Vacation - Part Three - The Cape

As we continued touring the North Eastern States we drove up to the Poconos. I had poured over Bridal magazines over 35 years ago....dreaming of a Poconos' honeymoon. I finally got there! It was a bit overstated in my mind, but it was just as both of us had imagined.....rolling hills - quiet and serene. We stayed at a very old hotel, The Pocono Mountain Resort.

We drove the next day back down towards the coast and to stay in Madison, Connecticut. The beach was gorgeous, the town quaint, and the time relaxing. We felt very blessed to be able to spend so much time just poking around and having time to see new places without feeling rushed or on a schedule.

As always, I took lots of photos of the houses and gardens there....I loved the way they used bright, white shells instead of rocks to cover their driveways.

The next day we continued further east as far as Chatham, Cape Cod. We stayed in South Yarmouth at our favorite B&B so far, The Belvedere. The owner's were christians, and they made us very comfortable....it was great to chat with someone with Christ as our common bond.

I love the obvious pride that Americans take in their nation, country and flag. I want to show a greater pride in our beloved Canada.... I am so thankful for the beauty, freedom and blessings we enjoy. Sorry, I digress...back to the vacation...

Can't you just hear the kettle whistling on the stove, the birds singing in the trees? Cant' you almost smell the cookies in the oven, the sea spray in the air? Cape Cod is all we thought it would be....so thankful for the time we spent there.

At breakfast, at the Belvedere, Robert, the owner showed us a beautiful soup spoon (turned up on one side so you can slurp better)....it had a filigreed pattern on the bottom and was signed by Paine Jr. It was cast from iron on the Mayflower!! I was so overwhelmed to be holding such a treasure, I never thought to take a picture of it! Am I nuts?! I love seeing things with history.

As we walked through South Yarmouth, we came upon a garage sale....and found this adorable antique pewter cream and sugar set...it's beat up, well used, and I LOVE it! And a bargain at $2. I'm not much into the standard tourist souvenirs....so this fit the bill.

FYI: Do you know what a Belvedere is? I didn't.....it means beautiful view, and it is the window room built at the top of a house roof, just big enough to climb up and see the view from all directions....kind of like a widow's walk, only walled in with windows at the top. Just a bit of useless information for you to store.

Be blessed as you go about your day....thanks for stoppin' by.

More photos of Denay's visit

GG ( Nanny) and Grandma Rosie (G-ma) were delighted to finally get some cuddles in....hard to believe how quickly time has passed....she is already two months old!!

Okay, apparently she was not too thrilled with the cousin photo op - It was late and everyone was tired, and the Island Princess was hungry....give the girlie a break, K?

Visiting Auntie Shawna.....she was in the middle of baking a wedding cake.

Vacation Part Two - The Road Trip

After spending five days in NYC, we rented a car to travel around the US East coast. We drove through 10 states and 1 district....all in the course of a week. Again, we were blessed with perfect weather, our accomodations were 5 star....really much better than I had expected, and we say so much of what we had heard about for years.

Our first stop was Washington DC. We walked around, then drove around seeing the sights. We had intended to get out in the evening to see the city lights, but once we were settled in our comfy hotel, we decided to have an really night.

Although security is fairly high, we still managed to see all we wanted to see. Next time we will spend a few days here and take in the Smithsonian.

Gettysburg

We had lunch in Gettysburg in an old tavern....and drove and walked through the battlefields and memorials. It is so amazing to me that the stone and wood fences are still standing from the Civil war. So much history.

Lancaster County

We stayed in Mount Joy at Cameron Estates B&B....lovely, grand old house.

The Amish were all around....just living a life slower and simpler than ours....on some level I envy their simplicity. I even met a dear, old Amish lady and shared God's glorious sunset with her.

We set out on a hunt for covered bridges in Lancaster County....a lovely drive in the country.

We visited the Strausburg Train Museum....even Thomas the Train was there. This is the train that Jon and Kate plus eight went on one of their trips.

Blessings to you, my friends, as you begin a new week.

Island Princess comes for a visit

Denay, Christy and her Mom came for a visit. Yippee....Grammie gets some cuddle time with the wee girlie.

She is a delight.....already carries on a conversation with whom ever will listen (She's such a girl!!)

We had a relaxing dinner out at White Rock....Denay was a perfect angel! We even met up with Uncle Lar and Auntie Ethel and got to show her off.
What a joy Grandbabies are....Thank you, Lord!

Enjoy your day....whatever you do....be blessed

Vacation, Part One, NYC

Our holiday started with five days spent in the Big Apple.....what a great time we had!! I have never really desired to see New York, but since spending time there...I just LOVE it! We met our Ottawa friends Joan and Rick, and had a busy yet relaxing time together.

It was an absolutely gorgeous evening our first night there so Bob and I walked from our hotel, The Roosevelt at 45th and Madison, to Time Square just taking in the sights and sounds of the city. We went up to the Empire State Building after midnight to avoid the crowds...the city sparkled, the moon glowed....it was magical!


The next morning we met Joan and Rick and went to Central Park...had a relaxing coffee and danish, then rented bikes and toured around the park....as you can see we had a stunning day...just perfect. Before we left I had made reservations at the Boathouse in Central Park for lunch...it was elegant and very New York.....terrific experience!

I just love architecture...and I absolutely overdosed on it in NYC....Art deco everywhere, and so well looked after. Although the Empire State Building is very well known, I think I prefer the Chrysler Building for it's beauty.

Subway Entertainer

We took the subway, and came across a concert underground....it was hot, hot, hot....but we stood for half an hour enjoying the music and just taking in the vibes of the subway scene. It is almost indescribable....it was a moment we will both remember as special. Check out the inner beat she carries....amazing!

One of my favorite buildings was the Rockefeller Center. The history of it, the architecture, the elegance of it....gorgeous.

We went to the Top of the Rock....and I must say that it was even better than the Empire State Building....well organized, history was well presented, and the view......

Crossing the Brooklyn Bridge.....amazing! And the waterfall underneath it just adds to the overall beauty of it....I was surprised to learn that the waterfalls (4 in all) were just a temperary gift to the city from their creator and would only be there for another few weeks.

Of course, Bob was interested in the NYPD, so we took in the Police Museum, and he was able to chat with a few members. The police presence is VERY high, and it makes for a very safe feeling in the city.

We were walking back to our hotel through Bryant Park and saw a fire being put out in the NYC Library (a very old building) Luckily it was just a small, contained fire....we then went inside....what an amazing place!

We took the tour to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Ellis Island was so interesting....walking the hall where thousands had walked to their new life filled with hope. What a privilege to live in North America......thank you, Lord for Canada.

Then, there was ground zero. We went through the church that stood firm even when it was right at ground zero. A reminder of the song we sang in Sunday School.....so build your house on the Lord Jesus Christ....and your house on the Rock will stand firm.
We went through the memorial museum....I could not read all the information.....it just hurt my heart too much. I cried.

Just had to walk through the Waldorf Astoria Hotel....very posh.

We wandered around lower Manhattan, Wall Street....and found this alleyway filled with office workers eating lunch under sun umbrellas

We had purchased tickets on the hop on-hop off bus.....great way to see the city. We were able to stop and go for a walk in yet another part of Central Park that we hadn't seen yet.

We had perfect weather, a terrific visit with good friends, saw a Broadway show, ate at fabulous restaurants, walked miles everyday, and enjoyed every minute of our visit to New York.

I hope you have enjoyed my travelogue.....I will return soon to post the next leg of our journey.