Westborough, MA

The morning we left for Westborough the sky opened up and the rain was coming down in sheets.  Mike told Judy to stay in the trailer while he got everything outside taken care of wearing his crocks and rain jacket.  We were surrounded by puddles, which were getting deeper and deeper!  It rained the entire day.  We did laundry in Westborough and then went to meet Pam, her husband Mike, and our other new step granddaughter Katelynn.  We all enjoyed dinner together.

Pam & Katelynn 

The next day we picked up our daughter Leslie, who flew in from Mississippi.  We had bison burgers for lunch at Ted Turner’s restaurant, "Ted’s Montana".  Next stop was to replace Mike’s cell phone since it was deader than dead from being soaked in the rain while taking down camp yesterday morning.  We then headed to Beth and Neil’s, where we had been invited for a bbq at 6:30.  It was shortly before five and we offered to help prepare for the 20 people they were expecting (the out-of-towners who were already in town!)  We really enjoyed our visit with so many relatives and friends that we hadn’t seen in a long time.  It rained on and off all day long so we ate inside.

Leslie, Beth, & Judy

Grete & Leslie

 Ben & Leslie

Neil & Ben

Ben & His Grandpa's

Grete & Grandma

Grandma, Ben, & Grandpa Michael

Friday we slept in as long as we could and then spent the rest of the afternoon playing with the new cell phone, taking showers, and relaxing.  Neil and Beth invited everyone to a fabulous dinner at Arturo’s, a very good Italian restaurant.  Then we all went to Friday Evening Sabbath Services in which Ben participated.

Saturday was the BIG day.  We were at Temple at 8:30 for family pictures.  When Judy was putting on her pantyhose (DO NOT laugh too loud!!!) she heard something pop in her left hand that left it very painful.  It was bruised and very sore.

After all the pictures were taken instructions were given to those who had a part during the service, by the rabbi.  Shortly afterwards the service began. Ben did a terrific job and Sophie, the Bat Mitzvah girl did also.  Judy was very glad when she and Mike were done doing the prayer before and after the reading of the Torah.  Ben did the Torah blessings with great ease and read from the Torah wonderfully.  Beth and Neil had very nice words to say to Ben during the service.

After services we had challah and wine in the lobby of the Temple and then went to the Doubletree Hotel for the reception.  The D.J. they hired did an excellent job with keeping the kids busy dancing and playing games and giving out prizes.  The food was excellent. 

Beth, Neil, Leslie, Pam, Judy, & Mike

Our last activity for this very special four day celebration was a brunch at the Doubletree on Sunday.  It, too, was extremely wonderful…..lots to choose from and much to enjoy.  Then came the sad good-byes to those who were leaving.  It was really great having the whole family together.  We then returned to the trailer for a quiet, restful afternoon and evening.

Monday we finally saw blue sky and sun, with comfortable temperatures in the low to mid 80’s.  After breakfast we drove to Purgatory Chasm, a place Neil recommended for hiking.  A unique natural landmark, Purgatory Chasm runs for a quarter of a mile between granite walls rising as high as 70 feet.  It is believed to have its origin when glacial meltwater from a burst ice dam ripped out blocks of bedrock at the end of the last Ice Age (14,000 years ago).  Since Judy’s sore hand prevented her from using a walking stick and climbing over the rocks she returned to the truck to read while Mike had all the fun.



After talking to Beth, we decided to have Judy's hand checked out at University of Massachusetts Hospital to make sure there was nothing broken.  Not wanting to let Mike outdo her we went to the emergency room.  After being x-rayed the doctor said nothing was broken and prescribed pain medication and to alternate hot and cold compresses and elevation of her hand.   

 Judy, tell your hand to smile!

Tuesday we relaxed around the campground.  Wednesday we took Neil, Beth, and Ben to dinner (Grete was visiting a friend).  Thursday we took Ben to his French Horn lessons, had dinner with them, and then for the hardest part - saying our good-byes.  The end of a fantastic visit to Westborough.

Woodridge, NY

Our drive today took us through New Jersey, avoiding New York City.  Paying the tolls when you have four axles just kills us.  A $5 toll for an auto somehow becomes $20 when you are pulling a trailer.

We arrived in the Catskill area of New York State around 3:00 pm.  Then off to see Elayne and Roger.  They both look the same as when we saw them last.  We saw Roger here on our way back from New Foundland in 2007, and Elayne we haven’t seen since they were visiting the west coast in 2002.  Roger and Mike have known each other for 63 years, since they were 8 years old living in Brooklyn. We enjoyed sitting around and schmoozing before, during and after a delicious dinner.  Comparing notes about our kids and grandkids was interesting and just visiting together was great.  Mike and Roger really dug up some very old memories of the neighborhood, friends, and events.  The two days we spent visiting just flew by.

Philly - Visit #2

After a day of relaxation on Saturday, we resumed our Philly sightseeing on Sunday.  Our first stop was the Betsy Ross Home and gift shop.  This historic house commemorates the life and accomplishments of Betsy Ross, a Philadelphia patriot believed to have made our first American Flag.

From there we walked to Elfreth’s Alley that is one of only three preserved 18^th-century streetscapes in the country.  Where the other two are we don’t know!  The alley is very narrow with the center made for water run-off.  The row-houses are all two story and a plaque is on the outside of each if they had fire insurance.

Then on to Congregation Mikveh Israel which was founded in 1740, the “Synagogue of the Revolution” maintains its unchanged tradition.  One of the members gave us a fact filled tour.  During the War of Independence, 1775-1783, Jews from New York, Easton, Lancaster, Richmond, Charleston and Savannah sought refuge in Philadelphia from the British occupation.  Many members joined the ranks of the Patriots and fought for the revolutionary cause.

It is an orthodox congregation and they follow the Spanish and Portuguese Sephardic religious ritual.  From Mikveh Israel came famous institutions such as the first Hebrew Sunday School in America.  They call their rabbis ‘ministers’ and one of their early ministers named Isaac Leeser translated the Hebrew Bible into English, wrote the first Jewish prayer book printed in America, introduced the English sermon, and published a widely-read Jewish monthly newspaper/magazine call The Occident.  In 1845 he founded the first American Jewish Publication Society.

The congregation was able to build its first permanent house of worship in 1783.  In the archives of the Congregation we saw letters written by George Washington (copies of course!) and Abraham Lincoln and a public subscription list for the 1782 building signed by Benjamin Franklin.  We saw a huge needlepoint tapestry hanging that pictured all their buildings and men carrying the Torah.  They had many kiddish cups, menorahs and Chanukiahs on display.  There was no fee for the tour but we made a donation.



Then on to the National Museum of American Jewish History a short distance away.  It opened in November 2010 in a brand-new building overlooking Independence Mall.  It is the only institution in the nation solely dedicated to telling the story of the American Jewish experience.  It is four stories and you begin at the top and work your way down.  We were there about four hours and found it very well done.  Unfortunately you weren’t allowed to take any pictures.

The core exhibition traces the lives of American Jews from 1654 to the present and explores how Jews created a new home in a free land.  The 25,000-square-foot gallery includes nearly 1,100 artifacts, films, and state-of-the-art technology providing a powerful testament to what all free people can accomplish for themselves and for society at large.  This is a museum worth going to.

We then walked to China Town and enjoyed a late lunch/early dinner.

Philadelphia, PA

Our campground is only a 15 minute drive from downtown Philly, but it takes just as long to find parking. 

The first stop was Independence National Historical Park where so much of our colonial, revolutionary, and federal period heritage is preserved.  Here Americans began their quest for freedom and independence and it is here that the United States was born, and its ideals enacted in the Constitution.  We began at the Independence Visitor Center where a sweet old lady volunteer showed us a map and explained what to see and how to walk the walk!  

We saw the old city hall which was home to the U.S. Supreme Court from 1791-1800.  We then got in line to see the Liberty Bell.  Luckily the lined moved along quickly.  The tour of Independence Hall was very interesting.  This is where the Declaration of Independence was signed and the Constitution was written.  Each of the thirteen states sent a representative as noted by the thirteen tables with chairs. 





Old City Hall







From there we walked to Reading Terminal Market, a Philadelphia tradition.  In 1892 the Reading Railroad opened the Reading Terminal Market below the tracks of their massive new train shed.  The market had 78,000 square feet and nearly 800 spaces for vendors.  At one time it was known as the greatest food market in the world.  Today it is home to 80 independently-owned small businesses representing a great diversity of nationalities.  We bought a few produce items that we needed, but feel the produce at Farmer’s Market in L.A. is much nicer with better quality produce.

We then got the truck and drove to Jim’s Steak for lunch.  In December while camping in Monterey, CA, we met a couple from Philly and asked them where to get the best cheese-steak sandwiches.  They recommended Jim’s in the South Avenue Section which is an area several blocks long of eclectic shops, bars and restaurants.  We took their advice and figured it must be good as evidenced by the long line of people waiting to place their order at 3:00 p.m.  The sandwiches were truly delicious!  The meat was tender as could be and you could order the sandwich with American, Provolone or Cheese Whiz; mushrooms, onions, and/or sweet peppers.

From there we drove to the Museum of Art to say hello to Rocky who was standing at the bottom of the stairs; then on to Franklin Fountain for dessert.   We feel Rosemary’s is better!  Our last stop was for a few groceries and then back to the campground to collapse after another busy fun day.

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