The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum

Photo courtesy of the FDR Library

Washingtonians heading up I95 to upstate New York and who are looking for something to do over the long Thanksgiving weekend should consider visiting Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum.

Franklin D. Roosevelt used his estate in Hyde Park, New York during his presidency as a retreat and presidential library. FDR loved Springwood and considered it home. He used the presidential library he built on the property while acting as president. On his death, FDR bequeathed the land and the library to the public.

Today, the FDR library is a history lovers delight. Exhibitions at the museum touch on both the lives and political contributions of FDR and his wife Eleanor Roosevelt. The website contains a fabulous copy right free collection of photographs detailing the lives of the Roosevelts.

The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is important not just for the history it contains but it set a precedent when FDR established the the first presidential library. The Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum is a public/ private partnership. The library and museum is maintained by a non-profit organization. Information about the library and museum can be found on the Franklin D. Roosevelt Presidential Library and Museum website. The home and grounds are part of the national park system and are maintained by the National Park Service and can be found on the web as the Home of Franklin D. Roosevelt National Historic Site.

The grounds of the FDR home is open year-round, seven days a week except Thanksgiving day, Christmas and New Years Day. The buildings are open 9:00am to 5:00pm. Walking the extensive grounds is free and open to the public from sunrise to sunset. The walk from the home to the river is delightful. There is a fee to visit the buildings. The last tour of the library and home is at 4:00pm.

Sol LeWitt at Mass MoCA

Teenagers are not always the most reliable art critics, but when the Edmund Burke School cross country team returned home from their annual preseason training in Vermont with most members raving about the Sol LeWitt: A Wall Drawing Retrospective exhibition at the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (Mass MoCA) it is hard not to take note.

The Sol LeWitt retrospective includes 100 pieces of LeWitt’s work created from 1968 to 2007. The exhibition was conceived by the artist and Jock Reynolds, the Henry J. Heinz II Director of the Yale University Art Gallery, before LeWitt's death in 2007.

In life, LeWitt often stated that the idea behind his work was more important than the actual execution. LeWitt is considered one of the leaders of minimalism and conceptual art. He is known primarily for his simple, elegant geometric structures and his incredible dynamic wall drawings. LeWitt’s experiments with wall drawings began in 1968 and were considered radical at the time, partially because LeWitt also sought help from other artists and students with both the creation and installation of his huge works of art.

Before you go see the exhibition, be sure to visit the museum website and watch the time lapse photography documenting the creation and installation of Sol LeWitt’s enormous creations. The coordination of workers is reminiscent of a symphony conductor. The precision with which the artist works stands in sharp contrast with temporal quality of his art. Artists, students and art patrons unable to make the long trek up the I95 corridor to see the museum will also find the creation and installation process shown in the slide shows very instructive.

The Sol LeWitt retrospective is a collaboration between Yale University Art Gallery, Mass MoCA, and the Williams College Museum of Art. The installed exhibition will remain on view through 2033.

Mass MoCA opened in May 30, 1999. The museum complex sits on a 13-acre campus of renovated 19th-century factory buildings in North Adams, Massachusetts. The museum compound occupies nearly one-third of the North Adams downtown business district. Mass MoCA claims it is the largest center for contemporary arts in the United States. According to museum officials, "the institution is dedicated to the creation and presentation of provocative visual and performing arts pieces, and of works that blur conventional distinctions between artistic disciplines."

Mass MoCA is located at 1040 Mass MoCA Way in North Adams, Massachusetts. The museum is open during the winter (September 9, 2009 - June 25, 2010) from 11:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. daily, except Tuesday when the museum is closed. Tours are conducted during the winter at 2:00 p.m. on weekdays and noon and 3:00 pm on weekends. Tours are included in the admission fee. In the summer the Mass MoCA museum hours are extended to 10:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day and tours are offered more frequently. Admission fees are $15 for adults, $10 for students and $5 for children ages 6 to 16. The museum is free for children 5 and under and for members.

Mass MoCa has a combined admission package with The Clark for $22.50 (through October 31, 2009) and with the Norman Rockwell Museum for $25. Mass MoCa is about a seven and one half hour drive from Washington, DC.

Exhibition Coal Mine: Beckley, West Virgina

Anybody interested in expanding the use of "clean coal" as an energy source and all visitors to Beckley, West Virgina should make it a point to stop and visit the Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and the Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia. The exhibition coal mine shows the work and life of a miner.

The coal mine tour includes an amusement park style ride through an abandoned coal mine. The museum is housed in a 14,000 sq. foot modern building that serves as both coal museum and visitor center. The museum provides visitors with a great explanation of life in a West Virgina coal camp for both miners and the men that managed the miners. The museum gallery displays an extremely impressive collection of coal and coal mining artifacts, tools, geological specimens, photographs and other items reflecting the difficult life of miners in an early coal town in southern West Virginia.

The tour of the mine itself is unusual. Rather than walk through the mines, as in the tours of nearby Virginia and West Virginia caves, visitors ride 1500 feet below the hillsides of New River Park on a track in authentic "man cars." The tour begins at the mine entrance and proceeds to old working areas of the coal mine and back. A veteran coal miner serves as tour guide. The guide stops the man cars throughout the mine to explain both the history and process of low-seam coal mining. The guide describes important technological innovation in mining and its impact on miners individually as well as the economics of the coal mine. Both early hand mining tools and modern mechanics are shown.

The museum complex includes a restored coal camp that includes shanty housing for miners, the old coal company house, the mine superintendent's home, the Pemberton coal camp church and the Helen coal camp school. The well restored camp site gathers actual buildings from around West Virginia to provide museum visitors with an important impression of the social structure of a early 20th century coal camp life. It also shows just how difficult life is and was for the coal miners.

The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine and the Youth Museum of Southern West Virginia is about a five hour and twenty minute drive from downtown Washington, DC. The Beckley Exhibition Coal Mine is open daily from April 1 to November 1 from10:00 am to 6:00 pm. The last tour of the mine begins is at 5:30 pm. Visitors should bring a jacket since the mine is essentially a man made cave and so the temperature in the mine is always between 50 and 58 degrees. Underground tours of the mine usually last between 35 to 40 minutes. It takes most folks another 45 minutes for a tour of the restored coal camp.

After visiting the old mine, go eat, shop and explore at Tamarack. The cold war bunker at the Greenbrier is a short drive from Beckley.

Tamarack

Folks looking for Greenbrier food at diner prices will love visiting Tamarack. The fried green tomato sandwich and the world famous Greenbrier peach with hand made whipped cream are each worth the long journey down I-64 to Tamarack.

The food is not the only attraction for this interesting stop just off I-77 and I-64 in Beckley, West Virginia. Tamarack was established as a cultural center showcasing the best of West Virginia artisans. Roam the halls at Tamarack and you are sure to find fabulous arts and crafts by artists that still use traditional techniques.

There are always four resident artisans at Tamarack that work in studios with glass walls. Visitors can observe the creative process, watch demonstrations and ask the artists questions about they make their hand made, museum quality goods.

If you are lucky, you can watch a performance in Tamarack's 178 seat theater . The facility often schedules live music, theater, dance and storytelling performances. Musicians playing at Tamarack often use instruments made by the musicians themselves from techniques learned from parents and grandparents. Story tellers repeat stories passed down by West Virginia families as well as contemporary stories made up by creative local artists. The theater also shows West Virginia oriented films.

All works sold at Tamarack are made by artists resident in West Virginia. Artists offering goods sold in the large, light filled Tamarack gallery must compete in a rigorous juried process. Tamarack was developed to be an interesting stop for tourists and surely it succeeds, but Tamarack also serves the important function of providing economic stimulus to the impoverished Appalachian region. The facility offers area artists an important outlet to sell their spectacular, sometimes under appreciated goods. Crafts sold at Tamarack come from artisans living in all 55 counties in West Virginia.

Tamarack is about a five hour and twenty minute drive from downtown Washington, DC. There are many hotels and motels in the area surrounding the craft market. Tamarack is located at One Tamarack Park in Beckley, WV 25801 just off I-77 and I-64.

The hours at Tamarack vary by season. Tamarack is open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. from January 5 to March 1. Tamarack is open from 8 a.m. until 8 p.m. from March 2 to January 4. The food court serves breakfast from 8 a.m. until 10:45 a.m. and lunch/dinner from 11 a.m. until closing.

Cold War Bunker at the Greenbrier

How do you build a secret, hidden facility large enough to hold the entire United States Congress and their chief aids in the event of a nuclear war? In the Eisenhower administration, the United States Congress did it by constructing a hidden bunker underneath a five star resort considered the play ground of the rich. The bunker was built as part of a renovation of the Greenbrier.

The Greenbrier is a 6,500 acre, award-winning resort located in the Allegheny Mountains in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. The hotel is designated as a National Historic Landmark, only partially because of the now abandoned cold war Congressional bunker.

Greenbrier history. The sulfur springs on the Greenbrier campus were discovered in the late 1700s. The springs quickly became a popular travel destination for their healing powers. The Greenbrier began as a cottage community built in the early 1800s. The Old White Hotel was added in 1858. The C & O Railway purchased the Greenbrier for $150,000, expanded the hotel facilities and added a rail stop at the entrance of the hotel. The US Army purchased the property and used it as the Ashford General Hospital. After the war, C & O repurchased the property and began an extensive renovation spear headed by interior designer Dorothy Draper during the Eisenhower Administration.

Building a Government Relocation Facility. The renovation both expanded the Greenbrier facilities and acted as a front to build the facility large enough to house the government should it need to flee Washington, DC. The West Virginia wing was cleverly designed to be both functional resort space and a hidden government facility. The Government Relocation Facility was a top secret of the Cold War and was code named Greek Island. Building of the government relocation facility began in 1958 and was completed in 1961.

The renovation included a 16,544 square foot exhibit hall used for countless conventions at the Greenbrier. Unbeknownst to most Greenbrier visitors, the entire exhibit hall sat behind a hidden blast door and was designed to be the work space for members of Congress and their support staff to conduct the business of government. The 133 seat auditorium in the convention wing known as the Mountaineer Room was designed to be the emergency meeting room for the US Senate. The 440 seat auditorium in the convention space known as the Governor's Hall was built to be the meeting room for the House of Representatives.

Maintaining a Cold War Top Secret. Greek Island was maintained as an emergency facility by a small cadre of government employees working under the name of Forsythe Associates from 1961 until May 31, 1992 when the Washington Post published a story exposing the secret facility. The government began to phase out the facility the day after the story broke. In July 1995, the United States government terminated the lease of the bunker space.
About the Secret Bunker. The abandoned bunker is buried 720 feet into the hillside under the West Virginia Wing of the Greenbrier Hotel. They ceiling and walls of the facility are made from three to five feet thick reinforced concrete. The bunker is built below 20 to 60 feet of dirt covering between the substructure and the West Virginia Wing.

The bunker below the Greenbrier consisted of 112,544 square feet of space on two levels divided into a total of 153 rooms. The space was designed to protect 1,100 people for up to 40 days. The Greek Island kitchen had a 60-day stockpile of provisions. The bunker was built with four entrances. Each entrance is protected by a large steel and concrete door designed to withstand a modest nuclear blast approximately 15 to30 miles away. The bunker is also designed to prevent radioactive fallout from entering the facility when it is sealed off. Two of the entrances are vehicular tunnels into the facility. One entrance is through the Exhibit Hall Foyer of the Greenbrier hotel. The final entrance is a vertical point of entry deep within the self contained power plant built to support the bunker in the event of an emergency.

Touring the Greenbrier. The Greek Island bunker space can be toured by appointment during the summer season. Tours take about 90 minutes. No cameras, cell phones or electronic equipment are currently allowed in the space. For reservations, call the Reservations Department 800-624-6070 or the Bunker Office 304-536-7810, or email the_greenbrier@greenbrier.com.

Other Greenbrier Exhibits. Many famous guests have stayed at the Greenbrier over the years, including 26 United States presidents, royalty from around the world, important business leaders and movie stars. During the summer months, the Greenbrier keeps memorabilia from important visits displayed in the Presidents’ Cottage Museum, a historic two-story building.

Where to stay: The Greenbrier is a world class resort with multiple places and styles to eat on the premises. The food is often outstanding. Guests still dress up for dinner in the main dining hall. In the warm weather months, the cottages are wonderful lodging.

If you would like to visit the historic Greek Island relocation facility but do not have a Greenbrier stay in your budget, then consider camping in the nearby 5,100 acre Greenbrier State Forest. The camp grounds are on the same fabulous topography as its resort neighbor at a fraction of the cost. The camp ground has a pool, although the public pool is not as spectacular as the pool at the Greenbrier. Book ahead if you want to rent a cabin in the Greenbrier State Forest.

The Greenbrier Valley is about a four hour and twenty minute drive from downtown Washington, DC. The Greenbrier and the retired government relocation facility are located at 300 W Main St, White Sulphur Springs, WV 24986, just off Interstate 64.

Camp David Museum

Even if you can not hitch a ride on Marine One, you can get a glimpse of why the Obamas love Camp David. Hop in your car and journey to the Catoctin Mountains in Thurmont, Maryland. Just a little over an hour from downtown Washington, DC by car, Camp David is located in the middle of a National Park. Although Camp David itself is closed to the public, the National Park Service and the Maryland park service both operate two fabulous park facilities that the public can enjoy for a day or over night.

Camp David, the presidential retreat, was carved out of 10,000 acres of land that is now the Catoctin Mountain National Park and the Cunningham Falls State Park during the Roosevelt administration. The national park park allows visitors to take day hikes, rent cabins or pitch tents in designated areas of its 5,000 acres. Be sure to plan ahead. The competition for park reservations can be fierce in season and the park is subject to "temporary partial park closures" that often coincide with presidential visits to Camp David.

Cunningham Falls State Park has a beautiful lake with camping, boating and multiple beaches in its 5,000 acres. The state park boasts a wonderful hike from the beach area to Cunningham Falls. During the summer, expect to find the 78 foot falls full of children climbing and frolicking in the natural land mark.

Before pitching tent or after taking a dip in the lake, make a stop at the Camp David Museum at the Cozy complex. The Cozy Restaurant and Inn has been a hang out for press since President Roosevelt established Shangri La (FDR's name for the presidential camp when it was first created). The Freeze family, owners of the Cozy property, created the Camp David Museum from items donated by the many members of the press corp that stay and eat at Cozy while covering news events at Camp David.

The impressive collection includes Camp David trinkets and memorabilia from the Roosevelt to the Obama administrations. Of particular note is a commemorative plate from President Carter's historic summit at Camp David with President Anwar El Sadat of Egypt and Prime Minister Menahem Begin of Israel. The presidential trinkets reflect the dramatic shift in social trends and values. For example, the collection includes packages of cigarettes with the presidential seal that are no longer made, but were replaced with packages of M&Ms with the presidential seal.

The Camp David Museum is located at 103 Frederick Road in the town of Thurmont, Maryland. The museum is approximately 50 miles from both Washington D.C. and Baltimore, Maryland and 20 miles from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Museum hours are 11:00am to 9:00pm weekdays and 8:00am to 9:00pm on weekends.