Creekside Village Stories

  By Mary McClung We are now at our first Canadian port on the ”fall foliage cruise” I took from Boston to Quebec in October 2019.  Recent hurricane Dorian had hit Halifax, as evidenced by many downed trees.  Who knew that hurricanes extended this far north!  Halifax really deserves a 2-day visit but we are here for only one full day. The Acadian area north of Halifax is an interesting UNESCO World Heritage site. French settlers had prospered here but were kicked out by the fearful British based in Halifax (and many became the New Orleans "Cajuns" of today in the local dialect).  However, I chose a trip with four of my fellow ship mates on a private tour in the other direction because I wanted to learn about the history of the city and to visit the Peggy’s Cove lighthouse.  A number of tragedies have affected Halifax.  We passed by “The Narrows,” where in 1917 an explosion decimated the northern part of the city.  A French munitions ship loaded wi...

Reprinted from Fidalgo Island Crossings In a previous post , I spoke of the Red Rock Quarry next to the new John Tursi Trail as a source of stone for Causland Memorial Park.  This is Causland Memorial Park in Anacortes, Washington. Originally, the park was built as a memorial to World War I veterans from Anacortes.  Later memorials were added for World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.  The park is named for Harry Leon Causland, "one of the one hundred immortals D.S.C. 6795."  He received the Distinguished Service Cross for actions in France that resulted in his death.  Fourteen others from Fidalgo, Guemes, Decatur and Cypress Islands are also named in the memorial.  The park is listed in the National Register of Historic Places . On the day I visited, the flag was at half staff in recognition of the Orlando, Florida nightclub slayings. What makes Causland Park unique are the colored stone mosaics that decorate the bandstand and surroun...

  By Mary McClung For those of you wishing this dratted virus would go away so you could get out of the house and have some fun, travel vicariously here.  Let’s make this an entertaining part of our Creekside blog.  I’ll start off with the first couple of stops on Norwegian Line’s “Fall Foliage Cruise” I took from Boston in October, 2019, before the virus struck. Boston is a history-lovers dream.  I arrived a day early so I could immerse myself in all things historical.  I stayed at the Comfort Inn in Revere, across the river from Boston but close to the airport.  The hotel has free transport from the airport and into Boston, plus a hearty free hot breakfast.  Bright and early the next morning after breakfast, I took the MTA into Boston to join the not-to-be-missed 4-hour “Revolutionary Story” walking tour with 11 others, hosted by energetic young historian Mike.  We walked along  the Freedom Trail, which includes 16 key spots associated with...