Sarasota unexplored

Yesterday we explored the environs of lovely Kissimmee [bottom photo] and 2 urgent care facilities. On our final night at disney, Kelly fell down 4 steps at the Magic Kingdom and we spent yesterday finding medical help. She "just" sprained her ankle and hurt her wrist but she left with crutches, ankle and wrist splints and an order for a wheelchair for the cruise. Needless to say, we didn't do much sightseeing in Sarasota. Ringling Museum and Clown College will need to wait for another trip.
Today (New Year's Eve) has been a beautiful day in Naples. We are in a great hotel [top photo is the view from our room]. So far the only drawback is the guy smoking a vile cigar out on the patio beside ours. Happy New Year to all. May 2010 be great for all of us!

Acting Goofy

This is what happens when the park opens at 7 A.M. and you are in line with the other crazy people by 6:30 A.M.! We even had one fanatic in front of us who whispered to his son the logistical change in plans as if he were launching a major military offensive.

Disney World

Southward Bound

No matter how many times we drive to Florida, there is always a special anticipation of the trip. Even before the trip, we've destroyed the car - packing it full of junk food, fruit, drinks, suitcases, pillows, CDs. The drive is full of reliable markers that we can always use to gauge our progress. Who needs a GPS? We know where we are when we pass the Little Pee Dee River, Francis Marion "the Swamp Fox", the wonderful "Pedro sez" signs (even though they seemed fewer in number this year), the Sabatier outlet, Cafe Risque, all the McDonald's and Cracker Barrels we've visited over the years and, of course, South of the Border. As soon as we see the South of the Border compound, we know we've made incredible progress on our journey. This year we left at 1:45 A.M. in a thick fog that lasted until North Carolina. We were in a steady convoy of cars from New York, New Jersey and Canada, passing and being passed by the same cars and trucks over and over. The after-Christmas migration south had begun.

Witch City - Salem, Boston

Another beautiful Massacusetts day. We had drinks with Uncle Richard last night before he went off to the rehearsal dinner for Keith and Meghan's wedding. We took the ferry from Salem to Boston and Paula got only slightly seasick on both legs of the trip. Lunch was at Fanueil Marketplace at Durgin Park. We had eaten there more than 30 years ago. the clam chowder was still excellent. Today we are spending the day in Salem town. Slightly off the beaten tourist traps of witch t-shirts and mugs, we have found a huge consignment/thrift shop, a bead store, a needlecraft store, and some other crafty-stores. Kelly and I know where we will be spending our day. Bob is not invited.

Vermont's Green Mountains

Thursday was a driving day. Luckily the weather was PERFECT! We stopped at Vermont Teddy Bear and took a clever factory tour. Then it was off to Burlington, VT to walk around town. The pedestrian mall was deserted at 10:30 AM when we arrived. Restaurants were putting out tables and chairs and I thought they would be empty for lunch since no one was around. By 11:30 AM every table was taken and the streets were packed. It was such a lovely day that everyone must have decided to head outside. Then it was off to Ben and Jerry's Factory for a tasty tour.

So last night we had drinks on the porch of the Red Lion Inn. Very civilized. No ghosts were spotted. Then we wandered around Stockbridge and had dinner at the site of the famous (to those of us who remember the 60's) Alice's Restaurant (You can get anything you want at Alice's Restaurant) - but now it is Teresa's Formerly Known as Alice's Restaurant. This area was cetainly monumental to the music of the 60's (James Taylor, Arlo, Woodstock kind of nearby). This chilly morning we headed over to the house and studio of Daniel Chester French, the sculptor of the statue of Lincoln at the Lincoln Monument. He had railroad tracks put inside and outside of his studio so that he could work on the sculptures inside or outside and check in the effect of lighting on the sculpture. Then this afternoon we went to Edith Wharton's home. She designed the house, the gardens, was the first woman to win the Pulitzer Prize and volunteered on the front of World War I. She wrote 40 books in 40 years. She wrote short stories, fiction, books on travel, gardens, architecture and interior design. The most fascinating fact is that she wrote reclining in her bed from 6 AM to 11 AM everyday. She did this because it was the only time of day she was not trussed up in a tight corset (as was the fashion of the day) and she could write in comfort. She is my new idol (sans corset). As we left The Mount (the name of her estate) we talked to the gardeners who were busy cutting down hundreds of large ferns that surround the path and quarter mile road to the house. They said that with fall coming it was time to clear out the gardens. We even saw a maple tree with a few branches of brilliant red leaves.

Georgia O'Keefe and Crane Paper

Georgia O'Keefe (bottom pic) was influenced by the works of Arthur Dove (top pic) . Who knew? Dove was a painter before O'Keefe was. Dove and O'Keefe knew each other and kept in touch through Steiglitz. They influenced each others styles throughout their lives. Great exhibit. Then we stopped at Bob's Country Restaurant in Lanesboro for lunch. Apparently Bob is Polish because they had kolbasi and stuffed cabbage rolls (golomki)on the menu - and it was good. In the afternoon we went to the Crane Papermaking Museum and had a great tour. Crane makes all their paper from cotton - no trees are killed. Crane also makes the paper for the US Mint. So we saw how to tell if a bill is real or not. Also, we saw how 6 ladies handpaint the color borders that are on Crane notecards and paper. I now have an appreciation for why Crane paper is so expensive. It is very labor intensive. The day beautiful - not a cloud in the sky and it's NOT HOT, NOT HUMID. It's wonderful.

Norman Rockwell and Berkshire Botanical Gardens

Yesterday Blogger refused to acknowledge that I had an account - so I couldn't post this picture of Val Kill, Eleanor Roosevelt's retreat and then retirement home in Hyde Park. This is the out-of-the-way place where Franklin could go swim without the press watching. We toured the Norman Rockwell museum. I had always thought of him as a rather stodgy old illustrator. However, as he aged, he used his artistic talents to make many social statements against racism and for peace in the world. I think his painting "The Golden Rule" is my favorite. Then we went on to the Berkshire Botanical Garden. It had wonderful installations of kinetic sculptures by Tim Prentice in the garden. As luck would have it, there was a good breeze the whole time we were there - so we saw and heard the sculptures in full motion. Check out the artists website to see his works. http://timprentice.com/index_framev2.html Food notes: we ate at Joe's Diner in Lee, Mass.

On sunday, as we drove past Joe's we saw people lined up outside waiting to get in. Yesterday we found out why. The diner has 4 tables and 8 stools at the counter. In fact, it may have been the setting for Norman Rockwell's painting - The runaway - where the policeman sits at the counter beside a litttle boy who has run away from home. Cheeseburgers were $2.95 and my delicious grilled ham and cheese sandwich was $3.95. The onion rings were outstanding. We took extra lipitors that night.Then we had dinner at Berkshire Harvest a restaurant that serves only local produce, meats and cheeses. Turkey dinners with mashed potatoes, stuffing, and cranberry sauce seem to very popular here now. Of couse, you can see the leaves starting to change and there is a chill in the morning air - so it does seem like time to start thinking about fall foods.

In the Berkshires

Saturday morning we left Havre de Grace under the cover of darkness (5:00 a.m.) and headed north to Hyde Park, NY. Our first real stop was at the Vanderbilt Mansion where we saw the excesses of the Gilded Age. Louisa Vanderbilt had her bedroom built as a replica of the Queen's bedroom at Versaille - complete with marble railing around her bed. Husband Frederick had his bedroom fit for a king. It was all a bit much. We then went to FDR's home Springwood and saw how other rich people lived when they were busy doing public service and weren't interested in impressing everyone. Our tour guides at FDR's called it a study in comparing old money (Roosevelts) to new money (Vanderbilts.) then we headed to our own little house - Le Petite Chateau - a lovely little Bed and Breakfast. Such a pretty place - champagen in the room with a view of the pond and lots of little vases with fresh flowers in our room (which is pictured above.) Here are the top reasons we can never stay in another B&B: 1. The floors of old houses creak and we walk like baby elephants. 2. The walls of old houses are thin - and we talk loudly, like trumpeter swans. 3. The stairs are steep and we plod up and down like dinosaurs. 4. Breakfast is served in a dining room - with other people in close proximity - we lack table manners and usually leave the embroidered linen table cloth - a mess. and reason #5 we are not staying in any more B&B's : the plumbing is old and we always clog it up. Anyway, dinner at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) was delicious. We ate in the American Bounty restaurant. The students spend 3 weeks either cooking in the kitchen or serving the food. I had lobster burgoo - kind of a stew. Appetizer was tempura battered squash blossoms stuffed with ricotta cheese. It was very tasty. Kelly had a double pork chop with at least a pound of mashed potatoes. Fabulous! Bob had lamb carpaccio which we learned was sent back to the kitchen 3 times by the chef's supervisor - because it wasn't quite right. He liked it but it looked awfully raw to my Western Pennsylvania sensibilities. My fresh warm peach cobbler was to die for , Bob's molten lava cake was delish and Kelly's ice cream filled profiteroles (with a litttle pitcher of warm chocolate sauce) were tasty. After that huge meal we really made a lot noise lumbering back into the B&B that night. Sunday morning we had a delicious breakfast made by a student chef from the CIA. We headed to Val Kill, Eleanor Roosevelt's retreat and the place she moved to after FDR died. It was so homey. We met up with the best NPS guide, Victor Pennes. He picked up on the fact that Kelly knows all about presidents' families and he was sure to point out lots of family photos to her. He even opened up a closed building - the Stone Cottage - so that we could see the small house that FDR designed as a place for Eleanor and her friends to use. For a while it served as a furniture factory where locals would learn crafts. Mr. Pennes made our visit really special. In the afternoon we headed to Tanglewood and saw John Williams conduct the Boston Pops. They performed the themes he wrote for Star Wars, Superman, and Harry Potter. A special cello elegy was played in memory of Senator Ted Kennedy. Then, James Taylor and Friends played the second half of the concert and it was fabulous. He kept coming back on stage and singing. It would have been perfect if the woman behind us didn't burst into song with JT every now and then. Luckily, I have perfected my Librarian Shoosing Look and would give her the evil eye everytime she was overcome with musical inspiration. Many thanks to the hundreds of students I have shushed over the past 3 years.

July 25, 2009 Kelly's 25th Birthday

While Kelly spent her 25th birthday at Bethany Beach, Bob and I wandered around the Farmers' Market in Tarrytown. It was totally unlike the crowded Farmers Markets at Bethany Beach or in Northern Virginia -the prices were low and there were NO lines of customers. Then we grabbed breakfast at the Eldorado Diner (great banana nut pancakes - we go back tomorrow with Noel, Derek, Parker and maybe Evan). We had tickets for a 3 hour tour of Kykuit (see photo) - the Rockefeller mansion that overlooks the Hudson River Valley. Just beautiful but after 3 hours of walking the house, gardens, carriage house, stables, I had had just about enough of rich people. Really really rich people. One last stop was at the Pocatino Church where the Rockellers had commissioned stained glass windows from Matisse and Marc Chagall. The rose window by Matisse was my fav. We had dinner at a fabulous restaurant on the Hudson River - it is called "Red Hat" Usually you need reservations on weekends - but we headed over there early and got in. I had the best dessert ever - warm sour cherry gateau (cake) with homemade vanilla ice cream with fresh peaches. All this was floating on apricot couli. The combination of fresh fruit flavors was incredible. We may need to go back tomorrow - just for dessert.

Westchester County

We had a good drive up from A.C. - no traffic until we hit the George Washington Bridge and had to figure out if we wanted the lower level or the upper level. Why is it such a hard decision every time? En route we stopped at the Donald Kendal Sculpture Garden at Pepsico Headquarters. All around the Pepsico "campus" are sculptures by famous artists - Louise Nevelson, Henry Moore, Miro, George Segal, Giacometti and lots of people I never heard of. And there are beautiful gardens. Even the courtyard is full of fountains, sculptures and flowers. Nice place to work. We are staying at the Tarrytown House - a lovely "resort" that is a combination of a couple mansions and beautiful grounds. This is just down the street from where Wasington Irving (author of The legend of sleepy hollow, Rip Van Winkle, Squire Bracebridge) lived. Dinner was at the Westchester Dinner Theatre where we saw our good friend Noel Molinelli perform superbly in "I love you, you're perfect, now change." As soon as the show was over, a torrential downpour started. Lightening was hitting all around us, the roads were full of water, it was dark, and we had no idea where we were going. It was EXACTLY the kind place where you would expect the Headless Horseman to be galloping around.

Atlantic City

In the words of Three Dog Night "I've seen things I ain't never seen before." There was the little old lady who looked like one of those dried apple dolls sitting at a slot machine, there must be a whole fleet of motorized scooters buzzing around the casino -just barely missing those who are not fleet of foot. If the elderly drivers ever organize themselves they will be a serious threat. Then tonight there was a young woman sitting at the bar at The Water Club. Her skirt was so short that from the back her left cheek was exposed. I almost missed her because we also passed a Cougar who was wearing the lowest cut t-shirt I have ever seen. My librarian sensibilities have had a trying time. And, I lost $40. Twenty of it was at a slot machine with a "That Girl" Marlo Thomas theme. I had expected good karma from her as I had faithfully watched her show in my youth. I was there when Mr. Marie didn't want her to have her own apartment, when Donald proposed at the Orange Julius, when she had all those unsuccessful auditions and lousy jobs. Lot of good my intense knowledge of her life did for me. At least the Borgata has a lot to look at - I'm thinking of the decor. The place is full of Chiluly - chandeliers and sculptures -Just beautiful. Great frescoes and mosaics on the floors. At The Water Club, water takes many forms and cascades down stone walls, through the floors and in the most beautiful flower arrangements. It even shoots in spouts behind the check-in desk. The Millers spent yesterday with us and this rainy morning we drove back to Margate to see Lucy the Elephant, built in 1886, and had a great breakfast at a little neighborhood restaurant called Hannah G's. Tomorrow we are off to Tarrytown, NY to see Noel Molinelli in "I love you, you're perfect, now change."

More Cape May Gardens and Hot Dog Tommy's

This town is just bursting with victorian homes with victorian gardens. there are miles to walk and we even went to West Cape May which is even more bohemian than regular Cape May. It was also an UnderGround Railway site and a place where women pounded one inch strips of gold into the thin sheets that were used for gold leafing. a photographer told us about the West Cape May Farmers and Artisans Market. So, we walked the 15 -20 blocks and enjoyed the market which was more like a church festival than our northern va farmers markets. Lunch was at a local street eatery - Hot Dog Tommy's - chili dogs and cups of mashed potatoes with sour cream, baked beans, cheese and onions. My stomach hurts just thinking about it. but it was good. Click on the picture on the right to see the hot dog hat on Tommy's head. It seems a herd of small elephants has checked into the room above ours - it should be noisy night with their plodding back and forth.

Cape May Gardens

Cape May -Flea market

Talk about luck! We saw a flea market on the way into town and i found a priceless (actually $5) rhinestone bowler pin. I added the tiffany pouch and increased the value exponentially.

Beaches

Here we are at Bethany Beach on the Troncoso's patio. We had just finished one of Fernando's legendary breakfasts. Bethany was beautiful and Kelly will spend the next two weeks at camp in town. Alicia and I went to the Master Gardeners' Demonstration Gardens for A Day in the Garden

Biltmore at Easter

New York City at Christmas

Kelly, Joy and I took the cheap bus to New York City on a weekend before Christmas. Bob had made the arrangements back in the summer but then he decided to fall off the roof the day after Thanksgiving and get a compression fracture of the L2. Soooo, he was in no shape to go anywhere. On Thursday morning we caught the bus at McPherson Square. We were early and stopped for coffee at Starbuck's. A man, sitting at a table near us, introduced himself as "Ray from the bus company." And our adventure started. Mr. Gomez the driver sped along, talking on not just one cell phone, but two! It was a wild ride but we made it to the city in record time. The afternoon was spent having tea at the American Girl Place. We stayed at the Rockefeller Center Hotel - just across the street from the Christmas tree and ice skating rink. Convenient, but a small, narrow room - like being in a Pullman car. On Friday we headed out and walked and walked and looked in stores but it was really cold and incredibly crowded. We especially loved shopping from the street vendors. It was amazing how many ladies were wearing fur coats. The streets were packed. We went to see "Jersey Boys" on Broadway Friday night and then on Saturday morning we saw the Rockettes. The bus back on Saturday night was another interesting ride. Our driver looked like a Civil War re-inactor. Perhaps he was General Lee. He was another wild driver. As were almost home and turning from New Jersey Ave. onto North Capital when he made a left turn in front of a speeding car. We were glad we were almost done with the drive. It was a great trip with lots of good deli food and great shows. We even had Katie Holmes and Suri Cruise sitting in seats behind us at Radio City.