Back to New Jersey

January 24 - 31, 2017:

Flying should be fun when you are going on a vacation trip, but it’s not, even when everything goes well.  I particularly find the situation ridiculous when boarding the airplane.  By the time all the frequent flier members, priority seating, first class, handicapped, people with small children, people needing special assistance and the military board the plane, about 10 people are left to board.  I would also be happy to see the the overhead bins reduced to lap top computer size to get rid of all the problems with the large bags. 

Car rental is also annoying with the scare tactics to entice you to buy the additional insurance and the multiple waivers for everything you decline.

I actually lucked out on my flights from Tucson to Phoenix, AZ and Phoenix to Newark, NJ with an empty center seat, good legroom and best of all on time arrivals and quick baggage return, so no reason to complain, be happy !

Flying over mountainous terrain was beautiful

Flying into the Phoenix metropolitan area

On my first day, I start with a train ride into NYC and a walk to the Times Square and Grand Central Terminal areas.  NYC is a fascinating place that always seems to be barely under control, dangerous, beautiful and addictive.  I would love to be able to return to see the ruins in about a thousand years from now, kind of like seeing the ancient ruins of Rome today.
I know everyone is going to ask if I went to see the World Trade Center, but honestly I am not interested in seeing it.  A few of my co-workers were taking a training classic the area on the day of the attack.  I was scheduled for this class also, but was too busy on other things and I cancelled, so missed all the horror and excitement of running from the smoke through the streets.

I do miss the train ride

The Empire State building\

The contrasting colors caught my eye

A sculpture exhibit along the street

Imagine seeing a tour bus in Times Square

Love this building and the light was great !

Egyptian designs near the top are impressive

Grand Central Terminal is always a sight

I visit Etra Park a few miles outside of Hightstown, NJ where we used to go for walks, nothing has changed and it is still overrun with Canada Geese.

The park crosses a farmers field

I'm sneaking up on the geese at the lake

When they suddenly explode from the water

My son Jeremy picks me up on his way home from work and we ride to Buck County, PA to pick up his daughter Sierra from school.  I get the tour of the school, way more laden with crafts, arts and books than anything I remember from my 1952 kindergarten class.

Jeremy and Sierra at school

Sierra's classroom

I always try to catch up with some of the local musicians who I followed years ago.  To satisfy that craving, I head to Philadelphia to see Mikey Jr. and Filthy Rich play at the Twisted Tale on South 2nd street.  The South Street area is a very interesting counter culture area of Philadelphia.  I had never been to the Twisted Tail before and was expecting it to be a dumpy bar, but instead found a rather upscale club.  I used to see Mikey and Rich almost weekly before our RV adventure started, but haven’t seen them since.  It couldn’t help but think, “some things never change” and I’m OK with that as many things would be better left unchanged.  Before leaving town I walked a few blocks away to Jim’s Steaks to get an authentic Philadelphia Cheese Steak.  On my next visit, I need to return to this area adjacent to the historic district for a day, it's a great place to visit.

The Twisted Tail

Filthy Rich and Mikey Jr as good as ever

Jim's Steaks

A thank you autograph from Jim Belushi

My next priority is to go to my storage garage and see if the 38 Dodge will start.  It’s really damp in the garage, its been sitting all year, that battery is about seven years old, what are the odds ?  A few squirts of starting fluid down the carburetor and it starts immediately.  There has been an issue with the air filter loosening from the carburetor and falling off on the last few drives.  I have another air cleaner with the correct base clamp that needs a little modification to fit and today is the day to do it.  After some bending of the clamp it fits and we are good to go.  On the road, it’s like driving a time machine, straight out of the 1930's you might say.  It’s fun to drive, rather advanced for its time, but far removed from todays cars.  Driving at 45 miles per hour feels like you’re going 90 compared to todays cars, but the getting there is so much more of an adventure.

I catch up with another old friend, Ron Ungarini, at the Salt Creek Grille near Princeton, NJ where the Paul Plumeri Band is playing on Saturday night.  Paul Plumeri (in the background) remains one of the best guitar players in the central NJ area.

The Paul Plumeri Band

While in Hightstown, I just had to get some real “NY style” bagels at Hot Bagels and have breakfast at the Hightstown Diner.  I also took a trip to Hamilton Square to visit an old haunt, Jo-Jo’s Tavern, where used to hang out watching sports and shooting pool in the late 1960's.  The Italian food at Jo-Jo’s was always great, especially those bar pies and they still are.  All of these places have somehow remained virtually unchanged through the years.

Jo Jo's Tavern

Sierra wanted to show me how she could ride her new bike without training wheels.  She also showed me how she can run, climb and do gymnastics at the school playground.  I was impressed, she's a natural athlete.

Sierra getting ready to ride

This girl is a born climber

Part monkey too !

On the swings

Doing flips, no problem

Loves to climb

Dad trying to hold her back

On my final night, Jeremy picks me up at the hotel after which we drive to Bucks County, PA to pick up Sierra at her school, then go a few miles to Newtown, PA for dinner, followed by ice cream at the very cool Zebra-Striped Whale Ice Cream Shop.  We then drop Sierra off at her mother house where I see her bedroom, various toys and more gymnastics and then return to Hightstown.   These kids have such an crazy, complicated life style.

Ice cream cones at the Zebra-Striped Whale shop

The owner has written a series of nice children books

Relaxing after ice cream

Sierra standing in front of her extensive collection
of stuffed animals

It’s time to move on with a noon time flight tomorrow to Ft. Myers, Florida,  

Slick

Notes from the "The Old Pueblo"

January 1 - 23, 2017:

Tucson is affectionately referred to as the "Old Pueblo" as it has historically been a crossroads for many cultures over the centuries and continues as such today.

I start the New Year with a trip to Borderlands Brewery in the afternoon for the weekly Kevin Pakulis “Summer Sessions”.  They have a good turnout and are bolstered on guitar by one of Tucsons best young players, Connor “Catfish” Gallagher.  This has now become a regular event to me, it's big fun !  I see Kevin as the Bruce Springsteen of Tucson.  I also went later in the week to the Tucson Songwriters Showcase at Monterrey Court where Kevin was also the featured performer.
  

http://kevinpakulis.com     Be sure to read the press, so true !

These guys are my Sunday Happy Hour

Catfish has an array of switches and pedals like an
aircraft cockpit

Riding around a few weeks ago, I had noticed a walled area near “A” Mountain with a Tucson Gardens sign.  It appeared to be a historic site and an internet search confirmed that it was.  Archeological study has determined that this area in the flood plain of the Santa Cruz River is the origin of Tucson and has been an agricultural area inhabited by various people for approximately 4,000 years.  The original Tohono O'odham indian name for the area was S-cuk Son, meaning "at the foot of the black mountain" which evolved into Tucson.  The San Augustin Mission existed here from 1700 to 1828.  This original walled garden area has become the “Mission Garden Project” which will eventually become part of the "Southern Arizona Origins Heritage Park".  The walls have been rebuilt and they are currently planting  garden plots using native plants representative of the various periods of habitation.  

http://www.tucsonsbirthplace.org/tucsons-birthplace/mission-garden-project/

"A" Mountain also known as Sentinel Peak

Mission Gardens inside the wall

Site of the Mission San Augustin

Area slated for redevelopment and park

Riding through Tucson, I almost always stop and admire the Cathedral of Saint Augustin on Stone Ave, it's a incredible sight.  Years ago, I was contacted by an agent who wanted to use my photo on Flick'r in their travel guide.  I felt like a real professional even though no money was involved.

This is a quickie from the Jeep

January 2nd took me to the Chicago Bar in the evening for the Ronstadt Generations Y Los Tucsonenses Band. They had a few musician guests, the music was great and the crowd lively.

I like the setting for the Poster

An similar poster with Papa Mike in front remains posted
by the Chicago Bar doorway

Inside the Chicago Bar

There is a geology group at Desert Trails this year that interests me so I went with them to nearby Saginaw Hill which is a former Copper mining site from the late 1800's to the mid 1900's. It was a large group and we mostly wandered around looking for interesting rocks with quartz veins and other mineral traces.  Geology is somewhat difficult to comprehend, possibly even scary, as the changes to the earth's surface over the millions of years is mind boggling for us short time residents to understand.
   

   

View from Saginaw Hill

    

Twinkles and I go to Saguaro National Park for a hike on the Valley Overlook and the Wild Dog trails.  These are trails that our campground hiking crowd seems to disregard, not challenging enough perhaps, although they are very scenic.

On the trail lined with Saquaro's

I never tire of these views

Twinkles just can't help but take photos of me ?

On a more serious side, I went on a 10 mile hike with about 10 others at Saguaro National Park East on the Douglas Springs, Three Tanks, Wild Horse and Garwood trails.  Due to the recent rains water was flowing in the washes with several waterfalls, we have never seen this much flowing water before. It was a beautiful hike and a good workout.

It's unusual to see water flowing this time of year

Incredible arms on this Saguaro !

Nice lunch spot

I watched a classic 1961 english murder mystery,  “The shadow of a cat”, on the Saturday night “Svengoolie” TV show.  It’s was about a “killer” cat who revenged the murder of its wealthy owner by killing off the murdering family members and servants who had plotted to get her fortune. It ought to be a classic, but somehow it isn’t ?
On that note, Alice is doing very well and quite comfortable in the RV, but  about once a day she turns into a climbing up the walls "killer cat ".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow_of_the_Cat

Alice sitting on Twinkles' lap on a quilt being
made just for her

I attended a Dave Alvin and Jimmie Dale Gilmore concert at a venue called 191 Toole.  It was a super crowded event, lots of funny stage banter and a great performance by these guys.  I have seen seen Dave Alvin a couple of times in concert with his brother Phil which is always an excellent show.  I also had seen Jimmie Gilmore perform once many years ago, in the mid 1990’s, almost across the street from my house at the former Hightstown High School.  These guys are veteran performers who have pretty much seen and done it all.

It was an intimate setting

I lucked out getting standing room just behind the seats

My son bought us tickets for a Eric Johnson concert at the Rialto Theater on January 17th.  I had never heard of him before but an internet search showed him to be an outstanding guitar and piano played.  We had excellent second row seats and I would have to say he is an amazing guitar and piano with with a classical flavor.  

Every birthday celebration in our row seems to become a party scene.  At our ages, I suppose that is understandable.  We attended a birthday celebration for Canadian friends Linda and Gary (Gary turned 70) and Laurel (we won't tell) at LaCocina and then a very special happy hour party for our favorite campground dog, LiLi, (70 in people years).  A birthday song was sung, mostly woofs and barks, and her present was a huge bone.  Another birthday was celebrated for Jim at the Texas Roadhouse with most of the vegetarians going only for drinks and eyeing our delicious steaks and ribs with contempt.
  

The birthday crowd at LaCocina

The Happy Hour group watching LiLi open her bone present

The days are now getting warmer, it appears that we have made it through winter without a deep freeze, but we are getting considerable rain, the desert will be greening up fast and hopefully this will result in great flower blooms this spring. 

I replaced the fuel pump and filter on the Onan Generator, a nasty job due to their location and lack of an underside access panel on the Generator.  I can’t understand the lack of maintainability on this as the fuel filter is something that you should replace on a regular basis, although I don't ever plan to do it again.

Now to potentially piss off some of my former co-workers and family members, we took part in the woman’s march held in downtown Tucson along with approximately 15,000 other people.  It was a vast array of people, all ages and ethnic types, all united and enthusiastically supportive of Women’s rights.  We went with about 40 others from the campground and it was a colorful, beautiful spectacle of democracy in action.  As you would expect and see below, the signs being carried were quite interesting.

Assembling at the campground

Nasty Baby ready to march

Cool to be Canadian, they may be building
a wall soon to keep us out

One of my favorites

Nasty Grandma

Don't mess with her

Makes sense to me

Another favorite

Another personal favorite

Many were wearing "pussy guards"

Not so sure about Arizona, but Tucson does

Native Americans were out too

Planing and packing for the trip to New Jersey and Florida is always a challenge, maybe I should just new clothes when I get there ?  I will be going solo as Twinkles has far too many social activities here and must babysit Alice.

Hopefully there will be no mention of or discussion of Trump on my trip, 

Twinkles and Slick