New York City, New York: Day 4

(Actual date of visit: April 15-18, 2011)

Finally, the last day of our visit. We packed a lot into these four days! I'm tired of writing about it. I hope you're not tired of reading about it.

On our last day in town, Tom actually drove us into the city to the Museum of Natural History. I have to admit I was skeptical that he could get us there without getting lost but he found the way no problem.

If you ever get a chance to visit this museum, you must go. It was awesome.

Lots of dinosaur bones to see.

Wow, what a resemblance.

Hey Dum Dum, do you have any gum gum?

Yep, that's a big blue whale hanging from the ceiling.

For lunch we walked down the street to the Shake Shack. I would highly recommend the Shack burger and a Fair Trade Coffee shake. Yum.

We had an awesome time in NYC! Thanks again Cathy, Al & Jack!

New York City, New York: Day 3

(Actual date of visit: April 15-18, 2011)

Day 3 brought us back into the city courtesy of our generous hosts/tour guides, the Cattabiani's.

Cathy, Al & Jack

Our plan was to take the subway into the city, visit the High Line Park, walk over to Doughnut Plant and then go back to Times Square, walk around a bit and then head home.

Cathy and Al were very strategic about how we could get in and get out without killing Andrew walking. I've decided that is exactly why I wouldn't make it in this city. Too much to figure out, too much planning and too many alternatives to consider. Plus I would get lost.

Speaking of getting lost, one of the tour guides on the bus route on Day 1 kept praising the wonders of the "grid system" that makes up the NY streets. I'm not exaggerating, she really got excited about it. And this woman wasn't too happy about anything. The only time she showed any emotion was when she was yelling at us to duck and when she was singing the praises of the grid system. Weird, right?

Anyway, they (meaning all New Yorkers) say once you figure out the grid, you won't get lost. Right. Thanks, but I would be lost and dead in a gutter before someone found me. No. Doubt. About. It.

Where was I? Oh, right going to the High Line. On the way, we stopped and got a real hot dog from a street vendor. Yum. Then we walked over to the High Line Park. Here's a little history about the park from their website (http://www.thehighline.org/about/high-line-history):

The High Line was built in the 1930s, as part of a massive public-private infrastructure project called the West Side Improvement. It lifted freight traffic 30 feet in the air, removing dangerous trains from the streets of Manhattan's largest industrial district. No trains have run on the High Line since 1980. Friends of the High Line, a community-based non-profit group, formed in 1999 when the historic structure was under threat of demolition. Friends of the High Line works in partnership with the City of New York to preserve and maintain the structure as an elevated public park.

At the High Line Park

It was a beautiful, sunny day to walk along the park. Then we hiked over to Doughnut Plant. I saw a show on the Food Network about this place. They have creme brulee donuts. 'Nuff said, we had to check it out. Unfortunately, they were sold out of the creme brulee donuts but I found the coconut cream donut to be just as satisfying. :-)

After our yummy snack we took the subway back up to Rockefeller Center. It was a crude ploy to entice the children to keep going. We were going to visit the Lego store (Andrew's choice) and then M & M World (Kait's bribe, I mean choice).

Adam & Kaitlyn ready for the subway.

All was going well until we got on the subway. There were 10 of us in our group so when we got on the subway car, almost everyone had to stand. I saw a few open seats so I moved up to let more people on and I sat down.

Then two things immediately occurred to me.

First, the awful realization that I had made a terrible mistake by sitting down. The second thing that hit me was the strong perfume of urine.

You know what it's like when you walk through the mall and pass a Bath & Bodyworks store? All you can smell are the overwhelming fragrances competing for space in every single pore in your sinuses?

Yea, it was like that only all the products were made from urine. Urine from an extremely dehydrated person.

I told myself that I was taking one for the team. At least the kids weren't sitting here. However, I am desperately looking at everyone from my group. Pleading with my eyes for some recognition on their part that something just isn't quite kosher with my situation.

Alas, every last one of them are standing with their backs to me while they watch Teresa and Al trying not to fall out of the closing subway doors. (I mean seriously, you people are New Yorkers, you should know better than to lean on the subway doors!)

I turned slightly away from Urine Guy (as I have come to know him) and started chatting with the lady to my left. She asks where we are from and tells us to enjoy the city. Then she leaves. Thanks lady.

Meanwhile, Urine Guy is rocking back and forth trying to get my attention. I know the rules in Crazytown. Don't make eye contact! I'm doing my best and still trying to get the attention of anyone in my group...

Urine Guy is persistent though. He rocks faster and then finally leans forward and turns so he is directly in my face. I think, "Uh oh, here we go." Urine Guy says, "Hi." I say hi back and try to remain cool, calm and collected. Still nothing from my family. Thanks guys!

I'm still doing my best to not engage with Urine Guy. So he decides to escalate things. He actually puts is hand on my arm and starts slowing sliding his hand up my arm! Before I even think about what to do, I calmly swipe his hand away and say, "Uh, noooo."

Finally Adam makes eye contact with me! I'm sure he's thinking, "What the heck is wrong with you Kelly?" because my eyes are as big as saucers and I am trying to discretely gesture and signal to him what the heck just happened.

As soon as we escape from the subway car, I tell everyone what happened. My brother-in-law, who was born and raised in Brooklyn and has lived much of his life in New York, starts laughing hysterically. He claims that in all his years in NYC he's never had an issue on the subway.

I guess I'm just lucky that way. Yeah me, I hit the urine lottery on the crazy train.

New York city, New York: Day 2

(Actual date of the visit: April 15-18, 2011)

We covered a lot a territory on Day 1 in NYC. Day 2 was very low key but just as fun. We went to the 3rd Annual Sausage Fest at Half Moon Restaurant in Dobbs Ferry. I kid you not - sausage fest.

All the sausage and beer you can eat and drink and it's all for a good cause. The proceeds go to the the Abangoh Children's Project. Learn more here: http://www.abangoh.org/.

You'll have to take my word for it when I tell you we enjoyed ourselves. The food was excellent and the beer was plentiful. There were activities for the kids and lots of good company to chat with. This is the only picture that I took all day. Go figure.

Kaitlyn with her cousin, Teresa and her friend Whitney.

On an interesting side note, we did discover that Adam could hang with the big dogs when it came to the adult bevies. You must get that from Tom. Manhattans, really?!? Our little boy is all grown up.

Whatcha drinkin' Adam?

New York City, New York: Day 1

(Actual date of visit: April 15-18, 2011)

Where do I begin with NYC...yes, the beginning. Lots to share but I'll try to only hit the highlights.

Tom's sister and her family live north of NYC so we stayed with them while we were in town. The plan was to take the train to Grand Central Station and walk over to Rockefeller Center.

Kaitlyn really wanted to be on the Today Show but luckily for me, we talked her out of getting up at 5:00 a.m. so we could get a really good spot on the rail. Unfortunately, we forgot about it being the week of Easter/Passover and a spring break week for a lot of people. It was super crowded by the time we got there.

Our not so good view at the Today Show.

All I wanted was an autograph from Lenny. He is the guy in the photo below in the black cowboy hat. He is at the Today Show everyday. I know it's weird but I always look for him in the crowd when I watch the show at home. He doesn't appear to be that friendly on TV but I was pleased to see him talking to everyone in the crowd and signing autographs. Next time, we'll be there early and bring him a little souvenir from Nerk. LOL

I wanted to get Lenny's autograph. Maybe next time.

After the Today Show, we walked over to Times Square and did the rest of our sightseeing via a hop-on-hop-off bus tour through downtown. Click here if you want to see a map of the loop we took.

Adam and Andrew on the NYC tour bus.

The bus tour is the way to go if you have kids like mine who complain about a lot of walking. The funny thing was we were sitting on the top of the bus and some of the street signs, traffic lights and tree branches almost hit us! Check out this photo that Tom snapped of the street sign ready to take our heads' off.

One time our tour guide started yelling, "Duck! Duck! Duck!" into the microphone. I had to crouch down to avoid being skewered and/or beheaded by a tree! Of course, Tom, Kait, Andrew and Adam, who incidentally were all across the aisle on the other side of the bus, thought that was hilarious. It's all fun and games until mommy looses an eye.

Our next stop was the Statue of Liberty. Our tour tickets included a ferry ride over to the Statue. We got there and saw a loooooonnnnggg line. Being the overly optimistic person that I am, I thought, "That can't possibly be the line we need to get in." So I asked someone and she said we had to go to the ticket booth to get our passes to the ferry.

What a relief because that line was a lot shorter! So we get to the front of the line and she says, "You already have your tickets, you just need to get in the line by the pier." I think "Cool," because she points in a direction away from the really really long line. (Denial is a powerful thing.)

So we go to the pier. There's that damn long line again! Once again I think, "There must be another line..." so I ask another person. They point in the vague direction of the long line but I rationalize that there must be two lines over there. "Doesn't that one look like a shorter line? That must be the line WE need." We walk over to the shorter line and I asked AGAIN.

I even show the nice young man our tickets so there will be no question. "Sorry lady. You need to get in that line." Me: "You mean the one that curves around the building and down the block?" Him: "Yep."

If I only had as much discipline and determination when it came to my diet and exercise....

As close as we could get to the Statue of Liberty.

Our last stop of the day was the Empire State Building. We passed it earlier and the line was out the building and around the corner. The tour guide said when that happens it is at least a 3 hour wait. So we stayed put on the bus and looped back around at the end of the day.

When we got back there was no line! Yeah! We walked in and right up to...you guessed it, the line! The one that snakes around and around until you get to "the elevators of false hope". Just so you are prepared when go, you don't take the elevators on the 80th floor to the top of the building. You take those elevators to the 86th floor and the next phase of the never-ending line.

By the time you get to the top and look out, you really don't care what's there.

One of the views from the Empire State Building

We hiked back to Grand Central Station where a good Samaritan helped us find the train we needed to get back to Cathy's. He was so nice, at first I thought he worked for the Transit Authority but then we found out he was just a nice person who thought we could use some help.

Who said the people in NYC aren't nice?

Houston, We Have a Problem...

So we were on our way to NYC via Dobbs Ferry, NY where Tom's sister and her family live. Everything was going according to plan until Andrew runs up and shouts, "Mommy, come quick! Sissy has a bad scratch on her foot!"

Well, that "bad scratch" was a deep gouge and skin tear on the arch of Kait's foot. Apparently, as we were navigating the crappy Connecticut highways, Kait lost her balance and came down on the floor lock that keeps the bedroom door from sliding shut while we drive.

After a trip to the urgent care, stitches, antibiotics and some crutches, she's all set.

Needless to say, we aren't going to attempt to go into NYC. We are heading home until Kait is off the injured reserve. Then we will swing back around and catch NYC, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh before we head to the Mid Atlantic states.

We'll keep you posted...

Lake Placid, NY & Plattsburgh, NY

On Sunday, it was rainy, cool and gloomy so we jumped in the car and drove around.  First we drove up to Lake Placid, NY, home of the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. On the way, we stopped at Mel's Diner for lunch. I have to say, I was disappointed that there was no Flo telling anyone to "Kiss my grits!"

Mel's Diner in Wilmington, NY

Downtown Lake Placid was packed with people going to lots of little shops. It looked like a neat place to poke around but we weren't dressed for the drop in temperature.  It literally dropped 12 degrees from our campsite in Keeseville to downtown Lake Placid!  Everyone we meet already thinks we are crazy because they are bundled up and we're still in shorts and t-shirts.  But even I thought Lake Placid was chilly.  So we just drove around and then headed home.

We also drove over to Plattsburgh, NY.  I had some family who lived there for years.  We never got to visit them because it's so far away from Ohio and now they have moved to the Cape Cod area and we will be visiting them in a few weeks!

The funny thing we noticed about Plattsburgh and Lake Champlain is for a holiday weekend there was hardly anyone around.  We expected lots of people to be boating on the Lake and people to be out and about for the holiday.  Most of the towns around here seemed almost deserted. Weird. 

Maybe they all get out of town before it gets too cold...?  I know I would!

Au Sable Chasm, NY

On Saturday, September 4, 2010, we toured the Au Sable Chasm. Apparently, the Chasm is also known as the "Grand Canyon of the East."  Who knew? I hadn't even heard of this place before. LOL  It was pretty.  We hiked a mile or so and then took a raft ride down the river.

Cooperstown, NY

On Wednesday, we left Niagara Falls and headed to Cooperstown, NY.  We stayed overnight in the Cooperstown KOA and then broke camp and traveled in the RV into Cooperstown on Thursday morning with the intention of seeing the Fly Creek Cider Mill and Orchard and the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Let me set the scene, we are traveling in a motor home towing a car so altogether our traveling circus is about 54 feet long or so. We can't back up without unhooking the car (which is not that easy to do) and we can't make sharp turns easily...

Tom called the mill and made sure there was bus parking and we both assumed that the Baseball HOF would have tour buses coming through there all the time so we didn't bother calling there to check out the parking situation.  Do you see where I'm going with this?

We went to the mill first. No problems. It was fun and there was lots of food to sample and wine to taste (who cares that it was only 10:00 am the tasting cups were really tiny so it doesn't count!) The cider press doesn't start up until after Labor Day so we didn't get to see it running but we watched the movie and learned all about it. Here is a pic of what it looks like:

The original Fly Creek Cider Press is still used today.

Flash ahead to the Baseball HOF.  We saw a few park and ride trolley stops on the way to the HOF. Did it occur to us that they were there for a reason? Nope. I'll spare you the details of the actual trip in the RV through the little town of Cooperstown.  Let's just say it was tense. With a capital T! Unfortunately, it didn't get much better even after we made it to the HOF either.

So here is what we learned from our trip to the HOF:

1. Call ahead about parking even if you think you know that it will be ok. Duh.
2. If you see trolley park and rides, they are probably there because they don't have any parking. Duh.
3. If your kids hate baseball, the Baseball Hall of Fame is probably not the venue to drag them to. Duh. (Yeah, that probably deserves a double duh.)

Tom and I enjoyed the Baseball HOF. Maybe we'll come back someday without the kids. (But I think we'll fly here and rent a taxi to drop us off at the front door!)

Anyway, after everything was said an done, we ate lunch in the RV at the park and ride and took off for a few days at Lake Champlain.

More to come...

Niagara Falls, NY

OK, so the theory is we want to post everyday...but the reality is that's probably not going to happen.  LOL Anyone who knows us isn't really surprised but I thought I'd just put that out there. Full disclosure and all.

So yesterday we went to Niagara Falls, NY. It was a lot of fun. Here is a photo of Kaitlyn and Andrew on the Hurricane Deck at the Cave of the Winds tour.  Andrew didn't really want to wear the poncho because he prefers to get totally drenched whenever possible. He also fell in love with the very ugly water sandles they provide you so your shoes don't get soaked.  He insisted on wearing them all afternoon.  (All he needed were black socks and I would swear he was channeling my late grandfather!) Not to worry though, I have tucked them away so he forgets to put them on at our next stop. Out of sight, out of mind is a wonderful thing.

We stayed on the American side of the Falls. Tom said I conveniently forgot our passports so we couldn't go across the border. I just like to stay in my own country unless I have a really good reason to cross the border like an amzing beach, sun, 85 degrees and fabulous unbrella drinks. I could clearly see over to the Canadian side of the Falls and there was none of that so why leave the homeland? That's all I'm saying.

For years I have heard about how ugly the American side is and how beautiful the Canadian side is. Well, in my humble opinion, the American side looked really nice. Very clean and well-kept. The kids had fun and might have even learned something.

Today we traveled to Cooperstown, NY. We plan on touring the Baseball Hall of Fame in the morning. Ironically, our campsite is located at Pete Rose Way. I don't suppose we'll be seeing much of him tomorrow.

And We're Off!

We woke up this morning at the Niagara Falls KOA! 

Yesterday went pretty well considering the worst part of the trip is loading the RV. We worked all day on Monday loading our home away from home with clothes, food and the essentials (we think) we'll need on the road. We had the car hooked up too and everything was fine but one turn light on the car. Ugh. So out to RCD to have them check the connections and then we headed east.

Tom loves his new GPS. I've named the lady's voice Betty. However, she made us take a wrong turn in Buffalo so I may take against her.

After some school work this morning, we are off to see the Falls!

More later...