Cooper River Park, NJ (5/24/2024)

Friday, May 24, 2024 (continued)

We met Erich for a late lunch at the Nan Xiang Xiao Long Bao restaurant in Cherry Hill, NJ. We remember the delicious xiao long bao/small basket bun, better known as soup dumplings, from Shanghai. They are apparently a favorite of Erich, who suggested this Michelin-recommended restaurant.

The restaurant had a couple robot servers
that acted as runners bringing out the food
while the waitstaff actually transferred
the dishes from robot to table (KSS)

Noodles with beef (KSS)

Shanghai Pan-fried Udon Noodles (KSS)

Two servings of Xiao Long Bao, one original with
pork and one with crab and pork topped with crab roe (KSS)

When steamed, the xiao long bao creates a tasty soup in the dumpling. You create a hole to release the soup as you eat the dumpling. These dumplings were larger than bite-size for me, so were a bit more difficult to eat, needing care not to lose the soup.

The main destination today was the Cooper River Park for the Scholastic Rowing Association of America/SRAA National Championships.

Cooper River Park gazebo

The finish line of the races was at the section of the park called Memorial Grove.

Holocaust Memorial (1981,
by Harold Kimmelman)

José Rizal Memorial (1998, from the
Philippine government) commemorates
an ophthalmologist and statesman whose
writings inspired the Philippine Revolution
(1896-1898 against Spain)

Bataan Death March Memorial (1998)

Camden County Police Memorial (1998)

Congressional Medal of Honor Memorial

POW/MIA Memorial

Polish American Congress Monument (1995) honors
World War II veterans of St Joseph's Church
(South Camden, NJ), as well as two Polish heroes
who served in the American Revolution

Thaddeus Kościuszko, a military engineer
who became Brigadier General

Casimir Pulaski, a cavalry commander, noted
for saving the life of General George
Washington at the Battle of Brandywine,
earning Pulaski promotion to Brigadier General

Victims of Terrorism Memorial (2002, moved 2022)

Limestone from the Pentagon and soil from the ground in
Stonycreek Township, Pennsylvania, near Shanksville

Structural steel from the World Trade Center towers

SRAA National Championships Finish Line

And here comes our Dylan, the third rower or
fourth person from the right! (KSS)

Harleigh Cemetery, Camden, NJ (5/24/2024)

Friday, May 24, 2024

We had planned to stop at the Camden County Historical Society Museum, but contrary to information on their website, they did not open until 13:00.

Fortunately, nearby was the Harleigh Cemetery, and cemeteries are always interesting to explore. What notable person might be buried here?

Walt Whitman! (the tomb was designed
by Walt Whitman himself) (KSS)

Walt Whitman (1819-1892), the American
poet considered the father of free verse (KSS)

Harleigh Cemetery (1885) had several water features
and plenty of Branta canadensis/Canada Geese (KSS)

Baird Mausoleum; David Baird, Sr
(1839-1927) and his son David Baird, Jr
(1881-1955) each served as a US Senator 

One of several burrows seen
in the cemetery (KSS)

Sewell Monument Celtic Cross (1901,
by Alexander Stirling Calder) (KSS)

Grave marker of Sarah Sewell (1895-
1904), daughter of William J Sewell (KSS)

Grave marker of William J Sewell
(1835-1901) who served in the Civil War;
he was the only officer to be awarded the
Medal of Honor while in command
of a New Jersey regiment (KSS)

The third of the impressive Art Nouveau
grave markers (also designed by Alexander
Stirling Calder) belongs to Helen Louise Heyl
Sewell (1842-1906), wife of William (KSS)

Laurel Hill Columbarium Bell Tower (KSS)

Gate for the Nghia Trang Viet Nam Section (KSS)

Nghia Trang Viet Nam Section (KSS)

Harleigh Mausoleum (1928-1930, by Lovell & Lovell
in Classical Revival style) (KSS)

The Harleigh Mausoleum overlooks a large lake
through which the Coopper River runs

Sau Ling Yuen Section (KSS)

Sau Ling Yuen Section (KSS)

Chapel of Memories Mausoleum KSS

Saurman Mausoleum; Ira C Saurman, Sr (1876-1928) (KSS) 

The Oak Mausoleum (KSS)

Chapel by the Lakes Mausoleums A, B, and C (KSS)

Chapel by the Lakes Mausoleums D, E, and F
with Walt Whitman Chapel (KSS)

Grave marker of Ella Reeve Bloor aka Mother Bloor
(1862-1951), an American labor organizer and long-time
activist in the socialist and communist movements (KSS)

On the east side is noted Bloor's third
husband, Andrew Omholt (1883-1959),
a North Dakota pioneer farmer (KSS)

Children of Mother Bloor, Carl Reeve (1900-1980), an
activist against poverty, racism and war, and for peace and
socialism; and his wife, Ann B Jacobs Reeve (1909-1999)  (KSS)

On the west side of Bloor's grave marker,
Carla Smith (1936-2019), granddaughter
of Mother Bloor, and her husband Ernest
(1925-2005), who were activists for tenants'
rights and Atzlan/Mexican-American rights (KSS)

Schroeder Estate (KSS)

Feather Mausoleum (KSS)

Moore Mausoleum; Henry D Moore (1842-1930), founder
of the American Tobacco Company and investor in
land companies in Atlantic City, Wildwood, and Ocean City,
making him one of the wealthiest men in NJ (KSS)

Podium grave marker of Nicholas Virgilio
(1928-1989), a radio announcer, sports
broadcaster, and haiku poet who is known for
popularizing this Japanese type of
poetry in the United States (KSS)

Camden County Veterans Cemetery at Harleigh Cemetery

Haverford Reserve Southbrook Trail (5/19/2024)

Sunday, May 19, 2024

This weekend we tackled the Southbrook Trail at Haverford Reserve, with Brynne and Sloane.

Southbrook Trail starts as a wide graveled path ...

... then it becomes dirt with rocks

A meadow of Ampelopsis brevipedunculata/Porcelain Berry
vines, with South Brook in the ravine to the right

We leave the Haverford Reserve and proceed on the
Quadrangle Woods Trail, crossing South Brook

Recrossing South Brook

We later learned that The Quadrangle is a continuing
care retirement community/CCRC on 75 acres of land;
they maintained their trails with bamboo edging

Something man-made in the woods

This concrete slab was used as a bridge

Another bridge on the Quadrangle Woods Trail

Fireplace and chimney appear to be all
that is left of a log cabin

Beehives and the purple-flowered
Paulownia tomentosa/Empress Tree

It is the end of the blooming season
for the Empress Tree

The Quadrangle Woods Trail ended in an open area

Evidence of a millrace and mill building ruins

The Quadrangle CCRC garden plots

They have the same buillding names, but also covered parking

No more than two-story resident buildings

The Quadrangle Linden Common Building

Porte cochère of Linden Commom

The Art Studio!

The Quadrangle also has cottages

Entrance to Haverford Reserve at Darby Road
and Parkview Drive

Now we were following the Parkview Drive Sidepath.

Weigela sp

Athertyn (condos)

Athertyn pickleball courts

Athertyn Pitch 'n' Putt, and gazebo

Athertyn Clubhouse

Parkview Drive brought us to the playing fields of the Andy Lewis Community Park, past the Community Recreation and Environmental Center/CREC, and back to the beginning of the Southbrook Trail.