To Takoma Park, Washington, and into Virginia.
I left Brad and Gay’s around noon, and had a really great time visiting. But not before taking a couple of photos of Brad with his bikes, one new and one rebuilt.
I headed to Takoma Park, Maryland, from Hanover, which was a nice and leisurely drive – I definitely wasn’t in a hurry. It’s been a long time since I was in Takoma Park, and I’m pretty sure Bev hadn’t visited it either since she and Suzanne lived there from 1976-1977. They lived on the second floor, with friends who had the first floor, including Cynthia who had previously lived there.
I had forgotten how nice of a neighborhood Takoma Park is, with lots of trees and shrubs, and greenery. I took a walk around the neighborhood, and took a couple of shots of the house at 11 Lee Avenue. It was a bit run down back then, in 1976, and no different now. I released more of Bev’s ashes, as although Bev and Suz only lived there a year, it was an important place for us.
Bev also got her dog while living in Takoma Park, who Bev, appropriately named Takoma. Bev loved Takoma, who sadly died in an accident after Bev moved to San Francisco with Marguerite in 1979. Bev loved Takoma, and Takoma loved Bev. His death was very sad, and very hard for Bev.
After leaving Takoma Park, I headed for Silver Spring, where I lived for a bit while Bev and Suzanne lived in Takoma Park. Silver Spring and Takoma Park were more or less connected by Sligo Creek Parkway, a twisty road running through Sligo Park. I used to invite people to take a “hair raising” drive with me on the Parkway, in Bev and Suzanne’s little Subaru, which really handled well on those twists and turns.
Unfortunately, I couldn’t find the house I lived in on Wayne Avenue in Silver Spring, and the traffic was murder. I recall that when I interviewed as a house mate with the group of slightly younger people already living there, Bev and Suzanne came with me, and we later learned they thought we, slightly older, were very cool and hip. Hah!
I gave up looking for the house, and headed for the Lincoln Memorial, which has a very special place for us. The traffic was so bad, it took me 40 minutes to travel less than 10 miles, but I wanted to get to the Memorial and release more ashes.
Bev worked at the Lincoln Memorial as the sole employee managing and running the bookstore, which was inside the Memorial itself, with Abe looking on. A very odd and isolated job, and I went to visit Bev there whenever I could. The bookstore is closed off now, and I doubt will re-open as a Lincoln Memorial museum is being built.
I couldn’t, of course, release ashes in the Memorial itself (although I wanted to), but I did release ashes on the lawn outside of the Memorial. What a strange job for anyone to have, and part of dear Bev’s legend.
And just to prove I really was there…
I have my own Lincoln Memorial story from 1971, just months after being in the U.S. While sitting on the steps of the Memorial on a beautiful summer’s evening, with all the other long haired young people sitting around and playing and listening to music, when I was approached by a park police officer and almost arrested due to a suspicious looking baggie hanging outside the back pocket of my jeans. Happily, it was an empty baggie – but it hadn’t been just 30 minutes earlier. Phew.
After leaving the DC Mall, where the Lincoln Memorial is located, I headed out of DC crossing into Virginia and took route 66 toward Front Royal. Lots of rush hour traffic at that time, around 4 pm, but happily the route 66 express lane, which has a toll, has a speed limit of 70 (which meant I could drive at 78 mph), we in those express lanes were flying, even while drivers in the regular lanes had to deal with slow moving and at times stopped traffic. Worth the toll.
I arrived in Front Royal, Virginia (not much of a town, I’d say) about 70 minutes later, where I am at a present, shacked up in a delightful (not) Super 8 for the night.
Just a few words about how I’m feeling. The primary reason for this pilgrimage to all things Bev is to feel Bev’s presence as I release her ashes all over the country, and I do. I’m aware as I’m releasing ashes that they actually are the remains of Bev and she is in my hands. I remind Bev (although she’s not there) of why I’m releasing ashes in each location, and that helps center me and feel Bev’s presence, which is everywhere now. Bev fills my head, and I hope always will. I never want Bev’s memory to fade. Many tearful moments during each day.
Tomorrow I’ll be heading down Skyline Drive into the Shenandoah National Park and toward the Blue Ridge Mountains, heading further into Virginia, en route for Sevierville, Tennessee (where Dollywood is located; actually about 6 miles south of Sevierville). I hit some very heavy rain while driving to Front Royal, which was a bit of a relief from this very hot weather, but that cleared up and I’m hoping it won’t rain tomorrow along Skyline Drive.