How YOU doin'?

As mentioned above, part of my visit to the East Coast was for a family reunion of sorts. My niece was graduating from high school, and most of my family was heading to Jersey for the event. I had many preconcieved notions about Jersey, some that proved to be true, and some that proved to be false. Yup, everyone says "How ya doin'?", including my Sister-In-Law's brother who is right out of a Budweiser commercial. The Jersey Shore isn't trashed, it's beautiful, with shingled homes and busy boardwalks filled with rides, games, clam bars, giant slices of New York style pizza, and Philly "cheesesteaks" (which, as it turns out, only has "Cheese Wiz" on it, unless you order it "wit", which means "wit onions". Nope, no peppers.) The roads make no sense (to make a left, you have to make a "loop" around the Wawa on the right) but eventually always lead you to the beach or the Jersey Parkway. One day, we were able to drive to the "city" (New York) to ride the Staten Island Ferry past the Statue of Liberty to Manhattan, where we ate lunch amid watch vendors in Battery Park, saw Trinity Church (no treasure), the WTC site, and rode the famous "bull" just south of Wall Street on Broadway. Later, I was able to complete my own "Holy Grail" experience. An avid rollercoaster lover and history buff, we drove to Coney Island to ride the legendary Cyclone and eat a Nathan's hot dog. The Cyclone was magical- a classic fast, rickety wooden coaster with very thick, padded leather seats (like riding the Blue Streak at Cedar Point in an overstuffed easy chair!), and I was able to share my dream ride with my girls. However, the famed Luna Park has become a haven for the seedy, filled with trash (everywhere!) and pollution. At the urging of the girls, we skipped the hot dog and headed back to the safety of our truck. Now I know why Jersey is called the "Garden State"! Actually, it was very beautiful (but expensive!), and filled with very nice, wonderful people. Sabbatical week one is over. See you next week!