The Out of Towners

June 5, 2011
Day #24
Florida NY and New York City

George Washington Bridge

New York Thruway, Palisades Parkway and the Henry Hudson Parkway  along the Hudson River,  all the way to 56th Street, took a left an found a parking lot.  Jim handed the key over to a couple of guys with strange accents and I crossed my fingers that we would see our Jeep again.

There were easily 7 billion people in Times Square and vicinity on Sunday.  Most of them didn't speak English.  We saw a LOT of interesting characters...

Me and a few of the seven billion people

We walked to the Visitors Center on Times Square, bought a map (nothing is free here) and tried to make sense out of the Subway.  It was obvious that we were NOT in Washington DC anymore! 

We walked, and walked....the problem with NYC, like Washington DC, is because buildings are so big, they look much closer than they really are!  We finally made our way ($22 each)  to the Top of the Rock.  We couldn't take the NBC tour because it was all booked.  Breathtaking views of the city from all directions, very nice! 




Long way down


Lunch was  at Stage Deli, a touristy spot.  But that's what Jim wanted to do.  The sandwiches are about seven feet tall, I warned him, but he wanted a whole sandwich.  I ordered a half sandwich.  You should have seen his face when he saw this thing!  I had my 'I told your so' moment.  He ate the whole thing to prove a point...and I'm sure he was over stuffed. *One whole sandwich, one half sandwich, 1/3 cup potato salad, two small soft drinks - $44  (pickles were FREE!)

Jim's lunch (the cheese and sauce were extra)

We got on the subway and rode to the World Trade Center Site.  Hard to believe how huge this place is.  It's impossible not to re-live that day while there, very somber moments.  The new skyscraper, the Freedom Tower  is going to be beautiful, it's almost half done and should be complete by 2013.

World Trade Center construction site

Leaving that area we went to a small subway station,  only a few people were there.  Jim swiped his Metro Pass (good for a week $29) and passed through the gate.  I swiped mine...nothing, tried again...nothing.  He's on one side of the gate and I am on the other.  He's getting mad at ME because I can't get through the gate.  Soooooooo, one of the' nice young men' who were there, one on MY side of the gate and one on Jim's side of the gate, came over to help me.  He takes my pass, turns his back and swipes it on the thing on the wall that tells you how much time you have left on the pass, hands it back and tells me that it's a good pass.  However, I saw 'invalid' flash on the screen.  Before I could say anything, he walks me to the gate that his friend is holding open (and an alarm is going off) and they shut the gate.  We started walking away, toward the track an I told Jim that I saw 'invalid' when he swiped my pass.  He said that he was pretty sure that the guy had palmed the good pass and given me an old one.  We turned them over and saw that the date on one was expired...
Moral of the story:  Never, ever hand your pass to anyone, except a Metro employee, especially one wearing a HOODIE!

Later we rode the Staten Island Ferry over and back, past the Statue of Liberty.  We needed some sitting time and decided not to let one bad incident ruin all the fun of NYC.  We felt like two chumps from Podunk, we should have been smarter than that.  Half the problem was that the same thing happened in Washington DC, because Jim had put the cards in his pocket with his cell phone and de-magnetized them, the Washington DC subway people were right there to help us.  The other thing is that we have been living in Charleston, where everyone goes out of their way to help the tourists.    Live and Learn

Driving back (the men with the accents gave our Jeep back...with everything still in it) in  extremely heavy traffic (on Sunday?) on the Henry Hudson Parkway we almost made it to the George Washington Bridge, when Jim spotted a sign and veered off.  Bad move.  He WAS going in the right direction, but took the WRONG and now were were in worse traffic, going back to where we had already been and TOMTOM is telling us to take a right where there is NO road!  We ended up taking a tour of a few NYC neighborhoods...thankfully, they were pretty nice areas, if not we'd probably be dead by now.

I was very, very happy to get back to the little village of Florida NY, back to the campground, and back inside the RV.

And tomorrow we get to do it all over again!

George Washington Slept Here...Really!

June 4, 2011
Day #23
Coatesville PA to Florida NY  170 Miles via US30, US202, I287, US17

We left the beautiful countryside, twisty narrow roads, horses and the sweet, sweet smell of cut hay this morning and headed north east toward Florida, NY, roughly 60 miles by car from New York City.

Along the way was Valley Forge National Historic Park, another place Jim always wanted to visit...so we did.  We had lunch in the RV, took the dogs out for a walk, then walked up the hill to the visitors center and booked the next guided trolley tour.

Our, just graduated from college, tour guide was very informative, we learned much more from her than we would have if we'd just taken ourselves through the park.  The park is expansive, over 3,500 acres of beautiful rolling hills and tree line roads.  There are over 26 miles of walking/hiking trails and it being a Saturday, they were being well used.  There were several horse trailers in the parking lot and we watched a group of a dozen riders or so, running the horses along the trails. 



Jim checks out a cabin



The tour stopped by a group of  Revolutionary Soldiers re-enactors and several recreated cabins that would have been used during Washington's encampment.  The lead speaker was a National Park Ranger, who was very well versed in the history of that period, and especially the weapons.   He was very entertaining as he told us about muskets.  Of course you know that the expression 'lock, stock and barrell' comes from that time, as well as 'flash in the pan' and 'half cocked'...all having to do with a musket.



Our musket teacher



My head hurts from all the Revolutionary era history facts that I've been exposed to on this trip!

Later in the tour we stopped at the colonial home that General George Washington used as headquarters during the six month encampment.  What must have been a grand house at the time felt quite small by today's standards. 

George Washington's headquarters



Even HE doesn't hang his jacket up!



General Washington's flag flew wherever he was located



When our one and one half hour tour was over, we resumed our trip.  Took a little longer than we had anticipated.  It was Saturday and everyone in this part of the United States decided to go shopping.  It wasn't too bad between towns, but wherever there was a shopping center the traffic was thick, and the roads were narrow, and winding, and bumpy, and hilly....in other words - slow going.  We had thought about not getting up on the interstate at all, but this was getting old and we realized that we'd be getting into the campground in NY late.  I gladly handed the navigating over to TOMTOM!  We took the interstate and realized that it was a smart decision.  Thanks TOMTOM!

Florida NY is a small village that reminds us of where we grew up in Rhode Island.  We got settled and drove about ten miles up the road for groceries.  Florida is a tiny town, but it does have a Dunkin Donuts!

Philadelphia Freedom

June 3, 2011
Philadelphia, PA
Day #22

Perfect weather today!  We traveled to downtown Philadelphia, another place that we had passed by so many times and never stopped to explore.  The ride in was nice, even I95 wasn't bad.  We parked at Penn's Landing, a waterfront area along the Delaware River.  From there it's a short walk OVER I95 to the historic area of the city.

There were a TON of school kids on class trips in the city.  Most couldn't have cared less about any of what they were looking at.  History seems to be one of those subjects that interest a person later in life.  That would be me....I would have been miserable on such a class trip.  Now...an aquarium, zoo, museum or even a fish hatchery would have made my day as a kid on a field trip!

Independence Hall

Carpenter's Hall

The line to see the Liberty Bell was a little long, but  moved quickly.  Independence Hall, across the street is getting a face lift.  We went into Carpenter's Hall, a beautiful, original structure, built in 1770.  During the First Continental Congress, delegates made a list of the grievances of the Colonies against the King while meeting there. 

Well, what's a visit to Philadelphia without a Philly cheesesteak sandwich?  When in Rome...We asked locals and they said to walk a couple of blocks to Campos to have lunch.  The mac and cheese side was wonderful, and I'm not a huge mac and cheese fan.  The old lady who makes it told me she uses FIVE cheeses.  



There were several of these lights in a long, open building.  Like a Japanese lantern, all the butterflies are made from aluminum soft drink cans.  There different color butterflies on each lantern



Historic Christ Church was a short walk and we visited.  Some of the early members of the congregation were five signers of the Declaration of Independence, including Benjamin Franklin.  It is almost all original and still an active church.  It is open and a short, but very interesting tour is given.  Jim said the church was in the movie National Treasure...will have to pay attention next time it's on!

Christ Church

It was time to head back to the car.  We took a longer route so we could walk the entire waterfront at Penn's Landing.   During the walk we stopped to rest and watched a man feed some sort of big fish a bag of bagels.  Gee, only in this area would you see fish eating bagels!  There were dozens of fish...

The beautiful Moshulu, built 1904 with an interesting past, now a restaurant

It was a fifty mile ride back to the RV.  We stopped for milk along the way, in the suburbs, at a CVS store.  Jim headed for the door at the same time a young, well dress woman did.  He stepped aside just before they would have bumped into each other, and excused himself.  The 'woman' screamed at him, "You should have read the f---ing sign on the door, supposed to keep to the right!"   Ahem, we're NOT in Charleston anymore!

We are convinced that TOMTOM like to look at pretty scenery in the countryside.  Every time we put an addresses in out here , it takes us a different way. We've seen every little country lane here in the Coatesville, Embreeville and Thorndale area. 

Thanks TOMTOM, it's a beautiful place!

Tomorrow, we leave here, and stop along the way to visit Valley Forge near King of Prussia PA.  Must look up how that got its name!   Oh Google.....?

Turn, Turn Turn...

June 2, 2011 
Day  #21
Millersville MD to Coatesville PA via US301, US213 and wherever TOMTOM told us to go

Leaving Millersville MD

The heat wave broke during the night and the weather was perfect today. It was type of day that makes you want to lift your face towards the sun, spread your arms and take a deep breath. Unfortunately, the same system that ushered in such relief to the mid -Atlantic states, was responsible for death and destruction in New England.

Rookie's ready to ride

Today we puled up stakes and moved a little northward again.  We crossed over the upper Chesapeake Bay a little north of Annapolis on one of the longest bridges that I've ever seen.  It's easy to forget just how huge the Chesapeake is! 

We did not travel the interstates, instead we chose state and local roads. And I do mean local. US213 is an old route that snakes its way north on the eastern side of Maryland , through farms and tiny towns. We enjoyed the scenery and Jim's arms got a good workout.

It got a little tricky as we neared the campground in the West Chester/Coatesville Pennsylvania area. What looked like a fairly direct route to me apparently did not suit TOMTOM. Again, when we disagree, I let TOMTOM win. TOMTOM really blew this one, we were blindly following TOMTOM's orders making a very convoluted route indeed. In the process we were treated to some beautiful countryside.

We are on a hilltop here at the KOA.  Nice park, beautiful pool (but now we don't need it, it's cool) and quiet.  Horse ranches everywhere.  Nice country.

Tomorrow we go into downtown Philadelphia.  Philadelphia...a word I learned to spell very young, staring at the cream cheese package on the breakfast table!

Baltimore Waterfront

June 1, 2011
Day  #20
Millersville MD and Baltimore MD

USS Constellation in Baltimore Harbor

This is supposed to be the last day of the heat wave...I sure hope so! I'm used to hot weather and prefer it to cold, but this is nuts. What adjectives haven't I used yet? The heat is blistering, sizzling, oppressive, searing...Oh heck, it's freakin' HOT.

We drove into downtown Baltimore and parked near the waterfront. We were impressed! Not too many years ago this area was as bad as it gets, not anymore. We walked the area, always seeking whatever shade there was. Between the city newspaper building and the Gallery, we noticed a couple of on-site dressing room trailers and several trailer trucks with film crews and equipment. The names 'Lucy' and 'Desi' were on two of the dressing room doors. Apparently, they are filming something inside one of the buildings...

Another not green shirt!

Lunch was at The Cheesecake Factory, overlooking the harbor. Today no one wanted to sit outside, we even left a table in the 'shady' sun room because it was too hot. And NO we didn't partake of the restaurant's namesake. Our eyes said yes to dessert, or stomachs said no.

Later we stopped in to the Baltimore Visitors Center and met perhaps the pushiest elderly city volunteer ever. She all but insisted that we do whatever she suggested. Actually, she gave us a few laughs as we walked away from the building...

14 foot tall pink poodle in the visitors center...I have no idea why

A trash boat,  A paddle wheel thing in front scoops up floating trash!

The sun was bearing down and we were rapidly melting and seeking an activity that included air conditioning. The answer was a one hour harbor cruise. No walking, no heat and someone tells you things you'd never know otherwise...like you were now floating over the Baltimore Harbor Tunnel, far, far below. Or that Oprah owns a condo over there (doesn't she have one in every city?) or that Tom Hanks owns FIVE condos there. How about Domino Sugar was named because the cubes resembled dominoes? Yup, all the little know facts are on the harbor cruises!

We were 'stick a fork in me, I'm cooked' done with being outside. Later we learned that the downtown area had hit 100 degrees that afternoon. Yikes! At home I would NEVER spend time outside in heat like that!

The rush hour was beginning as we left the city...it's always fun to join in the craziness of rush hour in a strange city. It's a good test for my heart meds too!

Glen Burnie has a Costco and we were passing through so I put the address that I got off the computer earlier in the day into TOMTOM. We needed to pick up a few things and it was on the way home. Got off the exit and went to where TOMTOM told us, which brought us to a fuel tank depot. Nope. We did a u-turn and went the other way from the exit ramp, lots of stores, no Costco. Turned around and put the 'point of interest' shopping center, Costco into TOMTOM and went to where we first went and TOMTOM took us to the middle of the road near some office buildings. This was getting funny! Jim was not to be defeated, he pulled into a Home Depot parking lot and there was the Costco nearby...there was no sign on the street, and trees blocked the view of the stores from the street. We drove right by it THREE TIMES...most difficult Costco to find ever!

Later in the evening we took a short drive to Annapolis. It is an incredibly beautiful town. Looks very much like Newport RI, with the historic buildings and homes. A young mother at the waterfront had told us to visit a candy/fudge/ice cream store on Main Street named Kilwins for a treat and we wouldn't be disappointed. When we walked in the aroma of quality chocolate was enough to make a person weak in the knees....they were making fudge. We were good, didn't even look at the chocolates and only got a small ice cream.


Speaking of candy...how about eye candy? The young men in the Naval Academy walking around town in those 'Officer and a Gentleman' white uniforms? Oh man...

Tomorrow.... a travel day to Pennsylvania　
　

It's like a HEAT WAVE...

May 31, 2011
Millersville MD/Washington DC
Day #19

Entrance to the National Zoo

This morning we let insanity of the rush hour pass before we ventured out on the roads.  We made our way to the New Carrolton Metro station near I95, or about 2 o'clock on the circle of the Beltway.  I get short of breath just thinking about driving on the Beltway.  Thankfully, we didn't need to go on it, we came from another direction.

It was painfully HOT just walking from the parking garage to the platform.  The car we boarded wasn't much cooler, don't know if the heat was just too extreme for the A/C to keep up, or we may have had a bad system in our car.  We had to switch this time to get on another line, so the trip took a little longer and we were going farther, to the National Zoo.

I was thinking that the Metro stop would be like right outside the Zoo entrance.  I was wrong.  We had about a half mile walk...all uphill...in 97+ degree heat.  The good part was that there was quite a bit of shade.  My heart must be in better shape than I thought, or I'm sure I would have died today!

Just to prove that I have more than one shirt, and it's NOT green!

Finally the National Zoo was within sight.  The trees are huge and provide a welcome canopy over much of the walkways.  They should be mature, the park is over 100 years old.  We spent  a couple of hours there, in scorching heat. 

Sit and eat all day...what a life!

The  giant pandas were our top priority and they didn't disappoint, they were both in their inside enclosures.  Even they wanted out of the heat.  Only a few feet away from us,  we got a great look at them.  So cute so cuddly....however, from the looks of the way the female, Mei Xiang (may-SHONG), ,  was effortlessly  chewing and shredding bamboo, those teeth were to be feared.    The male, Tian Tian (t-YEN t-YEN),  was in the next enclosure playing with a toy that held treats.  The attendant told us he has a hard time figuring out how to get the treats...the female just lays on her back and shakes them into her mouth.  Female smarter....but we knew that already!

We stayed as long as we could stand it, but the heat was becoming  too much.  That and the way out was all uphill, a steep uphill at that!  Also, we were getting hungry so we headed back to the Metro station to bring us to the Federal Triangle and the old Post Office.  We had been told to visit the food court in the basement there, good  food and reasonable prices.  As with every other federal building, a pass through the metal detectors and bag search was required.  All facts of life since 9/11...

After lunch we walked the six blocks to the Newseum, a private museum dealing with the news media.  It charges a fee, but we are news hounds...that and the fact that it was COOL inside!   They have front pages of many newspapers printed from famous events, the top of the World Trade Center with part of the antenna, pieces of the Berlin Wall, film clips, famous photographs among other things.  We enjoyed it, although some things were difficult to look at, anything connected with 9/11 is still difficult.

Part of the World Trade Center's north tower antenna

We didn't time our exit from the city as well as they way in.  Rush hour was in progress as we hit the Metro station.  Whew, quite different than on the holiday weekend!  We were lucky to find a seat. 

It was another full day.  We know there is so much more to see in DC, but it's only a day's drive away and we'll be back. 

Tomorrow we go to Baltimore, a city that we have driven by probably a hundred times and never stopped to look around.   Over the years we've heard good things about their waterfront area so we'll go see for ourselves.

Oh...and DORIS, it's so nice to see you reading the blog again!

The Road Less Traveled

May 30, 2011 Memorial Day
Fredericksburg VA to Millersville MD  100 miles via US301
Day #18

It's brutally hot, and going to get hotter, so they say.  Oh joy.

Leaving Fredericksburg KOA

We moved up the road a little, 100 miles.  Because it's Memorial Day, because most of the population of all the states north of Washington DC traveled to somewhere south of Washington DC for the holiday,  because they were ALL ON I95 HEADING BACK TODAY, because we are over 50 feet long, because it's sizzling hot and people are getting crazed on the highways....we decided to go another way.

I looked at the map, then checked with TOMTOM.  When did I lose map reading  superiority to that little voice in box?  We both decided US301 would be much, much better for the mental heath of all parties within the aluminum walls of the 30 foot box, to go that way and avoid the interstate.

The ride was nice, peaceful, pastoral and historic.  This highway was started in the early 1930's and grew over the years.  Now it stretches from Delaware to Sarasota Florida. 

 I remember years ago, when traveling from Rhode Island to Florida, or even to relatives in Wilmington NC, that parts of I95 were not complete and we would have to take US301.  We'd travel through little Mayberry type towns that were speed traps. 

Around the time Jim and I got married my father in law, traveling with my mother in law and their pre-school age daughter,  got stopped in Stony Creek NC, a stereotypical small southern town. 

 He was pulled over by the sheriff and taken to a kangaroo court...garage that also doubled as a 'courthouse'.  The sheriff announced to the 'judge', "Got me another one, Amos!"  He was fined for exceeding the speed limit...they asked how much money he had on him, (this was in the days before credit cards) then took all but $30, which they decided was enough to buy enough gas to get him home....no food, just gas.   Stoney Creek is a long way from Rhode Island, over 700 miles.


We still laugh when we pass the exit for Stoney Creek when traveing  on I 95 through North Carolina.

Our little one hundred mile trek today was a pleasure.  I just plugged the address into TOMTOM and away we went.  I'm thinking that these navagational devices are probably saving marriages.  When *I* was the sole navagator, getting through a tricky area was much more stressful.  I would have the route mapped out, when suddenly the huge green highway signs would appear with 10 different routes to choose from.  Sometimes we'd have less than a mile to figure out where we were going.  I'd be scrambling to get the atlas, find the right page, figure out where we were on that page and tell 'the driver' which way to go.  All the while he'd be screaming to hurry up.  If I gave him bad info he'd act like it was a HUGE deal, then I would get mad a him...

Now, it's all TOMTOM's fault (TOMTOM is ususally right) if we make a wrong turn.  He can yell at TOMTOM, not me and TOMTOM's feelings don't get hurt.   Perfect.

We made it to Millersville KOA , the closest one to Washington DC, set up and found a Giant grocery store to do some restocking.

Tomorrow we will go back to Washington DC on the Metro, this station is only about 15 miles away, to visit the National Zoo, and the Newseum , a private museum featuring all facets of the news media.