Miss the beach? Try the Jersey Shores.

Aug 25, 2010

Lindsay and I spent some relaxing time with our friends Brian and Piper in New Jersey. This was the second of my shaping experiences around Jersey.

The first was when I visited a beautiful section of a state park on the border of Jersey and Pennselvania. It was one of the most peaceful spots I think I've been in the world. I spent 2 hours hiking along a small trout stream along a soft, quiet ridge of the mountain.

This second experience was totally different. Brian was excited about taking us to the beach. We walked out on the peaceful beach, watching surfers try their hand at the waves along the jetty, while the sun set behind us. The water was not cold, and not warm, but just about right for a quick swim. I was impressed.  Those guys showed us their new place and shared a good meal with us, while we got to spend some time with their kids, who are engaging, well mannered, and growing quickly. They're proud parents, and we can see why!

Brooklyn

Aug 24, 2010

After New Paltz, we drove into Brooklyn to visit our friends Chris and Lee.  Those guys have a busy, creative life there in the New York area.  We spent some time at the Met, and saw the bamboo exhibit on the roof there.  There was also some interesting art from India.

Lindsay and I spent good time in the kitchen with Chris and Lee.  Lobster (yes, a homemade lobster dinner) and homemade pizza were a hit, as was the craft beer that Chris normally has on tap.  This time they had a seltzer water (rosemary seltzer if I remember right) and a lavender beer that I really liked.  We were in such a cooking mood, that once those guys took off for work, and we made some great French toast from a French baguette that was in the kitchen.  The New York stereotype is one of eating out, so it's fantastic to spend time with them at home so much -- we loved it. 

New Paltz and Mohonk

Aug 21, 2010

We spent some great time with family in New Paltz.  Faire, my mother in-law-in-law, welcomed us with a very comfortable room and fine meals.  We were treated to a lively, rainy day at Mohonk, too.  Faire worked there throughout the 1980's, where among other things, she planned murder mysteries that were offered popular Neiman Marcus fantasy gifts.  She has fond memories of the retreat, and we were interested to see what it was like!

A Four Course Breakfast

Aug 20, 2010
We were headed east when we stopped in North East, PA at a nice B&B we found called Grape Arbor.  I thought the room looked nice, and was affordable, so we decided to stop there.  When we went down to breakfast in the morning, the innkeeper let us know that they were serving a four course breakfast.  I'd missed that on the website, and it was a welcome surprise.  This crispy egg and ham dish was my favorite.  We'd definitely recommend the bed and breakfast to anyone else!

Not windy, but we learned a lot!

Aug 17, 2010

About three hours up the road from Indianapolis (and in the Central Standard Time Zone) is Chicago.

We stayed just south of the University of Chicago campus, spent two whole days at the Museum of Science and Industry. A good friend of ours was in town for business, so we met Amy for dinner our first night in town. Amy introduced us to Chicago's famous "Bean"...and to double-stuffed pizza. Yum!

The Museum of Science and Industry was something we enjoyed for hours. We'd gotten a room that was close enough to walk from, to get a good walk in the morning. Once inside, there was a live tornado there, a captured German U-Boat, a demonstration of how farmers use GPS to raise crop yields, and a display of how the understanding of the up an atom is evolving over time.  There was a picture of the adventurous museum moving the U-Boat in from the beach of Lake Michigan on the wall near the bathrooms.  You can see the train tracks they built across a busy road to move it inside one night!  On the way home from the museums at night, we got to eat at places like http://www.zhmarketcafe.com/ or http://www.snailthai.com/.  

Mark spent some time at the Robie House. It was strange how iconic the house itself is. It's credited with being the "House of the Century" in the United States, the best example of "Prarie Style", and the leading edge of the "open floor plan". It was only inhabited by an actual nuclear family for 16 years of its 100 year history, though.  The original owners only lived there two years -- less time than many people live in an apartment.  Despite the fact that it didn't have a family in it for much of its history, it is beautiful and interesting.