Bloomfield, NJ - John's Hometown

It was a fun few days in the city, but all good things must come to an end. We checked out of the Row NYC hotel and stopped by a cafe for pastries and tea.

Called an Uber at 11am and was headed out, but we did not make it far.  There was a parade, the driver knew the roads that were officially blocked for the parade and tried to turn well past them but the roads were blocked by the number of people. He tried to make it through by driving a few more blocks down and then a few more but the crowds were too many. We decided we would do better on foot; it took about twenty minutes to get through the crowds. We walked in the gay pride parade for one block to get to the other side and then walked to the garage for our vehicle.

Since we had plenty of time before the flight, John gave me a tour of his beloved hometown, Bloomfield, NJ.

                                His old school.

His childhood home was a two story building attached to a store front. John, his mother, and little brother Eddie lived on the first floor apartment and his grandparents lived upstairs - John was close to his grandfather. He has wonderful memories of growing up here and playing cowboys in the small backyard with Eddie and their cousins. 

The top-left opened window was John's bedroom window of the last apartment he lived at in Bloomfield.

This old government building is where John changed the rest of his life. On September 19, 1962 he swore in to the US Army. He started as an enlisted soldier and became an officer pilot and later an instructor pilot - he loved flying and enjoyed teaching the younger pilots. After retiring from 28 years of active duty, he stayed with the Army through civil service for 25 years. He spent a total of 53 years with the Army.

New York City, Day 3

We were up and out early, walked to a sidewalk cafe and partook in warm toasted bagles and cream cheese. Then walked around Herald Square, stopping to shop and have coffee at Macy's. This is where we came across a small miracle on 34th St. We rode on wooden Otis Escalators dating back to the 1920's! I talked to one of the sales ladies and she told me that the motors have been modernized but the walls, steps, treads and many of the mechanical parts are original; the side walls are made of oak and each step has treads carved into one piece of ash wood. It was a beautiful thing to see and almost a small

miracle they are still operating everyday.

We had reservations for lunch at the Tavern on the Green in Central Park and we would never make it on time walking, so we ordered up an Uber and we were there in plenty of time.  

Tavern on the Green was not open the last time we were in NYC, we were happy that we got it in on this trip. The light Victorian decor is beautiful. There are glass walls so whether you are seated inside or out, it seems like the whole restaurant is one with the park. The service was impeccable and the menu had a nice variety. I enjoyed the brioche French toast with blueberries and

John liked his chicken and salad and we both enjoyed the desert of brownie and ice cream. Delicious! 

It was a lovely day, we walked all over Central Park and and even went to the zoo.

On the walk back to the hotel, we stopped off at a pub for sliders and beer. 

Our first night in NY we saw Chicago, and the next night we saw Kinky Boots, both were terrific! Tonight we saw a little show called NEWSical off-Broadway. It was a fast paced, cute show for our last night here.

New York City, Day 2

We walked and shopped all over the place. We ate lunch at a fun roof-top Irish pub and followed that with sharing a slice of black forest cake at the Bierhaus for desert.

Later, we saw the musical Kinky Boots. We thought it would be good but it was fabulous! We loved it! The actor that played Lulu was outstanding.

After the show we ate pizza at John's Pizzeria. John's Pizzeria is unassuming from the outside but when you enter you see that it had been a great old church, it still has the beautiful large stained glass ceiling. We discovered this gem on our last trip to NYC.

We enjoyed a walk  through Times Square and ended the night with a quick bite of cheesecake.

New York City

As soon as we arrived in NYC for a little weekend get-a-way, we caught a quick bite of mac-n-cheese from S'Mac's.  S'Mac offers simple and classic comfort food with the option of selecting what you want in your  mac-n-cheese.  Deliciously cheesy!

We checked into our room at the ROW NYC hotel, our room is small with minimum decor but the location is amazing! In the heart of it all; between Times Square, Theater District, and Hell's Kitchen.

After a little shopping in Times Square, we saw Chicago, my favorite musical! We have

seen it many times but this is the first time on Broadway. It was a wonderful show!

We stopped at Junior's on 49th St to enjoy some good NY deli food complete with cheesecake for desert. 

Back To Florida

This year, we did not make it to Canada, we got as far as Delaware and we received a phone call to return home. We were needed in Central Florida to help a family member. We are fortunate that our life-style is flexible and we can change plans quickly. I flew to Florida and John followed later with the coach. Always enjoy being with family and this time was no different.  

After a couple of weeks, John and I were able to plan a quick weekend trip to New York City - flying out tomorrow.

Bethany Beach, Delaware

We started our day early, walking out the gate, crossing US-1 and walking just a few blocks to the beach. It was a beautiful, sunny, ocean-side morning.

 

Later, we walked on the small boardwalk and shopped at the quaint shops. Another wonderful day.

Bethany Beach is a lovely place with a true small seaside town feel. 

Bethany Beach Training Site

Got on the road early with a bit of excitement to see our next destination. We arrived at Bethany Beach Training Site, a Delaware National Guard training station, and setup the RV on a nice long drive-thru lot. This place is a hidden gem on the Atlantic.

As we were headed out to explore the area, a family of geese stopped by to welcome us.

The seaside town of Bethany Beach is literally across the street, US-1, with a nice boardwalk and beach to enjoy. We found a good restaurant overlooking the ocean where we enjoyed our dinner with a beautiful view of the beach.

Seaside Hights, NJ

We spent the last few days hanging out at the shore. Tomorrow we head off to Bethany Beach, Delaware. 

We chatted with a man painting a full wall of a magnificent mermaid. I love this mural.