I didn’t realize until midway through the morning that it was Friday the 13th! I guess that’s a good thing! Kathy, Corliss and I headed to Pittsburgh at 8:30am to visit the Bayernhof Museum in Sharpsburg, with Corliss driving (Thanks Corliss!). What a lot of twists and turns and hills to get up there, but it sure was worth the drive. A huge thank you to Kathy for her research in finding a fun place to explore.
The Bayernhof Music Museum
The fountain, complete with dragon and a drawbridge.
Closeup of dragon.
View from the driveway – you could drive right off the cliff!
At almost an hour on the dot we pulled up to the gates and pushed the button. The gates swung open and we drove in to park right in front of the house. I can’t begin to explain everything we saw, inside and out. Let’s just say that this huge museum of a house contained DOZENS of musical instruments and music boxes. You have to visit to really understand! And an added fun bonus was that the owner’s best friend/advisor/lawyer is in town and we got to meet him and hear his actual stories!
The gates opening.
Me with Corliss with the view behind us.
Front entrance.
Me with Kathy at the front door.
Corliss with Kathy
Kathy laughing….
Panoramic view
Beautiful view even on a foggy day.
The views were amazing – and Charlie Brown (no kidding! But not Snoopy’s Charlie!) was very rich, eccentric, and eclectic! He had rooms full of interesting items, heirlooms, collections, secrets, and wet bars in almost every room. You have to see it to believe it.
Charles B Brown III (He owned over 200 blue, button-down oxford shirts!)
Beautiful plush green carpets – steps inside front door.
Chairs around the kitchen table all had different woodland creatures carved on them.
This is a reverse painting skylight in the gambling room.
Tapestry in the gambling room.
Did you ever see a purple pool table? (That’s Lisa our tour guide)
Me with Charlie’s grandfather (Carved wooden image)
Chandelier in the public restroom!!!
Jetted remote control tub, with a built in bookcase and a phone!
Our group was small – 11 of us – and we thoroughly enjoyed the 2 1/2 hour tour, full of laughter and stories and relics. My favorite story was about Nippers the dog, who was a favorite of Charlie. He was the RCA dog that always sat beside the Victrola speaker in their ads. Nippers would ALWAYS sit at the dining room table, on a chair, with a plate, napkin, flatware and glass. The table held 14 people, and if there were 15 guests one would have to eat in the kitchen – because Nippers ALWAYS ate at that table. And no, he was not real. But he was huge.
Nippers with Lisa – He’s really big (He is sitting on the table here.)
Authentic Civil War cannonball. There’s a crazy story about this, too!
Charlie’s office – A picture of Charlie (right) with President Ronald Reagan.
They called him ‘King Chuck’ – he liked the Andy Griffith Show – see the bobbleheads?
Picture of Richard Nixon – and an ornate Grandfather Clock.
The board room with Yellow note tablets. Reminded me of Bud – he wrote everything on a yellow tablet!!
These are taxidermy birds and they move and sing!
When you sit on this chair it activates a music box!
A phonograph in the bedside light.
The third floor housed an observatory with a high power telescope and two spiral staircases to reach it. We went down a floor and into a hidden door, and there we found a wine cellar – which had an authentic West Virginia still. Corliss was eyeing it up pretty intensely!
The observatory (which totally opened and closed) and the telescope.
Corliss eyeing up the still!
When we went out of the wine cellar, we entered a totally manufactured cave, with stalactites and stalagmites and water dripping. Once we wove our way through the cave, we came out at an indoor pool, with a rainbow bridge and a water fall and floor to ceiling windows. Too much to believe!
Indoor pool with waterfall.
Corliss, Kathy and I at the pool.
If you look closely at the scene in the background – that is Maria from the Sound of Music!!!
Rainbow bridge from the caves to the pool. See the table and seats in a little separate pool area?
I feel like I don’t really want to tell any stories or share too much – except the pictures. It’s worth the trip to visit – but you MUST make reservations and it’s not recommended for children (collectibles). Check it out!
Nippers says ‘ Come see me! ‘
That was my day, but I came home and did a load of laundry, answered emails, and cut the grass. It’s 9pm and I’m finally done except for this. The ironing can wait!
My grass compared to my neighbor’s!
I found a rose growing up through my azalea bush!
SCRIPTURE of the DAY:
PEANUTS?
TOMORROW June 14th is:
World Juggling Day; Donald Trump’s Birthday; National Cucumber Day; National Dragonfly Day; National Outlet Shopping Day; ARMY birthday; Doll Day; Flag Day; International Bath Day; International Knit in Public day; Monkey Around Day; National Dog Dad Day; National Pop Goes the Weasel Day; National Strawberry Shortcake Day; World Blood Donor Day.
FLAG – fly your flag. Tomorrow and Sunday are also Frontier Family Days at Hanna’s Town – I’ll be out there in the morning from 10-1 so if you can, stop out! Give Donald a call and sing happy birthday to him. I will wish miss Dottie Doll a happy birthday and that’s it for me! God bless…
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