My nephew, James, and his wife, Heather, spent a long weekend in Virginia for Thanksgiving. As I shared on Monday, they first visited Colonial Williamsburg. Then they went to visit historic Jamestowne, Virginia.
Read MoreTag: history
Celebrating The Restored Hacienda Hotel
The HACIENDA
5621 Main St, New Port Richey, FL 34652
On March 4, 1926, James E. Meighan, brother to Thomas Meighan, leading man of the silver screen throughout the 20s and 30s, donated land for the construction of a new Spanish Colonial Revival-style hotel befitting New Port Richey’s growing popularity with arts, society, and sports luminaries. 96 years ago on February 5, 1927, Ed Wynn acted as the master of ceremonies for the grand opening and ribbon cutting of The Hacienda Hotel in New Port Richey. The Hacienda and New Port Richey became known as “Hollywood East” due to the celebrities that enjoyed the town and hotel, including reported sightings of Thomas Meighan, Gloria Swanson, Lupe Velez, Charlie Chaplin, and Ann Harding, among other notables. The Hacienda was a popular gathering spot for sports and entertainment figures for many years.
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Hotel Hacienda Update
HACIENDA HOTEL
5621 Main St, New Port Richey, FL 34652
Back on February 1st, I wrote about the restoration/renovation of Hotel Hacienda in New Port Richey, Florida. At that time they were planning a grand opening in March. The latest article on the hotel in the Spectrum Bay News 9 now says May. Since they have not hired any management for the hotel, that may be an optimistic guess. I know that to have a grand opening, full staff must be hired and trained.
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Vietnam Veterans Memorial
Photos are from my nephew’s (James Murphy) Washington visit in March 2018
Vietnam Veterans Memorial, 5 Henry Bacon Dr NW, Washington, DC 20245
Today I’m sharing photos from the archives. Back in 2018, my nephew and his wife drove to Washington D. C. during spring break. They are both teachers and this was their first visit to the nations capitol. Unfortunately, this spring isn’t a time to travel, and instead they were going from store to store a couple of weeks ago to find cat food. Luckily they found some at the 5th store. Thanks Heather & James for sharing your photos. Today we’ve visiting the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Read More
A Visit to Greenfield Village & America’s Ingenuity
20900 Oakwood Blvd, at The Henry Ford, Dearborn, MI 48124-4088
Tickets and Hours
Henry Ford said of his museum:
I am collecting the history of our people as written into things their hands made and used…. When we are through, we shall have reproduced American life as lived, and that, I think, is the best way of preserving at least a part of our history and tradition…
The Henry Ford Museum of American Innovation and Greenfield Village is a large indoor and outdoor history museum complex and a National Historic Landmark in the Detroit suburb of Dearborn, Michigan. The Henry Ford Museum opened in 1929. It is based on Henry Ford’s efforts to preserve items of historical interest and portray the Industrial Revolution with the property, homes, machinery, exhibits, and Americana of historically significant items as well as common memorabilia. It is the largest indoor-outdoor museum complex in the United States and is visited by over 1.7 million people each year. Read More
Redford Theatre
17360 Lahser Rd, Detroit, MI 48219
Free parking in fenced lots with security
During the early 20th Century, movie palaces were built to show movies in glamorous settings with rich architectural details. Most were built in the late 1920’s. Years later many were left to decay and then torn down as the modern world changed. Luckily there are some palaces that have been lovingly restored. I love beautiful old movie palaces and have visited several in various cities. Today I’ll share one of my favorites, The Redford Theatre in Old Redford section of Detroit. Read More
Detroit Institute of Arts
The Detroit Institute of Arts, known affectionately as the DIA, is a world renowned art museum. Founded by prominent Detroit citizens in 1885, the museum opened on September 1, 1888 in a building on Jefferson Avenue. In 1927 the museum moved to its current location on Woodward Avenue, just north of Warren Street. The Beaux-Arts building, designed by Paul Cret, was immediately referred to as the “temple of art.” Two wings were added in the 1960’s and 1970’s, and a major renovation and expansion that began in 1999 was completed in 2007. Read More
Exploring Fort De Soto Park
Fort De Soto County Park
3500 Pinellas Bayway S.,
Tierra Verde, FL 33715 – Fort De Soto Park
If you visit the Tampa Bay area and love beaches, wildlife, and history, you must spend a day at Fort De Soto County Park. Located off St. Petersburg, Florida, Fort De Soto Park is the largest county park in Pinellas County and consists of 1,136 acres made up of five interconnected islands (keys). These keys are home to beach plants, mangroves, wetlands, palm hammocks, hardwoods and scores of native plants. Each of these species plays a vital role in the preservation and protection of the natural environment.