I couldn’t believe my painted eyes when Tom’s alarm rang at 5:30am on Monday June 5, 2023. For the second morning in a row, my rotund photographer and his friend Bob Moldenhauer were up at the crack of dawn and chompin’ at the bit to hit the road – which we did at precisely 6:52am. The three of us had never been to the United States Military Academy in West Point, New York during previous trips, so we had no idea what unexpected surprises or rules of engagement were in store for us. My biggest fear was one, or all three of us, would accidentally get enlisted into the Army. If we did, I envision all of us re-enacting the 1981 movie ‘Stripes’. My photographer could portray John Winger; Bob would play the role of Dewey ‘Ox’ Oxberger; and I would get my acting debut as Francis ‘Psycho’ Soyer.
It was just over 30 miles of winding and hilly roads that took us from Middletown, New York to the western high banks of the Hudson River at West Point. After several minutes of confusion upon our arrival, Tom and Bob realized they needed to register at the Visitor Control Center, which was located only a short distance south of the main entry gates. Once inside the VCC at 7:40am, my companions filled out the required paperwork and then they waited to be processed. They waited. And then they waited some more. When it was their turn, Tom and Bob answered questions, they provided identification, and finally had their “mug shots” taken. When the long and painful ordeal was finished, we had our entry pass to visit West Point; but first, we had to wait some more. That’s right – the gates to the academy didn’t open to the public until nine o’clock. That’s the motto of the United States military – ‘Hurry up and wait!’
The early morning drive through the military academy was scenic, serene, and very dignified. The historic campus we were visiting was established on March 16, 1802 as a fort, since it was located on strategic high ground overlooking the Hudson River some 50 miles north of New York City. Even though my two companions loved the historical significance of West Point, each had the own personal reasons for the visit. Mongo is a huge admirer of NASA astronauts, and he’s been anxious to pay his respects at the gravesite of Edward H. White II. On June 3, 1965, during the Gemini 4 mission, White became the first American astronaut to perform a spacewalk. But tragedy struck on January 27, 1967 when White and fellow Apollo 1 astronauts Virgil “Gus” Grissom and Roger Chaffee were killed during a test of their capsule which sat atop a Saturn 1B booster on the launchpad a Cape Kennedy.
My photographer’s West Point quest was different; he intended on photographing me on The Plain near the equestrian statue of George Washington, with Washington Hall in the background. To Tom, the military academy was another Presidential site as both Ulysses S. Grant and Dwight D. Eisenhower graduated from West Point – Grant on July 1, 1843 and Ike on June 12, 1915.
The Visitor Control Center was the building where Tom, Bob, and I spent the early part of our morning before gaining access to the United States Military Academy’s grounds.
Once we were processed through the Visitor Control Center, I killed some time by posing next to a tank. Mongo stood in the distance and watched me make an idiot of myself.
It didn’t take too long after we arrived at the West Point Cemetery before Bob found the grave of astronaut Ed White. It helped when Mongo found a woman walking the grounds who knew exactly where the grave was located, and she led him right to the spot.
Astronaut Ed White was photographed as he made NASA history when he became the first American to perform a spacewalk on June 3, 1965.
I’ve stood on a countless number of graves during my ten-year career, and I couldn’t have been more honored to be at the final resting place of Ed White. He was a brave test pilot and space pioneer who died doing what he loved most – plus he graduated from West Point in 1952.
I’m hanging from a horse’s leg, by my ponytail, on the grave of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer. Not only did Custer graduate from West Point on June 24, 1861, he also fought in the Civil War before being killed in the Battle of Little Bighorn on June 25, 1876 at the age of 36.
Had I slipped, or had my ponytail snapped off, I would have fallen to my death. Instead of ‘Custer’s Last Stand’, my incident would’ve been known as ‘Jefferson’s Last Fall!”
George Armstrong Custer led his troops into battle against the Lakota, Northern Cheyenne, and Arapaho tribes in the Montana Territory. During the Battle of Little Bighorn, every American soldier was slaughtered during ‘Custer’s Last Stand’.
Following our visit at the cemetery, we headed for The Plain where Tom found a parking spot close to the monument dedicated to Ulysses S. Grant. In the distance, I could see Washington Hall and the equestrian monument of George Washington.
The bronze statue of Grant was created in 2019, but it was intentionally “aged” to make it look similar to the other monuments situated around the parade field.
As I posed for this photo at the feet of the 7 1/2-foot-tall figure of General Grant, I looked out and saw the same grounds he walked on in the early 1840s. West Point was where young Hiram transformed into Ulysses.
Washington Hall was constructed in 1929 and is the home of the Cadet Mess Hall. Even though it’s the central hub of West Point today, neither Grant nor Ike would’ve seen that building.
The Washington Monument at West Point was originally located on the north end of The Plain after its dedication in 1916, which was one year after Eisenhower had graduated. In 1971, it was moved to its present location in front of Washington Hall.
Tom carried me to the southern-most area of The Plain where I posed alongside the Eisenhower Monument. The nine-foot-tall bronze statue of Ike, which was unveiled on May 3, 1983, sat atop a red granite pedestal.
We had been on the grounds of the United States Military Academy at West Point for about an hour, and quite frankly, I could’ve spent a lot more time getting carried around the historic buildings. But since Tom and Bob had accomplished their goals, it was time to head north towards Hyde Park and the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt. While it had been nearly six years since I last toured Springwood, Mongo has never set foot inside the historic mansion. I could tell Bob was very anxious to get there.
It took us nearly an hour to traverse the 37 miles of winding roadways along the Hudson River before we arrived at the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site. It was a few minutes past eleven o’clock when Bob hurried into the Visitor Center in an attempt to get us tickets for the 11:30 home tour, but they were gone. Mongo was able to secure a couple of tickets for the 12:30 tour, however, which gave us plenty of time to visit the Presidential Museum first.
The entire FDR historic site is an amazing place; as a matter of fact, it’s one of my favorite Presidential sites. In one stop, visitors are afforded the opportunity to see Roosevelt’s birthplace, boyhood home, adult home, gravesite, and museum. Even FDR’s Top Cottage was only a few miles away, although it still wasn’t open to visitors due to NPS staffing issues.
For about an hour, the three of us meandered through Roosevelt’s Presidential Library and Museum, which was built under FDR’s personal direction. The President attended the dedication ceremony on June 30, 1941 – shortly after he began his third term in office and six months before Japan’s attack on Pearl Harbor. From his personal study inside the museum, FDR delivered several of his famous radio speeches known as ‘Fireside Chats’. One of my favorite artifacts on display was the Roosevelt family Bible used during his inauguration as Governor of New York, as well as his four inaugurations as President. But the pièce de résistance for me, however, was the Hoover Desk, used by Roosevelt in the Oval Office throughout his entire time as President – from March 4, 1933 until his death on April 12, 1945. President Hoover had also used the desk during the final three years of his Presidency.
No visit to a Presidential Library would be complete without posing with a statue. This bronze statue of President Roosevelt and the First Lady was situated just outside of the Visitor Center.
I’m standing in front of the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum in Hyde Park, New York. On June 30, 1941, FDR stood near the portico just to my left when he helped dedicate the opening of the library.
President Franklin Roosevelt speaks to the large crowd assembled at his Presidential Library’s dedication ceremony on June 30, 1941.
President Roosevelt never saw this bust, which was located in front of his Presidential Library. The granite likeness was sculpted by artist Gleb W. Derujinsky in 1947, two years after FDR’s death.
It was an honor for me to stand close to the Roosevelt Family Dutch Bible, which was printed in 1686. It’s the oldest Bible ever used for a U.S. Presidential inauguration and the only one written in a current foreign language – Dutch. FDR used this Bible for all four of his Presidential inaugurations, as well as his inauguration as New York’s governor in 1929.
President Roosevelt once again used his family’s Dutch Bible when he recited the Presidential Oath of Office for a fourth and final time on January 20, 1945. Because of spending cutbacks due to World War II, Roosevelt’s inauguration took place on the South Portico of the White House instead of the Capitol. FDR died less than three months after his fourth inauguration.
I found this relic very interesting – it was a metal fragment from the superstructure of the USS Arizona, which sank in Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, claiming the lives of 1,177 crew members onboard. The recovered fragment was presented to the FDR Library by the U.S. Navy in 2005.
President Roosevelt used these expanding pinchers to retrieve papers on his desk that were out of arm’s reach. When I saw FDR’s pinchers, I thought to myself: “Tom could use those to set me on artifacts and tombstones that are just out of arm’s reach.”
President Roosevelt’s heavy leg braces were on display, a stark reminder of his disability due to polio.
I’m standing above an RCA model 4-A-1 carbon condenser microphone used by FDR when he delivered some of his “Fireside Chats” in the White House during the 1930s.
The FDR Library and Museum is the only Presidential Library ever used by a sitting President. Roosevelt used this study, located inside the library, as a place to conduct government business, receive visitors, and work with his books and papers during his many visits to Hyde Park during World War II. The study remains almost as FDR had left it during his final visit on March 28, 1945.
FDR kept this portrait of his beloved mother, Sara Delano Roosevelt, in his study.
I couldn’t ignore items used by my favorite Presidential dog, Fala. I smiled, or tried to smile, when I posed close to Fala’s food bowl, his rubber ball, and puppy collar.
Behind me, enclosed behind glass, is the Hoover desk used by Franklin Roosevelt during his entire time in the White House. The desk was made in Grand Rapids, Michigan and given to President Hoover for use in the Oval Office.
President Roosevelt was photographed seated at the Hoover desk in the Oval Office of the White House in 1935.
Upon Roosevelt’s death in April 1945, President Harry S Truman replaced the Hoover desk with the Theodore Roosevelt desk, and he sent FDR’s desk to First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt as a gift. All of the items behind me were the same ones FDR had on his desk when he died.
White House reporters, straining to hear every word President Roosevelt had to say, crowded around the Hoover desk in the Oval Office on August 25, 1939.
Eleanor Roosevelt was the greatest First Lady in history and set the bar high for all who followed her into the White House. Eleanor was not only the first Presidential spouse to hold regular press conferences, but she also wrote a widely syndicated daily newspaper column called ‘My Day’. If that wasn’t enough, Eleanor was the first First Lady to write a monthly magazine column and to host a weekly radio show. I thought it was cool to pose for a photo next to Eleanor Roosevelt’s personal typewriter.
First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt wore this Red Cross uniform while she toured the South Pacific in August and September 1943.
The First Lady was photographed as she visited a wounded soldier in the South Pacific.
FDR loved to drive his 1936 Ford Phaeton whenever he was at Hyde Park. The vehicle was modified with hand controls, which gave the President freedom to drive despite his disability. After FDR’s death, Eleanor used the car until late 1946, which was when she donated it to the museum. The odometer indicated the Phaeton had been driven 19,143 miles.
Shortly before 12:30pm, my two companions and I met up with our tour guide in the horse stable that was situated between the Rose Garden and the mansion – it was time for our tour of Springwood. I was excited to be back at the Roosevelt’s estate, which was built in 1793 and purchased by James Roosevelt, Sr. (Franklin’s father) in 1866. But when our tour group made our way to the front of Springwood, we were smacked in the face with a huge dose of disappointment – unsightly barricades had been erected across the entire main entryway. It turned out the front patio of Springwood was in the process of being replaced; a project that had been ongoing for a month or two. When our guide said we’d be entering the home through the back door, Bob jokingly said to my photographer: “That’s okay, I’m a back door man anyway.” I just shook my head and thought Mongo had spent too much time in Buffalo.
Once the NPS ranger had finished talking to our group about the home’s history, we headed around to the back. I had resin goose bumps all over my body. For the second time in the past six years, I was getting carried inside the sanctuary of Franklin D. Roosevelt to see where FDR had walked and rolled all night and partied every day!
The interior of Springwood was a time capsule. Around every corner, or through every threshold I was carried, I expected to see the President waiting there to greet us from in his customized wheelchair. For me, the highlight on the first floor was FDR’s Library. That’s the room which reflected Roosevelt’s variety of interests, including his passion for being an avid collector and reader. The Library also featured one of the four wheelchairs known to have been used by FDR.
Tom carried me up the staircase to the second floor of the mansion. The first thing I saw was the elevator FDR used to get from the lower level up to his second-floor bedroom. It was also on the second floor of the home, in what was known as the Blue Room, where Franklin Roosevelt was born at 8:45pm on January 30, 1882. Following his birth, FDR’s dad wanted to name his newborn son Isaac, but Sara objected. His mother favored the name Warren Delano, but her brother had just lost an infant by the same name. He persuaded Sara to choose another name for her baby. Nameless for seven weeks, James and Sara finally agreed their son would be named after a great-uncle, Franklin Hughes Delano.
When our tour of the interior was finished, the three of us meandered the grounds behind the mansion; which gave us a unique view of the back of Springwood. In one area, I posed for photos in the same proximity where Franklin and Eleanor frequently sat and enjoyed the scenic view of the Hudson River.
Let’s take a look, shall we, at historic Springwood – the birthplace, boyhood, and adult home of President Franklin D. Roosevelt.
When we got our first look at the front of Springwood, I couldn’t have been more disappointed when I saw the barricade across the patio.
While the unsightly fence ruined our photos of Springwood’s front entrance, thankfully I had posed on the unobstructed patio in 2017. I was saddened more for Bob, because it was his first visit to the home. It’s my guess the three of us will make a return trip to Springwood at some point in the future.
President Franklin D. Roosevelt speaks to reporters on his arrival at Hyde Park on August 20, 1933. FDR returned to Springwood to resume his vacation.
My photographer managed to sneak me through an open side of the barricade where I posed for an unobstructed image with the front entrance of Springwood.
The Roosevelt Dining Room was smaller than I expected, but I imagined FDR sitting at the table eating his favorite foods, such as scrambled eggs, fish chowder, grilled cheese sandwiches, hot dogs, and fruitcake. The table and chairs in the room were moved to Springwood from Sara’s New York City apartment following her death in 1941.
The Music Room, or Dresden Room, was the most elegant room in the house. Sara Roosevelt redecorated this room for the visit of the King and Queen of England in 1939.
I’m standing in the Entrance Hall, with the front door to Springwood to my immediate right. This room highlighted the Roosevelt’s heritage and collecting interests for visitors to see. Behind me in the distance, in the enclosed case, was FDR’s bird collection he had gathered and mounted as a young boy.
FDR’s Library was my favorite room on the first floor of Springwood. Not only did I see one of Roosevelt’s customized wheelchairs in the room, but it was as though I could see Franklin, Eleanor, and Sara seated around the fireplace beneath the portrait of Isaac Roosevelt – FDR’s great, great, great grandfather.
President Roosevelt, along with First Lady Eleanor and Franklin’s mother Sara, were photographed near the fireplace in Springwood’s Library in the late 1930s.
The Library featured over 3,000 volumes of books and novels on a variety of subjects. Franklin also owned a collection of books authored by his cousin, Theodore Roosevelt.
While my photographer carried me up the staircase to the second floor of Springwood, FDR used the elevator behind me to travel from one floor to the other. Once inside, Roosevelt used his upper body strength to pull the rope which raised and lowered the elevator between levels.
My first stop on the second floor was at the Blue Room, which from 1880 until 1915, was Sara Roosevelt’s bedroom. On the night of January 30, 1882, Franklin Roosevelt was born in the bed behind me. I would’ve given my right arm to stand on that bed, but alarms and sensors kept my photographer from venturing into any of the rooms. Where were those pinchers when we needed them?
This was Franklin’s bedroom when he was a young boy. The Roosevelt family maintained the bedroom with the original furnishings and decorations throughout FDR’s life.
I’m standing in the Chintz Room, which was Franklin and Eleanor’s bedroom prior to the 1915 renovations. After it became a guest room, the Chintz Room hosted Queen Elizabeth of England and Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands.
When Tom discovered the sensor in the Chintz Room was faulty, he carefully placed me on the fireplace mantel where I envisioned Franklin and Eleanor sleeping shortly after their marriage on March 17, 1905.
Sara Roosevelt used this room as her bedroom after the wing was added to Springwood in 1915. Sara’s bedroom was located right next to the room of her favorite daughter-in-law, Eleanor.
The room I’m standing in was designed to be a Morning Room, which connected the two Master Bedrooms in the new wing. But after FDR contracted polio in 1921, Eleanor chose this as her bedroom so she could be nearby to assist her husband – whose bedroom was next door.
This was the bedroom of President Franklin D. Roosevelt at Springwood. FDR typically spent the early part of each morning reading the newspaper, or working on Presidential business, in this room. The telephone on the wall next to the bed provided direct access to the White House switchboard operator.
During my 2017 visit to Springwood, my photographer and I were told the small bed at the foot of FDR’s bed was where the President’s dog, Fala, slept. As a matter of fact, Fala’s leash was kept on that bed. But on this visit, we discovered the chair near FDR’s dressing table was known as ‘Fala’s Chair’, and the dog’s leash had been relocated to that chair.
Since Fala was my photographer’s favorite Presidential pet, he captured a close-up image of the Scottish Terrier’s collar and leash. The identification tag on the collar was engraved: ‘FALA – THE WHITE HOUSE’.
Fala, whose full name was Murray the Outlaw of Falahill, was President Roosevelt’s best friend. This image was captured in the White House study on December 20, 1941, less than two weeks after the bombing of Pearl Harbor.
Back outside, I posed near the south terrace at Springwood. Above me, on the second story, was where the bedroom of President Roosevelt was located.
I posed for a photo on a wooden bench which replicated the one the Roosevelt’s used in the 1930s. Franklin and Eleanor relaxed in this area, which gave them a good view of the Hudson River in the distance.
Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt as they enjoyed a relaxing moment on their south lawn on August 20, 1933. FDR had been only President for six months when this image was captured.
The back of Springwood was not as beautifully constructed as the front side, but at least there wasn’t a construction barricade hindering my view of the home.
When the three of us had finished our visit of Springwood and the surrounding grounds, Tom, Bob and I headed for the Rose Garden, which was a short walk from the historic home. During our walk, I overheard my companions as they discussed whether or not they would ignore the small chain barricade and get closer to the monument that marked the graves of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. I knew in my resin heart Bob would venture out to the site, but I wasn’t sure if my photographer would take the chance, mainly because he had placed me on the large marble monument in 2017. As we arrived at the beautiful Rose Garden, the covert plan was dashed – two groundskeepers were in the vicinity of the graves and there was no way Tom or Bob would take a chance of getting arrested.
As my friends took photos of the gravesite from a distance, Mongo suddenly asked “Joe the Gardener” if he would place me on the President’s grave so I could pose for a few pictures. When Joe said he would, that’s the moment I think I dropped a resin nugget in my breaches. Sure enough, Joe took me in hand, walked out to the gravesite, and set me in the center of FDR’s burial plot. The first thing I noticed was the thick myrtle that covered the plot in 2017 had been reduced to nearly barren ground. When Joe set me on the plot, I didn’t have any difficulty standing there whatsoever. Six years ago, Tom was forced to dig my base into the foliage to keep me upright. When the first round of images was finished, Joe placed me on top of the eight-foot long, four-foot wide, and three-foot high Vermont marble monument where I posed for more photos. Franklin D. Roosevelt is one of my favorite Presidents and it was a true honor to pay my personal tribute to him while standing at his grave.
But something had bothered me since my first visit to Hyde Park six years earlier. In 2017, I never got a good look at Fala’s gravesite, mainly because my photographer was rushed to capture his covert images. Fala was laid to rest near the base of the sun dial just behind FDR’s marble grave marker. The black Scottish Terrier had outlived his Master by nearly seven years, but when Fala’s health began to fail, Eleanor had the dog euthanized on April 5, 1952. Murray the Outlaw of Falahill was two days shy of his twelfth birthday when he was buried about ten yards behind the President’s grave, and alongside the burial site of Chief, the Roosevelt’s German Shepard who died in 1933.
Just as Joe returned me to my photographer, Tom asked the young gardener for one additional favor. My camera guy asked for permission to take me out to the sun dial so he could place me on Fala’s grave. Without hesitation, Joe said it was okay; and he led the three of us out to the site where I was able to stand on Fala’s small headstone. The flat, oval-shaped marker was flush with the ground and was only a foot or so from the base of the sun dial, which seemed to be in sad state of disrepair. The dog’s headstone was engraved with ‘FALA 1940 – 1952’.
We were a good distance from FDR’s grave when Tom captured the first images of me at the Rose Garden. I saw the sun dial behind the marble monument, but I couldn’t see Fala’s headstone in the tall leaves of clover.
After ‘Joe the Gardener’ placed me on the hallowed ground of FDR’s grave, I had a good look at First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s burial plot in front of me. Eleanor died in New York City on November 7, 1962 at the age of 78 and was laid to rest alongside her husband.
When Tom set me on the monument in 2017, I stood on the very top and looked down at the Roosevelt’s burial plots. When Joe placed me on the monument’s base, I wondered if I was the only bobble head to ever stand on FDR’s grave – twice!
Tom carried me around to the west side of Franklin Roosevelt’s grave as he tried to see Springwood from the burial site. While we saw the horse stable in the background, the hedges and trees kept FDR’s mansion hidden from view.
When I was carried out to Fala’s grave, I noticed the famous sun dial was in poor condition. As a matter of fact, it appeared the actual sun dial was gone and only the pedestal remained.
There were no bones about it, I was honored to stand on the grave of Murray the Outlaw of Falahill.
We had been on the grounds of Franklin Roosevelt’s Springwood estate and his Presidential Library for over three hours. During that time, I not only had the honor of once again standing on the grave of FDR, but I also got to stand on the final resting place of the President’s favorite pooch, Fala, as well. When the three of us headed for the Explorer that was parked near the Library, I thought our FDR sites were finished for the trip – but I was wrong. Less than five minutes after we headed north along Albany Post Road from the Roosevelt Historic Site, Tom pulled our vehicle into the parking lot of an old church – which was located almost directly across the road from the historic Vanderbilt Mansion.
St. James Episcopal Church in Hyde Park was built in 1844 and was where young Franklin Roosevelt was baptized shortly after his birth in 1882. Later, as an adult, FDR served as the senior warden at St. James. During his Presidency, from 1933 until his death in ’45, Roosevelt and his family attended services at the historic church whenever they were in Hyde Park. But while he worshipped inside St. James, FDR said he resented tourists ogling him there, saying: “I can do almost everything in the goldfish bowl of the President’s life, but I’ll be hanged if I can say my prayers in it.”
After I posed for a handful of photos near the exterior of St. James, my photographer carried me inside the beautiful Episcopal Church where I posed for pictures near the altar. At one point, I also had the honor of standing in the baptismal font, likely used during the baptism ceremony of Franklin Roosevelt. During the end of our visit, my companions noticed one of the front pews was designated with the word ‘Roosevelt’ on the wall, which gave us the impression that same pew was used by FDR and his family when they worshipped in the church.
I’m standing near St. James Episcopal Church in Hyde Park, New York. The small cemetery behind me was where members of FDR’s family were buried, including his parents, his half-brother, and several of his children.
Even though I never pictured FDR as a very religious person, I couldn’t wait to go inside the church where President Roosevelt was baptized as a small child.
During our short visit inside St. James Episcopal Church, I took a moment to pose near the altar. It was very cool to stand and look around at the historic structure, knowing President Franklin Roosevelt looked at the same furnishings when he attended services there.
The Baptismal Font I’m standing in was inscribed with the date ‘1840’, which made me think it was used during the baptism of Franklin Roosevelt.
When my photographer placed me in the Roosevelt pew, I had difficulty standing due to the angle of the seat. So, instead of standing on the pew, I leaned against the wall for this image.
After we finished our visit inside the church, I thought it would’ve been time well-spent for the three of us to visit the small cemetery behind the building. After all, Franklin Roosevelt’s mother and father were buried there, as well as his half-brother and a few of his children. But that didn’t happen. Since it was nearly three o’clock, my companions were resolved on making the 45-mile drive to Martin Van Buren’s home in Kinderhook so we could be part of the final tour of the day at 4pm.
The three of us headed north, and the FDR sites in Hyde Park became a fond memory. That’s when I stood in my camera case and thought to myself: “The only thing we have to fear, is fear itself – and not getting to Lindenwald in time for the four o’clock tour!”
My name is Thomas Watson and I've been a U.S. history fanatic since I was 9 years old. In 2013, I decided to take my passion to the next level when I purchased a Thomas Jefferson bobble head with the sole intention of photographing that bobble head at Presidential sites. From that first day on July 10, 2013 at Spiegel Grove in Fremont, Ohio, this journey has taken on a life of its own. Now, nearly 40,000 miles later, I thought it was time to share the experiences, stories, and photos of Jefferson's travels. Keep in mind, this entire venture has been done with the deepest respect for the men who held the office as our President; no matter what their political affiliations, personal ambitions, or public scandals may have been. This blog is intended to be a true tribute to the Presidents of the United States and this story will be told Through the Eyes of Jefferson. I hope you enjoy the ride!
3 thoughts on “236: A FEW HOURS WITH FALA, FRANKLIN, AND FIRST LADY ELEANOR”
Excellent post, Tom! TJ, I wish that I had been with you inside the barricade at Springwood! I’m slipping, I usually find those openings. And great work getting on the fireplace in the Chintz Room! As always, the historic photos prove the authenticity of your photos and the artifacts. Great post!
And you are right, Buffalo helped me to realize my many repressed feelings that I have been hiding for too long!
I’m glad you enjoyed that post about FDR’s home and museum. What an amazing place to visit. It was so disappointing to see that hideous barricade across the front of the house.
It was frustrating at West Point waiting for the 9 o’clock entry time! For TJ, Tom and Bob, time is precious and every minute counts. That lost hour resulted in restructuring not only that day, but a day later in the trip.
Excellent post, Tom! TJ, I wish that I had been with you inside the barricade at Springwood! I’m slipping, I usually find those openings. And great work getting on the fireplace in the Chintz Room! As always, the historic photos prove the authenticity of your photos and the artifacts. Great post!
And you are right, Buffalo helped me to realize my many repressed feelings that I have been hiding for too long!
I’m glad you enjoyed that post about FDR’s home and museum. What an amazing place to visit. It was so disappointing to see that hideous barricade across the front of the house.
It was frustrating at West Point waiting for the 9 o’clock entry time! For TJ, Tom and Bob, time is precious and every minute counts. That lost hour resulted in restructuring not only that day, but a day later in the trip.