10/05/2024
Spring and summer tour season has begun! Off to spread a little happiness on a 3-tour adventure. Stop 1= Boston. Let's do this!
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A Walk and a Smile
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Welcome to a Walk & a Smile! I am a certified, professional tour guide and am licensed in Washingto Welcome to A Walk and a Smile!
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Whether you’re visiting the National Capital Region (NCR) for the 1st time or are a long-time resident, the area always offers something new to see, learn, and explore. At A Walk and a Smile, we love introducing people to these many wonders and creating fun, engaging, and customizable experiences for our guests. Walking tours allow you to truly immerse yourself in all that the area has to offer. A
s you stroll, a friendly and knowledgeable local guide will share the history and stories behind what you see. We look forward to welcoming you on a tour and introducing you to all the NCR has to offer.
02/05/2024
Sometimes, you have those groups where you just click with everyone and they are so much fun! I had one of those groups last year.
So this year, when one of those guests from the UK was going to be in town, she asked if we might meet. I am with a student group, who was in the Smithsonian, so I said I had enough time to run out and get a hug and that was about it.
So I did that. What are the chances that you then run into them AGAIN at another museum?
So great to see you TWICE! Have a blast in DC.
08/04/2024
Farewell, my friend!
Sadly, I didn't get to see you in blossom this year. I'm so glad that I got to see you one last time before the executioner's blade is put to your trunk.
Every year, for the last several years, I have marveled that you burst into bud once more, even when so much of you had already been lost to the elements.
Thanks for the memories, the inspiration, and the perseverance--you will be missed!
🥺😢😭
02/04/2024
Today I was both honored and humbled that my colleagues awarded me the Rookie of the Year Award.
While I have been leading tours for a while, last year was my 1st full season dedicated to Destination America.
To receive this reward is a great honor and it must be shared with all my incredible colleagues who work behind the scenes at the office and, most especially to my fellow travel directors who helped and supported me throughout.
One of my favorite parts of this career is that we are like family and help one another out whenever we can.
A huge shout out and THANK YOU to all those many individuals (you know who you are) that have encouraged, supported, and assisted me along the way.
This honor belongs to you all.
23/03/2024
Had the pleasure of spending the last four days with this AMAZING group of young adults. Thanks Mobridge for making my 1st student tour of the season extra special and super fun. Hope there isn't too much snow back home!
12/03/2024
Tucked away in Section 15 are the graves of three axis power soldiers--one German and two Italian. All three were POW's, captured in North Africa during WWII.
There were 19 POW camps in Maryland, and these three individuals were all in camps on the eastern shore. The men were allowed to leave camp to work, mainly on farms. The POW workers are credited with saving Maryland's tomato crop in 1945. Local farmers relied on them to work the fields and bring in the harvest since most able bodied American men were off at war.
They were paid about the equivalent of a US private; Geneva Convention rules required they be paid for any labor. But they were paid in scrip which could only be used in camp.
The Geneva Convention also required that any POW who died while on foreign soil be given a proper burial in the closest National Cemetery. Arlington was the closest one to the camp, which is how they came to be here. In February of this year, the Chief of the German military laid a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and visited Sgt Hilberath's grave.
26/02/2024
The early morning light on these dried seed heads is a lovely send-off from this park and lodge. The lodge and staff here are simply delightful. A wonderful, warm Kenyan welcome for my first time visiting this incredible country. Thanks and and for a great start to this African adventure.
Our next destination awaits later today.
20/02/2024
As a child, I often said I wanted to be a Park Ranger when I grew up. During my recent string of tours in the Florida Keys, I reconnected with that dream. I'm officially a Junior Ranger at Dry Tortugas National Park.
While designed for children, it's a great way for adults to learn about the parks too.
09/02/2024
Sometimes, as a guide and program leader, you get to do something very special. Today was one of those days.
Two of my guests have a tradition of renewing their wedding vows whenever they visit a new state.
The person they had arranged to do this for them here in Key West was suddenly unavailable. I was honored that they asked me to officiate the ceremony for them. It was a special moment for all involved.
11/01/2024
I thought I had found a dead crab in the seaweed until I got close to take the photo, and it jumped up and started moving.
11/01/2024
Some of the most interesting patterns come from nature, like this sea fan washed up on Bushy Key.
11/01/2024
Wildlife abounds at Dry Tortugas National Park. Watch your step--you never know where you might find its smaller denizens.
23/12/2023
After being down for the last several days with a cold, finally made it out of bed and wandered to the mailbox. What a treat to find a lovely thank you note and t-shirt from my last student group of 2023. It was just the pick-me-up I needed after being cooped up for too many days. Thank you Blooming Prairie!
16/12/2023
Wreaths In
Today is Wreaths In at cemeteries around the country. Wreaths are placed on the graves of veterans to honor their service.
As I was making sure that all the graves had gotten a wreath I came upon this one. Not often you come across a War of 1812 veteran. I did a Google search to see if I could find anything about him.
What I discovered was that he was born in 1794 in the same town I grew up in as a child. What are the chances?
06/12/2023
A Charlie Brown Christmas
The frangipani is going into dormancy and shedding its leaves. So the dying leaves and bare branches just reminded me of the tree in a Charlie Brown Christmas.
And just like that tree, this one is beautiful in its own way.
02/12/2023
A Festive Air to a Somber Place
During the Great Depression, hundreds of WWI veterans were put to work building the Overseas Highway. They were housed in ramshackle camps on the coast of the Keys.
It was Labor Day Weekend of 1935, and a storm was approaching. A lack of accurate forecasting and a cascade of poor decisions meant the evacuation order for these camps was not made in a timely manner.
The rescue train arrived, was loaded, and was just pulling away when the storm blew ashore nearby as a category 5 hurricane and the most intense storm ever to hit the US at that time.
An 18-foot storm surge and winds of 200 mph flung the cars from the tracks.
The storm left 485 people in the keys dead--260 of them WWI veterans from the work camps.
To prevent disease, the governor ordered the mass cremation of the victims. Funeral pyres were made, and the victims' bodies were stacked and doused with gasoline or oil and ignited. Beneath this memorial are the ashes of more than 300 of the victims.
20/11/2023
Tomorrow is not promised.
In the fountain beneath the bench, the leaves of the crepe myrtle tree formed a beautiful mosaic.
It reminded me of the fragility of life and to live and love each day as if it was your last.
15/11/2023
I so love my purple haired, purple wearing friend, , and yet, I'm sensing an intervention may be in order?!?!?! 🤣😘
11/11/2023
Meet Babe Ruth
Hemingway was given a 6-toed cat by a ship's captain. That first one was named Snow White.
Today, many of the cats at the home are descendants of Snow White. While not all of them have six toes, they all carry the polydactyl gene, which means their offspring can be born with six toes.
Hemingway named all his cats after famous people, a tradition that continues to this day.
Babe Ruth was soaking up some sun on the bed and reminded me of my cat, Lynx, who passed earlier this year.
10/11/2023
Passenger Number One
When it was founded, Pan AM was barred from US domestic routes in exchange for an exclusive on all international routes.
In anticipation of the 1st passenger flight tickets went on sale, with a then unknown departure date, in 1931. John Eck wanted to be passenger Number 1, but was the 2nd person in line--beat out by Will Rogers.
Sadly, Rogers was killed in a plane crash in 1935. John Eck then moved into the coveted Passenger Number One.
Eight years later, in 1939, he boarded the first commercial passenger flight to Europe as Passenger Number One.
07/11/2023
A piece of movie history!
Originally built in England for service on the Nile and Lake Albert, the African Queen is an actual vessel.
It became a film legend when it became the vessel that transported Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn in the movie that bears its name.
You can see this historic craft when in Key Largo.
06/11/2023
NOT extinct!
For the last 35 years, the atala butterfly was classified as extinct in the everglades. One day earlier this year, a visitor brought a bright red caterpillar into the visitor center and asked what it was.
The Ranger was shocked to see the larval stage of the atala. Even more shocking was that it was found right outside the visitor center.
Today, I got to see many of these amazing creatures flitting around, as well as the bright red caterpillars on their host plant.
AMAZING!
26/10/2023
If you've ever been to the visitor center at Arlington National Cemetery, you know there is a figure of a bugler. But did you know that figure was based on a real-life person?
Had the pleasure of meeting MSG Jesse Tubb, who plays in the US Army Concert Band. He was the model for the figure you see in the glass case as you enter the visitor center.
11/08/2023
Some days you go to the mailbox and there is a little bit of sunshine and happiness waiting for you.
I grabbed the mail this morning as the coffee was brewing, and amidst all the junk mail was an envelope with an IA return address. My last student group of the summer was from IA?
There are some groups where you find yourself a bit teary-eyed as they pull away, and this had been one of those groups. Receiving this warm, kind, and heartfelt note in my mailbox made it all the more so.
It was an honor to show you around DC. Thanks for the memories Jesup!
11/05/2023
The office isn't looking too bad today.
05/05/2023
An incredible 5 days with the most amazing people. Thanks for all the fun St. Mark's! Safe travels home!
05/05/2023
When your group is from El Paso, you celebrate with them in Cinco de Mayo!
09/04/2023
I spent last week with the most wonderful group of people from Minnesota. It was a joy getting to know them and showing them our nation's capital.
Hope the snow back home melts soon West Central!
05/04/2023
Humbling!
I was so fortunate to be able to get my group in to hear Martin Luther King, III speak on the 55th anniversary of his father's assassination.
During his address, he shared that, at the age of 10, he was watching TV, and that is how he learned that his father had been killed.
What a terrible way for a child to hear that news.
03/04/2023
A first for our nation.
Charles Curtis was the first person of Native American descent to serve in the Senate.
He proudly spoke of his roots and his being a member of the Kaw Nation. The Kaw Nation lived in Oklahoma and parts of Kansas.
He often used this ceremonial chair. The medalion in the center uses a mixture of the Omaha and Osage alphabets to send a message to all who visited his office.
"Go in the best of health, friend. This is our wish."
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Videos
Today, my office is a Nashville recording studio where my group gets to spend the day recording a few songs. (Video sharing with permission of the band and the president of the studio). The band is warming up and doing their sound checks. #tourguidelife #bestjobever #musiccityusa #nashvilletn #imaginerecordings #soundstagestudios
When the owner of the bar asks if she can tell the band that there are college music students in the house, you say YES! Thanks Hammerstones and Uncle Albert for making the 1st day of their music tour AMAZING! #hammerstones #UncleAlbert #stlouismo #musiccollege #musicstudent #tourguidelife #bestjobintheworld
THIS just happened! Sometimes, as a tour guide, you just get to witness the most amazing things. As we left the visitor's center today there was a veteran of WWII, Korea, and Vietnam. He started in the army and then joined the navy, serving as a medic and a diver. He agreed to speak to our group and we all shook his hand and thanked him for his service. I was a bit choked up thinking about the three very different homecomings he likely received as our group applauded his service. #thankaveteran #thankavet #WWII #koreanwar #vietnamveteran #worldclassrooms #travelwithwc
Honor Flight from Greater Lafayette Indiana has arrived. A heroe's welcome is provided for all the honor flights here. Love the water canons! Volunteering my time today as a way to thank our veterans. #honorflight #honorandservice #honorourveterans #tourguidelife #giveback #payitforward
A new experience at Arlington! Yesterday my guests and I were fortunate to experience something I have never before witnessed @arlingtonnatl Two Medal of Honor recipients laid a wreath as part of a full honors wreath laying ceremony. It was full of pomp, ceremony, and quite a moving experience. #arlingtonnationalcemetery #fullhonors #wreathlaying #wreathlayingceremony #medalofhonor #thankasoldier #thankamilitaryfamily #thankaveteran
Awoke to a lovely snow this morning in Boston. I never thought about the need to shovel the deck of a ship. So, it was fun to watch the crew of the @uss_constitution shoveling the deck this morning. #ussconstitution #charlestownma #winterinboston #snowydays #tripschool #tripschoolrocks #tourguidelife #learninginthesnow
Lest we forget. Eishishok is a town in modern day Lithuania. For more than 900 years, it hosted a rich and vibrant Jewish community. These pictures rise for three floors and span more then 50 years. They are the work of 4 photographers who lived in Eishishok and photographed its Jewish inhabitants. In 1941, the SS systematically annihilated the Jewish inhabitants of Eishishok. In just two days, they erased entire families, an entire community, and more than nine centuries of history. #holocaustmuseum #holocaustmemorial #wemustneverforget #genocide #stophatred #lostforever
When art, technology, music, and transience meet. Well worth a visit to @artechouse to see their latest exhibit. #artechouse #transient #impermanence #technologyasart #musicandart #captivating
Ever heard of a photophone? That invention was first successfully used here at The Franklin School, now home to @planetworddc One of my favorite parts of the museum is the Speaking Willow sculpture. Rather fittingly, it combines light and sound to play 364 different languages--99% of the Native tongues of the world. Why fittingly you may ask? Alexander Graham Bell and a partner invented the Photophone. This device allowed the transmission of sound via a beam of light, instead of electricity. The first successful transmission was made from the roof of Franklin School--making it the first wireless voice transmission. Because of technological constraints of the day, the invention did get much recognition. Today, however, it is largely known as the precursor to modern day fiber optics. #photophone #fiberoptics #alexandergrahambell #rafaellozanohemmer #speakingwillow #wireless #sculpture #planetword
Thank you for your service Senator Dole. Rest in peace. Tom Hanks, memorializing the late Senator.
Beautiful and deadly! One July day in 1942, 24-year old Dorothy Sparks and her friends went for a cookout and hike along the Swift River to escape summer's heat. At some point her friends realized she was missing and went back to the last place they had seen her--this waterfall. They quickly began to fear the worst and some went for help. It took 2 hours for the search party to arrive--a state trooper, some forest rangers, a coroner, and the undertaker. Probing the churn beneath the falls with a grappling pole, the state trooper brought up a piece of pink cloth--the color of Dorothy's bathing suit. Knowing her body was there, they couldn't leave it. The current was too strong, so they built a makeshift damn above the falls to divert some of the flow. With less current, Trooper Hayward began using the grappling pole once more and it wasn't long before a hand floated to the surface. He reached down and grabbed it and to his shock--it grabbed him back-- and he pulled a very much alive Dorothy from the water. She had slipped on the rocks, fell into the river, and was swept over the falls. Fortunately for her, there was a small cave at the back of the falls with a small air pocket where she waited for rescuers to arrive. Before being loaded into an ambulance, she hugged Trooper Hayward. He would later recall it was the only time he had been hugged by a corpse! #rockygorge #kancamagushighway #waterfalls #searchandrescue #miracle #hikesafe #scenichighway #whitemountainsnh #whitemountainnationalforest
Nature's Ballet
Did you know jellyfish existed before dinosaurs? Despite their name, they aren't really fish at all. A group of jellyfish is called a bloom and blooms can contain more than 100,000 jellyfish. Jelly's range in size from as small as the head of pin to taller than a human. I was recently at the National Aquarium in Baltimore and their slow, rhythmic movements still mesmerize me. Enjoy a little clip of Nature's Ballet. #jellyfish #nationalaquarium #naturesballet #oceanwonders #awalkandasmile
"Life is not about waiting for the storm to pass. It's about learning how to dance in the rain." One if my favorite quotes and oh so fitting for my wet, yet wonderful, morning stroll. #danceintherain #lifeisgood #rainydaywalk #rain #walkanyway
Remember going to the circus and seeing so many clowns come out of a tiny car? (Did I just show my age with that reference?) 😳 Couldn't help but think of that as I watched this group come out of the Native American lodge on a rainy day. 😀 #jamestownsettlement #colonialwilliamsburg #danceintherain #studenttravelmatters #worldclassrooms
158 years ago today the Battle of Gettysburg began. My Oklahoma students were so fortunate to be able to visit the battlefield on this anniversary. They even got to practice how the soldiers had to reposition to avoid being out flanked. A fun exercise to help bring the battle to life. #worldclassrooms #world_classrooms #gettysburgbattlefield #studenttravel #studenttravelmatters #militarystrategy #makeitreal #oklahoma #awalkandasmile
How do get food at University of Houston? Maybe you are studying and don't have time to get across this sizeable campus? Maybe it's scorching hot? No matter, just order food and it can be delivered by these robot delivery modules! Mind blown! #robots #fooddelivery #campuslifestyle #uofh #howtimeschange #collegelife #technologythesedays #awalkandasmile
This is one of those displays that I find both fascinating and creepy. From a distance, it appears that you are staring at the back of a casting of George Washington's face. But as you get closer, it looks at you and appears to follow you. The science behind it is amazing, and the result unnerving. #georgewashingtonsmountvernon #georgewashington #hologram #funscience #creepybutfun #blindedmewithscience #makelearningfun #awalkandasmile
Meet my new friend, Priscilla! She is just one of many new friends I made yesterday @roos2u, a USDA Licensed Educational Outreach facility. I also got to meet several wallabies, kangaroos, emu, Patagonian mara, and others. It was an incredible chance to get to meet, interact with, and learn more about these amazing creatures. #crestedporcupine #wallabies #kangaroos #emu #patagonianmara #magicalmoments #awalkandasmile
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