STATE COLLEGE, PA

We left Jersey City the morning of Friday, July 3rd and drove to Seven Mountains Campground 15 miles East of State College, in Spring Mills, PA. I stayed there for two months last summer and Carol came to visit for the 4th weekend so this arrival was like a reunion.

Kathi came out from behind the desk with hugs and "Welcome MR AND MRS Cook!"

Carol just pointed out to me that I haven't mentioned our cat, Peaches who is traveling with us. She rides in a carrier on the backseat of the truck between Emily and Andrew and she has been an exceptionally well behaved traveler. No kitty Valium needed. She does "meow" some. Sometimes rather pitifully and we didn't figure out why for awhile. Then we noticed that she only seemed really distressed when our ears were popping from altitude changes. Now if we could just teach her to hold her nose and blow, everything would be fine. She has pretty well accepted everyone and the sharing of the Airstream space.





I blogged last year about the 4th Fest and that State College has the 2nd largest fireworks display in the country. All Carol could say last year was, "The kids have got to see this." So this year, they did. Tom drove up to the area very early, got a great parking space in the "tailgaiting" section and rode his bicycle back to the house. Then we piled 4 adults and 5 kids into my truck (did I tell you that I LOVE my truck?) and drove to as close as we could get. Schlepped chairs, drinks, toys and food to the Eurovan and settled in for the afternoon. The kids played games, rode rides and we all picnicked and enjoyed the beautiful day. There was a small carnival area




The fireworks couldn't compete with the sunset that preceded them.


The fireworks are choreographed to music played over a local radio station. There were 5 or 6 different songs with appropriate fireworks. After each one, Andrew and Emily asked, "Are they over?" The final, for real, finale is about three minutes of 40 shells PER SECOND. And we were close enough to feel the force of the explosions. We didn't even try to get pictures.

Sunday was a day of rest. On Monday we - meaning (listed by age) Tom, Carol, Emily, Casey, Andrew and Sarah went to Penn's Cave. It's a great "first-timer" cave. The kids loved it and so did Carol and I. Especially since it was a boat ride (we got to entertain the gang while sitting down!)

Dinner at the Olive Garden, since it is Casey's favorite restaurant in the world and no one else could decide.

Tuesday afternoon we had a kid's day - dinner with all of my family plus Ann's sister, Ellen and her daughter, Ella. We went to Baby's. It wasn't called "Baby's" in 1964 when I lived a block away and went there several times a week, but it was, and is a chrome diner with great comfort food. AND on Tuesdays, kids EAT FREE !! Since we had 5 adults, at least in calender years, all 6 kids ate free. And we all had great food.

Then off to the $1.00 movie theater for "Monsters vs Aliens". The theater is always $1.00 but on Tuesdays the popcorn and drinks are $1.00 each, too. I was so full from Baby's that I didn't even buy popcorn. And the movie was definitely worth one dollar.

WEDNESDAY - THE BIG DAY !

Kidsfest, the day before Artsfest officially starts. Kids can rent space, set up booths and sell things they have made themselves. Casey with some family help, sold tie-dyed clothes. Baby sizes up to adult. Mostly re-cycled stuff. And she did very well, again this year. Sarah isn't technically old enough to participate so she shares Casey's booth and sells pet rocks and votive jars and magic wands.





Thursday, the 9th we went to Artsfest. But first we stopped at People's Choice Festival of Pennsylvania. More crafts than art but nice people, great food and lots of stuff for the kids. I took Emily and Andrew by Dragon's Breath forge to talk with my friend from last year, Tim Bradford and his wife, Karen. Tim works at these events with a portable forge almost exactly like the one my Grandfather used. Check out last year's blog for pictures. I'm STILL having problems getting my head around the idea that this man from my memories is Casey, Sarah and Ben's Great-GREAT-Grandfather.

While many people think Artsfest is about the hundreds of incredibly talented artists and their wares, WE know that the kids are right when they say it's all about the "buckets."

- - - - - - - - - - - - - Andrew - Sarah - Emily - Casey - Ella - - - - - - - - - -





and the wall



and the music


These are the Rustical Quality String Band. The female fiddler is a friend from a local jam. They really put on a great show. I guess they should, they've been playing together for over 31 years!


and playing air guitar and gettin' down to the music




and meeting and greeting really great people


from left to right that's Cindy Alley, me, and Graham Spanier, President of Penn State.

Carol's not in the picture because she was taking it. We arrived at the stage a little early and Carol said, "Do you want to sit over there in the shade?" I said that I did and went over and sat down next to Cindy before I realized it was she. Small World. Lots of inbetweens.

Saturday evening Tom and Ann hosted a picnic with some of their friends, some of their kid's friends and one of our friends - Cindy Alley. She sat down and started talking with Tom. I stuck around for the conversation for a little while. But shortly after he found out that she was a geologist, not just married to one and that Karen is doing some kind of project at Colgate that he might be of help with, I found that I didn't understand any of the words. So I left the two of them and enjoyed other company, great conversation and wonderful food.

Sunday we went back to Artsfest - we HAD to - we'd gotten Creamery Ice Cream every day we were there and didn't want to ruin our record. We also walked across campus to get these pictures at the Lion. If you have to ask, "What Lion?", you haven't been paying attention.





Back to Seven Mountains. Even though we were exhausted, we had one more campfire and made s'mores.




Tomorrow it's off to Patapsco State Park near Carol's sister in Catonsville, MD.

Life is good!

NEW YORK CITY

LIBERTY HARBOR MARINA AND RV PARK really is just across the river from Manhattan. That IS the Statue of Liberty in the picture. We didn't get to go to it because full "crown" tours were booked through September.

But we did

See TWO Broadway shows

Eat at the Carnegie Deli

Eat at 69 Bayard Restaurant in Chinatown

Go to the top of the Empire State Building

Tour Macy's and Herald Square

Take a pedicycle ride around Central Park

Walk Fulton St all the way across lower Manhattan, from Ground Zero to the South Street Seaport

Walk Broadway from 33rd to 59th streets - both ways

Ride the subway (many times)

Survive a bus ride AND a cab ride

Visit the Natural History Museum

and take the Circle Line Tour around Manhattan

IN TWO AND A HALF DAYS.

We got there Tuesday afternoon and left Friday morning.

Our neighbor at the RV Park saw us leaving on Friday, July 3rd and said, "I told my wife, 'That Airstream is abandoned' because there was no one there when we got up in the morning and there was no one there when we went to bed at night."

It was a whirlwind three days but apparently not too overwhelming because Carol and the kids want to go back. Especially to see more Broadway shows. And eat.

The hike across Fulton St was their first exposure to the city. We got out of the PATH subway from Jersey at Ground Zero. I knew there was a TKTS booth at the Seaport that not only sold "day of performance" tickets like the Times Square booth but also sold "next day" tickets for the Wednesday matinees. We checked into Liberty Harbor around 2 PM and got into Manhattan around 3. Of course there were severe thunderstorms and we got drenched. But we did get tickets for that night's performance of Mary Poppins and Wednesday matinee tickets for The Phantom. I told the ticket agent, "This is the first time in the City for my wife and kids, I hope these are good tickets." The Mary Poppins tickets were mid-mezzanine with a great view and the Phantom tickets were 7th row orchestra on the aisle. Couldn't have done better at full price.

When we got off the subway at Time's Square it was raining hard again. We stood under the marquee for Mary Poppins and watched people scurry. I asked a cop if Mama Mia's was still on the corner. He said, "Out of business." So I asked about the Stage Door Deli. "Out of business." Broadway Diner? "Never heard of it." So we ate at McDonald's. It was an incredibly busy McDonald's. And it was three stories high. And we were out of the rain and right next door to the theater. But, Food Gods of the City, please forgive me. I'll do better tomorrow.

Mary Poppins was Supercali --- oh, you know! It was wonderful and we all came out singing. The rain was gone and we had a beautiful late night walk 10 blocks to the 33rd St PATH station. We even found a bargain on the way - 10 postcards for a dollar. We bought 30. Two blocks later we saw "15 for a dollar." Oh well, welcome to Manhattan. We were in bed by midnight.

Wednesday we got our usual early start and went to the Empire State Building before the matinee. Then we went to Macy's so Carol could spend her $50. gift card at the "real" Macy's. She was so overwhelmed by the 9 humongous floors of merchandise that she didn't buy anything.

We walked up to Time's Square and stopped at a street vendor along the way to get hot dogs and a soft pretzel.

Here's as close as we'll probably ever get to starring on Broadway.



After spending WAY TOO MUCH for Phantom T-shirts, we went into the theater and found our seats. The show was amazing. So much better than the movie. There is just NOTHING LIKE a Broadway production. And Phantom is the best.

OK, now it's time to appease the City Food Gods. Carnegie Deli, here we come. I had prepared Carol for the size of the portions and for the world famous surly waiters. Well, the kids charmed our waiter and he was absolutely nice. Oh well, I still had the portions to impress her. And they didn't disappoint. She had a roast beef sandwich.




Here's a picture of HALF of my pastrami on rye.


The kids had hamburgers and chicken fingers with portions about the same. Then all four of us split one piece of strawberry cheesecake. And we got to hear our waiter tell a hesitant customer behind us. "It's the best cheesecake in the world, lady. Sometimes you just have to do it."

We needed to work off that meal so we walked up to Central Park. It really was good exercise because we were carrying about 5 pounds of food in our "doggie bag." But before we could walk very far, a pedicycle driver stopped and said, "Can't I show you Central Park?" I didn't think he'd stick around after he saw that there were four of us. But he not only stayed, we negotiated an "end of the day" price. He gave us a great tour, even stopping to take pictures of us.


As we walked back down 7th Avenue to stop at the M&M store, I saw two familiar faces. Chuck and Pat Marlowe fellow parishioners from Our Lady of Nazareth in Roanoke. Chuck worked in the city some years ago and they were back in town to see South Pacific. Small world.

On to M&M World, where we bought a Statue of Liberty Green M&M dispenser and two M&M baseball caps.


Continuing our walk down Broadway, the kids stopped to pet one of New York's Finest horses. The policemen were very friendly - and patient. We talked to a couple with two little girls who had left their brand new American Girl dolls to pet the horse.

Back to the PATH station and a ride to Jersey City.

Thursday looked like more rain, so we went to the Natural History Museum. This was a MUST - it should be a MUST for everyone, but especially for us since we had just watched "A Night at the Museum" a couple of days before.






We met the couple with the kids from yesterday. They were staying at a hotel on 79th street, right across from the museum and they came everyday. Because the hotel had no parking. They were parked at the Museum parking garage and the Museum validated their parking ticket. Which I thought was an incredible deal for Manhattan. 20 years ago I paid $40./night at the Marriott. But "validate" meant $25. per night instead of the regular price of $50. Still a good deal. Just not free.

Everyone was overwhelmed, AGAIN by the sheer magnitude of the museum. After a few hours, we headed downtown to the Circle Line Pier. It sprinkled a few drops while we were waiting for our boat but the sky cleared as we were leaving the pier. Within a few minutes it started raining again. Fortunately the boat wasn't crowded and we were able to move under the roof.

The Lady


Downtown - sure looks different without the World Trade Center


OK - you gotta click on this one and view it in LARGE SIZE.
It's the Brooklyn Bridge and the Manhattan Bridge in the same picture with the Statue of Liberty in the distance.


We didn't take many pictures with the digitals but Andrew had some film cameras and we should have more pictures to post in about two weeks when we swing back through Salem for a few days.

69 Bayard is a restaurant in the heart of Chinatown that Mary Ann and I went to regularly in the mid 1960's. Hasn't changed a bit. Very few Caucasian customers, not much attention from the waiters, REALLY crummy little (one) restroom, huge servings of incredibly tasty food at very reasonable prices. A local (meaning Chinese) neighborhood place. I asked one of the waiters if he knew a family member of the owner, about 60 years old, named "Jimmy". He said that he didn't. It was still the same family, but 40 years meant TWO generations had owned the place since I'd been there. At least it's still there. Another of our favorites, Chumley's, literally fell down a couple of years ago. An interior chimney collapsed, pulling down the town house that was Chumley's along with parts of two neighboring buildings.

We left NY tired, broke and sorry we had to leave. Carol and I will probably return in August.

But State College and the 4th Fest were only two days away, so off we went across PA.

Life is Good !

ON TO EQUINUNK

We left Tuaghannock Falls on Friday, June 26th and drove East across southern New York State to Hancock. It's where I lived and went to Jr High and High School.

We crossed the Delaware River into PA and followed the river south about 10 miles to Equinunk, a little community of about 1200 people. Although I think they've included a rather large geographic area to come up with that many.

A few miles out of town is where my friend from High School, Donna Lind DuBois lives with her husband, Mike.







When we told them we would be passing through, Mike immediately offered to let us stay in his back yard. Complete with water and electric. It really is a slice of heaven on earth. It was so dark the first night that when Carol and I woke up we thought there was a lightening storm. It was the fireflies outside our Airstream windows.

Of course, there are some drawbacks to living this far out in the country. Mike is the only person I know who built an electric fence around his bird feeder - to keep out the bears.

We got up bright and early Saturday morning to have breakfast at the Circle E Diner in Hancock. It's where I always had an early breakfast when I was working for my Dad on the milk truck - starting in 1957. New owners, same great food.

Then I took Carol and the kids on the "Grand Tour". We went up the river on Old Route 17 through Readburn and Fish's Eddy to East Branch where I lived from age 3 to 12. Our old general store/house was in a terrible state. Falling down, actually. I went to a house across the street to see if anybody was home. A young boy came out and said, "Are you looking for Grandpa? He's over here." and went running to get him. A man came out from behind another house and said, "Are you looking for me?" I said, "I'm not sure - who are you?" He immediately yelled to his wife, "Honey - come out and see who's here - it's Tommy Cook."

By then I recognized him as a Cicio brother but I didn't know which of the 4 he was. It was Paul, who had married Brenda Young who was my best elementary school friend. The last time I saw him I was 12. Guess I haven't changed much after all. We talked a few minutes before it started raining. A NJ man had bought my old house and gutted it to make apartments. But he quit after tearing out the inside and hadn't done anything to it in over a year. The porch had fallen down the week before we got there. After a short side trip to Peaksville, we got back on 17 to go to Cook's Falls, where my family settled in the early 1700's. Found the old cemetery with my great grandfather and other ancestors. Then we drove along the Delaware back to Donna's.

Another dear High School friend that I've stayed in touch with all these years is Marilyn Johnson Stamets. She and her husband, Ron came to Donna's for dinner Saturday night, bringing Pizza for all. We had a wonderful mini-reunion.

On Sunday we went to the Pine Mill United Methodist Church. A beautiful little country church where Donna and her sister have sung since they were little children. It was the 100th anniversary of the current building and many of the parishioners stood to reminisce about their years attending there, along with stories of their parents and grandparents. One lady stood up and hesitantly said, "I really don't know if I should speak because I'm such a new comer. I've only been attending here 25 years." I told Carol, "Welcome to the mountains."

Sunday we drove to Marilyn and Ron's for dinner. Andrew, always more adventurous than Emily, went swimming in a small pond across the dirt road from Marilyn's. It was really dark water but we convinced him (and his mother) that if he splashed a lot, the snakes would not bother him.


I tried to get a picture of Ron and Marilyn's glass patio door but I couldn't get a clear shot that showed the big bear paw prints about 5' up on the door. He was just curious, I guess.

Emily and Andrew did get to experience some of the fun we had as kids.


Along with the tire swing, they enjoyed picking wild strawberries with Donna's grandchildren, and watching a doe and her fawn walk around their yard.

On Monday we went to Hancock to visit with Mr. and Mrs. Lester, two teachers at Hancock Central when I was there. They live in a beautiful house overlooking the school. Retired now, Mr. Lester is still recording secretary of the school board. Although the school was closed, since he had a key we got a tour. Much renovation and changes since I was there. But the pictures of the class of '63 was prominently displayed in the hall. And the auditorium was as beautiful as ever.

Monday night we had dinner at Palmi's, a new restaurant in Equinunk run by Fabio Chindamo, from Lake Como, Italy. He was previously the chef at the Delaware River Club which is THE premier Fly Fishing Club in the world. Since we were there on a week night, Fabio greeted, took our orders, prepared the food and served it. On the weekends he has one waitress to help. But he always cooks all the food himself. All of our dishes were wonderful and dinner for 6, including the two kids was less than $100. Quite a bargain for the quality and quantity. So if you're ever passing through Equinunk, PA, be sure and stop.

On Tuesday morning we left for NYC!

Old friends make

Life so good.