Dec 2013 OHIO East Liberty 1 - O-HI-O

Traveling to East Liberty, Ohio, today to visit Mike's sister and hubby, Kathy and Jim. About a 9:30am departure with a stop in Ann Arbor for lunch. Roads were busy but dry, and weather clear. It finally looks like winter. Trees are completely bare except for a few dry brown leaves.

Got to A2 about 11:30am. First stop, the Medicine Shoppe. Then lunch at Seva, our favorite veggie restaurant. Started with a roasted tomato soup. Then Mike ordered a squash stuffed burrito smothered in cheese and I ordered pad thai noodles. Mine was un-typically too hot, so we switched and both were still happy.

After that we headed south on US-23 through Toledo and then Findlay, Ohio, dubbed Flag City USA. Traffic quite crowded along this corridor and we were happy when we merged onto I-75. At that intersection is a huge golden mosque dome with two towers that look like rockets on each side. Seems out of place on the horizon in this part of the world. Beautiful though.

No snow whatsoever, either on the ground or falling down, until just after the I-75 on-ramp. At that point we saw the first signs of snow on the ground, on cars, piles along the side of the road from plowing, hanging off of trees and brush, and finally trickling down from the sky. The deeper we got into Ohio, the deeper the snow. Still clean and white and very pretty. Our first snow of significance this winter. 

Just before getting to K&J's home we pass near the highest elevation spot in Bellefountaine, Ohio. Per the Garmin, we hit 1411 feet in altitude, but the nearby highest spot is actually Campbell Hill at 1550 feet. Not high per mountain standards, but a fun fact. There are also very few natural lakes in Ohio. The closest lake of note to J&K's is Indian Lake which is man-made. Kath camps there on occasion.

 

Got down to K&J's about 3:30pm. Travel time was 4:26 hours and mileage was 258 today. We lugged our stuff in and settled down in the sun room. They built this addition to their home last spring. It has floor to ceiling windows on all sides, heated for year-round use, very comfortable, and with a lovely view of their 8.2 acre "ranch-ette." Their home sits atop a hill with a rolling terrace going down to a creek at the back of their property. Soooo peaceful there!

K&J are animal "enthusiasts" shall we say. They have a cat named Widget. About 12 years ago Mike rescued her as a  feral kitten from a hidey hole at the San Francisco Airport. We already had four cats, so Kathy adopted Widget. I flew her from S.F. to Michigan (where K&J lived at that time) and although Widgie is a bit feisty, they all live happily. Although in every photo I have ever taken of Widgie, she is scowling. 

They have had many cats, dogs and other animals over the years, all of which were rescues. Currently, they have a border collie named Jip, a cockatoo named Spooky, an African gray timneh named Tim, and four chickens (they have names, but I'm not sure who's who). They also have aquariums and terrariums, but I'll talk about that tomorrow.

A couple of years ago Jim had converted an old storage shed into a luxury chicken coop. Kath invited us down to go chicken pickin'. We drove to a nearby town where a business sold baby chicks to farmers. We picked out nine chicks to start Kath's flock. They had to be raised in an indoor heated environment to start, but soon were running around their private fenced in scratch yard. Now we always get farm fresh eggs when we visit or K&J come our way.

That night we planned to have dinner in the nearby town of Urbana, normally a 30 minute trip max. But it had continued to snow and roads looked pretty bad for travel. The great debate--go or not go. We are all adventurous and definitely up for a good meal, so "go" was the decision. We were so glad we went, but it was a treacherous drive there. Back roads, after dark, at least one accident detoured our journey, lots of wet sleety snow on the windshield, roads unplowed. It was a challenge and double the normal travel time.

On route, there was a second great debate between the guys in the front seat and the gals in the back as to whether this outing was a wise and safe decision, but when we arrived at Cafe Paradiso, we all agreed it was worth it.

We started with a brushetta plate and steamed mussel appetizers and wine and cocktails. Main dishes included cioppino, angel hair pasta margarita, sausage tortellini, and chicken picatta. There were soups and salads and warm Italian bread with herbed oil for dipping. Everything was delish. No room for dessert though.

The placed was packed with families, quiet romantic tryst duos, a party of six celebrating a birthday. These six all wore colorful tissue paper jester hats they had produced from popper toys. Both the owner and his wife stopped by several times to see if all was well and it was. I felt like we were in a trattoria in Italy.

Stuffed and sassy we journeyed back out into the snow. Fortunately the snow plows and salt trucks had been busy while we leisurely ate. The trip home was not nearly as treacherous and quite a bit quicker. Back home we had a few more cocktails and more conversation and an early go-ta-bed.

Nov 2013 - Remembering JFK 11/22/1963

Sorry I'm a little behind, but catching up quickly.

Do you remember where you were when you heard that JFK died?

I was in 6th grade when Richard Nixon and John (often called Jack) F. Kennedy ran against each other for President of the United States. I remember in Civics class we learned about our government processes, checks and balances, and elections. Our class watched TV, read newspapers, and discussed issues to learn which might be the best candidate. A big part of the debate amongst our parents and the media brewed around the fact that JFK was the first Irish man and Catholic to run for the office of President of the United States.

My grandparents had immigrated from England and were Episcopalians. I was baptized in that church in Chicago, Illinois. Later we moved to Kansas City, Missouri, where the neighborhood church was Presbyterian. I was confirmed in that church. Friends in my school were Catholic and I would sometimes go to church with them out of curiosity to see what it was like. The theory of "do unto others" wasn't different than my own church--just more adornment on the walls and more pomp and circumstance during services. I also had Jewish schoolmates who invited me over for Kosher meals and holidays like Hanukkah. Later and during the time of this election we lived in Michigan. The closest church was a Lutheran church and I was re-confirmed there.

I found ALL the religions I had experienced interesting, each with their own traditions, but with the same human goodness values. I did not find the differences controversial. It seemed then and now that they were not separate entities, but parts of an integrated society with slightly different traditions and customs. Many parts making a whole. After all, our Constitution and Bill of Rights espoused "freedom of religion" and "all men are created equal." At that naive point in time I thought it was true. It seems now that everyone thinks their own religion is the "right" one and everyone else is condemned to eternal H-E-double-hockey-sticks, no matter how goodly or Godly you lead your life.

After our studies in class, we took a straw poll. I voted for JFK, but he did not win our classroom vote. I was very happy, however, when JFK won the actual election as America's first Catholic (and youngest at 43 years old) President. Looking back he was not the best ever President. Hey, nobody is perfect, but he did good things--he stressed more public service by citizens, established the Peace Corps, set a goal to put a man on the moon, laid the groundwork for the Civil Rights Act of 1964, and avoided nuclear war during the Cuban Missile Crises. 

Fast forward three years later - November 22, 1963 (fifty years ago today). I was in English class. One day a week English was dedicated to penmanship (perfecting our cursive handwriting). The squawk of the loud speaker started at a very odd time of day, I thought. The principal announced that JFK had been wounded in Dallas, Texas, and was on his way to the hospital. A bit later it was announced that he was dead. We were allowed to go home early. Most unbelieving and many in tears, like myself. We did not know this man personally, but we had learned to love him and his young family through seeing them on television. They seemed bigger than life, so happy. They were a "Camelot" family, as their time was latter dubbed.

The next few days, were so sad and dark for our nation. TV covered every aspect of the horrific assassination by Lee Harvey Oswald, Oswald's murder by Jack Ruby, the details leading up to the funeral, and the elaborate funeral itself. Lines were two miles long to view the flag draped coffin, young daughter Caroline kissed that coffin, even younger son John saluted that coffin as it wheeled by in the horse drawn caisson, the eternal flame glowed at his grave site. So unreal, yet so very real.

Where were you when JFK died?

******************************

I don't remember where I was when Princess Di died, but I do remember intently watching the news in the days after and her funeral. She is another world figure that will never be forgotten. So beautiful and full of dignity, soul and goodness.

My United Airlines teacher friend, Kailani, had taught classes to our employees in London. She was heartbroken over this news and traveled back to London to stand outside the tall black Buckingham Palace fence. I asked her to buy some flowers from me to lay with so many others along that fence. She did so. Even though I wasn't actually there, I felt I had a little personal connection to yet another sorrowful situation. As I watched the news, I wondered which flowers might be mine.

Two others that always come to mind when I think of JFK, are RFK and MLK. May they all rest in peace.

                           ******************************

(The photo of JFK was downloaded form Wikipedia and is the work of an employee of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, taken as part of that person's official duties. As a work of the U.S. federal government, the image is in the public domain.)

Oct 2013 MICHIGAN Up North 5 - The Road Home

You can ditto yesterday's breakfast, but we added mimosas.

We had one stop in T.C. before heading home. That is Folgarelli's. It is an Italian Deli and grocery market. We also heard about it on Under the Radar, but we knew about it before we saw the show. And, yes, Mario Batali products like his spaghetti sauce are sold here, so we are sure he shops here also. But not today!

We picked up some fresh pasta, fresh mozzarella, chunk of Parmigiana-Reggiano off the wheel, loaf of artisan bread, Mario's sauce, and a few other things. All set for dinner tonight.

From there we headed home without much interest or incident.

Oct 2013 MICHIGAN Up North 4 - n Search of Mario

Casual get up as usually when we are on vacation. Then a wonderful breakfast at the hotel's restaurant Minerva's. This is one of my favorite breakfasts in the world. I always get the Harvest Hash. It is the best for a pesca-vegga-tarian. It includes bunches of artichoke hearts, mushrooms, sun dried tomatoes and garlic tossed with hash browns, and two eggs your way. Sour dough toast makes it perfect for me.

After that we did not have anything special in mind, so we decided to drive to the tip of the Leelanau Peninsula (up the left side of West Grand Traverse Bay). It is said that Mario Batali, one of our fave celebrity chefs, has a home on Cat Head Bay. As a "goal" for the day we would search out his place or at least find the mailbox post with Batali on it. We knew it was a long shot, but a real bonus if we found it.

Our first stop up the peninsula was Sutton's Bay. This is a quaint and lively little town with some really good restaurants for its size. If we got back here later in the day at the right time we would definitely stop at North Country Grill for their delicious double lobster tail dinner. Right now it was too early and we were too full from breakie to even think about another meal. We wondered if Mario had ever eaten here. We browsed main street and found a shop carrying yard art. Some really nice and colorful stuff.

We cruised along the bay to Northport, the biggest little town near the tip of the peninsula. If Mario needed groceries, this would be the closest spot. Again, we did a walk-about of the town and saw a little creek (maybe 3 foot wide and quite shallow). We paused for a while, gazing down into the water and were amazed to find large fish headed up stream. A nearby gift shop owner advised that they were, in fact, salmon migrating up stream to spawn their eggs for next season's babies. That was really cool. 

In Northport, we also saw an old wooden water wheel and a little winery named Motovino. There are lots of wineries and tasting rooms on this peninsula, but this one was very hip. It even had an old green Fiat parked outside (not the golf cart below) with the license plate "F 8." See more at: www.Motovinocellars.com . 

And then we LOL when we saw an antique shop name Dead People's Stuff!!

The next stop was the tip of the peninsula at Leelanau State Park and Grand Traverse Lighthouse. We visited here in May with my brother, but we wanted to see how the rock art sculptures had progressed. There were many more rock castles than earlier in the year. With winter storms arriving soon, the waves would again crash them down to a pile of random rubble. Next year visitors would start the rock kingdom again.

The grounds were also decorated with Halloweenie stuff so the kids were having a blast running around. We enjoyed the lighthouse museum which had not been open on our previous visits. There was a lot of info and photos on various Michigan lighthouses.

No sign of Mario so far, but we were getting close. Heading south, now on the Lake Michigan side of the peninsula. We found signs that said Cat Head Bay Road, but, of course, there was a Private Road sign at the entrance. We could have ventured down, I guess, but we decided to honor the privacy of the residents living there and we were just sure Mario was one.


Next stop was the Woolsey Memorial Airport. We had passed by this unusual airport a number of times but never stopped. It is open to the public but not manned. It dates back to 1940 and has the FAA identifier of 5D5. It is built of field stone and very unique. Signs say "Beware of deer and birds on runway." It was fun to wander around and peek in the windows. Does Mario fly his private plane into here?? Does he even have a private plane? For more information see:  www.airnav.com/airport/5D5 .

We wound our way back to Traverse City via Empire, Michigan, where we made pit stops at Joe's Friendly Tavern for a toddy and the Grocer's Daughter for a chocolate snack. This is another place we discovered on the great Michigan TV travel show Under the Radar. We really recommend it for fabulous and unusual combinations of truffles and chocolate bark. Today I had a dark chocolate basil and sea salt  truffle. Umm good! See or order their products at: www.grocersdaughter.com .

We had not accomplished our goal to find Mario, but we felt we got pretty close. We were satisfied with that. We know one of his favorite restaurant's in T.C. is The Cook's House and it is also one of our favorites. We thought we would have dinner there this evening and make a last ditch effort to see him, but it was closed. Darn, blocked again.

We ended up at a place we had eyeballed on many T.C. trips--Sorellina. It advertises authentic Italian food and did not disappoint. I had the Caprese salad and Fusilli Fiorentina (spinach, gorgonzola, porcini cream sauce). Mike had little neck clams (with white wine and tomato) and chicken piccata. Dessert was spumoni ice cream.

We waddled back to our hotel after this wonderful late evening meal and relaxed into another good night's sleep.

Oct 2013 MICHIGAN Up North 3 - Dinner at the Asylum (Part 2)

We were anxious to get to today's destination in Traverse City, so we did not linger longer. On the way we passed back through Petoskey. There we made a quick stop at the Kilwin's chocolate factory. We had passed it by  several times yesterday and finally could not resist a stop. It was Sunday so no tours available, but there was still lots to chose from for a delectable dessert. Mike got fudge and a bear claw and I grabbed a caramel apple covered with peanuts.

We snailed through the heavy downtown traffic in Charlevoix. Their Apple Festival was in full swing today. We might have stopped, but we were stuffed from lunch and Kilwin's. No room for even a bite of apple or apple pie. We commented that we have overnighted in most little towns along Lake Michigan, but not this one. We put that on our places-to-go list. It is lovely. Lake Michigan on one side and Lake Charlevoix (with an outlet to Lake Mich) on the other side. 

The next little town and another good leg-stretching spot is Elk Rapids. We checked out the Elk River to see our favorite swimming hole. It has a natural slide area where the kids swoop down from the smooth to the mini-rapids part of the river (but not this time of year). There is also a great antique shop in an old garage, an ice cream parlor, and a homey bar here. Because time was of the essence at this point, we opted for a quick walk and then moved on.

The last stop of the day is Traverse City. We love this little town. We always stay at the Park Place Hotel in the heart of downtown. It is old in age, but updated and classic. It has the best top floor bar (ten stories up) with picture windows overlooking Grand Traverse Bay. A nice view any time of year.

We checked in and found ourselves in a different room than usual. We usually get 8, but this time we were on the 9th floor facing a different direction. Nice for a change and we could still see the bay. 

We needed to wet our whistles, so we headed up one floor for happy hour. As lunch had not been excellent we opted for dinner at one of our two favorite restaurants in town--Trattoria Stella (the other being the Cook's House). This is a unique restaurant located in what was previously food storage rooms in the Northern Michigan State Psychiatric Hospital or, in less subtle words, an insane asylum.  

The entire complex is being "re-purposed" into high-end condos, restaurants, and boutique shops. You might think there is a spook factor, but it is very nice and welcoming. We discovered there is an asylum tour available and we will sign up on our next trip to TC. Read more about the history and conversion of this building on Wiki at: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Traverse_City_State_Hospital

Much of the menu is dedicated to meat lovers--duck and other patés, wild boar, venison, beef cheeks, rabbit sausage, etc. There is also some really far out stuff (for us) like pork brain, lamb sweetbreads, beef tripe, and pig testa. (I'm not sure what this is but I can guess and it ain't pretty). But I was able to satisfy my pescatarian palate with fried artichoke bottoms, kale salad, white bean soup, and Scottish salmon. Mike had an oyster variety plate, soup, and filet of beef with garlic mashed potatoes. For desert we had sage and lavender ice cream. An odd combo, but really good. Service here is wonderful. Atmosphere is cozy and romantic. This meal more than made up for a so-so lunch.

Back at the hotel, we peered out the window across the city and bay under the night lights of the town and the starry sky. It was a clear and crisp evening and you could see for miles. That night we had a great night's sleep.

Oct 2013 MICHIGAN Up North 2 - Another Gray Hair

Today is Mike's birthday and his restaurant of choice this year is Legs Inn. It is located in the northwest lower peninsula of Michigan in the township of Cross Village (population 294). This is where his grandmother and grandfather lived and are buried. His grandfather was a lumber camp cook. His grandmother was reported to be at least part Chippewa Indian, but we have found no evidence of that so far in our ancestry searches. Not much in Cross Village except Legs and the cemetery.
Anyway we left Petoskey around 10am and leisurely made our way north along the shoreline of Lake Michigan. We stopped in Harbor Springs, a ritzy resort town and another favorite of ours to stroll and browse. We did a walk-about through the quaint downtown, the marina docks (most boats were in their land-side winter resting spots), and some of the back street residential areas.

We found a quaint house and surrounding wall built with all kinds of big rocks. Each one was unique and interesting. A geologist would go crazy here. We saw a pair of jet black ravens (Mike's fave bird) hunting for worms in the rain soaked ground. Then we came across a "many sided" house built by Ephraim Shay, inventor of the Shay locomotive.

From there we drove though the "Tunnel of Trees"--a curvy 20-mile stretch of two-lane road along Lake Mich. In October it is usually a very colorful area, but this time around it was mostly all yellows with just a hint red mixed in. Still pretty, but not knock-out gorgeous as we have seen in years past. There are lots of vantage points to see Lake Michigan and views of Beaver Island and others just off the coastline. It was quite slow driving because lots of folks were touring the area just like we were (and probably headed to Legs).

Finally we reached Cross Village. It is one of the oldest settlements in the state of Michigan. Here in the late 1600's old world Europe and local Native American Indians lived together in this fishing and lumber town. It is said that Father Jacques Marquette endeared himself to the Natives here and planted a huge white cross on the buff overlooking Lake Michigan. A replica of that cross stands here today.




The 80-year old restaurant is named Legs Inn because of the old-time white stove legs that decorate its roof-line. We've been here before and have enjoyed their specialized  Polish "cuisine." In summer the wait staff is made up of mostly Polish (from Poland) college students. They come to this back woods location to improve there English skills and "see America." Not really very representative of our nation, but certainly a unique experience for them.

Legs is a "monument to nature" because of its driftwood art and is designated a State of Michigan Historic Landmark. It has been written about by many travel magazines. It is a popular stop for motorcyclists, but anyone will enjoy this quirky and unique establishment. We found we had a little wait before being seated (no surprise there) and entertained ourselves by "critiquing" the multitude of driftwood carvings and "art" pieces. This place is jam packed with them, indoors and out.


We were soon seated and we had a nice view of the gardens and Lake Mich beyond. Mike ordered the combo platter (a little bit of everything Polish) and I ordered the veggie platter. It was a bit of a disappointing birthday lunch though. We found they were closing for the winter in just two days and were running out of some of our favorites. So we either got very small portions or none of what we really craved. 


After our meal we strolled the gardens. This is always a kick because they have some bizarre driftwood carvings scattered at every turn. The garden was still lush with colorful and interesting plants. There was a large plot of tall (6-7 feet maybe) sunflowers where birds were getting a last taste of seed before winter.

Notice the log slice door.

We weren't particularly satisfied with our meal today, but we still enjoyed our time here. It was a good visit to Legs. We'd be back, just not at the end of the season.

PS - Sunsets are spectacular here looking west out over Lake Michigan. The gift shop has handcrafted wooden Polish eggs, Lake Michigan shipwreck books and maps, and porcupine quill boxes, among other things. They also have little cottages you can rent by the week, but a bit too rustic for us.

For more info and photos, see: www.legsinn.com .

Oct 2013 MICHIGAN Up North 1 - Fast Forward

Almost every year since we moved back to Michigan we go Up North for Mike's birthday weekend. It is almost always the perfect time to see the trees change from their summer to fall colors. This was the weekend. 

We had a fabulous time, but this year was not so good for color. We believe in climate change and this year is a good example of what's happening. Usually the trees are brilliant reds, oranges, and yellows by this time. Not so on this trip. About 80 percent of the trees are still all green. Not great for our trip and not great for planet earth.

Our destination today was Petoskey, Michigan, and we had a lovely day for motoring. We traveled US-131 all the way from Kalamazoo to Petoskey, about 280 miles and just over 5 hours travel time. We made one stop on the way at a Big Boys in Kalkaska. We wanted something quick and simple, but it was a more memorable meal than we expected. 

As we sat waiting for our food, we noticed a lot of gals with goth-like attire milling around the lunch buffet station. There were shades of black, torn t-shirts, studs, fishnet stockings, cinched waists and bodices, and lots of black leather. It was a bit out of place for a noon time meal at Big Boys. Brother Bob, take note. You won't believe this.

I saw the word Killamazoo on one of the t-shirts and realized it might have something to do with our home town. I asked one gal what they were doing in Kalkaska. It turns out she is part of the Kalamazoo "Killamazoo Killa Crew" Roller Derby team. They were competing in the third annual Class B Mitten Kitten tournament hosted by the Kalkaska Small Town Outlaws team.

Her "rink" name is Wicked Wings, which made sense because she had beautiful set of angel wings tattooed on her shoulders and back. She said it was in memory of her mom who had passed away. Anyway, she said the team had lost their first bout with the Ann Arbor Brawlstars 355-122 the night before, but that we should come and cheer them on later this evening.

We said we were headed out of town after lunch but asked when was the next meet-up in Kalamazoo. She advised some time in January. We said we'd see her there. We learned later they came in 6 out of 8 teams, but were in good spirits. Not too many injuries.

If you want to cheer with us at the Kalamazoo Expo Center in January (date TBA), let us know. We plan a Killa party. Or if you really want to join the fun, there are openings on the team!!

To find out more about the Killamazoo Killa Crew or Class A Derby Darlins, see:  www.killamazooderbydarlins.com .

When we arrived in Petoskey we found our hotel was a little north of town. It would have been nicer right in town, but good for a quick getaway in the morning as we were to continue north a bit. In any case, our room was clean and adequate. We freshened up and cruised back into town.

Mike's dad was born in Petoskey and, although we don't get here often, it is one of our fave northern Michigan towns. It is located on Little Traverse Bay, right on Lake Michigan. It has a cool old town district, good for walking, and a lot of little independent stores to shop or window shop in.

There are beautiful views along this stretch of highway. Lake Michigan on the right and a row of gingerbread mansions on the left. On the lake side park was a kite flying event. Some looked like colorful rags flying in the wind and others had a dragon effect.


Petoskey is a resort town with a permanent population of about 5,700. It was founded in 1879 and is recognized as the location of Ernest Hemingway's Nick Adams stories. Hemingway was born in Chicago, but spent many a summer in this area as he grew up. Also, the Michigan State stone is the Petoskey stone, as many can be found in this area.

The town looks like a picture post card out of history. A small town feel, but tastefully updated. On the one hand there is the old J. C. Penny Company and on the other are galleries galore. One of the many shops is a huge kitchen store. If you use it in the kitchen you can find it here. Fabulous browsing and you can always find a new item you have not seen before. I think one time we bought an avocado slicer here. There is also a lot of green space in town and old cannons and military memorials. A mix of patriotic and quaint.

We made one "souvenir" purchase--a wooden sculpture of a raven. Mike especially loves ravens and we had been looking for just the right one for a while.

After the day's long drive, we were pooped. We were not up for a leisurely gourmet dining experience this evening. We opted for carry-out sub sandwiches and Dr. Pepper sodas at Jimmy Johns, and ate back at the hotel.

2013 NYC by Train 15 - A New York Wrap

We had the BEST time ever in NYC. This has been on my bucket list for oh so many years and it did not disappoint. Mike was not so enthused to start, but it did not take long for him to catch NYC fever. If fact, he so enjoyed it that he hopes to return for his birthday trip next year.

We enjoyed every moment, but several things stood out about this city. First, there are American flags everywhere. I don't know if it was this way before 9-11 or if 9-11 brought out the patriotism and courage that this city experienced as a result of that incident. It felt good to see them and reminded me that in spite of its downfalls, the USA is a great place to live. New Yorkers are not about to forget that or let any visitors forget either.

The next thing we so enjoyed was the architecture. Every style and era is represented. Our heads rotated from side to side 24/7 trying to take it all in.

Also outstanding was the public art incorporated within the architecture or standing alone. It is spectacular!! People talk of the richness of art in Europe. But even though we have a comparatively short history, our art and architecture rivals theirs. It may be a different kind of art and architecture, but no doubt in my mind, it is just as interesting and valuable to society. It has its own story to tell and we were "listening."

And you hear tales of how curt or obnoxious New Yorkers are. Not true. Yes, they are busy and directed to their personal task of the moment, but no one ignored us if we had a question or needed directions. They smiled and were courteous. And they were varied in their culture. A soup of society. Nice to see this cosmopolitan mix.

Can't forget the food. I'm sure no one has come close to eating in all the NYC restaurants and cafes. We started off aiming to eat a different culture's cuisine for every meal, but it just didn't work out that way. Too hard to really plan. When you are hungry, you are hungry and you eat at the next interesting place you see.

We got by pretty cheap for food. The Red Flame has a reasonably priced and hardy breakfast. After that we really nibbled our way throughout the day and into the night at the plentiful and varied food trucks, along with adult beverage and bakery stops, pizza and deli meals. Our biggest splurge was the one in Little Italy. We passed by Sardi's a few times, but they were closed when we headed that way to eat one night. Probably needed a reservation anyway. Eating at one of Mario Batali's restaurants would be a real treat, too, for next time.

I don't know what I expected when we traveled there. I thought all the things you see in the movies were hyped up and inflated. But no! I thought the quaint news stands and Broadway and Times Square, were re-done somehow to make them bigger than life. But no! What you see in the movies is what you get. The reality set in for us. Now when we watch movies set in NYC, we can say, "We saw that!" and we get a real kick out of it. It was a slice of heaven for us. You MUST go there if there is any way you possible can.

NYC is a place of living and liveliness. I'm not sure this is a place to grow old. The pace is energetic and passionate, but intense. We're sorry we had not experienced it before. We would have visited many more times if we had known how wonderful, inviting, full of culture, good food, good people it is. You just can't imagine until you experience it for yourself.

Places we want to see next time:

     The Statue of Liberty

     Ellis Island

     Completed 9-11 Memorial Park and Museum 

     Coney Island

     A boat trip around Manhattan

     Greenwich Village

     Actually, all the "neighborhoods"

     Eataly

     See a Broadway play

     Take an Inside Broadway Tour

     The Bowery Tour

     Walk the High Line

     Chelsea Market

     TV show audience (Jon Stewart would be great!)

     Museum of the City of New York

     A complete walking tour of Central Park

     Smithsonian Hewitt-Cooper National Design Museum (in Teshia's honor)

     Museum of Modern Art

     Museums (there is a whole list)

     Carnegie or Katz Deli

     Oyster Bar in Grand Central

     Battery Park

     Walk by The Dakota

     Brooklyn Zoo

     Harlem (all the boroughs!)

     Empire State Building Observation Deck

     Times Square, again

Hard to imagine hitting all of these. You would need months.

In any case, we need more ideas. If you have any "cannot miss" places, send us a comment.