"The world is a great mirror. It reflects back to you what you are. If you are loving, if you are friendly, if you are helpful, the world will prove loving and friendly and helpful to you. The world is what you are." - Thomas Dreier
Afoot and light-hearted I take to the open road, healthy, free, the world before me, the long brown path before me leading wherever I choose. - Walt Whitman Song of the Open Road
BROOKLYN CYCLONES MCU Park 1904 Surf Avenue (at W17th St.) Brooklyn, NY 11224-2410 (718) 449-8497 Subway: D, F, N, Q to Coney Island/Stillwell Ave. # bus: B36 to Surf Ave. and W. 19th St.; B74 to Mermaid Ave. and W. 19th St. www.brooklyncyclones.com
New York Mets' Minor League Team in Coney Island, Brooklyn, where baseball retains the flavors of tradition. This is indeed a summer experience to be had in NY and I'll have more after Sunday's afternoon game!
Most New Yorkers try to escape the city’s hot pavement in the summer, opting for the sumptuous lure of the beaches.But those of us, who avoid the sirens’ call and remain in the metropolis, can find some outdoor enjoyment of our own.One such place is on Pier 40 on the Hudson, the steamship known as, The Lilac.A massive structure, on the National Register of Historic Places, this 1933 vessel stands 173ft. in length and was constructed by Pusey & Jones Shipyard in Wilmington, Delaware between 1931-1933.
Since its launch on May 26, 1933 and now celebrating its 76th year, the Lilac has served as a lighthouse tender, a Coast Guard buoy tender, and a preservation center of American maritime history.Although the vessel shows the wear of its age, its beauty is in the majestic arch of its stowed crane; the curve of its bow, as it once navigated the Delaware River and Bay; its silent engine room, where the fossil of 2 triple-expansion steam engines not yet replaced by diesel propulsion, once was a marvel of nautical machinery.
It only takes a breath of imagination to resurrect the ghosts and engage the twin propellers into its maximum performance of 11 knots.With a 20-ton boom, its hoist operated by steam power, the Lilac swept the Delaware River and Bay servicing lighthouses and offshore lightships, tending buoys, and providing rescue relief in emergencies and marine disasters until 1972.Since being decommissioned, the 1933 steamship exists as only one of two of the thirty-three vessels built between 1892-1939.In 1972, the Lilac became an educational resource for the Harry Lundeburg Seamanship School of Seafarers International Union.Since 2004, having been rescued by the non-profit Tug Pegasus Preservation Project, and currently under the ownership of the Lilac Preservation Project, the Lilac steamship has been revived and given a face-lift and a new life, as a cultural and educational facility.Its legacy may have begun in Edgemoor in the Delaware River, but its future rests in the Hudson River at Pier 40 in Manhattan.
Our Brooklyn, NY based theatre company brought an upstate murderess to life with the world-premiere of Isaac Rathbone's new play, "LITTLE EVA." The play occurs in the upstate New York county of Otsego, where the murderess, Eva Coo, was tried in 1934 and executed a year later, in Sing Sing Prison. Her crime: killing her ward and handy-man, Harry Wright, for the insurance claims, about 12 in all. Rathbone's drama focuses on the Trial in the Otsego County Courthouse in Cooperstown in 1934 and cuts back and forth to the people and patterns of Eva's life that have led her up to this point.
This trial attained National Press coverage, similar to the modern O.J.Simpson Trial, due to the lows of Depression and the lack of other news. Dorothy Kilgallen even covered the case with her youthful cosmopolitan flair, as a newbie journalist. Quite the excitement for a small, rural, railroad town.
We're so pleased to have had a successful run of nine performances in the Milford and Cooperstown areas to about 1, 000 people. We presented the show with the Greater Milford Historical Association in the Upper Susquehanna Cultural Center and in the Otsego County Courthouse (site of the original 1934 trial).
This area, and most of the land in upstate New York, is beautiful, particularly in the summer months. The air is fresh and the grass, lush with the heavy rains they've been experiencing, reminds us that enjoying nature should be an integral part of our existence. Even a mere day trip a few hours north of NYC would do everyone's psychological well-being a wealth of good. We're so accustomed to the hectic pace of the metropolis, that to slow down and smell the wet grass blended with the aromatic scents of hay and yes, manure, is revitalizing, as is acquainting with the friendly locals. I am very grateful for having family in the area that were gracious enough for us to spend a month or two coming and going from their home. But I truly encourage you to find a respite in a local environment that allows you the freedom to spend a day or so reconvening with nature.
Enjoying the summer weather with family and friends...priceless. Cheers!
Anyone's trip to Colorado will most likely include some trip to the mountains, since they're everywhere, and some entertainment, all-be-it concert, golf, Rockies game, theater, or drinking.
Our trip to visit some family included a visit to famous Red Rocks Concert Venue,
a couple National Park Trails - one was a 10 mile snow shoeing trek up a mountain, and some drinking. We even ate and drank at the top end of our hike snow shoeing. This was quite an experience and we had a dog with us, so she and we kept falling into hip high and deeper snow, off the trail that followed a creek or river up the mountain. We adventured this day in the late morning and arrived at KEYSTONE PARK by the rental hut at about 12:30pm to be off on our trail by 1pm. Somewhere enroute, we side-tracked and took a road less travelled and ended up on the opposite side of the creek/river and into more deep snow.
We did cross the beautiful snow-covered creek/river at a relatively safe point and reached the main trail again. But by this time, it was near 3:00pm and our rental shoes were due back at the hut before 4:30pm...hmmmm, not going to make it.
We ate a little and drank a little and headed back down, at first on snow-shoes. Finally, relinquishing our adventurous spirit, we removed the shoes and headed down the mountain trail on-foot to arrive at about 5pm at the rental shack.
Another simpler hike on a red rock carpeted trail was in WATERTOWN STATE PARK TRAIL. This beautiful wildlife trail runs next to a river leading to a dam and is about 7mi one way. We only adventured about 3mi to the dam and then 3mi back to the car lot. It was hot and we were getting hungry.
We also had an adgenda to hit up the GARDEN OF THE GODS by sunset , about 7:30pm, and watch the mystical color changes of the rocks over twilight.
On our spring vacation, we were also able to enjoy evenings for cocktails and/or supper in Denver, Boulder, Breckenridge, and coffee and sushi in Cherry Creek.
This was an eye-opening experience to really appreciate the wonders of America's purple mountains majesty and why so many Northeasterners enjoy moving out west. This mountainous region is lushious and still has the full four seasons of the eastcoast, just a little less rain, and a little more snow.
Killarney National Park - Lady's View over the Lake - Moll's Gap - Gap of Dunloe
The National Park Main Gate entrance leads to a nature trail just under Lough Leane Lower Lake and around the upper part of Muck Ross Middle Lake and following to the Torc Waterfalls.
Driving around The Ring of Kerry on N72, N71, R568, N70 you encounter many natural wonders. Lady's View overlooking the Lakes and Black Valley.
The Gap of Dunloe, even a fun trek in the rain, is well worth the long walk uphill and down, about 4hrs.
Although, you can hail a Rickshaw Horse and Cart to take you half-way and haggle the price. The views of the glacieral-cut rocks and the echoing canyon lakes are truly awesome.
Travel Journal - Destination Ireland/Scotland July 2008 Ireland July 3 - 16th Scotland July 16 - 28th
Part I - Enterring Ireland via Shannon Airport and the Southwest coast
My folks and my youngest brother arrived a day prior in Shannon. They spent the day traveling to our B&B in the Ennis area, resting, and then going on a day trip via bus to Galway.
My husband and I joined the trio at Anne's B&B near Ennis on the bus route. We rested for a bit and then headed off to Bunratty for the latter part of the day into the late evening. We explored Bunratty's Castle and then Folk Park, while the weather held off rain. As the rain began to pelt later in the afternoon, we made our way back to the Castle for the mid-hour Medieval Dinner Banquet.
The banquet began with cocktails of aromatic honey-flavored mead and salty bread as a gesture of good tidings and peace. The hall was filled with the lightly plucked instrumental song of Baroque music before we were ushered to the lower Banquet hall. Once in the lower room, we were escorted by costumed Medieval hosts to our long wooden banquet tables and benches. As the meal progressed from bread and soup to meat and wine a plenty, a duke and duchess were chosen, madrigal music elighted through the room, and "Charles" jestered with the festive crowd.
Posts
