Well folks, we're back from the Garden State. We had a wonderful - and wonderfully busy - vacation. Husband saw to it that no minute was left unplanned, a vacation tactic that, fortunately, he only resorts to when he's visiting his home town. We spent a lot of our time out of doors, enjoying the beach, the boardwalk, crabbing, visiting Sesame Place (yes, it's a Sesame Street amusement/water park), going to the race track (horses, that is) and throwing water balloons for hours at a big family BBQ. My sister-in-law Chris made sure that we kicked off our vacation just right, by planning lots of fun for the boys and their cousins. And of course,
As always, I was tickled and fascinated by the difference in culture between the midwest (or west) and the East Coast. Other cultures have always excited me, and I think that's why I love being in New Jersey; they have so many things we don't have here and lots of fun words and expressions we don't use. For example, when I told a friend that we were looking forward to swimming in her doughboy pool, she said, "What? That's a pretzel!" What she calls an "above ground" pool is what I grew up calling a doughboy (after one of the makers of the pools). A few other observations:
1. In New Jersey, you can find a radio station playing Bruce Springstein at just about any given time or day. I find that "Born to Run" seems to be a favorite.
2. Heineken beer is the Budweiser of NJ.
3. Black & White cookies. Know what they are? Probably not because they're just about impossible to find when you leave the East Coast.
4. Don't be shocked when, at a pizza place, you see a couple order two large pizzas between the two of them. The crust is so thin, it's not uncommon for one person to eat a whole large. And have I mentioned, it is THE BEST pizza in the world?
5. Pork roll. Heard of it? Probably not because I've never seen it outside of NJ. It's not exactly health food, but it makes for a great breakfast sandwich.
6. Customer service on the East Coast has a much different feel than it does here in the center of the U.S. I say no more.
7. You've never tasted sweet corn so sweet and creamy.
8. Mazel Tov is a commonly used salutation. Who knew?
9. You will not be able to find a Starbucks as easily as you can here, but you will trip over all the Dunkin' Donuts.
10. The Jersey Shore. It's worth all the hype it gets. Also, every time I say that, I think of Billy Joel's song Allentown.
Yes, you probably get the idea that I really enjoy going to visit where my husband grew up. I do, but don't look for me to be moving there any time soon. I really love Colorado. However, it makes me realize that it's not just the geography of a state that makes it worth living in, it's the people who surround you; and when I'm in New Jersey I am very aware of how blessed we are to have such wonderful family and friends on both coasts (my Dad is on the West Coast with a lot of other family) and right in the middle of the U.S.!
Motor boat rental: $78.
3. Black & White cookies. Know what they are? Probably not because they're just about impossible to find when you leave the East Coast.
4. Don't be shocked when, at a pizza place, you see a couple order two large pizzas between the two of them. The crust is so thin, it's not uncommon for one person to eat a whole large. And have I mentioned, it is THE BEST pizza in the world?
5. Pork roll. Heard of it? Probably not because I've never seen it outside of NJ. It's not exactly health food, but it makes for a great breakfast sandwich.
6. Customer service on the East Coast has a much different feel than it does here in the center of the U.S. I say no more.
7. You've never tasted sweet corn so sweet and creamy.
8. Mazel Tov is a commonly used salutation. Who knew?
9. You will not be able to find a Starbucks as easily as you can here, but you will trip over all the Dunkin' Donuts.
10. The Jersey Shore. It's worth all the hype it gets. Also, every time I say that, I think of Billy Joel's song Allentown.
Yes, you probably get the idea that I really enjoy going to visit where my husband grew up. I do, but don't look for me to be moving there any time soon. I really love Colorado. However, it makes me realize that it's not just the geography of a state that makes it worth living in, it's the people who surround you; and when I'm in New Jersey I am very aware of how blessed we are to have such wonderful family and friends on both coasts (my Dad is on the West Coast with a lot of other family) and right in the middle of the U.S.!
Some Memories From Our Trip
Here is a photo of the results of our day of crabbing:
Motor boat rental: $78. Bait: $4.
Time spent crabbing: 4.5 hours
Catch: one crab yielding about 2 oz. of meat
Cost per pound of our Blue Crab: $656
The cost of Husband reliving his youth: Priceless!
Catch: one crab yielding about 2 oz. of meat
Cost per pound of our Blue Crab: $656
The cost of Husband reliving his youth: Priceless!
Who would ever guess that the boys are rookie boogie-boarders?
The Great-Grandkids (on my mother-in-law's side)
Captain Connor at the Helm
A ride on the ferry from Philadelphia to Camden, NJ's aquarium with
cousins Chase and Zach, and good friend Emily.
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