Bruce's Travels: July 2024

We are beginning our second full day here in New York at the Affinia hotel by Penn Station. We’ve had to scale back on our planned activities. Some was caused due to time delays getting here (fog in Milwaukee and apparently lots of other places in the Midwest, too). Other cutbacks due to running out of steam and the fact that things just seem to take longer than we anticipated. But let's focus on what we DID do. Yesterday (Friday), we went on the Circle Line Tour to the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island. We had to go through a complete security check (very similar to what you do at the airport now) BOTH at the ferry dock, and again at Liberty Island to get inside the statue. For Gwen, this included a hand search and swabbing of her hydration backpack. At the Statue of Liberty, they also ran us through the "puffer" which I guess checks for explosives, drugs or both. I had quite mixed emotions at the Statue Tour, with the irony of the whole situation not being lost on me. Yes, we have "liberty and freedom for all" but this is what it has come to because apparently every country in the world (with the possible exception of Greenland) is apparently pissed off at us. Oh well, the Statue still inspires and gave me goosebumps. The view from the pedestal was quite spectacular, and we did call Dawn at work on the cell phone while gazing at the Manhattan skyline.

After that was Ellis Island, and I have to say we did little more than breeze in and breeze out because Gwen was getting tired and because we wanted to make our Dim Sum lunch date in Chinatown. We went into the Great Hall, just to say we were there, and also looked at a couple of exhibits. After getting back to the Battery, we treated ourselves to a cab ride to Mott Street (Chinatown) and arrived at our restaurant at what was unfortunately near the end of Dim Sum. So the rolling carts full of steaming appetizers were infrequent, and when they did arrive they were light on selections. So we supplemented with an order of chicken fried rice and sweet/sour chicken. Believe me we did not leave hungry, but the experience was less than we had hoped for. Again, things just take longer than what you anticipate.

We took the subway back to our hotel (the Affinia near Penn station) and Gwen collapsed on the bed for about an hour before we headed to our Broadway show, "Wicked," which I must say was the highlight of our day and probably the entire NYC leg of our journey. Again, we treated and took a taxi, which dropped us at the front door of the Gershwin Theater. We picked up our tickets at the "will call" window no problem and just hung out in the lobby until the auditorium opened. The play was quite magnificent, full of mythic themes, drama and fantasy. The lady of the husband/wife team sitting next to us struck up a conversation after overhearing me tell Gwen that I was glad I had just finished the book (literally) two hours before in the hotel while we were resting. So this lady said to me, "So, what’s this play about, anyway?" I thought we were in trouble, but I gave her the synopsis without spoiling the ending for them. And they were very polite and well behaved for the most part, except the husband got up a couple of times to go out in the lobby and handle some apparent emergency that required the use of his cell phone. Well, at least he had the courtesy to excuse himself. Anyway, the play was wonderful. Julie Murney as Elphaba was fantastic, and the cast received a standing ovation. Truly lump-in-your-throat kind of stuff.

By this time, we were RAVENOUS, having nothing since our slightly disappointing Dim Sum experience, so we walked to the Stage Deli for some serious in-your-face food and what we anticipated would be some MAJOR attitude from the wait staff, which the Stage Deli is supposed to be legend for. But instead, we got a very courteous and competent waiter who attended to our every need. We split a turkey breast sandwich that was as big as my head. Big bowl of chicken noodle soup, side of potato salad. And the coup de grace was a slice of cheesecake as large as a car battery, mounded with fresh strawberries and whipped cream. We ate until full, and still brought back to the hotel what most would consider a generous slice of cheesecake.

Saturday 9/22

We woke around 8 a.m. and prepared breakfast in our tiny kitchenette. The skies started partly cloudy and then all cloudy. We boarded the B train at Penn Station bound for the Cloisters in Ft. Tyron Park. Our first surprise was that the subway line was under construction and the train would only take us as far as 168th St., where we would have to catch a shuttle bus. I was a little nervous at this, but there were plenty of other people on the train bound for the Cloisters, so I figured at least one person would know what to do when we reached street level. The shuttle bus was right around the corner from the subway stop and we were able to board right away for about a 20-min ride to 190th Street. From there, it was about a 20-minute walk from the entrance of Ft. Tyron Park to the Cloisters, up and down some rather hilly terrain that I guess I had forgotten about since my last journey here 22 years and 80 pounds ago. Gwen was especially challenged. Poor thing, her feet, ankles and legs are swelling up due to the clots and poor circulation. We reached the Cloisters and Gwen was about exhausted. I figured it was time to pull the cancer trump card and start prevailing on the museum staff for a little assistance. They were very accommodating in the form of elevator rides to the upper and lower levels, and escorts through "secret passageways" that only museum staff are normally allowed access to.

The Cloisters was wonderful, and every bit as relaxing and a world away from the ruckus of Manhattan as I remembered. Gwen was quite taken with the serenity of it all and fell in love with this treasure of a museum. It began to rain, at times fairly heavy, but we were protected the whole time, even while outside at the gardens because, of course, there is a covered promenade (cloister) that encircles each garden. We wandered the hallways, the galleries, outside gardens, and chapels of the Cloisters. We got to spend some time in the Spanish chapel where "Sting" recorded his album of lute music along with his teacher/mentor. (We had seen this episode on CBS Sunday Morning a while back.) Surprisingly, the gift shop did not have copies of that particular CD for sale.

We had lunch in the garden cafe, procuring two of the final few ham/cheese sandwiches they had left. The two sandwiches, a bag of chips and a coke ran us $22.50. We got a nice table overlooking the garden and watched a gentle rainfall.

We completed our tour by going into the Treasures and Glass rooms and viewing the various manuscripts, tapestries, reliquaries, vestments, etc. At the conclusion of our tour, the security people called a car service for us, and in 10 minutes a new Lincoln Town Car pulled up the "secret entrance" that normally VIPs and employees use. Very nice. The upgrade from a Yellow Cab to a Lincoln car with a more experienced driver was also a treat, and we availed ourselves of the "car service" class again. The fair is based on time rather than distance, so he took the quick route along Route 9 which runs along the extreme western edge of Manhattan. Very cool to be whisking south in NYC at near 60 mph! Then a quick jog east to our hotel. All for $30.

We wanted to have dinner at Delmonico’s, so we asked the hotel concierge about this, and he told us there were probably a half dozen steakhouses in Manhattan that had better steaks. But we told him that this was a destination experience for Gwen and me (me in particular) so he went ahead and made the reservation for us at 6 p.m. Luckily we got in because that's a very early dining time by NY standards. We cabbed down to the financial district and caught a glimpse of the "bull" at Broadway and Wall Street, which Gwen had wanted to see on Friday but couldn't for lack of energy. The cab dropped us within 1/2 block, apparently not knowing where this most old and famous restaurant was! We walked in and thought there was some kind of mistake, that perhaps this was the annex or perhaps "Delmonico's II," the second location that no one ever goes to. It's just that we had literally had the whole place to ourselves. What a hoot!

Now, what can I say about our dining experience? The ambiance was certainly second to none. We were dining in the company of past presidents, robber barons, mayors, financial giants, stars of stage and screen. No kitschy pictures on the wall here, though. Just acres of mahogany paneling and paintings from the gilded age in ornate frames painted gold. The service was also impeccable, using the guild system of plate clearers, crumb boys, water pourers, etc. We barely finished a dinner roll or salad, when the plate would be instantly cleared away and a fresh change of silverware put down in front of us. Rolls were great. Salad was great. We split the classic Delmonico 20-ounce ribeye and a Del "special potato" and both were just so-so. The meat was tough, with gristle here and there, and not really prepared all that well, with a char coating that was clearly cindered in places. And the potato, while an interesting preparation of slices in a cheese sauce and then stuffed back into the potato shell, overcooked and again a bit charred on the surface. Honestly, we’ve had better steaks back home at Fitzerald’s. We ended with a piece of dessert for Gwen (a lemon meringue tart) and a GREAT cup of decaf, so the meal ended on a bright note. But what a disappointment from the purely food end of things. Not bad enough to send back to the kitchen, but certainly not up to expectations for what is supposed to be arguably the most famous (and oldest) steakhouse in NYC and probably the country. I think the problem is they are resting too much on their reputation. Still, we were glad for the experience. And who knows? Perhaps we had the "B" team on that evening due to being the weekend.

Delmonico’s called a car service for us, and again we rode a more deluxe cab back to the Affinia, although the driver was listening to some weird-ass music -- a sort of Asian version of Julio Iglesias. And the driver was singing along, so he obviously liked this particular CD. Anyway, back to our hotel and to bed.

Sunday Sept. 23

This was our last full day in NYC, so Gwen decided we would rise at 5 a.m. and try to squeeze in three events and make up for some lost time. After breakfast in the room, we walked to the Empire State Building (ESB), arriving 15 minutes before the opening of the observatory at 8 a.m. We walked around the lobby for a while, admiring the marble and the art deco motif everywhere. At 7:55, we hopped into the queue which had already started forming. We were about 25th in line. We went up an escalator to the mezzanine level where we went through a security check complete with metal detector. And, of course, they hand inspected Gwen's hydration backpack, and Gwen had to explain everything because they didn't know a CAD pump from a Cadbury candy bar. The main elevators to the observation deck were apparently undergoing renovation, so were directed through a rather serpentine route using two different sets of elevators and a short winding walk through a construction zone on the 80th floor. One set of elevators took us to the 80th floor, with another set taking us to the 86th. There were bathrooms on the mezz. level (past the security check point), so Gwen availed herself of the services.

We truly picked the best possible day of our four days in NYC to see the view from the ESB. Breathtaking, clear views in all directions, although everyone's favorite (including ours) was the view to the south which included the Brooklyn Bridge and Statue of Liberty. Sadly, no more World Trade Towers. We snapped photos all around, and Gwen spent $50 in the 86th floor gift shop. What great fun. There was only one lady's rest room on the observatory level and of course there was a line, so we descended back to street level thinking we would find a restroom for Gwen on the lobby level. Wrong. We would of had to pass through security again, so we decided to make a dash back to our hotel and regroup.

After regrouping, we caught a cab in front of the hotel to the American Museum of Natural History at 81st and Central Park West. It was still morning, so the crowds had not arrived yet. We bought the deluxe pass, which cost $30 per person, but that basically included everything -- access to all the permanent exhibits and our choice of three "special events" which we could pick our times to go. Our first event was "Cosmic Collision," showed in the Hayden Planetarium, which aired on an 80 foot dome by means of image projectors that moved on a circular track located at the base of the dome. Very cool technology -- sort of a cross between an Imax theater and a more traditional planetarium. The movie was narrated by Robert Redford and basically told the story of how collisions in the universe cause life, death, and cataclysmic change throughout the universe through the release of unimaginable amounts of energy. Our very existence depends on continue collisions that occur on the sun's surface that release radiant energy. Very educational but presented in an entertaining way.

After the presentation, we were both hungry as balls and had a little time before our next "event" so we headed for the food court down in the basements and each had a slice of pizza and shared a coke for the bargain price of $12. After that, it was off to the IMAX theater for a presentation on dinosaurs narrated by Michael Douglas. Again, very educational and entertaining. The theater was perhaps half full. Lots of kids, and there was some ruckus behind us when some moron took an incoming cell phone call, and one of the ushers came swooping down on him to reprimand him. What has the world come to with these frickin' cell phones, anyway. Twelve different announcements telling people to turn the goddamn things off, and people still don't comply.

Our third and final "timed event" was called "Mythic Creatures" and we had to hustle to the fourth floor for that one. This was not a show, but rather an exhibit that was timed so as to facilitate the orderly flow of people through the exhibit room. There, we saw re-creations of legendary creatures such as dragons, sea monsters, mermaids, unicorns and of course the legendary Big Foot. In addition to the plastic and fiberglass models, there were old books and manuscripts (some dating to the 1600s) that told of the creatures, their symbolization, their relationship to mankind, and so forth. Interesting, but for my tastes the least compelling of the three events.

From there, a brief repast at a Cafe on the Fourth floor. We were running out of steam, so I told Gwen that the one thing I definitely wanted to see was the display of meteorites and the gem collection. Gwen is all about the "sparklies" so she was excited about the gems, less so about the meteorites. My fascination with meteorites, I guess, is the fact they are not of this earth. They are the only physical proof that you can hold in your hands of other worlds, of other possibilities and potentials. I don't know; you either dig it or you don't.

The gem room is named the Morgan collection after J.P. himself, who obviously bequeathed a shitload of money to fund this exhibit and donated, among other things, the Star of India blue sapphire which is the size of a small chicken egg. Truly spectacular. And I guess you can say what you want about the money-grabbing son of a bitch, but I have to give him points for leaving behind this spectacular display. You could make an entire day just out of this one wing of the museum. Display after display of precious rock and mineral, both in their "native" form, and in their polished and/or faceted state. The display of California gold was especially interesting, with chunks of gold still residing in their host material. One gold plume, the size of large dill pickle, rose out of its host rock like a bizarre cactus. Whom, I imagined, would have had the foresight and financial means to preserve that hunk of gold in its natural state without melting it down into bullion or gold coin?

After that, we hailed a taxi to Central Park South, where we caught a carriage ride, our third and final "big event" for the day. It was a good way to finish up, since we could sit and be chauffeured around by horse drawn carriage. The 30-minute ride cost us $34 plus a $6 tip. Our driver was very courteous, yet thankfully did not prattle on but rather just let us enjoy the views of central park from our carriage. We got to see the carousel and the ice skating pond, and many people jogging, biking, walking, or just sitting and enjoying themselves. For many New Yorkers, this truly must be the oasis in an otherwise vortex of perpetual frenzy.

After the carriage ride, we hailed another taxi to Bella Luna, at Columbus Avenue and 88th Street. We shared a salad of mixed greens, mozzarella, roasted red pepper, kalamata olives, and capers, all topped with a vinaigrette. Very yummy. For our entrees, Gwen chose a rainbow tortellini in an alfredo sauce. I went totally the other direction with linguine in a red sauce with a mélange of seafood thrown in, including shrimp, scallops, calamari, and baby scallops. It was all delicious, and I also had a nice glass of pinot grigio. Gwen opted for a chocolate mousse cake, while I just had a cup of decaf. I contemplated one final subway ride on our metro ticket, using the 8th Ave. local which was only about 1.5 blocks away, but thought better of it when I saw how tired Gwen looked. I asked the host if would call a car service for us, but he made Our third and final "timed event" was called "Mythic Creatures" and we had to hustle to the fourth floor for that one. This was not a show, but rather an exhibit that was timed so as to facilitate the orderly flow of people through the exhibit room. There, we saw re-creations of legendary creatures such as dragons, sea monstors, mermaids, unicorns and of course the legendary Big Foot. In addition to the plastic and fiberglass models, there were old books and manuscripts (some dating to the 1600s) that told of the creatures, their symbolization, there relationship to mankind, and so forth. Interesting, but I would for my tastes the least compelling of the three events.

From there, a brief repast at a Cafe on the Fourth floor. We were running out of steam, so I told Gwen that the one thing I definiately wanted to see was the display of meteorites and the gem collection. Gwen is all about the "sparklies" so she was excited too about the gems, less so about the meteorites. My fascination with meteorites, I guess, is the fact they are not of this earth. They are the only physical proof that you can hold in your hands of other worlds, of other possibilities and potentials. I don't know; you either dig it or you don't.

We made one final stop at a Nathan's hotdog outlet just up a block from our hotel on 7th Ave. We wanted to try a Nathan's without going all the way to Coney Island. We brought it back to our hotel room. We made some initial preparations for our departure the following morning. I took our Mapquest map down to the lobby to confirm the easiest exit from Manhattan via the Lincoln Tunnel. I was advised of an easier route via a direct east shot from 31st Steet, which bordered the northern edge of our hotel, so I decided in favor of that route over the one that Mapquest suggested.

By then, we were ready for bed. It had been a long day, but we both agreed it was good that we got up early to squeeze in the Empire State Building. It would certainly have been a shame to leave NYC without Gwen having seen this most famous landmark.

Wed. Sept. 26

Up at 7 a.m. this morning to pack and head out. Our next stop was The Thompson House (TH) in upstate New York. But first, breakfast of French toast stuffed with cream cheese, orange, and almond, two over easy eggs, and bacon. They had a basket on the table with "breakfast cookies" that were a version of banana bread in a slightly chewier texture. Then back to the hotel and finished packing and were out of our room by the required 10 a.m. We hung out in the lobby a while longer to send a few emails and double check directions to our next destination. Then picked up the Chevy Impala we had rented from Enterprise, just a few blocks down from the Affinia.Packed up all the stuff, and we were on the road.

The Thompson House (TH), Windham NY

Overall, very very pleased with the TH. One of the last “Borscht Belt” resorts about an hour from NYC. Very friendly owners and staff. Loved the food. The guest laundry was a plus. Our only small complaint is that our room had a slight but distinct mildewy smell which permeated the bedding and our clothes.

We saw a show in the resort’s small theater, a pair of dinner-show type actors who did a rendition of “My Fair Lady.” Kind of kitschy, but fun.

Time to move on, so we got onto Interstate 87 heading north to the Adirondaks. I believe it's all the Adirondak Mountains it’s just there is a clearly defined plateau of 100 miles or so that separates the Catskill Parkway from the larger Adirondak park. We decided to forego lunch and barrel up to our destination of Lake George and the Sagamore. Actually, there is Lake George the lake. And Lake George the city. Then there is the city of Boulton Landing, on Lake George (the lake) where the Sagamore is located, by means of crossing a bridge and onto Green Island. It's all very confusing, designed I'm sure to throw off the tourists and engineer the tax rolls so that the citizens/businesses of Lake George (the city) do not support the infrastructure of Boulton Landing while watching all the rich tourists pour into The Sagamore, talking their platinum American Express cards with them.

Passing over the bridge onto Green Island was crossing over into Oz. Manicured and terraced landscapes, and the biggest frickin' resort you ever saw, crowned by the magnificent main hotel building. Dating back to the turn of the century, it is very reminiscent of the great gilded age hotels we have visited in other places, such as the Del Coronado and the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. A real stunner. It takes a couple minutes just to absorb it all. We stopped at the registration desk and picked up our welcome packet and keys. Then, up the hill to the main hotel structure to drop off our bags. A bellman took our considerable luggage up to the third floor and our room, 301. We explained our medicine situation, and the bellman quickly arranged for not one but TWO mini fridges to be brought up to the room, and stacked on top of one another. We got that squared away, and then began exploring. Hungry again, we stopped at the pub in the lower level, where I had a Blue Moon beer and Gwen had a Mt. Dew, and we split an order of mozzarella sticks. We then descended the terraced stairway to the docks and sat by the water a while, soaking up the ambiance. The sky was clouding over, and we felt a few raindrops. So we hiked up the stairs to the grand Veranda room where I had a Mojito and Gwen had a virgin strawberry margarita. What an enjoyable way to spend a couple of hours. We returned to our room briefly, where we spotted our "Welcome Package" of ginger snaps and a thermos carafe of warm apple cider. Had to save that for later, for now it was time for DINNER!

The menu at the Trillium (the hotel's gourmet restaurant) really didn't blow our skirts up, so we had asked a couple of staff earlier at the pub about steak houses in town. They gave us three pretty good choices, and we ended up picking a place called Michael Arthur's Steakhouse. We couldn't decide if this was a "corporate" restaurant, or locally owned and operated, but Gwen decided it was the latter so that's what it was. We placed our drink orders, and the waitress brought us a delicious slap of corn bread served in a mini cast iron skillet. We each had a mixed greens salad, and then Gwen ordered the ribeye while I had their "flat iron" steak which was a nice boneless cut of beef, lean yet very tender. Not sure where this is cut from; must be a regional thing. Anyway, it was all good, and the meat was better than Delmonico's at half the price. But once again, it wasn't great. Many say how we in the MIdwest have such great beef and we tend to take it for granted until we travel other places and eat beef that is advertised as "fantastic" or some such thing, and it can't hold a candle to our steaks we get right at home.

Back to the hotel and up to our room enjoy our ginger snaps and warm apple cider. We finished unpacking, including stocking the twin mini fridges with the hydration bags. Gwen was very tired and was struggling to make complete sentences, at one point re-naming our resort the Snagamore. Tonight was dressing change night for Gwen's pic line, so I did that, and then we went to bed. A big luscious thick mattress king size job. Not as nice as the Affinia, but very nice. And not a mildew spore to be smelled in the entire room!

Thursday Sept. 27 -- out one week.

Up at 7 a.m. to enjoy our hotel amenities. I went down to the veranda for coffee and to work on the trip diary while Gwen got ready. I came back up in about an hour and did a stoma change on Gwen. Now to breakfast. Buffet breakfast is included in our "by land, air and water" package, so down to the Sagamore dining hall we went. Everyhting you would expect in a nice buffet, including made to order omelets. A bountiful buffet, and we did 'er proud and spent about an hour and half there. Weather today started out very soggy -- fog and humidity. Yuk. Where's my crisp fall weather? Finished up at about 11 a.m. and prepared for our Lake George cruise aboard the Morgan, the Sagamore's very own double-decker boat.

Gwen decided to change into long pants back at the hotel room, and discovered she had not brought a belt. I recalled seeing some down in the gift shop, so we went down to check out the belts. She found a nice leather one with a Sagamore logo on the buckle for the bargain price of $55. They do know how to charge here, that's for sure. I hope she gets some use out of it!

Walked down to the dock about 11:45 and boarded about 12:15. The buffet was all prepared for us with three hot entrees, cold salads, rolls, and a couple of desserts. Honestly, neither of us could do it justice with just having stuffed ourselves at the breakfast buffet. Gwen had a little potato salad. I made a small sandwich with a roll and some of the sliced bbq pork. We each had an ice tea. This was all on the lower deck. After the boat got underway, we climbed to the upper deck to take some photos and enjoy the views. Lake George is quite interesting, with many little islands popping all over the place, like patches on a Calico cat. Some no larger than 10 feet around -- about big enough for one tree. Others large enough to accommodate a large home, which we saw several of. Geez, how rich do you have to be to afford your own island and home (summer home at that) on Lake George? We saw several interesting characters aboard, including a bald-headed guy who looked like Stanley Tucci who talked almost constantly on his cell phone. What is wrong with people? Another fellow in his 70s with a bride half his age or younger. We saw this couple at breakfast. The gal had already been through one change of clothes -- apparently a "breakfast outfit" and now her "cruise wear."

We got back to the dock about 2 p.m., and went up to the room so Gwen could disconnect from hydration. Room still had not been made up yet, so we decided to hang out in the veranda. As I write this, Gwen is writing some postcards to friends. We are enjoying some Pepsis (Gwen) and ice coffee (Bruce). It's very quiet right now on the veranda -- after lunch but before pre-dinner cocktails. It's now 3:50 p.m. and Gwen informs me she is hungry and wants me to think about where I want dinner. Anywhere I want, as long as they serve either lobster or pizza. Those are apparently my choices tonight. It’s now about 3:30. A big group (100 or so) of Merrill Lynch employees just filed through the Veranda Room out to the terraced patio. All dressed in groups of different colored polo shirts. That can only mean one thing -- teambuilding, that most pernicious and foul of corporate phenomenon. God, thank you for delivering me and Gwen from ever having to endure that fate. Anyway, they are going to get rained on. The skies are very threatening.

10 min later ... sure enough, here they come like a flock of lemmings back into the Veranda Room. It's now raining and they are getting their colored polo shirts wet. They are not staying in the Veranda Room, thank God, so we don't have to listen to a cacophony of corporate bullshit. They apparently have an auxiliary room elsewhere. The rain developed into a full-blow thunderstorm. Rain is coming down in a sheets, complete with lightening and thunder. Yet we're smiling like a couple of Cheshire cats in this giant glass enclosure watching the storm.

At 5:45, I brought up the Impala and we headed into Boulton Landing for dinner. We opted for Cate's Italian Garden, which had pizza, but Gwen opted for the chicken parmesan instead. I had shrimp scampi that came with a side of pasta primavera. We started with Caesar salads, and I ordered a tomato/mozzarella salad with fresh basil and balsamic vinegar, which Gwen and I shared. Everything was very tasty, although Gwen complimented me and said that I made a better chicken parmesan. I had a slice of tiramisu and a decaf for dessert. Gwen passed on the carrot cake because it had raisins. We stopped at a grocery store on the main drag and bought a Mrs. Smiths frozen carrot cake (sans raisins), and three candy bars and brought it all back to the room. The store had a small selection of paperback books, so I picked up a Jack DuBrul adventure novel in the style of my old pal, Clive Cussler. Back at the room, I took a nice long hot shower.

Poor Gwen has really swelled up from clots and poor circulation. Hands, arms, legs and feet. I fear the docs are going to put her in the hospital upon our return. I am worried about her, but she insists on pressing on. She says if she dies on the trip, it's as good as most places, and certainly better than the hospital. But then in the next breath, she had me looking for cruises on the Internet for February 2008. No 3-5 day cruise either; she wants the 7-day. It's storming again, with heavy rain that we can hear outside our window along with thunder and lightning. Hit the sack about 10:30. Gwen gave me a nice long backrub and I fell quickly asleep.

Friday Sept. 28

Woke at 7 a.m., got dressed and went downstairs to the Veranda room, where I am writing the trip diary, accompanied by a tasty cup of Joe. Gwen is up in the room, getting ready. I enjoy these solitary moments in the morning. The hotel’s Yamaha player piano is loaded with a CD, and is playing a pleasant mix of contemporary instrumentals -- the Lady in Red, You are so Beautiful, Killing me Softly, etc. The Adirondak chairs out on the patio still have their sheen of water from last night's storm. The sun is trying to break through, but there are still quite a few clouds. At least the temperature has dropped about 10 degrees, and the sogginess is out of the air, for which I am thankful. It's just my luck that the entire northeast (from what I can tell on the USA Today weather map) is having an unseasonably warm spell right now. We are sad in one respect to be leaving the Sagamore today for the more mundane Hampton Inn, but I told Gwen last night that if the place is going to be full to capacity this weekend, we just won't be able to enjoy the place as we have enjoyed it for the last couple days with the hotel only half full. Besides, the Hampton is about 15 miles or so east of here, and we can see another area of Lake George (the lake). We have our bus ride to Prospect Mountain today, so we are looking forward to that.

We enjoyed our second and final large breakfast at the buffet. Made to order omelets, French toast, fresh fruit. Gwen tried some of their apple crepes. All very good. I found out the breakfast buffet is normally $20 per person, so I figure we got $80 worth of breakfast buffet included in our package. We checked out of our room by 11 a.m. and got the car all loaded up. I went down to guest registration to settle our bill. All told it was $978. A very expensive couple of days, but lots of nice amenities including the buffets, the boat ride, and the shuttle to Prospect Mountain. And I guess a million dollar view of Lake George doesn't come cheap either.

We passed a little time on the terraced patio, reading and just relaxing. Hoards and hoards of people were arriving at the Sagamore, including at least one very large wedding party. I think it was a good idea that we decided to move on and not try to wrangle another night from the concierge. The splendor that was ours for the last couple days would have turned into bedlam, I fear. We boarded the "shuttle" which was actually a Chevy Suburban, part of the Sagamore's fleet of vehicles. We were the only two people going to the mountain on this particular run. Everybody else was apparently going horseback riding or golfing. Our driver's name was "Lon," a retired paper mill worker who now shuttles hotel guests here and there as a part-time job. Very friendly fellow, and asked us about the paper mills in Wisconsin and whether we knew anything about them. Our route took us exactly the same route as our next hotel, the Hampton Inn. So we got a little preview of downtown Lake George. Very reminiscent of Wisconsin Dells.

We made three stops on our way to the summit, and took lots of photos. The blue skies of earlier had given way to clouds, so once again our photos were muted. We really got the bird's eye view of Lake George (both the town and the lake) and the view of Interstate 87 cutting a channel between twin bluffs. Our driver took us all the way to the top, about 2,030 feet above the base of Lake George (the lake). We saw the remains of an old cable railroad line built in the 1800s that shuttled tourists to the mountain top for 50 cents a person. Nothing left but an old iron pulley still embedded in its base unit, and a few timbers left from a train trestle. I guess in its day it was a pretty big thing. Most of the entire railway (cars, steam engine, flywheel, cable) was sold for scrap iron around WWI.

Lon took us back down the mountain and back to the hotel. I tipped him $10 and thanked him for the excellent chauffer service. Gwen de-accessed, and we hit the road for our 30 minute trip to the south end of Lake George (the city) and our Hampton Inn. This is one of the nicest Hampton Inns I have ever seen, set into a rock ledge overlooking the mountains to the east. It is on the extreme southern edge of Lake George (the city) and just about a half mile from the turnoff for Prospect Mountain, which we were at earlier. It has a very nice lobby, bar and huge breakfast area (complete with booths) that's done in an Adirondak lodge motif. The manager was very nice, and offered to freeze our cold packs for Gwen's hydration cooler. And we have a nice wet bar in the room, complete with sink, microwave and minifridge for Gwen's hydration bags. We asked the manager if she knew of a nice "supper club" in the area, and she did not know what we were talking about. Apparently, the term "supper club" is not used around these parts. We clarified, saying we were looking for a nice restaurant with American menu and hopefully a salad bar. She recommended the "Log Jam" restaurant, about three miles south in the next city along Highway 9 called Queensbury. It was situated right in the midst of a large collection of stores that form the Adirondak Outlet Stores -- the usual collection of Eddie Bauer, Corning Wear, Samsonite, etc., etc. Gwen had a lobster tail and I had a porterhouse, which was my first good steak on this trip ... worthy of any great Midwest steak house. Great salad bar with lots of fixings, including some unusual ones including dried cranberries and tropical dried fruit. They broil their lobster tails instead of steaming them, so Gwen's lobster tail was a little "drier" than she is accustomed to, but it was very good. Gwen topped off her meals with a hot fudge brownie sundae as big as her head, and I was amazed as she finished it all. That ileostomy is an absolute license to steal.

Back to our room at the Hampton, and I am doing two large loads of laundry as I catch up on this trip diary. Gwen is watching House Hunters on HGTV. Going to finish up the laundry and then take a nice long shower. Big drive tomorrow, over 200 miles, to Ithaca and our exploration of the Finger Lakes region.

Saturday, Sept. 29 (Dad's birthday)

We have a big travel day today, about 225 miles. Our breakfast at the beautiful Hampton was something less than spectacular, not only because we had enjoyed a top notch buffet the two days before, but because it truly was unspectacular. The eggs had a heavy clay-like texture with some herb in them that rendered an off-flavor. The only other source of protein was smoked sliced kielbasa, which Gwen does not like. We did the best we could with the carbs (bagels, cereal, etc.) and vowed we would make up for with it lunch.

We were on the road by 11 a.m., and made a stop about 20 miles south on 1-87 to Saratoga Springs, cutting east on Highway 50 to downtown to a place called the Putnam Market.It's a gourmet market and deli. Downtown Saratoga Springs is charming. Lots of old brick buildings that have been restored, and business was bustling this Saturday, with lots of coffee shops, artisan showcase studios, even an old jewelry store. We found the Putnam Market no problem and parked the Impala in a free public lot in back. We loaded up on goodies for a picnic lunch -- a turkey breast and provolone sandwich on country white with two types of mayo on the side (cranberry and herb); a 1/3 pound of country potato salad with big chunks of red potatoes; a Dr. Brown's soda for Gwen; and a strawberry/mango mousse cake to share. Also a few chocolates from Lake Champlain chocolates out of the display case. I also bought another bottle of wine at a connecting store right next to the Market -- a Fox Run (New York State) 2005 Chardonnay for $14. He threw in a free cork screw.

I ran the goodies back to our car and put the perishables in the cooler. Reuniting with Gwen, we walked up and down the block and Gwen checked out a couple of art/craft stores. She bought a couple of souvenirs at one of the art galleries, spending about $50. It was great fun. The street was bustling with all sorts of people, a mix of tourists and well-healed locals, many of them walking their dogs who looked extremely pampered.

About 2 p.m., we pulled off on a service plaza on 1-90 (tollway) and brought our goodies in from the cooler. The sandwich and potato salad were excellent. The mousse cake was also excellent, but the chocolates tasted like they'd been in the display case for a while. Guess I'll never learn to avoid the candies in the pretty display cases. I think it's OK when you're at the "source" (like the factory) but you should always avoid third-party outlets. You never know how long they've been on display.

At Syracuse, we headed south on Interstate 81. About another hour and we took our exit for Highway 13 into Ithaca. The city is about 30 minutes from the Interstate, perhaps one reason the town has kept some of its charm. As we drove in, we could see Cayuga Lake on our right. Very pretty. We drove all the way through the industrial/business part of town, with the Hampton Inn being on the southern edge of city. Close to shopping and to the Wegman's grocery/pharmacy which I had heard about on a web posting. Open 24 hours, it's supposed to be a super-dooper hi-falutin' type gourmet grocery store -- a destination stop for some.

I should say at this point that these long drives are really beginning to take their toll. I found myself exhausted both physically and mentally. Often, we arrived in these new cities in the dark, which further adds to the disorientation. I think in the future I will need to reconsider these long drives and perhaps limit myself to 100 miles. Two hundred is just too much.

Our room at the Hampton was right off the elevator. There was a bus tour at the hotel, but they were all middle- and older-age types and they were very civil. The room turned out OK. Our room looks out onto Highway 13, with a view of a muffler shop across the street. Certainly a step down from the view at Lake George, but it will do for our purposes. One nice feature of the room was it had a jacuzzi whirlpool bathtub, which I took advantage of both nights. Filled the tub with 50 gallons of hot water. What a luxury.

By this time, it was about 7 p.m. and we were hungry for dinner. We went back down to talk with Alex, the gal at the check-in counter about dinner. She said there was an "Apple Festival" in town. Big doings, apparently, downtown on the "Commons" which is where everybody in Ithaca hangs out. She told us to be prepared for a wait at any restaurant in and around the pedestrian commons, as this was a big annual event. We took her suggestion for dinner at the "Mahogany Grill," (MG) just off the Commons. The hostess at MG took our name and said there would be a 45-min. wait. That would put us at 8:30 for dinner, a little late for us, but what the heck. We walked around the commons and saw gobs of food tents that had been taken down for the night. Lots of people milling about, 95% Caucasian which we thought was a little strange being a college town (Cornell University). Very well-behaved people, and not a beggar in sight, which has Madison's State Street beat. We walked about three blocks up and then back down the pedestrian-only commons, and then back to the MG, where we were seated. Very lively, noisy place with tables set close together. The food and service were excellent. I had a house salad with bleu cheese dressing and the crabcake appetizer as my main course. Excellent cakes with lots of crabmeat and just enough filler to hold them together. A sweet tangy remoulade sauce complimented the cakes. Gwen had a cup of chili (not too spicy; just right) and big 1/2 pound burger and fries. Twin Pepsis to drink. An excellent choice and one of our more reasonably priced meals. Back to the hotel, and I availed myself of the whirlpool tub. Then to bed. And to blessed sleep.

Sunday Sept. 30

Awoke at about 7:30 this a.m. Got Gwen set up with a stoma change and we had a little breakfast. Again, sub par with cement-like eggs. We thought about a cocktail cruise along the Cayuga, but when I called they were all booked up. Again, a sign that you just can't seem to travel spontaneously anymore, especially if you are going to the more well traveled places. We didn't let that get us down. We decided a day of shopping at the Commons would be fun. There were a couple of used bookstores down there for me, and lots of craft stores for Gwen. We arrived just before 11 a.m., and not all the shops had opened yet. Most opened at 11, and a few at noon. We perused one of the used bookstores, and I picked up a copy of Barbara Eherenreitch's "Bait and Switch," which was the sequel to her book "Nickle and Dimed." Gwen picked up a recipe book about quickbreads. By that time, it was noon, and all the stores were open, and the entire commons was a sea of humanity. Food and wine booths, street performers, guys making balloon animals, people on stilts, etc. We went to a craft store, where Gwen bought two pottery pieces. I listened to a Zydeco band. People dancing in the streets. I struck up a conversation with a husband and wife who had his and hers "Rascals," those motorized wheelchairs. Thinking about Gwen's future of limited mobility, I asked the wife a few questions about cost (they picked theirs up used at auction for around $300), transporting them (they haul them in a trailer and have a handicapped permit) and taking them with when they travel by airline (the airlines will transport them, but you apparently need a special battery). After that, Gwen and I split with me going to the other used bookstore. We each had our cellphones and turned them on to contact one another. I didn't find anything at the second bookstore. And I have to say that I think the internet (and in particular eBay) is affecting the used bookstores in the same way it's affecting watch collecting at the NAWCC shows, flea markets, etc. Used bookstores for a long time had the whole market to themselves and could afford to pay pennies on the dollar. Now, booksellers are getting smart and going to eBay, leaving the used bookstores with the scraps -- the stuff that nobody wants. I found very few current bestsellers in hard cover. Most everything was mass paperback. In hard cover, there wasn't much there that was less than 10 years old. A pity, but another sign of the times.

I called Gwen and we rendezvoused at one of the coffee shops. We decided we had enough, and so we went back to the hotel to regroup. Gwen looked at restaurant options and was asking about the Taughannock Farms Inn (TFI). I told her that would be perfect, because we could also visit Taughannock State Park and the waterfalls at the same time. This falls drops a dramatic 215 feet into a gorge, which is taller than Niagara Falls at 175 feet, but not nearly the volume of water of course. More like a trickle compared with Niagara. But prior to this, we had only seen a postcard of it. And when we head out tomorrow, we are going the opposite direction. So it was a good find. It was 5 p.m. by then, so I called from my cellphone and made a 6:30 p.m. reservation at TFI. We headed north on Highway 89 along the rim of Lake Cayuga, climbing higher and higher until we reached the park. We had to descend about 30 stairs to the lookout point. Gwen struggled down, then up, the stairs so we could see the falls and take some photos.

Then across the road to TFI where we had what I am voting as our best meal of trip, taking into consideration the atmosphere, food, and prices. I had a thick maple glazed porkchop stuffed with sliced apples. Whipped sweet potatoes. An appetizer of cheese and sausage. A mixed greens salad with candied walnuts, goat cheese and a vinegarette dressing. Gwen had roast turkey (sliced breast) stuffing, whipped potatoes, a butternut squash soup and a garden salad. For dessert, Gwen had choc. mousse, and I had Gran Marnier souffle. When you picked an entree, you got a choice of a marvelous selection of appetizers and desserts thrown in. All served in a glass enclosed porch overlooking Taughannock State Park and Cayuga Lake. Truly awesome, and the whole bill came to about $65. Got to the best restaurant in the Ithaca area. After that, back to our hotel. Another luxurious soak in the whirlpool tub, and then off to bed. A very productive day, and I'm glad we got to see the falls and a little portion of Cayuga lake in light of not being able to take the boat ride.

Monday Oct. 1

Well, our vacation is winding down, but still lots to do in the next couple of busy days. Gwen has convinced me to take a little side trip to the Corning Museum of Glass in Corning, NY. So I plotted a route by Mapquest and found it was only about 40 miles west and a bit south from our location in Ithaca, and overall would add about 60 miles to our day's travel to Niagara. So not bad, and it would add a nice stop to our journey, and a place to have lunch. We departed Ithaca around 10 a.m., and took a very pretty drive amid the peaks and valleys of the Finger Lakes region. We reached Corning at about 11 a.m., and there found a most fabulous museum. I guess I was expecting a little building devoted to the history of Corning Glass and maybe a few exhibits. But no sir-ee. This was a giant complex of sweeping geometric shapes made of glimmering steel and yes, you guessed it, lots of glass. Turns out Corning invested $60 million in this new 31,000 square foot complex in the year 2000. The first section you enter is the gift store -- it's so big you can't really consider it a "shop" -- which also includes a very nice cafeteria, coffee shop, bathrooms, etc. You gotta believe IKEA stole some of this store's ideas, or perhaps it was the other way around. Now, normally, attractions feature the gift shop at the END, but this place is so huge, I guess they figured you needed to be at full energy level to appreciate it. And we did. Display after display of beautiful glass, including a gallery devoted to Stueben glass, which I never realized was part of Corning. So we got to visit Steuben glass without going to their gallery on Fifth Ave. in New York! I looked at a crystal cat about the size of a large egg that I thought would be nice for Dawn. Price tag was $250! Went on to the other displays. Some really beautiful stuff. But you had to be careful if you were intended on buying something made here at the Corning factory. They had lots of stuff that was made elsewhere, and even some Chinese imported stuff. You had to look at the tags. I mean, it was all pretty and everything, but a lot of the stuff was not of their own making. I stopped in the bookshop and looked at a book of Corning Company history and found out they were originally called the Brooklyn Flint Glass Co. of Brooklyn, NY. Founded by Amory Houghton in 1851, the company eventually moved to Corning and soon after that adopted the city name for his company. If it's anything to do with glass, Corning has made it. Thomas Edison had his original light bulbs made here. I found out that Corell dishes were introduced to the public in 1970, and one of the names they were considering was "Corever."

We took a break for a small lunch in their cafeteria, and Gwen had a slice of pizza and a chocolate pudding parfeit. I had a chili dog. We split a Coke. Then, on to the museum displays. They were all extremely interesting, but I gravitated toward the earliest samples of glass they had, dating to about 1400 B.C., and made by the Egyptians. There were also some stunning pieces by Tiffany, including a huge stained glass window done with a Hudson River scene. There were chandeliers, floor and table lamps, and every imagine type of service piece for food and drink. Truly amazing stuff. The tour ended for us with a live demonstration of glass blowing, where we saw this artist make a replica of a gourd for a decorative piece. Fascinating stuff, and this was the first time Gwen had ever seen glass being made. It was reminiscent for me of the glass making display at Greenfield Village. It always amazes me how that glass comes out of the furnace in a taffy-like consistency that can be bent, shaped, blown, and snipped with scissors. Admission is just $12.50, $11.25 with AARP or AAA discount. Bring a camera that works well in low level light and turn off your flash, as 99% of the displays are in glass cases. It was truly awe-inspiring and hats off to Gwen for suggesting this place that I otherwise would have passed on.

After a small coffee and cinnamon twist in the coffee shop, we headed out to Niagara. It was a mostly uneventful drive, with just a couple of pee stops on the tollway and a little bit of gasoline to get us through the rest of the trip so I could return the rental car as close to empty as possible. We arrived at our hotel in Niagara at about 7 p.m. after passing over the lovely bridge on 1-190 over to Robert Moses Parkway. This certainly was not the greatest of Hampton Inns I've ever stayed at.

Anyway, after we got checked into our room, we asked about a nice restaurant in the area and were referred to the Red Coach Inn, only a few blocks away. Nevertheless we took the car to take it easy on Gwen's feet. We arrived about 8:15 and were seated on an enclosed porch (the Red Coach Inn is also an inn with guest rooms). Gwen decided on a lobster tail, and I had whitefish stuffed with a crab mixture. We split a specialty salad which was excellent, but the service was awful owing to the fact that some of the staff had not showed up that night. Our waiter did the best he could, even going so far as to bring a pitcher of water after asking what a "carafe" was! We passed on dessert and coffee and opted to go back to the hotel for cookies and cocoa. The ambiance at the restaurant was very nice; we could hear the rush of the water down the Niagara River, which was no more than 150 feet from where we were dining.

I caught up on a few emails while Gwen relaxed. Took a nice long shower, and then to bed. Tomorrow will be our big Falls adventure!

Tuesday October 2 (our final full day on our New York adventure)

We woke around 8 a.m. and got Gwen fixed up and then went down for continental breakfast. We thought we would do one Falls adventure and that would be the Maid of the Mist, and then we would take a break and consider whether we wanted to go on. So we got in the Impala and headed toward town. I went up to the ticket window to inquire about tickets to the Maid of the Mist, and instead the guy starts selling me on a tour package. Well, we hemmed and hawed for awhile, and decided it might be best to go on the four-hour tour, which included the Maid of the Mist. The name of the tour company was "Over the Falls Tour Company" and it sounded a bit cheesy to me, but as it turned out it was wonderful. Our tour guide was named "Greg" and he had lived in Niagara Falls all his life and had many wonderful stories to tell and many "secret ways" in and around the Falls that probably no one else would have known. We began our tour down river at the Robert Moses Generating Station and worked our way upstream to the falls. There were many interesting stops along the way, all filled with local lore as told by Greg. We got to all the lookout points as well as taking the boat ride on the Maid of the Mist, and a heart-pounding tour in "Cave of the Winds." Gwen was a real trouper and handled all the steep stairs leading to the various lookout points. She only passed on "The Hurriacane Deck," as anyone going up there got pretty much soaking wet. We were given special sandals to wear before the tour so our feet wouldn't slip out from under us. I went up to the Hurricane Deck and the wind was blowing something fierce, and the water came pounding down from the falls. Quite an experience.

We were hungry, so we went to an Italian restaurant per Greg’s recommendation. I ordered a half platter of gnocchi with red sauce and Italian sausage. Gwen got the full order of spaghetti and meatballs. We also ordered a house salad (Bruce) and a salad with mozzarella cheese (Gwen). Gwen ordered an orange soda, and I ordered a non-carbonated loganberry drink just for something different. It was all excellent, and I believe the gnocchi was homemade. You don't find many Italian restaurants that even featured it on the menu. The entire bill was under $30, so it was one of the most reasonable meals we had on our trip. Exhausted from our busy day, we drove back to the hotel, and I believe we were both in bed by 9 p.m.

Wednesday October 3 -- time to head home.

We were up by about 8 a.m., got Gwen changed and went down for breakfast. We then packed our luggage and loaded up the Impala. We had a couple of hours before headed off to an Office Max to ship back another box. We hemmed and hawed about crossing the bridge into Canada, and finally decided to go for it after Gwen showed me a brochure of the Skylon tower. Yeh, I thought, I need to go on that! We had seen it from the American side, and it looked like it would be fun. And besides, all three falls (American, Bridal and Canadian) are best viewed from the Canada side. So got our passports ready, paid the $3 toll, and went over the bridge. We drove along Niagara Blvd. until reaching the turn for the Space Needle. Parking was $10. We went inside the ground-level area, which had gift shops and a couple of eating places, and the ticket booth. It was $11.50 each to go to the observatory. We rode the elevator 500 feet up into the needle. It was quite windy today, but the winds were even more gusty 500 feet up. We went all around the circular observatory, taking many pictures of all three falls from a great vantage point. We stopped in the souvenir shop, and Gwen got me a t-shirt and got herself some postcards. We went back down to ground level, and decided to walk the quarter mile or so to the scenic lookout area, where we took some more photos. This is definitely the best side from which to view the falls. You get a vantage point that you simply can't see on the American side. By this time, we were kind of hungry, but the one restaurant that looked good to us had at least a half hour wait, so we decided to hit the road. Gwen waited at the base of the hill to the space needle, and I went to fetch the car and told her I would pick her up. It took me a little while to get to her because the parking lot had a controlled exit that took you out a different way, and I had to turn the car around and jockey my way to the original entry point to get headed in the right direction. I picked Gwen up, and we headed for the rainbow bridge. The road signs took on us on a serpentine route, but we finally made it over the bridge, and to the customs checkpoint on the American side, where again we were questioned about where we had been, what we had purchased, why did the car have Pennsylvania plates when we lived in Wisconsin, etc, etc., All that ruckus for a two-hour drive in and around the falls.

We needed some lunch, so we headed back up to little Italy again to a place called Michaels. Gwen had a turkey club sandwich, and I had a hamburger and fries with a cup of the day's soup (hamburger). Add a couple of soft drinks, and the tab was $20. After that, we headed south on state route 62 to avoid the tollway and to connect with an Office Depot on the way to mail a package containing the trip binders Gwen had made up, and various souvenirs Gwen bought along the way. The package cost $39 to mail.

We then continued on Route 62 to 1290, to 190 and the airport. We returned the rental car and grabbed a luggage cart for a short walk over to the departure terminal. We checked four bags, with the biggest one coming in at just 1.5 pounds under the limit of 50 pounds. The security checkpoint was extremely crowded, and we had to wind our way up and down several aisles, like it was Disneyworld or something. Gwen had already de-accessed from hydration, and we had packed the backpack. Thus, we cleared the metal detectors with relative ease. We made our way down the concourse to Gate 26, all the way at the end, and we waited to board the first leg of our plane trip to Cleveland.

Made it to Cleveland no problem. Found our gate, and we boarded at 8:20 p.m. for about a little over an hour flight to Milwaukee. The plane was only about 1/3 full, so I was able to grab a two-across seat right behind Gwen. We got a beverage service on this flight from the one and only female flight attendant who had way too much mascara on and looked like Gene Hackman in drag from the movie "The Bird Cage."

We got our luggage about 9:15, called the shuttle to the Best Western in Milwaukee and were on the road back to Evansville at about 9:30 p.m. We made it!

Bruce's Travels

Wednesday, July 24, 2024

Trip to New York With Gwen September 2007