You Can Go Home Again. Iowa. March 23, 2010

But it will be different.

I haven't been back to Iowa since 2007, so naturally I expected some change. For one thing I had heard stories about a big developer who changed Storm Lake's shoreline by taking out an older, unprofitable restaurant, and replacing it with a hotel, waterpark, and some other frills. I expected to hate it, but it is actually less obtrusive than I had thought. The development includes some nice landscaping and park areas. The whole area looks modern and more economically healthy than before. Although there were a few closures, their business district looked healthy. I think the Midwest is making an economic comeback before the West coast.



Family

When I moved to the West Coast I left my immediate family behind. There is a great loss when family is unavailable for Christmas, Easter, birthdays and celebrations. I believe these are the essence of life and it is sad that I have had to give these up. Every holiday I feel this loss. So traveling with dad back to our home territory puts me on home ground, despite the fact the homes I lived in in Storm Lake are housing strangers, despite the fact my family's home base is Sac City instead of Storm Lake, it is still home. In the picture on the left above, Mike and Carol cook dinner.
Family is not territory. It is being welcomed and loved despite who you are and what you have become.

Health Care For More

As an independent with nine grandchildren, I have had difficulty during this long season of health care debate. It has not brought out the best of the human condition--Republican, Democrat, or Tea Party variety. Spitting, racial epithets, humiliation of patients who talked about lack of care---these are frightening examples of our right to free expression.
With the insurance and health care industry spending more than $1.4 million dollars a day in a media war based and lies and misinformation, it is no wonder that a greater portion of our population did not want reform. It took that campaign and the 350 former governors and retired political staffers to convince people with no insurance that it was in their best interests to be rejected by insurance companies for pre-existing conditions, to be dumped because they were too sick or had a limit on their care, to have no insurance for their 24 year old living at home, to lose their homes because of their need to pay medical bills.
I have family and former students who fear health care solutions, but most of them have insurance. Most of those complaining have no worries for their personal health care. Their concern is for government debt and taxes. With the Republican prescription drug plan running $1.2 trillion for the current decade, there is a certain amount of hypocracy in those objections. Obama and the Democrats have risked their political futures to gain some small measure of equality for the underclass and unlucky. True, many of these people have poor diets, poor spending habits, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't get their diabetes diagnosed, or get their children's asthma treated.
In this instance a courageous President and 219 Democrats fought to bring some reform to what many Republicans acknowledge was a broken system. Hopefully it is just the beginning of reform and the weak and flawed bill will grow into a system that will not bankrupt our country, but will merely entitle US citizens to the same health care as the other major powers of the world.

Three Generations

My son Will hates that I blog---not that he will admit ever reading it. Our visit to him in San Antonio was a great adventure and a good reunion. We were amazed that his apartment was in such good order because he had moved the day before we arrived. But he had his kitchen, cook books, practically the whole house unpacked and ship-shape. He took us to his office (upper left) and took some time off to "hang" with us. A lot of his efforts were spent cooking us fabulous meals. It would be hard to pick a favorite from his asparagus risotto, chicken roulades, boneless short ribs cooked with Guinness and prunes, along with his mashed potatoes with heavy cream. It was all great.
In the picture above, Will demonstrates a traditional Japanese stringed instrument, the sanshinn. He was lucky enough to find a good teacher in Okinawa, and developed a love of the instrument. Will took us to several great restaurants --P F. Chang's and Canyon Creek. We had great lemon grass chicken at Chang's and Dad was complimented with a Happy 97th Birthday Key Lime pie at Canyon Creek. Both places had great service and tasty food.

A highlight of the week was our Riverwalk Cruise around the San Antonio River Downtown Saturday. Will entertained us with a ride on the only day of week we had sunshine. After days of rain everyone, including vendors, was out on the walk. It was a great way to spend an hour, and dad--who hadn't been in a boat for a few years--enjoyed it immensely. It was a good day for 3 generations.

Many Views of the Alamo

Visiting The Alamo







Several years ago Chuck and I visited the Alamo. The visitor's center had a poorly interpreted display, largely featuring Bowie knives. We were delighted to see that they had added a new display and film in one of the wings. The Bowie knives are still in the visitor center (along with countless tourist trinkets)but the new display has great time lines and some well interpreted artifacts. We went to the Alamo after seeing the story on the IMAX screen.

I talked to the new historian at the Alamo. He was pleased with how the display had turned out and the efforts of the Daughter of the American Republic of Texas to improve the Alamo experience. It was a perfect experience on a rainy day. My favorite part of the Alamo is the Live Oak pictured above. I love that variety of oak and could photograph every one of those beautiful trees. (Unfortunately they would all look like the one above.) LBJ had a tree just like that in his front yard overlooking the river. He used to meet with his cabinet under its branches.

San Antonio---I can barely see you

January 15: Visiting Will and the LBJ Ranch in Texas

Every once in awhile we get the itch to see our son Will. Or Paul. We called him that for about 20 years before he took the first part of his name instead. Of course that required a visit to San Antonio, Texas, where he now lives. It also seemed like a great lark to fly to Texas with my 97 year old dad. He's alert, likes to travel, and put down the dollars, so we were on our way.
When I think of flying, I discovered that dad flies easily, but getting the wheel chair, lugging and stowing away my luggage and dad's luggage, the coats, etc. is a pretty tiring process. Anyway, we arrived here all together, with all of our luggage. A good thing.

We had three days at a Wyndham vacation resort on the Riverwalk. It was a great deal smaller than other resorts we had visited, had no on site parking, no wheelchairs to loan, a stove burner that required maintenance, Internet with "weak connectivity" (that means it never worked), and a sleep sofa that I wouldn't have taken home from the store. But the people were friendly and helpful and we were comfortable enough.

Chuck and I have spent a bit of time in San Antonio, and found it still had some surprises for us. First, the San Antonio Riverwalk is drained every year in January, dredged, cleaned and maintained. We arrived just as that process finished. They had restored the river, but because of the severe weather forecasts, the cruise boats were on "standby." (A lot of the storekeepers admitted that these vendors seldom run their boats in the rain.) At any rate we were not able to get dad his boat ride.

We did do several things that he enjoyed. Dad is kind of a Western fan. He loves to watch reruns of Bonanza and Gunsmoke, and if I give him a supply of large print Westerns, he'll read one a day. Dad's first question when we flew into Texas was, "Okay, where are the cowboys and horses?" So we drove up to Johnson City, and took him through LBJ's raanch. We hadn't visited there since we came this way to visit our friends Bill and Mary Brown in Fredericksburg, and found that after Ladybird Johnson passed away, they made some big changes to the property. There is a brand new visitor's center. We saw the film and looked at the exhibits. There was no mention of his great contribution in getting the Headstart program. It was still a nice exhibit. The little bus tour across the waterbridge was gone. Instead we were provided with a CD to put in the car for the tour around the ranch. Two new additions were very interesting to Chuck and me: there was a living history ranch, and it is now possible to tour the LBJ ranch.

Dad loved the living history ranch pictured above. The docent-cook had just finished cooking lunch. Every year they can produce grown on the ranch, and the shelves of the kitchen were full of canned vegetables, meat, and fruit. There was a separator, cream clotting, a wood stove, lots of antique gadgets. Dad wanted to talk about them all We toured the homes and the barns. Yesterday a sow had piglets, so she was over in a far safe corner. The wild turkeys and the roosters didn't pay us any mind. After a car tour, we ended at the ranger led tour of the house. LBJ's office was first--huge--with room for several secretaries. LBJ loved to watch the news on 3 different televisions at once. There was a set in his office, and a set in his living room. The furniture is small by today's standards, and for a 6'4" President, but looked comfy to me. The dining room had landscape wallpaper; however, Ladybird did not want any cowboy and Indian scenes. The kitchen was huge. So we saw part of the 8000 sq ft. home. My favorite part was the huge porch and the rockers viewing the Pertonales River and the huge Live Oak in the front yard.
It rained on our way back to Will's, but it was a good day.

Avatar

It isn't often that I am moved to write about a film, but Avatar was one of the best films I have seen in ages.
The film is set in the future--perhaps the 2050's--and although it isn't clear at first, Earth has been ravaged and exploited. Jack Sully, the parapelegic hero, has been recruited to enable an expensive avatar that was designed for his now dead twin brother. In return, the US Forces, led by molevalent Col Quaritch, (Stephan Lang) would see that he receives restoring spinal surgery. So Sully is embedded with the Navi. It is embarrassing because he doesn't know the language or anything about their culture. Mentally, he is even awkward in walking and running.

The skinny, giant blue-skinned Navi of Pandora are a charming race, more free and harmonious with their environment than their oppressors, US Forces. Unfortunately Pandora is the source of a precious mineral that the earth needs--and believes is theirs to take. Entitlement. A noun that describes a lot of politicians and earthlings I know.

Sully discovers that in his Avatar body, survival is a learned skill, and he is a baby as far as what he knows about the shark headed 30 ton rhino or the native dogs. He and his avatar are soft, barely able to navigate the trees and mysterious terrain of Pandora. His transformation from a hohah marine into a sensitive forest person is gradual and believable.

Beside the sacred tree, the the floating jelly-fish beings, the cloud-like islands, the US militaristic and technological world looks very ugly. Very quickly our sympathies shift to the Navi who physically and mentally bond with horses and dragonlike flying critters. As the struggle between the two begins, we are reminded of the frontiersman versus the Native Americans and similar struggles. It is the traditional good (aboriginal people) versus evil (exploiting invaders) plot, but with the many subtle layers and details that takes it to a higher level.
There is love (not lust), there is the metaphorical connection the universe; there is the message that once again we cannot disrespect the underclass.

I loved the ending. Had to restrain my 70 year old self from shouting and clapping.
Fortunately, the underclass reminds us--once again--that "Do no wrong" is a rule for life. Sadly we will need to be reminded again and again. Maybe sequels are needed here.

Threads



Last night was another
of those social evenings,
smiling, meeting strangers.
My husband wore his
leather sport coat, I
wore a black dress
wrapped in a favorit
knitted scarf.

Conversation filled
the evening. They
picked a thread from
the past—their first date—
and pulled, until we
grabbed a soft
blue thread from our past,
our honeymoon in Germany.
Then we laughed
at soggy garments,
cleansed in the front,
mud striped in the back:
the joy of bicycle
trips in the rain. Threads
tangled as we pulled
through our lives.

After appetizers
we shared pictures
of our children, family
portraits, cute grandchildren.
Sipping wine, we discovered
we all lost luggage
in Spain, but only my husband
lost a backpack in London.
The wine and life stories
continued, unraveling
the weft and warp of our lives.

Autumn Fantasy

Leaves blew against

houses and cars,

mounding burnt orange,

umber, red, and copper leaves,

mulching shrubs,

burying flower beds

and clogging gutters.

With gusty winds

my rake is for naught.

It seems like yesterday

my childhood friends and I

played house in the yard,

raked leaves into walls--

bedroom walls, living room walls,

garage walls that held

imaginary luxury cars;

we played tag and danced in

blueprints of castles

with glorious ballrooms

opening onto patios and porticos.

In my flannel-lined jeans

and plaid shirt, I waltzed

with my friends,

imaginary knights and dukes;

twirling past dusk

in the mansions of our minds.

After that last call for bed

we would roll in the leaves,

savoring the pungent earthiness,

then jump up and down

shaking the scratchy fibers free.

Later, bundled in bed,

the spicy scent

perfuming our hair

drafted the sweetest dreams.

Ashland Fall

Chuck’s Leaves

Two days

after the fall sun

dried sodden

leaf mounds,

he walked

through the trees,

kicking leaves,

sending oak, poplar,

and plate sized maple

flapping and fluttering

around himself:

the 80 year old man

with the ten year old heart.

Thursday, October 8

Another beautiful day. After a skimpy Super 8 breakfast we headed out toward Dulles International on HWY 13 north to HWY 50. We crossed the Bay Bridge and headed into Annapolis for some lunch and historical browsing. Very coincidental, because our trip began here about 3 weeks ago. We arrived into Annapolis along with the annual Sailboat show. All those well-to-do shoppers gave the town a real buzz. We walked along Main street to the harbor, noticed the boats and ships; we were partially shopping, partially looking for a good place for lunch. We found an Irish tavern by the harbor and had a wonderful lunch of fresh seafood. Then we investigated the first capital building of the United States, the Maryland State House. One of the most fascinating parts of this statehouse was the acorn shaped cupola that had a rod atop it designed by Benjamin Franklin. I was so moved to be in a building where many great men had gathered to debate the good of our country.

Then it was off to DC. With some effort we found our non smoking Econolodge room. That's right, the one that is now killing my nose with its pervasive smell of smoke. All we noticed when we inspected the room was the brand new marble bathroom. Thank God this is our last motel room. We are ready to be home. We did find a delicious meal at a very busy restaurant a short walk up the road. I wish I could make French Onion soup that well.

We have much to be thankful for. The weather has been incredible We have had only 2 days when it rained. One of those was at night while we slept, and the other storm passed by noon. The weather has been much warmer than we expected as well.

The food has been different. We only had one horrid meal, a very good record for that many meals out. Of course we only bought one meal a day. Vegetables on the east coast are interessting. We found lots of canned vegetables. Often the fresh vegetables we did find were overcooked. We carried raw celery and carrots with us, or we would have been a long time without crunch. As the cook I have had lots of days off, so I think I am ready to go home and "put dinner on the table."

Wednesday, October 7

The day began with another walk along the promenade in Virginia Beach. Rain was forecast for today, but it all happened before we went out. It was still cloudy as various military in civvies ran past. Their planes were racing back and forth overhead. We walked past a touching air carrier memorial. Great morning walk.

Then, as the sun shone and clouds cleared, we headed toward the East Virginia shore, the other side of the Chesapeake. To get there we had to cross the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel. Built in 1964, the bridge/tunnel system is described as one of the seven structural engineering wonders of the world. Measuring 17.6 miles from shore to shore, the passage consists of 12 miles of trestled bridge, two mile long tunnels under the bay so large ships can pass over them, four man-made islands made by thousands of 15 ton boulders or rip rap. It was pretty impressive, and I will note that Chuck got his $12 toll's worth. She who hates tunnels put on a brave front and survived quite nicely. It was definitely my longest brave front ever.

Starting up HWY 13 toward Maryland, our first and most interesting stop of the whole vacation was at the Barrier Islands Cultural Center near Machipongo. The cultural center was the Almshouse Farm during the 1800's. Shortly after we were inside we were met by the center's historian Jerry Doughty. Since Jerry had lived in the area all his life and had the pleasure of a pioneer grandfather who had told him stories of the island's days of grandeur.

The beautiful town or island names like Wachapeague, Metompkin, and Chincoteague go back to the first Algonquin inhabitants. Their numbers dwindled and the remnants intermarried.

The area was the playground of the New York and Pennsylvania rich. Huge hotels and private gaming clubs for men were very popular at the turn of the century. Sea salt, seafood, and tourism made that county one of the richest in New England. Robert E Lee was one of the island property owners. And one of the biggest businesses was smuggling---from Civil War medicines to Joe Kennedy's rum running. Unfortunately, the prosperity was not to last. The use of DDT and arsenic in agriculture ruined lots of the seafood business. There was the depression and economic downturn in the 30's as well, and most significantly, the beginning of the hurricane seasons for the area, starting in 1933. The 1933 hurricane wiped out many of the hotels and mansions of the rich. They were never rebuilt.

Today there are times when potable water is a problem Global warming is placing all of the island at risk. Developers have exploited resources appealing to tourists. Jerry was truly worried about the area's future.

We moved to the attic where we looked at the unique chimney built for the almshouse. It was twisted in the attic so the smoke would blow the right direction. There were also beautiful examples of decoys that early hunters and islanders had carved. There was also a 4 barreled gun used to shoot birds.

After the museum we had lunch in the Exmore Diner. A true diner with pony-tailed waitresses and the menu at our booth. Good food. Then we were off to Chincoteague to find wild horses. Sadly, the horses were busy doing other things. It had been a great day. We drove into Salisbury, MD, for the night.

Tuesday, October 6

What a perfect ending for a day. Tonight we are in Virginia Beach and just finished walking blocks along the beach promenade. We have spent entirely too much time in the car this trip, so it was so refreshing to walk and listen to the waves. And the helicopters and jets from the adjacent naval air force base. It seems those planes are in constant motion.

Our day started in Charlottesville, VA. We left a Super 8 manned by the world's grumpiest staff, and headed out on I-64. We thought we were going to Monticello. Unfortunately it was in the opposite direction. So we forgot that plan, and kept going to Williamsburg. Williamsburg's historic district must be quite a money-maker. If we had wanted to enter the homes and 17th century businesses, it would have cost it us $30 a piece. For free we walked up and down the Duke of Glouchester street. Proprietors were on hand to welcome tourists and gawkers like us. I discovered the Historic Society buys their costumes. Each worker reports for a fitting and receives an authentic costume and a list detailing the cost—in case it is lost or stolen.

Williamsburg was a great walk, but eventually we left in search of good food. We found some great Asian food @ $6 a plate. Then it was on to Virginia Beach.

Monday, October 5

I cannot imagine a more perfect day. After replacing my lost camera bag and media cards, we set off down HWY 30 to I-81. We took a detour to Antietam and enjoyed the bright sunny day walking around the battlefield. We walked to the Dunker Church, looked at the exhibits at the visitor center, and listened to a lecture on the medical care for the battle. Then we drove a few miles for an excellent meal at the Red Byrd. Then back to 81. We took the exit to I-66, and Front Royal because we were told the Skyline Drive through the Shenandoah Valley was spectacular. The ride was incredible, and was along a breathetaking ridge at 2000+ feet. We could see forever. Unfortunately, I was pretty uncomfortable with my fear of heights, but as Chuck phrased it, “ I made the trip with a few fingernails left.” Since the entire National Park trip takes about 5 hours at the speed limit of 35 mph, we left the park at Thorton's Gap. HWY 231 was a lovely, rolling shortcut to Highway 29 to Charlottesville. We are relaxing in our jammies after some Mexican food and a huge marguerita that we shared.

How romantic.

Sunday, October 4

We had enjoyed the state of New York, but today we crossed Pennsylvania from the northeast to southwest Gettsyburg. Rolling beautiful hills and villages dot the sides of the road. The northern part of the state had the same blazing color found in New York and Vermont. I realize that if the color is great in the south, leaves have fallen in the north. If color is beautiful in the Adirondacks, it is still green in Maryland.

We haven't said much about food. We had found some wonderful inexpensive food until today. Around 12:30 we were cruising down Hwy 81 when we decided to look for a dinnerhouse with the most cars. This has always been an effective strategy. Unfortunately we drove about 7 miles to this small town, picked the diner with the most cars. Casual dress. Down home kind of place with specials like chicken pot pie. Chuck ordered the roast beef dinner, and I ordered a meatloaf sandwich which came with “filling.” Filling was defined as potatoes mixed with onions, celery, etc. What we received was enough food for 5 people. I had this huge plate covered with dark brown stuff. Gravy. Except it didn't taste like gravy. More like brown wallpaper paste. So I lifted the top piece of white bread and ate the meatloaf which was pretty good. The filling wasn't bad either. Fortunately Chuck had shared his salad with me. He put away half of his dry roast beef. Anyway, we left trying to forget the experience. I swallowed a Pepsid about an half hour later.

We arrived at Gettsyburg at about 3:30 and checked into a motel. Then we walked through a forest to get to the Visitor Center. The Gettysburg foundation has built a new center which charges for almost all the exhibits. It is big, glitzy, and has many workers keeping the massive new wood floor shiny. Our motel manager said the new charges ($3 more just this year) paid a number of executives. Our compromise was to take the car tour around the battlefield. We enjoyed the drive. How could such beauty be defiled by such carnage. Although I had been here 10 years ago, I had forgotten how massive the battle was. A beautiful end to our day. The only negative was that I lost my camera case in the moving in and out of the car process. It contained several cards, a flash drive, and my mechanism for transferring pictures to my computer. Drat.

Saturday,October 3

Fortunately we woke up alive this morning. After finding that bizarre motel in North Albany, NY, I wasn't sure what would happen. We left early—at 8 am-- not hanging around the strange place. I had asked for our money back yet again, and promised I would write the health department, so they were quite glad to get rid of me.

Our first stop was Glen Falls, but it was raining so we headed into the Adirondack National Park, 6 million acres of mountains and beautiful fall color. We drove north to Brant Lake, then took HWY 8 to HWY 28 to the upper Hudson River, and the Indian River. We were traveling a road that was built in 1850, although it was a very modern road. Following the Sacandaga River, we finally bordered a lake by the same name. We moved in and out of the fog, always appreciating the beautiful color on the sides of the road. At Amsterdam we grabbed the freeways to drive southwest to Binghamton, NY, and a clean motel without mice or backward New Yorkers. While Maryann did laundry, Chuck watched football. As I record the day he is well into his 2nd game. Sadly, many Pac 10 games won't begin until we are asleep.

Friday, October 2

We are staying in the Bates Motel. It has been a long, crazy, yet beautifully colored day. Sunny. Gorgeous mountain drives. However, yet again we have had several small crises. Nothing to dampen our sense of humor. Nothing to discourage our sense of adventure.

The first little boo-boo occurred when Chuck locked the doors of our still running rental car when we got out at a visitor center at Woodstock, VT, just after we had driven the Kancamagus Highway. When your main car is a Prius, there is a tendency to think all cars are like Priuses and have that keyless entry and ignition. We lost an hour and a bit of gas waiting for the AAA service car to let us into the car. We were both pretty quiet about that one. Easy mistake to make, so we are being super careful now.

The second was finding this motel. We had been on the road since 9 am, and we had hoped to find a motel in Bennington. (And look up Robert Frost in the graveyard there.) However, they were having a Moose Fest. Main street was a pasture full of life size moose statues that had been decorated and dressed to be auctioned off at the end of the festival. A bookstore manager who surely was a Chamber of Commerce bigwig tried to sell one to me, claiming that people came from as far as the West Coast to purchase one of the big cuties. But the real impact was there was no room in the Inn. Not unless we wanted to pay $149 for the Hampton Inn or one of the high end motels. I would also compare Bennington to a beautiful girl who was a little stuck on herself. And it was after 5 pm. So we started toward Troy hoping this bedroom community to Albany would have a roo9m. We tried several highways leaving Troy, but no motels except for a Hilton on a hill that said $$$$. By this time it was nearly dark and Chuck was weary, but it was just a few miles to I-87, and I had a book listing many motels there. (And why wasn't I using my GPS to find motels? Because it was dead. And why wasn't I calling for reservations? Because my cell phone battery was dead too.) So we forged on. Finally we were moving on I-87 and yes, there were motels. After getting on the service road, we missed the Holicay Express by not being in the right lane. We pulled into the next motel after noting it had a clean exterior. Just $65 later, we were in a room. And then I noticed the mouse. And Chuck, never particularly worried about mice, noticed the TV didn't work. Did I say that by this time it is almost 8 pm. We called the manager in, and he agreed to give us another room because he was unable to refund our money. (He had no way to reverse a credit card charge.) The room he found for us had clean sheets and pillowcases, but needed the spread and blanket from the other room. I made the bed. Then I took my hand disinfectant and did a bit of sprucing up in the bathroom. I decided it was a bit chilly, and then I realized the heating-cooling unit was a plastic case only. I am hoping this first floor unit will not get too nippy tonight. We were really breaking up about that one. But Chuck was much too tired to drive somewhere else, and we would have lost our money.

On the positive side, the White Mountains were full of every fall color. There were lots of trails and Overlooks so we could photograph the valleys and streams with their hillsides sparkling in the sun. Fall color and fellow leaf peepers were everywhere. I suspect this was very close to peak color here because leaves were already starting to fall. I am sure that my photography didn't picture half of the splendor before me. Beside highway 112 beginning with the Kancamagus Mountains and stops for historic farms, the Quechee Gorge was a breath-taking sight.

Wednesday, September 30

The subway. Maryann hates subways. Claustrophobia. Today was our day to freestyle it in the city. After a hearty breakfast we were off. The first part of the ride was great and above ground, but we ended our ride nosing our way into a tunnel by Copley Square. Since Chuck wanted to revisit the Berklee School of Music—it's now music, all types of music, not just jazz—that was our first stop. Chuck really enjoyed walking around the campus, finding his dorm, talking about how the college has changed. Berklee now owns almost the whole Back Bay area, and the school has doubled in size. He was able to find TC's, a bar he visited once in awhile as a student. Unfortunately the Back Bay Lounge was now Dunkin Donuts.

Then we walked cross country to the Museum of Fine Arts. Our hosts had lent us their family membership, and that provided admission and some great art for the whole afternoon. There was a great display of the designs and furniture of the architects Greene. There were great Gainsbourghs, Monets, and sculptures. After a great lunch in the cafeteria, we visited the second floor. By 3 pm we were tired of walking and caught the subway Intown. At Copley Square we had to find the outbound subway. After a tour of the gorgeous Boston Public Library, and asking a few natives, we finally found the Outbound tunnel. The ride to the suburbs was much shorter than on Long Island. Back at our hosts, we repacked, I wrote, and Chuck watched the Red Socks on Big Screen TV.

Thursday, October 1

We left our friends Dan and Joan Kunitz and headed for Walden Pond. When we arrived, it was closed. No—not the pond—the gift shop and very spendy parking lot. So we parked before a “Don't park here unless you are shopping sign, and checked out the pond. A cement path around the pond hosted pods of walkers. There was some color around the pond, but it was early yet. Then we drove the Minuteman's ride between Concord and Lexington. The Miniteman's visitor center was well interpreted. Unfortunately we didn't have time to visit Hawthorne's or Alcott's homes.

Then it was off to Cape Ann. Highway 127 takes you on the perimeter of the Cape past fascinating mansions, homes of middleclass fishermen, art galleries on Rockport, the area that was home to Winslow Homer and Edward Hooper, the famous Captain at the wheel statue, and the fishing fleet in Glouchester. Heading north, we finally arrived at North Conway before dark. As we drove north the color became more intense. We will definitely see enough color in New England. We have pulled out the sweat shirts and coats. (Yes, Chuck has been reunited with his coat.)

Sunday, September 27.

After touring the entire isle of Manhattan, we were ready for a slow day in the city. We repeated the usual trip to the LIRR and made it to Penn Station by noon. We were to meet Chuck's students Laurele and Carol Rippa at Terraza Toscana for lunch at 12:30, so we hailed a taxi and made it to 50th and 9th Avenue for under $7:00. We decided we definitely liked traveling by cab in New York. We had a wonderful long lunch filled with stories, memories, and lots of trivia about New York. We saw their rent-stabilized apartment. Since they do not own a car it was interesting to hear how they traveled about and how much they loved the city. Then we had a beautiful walk through part of Central Park, down Poet's lane, occasionally noting the smell of horse (The horse cabs are everywhere.) We ducked into Tavern On The Green to go to the bathroom. That is one classy restaurant. (Partly open air.)

Since it was rainy all day, we saw an umbrella New York. We took the train home and packed for our trip to Boston.

Monday, September 28

We left Marc Greene and his niece Julie after a wonderful stay that included a Brisket dinner with Julie's scrumptious apple pie (a first for her), and lots of tour hints and good conversation. We drove to the east end of Long Island—Orient and the Orient ferry. It was a beautiful but very long drive past road stands with pumpkins, squash, and fall produce. Not much fall color yet, but it will hit 30 degrees tonight, and we are seeing some beautiful reds and yellows already.

All of those New Englanders who have two dimes to rub together love to go the shore in the Hamptons, the Cape, the shore in MA. Fortunately there is a lot of coast line so there is a place for everyone.

Our ferry ride was very similar to the trips we have had on the Washington ferries. We left Orient and turned back into the Long Island sound. Often we could see land on the North and South. The hour and a half trip was warm and relaxing. Small colonial light houses popped up in the sound by various harbors.

At New London we unloaded our car from the ferry and looked for food. Much of the sandwich fare was not appealing, but we found a small Columbian restaurant with a handsome grandfather outside welcoming patrons in Spanish. We had an incredible meal of talapia cooked in white sauce with fried platains. Then we caught I-95 and drove 3 hours to the suburbs of Boston.

Newton is the largest of suburbs with huge Victorian homes on many streets and corners. Our room was with a wonderful couple, Dan and Joan Kunitz (relatives of the poet and philosopher Stanley Kunitz). We were very comfortable, and they taxied us to the subway and tour bus. Real saints. We arrived on the eve of Yom Kipper when they were just finishing their fast. It has been great to discuss their faith and enjoy meeting these great people.

Tuesday, September 29

This was Tour Boston day. We bought a tour in a small van with a clever interpreter of Boston history. We stopped at Longfellow 's home, looked at Harvard, MIT, and Boston U campuses. Chuck was able to revisit the Charles River, and the Berklee School of Jazz in the historic Back Bay. Gentrification had totally changed the neighborhood. Gone were the hookers outside the dorms, the drunks on corners and in alleys. The new John Handcock building with its huge glass windows that pop out from time to time had completely change Copley Square. There was plenty of Revolutionary history: a tour of the USS Constitution, Bunker Hill, Breed's Hill, Old North Church, and Copps Hill Burial Ground. We also saw the impressive Old Granary Burial Ground, the Boston Commons, and the Public Gardens.

We stopped for lunch at the Quincy Marketplace. Chuck had fish and chips and I had the lobster special for $12. Then we walked over to Faneuil Hall. When Chuck was there on July 4 30 years ago, he heard the Declaration of Independence read. Today that would be impossible because it is a trinkets market. Next it was on to Paul Revere's statue, the Boston Massacre site, and the Old State House. The Freedom Trail was easy to follow.

Those of us who watched Cheers every night saw the real neighborhood, the real bar. The same exact sign.

It was a wonderful day, concluded with a great meal at a Greek restaurant with our hosts.

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Friday, September 25

Our first adventure was driving to the Ronkonkoma Long Island Railroad to catch a train to New York. Quite simple, clean, and efficient. It was an interesting ride. We started out where the homes were on huge lots. In Corum where our host lives, his home is on a huge lot of about a half acre with a pool. As we progress toward the city, the lots get smaller, houses are closer together. Soon the pools are small and above ground, and then before you know it, they are nonexistent. As we leave the suburban areas of Deer Park and move toward Brooklyn, there are fewer fields, steeples. Less green space. The paint on the homes becomes haphazard, and as we approach East New York the tenement house becomes taller and very brick.

Beside the 18 stops of the LIRR, are huge park and ride lots. Waiting in them are hundreds of cars for the many passengers of the commuter trains. A good portion of the passengers have a little privacy bubble around them---an attitude communicating a “don't bother me.”

Penn Station is huge. We departed from track # 20 and made our way above ground. One of the most remarkable things about New York is the noise. It is definitely a city for people who desire stimulation and excitement. I will do well to make it through three days. For some reason, I didn't sense the craziness in London, Barcelona, or Madrid that I feel in NYC. Perhaps when I get in the museums or Central Park it will calm down.

One of the interesting aspects about this week is the United Nations session. President Obama is here to address topics like terrorism and Iran's underground nuclear facility. This means that every time these heads of state moved from place to place, a convoy of black SUV's and police protection blazed down the street. It was also impossible to get anywhere close to the 3 United Nations buildings, particularly the General Assembly building. Police were everywhere in the city, particularly at heavy traffic intersections where they needed them.

There has been a sad consequence of the No Smoking bans in stores and restaurants. They have to smoke in the streets. That means that walking in the city or enjoying places like Times Square is difficult because every breath one takes is a smokey one.

Signage is fascinating. The huge LED screens—particularly present around Times Square, 42^nd street, etc. overshadow architecture and all else in the landscape. By Penn Station is a huge football player in his tight pants landmark. After awhile I found all of screens—especially Macy's malfunctioning one—visual overload.

The highlight of the day was a guilded cruise of the Hudson harbor. We had very good views of ellis Island, the train depot many immigrants took across America, the Statue of Liberty, Governor's Island, and the Financial District. This and the other tours we took put everything I have watched on television from business news to Law and Order in perspective. Like looking at society from a new view.

The Coast Guard has a number of small boats that look like smart rafts. They have machine guns mounted on the bow. We watched one pull over a small motor boat and give them a little chat.

Another fascinating thing about New York is the way certain industries have clustered. The garment industry is no longer there because of outsourcing that began with China's production of cheap clothing, but there are many other areas like the music instrument section, ASCAP section, the Theatre District, the area where there are hospitals and research facilities. In general, however, the trend is to tear down and build new glass or glitzy structures. Yes, there are a few of the historic buildings built in the early 1900's like the Art Decco Empire State building with its 104 floors, the Flatiron building, and the Chrysler building, but the push is to rebuild newer and “better.” Actually the Empire State building was more interesting in its architecture.

We took the express train back to Long Island with hundreds of commuters who raced to their waiting cars snoozing in cement fields by the tracks.

Saturday, September 26

This was our big touring day of New York. We covered almost all of the Island and particularly enjoyed the ethnic neighborhoods like Chinatown and Little Italy. Here is a partial list—just to help me remember the details:

I loved the trees and swankie apartments in Chelsea. Somehow I expected more unusual buildings or businesses in the Village. Saw the first pizzaria—John's. One bit of folklore about the bull on Wall Street is that if you kiss its ass, your portfolio will earn lots of money. And there was a huge line of tourists doing just that. Made me wonder what else they would kiss. The lower East side—melting pot of NY—did not have any flamboyant sights, however, there was the sense that the whole area had been the labor and the stability of the island for a long time. Of course all of the area bordering Central Park was beautiful and fascinating from the lavish 5^th avenue digs like the former home of Andrew Carnegie to the museums. Would I had a day to spend in each of them: the Whitney, the white curving Guggenheim, the Metropolitan Museum of Art (I would love 2 days for that one), the Museum of new York City, and the Museum of Natural History where the “Night in” movie was shot.

Harlem was also more of a polished city atmosphere than I expected. There were more blacks in the neighborhood, but other than that, it looked like much of the rest of the island.

Times Square was full of people by 5pm. We also had another insight into Carnegie hall, the Lincoln Center, the Apollo, and other similar venues. To attend a concert one needs to taxi, use public transportation, or pay $35 to $50 at a parking facility. I am so glad we can attend great concerts and plays without that hassle.

Biggest regret of the day? Not having time to have tea in the Plaza hotel.

Thursday, September 24

The order of things—beginning with Gaithersburg, MD:

1. Breakfast at a bagel place. Good coffee.

2. Purchased a styrofoam cooler to keep Lee's gifts from melting.

3. Left Gaithersburg for New York.

4. Called Alamo Lost and Found. They had Chuck's coat which they agreed to mail to our next stop in Boston.

5. Drove on long stretches of 10 lane freeways.

6. Stopped at a rest stop in Maryland and decided to jump for a cross-country ride to Annapolis on 301 so we could see some countryside. After several hours we decided to turn the GPS on so we could arrive at our host's before Friday.

7. Alas. That meant "flying" on the New Jersey Turnpike. Not a great experience, but we coped until our GPS told us to “Stay on I-95N” while the readout was pointing toward a road that would take us through the Lincoln Tunnel to our destination. Unfortunately we stayed left while I cursed Ms. SmartyPants of the GPS. Quite a bit later we took the George Washington Bridge (Chuck hummed Persichetti's piece while we crawled over during 5 pm traffic.)

8. Did I mention that we ended up driving through the Bronx and Queens? We wanted to see New York, but that was not the kindest way.

9. Then we had to swing South to get the Long Island Expressway. There was a fast Express lane with lots of signs explaining HOV safety. (We have no idea what HOV means.)

10. Now I know why New Yorkers drive with fists full of dollars in their right hand. Toll roads. No nickel and diming you either. We paid 5 to 10 bucks a time. When we leave for Boston we plan to take the ferry. That is not cheap, however. That will cost about $70.

11. The good news is that after a long day of driving (Did I mention the Mazda does not have cruise control), we arrived just before dark. We had traveled through 4 states.