty of time later for leggings, turtlenecks, pantyhose and ballet flats.”
Mandy's Miscellany 