On To New York and Pennsylvania

September 20, 2007 -- We packed up and road-tripped to the east New Jersey / New York City area. While en route, we passed through coastal Connecticut, truly a beautiful place. We stopped in New London, where we visited the US Navy Submarine Training base, and went to the Submariner’s Museum. The museum contained the history of submarines in the US, as well as a number of submarine compartment mock-ups, using parts and control systems of actual submarines—buttons and switches and gadgets, oh my! The visit finished up with a tour of the USS Nautilus, the first nuclear submarine in the US Fleet, now retired. We then paid a visit to the US Coast Guard Academy (perhaps with the idea of “planting a few seeds” within our children) to “look about” for a bit. Perhaps with the specter of college tuitions going through the roof, a recall of the scenic campus on the Connecticut coast area, with a full-ride scholarship courtesy of the US Government, with a guaranteed job on the graduation end may start to “looking good” when comes the time to consider a college choice…

We got into Jersey City in the early evening, and attempted to follow some fuzzy directions to a campsite in a marina on the Hudson River, just up from the Statue of Liberty. After several attempts, we finally located the hoped for location, only to find that it was booked solid for the night, despite several empty spaces. After a get-lost session in the ‘hood of upper Jersey City, which quickened the pulse a just a bit, we finally found our way back to the Jersey Turnpike and headed west, to find the KOA near Stroudsburg, PA, nearly two hours away, finally rolling in at about 1:00 AM.

September 21, 2007 -- The day bloomed bright, and we went to check in at the office. After some hard-line negotiations to get a reasonable price on the campsite, which required a move from our original site, we enjoyed a relaxing day in camp. What we found out later was that there was a rodeo in town for the weekend (we thought that was an “out west” thing…). Well, early in the evening, several carloads of city-slicker 20-something female “cowboy groupies” rolled in, and where else did they set up camp? Of course, right across from us… the Coors Light flowed freely, as did the loud talking, laughter, and “Cowboy Karaoke” until as late as 4:30 AM, despite several warnings by KOA personnel to put a lid on it…Grrrrr. Oh, did I mention this kept up for TWO nights? Double grrrrr!!! As I have found out so many times in my law enforcement career, there is no point in trying to reason with alcohol-soaked people, so we just had to tough it out…

September 22. 2007 -- We drove down to New York Harbor and boarded a ferry for Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Ellis Island, once a beehive of immigrant processing activity in the late 1800’s until the mid 1900’s, stood silent for many years as it slowly decayed. In the later 1900’s, Ellis Island was adopted by the US Park Service and meticulously restored. On our visit day, it appeared to be as much a cultural and ethnic melting pot as it was in its heyday—there were so many different races, cultures, ethnicities, manner of dress, and languages represented there, it was almost like seeing the facility as it once might have been, albeit modern amenities. I could go on and on about this one, but, better to read about it on your own, or let’s chat later…

We then moved on to see the Statue of Liberty—now there’s an impressive lady! Regrettably, we could not go up inside the statue as you used to be able to prior to 9-11, but, it was still a magnificent sight to behold from the outside. We tagged onto a Ranger-led tour, and it’s always great to find someone who is passionate on his topic, and this Ranger certainly was! It’s easy to imagine how the sight of this statue, while entering the NY Harbor after leaving “the old country” for a new life in a new land could stir a person’s soul, and bring tears to their eyes…

September 23, 2007 -- Road trip through the Pocono Mountains, to the rolling farmlands of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, made famous by its large Amish population. The colors are starting to change for the fall, and we look forward to the Autumn in all her glory... We found a really nice RV park just east of Lancaster city, and tucked in for a few days. On the agenda while based here is Gettysburg, Philadelphia, Hershey, and the local sights.

September 24, 2007 -- We took a bus tour through the local Amish countryside. The Amish are everywhere here, and blend well, albeit conspicuously, with all the modernism of the heavily tourist-oriented town, which is really about them. Just when you thought the term “wireless” had something to do with lap-top computers and the Internet, take a look at an Amish farmstead; yea, many of them clumped together—now, that brings a whole new perspective on the word wireless—no juice to any of these farms, which are lit by gas lights, heated by wood, propane, or kerosene, and propelled by horse power, compressed air, or diesel. We watched while passing several farms as the Amish did hand labor and horse-powered harvesting in their fields; and saw several Amish schoolyards brimming with like-clad children having fun during lunch before returning to one-room school buildings to get their education, which typically stops at the eighth grade; and saw each Amish domicile flying a lengthy lanyard of drying laundry in the sunshine, as Monday is wash-day. We stopped at a quilt shop, and watched the Amish lady quickly and expertly doing impeccable hand stitching on a beautiful quilt under construction, and marveled at her collection of stunning quilts for sale, for prices that don’t seem unreasonable, relative to what some stores would sell them for (she said that retailers take a significant mark-up on Amish quilts). A couple more stops at a farm and a local craftsman that does woodwork were equally impressive; and fresh-made ice cream really is better than the stuff you buy at the store!