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!