New York - New York,

We took a side trip to New York, it has been about 30 years since we have visited the Big Apple.  One of the first things that we noticed this time was ... were are old.  They say New York never sleeps, we know why --- it is very noisy, it is very busy, you can't drive in Manhattan, and there is so much scaffolding and building going on that if they don't work 24/7 nothing will get built or remodeled.   The city can't be graded on a one day visit...there is too much to see and enjoy but we were only taking a side trip so one day is what we decided on for the visit to America's largest city.  Our real purpose of going back to NYC was to view the 9/11 memorial and pay tribute to those who lost their lives that terrible day.  To really enjoy the sites, sounds and life of NYC it would take more than a cursory visit.    We also decided that the best way to get to NYC from New Jersey would be by water (seems we did that for Boston also), driving was out of the question; we could have taken the train for about a third of the cost but the train would not have allowed us to view the cityscape and enjoy the beautiful weather. 

 

 

Leaving New Jersey on our ferry to the Big Apple, best decision of the day!  What a beautify day for a day trip into the City.

We went under the Verzzarro Narrows bridge, the longest suspension bridge in the world, which  spans the channel into New York harbor. 

Lady Liberty greeted us as we approach New York City just like she has done since she arrived in 1886, as a gift from France. 

Lower Manhattan skyline, probably the most recognized skyline in the world.  Walking through lower Manhattan is like walking down the canyons of the Rocky Mountains, except the canyon walls go straight up and are concrete.  The roads are clogged with delivery trucks, cabs, tour buses, a few hardy souls who have risked driving in this madhouse.

Times Square and it is not really busy at noon...we think all of New York eats between 10 and 2 because every restaurant we went into was crowded and there were people that were eating while  standing up since all the tables were full up and some even stepped outside of the restaurants to eat their meals...never seen that before!!!

Mid town fire station... they lost so much when the towers came down on 9/11.  As a former firefighter, I  grieve for the those who answered their final alarm.

Just a typical street scene -- The never ending hustle and bustle, noise, and energy make Manhattan the center of the New York and by some standards the center of the world. 

Empire State building is only the second tallest building in NYC now that Freedom Tower is topped off.

 

Freedom tower - any closer and you can not get a picture of the entire building.  We are a couple blocks away but if you stand at the 9/11 memorial and look up you can not see the top of the building.   The tower  appears to get smaller like the head of a needle -- Awesome!

9/11 memorial - one of the two water falls that were the twin towers footprints - they are still building at the site and only freedom tower and tower 4 are completed.  The museum is open and free but you need to have reservations well in advance to get into the museum -- hopefully when you come to NYC the newness will wear off and you will be able to secure ticket to see the museum.

Wall street is a very unremarkable 8 block long street (and dirty) and the New York Stock Exchange was really small on the outside and no tours since 9/11 - kind of disappointing!  The nicest building on Wall street is the Federal building where George Washington was sworn in as our country's first President. 

 

Leaving New York and the lower Manhattan skyline

 

Since we were close we thought a side trip to Atlantic City would be in order.  George's Mom and Dad took a trip to Atlantic City about 50 years ago and raved about the boardwalk.  We thought with the addition of gambling and the glitz of big casinos that it would be awesome!  Not so much... it does not compare to Las Vegas but does have its upside.  The beaches and boardwalk (which were there before the casinos are worth the trip if you are in the area, but the casinos are no match for their counterparts in Nevada.

A selfie...George needs a little practice!

The famous boardwalk with one of the old hotels in the background (they have a lot more character than the newer ones like the Trump Towers).

The dunes just off the boardwalk

 

We left the New Jersey, New York area to rendezvous with our friends, Doug and April in Pennsylvania.  They met us in a beautiful campground near Gettysburg.  We will spend the weekend with them relaxing, catching up and making new memories.  Again we are so blessed to have friends that will travel to other states just to spend a few days with us.  We want all our friends to have a wonderful summer, we will continue our family history next week and stop in to see our friends Tom and Maryann in Karthaus, Pa...we will keep you posted on our travels to the backyards of America.

 

American and Lawrence Family History

We left our beautiful Boston southshore campsite and drove northeast to the Concord and Lexington Massachusetts area, the hotbed of the American Revolution.  This is also were Pat's ancestors called home and (as we found out) participated in Concord's North Bridge battle with the British, " The Shot Heard Around the World", as Minutemen.  Is was interesting learning how her family and our nation's history was intertwined.  As Paul Revere rode through the countryside from Boston to Concord alerting the Minuteman of the British troops  moving toward Concord, Pat's ancestors were among those who answered the call.  As a side note, did anyone know that Paul Revere was actually captured by a British unit on his ride to Concord?  He was captured and released after the British heard the church bells ringing alerting the colonist of the British march, they thought there was no reason to keep him since their surprise was overtaken by events.  The Lawrences were involved throughout the revolution and fought many of the major battles in the Massachusetts Bay colony which included parts of New Hampshire and Connecticut.  We were in the area to verify family connections and dates but also enjoyed learning the history of the beginnings of our country.    

 

 

Our campsite at Hanscom AFB, just 4 miles from Concord.

Minuteman statue at the North Bridge, Concord, MA.  It was an amazing fact that over a 1000 colonist answered the first alert and call from well over 30 nearby villages, leaving their families in the middle of the night to ride and march to Concord and Lexington.  They were called Minutemen because they signed up to respond to the call for liberty at a minutes notice.  The colonist drove the British back to Boston from Concord starting the American Revolution.

The British lost two soldiers and the colonist lost 3 men at North Bridge.  The colonist took their dead back to their villages for burial but the two British soldiers are buried at the North Bridge site. 

Our reason for being here was to do family research and we were able to visit libraries and city halls in Groton, MA., Cambridge MA, and Killingly, Connecticut.  Spending hours reading books and going through land, marriage, birth and death records to ensure our facts are correct and that we are following the right ancestors.  Our search has resulted in yet another twist, we have to go to Luzerne county in Pennsylvania.  Another change of travels plans, we were going to drive south from Massachusetts but now we will go to New York City area (a backyard side trip)) then drive toward Pennsylvania before we eventually go south to visit family in South Carolina.  We may have to go back to Ohio/Indiana before driving south but that is the way it is as you following the genealogy of your family. 

Our next post will be of our side trip to the Big Apple!  It has been a long time since we visited New York City and really want to go by the World Trade Center memorial and  experience the hustle and bustle of the "City".  We are now staying in New Jersey and plan on taking the ferry across the harbor from New Jersey to Manhattan.  While we are in New Jersey we also want to visit the Jersey beaches and maybe drive down to Atlantic City, stay tuned for our next post, reporting to you our NYC and New Jersey experience!

Boston and the South Shore - Where American History Started!

We left the Cape and drove a short way up the coast to the sleepy seaside village of Marshfield located about an hour south of Boston by ferry.  It is located on  the tip of a narrow peninsula where we set up our motorhome and enjoyed  gorgeous views of the bay and the Atlantic from the windows of our little home on wheels.  The views by themselves were worth the trip but we had a backyard to explore and Boston and the south bay area did not disappoint.  This is where the history of America was written by our founding fathers.  We had planned to explore this backyard for the last two years but our plans seemed to change for one reason or another but not this year.  This year we will experience New England and learn about the birth of this great nation up close and personal.  As mentioned in the last blog posting, Tom and Maryann rented a cottage just around the curve from our motorhome spot at the 4th Cliff recreation area so we get to enjoy our friends for another week and make new memories together.  After we all set up for our stay at 4th Cliff (a WWII  Army seacoast artillery battery station) we took a ferry into Boston.  We could not have picked a better day, blue skies and  the temps in the mid 70s allowed us to walk the 2 1/2 mile freedom trail, enjoy Mike's Pastry shop, indulge our cravings for ice cream, tell a few New England Patriot fans how great the Denver Broncos are going to be this year and in general had a great day visiting the historic buildings in Boston.  After our walk on the freedom trail, we were a little tired so we took another ferry back across the Boston bay from Old Ironsides to Long Wharf and the center of old Boston.  After walking to Boston Commons we decided to take the MTA (Boston's famed subway) back to the Wharf but this time George's Bronco hat might have caused us a small problem.  It seems that we did not know exactly which train to catch so we asked an MTA employee for the best way back to the Wharf....he was probably a Patriot's fan and told us to take the train that left us about 3/4 of a mile away from the wharf and our ferry ride back to the South Boston bay area.  We barely made the ferry departure time but learned a valuable lesson...don't wear a Denver Bronco hat in Boston!  It is good for a laugh now but we were some tired old people when we finally made it on to the ferry for our return trip.  The next couple of days we drove around the South Bay area of Boston and absorbed the New England seaports and their quaint little shops and restaurants.  If you want great seafood, clam chowder and lobster this is really the place to plant yourself for a few days.  We ate a breakfast at restaurant called the Wildflower Café in the little town of Duxbury.  All the food was great but George had the biggest pancake we have ever seen (it filled a large dinner plate) and everything was made from scratch...just outstanding!!  Walking the beaches, shopping the mom and pop stores and eating great food was some of the highlights of this trip.  As always we like to take a few pictures to share with you just to give you a flavor of our Boston backyard adventures.

0800 hours and we are off to Boston on the ferry from Hingham, Ma.  The trip was made even more special because the Captain of the ferry was so friendly and since there were only a few passengers, he was able to tell us about the various islands in the bay and their history.

Boston from the ferry -- What a great city skyline!

 

Freedom Hall where the ideas of the American Revolution was debated and men like Daniel Webster, John Adams, Thomas Paine, Paul Revere and others incited others to join them in their quest for freedom from England and the King!

Paul Revere's house -- probably was not surrounded by four story apartment building back in 1776

The Old North Church - The British are coming, the British are coming!!!

The Constitution - Old Ironsides...it never lost a battle the entire time it was under sail for America!

It was getting really tired by the time we got to Boston Commons...we started to think that maybe we are getting a little old and out of shape!

Leave it to Tom to lighten up the mode on the MTA or was he so tired that his tongue was hanging out from exhaustion?

Just in case you have not heard... we took a picture of Georges island!  Wasn't it nice of them to post this sign so people would not be confused of the ownership of the island?

One of the few remaining active Merry go Rounds in the country is in the town of Hull on the South Bay area.  There was a restoration workshop near the carousel, where we saw the artists work on the hand carved horses and sleighs. 

Pat and George relaxing on the beach wall -- look how far those people are out into the water...low tide!!

Never a dull moment with Pat and Maryann

 

New and Old Friends!  l-r  Linda and Pete Walsh, Becky and Ellen, Tom and Maryann, Pat and George, Kenny and George...we all went out to dinner at a great seafood restaurant (would we eat anyplace else?) in Marshfield.  Great Lobster and fish plates with local friends of Pete, Linda, Tom and Maryann...and now us!

Looking over the bay from our motorhome at sunset...Priceless!!!!

 

Tom and Maryann left us today and drove back to the Cape for another week of visiting with Pete and Linda.  We will be heading northwest of Boston to investigate Pat's family history in the town of Groton, Mass where we hope to find written evidence of her ancestry past.  She has traced her family back to the 11th century but needs to have some documentation to ensure she is following the right line of ancestors...our work is never done but it is a lot of fun tracing our family history.  After we have exhausted our family history research in Massachusetts we will be driving down to just south of New York City and stay a week in New Jersey.  We will be taking the train into New York and maybe Philadelphia to explore their backyards.  We are also hoping to meet up with Doug and April Almond, friends from our camp hosting in Colorado, to catch up and make new memories with them.  This is the best part of traveling this great country, exploring and learning about this country, making new friends, and meeting up with old friends to make new memories - We are so blessed to enjoy this unique lifestyle and to be healthy enough to travel the backyards of America.  We hope you enjoyed a glimpse into our travels and hope you continue to stop in read about our travels and tribulations.

Nantucket - A Different Backyard!!!

 

Arrived at Hyannis and caught the ferry to Nantucket.  The trip was a two hour trip over the channel from Cape Cod to the island.  Leaving our motor home on the Cape Cod and packing bags for four days on the island was a little scary   It was our first trip to Nantucket and we had no ideal what to expect.  But with our long time friends, Tom and Maryann Graue and our new friends, Pete and Linda Walsh already on the island it was an easy transition.  We rented a cottage at the far end of the island, toured the tourist spots on Nantucket, viewed the beautiful homes and quaint shops, strolled the beaches, and enjoyed out time together.  Nantucket is known for its laid back approach to life and we submerged ourselves into the lifestyle, with morning walks, great food at various restaurants, and visiting the Nantucket's museums dedicated to the history of the island.  As a side note there are no chain restaurants or stores on the island only mom and pop operations.  The time passed very quickly.  Before we knew it, we were on the ferry returning to Cape Cod and on our way to 4th Cliff recreation area at Marshfield, Massachusetts which is about an hour north of Cape Cod and an hour south by ferry from Boston and on to yet another adventure.

 

Our ferry to the Island

Tom, Maryann and Pete waiting on the Nantucket dock for our arrival

 

One of the oldest lighthouses on the east coast is on Nantucket

 

Whaling was synonymous with Nantucket during the early years of this country and the history of whaling was brought alive in the whaling museum.  The waters around Nantucket were also known for the treacherous shipping channels and the over 200 shipwrecks surrounding the island. 

Tom and Maryann - It is so great to meet with our friends wherever we go, but joining our friends from Arizona in Massachusetts was extra special. The stories, the laughs, the camaraderie with Tom and Maryann are some of our best memories of the past 37 years.  My dad used to say, friends are like the leaves of a tree - when the wind blows the leaves that fall to the ground are acquaintances, the leaves that hang tightly to the tree are your true friends --Tom and Maryann have weathered many wind storms with us. 

There is something about ocean waves that are relaxing and washes away the troubles of the world

 

 Our friends, Tom and Maryann, Pete and Linda

Is Nantucket the center of the world?  It used to be in the early days of America's sailing ships!

Every morning Tom would have breakfast ready for us - Not a bad way to start your day!

 

As we said, we did not know what to expect when we told Tom and Maryann last year that we would meet them on Nantucket but what we found was a new backyard to explore, good times with great friends, and a very relaxing four days to reinvigorate and recharge.  Now it is on to our next backyard adventure - Boston!  Tom and Maryann will join us for another week as we set up our motor home at 4th Cliff recreation area just across the bay from Boston while Tom and Maryann set up in a cottage just around the curve from our RV pad.  We will be visiting Boston and the sea coast villages of the South Boston bay area.  This nomadic life of ours always brings surprises but with friends, everyday is a blessing and everyday is a new and exciting adventure to fill us with new memories, memories to last a lifetime.

 

 

From the Sheep to Plymouth Rock!

We have left our Ohio friends and family and drove to Cape Cod with stops in New York and Plymouth Rock.  How can we describe our time in Ohio, Kris, Amy and our grandsons were great, our friends demonstrated why the class of 65 was one of the greatest classes to have graduated from Kenton, our hosts - Dick and Karen were absolutely the best, George's sister Patsy pulled out all the stops, from gathering the family together to cooking her unbelievable pop pie, and George got in a couple of rounds of golf---how do they say it....Priceless!  We left early May 30th and drove to our friend, Mike Kight's house in New York.  We had not seen Mike in 30 years but we did not miss a beat when we followed him to his house that is so far back into the Catskills that they have to pipe daylight in to see the roads.  He treated us to a steak dinner, a world wind trip through the southern forest and reservoirs of the Catskills and a great breakfast at one of his favorite diners, and of course he had to lead us out of the back country to the highway so we could continue our trip to Cape Cod.  We made it into the former Otis AFB and its very small RV park about 5 hours after leaving Mike and his beautiful 40 acre secluded estate.  While we familiarized ourselves with the Cape Cod area and how to get to the ferry to Nantucket, we decided to take a side trip to Plymouth Rock (about 30 miles from our campground).  America's European roots began here in 1620 and spread across this land setting the table for all of us that followed.  Tomorrow we will catch the ferry to Nantucket where our friends, Tom and Maryann Graue and Pete and Linda Walsh, await our arrival.  Should be a great week on the historic island.  By the way...no tires blew out....an uneventful trip -thanks God!!!

 

 

Karsten and Kasey setting on a two seat tractor on Steve and Minnie's farm

The Super Ks with the black sheep ... no -  not grandma, the lamb!!

What a great group of old people, the class of 65 really has class!  The young lady in the center of the picture is Susanne McFarland Issac who resides in Riverside, CA.  We would say she came a long way to have dinner with friends.  A special shout out to Steve Merchant for getting the group together.  Every time a classmate comes back to Kenton, Steve puts the word out and invites everyone to sit down together for some catchup time ---not every high school class can boast of this enduring friendship,  after almost 50 years.

Pat and our friend Mike Kight,  seems our Air Force friends have a special bond that time can not weaken or forget.

This is a Woodstock theater,  did you know that the event we all know as "Woodstock" never happened at Woodstock?  It took place  over 10 miles away from the little town of Woodstock, so why was it called "Woodstock"?   I did not know this little known fact.

Mike's little outside bar with a "Coors" sign - it used to be turned on when the bar was open.  Thanks Mike for supporting our son, Kris ...he needs to be employed, especially the way little Karsten eats.

The Rock where the Pilgrims landed,  another mystery -- how do they know that this was the exact rock that the Pilgrims stepped foot on???

George wanted to provide proof that he arrived "after" the pilgrims not "before" they landed.

 

 

George at Lindsey's at Buzzards Bay, MA - everything that Tom Graue does George has to do also!!!  See Tom, almost the same booth that you sat in for your picture on FB!  If you had worn an OSU shirt your picture would have been perfect!!!

 

 

Our little home on the Cape, Joint Base Cape Cod operated by the Coast Guard.  It was Otis AFB when we were in the Air Force and is still listed on the map and in Google Maps as Otis AFB.

 

We will be leaving our motor home for a week while we spend time on Nantucket.  This will be a new experience for us and we are flying by the seat of our pants.  Most of you travel with suitcases all the time but this is an entire new for us.  Hopefully we pack the right clothes, all the medicines, and everything else that we need for the week----this could be a disaster, how do you all do this without getting stressed out before you even start???  Our next blog maybe be full of OMG things but we will post the good, bad, and the ugly of our week on the island.  If you find mistakes in this post, it maybe because of all the stress we will face packing for a week without our home (that is my story and I am sticking to it)  Stay tuned!!!