A Peace Corps Reunion

On our way from Jesse Owens Museum to Chatanooga, we stopped at the beautiful Lake Nickajack overview at the Jasper Rest Area. The dogwoods are in bloom all over and they are a delight.

 It's actually our third Peace Corps reunion. We saw Bob DeFeyter in Arizona (Liberia 66 - 68) and Sandra Francour in Chula Vista (Philippines 65- 67). Juanita and I were in the same training group for the Philippines at St. John's College in Annapolis, MD, and then served from 1966-68. I was in northern Luzon at Tarlac, Tarlac, and Juanita at Taal in southern Luzon. We saw each other frequently during our two years and crossed paths several times during our trip home through Asia. I visited her down in Louisville during my time working on Peace Corps Staff and she moved up to Boston when I did. We were roommates for several years. 

Ted served in the Peace Corps as well (Nepal 67 - 69) and on his way home visited us in Boston. The rest is history as they married and after serving again in the Peace Corps in Afganistan and Nepal, they eventually settled on Signal Mountain, Tenn. Juanita is an artist, and Ted a retired history teacher. Juanita has been through a difficult year of serious health problems but has recovered amazingly. It was such a lovely time being with them. They had us for a walk and dinner at their beautiful home on our first night and joined us at our campsite at Raccoon Mountain the next evening for dinner. We had just enough sun and barely passable temperature to sit outside around an altogether slightly too smokey fire pit and laugh away. Dinner was inside, a little crowded but comfy in our dinette. Raccoon Mountain Caverns and RV Resort is a very large and attractive campground. We skipped the popular cavern tour as Heather is slightly claustrophobic and tight squeezing through areas were mentioned in the brochure. In fact, on our one full day there we managed to complete a big list of to-do's that we had acquired. 

Juanita and Ted snuggle up in our dinette at Raccoon Mountain, Chatanooga

The next morning, after talking to a helpful person in the Tourist Bureau in Chatanooga, we parked in the very large parking lot on the river and walked along the beautifully landscaped shore past the architecturally fascinating enormous Aquarium, up to the Hunter Museum of Art. The collection there is amazing as are the 3 very different time period buildings that form the Museum. That was a lovely morning. Next, we headed east again to begin a journey up the Blue Ridge Parkway in North Carolina. And it will be covered in my next post!

The landscaping and architecture along the river in Chatanooga is really outstanding. Here's the "ramp" up from the river to the Hudson Art Museum.

Looking at the back of Juanita and Ted's home on Signal Mountain. We sat out on the deck there
for drinks.

A stream runs through their backyard and wild
flowers grow along it, plus of course spring
bulbs.

Their road runs along the bluff of Signal 
Mountain looking down at Chatanooga and 
across to Lookout Mountain.

It's just one lovely view after another!

It was also a perfect day.

I really would have liked to include more photos - they all were so lovely.

Some of the azaleas were still in bloom! 

The view along the river with socially distanced
chairs.

The Hunter Museum of Art is fantastic. That is
Scott and I in a video painting which records your
presence if you stay still for a few minutes.

The modern art collection was beautiful as is the
building itself

A "lounge" area overlooking the river.

I love Janet Fish!

Heather, Juanita and Ted on our walk near their home.