The Traveling 3some - Day 14 - from Philadelphia to Washington DC -viaTrenton,NJ - Dover, DE - and Annapolis, MD

October 20 - 285 miles - 37.1 mpg

After a free, stick-to-ribs buffet breakfast, we took off for our final destination, Washington D.C. - the long way around. First we headed north to Trenton, the capital of New Jersey, to catch a glimpse of governor Chris Christie. He being on the overstuffed side, we didn't think he would be hard to miss. But we were told that he was not in the Capitol building today because he was officiating at a bridge closure. 

So it was off to Dover, Delaware's capital, to visit the Johnson Victrola Museum. A great docent made the one hour tour a real pleasure. Before Eldridge Johnson came along to play a record you had to keep cranking a handle - stop cranking and the record stopped turning. If you cranked too fast, or too slow, odd sounding notes came out. He invented the spring driven turntable to which a speed reduction device was attached. Now, turn the crank, wind the spring and it would gradually unwind at a steady 78 rpm. He made millions and when he sold out to RCA in 1929 for $27 million to add to the millions he already had, in today's money that would make him a multi-billionaire. He didn't believe in stocks so when the 1929 crash came he was sitting pretty. Also a philanthropist. Great story.

Wonderful stuff. The museum is state owned, the docent (shown) is a state employee and there is no admission charge.

A big reason RCA paid a bundle was for the rights to this iconic logo. At one time the original artist offered it to Thomas Edison to use on his reproduction equipment. Edison refused saying it was silly since dogs don't listen to music.

For sure, that dog idea sure was silly.

This type of horn was used to record music, not play music back on a Victrola.

The entire second floor is comprised of the lifetime collection put together by a surgeon and donated to the museum. He first offered it to the Smithsonian and they accepted. However, they would not commit to ever exhibiting any of it. They have warehouses filled with stuff the public will never see, in fact.

More second floor items.

Next it was off to Annapolis, Maryland to visit an architectural treasure, St. Mary's church built in 1858. 

St. Mary's is a Gothic-style church and sits today as a visual linchpin of the historic district. 

Wonderful airy interior with an unusual ceiling that looks even better in person. The Gothic high altar is made entirely of wood, carved and painted by Redemptorist brothers between 1860 and 1862.

Looking back at the organ pipe array.

St. John Neumann was Redemptorist Provincial Vicar when he signed the deed to St. Mary's property in 1852.

Located adjacent to the church is the Charles Carroll House. Carroll was the only Catholic signer of the Declaration of Independence. The church was built on land originally owned by him and his heirs. He was a strong believer in religious freedom, Catholics having been discriminated prior to the Revolution.

We arrived at our hotel in muggy, 85 degree weather.  We're looking forward to the cooler temp that should arrive tonight.