Inspiration Avenue: a Stay-cation

Some of you have been following my day tripping adventures, so when Maggie (Magpie) suggested a virtual vacation OR a stay-cation for the Inspiration Avenue challenge this week, I knew I had to join in this Friday. After all, that's what this entire summer is all about for me!! I find mini-vacations wherever I go, and visiting a friend in the hospital was no exception.

I have a few rules that I abide by with each trip. In case you aren't familiar with them,

The self imposed rules:

1. Round trip must be less than or equal to 80 miles.

2. Must be achievable in a single day.

3. No more than $15.00 can be spent (does NOT include fuel).



So the other day, when I was visiting my friend in the hospital, I was taken by the incredible


beauty of the landscape, as well as the history of the hospital itself. I've already shown a few photos, in case you want to see others here and here.


Today we begin at the beginning. Back in 1912, when first built, the hospital looked more like a mansion than a hospital.


Nurses in their caps and white starched dresses. And as one person pointed out, stockings, too (which were more than likely perfectly straight due to the seam in the back).


I am assuming the house soon gave way to the building that they called the "House of Healing on the Hill."


By the early 1920s, nurses had their own place of residence. Apparently women needed good, watchful shelter back then!


Skipping forward, you can see how the hospital has started to grow in just a few years, although it is a far cry from the four main buildings and many satellite buildings it has today.


I only wish I'd gotten a better photo of the iron lung from the 1940s. It was the best of several photos I took, and it was still lousy. I had never seen a photo of an iron lung, but my grandmother sometimes spoke about a friend who had polio and had to stay in one.


Even the bake (kitchen) staff got photographed when they presented the hospital with a decorated 50th Anniversary cake in 1962.


And here's what the hospital looked like from an aerial view three years later in 1965.


I really enjoyed this trip down memory lane in photographs, even though I've never had any dealings with the medical community, other than visiting a few of my friends in the hospital.

So how did I do on this, my second Stay-cation? Let's review.


1. Round trip must be less than or equal to 80 miles. Round trip was less than SIX miles.

2. Must be achievable in a single day. Even with taking photos, it took less than an hour to walk the halls and enjoy the history.

3. No more than $15.00 can be spent (does NOT include fuel). I spent ZERO dollars, because I went home to eat and didn't stop at the gift shop!

I hope this shows what can be found in your town and you can have a real Stay-cation instead of a virtual one if you just look around and keep your eyes open.

_____________