Duke Farms, Hillsborough, New Jersey

This park and garden was owned by Doris Duke, an heiress to a very large fortune (her family made a fortune in tobacco in the late 1800's and also gave name to Duke University). Now this is a private park which is open for public use. This photo below (the building with the clock tower) was her "Coach Barn", i.e. garage. 

Exhibits at the interpretive nature center

 Orchids and other tropical plants at the greenhouse

Tropical house river

This was a barn which burned down in 1915, but Doris Duke got turned into an outdoor sculpture garden

Revolutionary War Sites (Stony Point and Fort Montgomery)

Stony Point State Historical Site, New York

This site was captured by the American soldiers in July 1779. The U.S. troops launched a surprise attach on the British at midnight and were able to win over the fotress.
Soldiers slept in these kinds of tents. With Grandma Gala, aunt Julia and dad.

 This is a British Artillery Soldier, in charge of operating the cannons.

 

 Hard to believe but this is actually the Hudson River! It is here at one of its widest.

 

 The oldest highthouse in the Hudson Valley, built in the early 1800's.

 

Fort Mongtomery State Historical Site, New York

This fort was actually lost by the American forces. It was on October 6, 1977, that the troops under General Clinton defended the fort but were outnumbered and had to retreat.

Sam is checking out the ruins of the soldiers' barracks at the fort.

Looking out towards the Hudson River, from where the British Navy was attacking the fort

 

Storm King Art Center, New York

Last weekend Sam visited a modern sculpture garden, located in the New York State, not far from the border with New Jersey.

 

I'm kind of trusting them with this one... although just to to be sure I'm sitting 10 feet away.

  

 

 

Pretty cool fence. You don't even need to plant any bushes to have privacy. Nobody will be looking at you - everybody will be too busy looking at themselves

 

 This sculpture was called "Waiting for the UFO"

 

 Sam's favorite scultures, however, were those of practical use, such as: the one you can sit on...

 

 or even better, nap on (this one wholly made of dime coins by the way!)

 

... or best of all, the ones you can bang on! This one was called "Beethoven's Quartet" and a hammer was provided in case inspiration struck.

 

Sculpture hill... or hill scuplture

 

 3-Legged Budda.

Spain and France vacation (in August)

 

Tossa De Mar, Catalonia, Spain

Sam is touring the remains of the Roman villa in Tossa De Mar, one of the beach towns in Catalonia. He especially loved touching the bricks and trying to find anything left over by the Romans in the wells

 

Climbing the 13th century fortress (with a medieval base) 

 

 View from the top of the fortress

 

On Tossa De Mar beach

 

On the beach, in front of the fortress Sam climbed earlier that day 

 

 Water polo, back at the hotel.

 

Colliore, Catalonia, France

Sitting on cannon balls in the Colliore Castle

 

 View from the top of Colliore Castle. It inspired many post-impressionists

 

Carcassonne, Cathar Country, France

 Carcassonne is a medieval castle, one of the best-preserved in southern France.

 

Carcassone Cathedral 

 

 Wondering the castle ramparts at Carcassonne

 

 Outside of the Carcassone Castle

 

 Queribus Castle, Cathar Country, France

Right before climbing the mountain to the top of the Queribus castle, which is located in the Eastern Pyrenees mountain range in southern France. The castle was built in the 11th century by a religious community called the Cathars

 

Gradpa took this photo of Sam and his parents from the castle tower 

 

 The Eastern Pyrenees  seen from the Queribus Castle tower

 

 At the top of the Pyrenees!

 

 

The Mountains and Waterfall in St Migel Del Fai, Catalonia, Spain.

 

 It was fun to get behind and under the waterfall

Descending into the caves with grandpa

Even Sam seemed like a giant in some of those cave passages 

 

Washington's Crossing in Pennsylvania

Today we went to see the historical site where George Washington crossed the Delaware River from New Jersey to Pennsylvania with his army of 2400 men, on Christmas Day in 1776, in the middle of a snowstorm and surprising his enemies, he was able to score a victory. This was a very important place and episode in American history, because it was one of the first victories of the American forces.

 

Sam (with Dad and gradma Gala) are standing in a replica of one of the types of boats that Washington used to cross the river. This one is pretty flat and without seats, to maximize the amount of cargo it can carry across.

 

The view of the Delaware River Valley from the top of a monument tower, built to commemorate Washington's crossing 

The site of the crossing from the Pennsylvania side

This is another type of boat which was used in the crossing. The site also had an original inn building which was around during the revolutionary war.

Too much history makes Sam tired!

 

Emanel Leutze's painting - Washington Crossing the Delaware