I heart NY

Dan and I dream of living in NYC someday, if only temporarily. The city charmed us years ago, during a visit to see Dan's brother. Unaware of traffic or really anything in New York, we simply drove right into the middle of it, without even a map. Through Lincoln Tunnel to Manhattan and into Queens, we soaked it in. The next day, sightseeing, we put in several miles on foot. We slept on the floor of tiny apartment, smaller than any we'd lived in. And we fell in love the city. We didn't want to go home. There's so much we didn't see, so much to offer.
Last year on this day, we were leaving New York again. We spend three short days of our trip touring the city, showing Abby and Carter all the places we wanted them to love too. Most of our favorite things to do were free, including a ride on the Staten Island Ferry, gazing at Times Square, a walk in Central park, Grand Central Station, the South Street Seaport and the bridges, Brooklyn and Manhattan. There are enough parks and shops and museums and eateries to fill a lifetime.
It would be hard, not to mention expensive, to raise kids in New York. I doubt that is in our future. But as for visiting, I'd go back today if the chance came up. As for living there, I can dream!

One of my favorite bloggers linked me to a site that analyzes your writing and tells you what famous author you write like. Check it out I Write Like

Here's my results:

I write like
Dan Brown

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Remembering the PIP

Every road has rules. That's why we need a driver's license. But what if you're in a different state, the rules change, sometimes only slightly? And let's say the road is not a road, but a parkway. In some states that changes the rules more than a little.

While driving on the PIP, the Palisades Interstate Parkway, which is a scenic run from New Jersey to New York, be sure you're not driving an RV. That's prohibited. So are commercial vehicles, buses and trucks that are meant for hauling goods, not people. There are signs to let you know about the rules. But if you cruise by the sign at 60 mph like everyone else, there's no way you'll get the information you need. If you are driving a prohibited vehicle, you're breaking the law. The locals know it too. They honk and scowl and use hand signals as they speed past you.

But don't worry, the cops see this all the time. That's what they said when they pulled up behind us. We were not only driving on the PIP in our 45-ft recreational vehicle, we broke down, spilling transmission fluid all over the precious parkway. The cop was nice though, he didn't give us or the two tow trucks it took to haul us a way, a ticket for being to big for the road.

Rules aside, I would like to travel the PIP again one day. The parkway is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. There are beautiful stone-faced overpasses. The Appalachian Trail meanders right next to it. Lake Welch is nearby. Bear Mountain the Hudson River are the backdrop to a section of the parkway. With all the frustration of being lost, the breakdown and then the police, I really missed the beauty of it.