My Last Trip in America This Year with Dixie and Charles

This year, luckily I could go to America three times, and last one was special for me. Dixie and Charles are one of my American moms and dads.

After taking a private class at the San Do’s painting studio with Gay in Tampa in this September, I separated from her and flight to Dixie and Charles’ in Alabama to meet them. They invited me to stay at their house and go somewhere with them. I was so excited because it’s my first time to learn about the Southern part of America.

Dixie and Charles took me to a lot of places and I really enjoyed all of them.

First, we went to  NASA in Huntsville, Alabama. The day was very hot.

NASA in Huntsville

When I looked at the scene from a car, I was very excited and I thought I was in America because it’s my first time to see NASA!!!!

NASA in Huntsville

NASA in Huntsville

NASA in Huntsville

Charles explained they tested to fly two of monkeys to moon. They were alive in the space ship but when they arrived in moon, they died because they couldn’t breath.

NASA in Huntsville

You can see a monkey. He was flied in the way.

NASA in Huntsville

Everything was so huge in NASA and I realized that that’s why we lost the WW2. I couldn’t understand why at the WW2, we tried to fight against America. I was completely overwhelmed by the advanced technology of space project in America.

NASA in Huntsville

This one is an actual size as one of the space ships. It didn’t go to space．

NASA in Huntsville

Inside of a space ship.

NASA in Huntsville

NASA in Huntsville

NASA in Huntsville was really really cool. I bought some space food for my daughter and husband.

We went to Kentucky a couple of days later. Kentucky become my favorite place because it’s the exact place where I’ve been imagining about America for a long time.

Kentucky

They took me to the Abraham Lincoln’s birthplace.

Abraham Lincoln

Before I went there, I didn’t even know Abraham Lincoln was born in Kentucky.

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace

He was born in the cabin. He was poor and he rarely went to school with his sister, but he really studied hard. He became a lower and finally became an American president. I really think he is a good example that hard work pays off in the end.

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace

The park was very beautiful!

Abraham Lincoln Birthplace

This is a souvenirs shop and Nancy is a mother’s name of Lincoln.

We stayed at Dixie’s mom’s. The place was my favorite because it was so pretty and breathtaking.

Ma’s Place

I thought the place is the heaven in this world. I really really love there!!

Ma’s Place

We can see Dixie and Charles’s soy beans’

field over there. They are huge.

Ma’s Place

Ma’s Place

Kentucky

Charles and Dixie took me to a Lincoln museum because I was so interested in him. I wanted to learn about him more.

Lincoln museum

This statue was his childhood. While helping his family, he studied. He was never ever lazy and that’s why he became an American president.

Lincoln museum

Lincoln museum

Lincoln museum

Lincoln museum

Lincoln museum

Lincoln museum

I found an Texan bill and I want to ask about it to my Texan friend.

Lincoln museum

Lincoln museum

This painting is amazing!!!

A Cemetery for WW2

After that we stopped by a cemetery for WW2. I saw some graves there. It was exact same as the graves that I’ve seen in some WW2 movies. I felt like I was watching a movie.

A Cemetery for WW2

A Cemetery for WW2

A Cemetery for WW2

After that we enjoyed hamburgers at Dixie’s broghter’s shop. It was the best burger ever for me!

When I went out from the shop, I saw some real Amish people!!!!! I know that taking their picture is rude, but I couldn’t stop myself. When I realized myself, I finished taking some pictures.

Amish people

I was so excited because it was one of my dreams to see some real Amish people!!!!! I finally made one of my dreams come true! Yay!!!!

Amish people

Amish people

I asked to Charles if he could chase their wagon and he did it for me. Thank you so much, Charles! I know it was tough for you to do it. I really really appreciate you!!!! The night I was so excited that I couldn’t sleep well. I was so so so happy!!!

A much more excited thing happened to me the following day! Dixie and Charles took me to a Shaker town!!!

A Shaker Town

Since I started learning conversational English especially American English, I’ve been so interested in American culture like Amish people, Shaker people or whatever. I finally arrived in the town! The town is already dead and there are no Shaker people. It made me sad.

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

I’m so involved in the Shaker furniture. They are very simple and very pretty.

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

Their life style was very wired. Men and women lived separately even they were children. Women lived together some buildings and men lived another buildings or even they lived in the same building, their rooms were separated.

A Shaker Town

I learned the term, a spiral staircase in English from Charles. He taught me how to say the ladder in English.

A Shaker Town

Shaker people were craftsmen and they were really good at making everything.

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

They are not actual Shaker people and they are pretending. They are working the town and show how to make the things to us.  She is a college student and she is very interested in weaving, she said.

A Shaker Town

He is a craftsman of brooms.

A Shaker Town

He told us that the good brooms can stand by themselves.

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A desk for men and a desk for women. They didn’t get together.

A Shaker Town

A potty chair.

A Shaker Town

Mom and her baby room.

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

A Shaker Town

Dixie’s mom is really cool and she was a doll artist. She had been selling her hand made dolls at the Shaker town for a long time. She retired from it a couple years ago.

A Shaker Town

The Shaker town was just amazing. I really really loved there!!

I spent a couple of days with Dixie’s sister, Vana Dean and her family, Dixie’s mom, Ma, brother, Gale, Charles and a lot of Dixie’s relatives at Ma’s house. Vana Dean invited me to her house and she showed me a lot of quilts and embroideries. She gave me one of her hand made embroidery. OMG!!!!! Thank you so much, Vana Dean!!!! They were beautiful. Ma also showed me her pretty hand made quilts and dolls.

My room of Ma’s House

I stayed at the room and the quilt was hand made by Ma.

One of Vana Dean’s Hand Made Quilts

After I separated from them, Dixie, Charles and I returned to Alabama. They had another plan for me, and it was taking me to  the Helen Keller’s Birth House!

Helen Keller Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

I saw a lot of  Helen’s books of Japanese version there. Of course, she is very famous among Japanese people.

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen’s China.

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

Helen Keller’s Birth House

After we enjoyed exploring around the Helen’s house, we enjoyed a play of Helen Keller. It was my first time to see the live play in English.

The Live Play of Helen Keller

Charles bought three special seats for us.

The Live Play of Helen Keller

The Live Play of Helen Keller

The Live Play of Helen Keller

The Miracle Worker was spectacular. I really really enjoyed it!

I painted the Nyon style painting at Dixie’s painting group as well.

Some of My students’ Pieces

Dixie’s Painting People

Dixie’s Painting People

Dixie’s Painting People

Thank you so much for coming my class, everyone! All of you are very talented painters!!!! I’m looking forward to meeting you all again next year!

I stayed at Dixie’s for 16 days and enjoyed sightseeing and painting!

Dixie and Charles

Thank you so so so much for everything, Charles and Dixie! I really really enjoyed my last trip in America this year with you! I’m really looking forward to visiting you again next year and paint with you all!

-Yumi