Reports from our last vacation

7/4/17 Saranac Lake, NY

It’s the Fourth of July.  This is a place I’ve wanted to visit for the past few years.  I wanted to be in the mountains.  I wanted to see them in the distance, to see the night sky condensed with stars.  To smell crisp air with the fragrance of burnt wood.  To listen to the birds calling.  On the drive up we picked up Mo Cheeks who took a bus from Boston to Albany.  She waited for forty minutes at the grungy bus depot among all sorts of characters.  We brought Buk with us and stopped a couple of times.  Traffic was lighter than was I assumed.  We rented a sparkling new Pacifica.  The roof opens up, the seats are leatherette, and the council is sharp looking with a GPS.   So, I drove up along windy roads where rivers and brooks flow on the sides.  I was getting excited as we passed Saratoga Springs.  There were so many places which reminded me of the Delaware Water Gap, the warning signs for tumbling boulders which could crush our rented minivan in an instant. We found the house and claimed our rooms.  It’s roomy in this log cabin.  The house it situated in the woods, I don’t see the neighbors, but can hear a large dog bark at times.  It must be the size of a horse.  I went out for a run on Saturday before it began to rain.   I may go out in a little while for another.  Eventually, we will go for a hike.  After all it is our last day.  We have taken the kayaks out into Flower Pond.  We have been into Lake Placid at least twice and tried the local ice cream establishments.  I have not found a place that makes a thick vanilla shake, but altogether we are enjoying this trip.  On Sunday, we went to Burlington Vermont.  The plan was to see The Burlington Lake Monsters baseball game.  I bought the tickets in advance.  Most of the kids did not want to go.  The trip to Burlington was broken up by taking a ferry across Lake Champlain.   Most places only take cash and this was not an exception.  Thank you to my son who had some extra cash.  Once across into Vermont, it was another 40 minutes to Burlington.  The parking lot at the stadium was full and we parked a mile away at the Sheraton.  I was feeling stressed out and like I said none of the kids really wanted to see the game.  I wanted to see what it was like since it’s one of the oldest stadiums still in use and Ali and I stayed for two innings.  She was complaining since the late afternoon sun was burning her face.  The Lake Monsters scored while we were there.  I ran back to get the minivan and picked up the family.  We spent a couple of hours in Burlington, had dinner and of course Ben & Jerry’s.  Church Street is closed to vehicles.  Families were pushing strollers, some had dogs.  There were a group of kids playing classical music and some pirates who has their own street folk entertainment.  It was relaxing and we drove back as the sun was settling behind the mountains, casting off an orange and yellow hue.  In the distance, purple mountains and stretched clouds, grazing cows, churches still in on a Sunday night.  We drove back to New York and were amazed how light it was even when it was close to 10 PM. 

Thank you for reading

From a peaceful Organic Farm out East to the Magical Spectacle of Walt Disney World!

5/30/14 06:57

Last Monday we flew back from Orlando.  Ever get nervous with the slightest turbulence?  I was like that on the way back to Long Island, and there was no reason for the nerves - the flight was fairly smooth.  We spent a total of four days at the Disney Parks.  Left last Thursday on a 6:15 flight from Islip.  It was the first time flying for the whole family in about ten years.  Joe was nervous as well as Bella who sat next to me on both legs since I have more experience flying.  The time together at Disney was a graduation gift for Emma Tess who is graduating from high school, as well as Ali and I celebrating our twentieth anniversary.  I took the week off from work since it was…time to take a week off.  The first day of vacation was volunteering almost a full day out at Quill Hill Farm in Amagansett where the stoic poet and noble farmer, Scott Chaskey warmly welcomed us.  The organic farm is on the Southern fork on Long Island.  It was a beautiful day, a good gust of wind as I worked side to side with female graduate students from Stony Brook.  After a few hours my left knee begged for mercy, but I still huffed it out, listened and partook in the folk song the young organic farmers were singing - as we pushed our fingers through the soil and planted the seedlings.  The following day I was back at the Sharing Garden with Iman and a student from Stony Brook.  We planted seedlings, added mulch, and I learned some basic yoga poses which I have been curious about.  In a little while I will head back down to the garden and work for an hour or so before starting my real work…

Before I wrap this up I have to share some of the experiences at Disney.  We stayed in a suite at the Art of Animation Resort.  There was a large pool in the center which had a good crowd, you can hear music playing under the water and I was struck by the various sizes and shapes of the parents and children who could care less.  We were half asleep as we swam.  And what an easy transition from the airport to the resort, don’t worry about the bags – they get from the airport to your room.  Walt Disney World is a good place to get a perspective on what sort of tattoos strangers will imprint into their flesh for eternity.  Super heroes, Superman crests, dragons and Mickey’s ears which were oval shaped and not centered.  Why?  The crazed eyes especially on the mothers who use their strollers like tanks as they zip through the pockets of people who may be strolling and taking it too slow since there is some place these mothers have to be at…character signing?  Speed pass?  The bathroom?  Who knows and who cares just get out of the way or you will be roadside casualty.  I fell into the role of the quiet father who follows the orders his wife commands at Disney, you know, the yes dear whatever you’d like to do dear.  And I am perfectly fine with this role.  I don’t need to think.  My wife loves Disney…and so do I…but she knows what she wants like the mothers with the strollers.  Got to see the Belle show, it starts in five minutes and we are here and there it is.  We need to get past the Muppets area, the big hat and past the Star Wars and then we can make it.  With the new apps Disney has, you can know in advance what the lines are like for the rides.   The apps are great but were a little slow.  We did not make it to Animal Kingdom, darn we did not do the rapids or the Everest roller coaster, but Emma and I did take the rocknroll roller coaster and again it scared the shit out of me.  There is the countdown, three to one and I was slammed into the back of my seat roaring down the tracks at 60 miles an hour and directly into a loop…and more loops and dives.  It was a blast.  Amanda and Emma and I rode the Tower of Terror. Amanda screamed in my air, clutched my arm, digging her nails into my flesh as we dropped stories in pitch dark.  It was a scary and more intense than I recalled.  We rode the new Seven Dwarfs Mine Roller Coaster which was less severe and yet fun.  Also last Friday Magic Kingdom was open 24 hours which is a rare event.  Ali and Amanda and Emma and Joe stayed out late…got back at 03:30…and we started out late on Saturday.  Since we stayed in a resort, well this was an economy one, we were able to take the shuttle buses which make life easier, we could go to the park, bask in the heat, get exhausted and go back to the suite and take a nap.  The suite slept all of us and had two full bathrooms.  It was a good size.  We had the meal plan and again this made life easier, we had good meals and snacks and refillable cups for the resort.  After four days at Disney, we woke up, finished packing and slowly waited in the lobby for the bus back to Orlando International.  We did it and we survived and what was most impressive we did not have to use our credit card.  We actually saved money each week for this trip which is a responsible act for us – the credit card was our choice in the past…with the goal: eventually we’d pay it off…slowly and painful…but not this time.  The primary reason, we didn’t have little ones who wanted everything.  Still, while riding the shuttle bus after visiting Magic Kingdom, I looked at the young families and felt the longing.  Not missing folding the strollers which are huge.  And these days, the seats are side to side instead of front and back.  Not missing the cries or the exhausted and dazed eyes who may look up at you and ask…when are we leaving and you’d think we just spent $350 to walk in here and you want to leave?  What?!  So, you try distractions.  Look at the castle and the fireworks and listen to the music…and you wrestle with this banter within your mind; is this really for the kids or are am I trying to escape from the real world and discover the magic I abandoned decades ago…the distraction…wishes do come true; well only at Walt Disney World.

Taking a break from Disney - discovering nature

My apologies for not posting anything in the past few weeks. 7/15/12 14:05 Orlando I can sit in this spot and write for days. In the distance thunder fades away. The kids are watching TV inside the house. I went for a run earlier and finished the book on Lincoln’s summer retreat - the soldier’s home. It was informative and proved how valuable this house was for Lincoln. To get away from the executive mansion, to walk among soldiers who were protecting him and his family, where the emancipation proclamation was revised and finalized. Lincoln inspires me, this book more than the others shared how he developed as a man, especially his faith which evolved as a cynical approach as a young man to a man of faith in his later years. It’s a contradiction to the other books I read, like Team of Rivals.….Last night was the highlight of the vacation for me. Nancy and Hugh reserved a sea turtle expedition at a nature preserve on the edge of Cape Kennedy. In the distance, I could see the large luminous building where the rockets the Saturn rockets were assembled as well as some of the launch pads. We were fortunate to see a sea turtle lay its eggs in a nest it dug out of the sand, then cover it over and crawl back into the sea. Out of the hundred or so eggs, approximately only ten percent will survive. Since there was a lack of any wind, the mosquitoes were unbearable, gratefully we applied some repellant in the parking lot before we walked on the beach and were protected. This didn’t stop the incessant pests from battling each other and us - attempting to get into any crevice including our eyes. Beyond all of this, as I approached the surging water, I was struck by the magnitude of the night sky - a cluster of stars so thick which was the milky way. I can’t recall the last time I was so close to nature. The event was something of a holy experience, the park rangers using glowing red flash lights to avoid irritating the wild life especially the turtles were like the warm meditative candles at church, the back drop of the night sky and the dark outline of the reflective strangers on the dark beach. It was a holy experience. As I looked up at the stars, I lost my sense of isolation. I thought back to the earliest navigators on the oceans following the stars to their destination, the astronauts on the launch pads, peering into eternity, I was in touch with nature and the supreme power. I felt a presence as if God whispered, I am with you. God is with us. Last night there were two unfortunate events, Amanda accidently lost Summer’s keys on the beach, and Aunt Nancy closed the car door on some of her fingers. She was in a lot of pain. Amanda felt horrible. On the way back, we packed into Uncle Hugh’s car, stopped at Wendy’s and McDonalds and listened to Tom Petty, American Girl….make it last all night…she’s an…American Girl.

Auto Train to Orlando

Last night we arrived at the Springfield, VA Courtyard a little after 9 PM. The pool was closing so we changed quickly and enjoyed the hot tub and pool. A father and his two daughters joined in and soon the kids were eying each other suspiciously and doing their own thing. The father took over the hot tub, and we dried off and headed off to the courtyard. It was warm last night. I bought a beer, and we headed back to the room. Lights were off a quarter to 11. By 6 AM I was awake and ready to go. I finished up some work, and wrote my weekly while the rest of the bums got dressed, took showers and watched the Disney Channel.
We ate breakfast, really brunch at Bob Evans, I had eggs and pancakes and sausage and OJ and coffee. The food wasn’t too bad, but the waitress had an extremely dry sense of humor. Not sure how he day was going, but she told us she was there since 5:15.
Afterwards, knowing we had time to kill, we drove to DC and went to FDR’s memorial. It’s a beautiful display, using boulders and water, and is the only presidential memorial which includes the first lady. Took some pictures with Amanda standing next to the statue.
We’ve been at the Larton terminal since 1 PM. This is our first time and we didn’t know what to expect. Not sure if our seats would be next to one another. The process was very easy. We drove the car, checked in and watched as our car was inspected and videotaped, since they wanted to make sure there were no erroneous claims of damage. I took Bell and Joe outside for a walk. We had an hour and half to kill. The depot building is very roomy and bright. The building is air conditioned and modern. A TV is playing in the corner, and there is a small café, a shop really in one corner. From the look of it, the place appears to be in Florida.
It appears as if people are boarding though there was no announcement made. Just waiting for Ali to get back since she bought TUMS. This place is emptying fast. Time to go?
We’re on the train. There is a lot of room. It’s very comfortable. Whoever is sitting behind me is playing with the foot rests. The seat is knocking. There is a family next and behind us. This is not going to be a quiet train, but let’s see how it works out. I can use an ADVIL.
Instead of Advil I had a couple of beers. Dinner was served at 5 PM and 7 PM – we chose the early dinner since there was a movie playing for the kids at 7…I had cod and veggies and rice. The food was very good. With dinner came white wine and water and choices like iced tea and apple juice for the kids. They were given the choice of chicken fingers, and mac and cheese. There was a lot of food. The other options were a beef or veggie lasagna. The settings were pleasant, a flower on each table as well as silverware, but the cups were plastic, as well as the plates. For dessert we had cheese cake with a couple of options, either covered in strawberry or chocolate.
Overall it was quiet, but one neighbor watched a movie on his laptop and the language was not appropriate for children. A couple had two little ones on-board and it took them a long time to fall asleep. Music came over the loud speaker but was shut off close of 8 PM and soon after lights were shut down and we got comfortable.
Sleeping was a little bit of a challenge. Trying to get my 6 foot 4 body comfortable – even in reclining chairs was interesting. I bent my legs and curled in the seat, and propped the small pillow on a corner as well as my sweat pants.
I’m typing this, knowing we’re expected to arrive an hour earlier. Amanda and I had breakfast and met an older couple from Florida. Cereal as well as warm bagels and muffins were served, coffee and OJ as well. A good start to the vacation…rise and shine we are in Florida.