Vacation Diary, Part Two

Monday, June 16
We left the 9/11 Memorial and Museum after noon, and we were hungry. We stopped at the first deli we saw and decided to go upstairs, be seated, and order pizza, instead of ordering sandwiches from the counter downstairs. The World Cup was playing on the big screens, and the place was busy. And the service was slow. The pizza was wonderful, but we were there at least an hour. By the time we found our way back to the subway, got back to Grand Central Station, and walked back to the hotel, it was well after 2:00. And then we had to wait for the car to be delivered. Bottom line, we weren't out of the city till after 3:00, later than I wanted to leave.
But we got through the Lincoln Tunnel fast, and the traffic on the Turnpike kept moving. We checked into our Residence Inn in Horsham and got to Jen's after 5:30, in plenty of time for a wonderful evening.
Matt grilled some of the best Italian sausages and barbecue chicken thighs we've ever eaten. And Jen had brought in every salad sold at the Giant supermarket deli. It was a wonderful supper. We took a walk through the neighborhood to use up a few calories. (All 8 of us, four Johnsons plus Evelyn and me and the Cartwrights.) And then we adjourned to Dairy Delite to enjoy a true delight native to the area, water ice. We ate our ice cream, lucky to snag a table when the place was crowded with other delight-seekers. It was a great way to end the day.

Tuesday, June 17
We slept in a little and relaxed in the morning and got to Jen's around 11:30. We went to lunch with Jen and Miles at a quaint little coffee shop/cafe nearby and then drove into the city to the historical district. We didn't have a lot of time; the museums all closed at 5:00. But we were able to see an introductory film, the Liberty Bell, Congress Hall, and Independence Hall. (All the free tickets for the latter were already gone when Jen had called several days earlier, but the ranger let us sneak in with a huge tour group of high school kids, and we were really glad we got to see it.)
We had good tour guides at Congress Hall and Independence Hall, and we enjoyed lolly-gagging through the adjacent Washington Park, under the giant shade trees, beside a sparkling fountain, and surrounded by colorful landscaping.

The senate chamber inside Independence Hall

We walked down to Penn Landing and looked across the Delaware River at Camden, New Jersey. Matt and Miles met us and led us to Sonny's, one of their favorite spots for the famous Philly cheesesteaks. Wow, what a good choice. They were really good--and larger than some of us could finish.

We drove back to Levittown and decided we needed something light and sweet to get the taste of the cheesesteaks out of our mouths. You guessed it--another trip to Dairy Delite. Two days in a row isn't too much for vacation!

Wednesday, June 18
Jen met us at our hotel, because it was on the way to today's destination, Valley Forge. After a delightful lunch of salads and soups (and a couple of cookies) at the Corner Bakery Cafe, we made our way to the national park.
It was a h-h-h-hot day. I think the temp hit 96 degrees that afternoon. But we still enjoyed the visit. We watched the introductory film and looked at all the explanatory displays in the visitors center. Then we took the trolley tour around the giant park. The guide explained how regiments from the various states built log cabins, many of them each sleeping 6-9 men. We were interested to learn there was no battle there and Valley Forge housed more than 20,000 people, including several hundred women and children who would have been destitute if they hadn't accompanied their soldier husbands to the camp.

This house was Washington's headquarters at Valley Forge. The beautiful grounds surrounding it
(pictures below) were the loveliest part of the park.

We drove to Newtown where we met Matt for dinner at a wonderful Italian restaurant there. Byron declared it was the "office party," meaning he treated for dinner. It was a very fine treat. We returned to Matt and Jen's place for more visiting and laughs before returning to our hotel to pack for the trip home.

Thursday, June 19
We were up early and had plenty of time to linger over the hotel's breakfast before leaving for the Philly airport. We dropped off Katie and Byron a little after 10 and began the trip over the Turnpike and across the Interstates back home to Liberty Township, Ohio. We were home a little after 8:30 p.m., plenty of time to sort through the mail, pull our few clean clothes out of the suitcases, and watch Monday's episode of Major Crimes before heading to bed, tired but happy.

Vacation Diary, Part One

We drove from our home to Harrisburg, PA last Thursday afternoon and evening (June 12), and then on to New York City Friday morning for a week of vacation in the Big Apple and the Philadelphia area, accompanied by lifelong friends Katie and Byron Cartwright and led by the ever-faithful and patient Siri. As I posted to Facebook: 

1536 miles. 2 lifelong friends. 2 wonderful kids & their 2 remarkable spouses. Miles of sights & sounds in 2 big cities. What a vacation!

Here's a rundown:

Friday, June 13

Katie and Byron had invited us to stay with them at the newly refurbished Wyndham timeshare in the heart of Manhattan, on 45th between 2nd and 3rd Avenue. We got there about 20 minutes after they did, unloaded the luggage, found the place to park the car, and ate lunch from the sumptuous food bar at the deli on the corner. I used my trusty Streetwise Manhattan to guide us for a walk to see some of the sites: St. Patrick's Cathedral, Rockefeller Plaza, Radio City Music Hall. It was muggy, and we were ready to rest. Thankfully, the room (apartment!) was ready for us after 2:00, and we could settle in, cool off, and wait for Jennifer who trained in from PA. She arrived a little after 3:00, and we left for Long Island by 3:30.

This is one of three groups Geoff led during the program.

The catalyst for our trip was Geoff's annual Jazz Night at Herricks, where all of his jazz bands perform for parents and friends while students serve up ice cream sundaes and other snacks. The traffic for the drive out of the city was terrible, and we didn't get to his school till after 5:00. He picked up Lisa at the train station and brought her and two huge pizzas for our supper before the program started at 7:00.

It was so good! And, as usual, we were impressed with the quality of Geoff's groups, the rapport he has with his students, and the command he had of the whole situation. He had decided at 4:30 to have it in the gym instead of outside, on the school's courtyard, because of threatening weather. The sky opened amid lightning flashes and rumbling thunder, just as the program began. Good decision, Geoff!

We drove back to Geoff and Lisa's neighborhood after the concert and enjoyed dessert on their beautiful terrace before taking the subway back to Manhattan by 10:00. (We parked the car in front of Geoff's apartment building Friday and Saturday nights, thus avoiding about $100 in parking charges.)

Saturday, June 14

We took the subway back to Long Island City and met the three Taylors at Geoff and Lisa's favorite breakfast spot, Cafe Henri. We enjoyed the wonderful Benedicts and omelets and other delights before stopping by Geoff and Lisa's apartment to pick up Frankie and take a walk through the parks lining the East River not far away. It was a marvelous day; the storm the night before had ushered in a cold front. The Manhattan vistas were striking, as always, and we enjoyed walking and chatting. We adjourned back to Geoff and Lisa's terrace for ice tea and cookies before taking the subway back to the city and our main event of the day.

Thanks to Lisa and Geoff and their tripod and excellent camera for this shot and the one above.

We had tickets for the 2:00 matinee of Newsies, which provided us an afternoon of energy and enjoyment. The production numbers, with their acrobatic dancing, were virtually spellbinding, and we had wonderful seats in the mezzanine to give us a perfect view of the show. It was wonderful.

Afterwards we walked back to Grand Central Station and caught the subway to meet Geoff and Lisa and Jennifer in an East Village neighborhood where the New York Taylors wanted to introduce us to a Korean restaurant Lisa knew. I ate the whole meal with my chopsticks! 

For dessert, we walked to a bakery and restaurant not far away, Vaniero's. The hardest part of the experience was choosing ONE dessert from the PAGES of options. The best part was the uproarious laughter accompanying Byron's stories from our college days long ago. I think the people around us wondered how we got liquor into a bake shop!

On the way back to the subway, we stopped at the famous Strand Bookstore and spent almost an hour wandering the three stories of new and used books and other delights.

Sunday, June 15

We took the subway to the beautiful Salvation Army auditorium that is the meeting place for the Redeemer Presbyterian Church Downtown Congregation. We met Geoff and Lisa there. (Actually, we met Geoff on the street, walking toward the church, and Lisa followed by subway. He had driven Jen to Forefront Brooklyn, where she was the morning speaker. It was a tough decision to choose one congregation over the other for Sunday morning, but we figured this would be the only chance for Byron and Katie to experience the unique worship that is characteristic of Redeemer.) 

After church, we took the subway with Lisa to Central Park, and Geoff drove Katie and Evelyn there. He and Lisa had packed a picnic lunch for us to enjoy, and we really did enjoy it! The pasta salad and accompaniments was wonderful. The conversation was even better. And, as always, there was laughter, lots of laughter. We were inspired to a different pose, below, to help preserve memories of the day (thanks, again, to G&L's tripod, camera, and creativity).

We walked (and walked!) through Central Park and then traveled back to G&L's apartment, where we rested and cooled off a bit before the evening's adventure: a trip on the East River Ferry from Long Island City to the Fulton Ferry Landing, followed by exploration of the Brooklyn Bridge Park and a wonderful dinner of Luke's lobster rolls. Yum! The weather all day had been glorious--warm and breezy and dry, with a clear blue sky and puffy clouds. It was the perfect evening for the ferry ride and visit to the park. Lisa & Geoff recorded the ferry ride and the lobster roll dinner with these pictures:

Frankie accompanied us on the trip, and we enjoyed exploring the gardens surrounding a riverfront restaurant.

The sun was setting as we took the ferry back toward Long Island City, and I took lots of pictures, trying to capture the perfect view of the day.

The first picture, below, shows the Fulton Ferry Landing, from the ferry itself.

The second is the Manhattan skyline at sunset from the ferry as we returned to Long Island City.

Back at Geoff and Lisa's place, we went to the rooftop of their building and enjoyed the remarkable view available to them there.

We were tired after a long day, but when we got back to our timeshare, we couldn't ignore Katie's desire to see and experience Times Square one more time. Should we go then, at 10 p.m., or wait till Monday morning? We finally decided just to go for one more walk and experience the city at nighttime. We were so glad we did! 

The walk to Times Square from our place wasn't long, and you must experience Times Square at night to really experience it! 

We soaked up the bright-as-day aura of it all, surrounded by skyscraper flashing neon, jostling crowds, and the feeling that you really have come to the center of the earth. We traded iPhones with some tourists of Kentucky and took each others' pictures, looked through a souvenir shop, bought water from a streetside vendor, and were back "home" in about an hour. It was a great way to end the day!

Monday, June 16

We went to the 9/11 Memorial Museum Monday morning before driving to Horsham, Pennsylvania that afternoon. The museum is a sobering chronicle of all that happened on September 11, 2001. Everyone who visits New York should see it. Perhaps most compelling are the recorded stories from survivors, accompanied by projected diagrams showing where they were in the World Trade Center or the Pentagon when the planes struck. We spent at least two hours there; we could have stayed longer, but by that time all of us felt like we were on overload.

We walked outside to pause at the two large reflecting pools, marking the footprint of each of the original World Trade Center towers, surrounded by granite (?) plaques, each bearing the names of some of the 9/11 victims. And we came upon the marker bearing the name of Todd Beamer!

We walked to a deli for lunch, under the shadow of the imposing Freedom Tower, glad we had taken time for this experience.

Weekend Update

Friday night we went to see A Strange Brand of Happy, Joe Boyd's new movie, with Terry and Shirley Wuske and enjoyed dinner with them at Red Robin afterwards.

Our granddaughter, Nina, decorated this pot as a Christmas
gift last year. It looks nice with a pretty yellow mum
to decorate our deck this autumn.

Saturday morning I cut grass, trimmed bushes, edged the front lawn, watered, fed, and rearranged flower pots, and made a bouquet of zinnias for the kitchen table.
I took my shower at noon and was dressed just in time to help Evelyn finish up lunch for Byron and Katie Cartwright,
who were in town for a conference last week at CCU. They arrived about 1 and spent overnight with us. We laughed, ate, talked, and thoroughly enjoyed catching up with them. They took us to dinner at Wild Ginger in Hyde Park Saturday night, and we capped off the evening with ice cream at Graeter's (on Hyde Park Square). The evening was cool, and we were almost shivering as we finished off our ice cream outside and hurried back to the car.
I was "hosting" in both chapel services Sunday morning, and Evelyn attended the 9:00 service in the worship center. So we met at Panera's for lunch. As soon as I was home and had changed clothes, I started on a list of more yard work. Finished trimming the bushes in front of the house, mowed down the fading patch of black-eyed Susans, watered plants again, and repotted some maroon shamrocks that had gotten water-logged and wilty on the deck. Then a trip to the store before chicken tacos while we watched the evening news.
It was a full weekend, remarkably productive while also making time for lifelong friends and meaningful worship. The beautiful sunshine, dry air, and cool temperatures just added to the blessing of it all.

A Busy, Wonderful Weekend

I've discovered a paradox about this "daily" blog/diary.  When there's the most to write about, there's the least time to write; and when there's plenty of time to sit and write, there may be nothing to write about!
This weekend was an illustration of the fact. I've already described our get-together Friday night and Saturday morning with college friends and collaborators from days past. But I didn't describe the alumni gathering we all attended together Friday afternoon and evening.
It was a combination alumni gathering and celebration of the CCU music faculty, all of whom have served there for 25 years or more. The evening featured a Concert Choir reunion with special music at the end of the evening provided by the mass choir. We had a nice dinner and sat with a few friends from the class of 1972, and former students of each of the three honored music faculty members gave testimonies about their impact on their lives. Perhaps the highlight of the evening was the song service led by the choir and the piano--simple songs that all of us knew, but a swelling of voices to create the most moving worship in song I have experienced for a very long time.

Ken Read, Brenda Lang, and Gary Gregory were the honored professors
at the alumni reunion Friday evening.

Saturday afternoon, after our brunch, Evelyn and I drove over to church to spend awhile at the reception where church members could meet Trevor DeVage. Trevor was the senior ministerial candidate. I say "was," because he received a 95% affirmative vote from the Easter-attendance crowd that came to hear his "trial sermon" Sunday morning. The air was electric on Sunday morning. Tom Moll said, "I believe the church's greatest days are ahead," and that anticipation seemed to fill the air. We're very excited.

We posed with Trevor DeVage Saturday afternoon.

The weekend was made rich by our visit with Byron and Katie Cartwright, who didn't leave for home till this morning. They took us out to eat at Teller's in Hyde Park on Saturday evening--a wonderful dinner. And then Joy Norwood and Shelley Hamann invited us for a spontaneous Kentucky Fried Chicken lunch after church Sunday.

We rested and visited Sunday afternoon till Shirley and Terry Wuske came for white chicken chili at about 5:30. And after they left we stayed up visiting some more with Byron and Katie till past our bedtime on a work night.

Evelyn and I are going to try to get to bed before 10:00 tonight, because the weekend wore us out! All of it was wonderful, but we're ready to rest!

Our Alumni Party

A big weekend, a quick post to share some fun pictures from just one pleasant two-and-a-half hours of it.
Byron and Katie Cartwright have been here since noon yesterday. We attended an alumni gathering at Cincinnati Christian University together, and they spent the night last night. We invited Cindy Willison and Beth Mays to come spend the night with them. We had a fun pajama party and stayed up till 1:00 in the morning laughing and catching up. This morning we invited Jon and Tammy Weatherly to join us for brunch today at 10:00, and they stayed till about 12:30. We snapped these pictures before everyone left.