Goodbye to our Ben Franklin Store

So, been to a Ben Franklin store recently? Well Fredericksburg Virginia does, but only for one more week. For some 30 years this store has stood on the corner being the "dime store" for the area. To enter the store is to flashback many years to the crowded, high shelf variety stores. We are sad to see it go, but time rolls on and while we watch Wal-Mart fight to build a super store right beside to major Civil War battlefields we also watch another downtown icon fall.



Thought I would throw in Crismond's Shoe Store, open for around a hundred years.




Fredericksburg was in the middle of the Civil War, most buildings on main street are on the national register and were here well before the start of the war. We have four major battlefields as well as several cemetaries dedicated to the civil war dead. Fredericksburg is a beautyful town and well worth checking out should you be in the Washington DC area.

Three Types of Train in Washington DC

Here in the Washington DC metro area it is almost impossible to drive. There is not enough parking, the roads are congested, and there are just too many people. When we want to get around in town or in northern Virginia we use mass transit. You often hear people talk about the "train", but in actuality there are three different types of train. Here is a quick post to help you tell the difference.



If you want to go from DC to Baltimore, Richmond or Fredericksburg you can take the AMTRAK. The ticket is just a few dollars and you ride in cozy comfort. Above is a local express AMTRAK train. It has very few stops, carpet and often a food car. Below is the inside view of the express train.

If you want to go from DC into Virginia no further than Fredericksburg you can ride the Virginia Railway Express. This is a commuter train, no carpet, plastic seats, like a bus on rails. They are double decked so a lot of people fit. It takes an hour to ride from Fredericksburg to DC. No food car and no cozy seats. Below is an interior view and below that is the train. Notice, a real engine pulls these cars.




Next is the Metro. This "train" is actually a subway. It runs on electricity and has a person in the lead car driving the thing. It is just what you would expect dirty, loud, and no fun at all. This is how we get around in DC. For a dollar and a half you can ride clear across town, much easier than driving.


Yup, that is the way we get around here in DC. Come visit, take a ride and see the sites.

Honoring our Fathers

With Father's Day being next Sunday we decided to post a couple pictures of our fathers. Rhonda's dad is up first followed by Steve's dad. We hope you enjoy the old pictures of the guys who shaped our lives and taught us some important lessons, like "always check the oil in your car" and "you got to get on the lake early to catch fish." Thanks Dad.

Clifford Childress in a very early photo. We dont know where he was or why he was dressed so fancy.



Clifford in his Army uniform



Yes, this is the Clifford we all know and love, reclined in his easy chair, watching television and sharing his opinion of the world with us.



---Now Steve's Dad.




William and Steve at Grandpa Steven's place June 1959.

William and Steve at the old house, Steve is ready for bed and both are laughing because Mom's camera did not work and she was all flustered.


William and Steve at the Washington Monument last year.

To all the Childress and Long family fathers, Have a Happy Fathers Day.