Quebec: The Shrine of St Anne de Beaupre

Saint Anne de Beaupre is probably the most famous shrine in North America; certainly, it is the most famous in Canada. It began as a simple sailor’s chapel dedicated to Ste. Anne and has grown into a magnificent basilica that is visited by the faithful from around the world. 

I have to admit that I have always had a fascination with Ste. Anne, even before I realized that I am related to three recipients of miracles at the shrine. Actually, the first miracle was given to Louis Guimont and the best translation calls it a terrible pain in his back. He was totally cured as he placed 3 stones into the foundation of the chapel as it was being built. This was in 1658, unfortunately, his cure didn’t stop him from being killed by the Iroquois in 1661.

The Present Basilica is the fifth church to be built here. It is a magnificent sight as you drive up along the river and I was even more impressed when I viewed it at a distance from the Ile d'Orleans. It dwarfs everything else in the neighborhood. The twin spires frame a statue of Ste. Anne that was salvaged from the previous church, which was lost to fire in 1922. What you notice first about the interior of the Basilica are all the crutches that are hung on the wall in mute testimony to the many cures that have occurred here. Mass goes on almost unceasingly here, mostly in French and there are thousands of candles burning in supplication. I had a hard time finding a spot to place mine.

There is a memorial chapel to the side of the basilica and there are lots of memorial plaques, I dragged my family through the two chapels to read the names of all of our relatives. On the hill, there are life-size stations of the cross and the truly devote climb up the stairs to them on their knees. That part is optional. The Redemptorists took over the care of the Basilica over 100 years ago and there is always someone available to hear confession or just to talk. They are in a small building close to the parking lot.

It goes without saying that they have a fabulous gift shop. It isn’t just the religious items that draw people here (though they have a wide and high-quality selection). People come to the gift shop to buy genealogy books. The series Nos Ancetres (Our Ancestors) is published in Ste. Anne and the latest volume is usually available here in both French and English. Be warned the English version is about twice as expensive. I have all 30 volumes in French.

Ste. Anne de Beaupre is about 22 miles east of Quebec and an easy drive from the city. If you want to come for lunch or dinner there are plenty of restaurants.

Washington DC: Visiting Hillwood

Hillwood Museum is an amazing house and garden and if you are going to be visiting Washington, D.C. it is worthwhile to plan to visit, call ahead and make a reservation. A limited number of visitors are allowed each day. We called several months in advance. Access to the grounds is controlled; you will be asked if you have reservations. A note here: there are no children under six allowed in the house. When you see how it is set up you will understand why. You cannot carry your purse, a water bottle and in my case, I had to take off my leather blazer.

How to get there

You can take the Metro to the Van Ness stop and walk but it is a good hike and the road is not flat. We took a cab but be sure your driver knows how to get to Hillwood. Have the address with you and make sure the driver can find it; even taking all precautions it is not an easy place to find. When you leave there is a courtesy phone to a cab company who will come and pick you up, they know where it is.

Allow at least three or four hours for your visit. A 12-minute video is offered that is worth viewing before you tour the house. The audio tour for the house takes 90 minutes, and there is another tour of the gardens. While you are there you may want to have lunch or tea at the cafe and there is a wonderful gift store.

Why visit Hillwood

In order to understand Hillwood, you need to know who Marjorie Merriweather Post is. She is the heiress to the Postum Cereal fortune. Her father invented Post Grapenuts, and that alone made her a very wealthy woman. Beyond that she was an extraordinary collector, with an excellent eye which was further trained by the curator she hired. She developed a lifelong love of all things Russian while living there in the 1930s with her third husband who was the U.S. Ambassador. 

You will see a fabulous collection of Russian art, Faberge, and icons. The Faberge alone is worth the price of admission. The Lusupov music box is beyond stunning, it is beyond description and there are two imperial Easter eggs as well.


Limiting the description to just that, does the house a disservice, but the collection is so vast and varied that you really need to see it yourself. We were befriended by one of the docents, Rebecca Perl, and she seemed to be in every room that we visited, giving lots of extra details and information. She loves this house and it shows. On the second floor, you will visit the private rooms and get a more personal look at Marjorie Merriweather Post.

Gardens

When you have finished touring the house, be sure to visit the gardens and greenhouses. The 3,000 orchids in the greenhouses are gorgeous and so exotic. The audio tour is 60 minutes.

We also booked afternoon tea. It was a very enjoyable meal after the wonders that we had seen in the house.

If you are going to be in Washington, D.C. and want to do something beyond just the monuments and museums, Hillwood is a breath of fresh air in the city.

Visiting Scotchtown: Patriot Patrick Henry's Home

Scotchtown is located less than 20 miles from Richmond and was the home of Patrick Henry and his family from 1771 until 1778. It was during this time that he made his impassioned speech ‘Give me Liberty or Give Me Death”. The house itself was built around 1720 by Charles Chiswell.

You have to be quite determined to visit this house. It is still very much in the country but by all means, do make the effort, it is well worth it.

The house is small and simple in comparison to some of Patrick Henry’s contemporaries, you will not be seeing another Monticello. It is very much a family home. That is who you will meet here, Patrick Henry the man, not the politician or the patriot.

Patrick Henry was a man of the people and was as popular in his day as George Washington. He was more than six feet tall and had red hair and blue eyes. He purchased this house and 960 acres of land and grew tobacco. His wife gave birth to their 6th child here and after more than 20 years of marriage seems to have had some sort of mental breakdown. It may have been post-partum depression but she never recovered and had to be moved to confinement in the basement where she died in 1775 only about a month before Henry made his famous speech.

His second wife, Dorothea Dandridge, was a relative of Martha Washington and she had 11 additional children. Patrick Henry was elected the first governor of Virginia in 1777 and moved into the Governor’s Palace. He sold the house shortly after and later in life moved to Red Hill near Lynchburg, Va.

Henry did not support the Constitution and that may have led to his being much less well known than his contemporaries. He was offered the position of Secretary of State and Chief Justice of the Supreme Court by Washington and Ambassador to Spain by Adams but he refused them all because he was not a supporter of the new form of government.

This and more you will learn on your tour of Scotchtown. In addition to a guided tour of the house and basement, there are reconstructed outbuildings. A small garden and some heritage sheep are also kept here by a local 4H group. Inside the house, it is furnished as a family home. A few pieces that belonged to the family are on display but the rest is to the period. The floor in the great hall is original and you will be walking on the same wood as the great man tread.

A very nice gift shop which focuses heavily on locally produced items is where the tour begins. Be sure to check it out.

The house is opened limited hours but if you want to visit when it is closed, a cell phone tour that you can take of the exterior is quite good. Do try, however, to come when the buildings are open, the guides are very knowledgeable and it is obvious that they love the house and their jobs. You will learn a great deal about this less than well-known man who contributed so much to the formation of our country

Virginia: Patrick Henry's Red Hill

It takes real determination to visit Patrick Henry's Red Hill Estate. Every five miles for at least twenty minutes I said to my husband “What was wrong with this man, was he anti-social?” Shortly after we left Appomattox Court House we started seeing signs for Red Hill. I give them a lot of credit for a superior advertisement campaign. We followed those signs through every back road in Virginia and about halfway through I was ready to give up but I am very glad that we persevered. It is by the way 26 miles.

We arrived at 4:15 p.m. and the property is scheduled to close at 5 p.m. The woman in charge told us to go ahead and watch the 15-minute video and to visit the museum and she would keep the buildings open until we had visited them. It was a wonderful Southern hospitality. The museum is really a must; they have many items that belong to Mr. Henry, an ink bottle, his violin and flute, a Chippendale document cabinet, and most importantly his writing desk. There are also letters and other documents both original and copies. Especially interesting are the portraits including a copy of the Thomas Sully portrait.

Having been to Richmond before we visited here, we had learned a lot about Patrick Henry at St John Church where he made his famous "Give me Liberty or give me death" speech. The video basically brings you up to speed on Patrick Henry 101. In our day, this is pretty much the extent that most of us know about him. In his own time, he was the most powerful and important man in Virginia. George Washington said of him "Patrick Henry has only to say this is law and it is law." He was known as the Homer of Orators.

Red Hill was his final and favorite home. The Henry family graveyard is located on the property. The main house is a reproduction, the original burned to the ground in 1919. Philanthropist Eugene B. Casey stepped in and in 1957 the Patrick Henry Memorial Foundation rebuilt Red Hill on the original foundation. The only original building on the property is the law office. When you consider that it is a wooden structure it is pretty amazing that it still survives.

Allow about an hour to an hour and a half for your visit here. We used a full hour. Be sure to show your AAA card you will get a discount.

Red Hill is a simple home, not a fancy mansion. You get to see a spare bedroom, a parlor, and his bedroom on the first floor. The kitchen as was the custom is in an outbuilding. A smokehouse and the cook’s cabin are also featured. The views from the backyard are amazing; it makes you understand what he loved about this property.

A Visit to the Amazing Derby Art Museum

Unfortunately, even a photo permit couldn’t help me here, you are not allowed to publish the photos so for my own use only. It is too bad because this is a great little museum and there are lots of things that I think would have made excellent subjects.

I began my visit in the Origins of Derby Exhibit. The first few cases have to do with the Bronze Age. There are several cases of items such as knives, ax heads, and spearheads. Most of them were found in rivers and marshes. It is not known why these valuable metal items would have been deposited in the Rivers but it may have been part of a ritual.

There are also items found in a Bronze Age barrow. The Bronze Age is 4200-2200BC. People were buried in log coffins and there is a whole display of pottery from this period. Many of these pieces of pottery are from Stanton Moor and others are from Stoney Middleton Dale.

The next section is the Roman period. Jars were used to hold beans and it was the beans that were the important part in this time period. I liked a very pretty Simian Bowl with a hunting scene from the 2nd century CE. The remains of the graves of two children have been preserved; there are two bronze bangle bracelets and a bronze finger ring. 

An interesting find was people in this period were buried with shoes on. These are followed by a case showing a Romano-British kitchen and one with Roman and Medieval Coins.

I personally was fascinated by the bust of a Viking whose grave was discovered outside St Wystan's Church. The artist used the skull to give us a very good idea of what this warrior would have looked like. He died in 873-874. Repton was a mass grave with at least 249 people of which only 5 are women; there are no evident injuries so it was a disease that took their lives.

An Anglo-Saxon gravesite reveals lots of information about the lives of these people, an amber necklace, an iron knife, silver finger ring and bronze buckle.

The Repton Stone dominates this portion of the Museum; it is what remains of an 8th Century Anglo Saxon Cross. One of the figures on the cross may be Aethalbald, King of Mercia who was murdered and buried at Repton.

One of the most amazing exhibits is in the next room. The Hanson Longboat. This is a Bronze Age Longboat that was discovered in a quarry at Shardlow. It is 3500 years old. Also in this room are several works by George Turner called the Derbyshire Constable.

Up a short set of stairs is the Wright Gallery and it won’t disappoint. Joseph Wright has an amazing way with light and there is a room full of his works, some portraits, and some landscapes. I loved “Cottage on Fire” and Grotto in the Gulf of Salerno.

Hotel Stays in the Time of Covid-19

After a two-month delay returning north from Florida, we decided to head home on June 10. Not the perfect timing since the Coronavirus is spiking all over the place as things open up but it a pretty much now or never. We know that many other people will be considering a road trip this summer. Hotel stays in the time of Covid-19 scared the heck out of me. I did a lot of research and had to change my thinking about hotels as I did my research.

Best Western

They had the best explanation on their website of how Covid-19 was changing their operation. They talked about their new cleaning procedures and also explained how they would deal with breakfast which none of the other chains I checked did. Here is a link to their new cleaning procedures and procedures.

How did they implement them?
No brochures were in the lobby however the rack was right around the corner near the elevator.
The bed still had a decorative pillow and throw.
The book of hotel amenities was right on the desk in the room.

The desk did have plexiglass but the evening clerk was not wearing a mask and he wasn't after when he was sitting out in the room playing with his phone. So, I am not quite sure how to grade them, Right now, C- perhaps. The morning clerk did have a mask hanging on his neck.

Also when I went out at 8:30 am there was no sign of a clerk or a grab and go breakfast and the business section right on the lobby was being used and I suspect not sanitized after as was the help yourself coffee and cold water. I saw only one bottle of sanitizer and it wasn't near the communal ice machine. I asked about breakfast and one was put together for me. Muffins, granola bar, and a bottle of water.

Fairfield Inn and Suites (Marriott)

A very helpful young lady at the desk welcomed us. No mask, no hand sanitizer in sight. I was asked for my license and credit card, no sanitation of cards. Visions of Covid-19 flashed through my head. 

The lobby was clean but everything seemed normal except the breakfast room was blocked off and no breakfast of any type was offered. The sign in the elevator says to maintain a 6-foot distance and if not possible wait for the next elevator. 

I found a lamp behind the couch with a thick layer of dust that was undisturbed so evidently, the switch had not been sanitized and the thermostat had dust on it as well.  Here are Marriott's cleanliness guidelines. 

In the morning I asked about masks, the morning clerk had a mask, she said they were required. I asked about sanitizer, and she said they were waiting for the machines which are hard to find and take longer to get. I don't see why a pump bottle of sanitizer could not be put out but .... it is what it is. I rate Marriott a D in handling coronavirus.

Hyatt Place

Masks on but not pulled up, plexiglass separating the desk clerk, no sanitizer in the lobby or at the elevator. The room seemed clean but there are throw pillows on the sofa and a card with the channels near the TV. They still have a coffee station in the lobby. Talked to the general manager, not able to get the products they need. They are waiting But where does that leave customers?  Hyatt's commitment. 

Hyatt does offer a superior breakfast even at this time. Jimmy Dean egg and ham sandwiches, Oikos Greek yogurt, cold cereal, oatmeal fruit cup, boiled eggs, and juice. For that reason, I am giving them a C but just barely. 

In the lobby, signs tell you not to sit on the furniture for now in this time of coronavirus. 

After three stops at three different brands, I have to say that they talk the talk but they are not walking the walk. Corporate has issued statements but has not provided the help getting the necessary products to make sure you can be safe. I think you have to think long and hard about just what risk level feels comfortable to you. This may not be the best time to take a road trip. 

I chose to stay in rooms as simple as possible to cut down on the amount of cleaning that I would have to do. 

Did I feel safe? No, not really, I brought all my own cleaning products and completely disinfected the room. I brought my own pillows and I sanitized and washed my hands a lot. I sanitized the luggage cart, the door handles, and every surface in the room that we might touch, and I sprayed the bed and pillows. 

Would I travel again anytime soon? Not unless I really had to. Hotel stays in the time of Covid -19 are risky at best. Maybe in a few months when hotels have had the time to get things right it will be better but as of early June 2020, no it isn't there yet. 

Touring Historic Hanover Tavern Hanover, VA.

Hanover Tavern is located across the street from Hanover Courthouse. It was the place where the litigants and their attorneys would have gone to get a little sustenance during a trial. The tavern that sits here today is a combination of a family home and the 1800s tavern connected with a hyphen. The original tavern which was built in the early 18th century was razed and a new one put in its place so while Patrick Henry would not have dinned in the current tavern he might well have visited the Thilman family in their home.

The tavern over its lifetime has had many famous guests including George Washington, General Cornwallis, the Marquis de Lafayette, and Edgar Allen Poe as well as any number of both Confederate and Union generals and soldiers.

You enter the tavern from the rear which is the side that used to face the original road, the road was moved to the other side with the arrival of the railroad in the mid-19th century. You purchase your ticket and you are given a map and an audio guide. The tour begins on the front porch. You will receive an introduction to not only the tavern but the court complex and stone jail across the street.

In the main hallway of the Thilman home, you will learn about Patrick Henry’s first famous case right across the street at Hanover Courthouse. The current exhibition in the Thilman dining room was being taken down and a new one about the architecture will be taking its place.

13 stops make up the tour and they included the former bar which was also the post office. The Washington Room has a lot of information about transportation and how it affected the tavern and also the refugees who stayed here during the Civil War. In the Thilman Parlor, there is a display that tells you about Gabriel’s Revolt. Some of the Thilman family slaves were involved in the revolt which is why it is featured here.

Today, Hanover Tavern has a dinner theatre, a restaurant, and of course a historic tour. It is a popular venue for events and weddings. A new building is going to be added behind the current one. Allow at least an hour for the tour, more is even better. Plan your visit so that you can have lunch or dinner here, you won’t regret it. Their gift shop has a nice selection of books and made-in Virginia items.

Other places to visit in the area. Patrick Henry's Scotchtown.