Submarines

Yogi's Tiki Bar

A glorious day of scenic back roads took us from Yogi's Jelly Stone experience near Sturbridge MA to Mystic CT. As it turned out our campsite at Yogi's was very quiet. The music from the neighbors soon gave way to crickets and other night noises. Still, it maybe one of the oddest places that we've camped. There may be people that live here year round. A campsite sporting a Tiki Bar is but one example of the eccentricity of the place. Enough of Yogi's and on to Mystic and the Connecticut coast.

Rope Art

Mystic Seaport is not THE Mystic Connecticut of the movies -although it is close ...very close. It is an historic attraction focused on the area's ship building history.  In fact where the exhibits are, were once shipyards. A fascinating place and well worth the stop. The main attraction are two old whaling ships -tall ships- but visitors are guided through various aspects of life in coastal communities. From making ropes and rigging and navigational equipment, to the general store, everything seems to be well represented. Of course we closed the place up, and then went looking for a campground. The options are limited at this time of year, since many/most places close after Columbus Day weekend and  KOA was the only option. After Yogi's a KOA seemed like the Ritz.

Charles Morgan

We got there in the nick of time as the office was about to close. With the directions to our site in hand, the clerk made sure we knew of the wedding on the grounds. The Big Fella said," really a wedding at KOA -the reception too?"  It begged the question which he asked, " so did they meet at a KOA or what?" Not my first choice for a wedding venue but hey who are we to judge?  I grabbed him and slinked outta the office. As it happened the wedding guests stayed at the KOA, and were only mildly obnoxious. Everything quieted down by about 11:00PM  -probably liquored up and needed to lie down. We made a point of getting up early to grab a shower before the morning rush.  The breakfast menu was blueberry pancakes and bacon. This brings me to food...

So the trip is winding down and the realization hits that there is a bunch of food still untouched. The philosophy of the Big Fella is to consume as much as possible - and he does.  At this evening's Miller Time he brought out more cheese than the two of us could possibly eat. My response was the usual-that seems like alot. In his very matter- of- fact way says, well don't we need to eat it up?  Well, you know waste not want not and we will be going on a strict diet once back home.  This is not likely to be well received -if you know what I mean.  More digressions...

Today's activities included a wonderful museum in Stonington, CT.  Housed in the old light house that guided ships into its harbor, it was a treasure trove of local history. However, the natives do not make it easy to find. A sign on U.S. 1 directs visitors to turn, but after that you are on your own. We drove around nearly giving up but, finally found a street into the old town. From there we followed our nose to the most likely spot for a light house and voila!  I loved it but the Fella was anxious to get moving to the next stop  - the U.S. National Submarine Museum and the Nautilus. Yes, there really is a National museum devoted to submarines. The Big Fella was in paradise.  I was bored beyond belief. The Nautilus was cool -first nuclear powered submarine and the first ship to reach the North Pole and cruise through the Arctic Ocean to Greenland. I am sorry but the rest of was well, boring. We closed the place  -of course.  Sigh.

Nautilus

Tonight we are at Riverdale Farm Campground near Clinton, CT.  No freeway noise, no wedding stuff, no Yogi or Boo Boo, the only sound is a creek.  A wonderful campfire built by the Fella warmed our spirits on this cold and clear night.  The extra quilt is on the bed and the long johns will be deployed -once again. And yes, museums aside, it is still about the leaves.

Riverdale

Loony Toons

Wild Life Update!

Gentle Readers,

Tonight  we are camped at a Yogi's Jellystone Park. 758 campsites means  we are packed in- claw to claw.  It causes me to wonder...is this really camping or a 21st century  Hooverville? There is a man made lake and some very odd Halloween decorations that add to the je ne sais quois. Dogs are around, a bunch of 'em. All must be active members of the canine chorus -lots of barking. Of course Yogi Bear and Boo Boo are quite prominent throughout the-ahem-park and we were so lucky to score a "lakeside" campsite. Oh yeah! Did I mention that the lake has a fountain - such a nice touch. Because things are so tight, getting the rig into the site required some big time maneuvering . And inspite of it being a prime "waterfront" locale, it is a bit off kilter shall we say. Kudos to the Big Fella- he squeezed us in and for the love of pete did his best.  But alas, we are hopelessly tilted to the right. Leveling this thing was not in the cards. So what the heck, the cupboards open themselves. It feels a bit ghetto-ish especially contrasted to our site last night next to the Merry Meeting River in Alton, NH. Adding to the atmosphere, our neighbors have a  Jefferson Airplane album a playing at max volume. Tonight might be interesting but we will make the best of it. And you know nothing says camping like a deejay spinning dance tunes in the community room. Again, just the right touches. Could be tons of fun and we may go down there. Hoo boy.

More inane happenings...

Ok a recap -

Grab a Life Boat!

It's been a busy couple of days with some nasty weather.   Two days of impressive rain and one 15% grade slowed our pace but not our spirits. Torrential downpours in NH were significant enough to warrant flash flood warnings. At times the wind shield wipers could not do the job. Visibility was bad, and the roads narrow. Although The Fella thought the two lane roads easier than the interstate - fewer cars, slower speed, less spray. During the storms our rig sprung a leak which was only discovered at bedtime -wet sheets anyone? I know you are thinking they must've left the ceiling vent open. Ha! It was closed tight.  We don't know where the water got in but the bedding got a bit damp. Fortunately it dried out  today. During all of the rain we managed two inside activities. Near Wolfeboro, NH is an old estate called Castle in the Clouds. An apt description the day we visited. I won't bore you with the details, but it was built by a millionaire in 1914 and sits high above Lake Winnipesaukee. The home was built with many modern features for that time  -like indoor plumbing including showers and central heat. Visiting Castle in the Coulds was The Big Fella's idea and boy it was interesting,but he had another motive because... Also, near Wolfeboro was a boat museum full vintage mahogany boats and a World War II museum.  The boat museum was closed -a real shame as it sounded wonderful- but the WWII museum was open.  So, after Castle in the Clouds the WWII museum beckoned.  In the Fella's words, " Now, that was well presented." Can you say tanks? Yup there were at least three  - a Sherman, a Pershing, and they all look alike to me so I cannot recall the third one but it was there along with a USAF fighter plane suspended from ceiling, various jeeps and motorcycles. The Fella took pictures. 

Alice?

After the castle and the tanks, we found our way to the Turtle Kraal Campground which is on the Merry Meeting River. It was quiet and lovely.

The rain stopped sometime during the night and we awoke to a pleasant morning and a day of rural roads. Today's destination  - Sturbridge, MA. and more specifically Old Sturbridge. Old Sturbridge is a colonial themed village. Some of the buildings are original to the property and others dismantled and brought from near by.  It was fascinating.

Old Sturbridge

Before we arrived in Sturbridge, lunch was had in Brookfield, MA. As some of you know, I am an amateur genealogist. While I strongly identify with my paternal side which is 100% Irish and  more recently arrived to this country, my mother's side has New England roots which date to the late 1600's early 1700's. Over the years, I've done a bit of sleuthing and learned that Brookfield, MA was the birth place of my 4th great grandfather -Joseph Gilbert. He was veteran of the Revolutionary War, and did  two stints -one as a drummer boy. It was not planned but having lunch in Brookfield was the right thing  to do. Less schmaltzy stuff...bits and pieces...

While we were at Old Sturbridge Village, the sheep were let out and ran through the village with reckless abandon. Apparently, the dinner bell rang and the herd knew just where to go. Walter, the old ram brought up the rear. No dogs were chasing, no humans following, it was a herd on a mission-to the trough, boys!!! While the sheep were in a foot race to the food stash, two white back oxen tried to dismantle a fence and make a break for it. No luck, they were caught in the act and banished to an inferior field. Later they were seen in a yoke walking to the back of the cafeteria line.

 More random stuff...
Along the way I notice things that seem unique and pass along because you need to know, such as:

Board and Bisquits is the name of a doggie daycare near Afton,NH there is a town in NH named Center Sandwich not to be confused with Sandwich and West Sandwich. Also  there is a sign directing folks to a Sandwich Recylcing facility. Hmmm, interesting concept. And of course Lake Winnipesaukee because it is fun to say, and the Merry Making River because it is.

Snore Symphony no. 61 has replaced Jefferson Airplane so it must be time to say good night. Yogi and Boo Boo give their best.

And it is still about the leaves.

Near Castle in the Clouds

Odds and Ends

Wild life update!

Hello my name is Marty and I am a stuffed moose

It is a KOA night and true to form this one is in the middle of two major roads. One is an interstate and the other a local highway. Traffic noise is not too obnoxious and being city dwellers we are accustomed to a bit of clatter. Did I ever mention the time we tent camped at Lake Shuswap in BC? Only a wooden fence separated our young family from the rail road tracks and the trains thundered through all night long. At one point the Fella thought a train was about to come through the tent. Those were the days, eh?  We have long since graduated to hard sided camping and this rental does the trick for us.  It is a bit peculiar though as the door of the RV has a picture of children looking as if they are waiting to get out. And the children confused a woman who thought they were real but disappeared when the Fella opened the door.  No, I would not want to spend any longer than a couple of weeks in this thing but it's cozy.

The Cave

Ok, now some fun facts to ponder...

Keep your nose to the grindstone --an expression that we've all used to represent persistence and hard work. The meaning is derived from a time when grist millers -literally-put their nose next to the grinding stone to be sure the grain being ground was not getting too hot. Burning or charring the product would ruin it.

Sleep tight  -my family used this phrase to wish a good sleep to all and maybe yours did too. Prior to the box spring, tied ropes were  used as a platform for a mattresses. Tight ropes were optimal and saying sleep tight was a way to wish a comfy bed.  Moving from rope beds, let's talk cameras and the humans behind them.

 Scenic byways and fall leaves bring out the cameras  -whether they be phone, digital SLR, or point and shoot. We all seem to want the same shot at the same time and jaysus don't you know that we all try to inch our way over to just the right spot for that perfect picture. But just as the shutter clicks, some dude or dudette steps right in front of you and your Kodak moment becomes the back of some stranger's head. Does this happen to the pros? I dunno but I do think there is a bit of Ansel Adams or Georgia O'Keefe  in all of us. More random stuff...

Moose crossings  -there are many warnings of moose on the loose in both Vermont and New Hampshire and we here at Moose and Mosquito Tours take these very seriously. But we have seen no moose, not one, nada, zip, zero, none.  Vigilance must be maintained and yours truly can only hope for a moose sighting.

Today's adventure was abbreviated due to inclement weather and a rather long business call made by the Fella. We drove the White Mountain Scenic Byway and as fate would have it wound up at the Mt. Washington Cog Railroad. Finished in 1869, it claims to be the first mountain cog railroad in the world. We paid the fare -a bit spendy at $65 a piece- and rode it to the top of Mt. Washington. It seemed fitting since we are from the great state of Washington.

Washingtonians on Mt Washington

The next adventure was to be driving Franconia Notch Parkway and we did but were delayed due to a long bit of Camp Parsons business that I won't get into here.  If you detect a bit of annoyance in my tone, you are correct.  By the time we got to Franconia Notch, the rain was falling. The Old Man in the Mountain was not visible due to rain and cloud cover and the fact that the natural granite outcropping actually broke and fell down in 2003. I suppose you can look up at where it was and imagine... We arrived at the Flume Gorge and Covered Bridges exhibit at closing...no exceptions it was too late to buy tickets. Sigh but it was a good day, and it is about the leaves.

Just driving along

Country Roads

Miller Time New Hampshire

14 October from North Conway New Hampshire:

We've been on main roads back roads, but mostly country roads. Some good and some in horrible shape and not many interstates. Yes, its been a while but we were four nights in a couple of Vermont State Parks without internet access. It was a real unplugged experience as cell phone reception was patchy too. No need to break out the smelling salts though, as this evening we are  blissfully set-up in the White Mountains of New Hampshire next to the Saco River at Beach Camping Area which has Wifi, yay! There is alot of catch-up to do. Last week back in Massachusetts we were...

Up early and with only one bit of sight seeing on the agenda, laundry seemed like a good idea. Our pleasant campsite at Travelers Woods of New England had a couple of machines but alas both were occupied with two loads waiting. Laundry would need to wait. We were off to historic Deerfield, MA. Deerfield, MA was settled in the 1660's. In the early years it was raided by both the French and local native tribes.  Not to bore you with the details but the village survived and is now an historic site. We spent about 5 hours learning the history of the area and touring the homes circa 1730.  Once done we were ready to head to our next destination, Jamaica State Park in Jamaica VT  --except for the dead battery. The Big Fella forgot to turn off the parking lights. Yes, the lights fade to black if you use the "car" door to exit. He used the RV door, which meant that lights did not turn off and after five hours  -well it was a lost cause.  Can you say AAA? Yours truly made the call and the local AAA guy was there within 15-20 mins.  A jump was all it took and we were back in business. Vermont Route 100 here we come! Since we wanted to set up camp in the daylight, we whizzed through many quaint villages. Boy, I would've loved a stop or two but it was not to be.  The winding road requires the driver's full attention and sometime during all the zipping the Big Fella says, " You know this would've been more fun in your car."  Just a darn minute here! The leaf peeping trip in an RV was not my idea-ahem-it was the Fella's. Gack! Muttering to myself....

So we arrived at the park just a whisker before dark but not too late for a Miller Time, a quick dinner and bed. It was cold...real cold...so the long johns were deployed along with a second quilt for the bed. Boy was I was thankful for the long johns. Jamaica State Park was a very quiet campground and sleep came easy and tomorrow would bring...

Laundry. It was time and the Dam Laundromat was just the ticket. It was next to the Dam Diner. Moose and Mosquito Tours needs to maintain a modicum of good hygiene. Well, for some unknown reason, I was bumped off line and my last two to three paragraphs are kaput so a quick summary. While waiting for the laundry the Big Fella scoped out some of the local doings and decided the Newfane Arts Festival was the post laundry activity. The basement of the local (protestant) Church transformed into a "Deli." The proceeds from food sales allow the Church to support the community by paying for groceries, heating bills, hospital bills,etc. of town members in need. We happily purchased lunch from the "Deli."

Newfane VT

After the festival we enjoyed another Miller Time and noticed a hive of activity at the campsite next to ours. Turns out it was a birthday party for a 12 year old girl. There were about eight girls and two adults some of the girls had never be out camping. As the mother of the birthday girl was lighting luminaria around their campsite, I walked over to let her know how brave I thought she and her husband were. Never would I have attempted a camping trip as a birthday party especially in October!

A hike in Jamaica State Park Vermont

While this is a leaf peeping trip, museums are always part of any Moose and Mosquito program. Since the Big Fella was having gadgety what-not museum withdrawals, the Woodstock, VT Old Mill Museum helped eased the pain. By the way, there may be a Woodstock in every state in New England.  In addition to THE Woodstock in New York, there is a Woodstock VT, a Woodstock New Hampshire, Woodstock MA, and Woodstock CT. What's with all the Woodstocks for cryin' out loud! And another thing...The Big Fella is a computer hog. He asks -very sweetly- to use MY laptop for couple of things. I am such a sucker. Apparently, he needs internet time to catch up on work emails -yeah he is supposedly retired- and Camp Parsons dining hall stuff. Hmm.This takes him a long time. So long in fact that 50% to 60% of the battery drains while he is out in cyberspace. Consequently, I am up late at night doing my Moose and Mosquito posts while a snore fest is happening behind me.  No more. I laid down the law. How long the law lasts is up for grabs. Digression and Rant over. This is a leaf tour...

Near Woodstock is Plymouth Notch, the birthplace of Calvin Coolidge. It is rural Vermont at its best. The Coolidge family home and other buildings are open to the public as historic places but life in the little town continues today.  Coolidge is one of those Presidents that is easy to forget but the exhibit helps to understand him a bit and how his life was shaped by Plymouth Notch. Another worthwhile stop was the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historic Park located in Woodstock, VT. Too many words are required to explain the significance of this National treasure and the Rockefeller family ties to it but a ranger lead walk on old carriage roads helped us understand and was a treat. Did you know that by the 1860's, Vermont was 80% deforested and that Billings Montana is named for Frederick Billings of Woodstock, VT?  After the ranger lead walk, we continued our hike around the park and decided to take the Precipice Trail to the visitor center.  Precipice is a narrow ledge on a rock face with cable strung as a hand hold.  I employed four wheel drive more than once. Our baby boomer legs -and my nerves-were quite stressed by the end. Don't ask why I took my purse...no idea.

Holding on for dear life

Truckin'

So where are we now and why are we here?  We are in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. The original plan was to stay in Vermont go north to Lake Champlain and wander around a bit before starting the trek back to New York. There is a maritime museum at the Lake but it closed for the season on Columbus Day -October 13. Ah nuts! What to do? A couple from Connecticut urged us to drive to New Hampshire and experience the Kancamagus Scenic Hwy. Our newest campsite at Quechee Gorge State Park was about 30 minutes from the VT--NH border. So what the heck, we drove the "Kanc" today and it did not disappoint -some of the best fall color, a covered bridge, and no museums.The Mt. Washington Cog Railway and the Franconia Notch are on tomorrow's docket.

The Sandman is beating me up so its off to dream land for me.

Albany Covered Bridge

Maples

Fall

 

Over the rivers and through the museums

The Gold Coast

So we pulled into tonight's campground and The Big Fella says, "ohhhh we are down here with the big boys."  Travelers Woods of New England is our stop du jour and it is full of big rigs with big names. There is Tuscany XTE -Italy anyone, Ashmore -a grand estate, Windsor-because its a castle, Koala -cute and charming, Outback -an appropriate name for a fifth wheel, and my personal fave Homestead -because there is no place like a trailer to put up your feet. On to the important stuff...

Folks, I dunno what is going on with the font and its size but for no apparent reason, things changed. Maybe I hit a key or frowned at the wrong time but it was not my intent to change the font nor to shrink size. Lordy technology can be complicated.  This brings me to a heads-up of sorts. Newbies to Moose and Mosquito listen-up. Good grammar, flawless punctuation and impeccable syntax are not part of the program here. The same goes for adherence to verb tense, gerunds, and dangling participles. Yours truly is not a professional writer. In fact the last serious thing that I wrote was sometime in the last century. Also, I take great liberties with things, make long parenthetical digressions and The Big Fella aka Greg is the object of most of my...humor...as it were. He is a good sport. The fun thing is that he doesn't read this until long after the trip is done. Put on your seat belts folks the ride is going to get a bit bumpy.

Steam Engine Stuff

What can I say but we did visit The Connecticut Antique Machinery and Mining Museum. How was it? Well, honestly most of the stuff I have seen at some point or other but there were some impressive steam engines. A couple of them were huge.  The mining museum was well presented I suppose. And who would've thought that mining was a major industry in Connecticut let alone in the 18th century. So, ahem, one is never too old to learn something new. Right? I pretended to enjoy the experience while The Big Fella ooo'd and ahhh'd. A covered bridge and some leafy vistas were on the schedule, so no worries.

West Cornwall Covered Bridge

The West Cornwall covered bridge is pretty darn wonderful and we walked through it rather than drive -not enough clearance for the RV. The journey then took us up U.S. 7 through  Connecticut into Massachusetts and the Berkshires. Stockbridge, MA is the home of the Norman Rockwell Museum and it was a must see and we did...see it. Copies of his illustrations for the Saturday Evening Post were on display, as well as many of the original oil paintings. He was first and foremost an illustrator. His first  big job-at the age of 17- was drawing the cover for Boy's Life Magazine. The Boy Scouts out there should appreciate that! Meandering along U.S. 7 we connected with MA 2 and found Clarksburg State Park where we camped for the night. I need to add that we had the place to ourselves for the small sum of $14 a night.

Clarksburg State Park

That brings me to...

After a quiet and restful night -well mostly restful as the Big Fella needed the loo and thought that he could grab his coat without turning on the light so that he could go outside, OK TMI, but he is big and he cannot see in the dark the racket disturbed the peace. This prompted me to say, " Jeebus turn on a light! It might be easier and quieter!" Where was I...oh yeah, quiet night, great campground, a bit of a walk to enjoy the campground and we were on our way. Where you ask, well I am getting to that.

A day of sight seeing is not complete without of visit to a natural bridge. Natural Bridge State Park is the site of an old marble quarry and a natural bridge of marble spanning a stream/river. It was formed thousands of years ago and discovered in the late 1700's. Mining continued until the late 1940's. Western Gateway Heritage Museum was the next attraction. This museum chronicled the history of North Adams, MA and the building of the Hoosac Railroad Tunnel -which was the longest tunnel in North America. Once museum and one natural exhibit under our belts and we were ready to conquer The Mohawk Trail.

Mohawk Trail at the Hairpin Turn

 A scenic drive that follows MA  Rt.2.  It is known for a hairpin turn that I gotta say is an impressive switchback but...and you had to know there would be a but...I hike and often the access to trail heads are from one lane logging roads with steep drop offs and perilous switch backs. There is a dirt road in Montana to a ghost town(Garnet or Granite cannot remember) that I never want to see again. It was a steep terrifying trek  with blind switch backs and sheer drops with no guard rails and pot holes so deep... digression over. But it is about the leaves and The Mohawk Trail did not disappoint. Some fine views on a twisty road were had. A quick stop in Shelburne Falls to see the Bridge of Flowers rounded out the day. While walking the old trolley bridge/park, I thought of my friends who love to garden.

The Bridge of Flowers

Each mile north brings more and more fall color and I am in heaven. Fall is wondrous to me. I love the  filtered light as it comes through the trees, the density of the air the smell of composting leaves, the oranges, reds, and yellows. Maybe it is because I was born in the Fall but it is a magical to me. Today was a great day and a beautiful drive

Miller Time -the view

The land of burys

Yesterday Moose and Mosquito Tours walked to Penn Station, rode the Long Island Rail Road to Manhasset, picked-up the RV and officially began the second chapter of our adventure. A New England Fall leaf tour is on the itinerary.

A few words about our transportation and accommodation for this leg. A 25 ft. Cruise America RV is our traveling home for the next two weeks.  While quite spacious is was not quite fully equipped -no cork screw! Chalk it up to an October surprise but truly it is some kind cruel joke. More missing items: cheese grater,cutting board, sponge, broom, no cleaning supplies, and no coffee pot nor anything to make it with! Who goes camping without coffee or the pot to brew it!  Needless-to-say we ended up purchasing everything but a broom. Geesh! Rant over.

The kind folks at the RV Rental printed directions to our first stop on the leaf peeping adventure. It was a near seamless navigation out of NYC to our destination of Thomaston,Connecticut although toll roads made about a $20 dent in the wallet. Reading the map is always interesting but also a distracting experience for me. I noticed many towns that end in "bury," and wondered why. Waterbury, Middlebury, Woodbury, Danbury, Southbury, and Roxbury are a few of the "burys"in Western Connecticut. I probably missed a few- I was supposed to be navigating. After settling into our campground, we enjoyed the first Miller Time of the trip.  Gin and tonic for me and a Bourbon something or other for the Big Fella was a nice way to inaugurate this adventure followed by dinner and a good night's rest.

Old Trains

This is such contrast to NYC. Birds, babbling brooks, crunchy leaves, and frogs take the place of the racket of the City. It is quiet here in Western Connecticut - very quiet(except for the snores emanating from behind me.)  Up and running by 9:30 or so, we headed for the New England Railroad Museum. The Connecticut Antique Machinery Museum was closed so the railroad museum was a replacement of sorts. As you know, the Big Fella is able to sniff these things out and it was the first stop of the day. Leaf peeping would need to wait. The museum itself was not much but a ride on a vintage train could be had and we were all aboard. It was sort of scenic but mostly views of old dilapidated factories. Years ago manufacturing had a large presence in this area. A running commentary by one of the volunteers described what we were seeing and some of the local history. Danger factoid ahead!! Thomaston was named for Seth Thomas -the clock maker. The clocks were manufactured in the town for many years and in 1875 the town was named for Mr. Thomas. With the train museum  completed, finally a drive on scenic routes to see the leaves. Traveling in an RV might not be the best mode of travel for the maximum fall leaf experience, but as the saying goes, "It is what it is."  These country roads and lanes were meant for horses and buggies, so we took it slow.  No I should qualify that -Big Fella slow which is not really slow in that I needed to tell him to slow down due to a turn we needed to make or I need to read the signage. The leaves here are in various stages. Some have peaked and fallen while others remain on the trees still green.

So tomorrow is the Antique Machinery Museum -sigh-and our first covered bridge -yay! Also, internet may not be available for a few days but I'll keep good notes a do a catch up post when I can.

The land of nod is beckoning.

Leaving our New York state of mind

The neighborhood

Rather than waking up to blaring sirens and honking horns, today's morning music was Mr. Toad's Greatest Hits by  Head Croaker and the Frog Legs. And thus our New York City adventure ended and different fun begins. That would be camping. A warm comfortable bed in a boutique hotel -414 Hotel Hell's Kitchen- has been replaced with what some might consider sub standard housing, a rented RV.  More on that later but a quick recap of our last day in NYC is in order. 

Sunshine and cooler temperatures greeted us for our last full day in NYC and we set out early to pack in a much is as humanly possible.  The day was planned to hit the places missed as a result of the previous day's inclement weather and cram in what ever else we could. The agenda was set and the first order of business was a walk across the Brooklyn Bridge. A quick subway ride and we were off. Our aging baby boomer legs did the job mission accomplished and it was a fabulous walk.  It is a beautiful bridge. 

A lovely bridge

Next stop...The Tenement Museum. Boarded another subway and we were at our destination  -piece of cake- and arrived just in time to catch the 12:15PM tour, The Irish Outsiders. If any of your immigrant ancestors lived in NYC, this museum is worth a stop. Most tenement dwellings were just three rooms. Family size did not matter it was three rooms. The privy was shared by the entire building which means three or four latrines got a lot of use- I cannot fathom the stench. Water for washing and cooking was hand carried in buckets up two, three, and four stories most times by women. Tour over, lunch eaten, next up The Top of the Rock. Another subway ride to Rockefeller Center and a quick stop at the ticket office. The first available time for ride to the observation decks was 6:45PM. Aha! this gives us time for a walk in Central Park. And they're off in a cloud of dust and a mighty high-ho Silver for the subway any B or D train will work, get off at mid Central Park,walk back to Columbus Circle and it's all good right? Wrong, the stop we wanted was closed due to construction and yes we were on the train when we realized it. Okie dokie what now? Get off catch something that stops at Columbus Circle and abbreviate the walk. Sunday in Central Park is a sensory experience. Walkers, runners, skaters, sports, music, horse drawn carriages, bicyclers, food vendors, people everywhere speaking so many languages and the beauty of the park itself--it is all quite wonderful. However, newbies who try to get around the park without a map might get lost or turned around. Yup, that would be us and the compass was put to good use this time. The sprint began from somewhere on 6th and wound up back at 59th and Columbus Circle. One sweaty train ride later and we were back at Rockefeller Center with time to spare. The reward was ice cream and stunning night time views from The Top of The Rock. Dinner was just OK. I've had better Thai food at home but it topped off a splendid day. 

Now it is time for a few observations about the City of New York. People are friendly and want to help, those same people cross streets against signals anywhere anytime. Try that in Seattle and a hefty ticket could be the result.  Drivers use their horns and I am not sure why. Traffic still doesn't move and pedestrians are still crossing streets. Although it maybe due to boredom  -when in doubt lay on the horn? There is alot of trash on the streets but this may be true in any big city but it was really noticeable to me. Garbage for pick up is bagged and left out on the street. No wonder the rats love this place. But what a fun and great place. Boredom is not an option here. There are still a few museums left for me to see...MOMA and the Met and more Broadway productions. New York is big, loud, smelly, full of commotion and people and I loved it.  And now, let the leaf peeping and camping begin.

Top of The Rock

 

Gee Toto I don't think we are in Kansas anymore

Wild Life update:  one faux celebrity -Geraldo Rivera,  one dog walker with six or seven pooches, a ton of pigeons, lots of tattoos.

Three full days in New York City and other than a bit of sensory overload on the short walk to our hotel from the Port Authority bus terminal, all is well. And we have been busy -Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, two Broadway plays, 911 museum and memorial, walking The High Line, Times Square at night, Air and Space Museum, Grand Central Station. We are not expert subway riders yet but hey we have another day and who knows maybe we will have a successful day navigating.

Lady Liberty

There is no admission fee to either The Statue of Liberty or Ellis Island, but the boat that ferries visitors back and forth costs $18. It's a nice ride with great views of the city and Lady Liberty, if you could see over the crowds on the ship. We were packed in like sardines and it was not clear how the staff determined how many passengers were allowed on board. No one appeared to be counting. The Big Fella suggested that it may have something to do with the water line but as near as I could tell it was based on the sailing times. So, the boat is to leave the dock at 8:00 and at 7:55 boarding stops. Once underway the cameras started clicking and with each new view of the city of the statue, passengers would all move to that side of the boat which caused it to list and yes it was a bit unnerving. It was an enjoyable first day and ended with a Broadway play.

boatus overloadus

Day two started out pretty darn good. We found the right subway station, got on the train and off at the right stop, but from there it went down hill  pretty fast.  Yes indeedy whilst trying to find a particular deli -recommended to us by the hotel staff- we got a bit turned around. Matters were not helped by the map. The street we needed was not on it. The Fella even took out his compass although I am not 100% sure why because the street was not on the compass either.  Seeing that we were perplexed, a sweet young woman  tried to help. She had no clue where the street was but suggested that we just continue "up that way" and the street would probably be there. Ugh, after 15 minutes of walking in circles, it was time to call out the cavalry. A member of the NYPD  was walking in our direction and I asked for help. He whipped out his smart phone and declared that directions are a piece of cake, he usually worked in the Bronx and  is never asked for directions, they shoot at him sometimes but nope no one had ever asked him for directions. Turns out that Nassau was about 2 blocks from where we were standing. Just as we were on our way someone else asked him for directions and in his think New York accent said boy two in one day how did that happen!  By the way the Deli fixed up a tasty sandwich. More directionally challenged moments: boarded the 'C' train from the wrong platform and wound up in Brooklyn...the destination was Chelsea, finally got to Chelsea and walked the wrong direction for long enough to get annoyed but made the correction. The day ended with a fun dinner out with an old friend of The Fella's who also took us to hear a Country Western band of a friend of his  - Miss Babs & the Kickin' Boogie Band. Country Western was not what I expected to hear in NYC

Today was supposed to be the Air and Space Museum, Top of the Rockefeller Center, and Grand Central Station. The Fella announced that he did not NEED to do the Air and Space Museum.  Wonders never cease.  Today's events were adjusted and we set out with rain coats and umbrellas in hand to take in Grand Central Station, The Top of the Rock, and Central Park. Since it was drizzling when we left we thought -mistakenly so- that the umbrellas were unnecessary but we took them. Within a block or two of the hotel the sky opened up. Central Park was quickly jettisoned from the day, and the Top of the Rock soon followed  -not worth it the cloud cover was too low nothing was visible. So that left Grand Central Station which was at least inside but boy we  were we soaked. My pants were wet up to my knees. To stay somewhat dry we took a train for a few blocks and began the slog back to the hotel. Except we went several long blocks in the wrong direction and it was still raining.  Finally back at the hotel, Greg changed into some dry clothes, I opted to stay wet and we were off again to, wait for now....the Air and Space Museum...and the sun came out. Sigh.

Moose and Mosquito crash The Big Apple

Start spreadin' the news

The adventure began early this morning.   And after riding on various forms of mass transportation, we arrived in New York City --bus, light rail, airplane, bus and a bit of walking thrown in for health reasons -of course.  It's been a long day. Most of it was spent crammed together with over 150 total strangers in the back an aluminum tube otherwise known as a plane. Yes, we were in the back of the "main cabin" quite close to the toilets...too close to the toilets. Have you ever noticed that an entire plane load of people get the urge to use the facilities at the same time? This happened multiple times. I rubbed elbows with all of them several times during the flight.  Predictably everyone and their dog gets up to pee as soon as the seat belt sign is turned off.  However, this particular flight was full of folks with weak bladders. Using my personal seat space to squeeze by each other offered the opportunity to gaze at a number of  mid sections, rears, and thighs. It got so bad one man said to me that he didn't know if I preferred his front side or his back side. Yup.  I smiled what else could I do? Sigh. One lady mentioned that I should've booked my ticket earlier to get a better seat choice. Mind you I am sitting reading a book trying not to notice folks and she pipes up. Yup. Sigh again. And why is it that people line up for the rest room while the drink and food carts are still obstructing the aisle? The flight attendants can only move so fast so sit down already! I had a birds eye view of the luggage being unloaded. It's not for the squeemish. A bunch of us back in steerage were enjoying it as entertainment but I opened my big mouth and uttered...well looking at this makes me glad I put anything that may explode in plastic zip locks. Bad word choice. There was some laughter heard after I cast about trying to rephrase--you know shampoo conditioner. Hoo boy, anyway they know what I meant.

So today was a travel day and we are now tucked into our little hotel in Mid Town Manhattan. Tomorrow is Ellis Island, The Statue of Liberty, and our first Broadway experience.  The Big Fella has a good snore going and I am about to hit the springs as well.  Night night sleep tight don't let the bed bugs bite.