My first day in New Orleans, or NOLA (as it is occasionally known), began with a morning walk to the Canal Street trolley line to buy a day pass.  My hotel was only a few blocks away, and I was “just another woman walking in the city.” 

I passed a “sign of the times” on the way, a disused and inoperative – but nicely decorated –  pay phone.  Even the handset is gone!  Everyone carries a cell phone nowadays,  right?  So pay phones are like buggy whips and flat irons…just hope you never get stuck in an emergency with a dead phone battery.

When I found the trolley day pass automat machine, of course it was broken.  So I asked a man standing near there (who looked like he might know something) where to get a pass now?   “Ma’am, right up there.”  And he pointed up the block to the Walgreens Pharmacy.   I guess if you need “anything, anywhere” Walgreens can help.

While waiting for my van tour of the area, I took a stroll along the Mississippi on the beautiful Riverwalk.   It was a clear, sunny morning, with hints of mist on the water.  It made for some very surreal sights, that one can typically see only early in the day.   There were a lot of women out for morning walks or runs, and the walkers always smiled and said “good morning” as they approached.   Very friendly folks…

Finally I got back to the hotel, to await pickup for the van tour.    Which was a very interesting and complete tour of the area, including the places flooded by Hurricane Katrina.  Because it was in a van, it could go places a tour bus wouldn’t fit…   Following is a picture at a business which survived the epic inundation – with a line painted on the wall to show how high the water reached at that location.

While many homes in the 9^th Ward have been restored or rebuilt, there are unfortunately too many which have not.  Still bearing FEMA markings from the rescue effort, they are dangerous eyesores in the community.  

After my wonderful tour, I walked (and trolley’d) around town for a while, grabbing a quick reflective picture in a store window.   It’s an inspirational message, to say the least.   “We are what we see.”  (The turtle soup and Louisiana fried shrimp at dinner were fabulous, indeed.)   

I actually needed my umbrella again that day, as another afternoon tropical shower passed through the area while I walked back to the hotel.    It’s amazing to me that so many folks (women in particular, since we carry purses) don’t bring umbrellas.  I dislike walking in the rain without one…so when traveling, I always take one.

The next morning I trolley’d to the old US Mint on the upper end of the Riverside Line.   Not being a numismatist, I didn’t realize there had been a mint in NOLA.  Of course that closed well before my time (1909).  It was apparently the only mint to have served both under the Union and the Confederacy.

For those of us who like to eat, a famous place called Café du Monde makes fabulous beignets (pronounced Ben-Yays), a tasty French pastry.  I can’t speak from experience – the line was so long it was taking an hour to be served, and I refused to wait.  But EVERYONE was there…they had lots of time.  I didn’t.   (The crowds were building and everyone was marching to the tune of their own drummer.) 

While in the vicinity, I stopped by the Cathedral-Basillica of St. Louis, King of France, on Pere Antoine Alley, and noticed that the door was open for visiting.   Between the Cathedral and the square in front, it’s both spectacular and gorgeous.  

In the afternoon, I used the free shuttle from Canal Street to  Blaine Kern’s Mardi Gras World…”where every day is Mardi Gras!”   They offer tours of the “factory” where Mardi Gras floats and figurines (for the annual parade) are stored during the year, and built/rebuilt for the following year.  

And on the shuttle bus back to Canal St., being the fourth to board, I already had a seat.  As other women came aboard, they were looking for available seats.   One by one, the few men there were all standing up and giving their seats to the ladies.  Once alI the men had been chivalrous, even the boarding ladies got to stand. 

To end my day of sightseeing and allow time to pack for the next day’s train (women always overpack, right?)  I decided to have a late lunch/early dinner and partake of the daily jazz brunch at the famous establishment “Court of Two Sisters” on Royal Street.  I got there well before it closed, and enjoyed a number of Southern specialties – catfish, crawdaddies and the like. 

The three-story building that now houses this famous restaurant was once home to five governors, two state Supreme Court justice, a future justice of the U.S. Supreme Court, and a future President of the United States. But beyond this, The Court of Two Sisters is celebrated for two things: 1) its old-world courtyard (the biggest in the city) with original gas lights and flowing fountains, and 2) its phenomenal, daily jazz brunch, with a strolling trio playing real New Orleans jazz seven days a week.  

A delicious ending to a great visit in the Big Easy! Hopefully I can someday (soon) return for an encore!

Hugs,

Mandy

Next is a picture of the autumn colors, from the train, which was on a 160 foot high trestle:

The colors , while nice, didn’t seem as quite as vibrant as usual this year…may be heat stress from the hot late summer?   But we had a good time riding the train, and even with the crowds in Jim Thorpe, it was fun. 

Some of the things to see in town were:  the Asa Packer Mansion and St. Mark’s Episcopal Church.  The mansion was built on a hill overlooking the town and its train station, where excursion trains were coming and going during our visit.  The mansion is virtually intact inside, with the original furniture from the Packer family, and the exterior has only a few changes from when it was built in 1861.

Though his name is unfamiliar to most today, Mr. Packer was well known for his industrial, railroading and philanthropical activities.  Born in Mystic, CT December 29, 1805, he started his career as skipper of a coal boat moving anthracite coal on the Lehigh Canal, and progressed to owning a boatyard, then he became involved in coal mining and its transportation.  He was drawn into railroading in 1840.  Using personal money, he purchased a controlling interest in the Lehigh Valley Railroad in 1851, a short line from Mauch Chunk to Easton, PA.   At the time of his death, he had expanded the Lehigh Valley to 650 miles in PA and NJ, and had founded Lehigh University, as well as served in national, state and local government positions.  He was a Democratic nominee for President in 1868, and ran for Governor in 1869.  And he subsequently passed away, in 1879.

Another highlight is St Mark’s Episcopal Church:

This cathedral is one of the most notable of the late Gothic Revival churches of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania.    Plans were drawn by the elder Richard Upjohn, builder of the third Trinity Church of NYC.  Its cornerstone was laid September 21, 1867 and dedication was held Nov. 23, 1869.  Floors are gorgeous Minton tiles which show the reflections of the cathedral’s windows, and those Tiffany stained glass windows must be seen to be appreciated.

The docent from our tour pointed out the following sign, jwhich explained why the Packers worshipped at – and supported – this church.

In the 1800’s at some churches, parishoners of some religions were expected to “pay a fee” for their seat in the pews.  They allegedly had visited a church, and after sitting down, were promptly evicted from their seats by a church member intent on sitting there, because “We paid for those seats and we’re going to sit in them.’  That was the last time they attended that church, since the seats at St Mark’s were free.  Why pay for something you don’t have to?  (That’s still a valid plan, even today.)

All too soon it was time to head home.  Since it was raining, and freeways tend to tie up when people drive too fast for conditions, we took back roads – some of which we had not driven before.  And in the process came upon Pennsylvania’s historic Joanna Furnace (circa late 1700’s into the mid 1800’s.)  The place was open, though there were no visitors, thus we drove around the park a bit.  It is the most complete and beautifully restored iron furnace site I’ve/we’ve visited.   Including all the outbuildings!)

If you are ever in the area on a sunny day (walking required for best results), I recommend that you stop and visit!

That’s all for now…

Mandy

My wife and I drove to St. Michaels, MD (on the Miles River) for some sightseeing with another couple, who aren’t from the area.  For this visit I was told to not wear jewelry or capris…”just wear your stirrups” (she knows they were my only other choice.)  Below is a picture of my typical appearance for the next week.  (I was pretending to be the captain of a rather large sailing vessel that we toured during our visit):

We did a lot of driving, and covered a lot of sights in the area with our friends.  This included my dawn visit to the river’s edge in St. Michaels for some impromptu sunrise photography. 

While we were in the area, we got a taste of some coastal flooding.  The river came up at high tide, and flooded some of the docks around town.  When we went to dinner together, the server took orders from what she perceived as 3 ladies and one guy…who was our friend’s hubby.   Once again, I was seen as a female, but our friends said nothing (if they even noticed – we were too busy marveling at how high the water had been.)  However, the guy got the check in their party of two and the check was put between my wife and I…as usual for two women.   The same thing happened at several other locations, though on occasion, the dreaded “S” word was used (probably to my wife’s glee.) 

We had a great time visiting area sights.  Then our friends departed for home, and we headed off to Jim Thorpe, PA, a new (to us) location, and county seat of Carbon County.  First stop was Palmerton, PA.  Because there, a Greek Catholic church with its unusual steeples caught our eye from afar.   We worked our way there from the main road over quite a few “country roads.”

This church was built in 1918, per the plaque. Because its exterior is in need of a bunch of TLC and the parking lot/stairs are somewhat overgrown and weedy, and no notices on the bulletin board, I checked the internet that night.  It says there are insufficient staff present (i.e. no pastor), thus this church is closed until further notice.  Parishoners are urged to attend church in neighboring Bethlehem, PA.    (Don’t you just love those huge onion domes?  So “international-looking.” )

On the road again, this time to the burg of Jim Thorpe, PA.   Jim Thorpe (population about 4,781) was founded inn 1818 and originally named Mauch Chunk (pronounced Mock Chunk), which is the Lenape Indian term for Sleeping Bear (natives thought one of the surrounding hills looked like a sleeping bear.)  It was a railroad town (Lehigh Valley Railroad.  Its main industry was shipping anthracite (hard) coal which was mined nearby  (the Lehigh Coal and Navigation Company.)  And in 1876 the town received notoriety as the venue of one of the trials of the “Molly Maguires,” which resulted in the hanging of four men found guilty of murder.

Following the 1953 death of renowned native Oklahoma Indian athlete and Olympic medal winner Jim Thorpe (not a town resident at the time), his widow was impatient when the Oklahoma town failed to put together the funds for a memorial to honor him.  She feared that he would be buried “in a potter’s field” instead of with proper homage, she began a search for a suitable location.  Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk were seeking to merge in 1954, and an arrangement was made for the new municipality to be named in his honor.  His remains were obtained from his wife, and they erected a monument to the Oklahoma native.   The grave rests on mounds of soil from Oklahoma and from the Stockholm Olympic Stadium where he won his medals.

All was not rosy…in 2010 there was a lawsuit by one of his sons, to repatriate his remains to tribal homelands in Oklahoma under the Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act.  Without getting into all the messy details of the lawsuit, the end result was that his remains would continue to stay in Carbon County, PA.

A picture taken in downtown Jim Thorpe shows just a small part of the fabulous architecture and well-maintained properties in the downtown.  If you are traveling in the area, it is well worth a visit.

As for things to do, the Reading, Blue Mountain and Northern RR, a successor to the Lehigh Valley route from Reading, PA to Jim Thorpe, operates fall excursion trains powered by steam.  My wife and I decided to ride one of those trains…offering a substantial layover in town, to explore the sights.  Below is a picture of the beautiful steam engine at the station in Reading, before departure:

More to follow…

Mandy

First thing in the morning was a physical therapy appointment…with a new (at least I didn’t recognize her) technician.  Though it was a week and a half since my fingernails had been done, she complimented them, and used feminine forms of address for me.   And we had a short discussion about keeping our nails pretty.  Nice! 

A bit later in the day, it was time to run a few errands, fortunately not in our town.  I had to stop at several grocery stores for specials as I passed thru.  My wife had provided affinity cards for all the stores, as we do use those to take advantage of specials.  At the first grocery store, the thirtysomething female cashier omitted any gender-specific forms of address.  No problem with that… 

However it was different at the second store, which we had not visited in quite some time….think years, not months.  (I didn’t realize that when I went into the store.)   But “intuition” guided me straight to the service desk to check the card before doing the shopping.   Turns out that was a good thing…

“May I help you, Ma’am?” “Yes, please.  Will this card get me these products at the lowest advertised price?”  “Let me check.”  (Takes card, punches in the numbers…)  “No Ma’am.  The card is inactive.  Let me update it for you.  Let’s see….your name is (she recited wife’s first name), right?”   “Yes,  Ma’am.”  “Zip code?”  (I provided.)  “Phone number?”  I provided.  “Email address?”  I provided my wife’s email address (which includes a feminine word.)  “OK, Mrs. Sherman, this card is updated.  When you check out, tell the cashier that it was just updated and she can make the machine honor it.”

When I checked out, the card didn’t work (what a surprise) and the cashier had to summon help.  In the end, problems were resolved.   And when I left with my purchases, the cashier said “Have a nice day, Miss (wife’s first name.)  

I’m glad they didn’t ask for ID, or the whole thing would have gotten messy…but it was exciting!

However, that same day…I heard the dreaded “S” word a couple of times elsewhere, so I guess I must cause a bit of confusion…or still have a ways to go on presentation. (But bear in mind that I wasn’t trying to appear female!)

Mandy

During a recent “short” visit by my cousin and her husband to see her Aunt (my mother) in the nursing home, I joined them for their visit as it wasn’t a long drive for me.  Fortunately, Mom was doing a bit better than during their last visit…but since they were just passing through town, we had very little time to talk.  Thus I took them to lunch afterward (or so the plan was), to generate a bit more chat time.

And chat we did…till the female 50something server came up to take our orders.  My cousin ordered first, and I expected her hubby to be asked to order next.  How wrong I was.  The server looked directly at me and said:  “What would you like, Ma’am?”  So I ordered, and my cousin’s hubby ordered last.  Note that I was wearing shorts and a polo, with flats, long hair and by that point very long (and somewhat faded pink) nails (which hadn’t been re-done since before our vacation) and my purse was plainly visible beside me.   I was a bit surprised at that turn of events, and it should have been a wake-up call. 

But wait, there’s more…

The restaurant was clearing out after the lunch rush, so I made a quick restroom run – to the men’s room, the door to which was nearby.  No issue there…the clerk wasn’t around.  And I couldn’t use the women’s room as I wasn’t trying to present as female in front of relatives.  When I returned, then came the complete surprise.  I was fully prepared to treat both of them.  However, when the check was presented, the server handed it directly to what she apparently perceived as the only male in the group…my cousin’s hubby!  I didn’t have any say or choice in the matter…he took it and paid.

I’ll never know what they thought, or what they said when they got back into their car together (they were heading to their home about 5 hours further up the road.)  But I’d be surprised if they weren’t more than a bit confused by the whole thing…from the server taking my order like she would from another female in the group, and the server giving the check directly to the man…   Or perhaps that was prearranged with her while I visited the potty?  I’ll never know.

It’s another unsolved mystery in the pursuit of androgyny.

…to make a solo trip to Hagerstown, MD for something the wife had no interest in attending: a display of airplanes at the Hagerstown Aviation Museum.   Many of the planes on display were actually built in Hagerstown – by Fairchild, before they closed the plant there in 1984.

Some of the planes built there are ones you might recognize:  the C-119 “Flying Boxcar,” the F-27 small passenger plane (under license from Fokker/Hiller), and the A-10 “Warthog” (which is still in use by the US Military today, thus they don’t have one to display.)  Below is a picture of the elderly C-119, which was open for inspection. 

Interestingly, even though I was wearing my black skirt, I was able to climb up the ladder into the cockpit of the C-119.  (However, the effort proved that soldiers of that era were obviously in better shape than many of the visitors…LOL!) 

I had sufficient foresight to be wearing a pair of black “short shorts” underneath my skirt (since I left from home). To anyone looking up as I climbed the ladder, it would present as the “shorts of a skort.”  So I didn’t have to miss a chance to sit in the pilot’s seat!   (My visit coincided with the departure of Allegiant Airline’s 737 from the airport.  And I got a pic!)  Not sure who, if anybody (there was nobody in line behind me at that point) thought they’d sneak a peek! But had they tried, they would have been mightily disappointed. 

I was a bit surprised at the relative simplicity of the instrumentation, compared to more modern aircraft.

Almost the entire time I was at the airport, I was either addressed as “Ma’am,” or without a gender specific greeting.   Except when a 20something guy accidentally bumped me, and said “excuse me, sir.”   I’m not sure what brought that on, because as the day progressed, it was the only instance of hearing “Sir.”   Maybe he was just trying to be mean?

The most amazing thing on my trip occurred as I exited.  I asked a question about one of the planes, of a man in the booth at the exit gate.  He answered my question, and said “you certainly look familiar.  Don’t I know you?”  I had checked his name badge before starting the conversation, just in case.   “No, I don’t think so…I’m not from the area.”  Discussion went on in this vein for a few more exchanges.  Including his question of whether I work in the governor’s office of a nearby state.  (No, I don’t – I retired almost a decade ago, and not from a job in any state’s governor’s office!)

Finally he came to the conclusion that “Your doppelganger still works there, and she is without a doubt your double!”   I thought to myself – but didn’t say it – “poor girl…I hope she looks better than, not just like, me…”   

Fortunately (or maybe not), this isn’t the first time I’ve heard about my doppelganger.  Years ago, when I was still working, the secretary in my office commuted to work by train with her hubby.  One morning, she asked me if that long haired-girl they saw on the train – wearing a dress, heels and full makeup – was me, since we look so much alike. 

I couldn’t possibly have been there, based on where I lived at the time, how I got to work, and my arrival time, so my denial was truthful.  But I offered to let them check out my car to put the matter to rest.   Fortunately, they let it drop…though if they had checked, there was nothing in the car to give away my “secret”, and the engine would have been cold, an indication I didn’t just arrive at work at the same time they did.  

Based on those past incidents, I’m quite certain that at least a couple of folks out there in the Northeast (not sure if they’re guys or gals) look almost exactly like the “female” me!   There have now been too many sightings to dispute it.  (But it also gives me substantial “deniability!”)

Once I finished up with the guy in the booth, I set my GPS for Hagerstown’s City Park, to see if I could find their steam locomotive display.  I had been there years ago, and it was out in the open, vandalized.  (Yes, they have had vandals in Hagerstown.) 

In the process of looking for the park, my GPS sent me in circles.   As luck would have it, there was a police officer using radar, and I pulled up behind the cruiser, getting out to ask where I can find the park.  That female officer was very friendly, addressed me properly, and told me how to best get there.  Nice!

And I finally found the train display – behind locked gates.  From afar, the locomotive appeared to be in better shape than the last time I saw it.  And they added a few “cabeese” along with a playground for kids, and some artifacts. 

More later…

Mandy

My wife and I were seated at a diner about 150 miles from home, and the thirty-something female server with VERY short (translation: not very feminine at all) hair, said “Hi girls…what can I get you to drink?”  We both asked for “just water, please.”  And with that, she took off to get it for us.  I had made no attempt to soften my voice, and I was wearing androgynous women’s shorts, flats, and polo top.  She may have seen my purse and nails when I walked in…but I’ll never know. And I wondered what the wifely repercussions might be.

Then came the absolutely amazing part.

When she returned with our drinks, she apologized profusely for mis-gendering me, and said she simply assumed I was a girl because of “your beautiful long hair.  And I get mistaken for a boy every day, so I know how that feels.  Once again, I’m so sorry!”   My wife remained silent (though I didn’t notice her blushing or anything like that.)   But I thanked the server for her compliment about my hair, and accepted her apology (though I couldn’t tell her that I wasn’t at all offended…LOL!)   She treated us very well the rest of our meal, arranged for an extra big helping of dessert, and we left a nice tip.  

Usually once I’m accepted as a girl, most folks continue that acceptance, even once the revelation strikes them that I’m not what I seem to be.  So this was very unusual…and my wife was also surprised.  (But after it happened, she didn’t mention it again.  Nothing else was said.)

On to the next topic:

During a recent trip through PA, we managed to become prosperous!  As long as that condition is achieved by visiting Prosperity…a tiny Pennsylvania “burg” by that name.  Not a big town by any means (and it’s halfway between nowhere and nowhere else), but there is still an open post office, and some of the homes are old but very pretty.  A picture of the post office is below:

Legend has it that the name came from the enthusiasm of the original settlers, who were anxious to do well in the future.  So they named their town “Prosperity.”    Can’t say that their plan worked, but the place was far from decrepit, as so many rural communities are. 

I guess it all depends on your interpretation of “prosperity.”

More later…

Mandy

Thanks for joining me!

Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter. — Izaak Walton