DH and I backed my wagon out of the garage early on a day threatening the area with the D.C. winter special of freezing slop. DD, home on break from her grad studies, agreed to hold down the fort (that is, walk DDog) and bake her signature holiday cookies with the Hallmark Channel on for background noise whilst we road-tripped.

Our first destination: The Flight 93 Memorial.

Make that, our second destination. Before we reached the WV line, my hands were crying out for the lotion I’d left on the counter at home, so into the nearest refuge we could find we dipped, a Wal-Mart in Martinsburg WV. DH dropped me at the entrance.

$40 later I emerged, with treasures. Wagyu Beef Sticks! $1 sample bottles of SO. MANY. HOT. SAUCES! A funny Christmas hat for DDog. Two bottles of Unsweet. And, yes, a travel-sized Gold Bond lotion. My hands were saved. We could carry on.

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The drive from our home to the Memorial would be more interesting in the warmer months, and definitely more so in autumn. Mostly our drive was a freezing, dripping mess through Western Maryland and Pennsylvania that thankfully turned into cloudy skies and wet surfaces.

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We lived mere minutes from the Pentagon in 2001. I was home on maternity leave with DD from one of the alphabet-soup agencies on September 11; on that morning I was preparing to head into D.C. to show off our beautiful daughter to colleagues when my phone buzzed…

DH was also in one of those alphabet-soup agencies, and it was with bated breath that I waited while he collected our DS from (Federal agency) day care and made his way home.

~~~~~

We entered the Flight 93 Memorial Visitors Center, and all the memories of that day came flooding back.

Entering the Visitor Center, one moves through a series of gallery-esque spaces, where media footage chronicles the events of that day. Surrounding the media presentations, stationary exhibits with tangible objects are on display. It was near impossible not to be emotional. This portion of the Memorial was exceptionally well done. Photography was prohibited in this section, understandably.

Outdoors at the Visitor Center is a viewing platform overlooking the impact site, with a map identifying relevant portions of the landscape.






We drove over to the Memorial Park, which is cordoned off to regular visitors. Its design includes the Flight Path Walkway, Wall of Names, and the Tower of Voices—a 93-foot structure housing wind chimes that symbolize each hero. The families of the Flight 93 passengers have access to the area whenever they desire; and the gate is opened every September 11 for the families, as well.



An NPS volunteer shared with us that approximately 380,000 persons visit the Memorial annually.

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On a disjointed road trip like this, switching from somber and reflective to curious and free-spirited required compartmentalizing the experiences, something we did quite often as we traveled around Central and Eastern Europe.

Leaving the Memorial, the time and our rumbling tummies signaled a need for something to eat. We were driving along the Lincoln Memorial Highway (so named for being the first transcontinental road named for—you may have guessed—President Lincoln. It runs as US Route 30 and all its iterations from Times Square in NYC to Lincoln Park in San Francisco.) and decided to stop at the Duppstadt’s Country Store.


Full confession. I love these one-stop shopping kinds of places, where one can find cheese curds, Carhartt gear and hunting licenses in the same building. And in our case, two excellent made-to-order sandwiches and a couple bottles of Birch Beer sodas (with a sugar content that of drinking dessert through a straw).

I dubbed this snap as we motored along, “Nowhere, middle of.” Because that’s how it felt.

And then. FLUFFY COWS! (I know well enough not to try to pet them. Though I wanted to.)


Our destination was the National Museum of American Coverlets in Bedford PA. The museum is like stepping into a cozy, kaleidoscopic time machine; and is truly a shrine to the artistry and ingenuity of 19th-century weavers. Throughout our self-guided tour, we felt like we were wrapped in a warm embrace of heritage and creativity.

The oldest known dated coverlet, 1771.

The Midwest does not hold the title for having all the BIG THINGS. Bedford PA is also home to the World’s Largest Coffee Pot.


Our final destination before pointing the wagon home was the Omni Bedford Springs Resort. The resort has an impressive history dating to 1806, with notable visitors including several presidents (from Thomas Jefferson to George W. Bush), though James Buchanan might be the most notable. The resort was dubbed his “Summer White House;” and it was here where he accepted the first transatlantic cable. The resort was a popular place to “take the waters.”

We did not drop in to purr over the guest books, though. A week or so ahead of our road trip I had read a story about the gingerbread carousel constructed in the resort lobby, which was the impetus for our road trip.

The parking in front of the resort was all valet-reserved.

DH grimaced and said, “You go in and look at the carousel while I drive around.”

I reminded him, “This isn’t D.C. People here are nice.” I hopped out and asked a Valet if we could park “for 5 minutes” to enjoy the carousel, to which he replied, “Absolutely!” and directed us to a valet space.

The only word to describe the carousel is Impressive. The construction is wood-framed, with gingerbread covering the supports. The carousel animals are all made from confections.

As we returned to the car, the Valet engaged us with a couple of tales that his Mom, a resort employee for 43 years, shared with him. We chatted about the Flight 93 Memorial (the Valet had met the architect); wished one another “Merry Christmas” and set out for home.

Thank you for reading.

Thanks for taking us along, I enjoyed reading your trip report.

What an interesting trip -- from the heart rending Flight 93 to the terrific gingerbread carousel. Thanks for posting.

We visited the Flight 93 memorial site several years ago on our way home to NY from a long weekend in Pittsburgh. So glad we made that decision to stop as so moving and incredibly well-done with photos of the regular every day activities both there and in DC and in NY, until the day turned horribly irregular. Many artifacts are displayed as are aural histories.

Given that it was around noon on a Sunday, I was surprised by the number of visitors, including many groups of students. I would totally recommend making this a destination to put on a to-do list.

My husband and I visited the Flight 93 memorial five years ago on our way back from a trip to Falling Water. One of the very moving parts of the visit was a presentation by a volunteer who was one of the first responders when the plane crashed. She reviewed the time line of the events, emphasizing how little time the passengers had to devise and carry out a plan to bring the plane down once they learned of the World Trade Center attacks. Their actions were truly amazing.

Yes it is close to Falling Water and that was the main purpose of our trip. Drove on Thursday, overnight near Falling Water for the 8:30 AM two hour docent tour which at the time was the only two hour tour given. Weekend in Pittsburgh and could have have easily spent another day as so much to see and do there plus early October so weather was picture perfect but couldn't get into Heinz Chapel as wedding ceremonies all day long. Easy drive to the memorial from Pittsburgh.

I always enjoy your reports, thanks for posting.

Thanks for the report. It is fun to hear about road trips to places not too far from home.

Wonderful, fourfortravel!