October 5, 2001: Good time with Ms. JoAnn
After the school was over, JoAnn kindly took us around her town and vicinity. We first visited Fenton Glass Factory, a famous industry in West Virginia founded in 1905.
As we had some time before the guided tour, I looked around the souvenir shop. JoAnn taught me special products of the factory. I bought some small glass boots. There were many attractive souvenirs in the shop, but my travel has just started and I could not buy so many fragile things.
A young lady guided us through the factory. She warned the visitors not to touch anything on the course.
Workers were making glass products very skillfully all by hands. Blowing, cooling, annealing, and other process flow smoothly with getting along very well in a hot factory.
Such a beautiful colored cullet will produce colorful products. It was very hard to resist the temptation to buy more after the tour.
Next we crossed Ohio River and came up to Marietta.
On the riverbank stands a monument of the 100 anniversary of the town. In the days of George Washington, many wheelers shuttled up and down the river and they had unique whistles on them. The monument has replicas of the whistle. Across the river side road stands the Lafayette Hotel designed by the French architect who planned Washington DC.
We entered the hotel. The classic design reminds me of good old days. The floor carpet is of the design of L - the capital letter of Lafayette - and wheeler of the paddleboat.
In the town are many old shops that make me time trip to the foundation days. Even a billboard is well old fashioned.
We drove down along the river and came up to a park with a tall monument. This is Marietta 200 Anniversary Park. Well before the Independence, Ohio was one of the first six states on America. On the back of the monument is a relief of the first settlers. Marietta keeps the pride of the foundation of America.
In the evening, JoAnn guided us to a B&B, which is run by her old friend. After check-in, we then visited a wonderful restaurant in Parkersburg and enjoyed tasty wine and dinner.
After the dinner, we visited Smoot Theater to listen to a concert by Glenn Miller. The Theater was once an old beautiful kino and is now run by the volunteer groups. Many senior citizens served tonight as staff. What was delighted me was the performance by my favorite Glenn Miller Orchestra. The hall was already filled with dress-upped audience. Our seat was located at the second from the front and enjoyed really wonderful and nostalgic sound.
A pleasant female singer, however, attach a large Stars and Stripes on her dress. At the finale, the concertmaster proposed to sing "America" altogether dedicating to the victims of the September 11 terrorism. I was sorry that I couldn't sing the song well but thrummed for the victims praying their souls rest in peace.
The concert was over and it was raining in the cold night. JoAnn sent us to the B&B. Thank you very much JoAnn, we were really glad to see you at last after a long time exchange on the both ends of the globe and deeply appreciate tonight's hospitality. Our long journey from Japan has been fully paid off at last.
