Side Trip to New Jersey

On June 30 we stuffed the Honda with provisions for a two-week side trip to New Jersey and moved the motor home into the storage lot.  After a quickie breakfast at Hardee’s we took the scenic route (US-40) toward Indianapolis, hometown of such great Americans as David Letterman and Hoagy Carmichael. We enjoyed the drive across the green flatness of Indiana.  A big blue arch welcomed us to Ohio as we continued down I-70 through mile after mile of neatly cultivated farmlands and scattered woodlots.

By the time we got to western Pennsylvania, the terrain had changed.  We were passing through the forested hills of the Allegheny Mountains and northern Appalachians. Beautiful country with lots of ups and downs and a few tunnels.

We stopped for the night in Cambridge, Ohio.  We had time for dinner at the Cracker Barrel and for a drive around this old town.  Among the interesting buildings was another impressive courthouse.  We continue to be amazed at the many beautiful courthouses in this part of the country.

Our next stop was the historic Pennsylvania town of Bedford.  It was good to find that many of the old 1800s buildings had been restored and are still in service.  It was a very walkable and interesting community.

Pennsylvania has lots of history and plenty of antiques.  This two-level Bedford store was stuffed with an assortment of local craft items and antiques.  Lots of temptation. 

Many very old buildings have been preserved in Bedford's historic village.  We arrived too late to get in, but got a pretty good look from the outside.

This old covered bridge provides the entrance to the historic village.  The friendly horse seemed to enjoy his job as unofficial host.

We couldn't pass through Harrisburg without stopping for a quick tour of the Pennsylvania State Capitol. It opened in 1906 and is a beautiful building. The fountain is dedicated to state veterans.

The House of Representatives was coming to order, so we got out just before the opening ceremonies. We wandered through the Supreme Court and Senate Chamber with its original 1906 mahogany desks and artwork. Very nice!

After spending the night in Lancaster (Amish country), where we did a little Bank of America business, we drove north to Pottsville for lunch at the home of camping friends Andy and Diane.  We met them at a campground near Mt. Rainier last fall.  Andy barbecued some great burgers and we had a nice time sharing travel adventures.

Pottsville has been the home of Yuengling Beer since 1829 . . . oldest brewery in the U.S.  It’s a very popular beer in this part of the country, so we bought a case to take home with us.  Any bets on how many bottles will make it back?

It was a short drive from Pottsville, through Reading and Philadelphia and on to our hotel in Mt. Laurel, New Jersey. We booked our major discounted economy room at the Wyndham well in advance. But, fortunately for us, the hotel oversold its rooms, had none in our price range, so they sent us to the top floor to stay in an executive room for six nights at no extra cost.  We didn't complain.  It was a nice spacious room with a panoramic view of New Jersey and the distant Philadelphia skyline. We watched aerial fireworks all over the region from our room. Very nice!

We spent the Fourth of July at Bonnie’s cousin John’s house in Burlington. He and his wife Gail throw a big 4th of July party for friends, relatives and his construction company employees. We were there two years ago on the 4th and couldn’t pass up the invitation to do it again. It was a day-long feast of burgers, brats, crabs, mussels, clams, fresh corn on the cob, baked beans, lots of side dishes and plenty of Yuengling. The food just kept coming all afternoon.  It was another hot day and the kids made good use of the pool.

One of the hi-lites of this trip was spending some quality time with Bonnie’s Uncle Jimmy. He’s 93 and a wealth of information about the family and Bonnie’s dad.

Bonnie's dad was born and raised in New Jersey but died in World War II before Bonnie had a chance to get to know him.  Her cousin John showed us an old fencing foil that belonged to Bonnie's dad and a cross that he made.  In turn, Bonnie showed them her dad's Purple Heart and some other memorabilia.  It was a very special get-together.

The next day (July 5) was the Independence Day Parade in the town of Pitman. We arrived early at Gar and Darlene’s house and walked the two blocks to the parade route. We were joined by other family members and by Bonnie’s dad’s sister, Aunt Alma (94).

Darlene and Gar's son Ryan, a magnet for children, marched with his fire department.

After the parade, everyone walked back to the house for a nice lunch and relaxation.  Posing for this photo are Gar, Bonnie, Aunt Alma and Darlene.  They were extremely hospitable, fed us well and made us feel very welcome at their home in Pitman. 

All the New Jersey folks were very friendly and hospitable and made us feel at home and part of the family.  We saw other friends and relatives while in New Jersey and had a nice Mexican dinner with Bonnie's cousin Jim and wife Mary.  It was a fun reunion and nice to see everyone again.  We're not sure when we'll get back to east coast again.

A couple of friends from Florida (Pat and John) happened to be camping on the Jersey Shore, so we drove down for lunch and to spend a little time in Cape May. 

It’s a beautiful area of white sand beaches, block after block of old Victorian homes, huge homes along the beach and an outdoor pedestrian mall of interesting shops and restaurants.  Cape May has something for everyone.  It's Bonnie’s favorite part of New Jersey.

East coast beaches are not as “public” as those on the Pacific coast. The fee is $5 to buy a beach tag for access to the beach at Cape May.

Each access point along the beach had a guard to check tags (below). Since we came so far, Pat managed to talk one of the guards into letting us walk across the beach to look at the ocean, then back again for no charge, enabling Bonnie to get her feet wet in the Atlantic Ocean.  What a deal!

Cape May was a good place to spend our final day in New Jersey.  It was relaxing and a little bit cooler than inland areas.  Best of all, it was a chance to spend a little time with our Florida friends.  Now it's time to head back to Indiana and continue our motor home vacation.