Phipps Mansion June 12th

Saturday morning we were trying to decide what to do for the day. We each named several different activities, but nothing seemed right. Todd mentioned going to the Phipps Mansion on Long Island on the North Shore in Old Westbury Gardens.

We had brunch in Brooklyn at a place called Robin Du Bois and it was tastey.

Then we picked up the zip car in the lower east side of Manhattan. Todd had rented a mini cooper convertible! It was a sharp car, we loved it.

It was a sunny day and we enjoyed the drive to the Mansion.

We drove a short distance off the highway before turning to the drive to the mansion. It was an awe strucken sight. We parked and then walked through the lawn to the front entry way. There was a tour starting so we were able to join it. The decoratio ns and amount of wealth displayed was incredible. We only had half an hour before they were kicking us out. After the tour we walked the beautifully manicured lawn and flower garden. It was one of the most beautiful gardens we've seen and all of the flowers were in bloom and everything was green and lucious. We had to leave the garden by 5:00.

We decided to explore the area by car so Todd just started driving. We decided to put the top down. It was a great way to see the surrounding area. We drove through the small towns and caught a glimpse of what they were like.

We landed on Oyster Bay, a nice size town in the bay (as the name implies). We found a restaurant, Wild Honey. It was extremely tastey. Todd ordered the clams and oysters and I ordered two appetizers-goat cheese ravioli and the filet mignon on texas toast. It was all scrumptous! We didn't leave room for dessert.

It was getting darker, so we decided to start heading home.

Six Flags May 31st

We took the subway to Port Authority and then took a bus to Jackson, NJ to Six Flags! We had a blast! The weather was warm and it wasn't crowded at all. We were able to walk quickly through most of the lines without any waiting. We rode most of the roller coasters. There were some that I just couldn't bring myself to riding...the roller coasters were great, each of them unique in their own way. A couple of them were wooden, one was very smooth.

We walked around most of the park. The park was kept clean and well maintained. We were impressed. We ate inside an air conditioned restaurant and it felt wonderful. It had gotten warmer as we walked around the park and we welcomed the cool air. Todd had bbq brisket and I had a kids meal.

We went to the Safari park and drove through it on a shuttle bus. That was fun and got to see the animals in their natural habitat.

We wanted to ride more rides but it started to rain in the late afternoon and they started closing rides. One of the few rides that were open was an inside ride in Gotham City. It was a batman themed ride, which was fun but pretty harmless. We got to the park after 10:00 and we left for the bus at 6:00!

After that, we thought it would be a good stopping point, especially since a lot of the rides were closed, so we headed for the bus. The bus ride home went fast as we enjoyed sitting in the cool air, thinking about our fun day.

First Beach trip - Long Beach

We took our first trip to the beach on Sunday, May 30th to Long Beach. We had been to this one before.

We took the Long Island Rail Road. We stopped at Subway to pick up a couple of sandwiches and sodas. We walked to the beach with anticipation of our first beach day of the summer season.

The weather was windy but sunny. The beach was crowded but we spotted a vacant spot and set up camp. We both love the ocean and I could sit and look at it all day. The perpetual wave motion is mesmeric. It makes you feel at peace and gives you a sense of security, knowing the waves will continually pull towards the shore. The waves are so powerful, reminding me there is a higher power that created the waves and that they're not acting on their own.

We both brought stuff to read. And then it is always tradition that Todd makes us get in the water. But this time it was only our feet, since the water was still too icy to go further in.

It was getting later and it was cooling off, so we decided to pack up and head home. We knew there would be more beach days ahead of us and we were looking forward to them.

Atlantic City, NJ May 26th-27th

I had the treat of meeting my Mom in Atlantic City, NJ in May for a couple of days! We had a ball!

I took the bus from Brooklyn that took me to the Port Authority. I waited half an hour while new comers boarded the bus. Then we were on our way! It was a sunny day; I enjoyed looking out the window and bask in the sun through the glass. I brought plenty to read and got a little bit read. The anticipation of getting there was almost unbearable. I kept checking the time and anxiously waiting to arrive. It was about a two and a half hour bus ride. It did go fast and soon we were driving in to the city as I recognized how the country side became a city with the skyscrapers and casinos lining the water.

We were dropped off outside one casino and I crossed the street to catch a Jetney, which is a little blue bus that stops frequently between casinos. I caught a bus and boarded, anticipating getting to the hotel to meet mom. I heard the driver say he didn't stop and Harrah's, which is where I needed to go. I told him I took the wrong bus and he stopped at the next stop to let me off. The Jitney's cost $2.50 and all I had was a $20 (I'm learning, as Todd as taught me, to travel with a lot of $1's, for tips, etc.). I went to a convenient store on the corner to break the $20 by buying a pack of gum. Then I went back outside to wait for the next bus. It came shortly, but seemed like a lot longer and was on my way again.

I saw Mom waiting on a bench outside the hotel as the bus pulled up. I ran off the bus and we hugged with a strong and long embrace. It was wonderful to see her. I wanted to enjoy every moment while I was there with her.



We went up to the room so I could unload. We decided to have lunch first. So we went to McCormick and Schmitz in the hotel. I ordered the stir fry and it was satisfactory. Then we ordered the apple crips a la mode, which was decadent.

Then we decided to go shopping at the outlet stores. We took a Jitney to the stores. It was a beautiful day, we couldn't have asked for better weather; it was sunny yet not hot or humid. We enjoyed walking to the different stores, we travel well together. If she or I wanted to go in to the store, we'd go in, take our time, look around. Plus, we know each other's taste and could ask each other for advice.

We did well with shopping, picking stylish yet practical items. Gratefully, there wasn't a lot that we needed.

Then we walked for a short while on the Boardwalk. It was extremely windy, so we didn't stay too long. Then we grabbed a snack at a lounge. We walked in and it was crowded; we didn't think we'd get a table but we looked straight ahead and there was a table right by the window. We darted straight for it. It had a beautiful view of the boardwalk and ocean.

The lounge had a buffet with a several dishes to chose from. We had a great talk while we ate, about life, New York, how to handle difficult situations. It was so good to be able to just sit and talk without being rushed or without any interruptions. It was just she and I, heart to heart. She's a great listener and I can talk to her about anything. She understands me.

After our light dinner, we waited, and waited and waited for the hotel bus to pick us up. We just sat outside on the bench and chatted.

The next day we we took our time getting ready and then had a leisurely breakfast at a cafe in the hotel. Then we took the bus to Egg Harbor Township, about a 45 minute bus ride to the mall. Not to shop, but to see Sex and the City 2!! We did shop a little; it was a deserted mall with only a handful of shops, hanging on to stay open. There was a sidewalk sale going on, which was fun to look through.

We purchased our tickets a head of time and headed over half an hour before the movie started to get good seats. I guess we really didn't need to worry about it, since it was a Thursday afternoon in a small town of New Jersey. The parking lot was deserted, with only a handful of cars, but we wanted to be safe.

We had the pick of seats and had popcorn and sodas for our lunch.

To be honest, I wasn't expecting a lot for the sequel and it was a good thing, there were some funny parts and several touching parts, but some scenes were time fillers and some could've been deleted all together. The first movie was true to form and the makers could've and should've stopped there. But we still enjoyed it and weren't sorry we saw it.

We took the bus back to Atlantic City and by then it was time for the dinner buffet which started at 4:00. It was a huge buffet with almost anything on it you could think or dream of. The quality was good for a buffet. I always feel I get too much food with a buffet and then end up wasting it. But I tried to ration the food with smaller portions and ended up eating most of it.

We enjoyed the dinner but new that my departure was looming ahead of us. We went back to the room and had a couple hours to visit. But it was still on the back of our minds, like a big cloud that's ready to burst before a storm; holding the water but at any minute it could spill over.

We grudgingly walked outside to where the buses were and felt like we wanted to get the departure over with; like ripping off a band aid, knowing a quick good bye would be less painful. We both teared up and gave each other a tight brisk hug. I got on the bus, tears flowing down my face, not wanting to sob loudly in public. I looked out the window and waved good bye, noting her waving to me, wanting to capture the moment.

I was so grateful for this trip; for these two days just to spend time with her. I was so grateful we were able to meet up and knowing in a couple weeks, we'd be seeing each other again.

Baltimore Museum of Art May 14-15

On Friday, May 14th, we were going to take a bus to Baltimore, MD. I was supposed to meet Todd at the bus station in Manhattan. I was working for the Census and rushed home, grabbed my bag and ran toward the subway. I had 20 minutes to catch the subway and meet him...I decided to try and catch a cab as time was ticking away. Todd was already there and on the bus and I was riding the cab across the Manhattan Bridge. Tension built up as I needed to be somewhere else but had no power over where I was. The cab driver was trying as hard as he could but there just wasn't enough time. I stayed on the phone with Todd as he said he had to get off as the bus was ready to leave. My heart sunk. We usually have great luck with our trips, the traveling, the hotels, etc. Now we had to make a plan B. He went back to Robin Hood and I found a pizza joint on the corner.

It was after 3:00 and we both hadn't had lunch. I sat outside on a bench to regroup while I ate a slice of pizza. Just relax and breath in I kept telling myself. There's always a reason why something happens and I was going to trust that there are no mistakes and we were always in our right place. Todd called and said he found another bus company that the bus would be leaving in a couple of hours. Relieved, but knowing I had to keep moving forward, I headed towards Times Square and to walk to meet him at another bus station. Todd was already on the bus and I bustled through the crowd to get on the bus.

The trip to Baltimore was harmonious except a little stint traveling through a storm (Mom don't read this part). The visibility was low through the clouds and rain coming down. Again, I said a little prayer, knowing we were always safe and everyone on the bus was safe. The storm cleared and we continued on our way. We arrived at the bus station and decided to walk to the hotel, which was about a mile away. We enjoyed walking through downtown, seeing the different shops and restaurants. We walked past the George Washington Monument (which I didn't know there was one in Baltimore, MD).

We got to the hotel, unloaded and then went seeking a restaurant. We ate at _________ close by. We ordered the bbq meatballs, but instead was served the _______, which they gave to us since we didn't order them. The food was excellent. We ate at the bar and enjoyed a conversation with the friendly bar tender. We walked back to the hotel room and crashed.

Saturday I got up and went to have a coffee at Caribou which was close to the hotel. Then Todd and I walked to the Seaport, which was similar to the South Seaport in lower Manhattan. A lot of the shops and restaurants were chains. We ate at a noodle place (which was a chain, which we TRY not to eat at, but we were hungry and it was close by). We then took the above ground tram back to the bus stop and then we walked to the Art Museum. This was a further than we had anticipated, but got to see more of the city this way.

The Museum was free and we only had to pay for the special exhibit, which was a Paul Cezanne exhibit. It was an impressive exhibit along with his contemporaries. There was also a Henri Matisse collection, which is the largest collection in the country. We liked the Matisse collection better. I realized I just like Mattise's work better. Cezanne seemed to be set on creating still lifes of bowls of fruit. Which is fine, but a bowl of fruit can only go so far. The Matisse collection displayed his wide choice of medium, such as sculpting besides painting.

There was a large African collection, which is another of my favorites. Todd skipped this part.

Then we took the bus close to the bus stop and had a little bit of time before the bus took us back to New York. So we decided to go to a Tapas place which was close by. We finished 3 Tapas and were still hungry so he ordered soup and I ordered another Tapas. The thing with Tapas is I don't feel they completely fill you up. I ate two and were still hungry. I always leave filling still hungry. But it's fun to try new things.

We went to catch the bus and the trip back went harmonious and quick.

Ski or bust Easter Weekend

One weekend in April we rented a Zip car and drove to Windham Mountain to go skiing! At first I was a little apprehensive, it being Easter weekend and wondering how much snow there would be on the mountain. But Todd reassured me that it was common for people to being skiing to May. When we got there, he was right (I try not to say that too often) and there were a lot of people skiing. And it actually ended up being the best snow boarding day.

The sun was shining; it was a beautiful day to be on top of the mountain. When we were at the top, we just stood still and took in the beauty surrounding us. Then we went down the mountain together! That was a lot of fun. He skied and I snowboarded, side by side.

They cooked outside on the grill for lunch. The smell of grilled food permeated the air. We sat outside and enjoyed our food as we watched other skiers go down.

It will definitely be a day we'll both remember.

Hypde Park, NY April 24th 2010

We rented a zip car and drove to Hyde Park, NY, the home of Franklin D. Roosevelt.

First, we stopped by the Culinary Art Institute and were hoping to eat at one of the restaurants. But the casual one was closed so we will have to wait until next time to try this.
This is the front of the CIA. We were quite impressed. It resembled a regular four year college campus.




Then we drove to the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park,NY and received a tour.




Then we drove to FDR's home and Museum. Here is the FDR Home Here is the Museum. We received a tour of the home and then toured the Museum on our own.







Then we drove back and stopped in _____________ at ate at _________. Good food. Todd ordered the ______________. A good time was had by all!

Picasso in Philadelphia

On a Saturday morning in May we decided to take the train to see a special Picasso exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art! He's one of my favorite artists, so this was a big treat. I think Todd liked it also. The exhibit was only going to be there a couple of more weeks, so we had to act fast. We had been wanting to go to the Phil. Museum of Art, so this gave us a great opportunity to do that.

We walked from the train station to the Museum. It took about 20 minutes of walking.

We had a little bit of time before our scheduled time to see the exhibit, which gave us an opportunity to see the other art.

The Picasso exhibit was amazing. The curators combined his artwork with several of his contemporaries. Such talent. I'm was in awe. So grateful we were able to see this exhibit.

Had dinner at the _________________.

Walked back to the train station and slept on the way home..z-z--z-z-z

St. Patricks in Stroudsburg, PA March 12-14th

The weekend before St. Patricks, Todd and I visited our new friends, Jeff and Beth Pomeroy in Stroudsburg, PA. We rented a zip car on a Friday night and drove to their house. Todd did a great job driving in the rain.

We got there after 10:00 p.m. so there wasn't too much time to visit with them. They have a great big house on the outside edge of town.

Saturday morning they cooked breakfast for us! We then drove to Scranton, PA (where the Office show is supposed to take place...actually it's filmed in California). We went to the Coal Museum (can you guess who wanted to go to that?...) actually, Beth likes history also, so Todd was in good company.

It rained all day, so we missed the St. Patrick's parade. We found a hole in the wall pizza place for lunch down town.

Then we drove back to their house. We watched "Finding Neverland" with Johnny Depp. It was entertaining. Then we had dinner. Beth had cooked ____________ for us. Then we played Taboo! Fun. We laughed pretty hard. It was Todd's first time of playing and he did pretty well.

Sunday morning we all got up and went to church.

We ate at the soda shop for lunch afterwards. Then Todd and I left our friends and drove around a little while through Stroudsburg before heading back to the big city.

New Orleans or Bust June 5th- 7th 2010

We woke up at o'dark thirty (Todd's language) actually it was at 3:00 a.m. (until recently I was not aware that there was a 3:00 a.m. in the morning. It would come up in conversation with other people that there was but I had never seen it). We threw our clothes together in the luggage, wiping our tired eyes and questioning what possessed us to book a flight at 5:45 a.m.

Fortunately, Todd had ordered a black car service for us. We had our stuff together and headed downstairs to the empty apt. lobby. The car was there and we loaded our one big suitcase and slid in to the black Lincoln town car.

The ride was smooth and fast and the driver was very hospitable. Not sure why or how someone could be so chipper that early in the morning. More power to him!

We camped out in the Club Lounge and awaited the flight. Surprisingly, I didn't feel tired. It might've been the excitement for the trip.

We had a layover in Houston. We arrived in New Orleans, got our suitcase and headed to catch a cab. The cab driver had a thick accent and seemed more of a character out of Rockford Files. His cab was cluttered with paper, Mardi Gras beads hanging from his rear view window and a plastic fan clipped to his mirror, oscillating the hot air in the cab.

He was personable and asked us where we were coming from, hard to understand with his Southern, Cajun French accent.

He dropped us off at the Sheraton on Canal and we checked in. It's a hotel with more of a business atmosphere, with a fountain in front and a glass domed bar in the center of the lobby.

The air condition felt wonderful compared to the thick, humid air outside.

We decided to walk through the French Quarter. The buildings are Spanish Architecture with palm trees in the middle of Canal street. We took our time walking, I took note of the stores, as we passed by, some gift, some antique. Nothing quite drawing us in, but enjoying window shopping.

The air was thick and damp, sticking to our bare skins. It felt as if we were walking through damp thick air, the remanance sticking to us. I hadn't felt this thick air since living in Kansas in the summer. But this air was even more humid.

It was passed 2:00 and we hadn't eaten since breakfast. We tried getting in to a restaurant Todd had remembered eating at when he was here before. Port a Call, a hamburger joint. There was a line outside waiting which is always a good sign. It looked like a hole in the wall, but I trusted his judgment and taste. No seating for another hour and a half. We decided to try again tomorrow.

We had passed an African restaurant that looked intriguing. The place was sparsely decorated with several African paintings on the wall. Each table was covered with a tie-died table cloth. It was a very casual and laid back atmosphere. The service was slow but friendly. Todd warned me not to feel in a hurry at restaurants in the south, which I had heard and experienced on a trip last fall to Savannah, GA. People take their time, which is not what we're used to in the hustle and bustle in New York city restaurants.

I ordered the Domada which is a beef dish with peanut stew on rice (everything came with rice). Todd ordered the Shipa Shipa which was shrimp in a spicy sauce. We both ordered a ginger soda. The ginger taste had a delayed kick to it, which became stronger after you tasted it.

We both relished our meals. The sauce was thick and full of a peanut flavor (it was made out of crushed peanuts). I tried to soak up every last bite with the roll that was provided with the dish.

After lunch, we kept walking through the Quarter. We stumbled in to a Bohemian area with artsy shops I dragged Todd through. We walked through the French Market, which sold items similar to what a street vendor would on a New York City street corner, not too many original items but it was fun to look.

We walked through the Market and then we heard music playing outside the Market, so we found a place to sit on a bench and listened for a little while. I wanted to hear live music play so that was fun. We then walked around Jackson Square where local artists displayed their work. Then walked closer to the River and sat and watched boats go by. Beignets were calling our names, so we HAD to go to Cafe Du Monde and purchase a couple of hot off the grille beignets covered in powder sugar.

We decided to take the trolley to the Garden district. We rode the original trolley, which picked us up close to the hotel. All the windows were up and it looked like the original light bulbs were still in place. It had such an old fashion feel to it; we loved it. It still made a clickity clack noise as it rode across the tracks. We loved looking at the old big homes as we passed by. It was a great way to see more of the city. We rode it to the end of the line.

Then we started walking back, looking for a place for dinner. We looked on Todd's phone at the Zagat's listing at I spotted a place that looked appealing. It was called Mat and Addie's. Then we went on a hunt to find the Mat and Addie's. It was a little hard to find since we were walking, but we did find it. It had a more casual, relaxing atmosphere, compared to the previous place. Friendly service and we didn't have to wait long to get seated. It was a cottage turned in to a restaurant. It was a little hard to hear (there was a large group behind us) but after they left, we could hear each other better. They served hot bread to start (I always like places that serve bread). I ordered the stuffed shrimp-stuffed with roasted corn and ham with spinach lettuce in mango sauce. Excellent! It melted in my mouth full of flavor. Todd ordered the fried oyster salad and he liked his as well. The waitress was friendly. Unfortunately, we were too full to be tempted with dessert. But the dessert menu looked just as appetizing. I would definitely recommend this place.

Then we took the trolley back to the hotel, walked around a little bit to see the night life on Bourbon Street. Then went back to the hotel and collapsed! Sunday was just as eventful. We decided to explore the opposite direction today towards the Warehouse District. Todd showed me the building he stayed in while he worked here. It was very humid again. I was having a hard time getting used to the thick humidity. When we walked outside from our apt., it felt like we walked in to a big warm shower and had a film of water on us. It didn't seem to bother Todd as much (or he just didn't complain about it like I did!).

We took a bus all along Magazine Street, the upcoming artsy area, with unique stores. Todd had said this area was completely abandoned when he was here before, so it was neat to see it coming back to life. We took the bus all the way to the end of the line and walked back up Magazine-which ended being several miles! We stopped for a smoothie at Dixie Bee's Smoothies which had just opened that day! It was pretty good-I would recommend going there. They mixed the smoothy with soy milk to make it healthier. We struck up a conversation with one of the ladies and she said she was from the midwest. I asked her where and she said Kansas City!! Small world.....

We continued walking...and walking...and then we walked some more. We came to a place for lunch, __________. We split a sandwich. It was pretty good. There weren't a lot of places to chose from. There were more retail shops than restaurants. We came to the end of Magazine and I was about ready to collapse. We walked to the Convention Center so Todd could get his materials for his convention. Oh yea, that's why we're here.... Went back to the hotel and got hooked on a show about truck drivers in Alaska driving the North Slope. It was fascinating how they get through driving in winter. They have to drive in winter because the ground is more solid. They even drive over the ocean. Learn something every day.

Then we went to find a place for dinner-the perpetual debate. Found August. It was upper scale but had seating for us. It was 9:00 p.m. and we were having a hard time finding places that were open. Some places close early on Sunday evenings. Again, we're spoiled. The food was excellent. Todd ordered ___________ and I ordered the gnoochi. Then we ordered coffee and it was from Argentina. Excellent. Very smooth and rich.

Monday morning rode with Todd to the Convention Center to say our goodbyes. I was going to go see "Dinosaurs 3-D" at the IMAX but it was closed on Mondays. So, I was lead to go back to the hotel for breakfast. The lady I sat next to asked me to watch her purse as she got up to go to the buffet. I said sure and didn't think anything of it. Then, when she came back, we struck up a conversation and had a wonderful time, talking about a wide variety of things. We ended up talking for an hour and a half and exchanged contact information. And her name was Robin too.

I discovered there was a house that Edgar Degas lived at for four months while he visited New Oreleans that they give tours of. After the breakfast encounter, I took a cab to the Degas house and was given a tour. Fascinating to think that this famous artist lived and worked at this house. Grateful to have gotten to see it. Took a cab back to the hotel and had 10 minutes before the shuttle arrived to take me to the airport. Todd's conference lasts through Thursday so he wouldn't be home until Friday. Overall we loved New Orleans. Hope to not bore you with too many details and hope you enjoyed reading about this trip! Until next time. Happy travels!

Atlanta Adventure April 7-10 2010!

Our Second trip this year (our first big was one to Lake Placid-a wonderful week of skiing and snow boarding during the Olympics) was to Atlanta, GA so Todd could attend a conference for non-profit technology. We flew in on a Wednesday and took the train in to downtown. We were walking by a W Hotel (one of my favorites) and I said "look Todd, a W Hotel" and he surprised me and walked in to the hotel. He had booked it to surprise me. What fun! We love the W hotels, they're so modernly decorated, have fun lobbies and wonderful food.

We unloaded our luggage in the room and then walked around and explored (like we usually do when we get to a city). We walked to the Convention Center, which was close by. On our way back, we walked through the Olympic Park where the 1996 Summer Olympics were held.

We had appetizers in the hip lobby and then took the train to church. It's a big beautiful church right next to the Art Museum. The service was good and there testimonies, one right after another.

Then we walked around the neighborhood and went back to the hotel.

Thursday morning, Todd had a little bit of time before his conference started, so we went to the Art Museum. There was a John Portman exhibit, a famous architect that Todd wanted to see.

Todd had to leave and I lingered a bit more at the Museum (of course!) I walked over to the Reading Room (which was next to the church) and got a little studying in. It was a beautiful reading room, nicely layed out.

I stayed at the Museum the rest of the day. There was a nice African permanent mask exhibit and a special digital artist exhibit. I then left and met up with Todd at the Hotel.

We went exploring in Buckhead. We walked quite a ways (as we're used to doing). There wasn't too much to see, mostly businesses and residential. Then we found our way back close to the train stop where a French restaurant had caught our eye. The food was pretty good. We're pretty spoiled and hard to please, because we compare the food we get in New York to other places. The waiter spoke French, so it was fun to listen to him talk.

Friday Todd went to his conference and I went to the Botanical Gardens! There were a lot of tulips and a chihuly glass piece by the fountain.

I stayed all day, soaked up the sun and took in the scents from the flowers.




I met Todd back at the hotel and we decided to eat at BLLT Steak, the restaurant in the hotel. It was excellent. Some of the best steak we've had. Well seasoned, juicy and full of flavor. It melted in our mouths.

The next day was less eventful. Todd went to his last day of the conference. I had several places I was trying to decide between to go, but got several business calls, so I took care of business. By then, Todd was done with his conference and it was time to head back!