On The Road
Tuesday, June 24, 2008
Not so much adventure these last few days, but enjoyable nonetheless.
We rented the car on Saturday and drove to Bear Mountain. There we rented a little peddle boat and paddled around the lake. We got there just about the time everything was closing so we had few options. After our boat ride we took a brief walk and then headed out once again.
We ended up in Cold Springs, New York for dinner. This is a wonderful little town on the Hudson full of beautiful old houses and antique stores. Our friends, the Palefskys live in Garrison which is just down the road. After our meal we ended up there for the night.
Jay and Marilyn are the parents of the art teacher from my old school in the Bronx. We became acquainted during a special event at PS 226. We have kept in touch ever since. They live in a great, sprawling cottage on a dirt road in the woods. They were not home when we arrived so we let ourselves in and settled down for the night. They had prior engagements for the following day as well so we lounged around the house; doing laundry, watching cartoons, and relaxing out of the rain.
Monday they hung out with us. We had a fantastic lunch on the porch complete with items we cannot get back home; pickles, swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, and root beer. They watched Zman that night as Carrie and I headed off for Hoe Lanes to do a little bowling. It was an awesome visit; so relaxing and easy.
Today we loaded the car and headed off. We knew we had to get to Cabela’s in East Hartford, but beyond that we had no plans. We ventured north to Rhinebeck where we visited an air museum. There were replicas of the Wright Brother’s plane as well as others all the way up through World War I. It was fascinating to see them all up close. Since it was a weekday there were no crowds, unfortunately, it also meant we missed the air show that only happens on the weekends. We plan to go back again to see the dog fights and aerobatics that happen every weekend through the summer.
Our next stop was Cabela’s. We had a lovely drive on the back roads of New York and Connecticut, eventually winding up in East Hartford. Cabela’s sits at the end of a road that was built solely for the purpose of accessing the store. For those of you unfamiliar with the phenomenon that is Cabela’s, I will elaborate. It is a camping/hunting/outdoor store complete with an indoor museum of animals from around the world and a cafeteria that serves wild game on a daily basis. We had been given a $400 gift certificate for the express purpose of buying supplies for Bear’s Lair, our cabin in the woods. By the time we left we had so much stuff we could barely fit it in the car. Our next stop was a Quality Inn for the night and that is where we are now.
Can I just say how overwhelming it is to be here in the U.S.A.? There is so much choice! Anything you could possibly want is just a short drive away from wherever you are. After living for three years in places where we are content with what we can find, it is difficult to be here and have whatever we want. The supermarkets are huge! There is so much there, I wonder how it can all be used. I listen to people complain because they could not find the quart bottles of organic nonfat milk and I shake my head. Restaurants too serve so much food we have trouble cleaning our plates. Americans complain about the high cost of food without realizing the bounty they have before them.
On the other hand, I will be somewhat relieved when we go back to Venezuela. We are excited there by the fact that there is chicken in the store. Forget looking for boneless, skinless breasts, because they do not exist. Milk is so difficult to find that we are happy when we come across powdered, soy, or nonfat. We strive to use every bit of food we have purchased because of the cost and because we are unsure whether a subsequent trip to the market will reveal the same treasures. Somehow this makes life a little easier, though I’m not sure why.
At any rate we continue to overindulge in the things we do not normally have: good beer, milkshakes, root beer, corned beef, rye bread, sourdough, cream soda, sauerkraut, cheddar cheese, milk, bourbon, and the list goes on. I have no doubt that we will gain fifty pounds each on this trip, but what the heck, we have another year to work it off.
MJR
Not so much adventure these last few days, but enjoyable nonetheless.
We rented the car on Saturday and drove to Bear Mountain. There we rented a little peddle boat and paddled around the lake. We got there just about the time everything was closing so we had few options. After our boat ride we took a brief walk and then headed out once again.
We ended up in Cold Springs, New York for dinner. This is a wonderful little town on the Hudson full of beautiful old houses and antique stores. Our friends, the Palefskys live in Garrison which is just down the road. After our meal we ended up there for the night.
Jay and Marilyn are the parents of the art teacher from my old school in the Bronx. We became acquainted during a special event at PS 226. We have kept in touch ever since. They live in a great, sprawling cottage on a dirt road in the woods. They were not home when we arrived so we let ourselves in and settled down for the night. They had prior engagements for the following day as well so we lounged around the house; doing laundry, watching cartoons, and relaxing out of the rain.
Monday they hung out with us. We had a fantastic lunch on the porch complete with items we cannot get back home; pickles, swiss cheese, cheddar cheese, and root beer. They watched Zman that night as Carrie and I headed off for Hoe Lanes to do a little bowling. It was an awesome visit; so relaxing and easy.
Today we loaded the car and headed off. We knew we had to get to Cabela’s in East Hartford, but beyond that we had no plans. We ventured north to Rhinebeck where we visited an air museum. There were replicas of the Wright Brother’s plane as well as others all the way up through World War I. It was fascinating to see them all up close. Since it was a weekday there were no crowds, unfortunately, it also meant we missed the air show that only happens on the weekends. We plan to go back again to see the dog fights and aerobatics that happen every weekend through the summer.
Our next stop was Cabela’s. We had a lovely drive on the back roads of New York and Connecticut, eventually winding up in East Hartford. Cabela’s sits at the end of a road that was built solely for the purpose of accessing the store. For those of you unfamiliar with the phenomenon that is Cabela’s, I will elaborate. It is a camping/hunting/outdoor store complete with an indoor museum of animals from around the world and a cafeteria that serves wild game on a daily basis. We had been given a $400 gift certificate for the express purpose of buying supplies for Bear’s Lair, our cabin in the woods. By the time we left we had so much stuff we could barely fit it in the car. Our next stop was a Quality Inn for the night and that is where we are now.
Can I just say how overwhelming it is to be here in the U.S.A.? There is so much choice! Anything you could possibly want is just a short drive away from wherever you are. After living for three years in places where we are content with what we can find, it is difficult to be here and have whatever we want. The supermarkets are huge! There is so much there, I wonder how it can all be used. I listen to people complain because they could not find the quart bottles of organic nonfat milk and I shake my head. Restaurants too serve so much food we have trouble cleaning our plates. Americans complain about the high cost of food without realizing the bounty they have before them.
On the other hand, I will be somewhat relieved when we go back to Venezuela. We are excited there by the fact that there is chicken in the store. Forget looking for boneless, skinless breasts, because they do not exist. Milk is so difficult to find that we are happy when we come across powdered, soy, or nonfat. We strive to use every bit of food we have purchased because of the cost and because we are unsure whether a subsequent trip to the market will reveal the same treasures. Somehow this makes life a little easier, though I’m not sure why.
At any rate we continue to overindulge in the things we do not normally have: good beer, milkshakes, root beer, corned beef, rye bread, sourdough, cream soda, sauerkraut, cheddar cheese, milk, bourbon, and the list goes on. I have no doubt that we will gain fifty pounds each on this trip, but what the heck, we have another year to work it off.
MJR
posted by Bronx to Timbuktu at 4:41 PM
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