Travels in the USA

Rhinebeck was supposed to be our last stop but we decided to add one more leg to our journey. On July 4th, we drove up to the Massachusetts Turnpike (gorgeous gorgeous drive!) and then across that state and down to Jamestown, Rhode Island. It rained almost the entire drive but when we arrived at the coast, the clouds were lifting.

We stayed with our friends, the Baabs, and went to a wonderful fireworks display that night. As I watched the bursts of color, I couldn't help but think about how fitting an end this was to our cross country odyssey -- a celebration of the United States just after we had traveled through so many of them.

The second day in Rhode Island was a site seeing day. We walked along the cliffs of Newport looking out at the misty sea on one side and the huge mansions (more from the Gilded Age) on the other. We also drove through the extensive and beautiful farmlands that make up the little islands in that area.

The next day we drove to JFK airport -- a substantial drive and there was much traffic because of the holiday weekend. Happily, we made it to the airport just in time. As the plane took off (by this time it was dusk), Sarah and I could see a few fireworks shows. It was really funny to see them from above -- bright little puffballs of color with no sound. Kind of cool. Later in the flight there was quite a bit of turbulence. I looked out the window to see huge thunder clouds and lots of lightening. It went on for about an hour. We were flying next to the storm rather than in it but it was kind of unnerving. Okay, really unnerving. Even so, I couldn't help but be awed by the sight of the lightening in the clouds. Sometimes there would be three bolts in quick succession and they lit up the clouds spectacularly.

We landed safely and our friend, Gretchen Brevig, kindly picked us up and drove us home. Here we are in the photo, exhausted but feeling very fortunate to have had such a full and wonderful trip. We figured out that we drove through 21 states during our trip!

Our time in Rhinebeck, New York was very relaxing. We stayed with our friends, Paul, Sandra, and Mia, in the beautiful Hudson Valley. We ate wonderful food (thanks to Paul) and had more sleep than we’ve had for a while. We spent the first afternoon driving around the rolling hills and seeing the little town of Woodstock, where we went to a flea and farmer’s market – it was very hip(pie) there and we felt as though we had gone back in time once again.

The second day we toured the Vanderbilt mansion in Hyde Park, considered one of the smaller mansions on the east coast with only 54 rooms. The house has all its original furnishings from the America’s gilded age. It felt a little as if the Vanderbilts had just left a few weeks ago instead of in the 1930s.

The photo shows Sarah and Peter with Mia on the "Three Season Porch" of the Tsang house.

Manhattan is big as ever. We stayed in Mid-Town at a great (and very reasonable) little hotel and plunged into the sights and sounds and tastes and smells of New York City. We went to the Guggenheim the first morning for an incredible retrospective of the artist, Louise Bourgeois, who is almost 100 and still going strong. After that we took the subway to Canal Street so Peter and Sarah could experience the land of knock-offs. It was a vivid experience. Then on to see my brother, Robert, and his family just around the corner in Soho for some hang out time and great food.

Our second day in the city began with the mummies in the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We saw all of Egypt and walked through rooms and rooms full of gorgeous and amazing paintings in the European section. I forgot what it was like to be utterly swept away by one of those paintings and I suddenly found myself wishing I could be in New York for another month just to come to the Metropolitan every day and see ALL the art. And then there are all those other museums that we didn't even see! But somehow, we found ourselves back on the subway, going to Greenwich Village to meet Robert, Sherry, and Kate. We went to lunch at Angelica Kitchen, the ultimate vegan restaurant, and I was very happy. Just for balance, we went to Magnolia's for amazing cupcakes. Then we wandered around Greenwich Village and hung out at a playground so Kate and Peter could swing and swing.

Later that night we went to see Wicked on Broadway. Very wonderful! Then we walked back to our hotel by way of Times Square and all the people and colors. Nice to be out in the bustle and to see the night skyline of Manhattan. We also walked through the cavern of Grand Central Station. Magnificent.

The next morning we packed up and headed out of town (through much traffic) to Rhinebeck, New York.

We left Gettysburg early and drove to Shea Stadium to see the Mets play the Yankees (a much more benign civil war). The traffic was terrible as we got closer to the stadium and we had to park more than a mile away. We finally got to our seats at the bottom of the second inning but what a place! The stadium holds about 65,000 people and every one of them was there for the game. The Mets won 3 to 1, which was good because we were with the Tsangs and they are Mets fans. My brother, Robert, met us for the game too so we had a great time of it. It started pouring in the 5th inning and continued for about half an hour (this seems to be a theme of our trip). Then the sun came out again and we dried out. The game was great and it was a real New York experience. People, people, people! We walked back to our car and the rain started again. We were thoroughly drenched again. Damp as we were, we went to a great Chinese restaurant in Queens. Yum. Then on to Manhattan for the next three nights.

We traveled to Gettysburg with our Nolan cousins, Debbie, Virgil, and Michael. We drove through the beautiful countryside of Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania and it only took a few hours. We got to Gettysburg in time for a good lunch and then went to the brand new Gettysburg National Military Park and Museum. The Museum was designed by the same people who designed the Holocaust museum and it is just as detailed and impressive. Really impressive.

After walking through the exhibit, which was all too quick, we got in our car and went on the auto tour through the park – a 24-mile route that takes in all the major sites, memorials, and battlefields. Gettysburg is a treasure trove of history. We especially appreciated standing on Little Round Top, where one of the major Gettysburg battles was fought. Wow. It is extraordinarily beautiful country and really something to think of all that happened there – 10s of thousands of casualties, much bravery, great victory and great defeat. The men who fought in the Civil War went through so much misery. Interesting fact (one of several thousand interesting facts): of the 618,000 men (and probably some women too) who died in the Civil War, two-thirds died of disease and one third of actual battle wounds.

Civil War history is fascinating and I must say that Gone With the Wind certainly gives some insight into what the War was like for those living in the south and especially the chaotic aftermath that went on for many years after 1865 and the surrender at Appomattox. Incidentally, we are now 2/3 of the way through the audio book! Scarlett is still obsessed with Ashley but we aren't hearing about it so much. She's well distracted by making money and dealing with the dastardly Yankees.

(Side note: check out Charleston again for a picture that finally uploaded.)