Newport to New York and Places in Between

October 25, 2024 / marniesteve / 1 Comment

Our East coast travels are continuing in the most successful way. In Newport, Rhode Island, Steve completed a marathon in his 36th state.

Finish line at the Amica Newport Marathon

Along the way we explored this historic and beautiful seaside town. In our few days there we walked the famed Cliff Walk to view Gilded Aged mansions that have defined the town for centuries. The Breakers, the Elms, Marble House and others offer a unique trip through years of American history, architecture, and landscape design. We didn’t go inside any of the properties, but peered in through the gates as we strolled the Cliff Walk.

Newport is rooted in a seafaring lifestyle. Visiting the shipyards and forts gave us a sense of what drives this beautiful place.

Once the marathon was over we traveled south to another historic seaport town: Mystic, Connecticut. Here we toured the Mystic Seaport Museum to learn about all kinds of ships. Whalers, schooners, steamboats, catboats, tugboats, and more are on display at the nation’s leading maritime museum.

Our friends Cheryl and Alan came up from Old Saybrook for lunch one day and we loved catching up with them. We had lunch in beautiful Stonington and spent all afternoon reminiscing, and of course, planning our next get-together.

Just north of Mystic, back towards Rhode Island, lies the hamlet of Watch Hill. It’s a community for the rich who seek privacy in contrast to nearby Newport. Famous residents of Watch Hill have included Henry Ford, Clark Gable, and most recently Taylor Swift. Her mansion, Holiday House, stands on the highest point, overlooking the sea.

As we moved south along the Eastern seaboard, we couldn’t pass up a weekend in “the city.” Yes, visiting New York City with an RV is a bit of a challenge, but we were up to it. We stayed at Liberty Harbor RV Park in Jersey City, just across the Hudson River from Manhattan. The views of NYC were spectacular from the waterfront, and it was an easy train ride to the heart of it all.

You may remember that we lived here for three months back in 2016 just after we retired. During that time we did “all the things.” This visit we decided to just enjoy the city, revisit a few of our favorite haunts, and soak it all in. We had a beautiful weekend for wandering and averaged about seven miles each day.

Getting in and out of these big cities can be a little challenging but we are doing it. Sometimes a wrong turn or missed exit results in a nice surprise. For example, the Garmin tried to take us across the Key bridge in Baltimore, not knowing the bridge was out due to a ship strike. Our new route took us right past Fort McHenry in Baltimore. That meant one more stamp in the passport book and a little more history. The leaves are at peak color now and we are soaking it all in.

Eastward bound: Poconos, West Point, and History on the Hudson

October 11, 2024 / marniesteve / Leave a comment

We are working our way eastward for Steve’s fall marathons. Along the way we’ve found some fun stops to entertain and educate us. This part of the country is new territory for us, so there is a lot to explore and learn. The changing leaves make it a perfect time for exploration.

First stop was the Poconos in the northeastern portion of the Pennsylvania. When planning a roadtrip to places we’ve never been, we sometimes have to make a guess as to where to go. For this stop we decided the town of Jim Thorpe sounded good and we were not disappointed. This historic town, named after the greatest athlete of the 20th century, and referred to as the “Switzerland of America” is the gateway to the beautiful Lehigh Gorge.

We explored the town and then took our bikes on a shuttle up the gorge and rode back to town along the Delaware & Lehigh National Heritage Trail. The 25 mile downhill route along the Lehigh River was spectacular.

While in the Poconos we visited the World’s Largest General Store…at least that’s what the sign said. Fun to wander around with Bob.

From the Poconos we traveled about 100 miles to the Hudson River Valley in New York. From our campground near Newburgh we were able to take in some fun, historic sites. First we did a tour of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

We learned about the founding of West Point in 1778 and about its current status at the premier training facilities for our country’s leaders. Notable West Point grads include Douglas MacArthur, George Patton, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Ulysses S. Grant to name a few. It’s a beautiful campus right on the river.

In Poughkeepsie we took Bob on a walk across the Hudson River at the Walkway Over the Hudson State Park. The world’s longest elevated pedestrian bridge spans 1.28 miles over the river. We walked from the park in Highland, NY to Poughkeepsie and back on a beautiful afternoon.

On our final day in the Hudson River Valley we visited a number of national park sites of historical significance in Hyde Park, NY. First we toured the Vanderbilt Mansion National Historic Park, built by Frederick Vanderbilt in 1895. Opulent and stately, the mansion served as a spring and fall escape for the family and their friends who would sail up the Hudson to get to the property.

Just a mile down the road is the lifelong home of Franklin D. Roosevelt and his Presidential Library. We wandered the expansive property, admired the views of the Hudson below, paid our respects at the resting place of President Roosevelt and his influential wife, Eleanor. It was too much for us to see it all in just one day, but we walked away with a strengthened appreciation of the contribution our longest serving president had on our nation.

From the Hudson River Valley we traveled further east into Connecticut. We are here at the best time, with a chill in the air and the changing colors in the trees. But, the very best part of this stop was our day spent with our good friends Jeff and Gail. As Connecticut natives, they were generous in showing us the best of the Hartford area. First stop: Mark Twain’s house. We took a living history tour of the house where Samuel Clemens wrote his most famous works, including the Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

After learning about the incredible life of Mark Twain we headed to one of Connecticut’s best pizza shops: Sally’s Apizza. After a great lunch Jeff gave us a tour of his alma mater, the University of Connecticut in Storrs. The beautiful campus is topped off with its own dairy bar featuring some of the best ice cream we’ve ever had. We are so grateful for our RV lifestyle which has led us to great friends like Gail and Jeff.

The next marathon on the fall calendar is soon upon us. Next up we’ll have a report from Rhode Island.

For the Love of Football and Family

October 4, 2024 / marniesteve / 2 Comments

Our fall travel and marathon season is upon us. Over the next few months we’re heading east and have races and new adventures planned.

We left Michigan and headed to Dayton, Ohio with our sights on the Air Force Marathon.

While in the area we did a little biking and visited the Dayton Aviation Heritage Historical Park. Dayton was home to the Wright Brothers’ cycle shop, and their many accomplishments are celebrated across the town. At the National Museum of the Air Force, at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, all forms of aviation are on display, including our nation’s space vehicles.

The marathon events began with an expo where we picked up Steve’s packet and took some fun photos. Early the next morning we arrived to the start line on the Air Force base in very warm weather. It was in the 70s at the start.

I took a free shuttle to see Steve at the 15 mile mark and by then the temperature was in the high 80s. The race had issued a red alert, indicating dangerous running conditions. Steve’s heart rate, normally around 130 beats per minute when he runs, was pushing 160. This, along with the prospect of even higher temperatures at the finish line, was enough for Steve to call it a day. Better to be safe than sorry. So, we’ll be back through Ohio next year to do another marathon so he can claim the state.

Air Force took security on the course seriously

From Dayton we headed west a little to position ourselves for Steve’s next Nebraska Cornhusker game in Lafayette, Indiana. While waiting for Saturday’s game to arrive we visited a local Wolf Park to learn a little about these beautiful animals (trained foxes too!)

We also took advantage of the great facilities at Prophetstown State Park where we camped. A great bike/running path took us through the park and was decorated for the season with unique scarecrows presented by local organizations.

The Cornhuskers crushed the Purdue Boilermakers on Saturday, and Steve cheered them on as he always does.

Ashland, Ohio, my birthplace and hometown, was our next stop. We had not been back since a family reunion over 15 years ago. This stop was brief, but we made the most of it by hanging out with my cousins, Red and Judy, who let us park our RV next to the old barn.

There are still a bunch of Finleys/Shoemakers/Zimmermans in Ashland, and it was super awesome to see everyone. We were especially grateful to see Uncle Shoey, who will celebrate his 95th birthday in January. We even got to join him and Tom at the Dairy Bar for breakfast before we pulled out of town.

Sharon with her girls: Kelly, Laney, Kira, Sharon, and Zoe

And before we left Ohio, we crossed one more National Park off the list. Cuyahoga Valley National Park is located just south of Cleveland. We stopped there to explore the Ohio & Erie Canal Towpath via bike. Our 15 mile cruise took us along the canal that in the mid-1800s transported goods between East Coast cities and America’s rural heartland.