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Archive for the Category »Road Trips «

Najwa at Fayetteville’s Only Landmark

It’s amazing how after all these years, this is the first time I actually visited Fayetteville’s only landmark — the Markethouse. Probably because back in the day it was where they sold slaves, but still. I called a couple of my people and they all not only mentioned they never visited it, but they asked why I was there.

Regardless, we took Najwa downtown Fayetteville, NC, where there was a little festival and people walking around in character to Dickens’ Scrooge. I don’t know the story like that, but did Scrooge have a slave?

Fayetteville NC

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Najwa is just determined to get her hands into the water at all costs.
 

Najwa’s First Trip To The Beach

David Gaines and Najwa Gaines at Rehoboth Beach in DelawareWhen Najwa was 3 months old [maybe 4] giving her a bath was like subjecting her to waterboarding. Maybe the water’s too hot? Not hot enough? Maybe all babies let out bloodcurdling screams when the water touches their bare bottoms?

If Nduku ever wanted me to do something, all she had to do was say we were about to give Najwa a bath. “Wash the car? I’m on it.” “Watch more reality TV? We can DVR it and rewatch it after it goes off.” “Vote for a Republican? It is secret, right?” Standing pat while torturing Najwa with a bath was a bit more than I wanted to bear so early into fatherhood.

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Spending Valentine’s in City of Brotherly Love

David Gaines and Nduku Malombe at Philadelphia's LOVE sculptureFor Valentine’s weekend, the ladies and I went to Philadelphia to visit the city of brotherly love. We checked out the LOVE sculpture seen over and over in movies based in Philly. We visited the Liberty Bell, which was smaller than I was expecting, Independence Hall [which was wrapped in scaffolding for renovations], South Street, Broad Street, JFK Plaza and we even went out to Cherry Hill, New Jersey where our homegirl Natalie Bargeron took the time to come visit us and meet Najwa for the first time.

Natalie came down from Philly last summer to the BaByQ Shower/Cookout and got us a gift basket which included one of the coolest books that I read to Najwa. She’s lived in Philly forever, visited DC [and Atlanta when I still lived there], but I finally got to visit where she lives. It was a bit windy so we didn’t get to do everything we wanted to do, but we’ll be back…

[Click on FS in the bottom right corner for full screen view]

Philadelphia

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Taking a Morning Stroll in New York

Statue of Peter Stuyvesant in New YorkWhenever I’m in New York, I feel compelled to run around the city, without a map, snapping pictures of whatever gets in my way. Everywhere you look, there’s a photo op. From the architecture and monuments, landmarks and historical buildings to the local art, the neighborhood hangouts and just about everything else in between.

During our most recent trip to New York, we stayed at Hotel 17 near Stuyvesant Square. One morning, while everyone slept, I snuck out with the digital camera my homeboy Chad McKelvey loaned me to capture as much of the neighborhood as I could in a couple of hours.

Stuyvesant Square
Around the corner from Hotel 17 [where we were staying for the weekend] is Stuyvesant Square. It was still early when I got out there, so other than an occasional dog walker, I had the park to myself.

It’s named after Peter Stuyvesant who owned the land back in the 1800s. In 1836 his great-great-grandson, also named Peter, sold four of the acres to the City of New York as a public park originally to be called Holland Park. It was sold for a token $5. Add a bunch of zeros and you might be able to buy some property there today!

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Road Trip: Chesapeake Beach, Maryland

Nduku and I took another road trip, this time to Chesapeake Beach, MD…

Nduku Malombe at Chesapeake Beach MD

Road Trip: Solomons Island

Nduku and I took a road trip down to Solomons Island, just a day trip getaway…

 

Nduku Malombe at Solomons Island Maryland

Greetings From The Navajo Nation

I am David Gaines and I'm in Navajo NationThese are photos from a trip out to The Res [as in the Navajo reservation] during my visit to see my dad in Flagstaff, Arizona. Every time I’ve visited and attempted to explain to anyone what it’s like out on The Res, the words just never seem to do justice to the environment.

I can’t even say the photos will do it justice, but it does help give you an idea of what it’s like.

A few days later we took a trip south of Flagstaff to visit a couple of National Parks. Below are photos from our visit to Montezuma Castle and Tuzigoot National Parks…

 

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Contact David Gaines I am David Gaines on Facebook Follow David Gaines on Twitter I am David Gaines on Google Plus Connect with David Gaines on LinkedIn YouTube Channel: I am David Gaines Where in the World is David Gaines? What is David Gaines reading? Photos around the nation's capital by David Gaines David Gaines reviews on Yelp