Manhattan to Marco

Despite my vow, I caved on the Uber rant and had a better experience out of Manhattan to EWR Wednesday. We made our way back to Marco as I finished my mystical journey into RSW with the last chapter of The Fortune Teller. Two great otherworldly novels in two weeks. Next in queue is on the lighter side:

UPDATE: Couldn't get through The Friend. First book of the year that I bailed on. A tedious read about writers and writing; not really about a dog and grieving. And not at all on the lighter side. No worries. I jumped ahead to "Where the Crawdads Sing" and it became one of my favorite books of the year. Beautifully written, a fast-paced mystery and lots of lessons about nature. Loved it!

Thanks for following along!

The Greatest City on Earth

This city never gets old! Familiar haunts and new faves made for a fabulous day in Manhattan. We hopped the #4 subway for breakfast at Danny Meyer's Daily Provisions in Union Square. We walked in the cold rain until we had enough. A perfect opportunity to see a matinee. "A Star is Born" worked out with the timing. Great movie. As the city dried out, we walked around the Christmas Market at Bryant Park. A fun annual tradition. Back downtown to Moxy to rest our feet and get ready for Zuma. With no reservations, we were determined to be the first at the 5:30pm opening. As our good luck prevailed, we were treated to a seat at the Chefs table. What an unbelievable two hour dining experience! Blown away with our omakase!

Veterans Day 2018

We dropped the kids at Hillside school Monday despite the Veteran's Day holiday for some. Ally slept in a bit; still trying to recover from jet lag. Bill treated the three of us to our fave breakfast at La Vie En Rose Bakery Cafe in Waldwick NJ. Afterwards, Ally dropped us at the train for our NYC escape.

The Moxy on Ann St. in FiDi is only two weeks old and super cute. We love staying at tiny NYC hotels! We hung out in the lobby talking to several professionals planning the Bumble event. The first event where Bumble app users get together in person for cocktails and hook ups will be held at Moxy Tuesday night. 😅

Per Ally's recommendation, we taxied to Don Angie Restaurant on Greenwich in the Village. We were able to snatch seats at the bar because we didn't get reservations six months ago. Yes, they book six month out. The famous rolled lasagna was delicious.

It was a good Veterans Day celebration as we reminisced about our five year anniversary of rolling over the Marco Bridge this Monday in 2013.

Stew and Snuggles

Sunday Funday in Allendale started with a mad dash to Celery Farm to get the best of the morning light for a photoshoot appointment. It was chilly, but the kids cooperated, and we were home by the fire in no time. And that's where we stayed for most of the day. A rollicking game of Monopoly consumed most of the afternoon. We made a chicken stew for dinner and snuggled all night.

Rumson Kutztown Allendale

In order to work the whole family into our weekend, we had to spend nearly six hours on NJ highways Saturday. Lucky for us, the colors were still brilliant on the trees and provided a beautiful taste of fall.

Our first college bound grandchild, Zach, gave us a terrific, albeit freezing, tour of the PA campus after our lunch at the Kutztown Tavern. We were so happy to hear Zach's enthusiasm for his studies, marching band and social life at the university.

The Epps met us back in Rumson NJ. Daughter the Younger, Ally, was dragging after just returning from business in Australia. After some selfies, video games, a glass of wine, and a quick stop to see Devin at work in Carvel's, we rode home to Allendale NJ with the Epps for a fire, an awesome surprise of Lou Malanati's pizza and a sleepover.

A Taste of Winter

We were home long enough to bake a cake for a neighbor and attend opening golf events at the Island Club before heading out to our old stomping grounds up north.

It was a typical cold and rainy November day when we landed at Newark Airport. An Uber dropped us at Rumson and I vowed never to use that car service again. Cheap but super ridiculous mode of travel at our age. I had more room in my United seat than in my Uber car. Haha.

Trama Restaurant in Long Branch NJ was a real treat for dinner. It was great to catch up with Son the Eldest, Chris, and his sweet Devin. Devin shared his most amazing tiramisu, as pictured.

Fun with Kiddies

A fun five days with the Herman's came to an end Saturday morning as we said our good byes and headed in different directions.

South to Pie Society in Pooler GA for a quick lunch with second stop in Jacksonville for Landon's soccer game for us.

A group of 15 had dinner at South Restaurant in Nocatee after the game. Bill and I crashed the sleepover, too.

The Ocean Course

The weather cooperated for the most part on Friday. Playing at the highly anticipated Ocean Course on Kiawah was a thrill. So challenging! We basked in the glory of our successful round at the Ryder Cup bar afterwards with drinks and dinner. Ice cream followed at the Sanctuary. Great day with friends.

Day Two in Kiawah

The Kiawah condo is in the Windswept section near the villas registration area. The view out the back balcony is lovely. An ocean view and access to the beach. Thursday was cloudy as a major storm system is working its way to the coast.

After a light breakfast at the condo we explored the area before our 2pm tee time at Cougar Point. The Sanctuary Hotel has some great little shops and beautiful pools and gardens.

Our foursome enjoyed playing nine holes in the afternoon but it got increasingly cold and windy as we rolled around to the tenth. We're saving our strength for the famed Ocean Course on Friday. Hopefully the weather will cooperate.

We had dinner at Tomasso at Turtle Point. The Italian food was just okay but the company was excellent.

Kiawah Island

Our Bella Grace Hotel provided a fine breakfast Wednesday morning before our departure for Kiawah. We stopped for groceries by the Charleston Markets and headed out. It was only an hour ride out of Charleston and pretty scenic. We were lucky to be able to check into our condo early and make our way to Turtle Point Golf Club to warm up before our 1:30p tee time. It should be called alligator point. We saw plenty of gators but no turtles. In fact, there was plenty of wildlife and a beautiful assortment of birds. We all played well and had tons of fun. It was the first time that Bill and I traveled to a golf destination. Exciting.

After an exhilarating round of 18 holes we drove to the Ryder Cup Bar at the Ocean Course for celebration drinks and bite to eat. Beautiful backdrop for dining.

Back at the condo we put Pat and Glenn to sleep after a fabulous day.

Southern Charm

With just enough time to unpack, catch up on housekeeping and commitments, we hit the road again Monday morning before 6am. The drive to Charleston SC was tedious.

The Herman's met us at the 45 day old Bella Grace Hotel on Calhoun. It was a lovely evening stroll to the awesome Stella's Restaurant.

Tuesday, we explored Charleston on foot starting at Hominy for breakfast, the Market and Sumter National Monument. We just made our 6:45pm dinner reservation at Husk. Gotta love Uber!

A Good Adventure Ends

We made it! A journey of 29 days, 6579 miles, 14 states and countless towns. Good company, good health, good luck, good memories and good night! Thanks for following along. 🌵💚🚐

Tennessee and Georgia

The storm blew through the Gulf states and we blew out of Arkansas at sunrise Thursday. Not sure how far we would drive at the start of our journey home, we passed through Memphis and then Atlanta. It was almost dark at High Falls State Park in Jackson GA when we pulled into the Lakeside camp. That made for an 11 hour day behind the wheel. The most ever for a driving day in the van. The temps got into the low 50s. Perfect for a great night sleep. This is a sunrise picture Friday over the falls as we left on the final push to Marco.

A Full Day in Arkansas

Chris, Son the Elder, entertained us with a Wednesday morning text about a nearby destination, which holds a lower tier spot on his bucket list. Hence, we had to make Crater of Diamonds SP a part of our day. It was a worthwhile part indeed. This diamond mine attracts people from all over in hopes of digging, finding and keeping gem stones. Who knew Arkansas was famous for diamonds? Take another look at their state flag and license plate.

We did a little browsing through curio shops and on to lunch at the Fish Nest in Glenwood. A typical southern buffet with fried everything and foreign looking sides filled us up before grocery shopping.

Back at camp, we followed the incredible Hurricane Michael's path on our devices and killed a bottle of wine by a blazing fire.

Fwd: Rainy Day at Daisy SP

> The morning was pleasant by the lake with my book but quickly escalated into an all-day rain event. We were cozy in the van, making popcorn and immersed in our Kindles. Pasta, garlic bread, avocado slices and a nice red for dinner indoors and bed early.
>
> We woke to a beautiful morning and enjoyed a lakeside breakfast. Hurricane Michael is a strong Category 4 storm this Wednesday morning; expected to hit Panama City FL early afternoon. We'll start our journey home in Thursday.
>

Holding Pattern in Arkansas

The simple pleasure of just sitting by a lake with a soothing breeze and gentle waves lapping the shore can never be underestimated. Just sitting. Once again, we found a beautiful slice of nature at Daisy State Park.

From Wichita Falls, we ventured northeast to Arkansas on little state roads through lush countryside. A lovely and memorable drive off the interstate for a day in an attempt to steer clear from weather patterns emerging in the Gulf and effecting the states on our route home.

We decided to make our campsite overlooking Lake Greeson our home for a few days while we remain in a holding pattern for Hurricane Michael to pass through on Thursday. Not a bad place to be at all.