Here lies FDR

Here's a high-quality cellphone video of FDR's grave a short distance from where he was born and lived much of his life.

FDR's home

There are many great historic sites within a a two-hour drive of our house. On Saturday, I headed west about 70 miles to Hyde Park, N.Y., site of President Franklin Roosevelt's birthplace, home and presidential library. The town of Hyde Park, just outside Poughkeepsie, isn't much to write home about. But Springwood, FDR's birthplace and home that overlooks the Hudson River, is an oasis. The sprawling estate is the only place in the United States where a president was born, maintained a lifelong connection and lies buried. Roosevelt gave two of his famous fireside chats there at his presidential library. FDR's home, while quite large (35 rooms, nine bathrooms), is not ostentatious. It's certainly not like some of the mansions we saw earlier this year in Newport, R.I.

Connecticut travelogue

We can find some pretty interesting sites within 45 minutes of our house in Avon. Two wineries -- Haight-Brown (near Litchfield) and Hopkins (on the shores of Lake Waramaug) -- are especially good. And, of course, there's some pretty nice fall scenery. Today, we visited New Preston, a tiny former mill town where we found a couple antique stores and a local shop that sells some pretty good homemade bread. Above is a waterfall in New Preston that probably powered the old mill there.

Only in Pittsburgh

At the Pittsburgh airport, I snapped this shot of a life-sized statue of Franco Harris making the Immaculate Reception. Pure genius. Next to Franco is a statue of George Washington, who has strong ties to the history of Western Pennsylvania.

New England sky

While walking in our neighborhood just before sunset, I snapped these photos with my cellphone camera of a pretty spectacular Connecticut sky.