Fall Journeys

We have had a busy fall season, traveling back and forth to Baltimore, Maine, upstate New York and down to Charleston, SC. Lots of miles on the car and a few plane trips, and amazingly, we are still speaking to each other. Here are a few highlights!

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We spent one weekend in September at Sunset Beach with friends from Baltimore. We didn't meet Rosie and Yitzy until we all got to NC, but we have enjoyed many trips to their home at the beach as well as several visits here in Burlington. We also connected with some mutual friends from Baltimore as well as (randomly) some old friends from our time in Wyoming. You can see in the pictures why it is aptly called Sunset Beach!


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One highlight for us was a visit from our dear friend Loren. We first met Loren 50 years ago while we were serving in the Peace Corps in South Korea. Loren was also serving in South Korea as a volunteer from Stanford at a private school in Wendy's county. Our friendship has been long distance since those early days in Korea, but we treasure the time we have had to spend together. 

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We spent a long weekend in Baltimore where we visited our old church and reconnected with many friends (many not pictured here). On our way home, we took the scenic route and stopped by the third highest bridge in the US, the New River Gorge Bridge in West Virginia. A beautiful structure that cut a 45 minute ride down into the gorge, across the bridge below and back up, down to one minute to cross this high bridge over the gorge. A feat of engineering and perseverance. So glad we got to see this!



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Wendy's mother lost her husband of over 25 years, Carl Taylor, in November. We were in NY to celebrate his life and reconnect with family during this time. At 92, Mom had a difficult day, but she is soldiering on with the help of her seven children!


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Our trip to Charleston was short, but we made many memories while there. We visited Fort Sumter for the first time and saw the place where the Civil War started. You may be aware that this is called The War Between the States here in the south. We had recently read The Demon of Unrest by Eric Larson, which gives intricate details about the siege on Fort Sumter and the eventual cessation of this Fort from the Union to the Confederates. It was great to see this historic site and imagine the events we had read about. 

One more trip in November will take us to New Hope, PA to celebrate Thanksgiving with two of Wendy's sisters and a short side trip to see Chris' brother, also in PA. Then we plan to be home for most of December and January. 
We wish you all a Blessed Thanksgiving full of family, friends and plenty to eat!




Comments

  1. Deb ShanksNovember 25, 2025 at 3:19 AM

    It has been heartwarming to read both blogs of yours, Wendy. The common thread that runs through each of the experiences Chris and you have is how you treasure friendships. I know no other person who celebrates their friends the way you do. It truly is a blessing and gift being included in your circle of friends.

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