We started out with a drive up to NY for a few days. We toyed with flying, since we park our car once we arrive and don't take it out again until we leave, but it's such a pain to fly. With the waiting time and all the rest of the nonsense these days, it is as fast to drive there (with an EZ Pass) as it is to fly. And there are no cheap flights. I can't understand how you can fly to Madrid from London for €8 but it costs hundreds of $ to fly 250 miles within the States.
So we took the big truck. I didn't think NY would respect my little Smart Car. We didn't see any up there. Go figure. Parking was an ordeal, as it was the last time. NY is simply too crowded to park pick up trucks. But once it was stowed away, we had a good time. We went to see 2 shows, and spent a day at Ellis Island.
The first night we went to see Wicked - which is the true story of the witches of Oz. Wow. Just goes to show you what a misinformation campaign can do. It's like Karl Rove was behind it all. Hmmmm. It was at the beautiful Gershwin Theatre, and funny and touching and altogether enjoyable.
The Lion King, which we saw the next night at the Minskoff, was possibly one of the most beautiful things I've ever seen. The spectacle of the massive African elephants and the tall giraffes entering the theatre via the aisles was breathtaking. I'm not typically a fan of African music, but the sheer joy of the production made me a fan that night.
In between, during the day, we took the ferry from Battery Park out to Ellis
Island. It was a pretty clear, blue sky day, and not hot. I love Ellis Island. We've been before, but it had been years since we'd done the "processing" tour. The last time we went, Tom Brokaw was the voice on the tape. He led listeners through the arrival experience. At each point, he explained, Here, this is what would happen to you. I personally felt like I was channeling many gone before me, and it was intense. The new voice is a woman, and she uses the 3rd person narration, rather than speaking to the listener. Here, this would have happened to them. It wasn't as effective, I thought.
It's still a very poignant tour, but I can't imagine why they changed it. I don't think it was a bad way to make people understand what our ancestors endured to become citizens. It may be the difference in why my grandfather immediately referred to the US as his country, and today's immigrants (and their citizen children) continue to refer to where they came from as "my country." Maybe fear of being turned away wasn't a bad thing. And there in the harbor stood the Statue of Liberty...We came home for the weekend, and spent a day with Hanna, always fun, then a day watching the Redskins lose by TWO at FedEx Field. Grrrr. Not so fun.
Monday morning, we set out for Chincoteague, on the Eastern Shore of Virginia, and Assateague, the National Seashore shared between Virginia and Maryland. We took our time, and got there about 3 in the afternoon on a warm, sunny day. The Maryland side of Assateague, where most of the ponies can be seen, is about a 90 minute drive, so we put that on hold until the next day,and took the s
horter ride to the Virginia side. The beach is usually deserted when we go in March, and we have the place to ourselves, but it was pretty busy in midOctober. There were kids and dogs playing on the beach, people playing in the waves, people fishing...and many sunning themselves.We drove up to see the lighthouse, which is in miserable shape. The paint is faded and splotchy, and there is a big black hood wrapped around the light portion. It's getting a facelift, fortunately. I walked up the path to get a picture, and came back with about 25 mosquito bites. I've never seen anything like it.
As busy as things were, a lot of the island had closed up for the season or were running on a slow schedule. The Village Restaurant, for example, was closed on the Monday night. We had to go to Don's so Chuck could get a seafood platter. I got gorgeous sunset photos from Don's dock.
Tuesday, after breakfast at Bill's, we headed out to the Maryland side of Assateague. There were quite a few ponies to be seen, and we visited with them and took pictures. They were as reserved and watchful as always, and all had that beautiful rock star hair.
We had lunch in Berlin and bought Hanna a few little gifts, then headed back to meet Spider Fleming at 4 30 for a sunset cruise around the island. He was able to take us completely around the island, in spite of the water being merely 3 feet deep in places! I was amazed. At a different time of day, he has to turn around to avoid the shallows. He was full of information about the island and islanders, whom he called "Teaguers". At first I wondered why he was calling them Tiggers
;-) The island is 7 miles by 1 mile, and has just over 4,000 year 'round residents.We were out with Spider for about 2 1/2 hours, and in that time saw dozens of dolphins, eagles, flocks of pelicans, and ponies on the beach. Spider said they drink the salt water, and have for centuries. I didn't know that, but it makes sense, since they live among the salt marshes. When they are adopted following the pony swim, and live where they are fed fresh water, their systems adapt right away.
The sunset was among the most glorious I have ever seen. I must have taken 100 photos. Spider returned us about 7, and Chuck finally got his seafood platter from The Village.
To get to the ferry that leaves from Lewes (say Lewis) Delaware to Cape May, we drove along the beaches on Wednesday - Ocean City, Fenwick Island, Bethany, Dewey, Rehoboth - and boarded about 1 pm. There were 2 small lighthouses out in the harbor at Lewes - The small white Harbor of Refuge Light at the mouth of Delaware Bay, and the Delaware Breakwater Light, a small red lighthouse on the inner breakwater of the Delaware Bay.
Where we were staying in Cape M
ay was not far from the ferry. We were booked into Congress Hall, built 1816, and facing the Atlantic on the rear side, and the little village on the front side. I fell in love with my first step into the lobby. The elevator mechanisms were updated, but the old facade was retained. The walk to our room was through long, wide, high ceilinged corridors, past common areas with fire places and open seating areas and snugs - very European - and huge staircases with massive windows and window seats on the landings. The doors opened with real keys on brass keychains. Among the hotel's amenities are a full service spa, a giftshop, a night club in the cellar, and a very good restaurant called the Blue Pig. We had breakfast there one morning.A foyer with an uneven floor opened onto the large turquoise- and white-painted room, which was full of overs
tuffed red furniture. The wood furniture was white, and the accessories - lamps, mirrors, frames, etc - black. The bathroom, with tiny black and white tiles on the floor, was painted the same colors as the rest, and the huge, deep tub, sink, toilet, and little table were all white. There was a roomy shower, as well, discreetly behind glass in a corner behind the door.One of my favorite features was the windows. The panes were still old wavy glass, and when the sash was raised, what remained was a half door. The half door opened into 2 parts that swung open onto a balcony. From our balcony, we could sit in rocking chairs and look across the yard and gardens, past the koi pond and heated pool to the ocean. The walk from room to beach was about 3 minutes.
We were there in the fall, but for those who like the beach in summer, hotel staff will set up your chairs and carry your belongings to the water's edge for you. They will bring you food and drinks, and at the end of the day, cart it all back for you.
If we walked out the front of the hotel, we had only to cross one road and were immediately in the village,
or town. It is pretty much closed off to traffic, leaving the cobbled streets for window shoppers, strollers, and sidewalk diners. We spent hours enjoying the little shops. The first night we walked over and had dinner at a little joint called The Ugly Mug. Hundreds of members have their own beer mugs hanging from the ceiling. The 2nd night, we had excellent Italian at Cucina Rosa. The best part was being able to walk back to the hotel after a leisurely stroll with a frozen custard from Kohr's.
The entire picture postcard area was decorated for fall, with hay stacks, corn, pumpkins and other gourds, scarecrows, colored leaves...Every direction displayed another image of the kind of Americana we recall from childhood and can't find anymore. Gorgeous, vibrantly painted Victorians, little shops run by people who speak pleasantly, a town square with a large gazebo in its center, and in Della's 5 and 10, a soda counter with a jukebox and a real soda jerk with a white smock and cap. Peter and Gordon were on the jukebox when we walked in. I was enchanted with the whole of it.
The second day there, we took a 3 hour whale watching cruise. It was quite warm and bright, but shade was adequate. We didn't see any whale
s, but we saw plenty of dolphins - some were even surfing our wake - and enjoyed a day on the water and lots of sights and information. The Cape May lighthouse is an exceptionally pretty one, and we were only a few miles from it. We photographed it in different lights, as well as from the cruise.I have never been to Wildwood, but it loomed large in legends from my childhood. Cape May isn't but 15 or 20 minutes from Wildwood. It was closed down for the season, but we drove through anyway. It was like driving through 1965. What a blast. I am so happy these places still exist in any capacity.
The final morning there, we were on the beach at sunrise, and it was a glorious sunrise. Blood red and blinding, and the day dawned much cooler. We had breakfast at Uncle Bill's Pancake House (not to be confused with Bill's in Chincoteague) and a last walk through the town before heading off to catch the 11 o'clock ferry back to Delaware.
Cape May is one of those places we always meant to go, and until now just never did. I have a feeling we'll return again! As for NY and Chincoteague, we'll always go back.
All photos by Judi
