NEW BRIGHTON AND PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA

Over Labor Day weekend, we packed our stuff and then ourselves into the Box and drove due west to New Brighton, Beaver County, home to our daughter Sarah and her two kiddies. The trip was uneventful with only a stop or two, arriving around noon on Saturday. The weather was lovely, a little on the cool side.

Tea, anyone?

Upon arrival, we were greeted warmly by Cole and Chloe and invited in to lunch, prepared by Sarah. We handed over the gifts sent along by Aunt Rachel. For Chloe, a miniature china tea set and wooden dollhouse furniture that had been Rachel's when she was Chloe's age. (Apparently the Smithsonian did not want this for their collection.) Chloe quickly set the table for a tea party with two dolls as guests and filled the tiny sandwich plates and teacups with beads from her craft box. Later, she expressed (with some coaching) thanks for these fun gifts.

Ready for take-off

For Cole, there was a Legos set from which he could create three different things. He chose the airplane first. I wonder if his ability to create the things just by looking at simple line drawings means he might be some sort of engineer or craftsman when he grows up!

We had taken with us two chocolate shoofly pies from Root's Market (apparently Sarah has gotten the women she works with at FedEx addicted to this confection, and now they are her slaves) and a large pepperoni pizza from Lio's in Linglestown for Sarah's neighbors Moose and Melissa. Sarah delivered it right away, and it was not long before they arrived at the front door for a personal thank you. We had a nice time visiting with them and feel good that Sarah has such helpful and kind neighbors watching over her.

Melissa and Moose

Mid-afternoon, Sarah took off with a friend to a county fair in nearby Ohio. It sounded like it was the old -fashioned type of fair with all the midway food booths you'd expect. During the tractor pull, Sarah called us on the phone to let us hear the roar of the engines. I can only imagine what it sounded like on the spot.

Chloe and Cole spent the afternoon with their new toys, and then around 5:00 p.m. we headed south on Rt. 65 (Ohio River Blvd.) to Pizza Hut, where the kids enjoyed their own personal pan pizzas and Susanne and I shared a thin-crust pizza, although we had not ordered that type. We let it pass, mostly because the waitress had let us change tables three times to find the most comfortable.

Climbing near the falls

Following the Italian delight that is Pizza Hut, we drove north again to Rt. 18, called Delaware Avenue, to find a miniature golf course. It had an Old West theme, complete with mining shaft and a waterfall. As you can see from the videos, here and here, the kids had a good time and we oldsters had to make a real effort to keep up with them.

I got a huge kick out of Chloe's reckless number of strokes, and Cole proclaiming either, "I bogied that hole," or "I got a birdie this time!" after his ten or twelve strokes.

The evening was spent quietly, including a reading of Chloe's very first school library book, a story about Madeline, the little French girl who lives in a boarding school in Paris. Then quick baths and off to bed went the kids, while Susanne and I collapsed in front of HGTV.

Where's the ice cream?

On Sunday morning we set out in Sarah's new van for Station Square, along the Monongahela River on Pittsburgh's South Side. We passed the famous Duquesne Incline that carries passengers up and down the steep hill to Mt. Washington, and then pulled into the parking lot for the Gateway Clipper group of boats that offer river tours. It was so crowded that we had to park in a nearby garage.

Susanne had opted out of this adventure, because she cannot set foot on to a moving watercraft (with presumably retching or something). So Sarah and I and the kids descended the ramp, picked up our tickets, and boarded the Majestic, one of the paddle-wheeled boats. This special cruise included an ice cream social, dancing for the kiddies, and a magic show, all the while cruising up the Mon, back down the Mon, up the Allegheny, back down the Allegheny, down the Ohio and up back again, past the Point to the dock.

Pittsburgh's famous Point

The cruise gives you a great understanding of how important this geography was in the early days of our country, as the British and French fought for control of the three rivers, and later how this area became the launching pad for exploration and settlement of the West.

All that aside, certain children (ours) among the hundreds of whining, sniveling, and just plain annoying children (other peoples') were more interested in the ice cream and activities. Chloe especially liked the dancing, showing off her own particular style. Cole joined her for the magic show and even had a nice conversation with the magician after the show, getting to pet Maybelline, the rabbit that appears from a hat.

Brian and his goats

After something to eat, we drove up the hill to the house of Sarah's friend Brian to see his goats and his new "house" and yard for them. We also peeked at his newly-hatched pheasants, and tried to set off a rocket, but alas, there was an ignition failure and the launch was scuttled.

We decided to leave on Monday instead of Tuesday because a contractor was set for replacing our damaged house siding on Tuesday, and I was concerned about being there to make sure no errors were made.  You know, like the wrong color, or they apply it vertically instead of horizontally, that sort of thing.

Labor Day brunch was fun

Well, Cole was disappointed because we had planned a picnic for Labor Day evening. Being a genius, Susanne suggested a brunch picnic in the late morning before we left. She got up early and steered the Box in the direction of Rochester again to the Giant Eagle ("Gine Iggle"), where she bought sausage, cantaloupe, donuts, coffee cake, and chocolate milk. There were also cheese sticks and waffle fries. Something for everyone! We all enjoyed the beautiful weather on the deck as we talked and ate.

Once cleaned up, we said our farewells and headed home on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

_______________________________________

Oh, a little Box story from Baltimore. Our grandson Ian sometimes calls us from the car and chats away for awhile. During one of the calls, his dad told me that whenever Ian sees a Scion, he says "Papi's car!"

Ain't that cute? Everyone notices the Box!

 Cole and Meemaw work on a puzzle

while waiting for the pizza.

Chloe zones out.

Arriving in the Box, ready for a round of golf.

We work our way over to the Saloon at the

miniature golf course.

This is the new "tandem" style of golf.

Taking a breather at the golf course.

Cole, Chloe, and Sarah await 

the start of the cruise on the Majestic.

We pass another boat with the skyline in the distance.

Yum, ice cream sundaes -- with sprinkles!

Chloe is fascinated by the magician.

The goats were fun to see.

The Box could almost fit in Sarah's new van.

Cole and Chloe help to deflate the inflatable mattress.

Special seating for Ms. Chloe

For brunch there were donuts, not Oram's,

but pretty darned good!

Cole launches into one.

There were about a million onions on this truck

traveling east on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

LEBANON COUNTY, PENNSYLVANIA

(Click on a photo to enlarge it, then the BACK button to return to the text.)
On September 1, three women and a chauffeur set out in the silver Box for a little trip through neighboring Lebanon County. My charming wife Susanne, my adorable sister Rachel, and my delightful sister-in-law Wanda were the three women. I will let you guess who the chauffeur was.

A quick jaunt down I-78 to Bethel, a tiny town by-passed a long time ago by US 22 and then I-78, still has a wide square with houses and businesses. One of the oldest houses is now home to Geesaman's Country Furnishings, where they have a nice blend of antiques, collectibles, and reproductions of country stuff for your house (because you do not already have a houseful).

Rachel ended up with a pretty arrangement of silk flowers, Wanda got a neat miniature tin candle holder, and Susanne added to her tin collection, too, buying -- of all things -- a dust pan! I had my eye on bigger things, like a very big, very wooden hutch in the corner. It would be perfect for the latest pieces in my redware collection. I figured I would measure a couple of spots at home where it might fit and come back to it later. By then it would be sold, and I would have saved a bundle!

Next we headed down Rt. 501, passing Kum Esse Diner (of Lestermania fame), through Myerstown, passing its beautiful 18th-century Isaac Meier house, and ending up in Schaefferstown. There we found The Tweed Weasel, a shop selling primitive antiques and "stuff" in a lovely old barn on the main drag. We had been warned that the place was pricey, and we were not disappointed. The stuff was cool, and there were some real treasures among the antique furniture. Wanda was on the trail of a wooden box to hold paper and writing instruments on her kitchen table but felt that $150 was a bit much for this little luxury. Nobody bought anything, but it was nice looking around. (Unfortunately, the Weasel's web site said photos were forbidden, so I have no evidence that it was appealing.)

Soon we were driving up Pa. 897 through some beautiful farmland, past fields of corn and beans, and those wonderful sturdy stone houses of Lebanon County. We arrived in Lebanon, in search of the farmers market. I had found the address online, only to realize later that it was a different market than we wanted. We wanted the new enterprise downtown. Being a brilliant navigator, I stopped beside a mailman who told us how to find it.

By the time we arrived, everyone's blood sugar was low, so we made a beeline to the mezzanine, where there were tables and chairs and some food vendors. We all got something good to eat and then climbed a half-flight to an art gallery, which had a show featuring some very fine artwork not larger than 12" square.

Finally, we took the elevator to the first floor, where stalls sold meats and vegetables, prepared foods, flowers, candies, soft pretzels, and, of course, what every farmers market needs, jewelry. We cruised them all. Wanda got a bag o'peanut butter cups (later to become -- in the heat of the parked Box -- one giant peanut butter cup); Susanne got some chocolate-covered pretzels, some veggies and fruit, and some cookies for the grandchildren, as I recall; Rachel bought cream puffs (for Jack); and I bought a miniature fresh peach pie.

A ride up US 422 brought us to the Antique Station at Annville. It's a large antique mall, and we all split up to look for that one thing that would complete our lives. For me, it was a china soap dish with blue flowers, waiting to decorate the newly-tiled and blue-painted bathroom in the master bedroom. (If the soap dish isn't already antique, it may be by the time I get that work done -- quick, someone MAKE ME scrape off the old wallpaper NOW!)

Well, that vast mall took our last few ounces of energy, so we decided to pack it in. We headed north on Pa. 934, passing through Annville (where we quenched our thirst with one of those embarrassingly large fountain sodas you get at Turkey Hill), past the Lebanon Valley College campus, through the crossroads at Harper's Tavern, and onto US 22. I veered off onto Old US 22, also known as Old Jonestown Road, through Grantville and Shellsville (where a saved-for-another-day-shop is located) and back home to examine our treasures.

 Wanda advises Rachel on her little bouquet.

 Here's the hutch I saved a bundle on!

Wanda considers an item on the mantle.

Pretty, isn't it?

The women enter the fancy-schmancy Weasel barn.

The warm atmosphere of the market greets

us right inside the door.

 There's the aforementioned mezzanine.

Among the goodies, cinnamon soft pretzels.

Colorful crafts abound.

This phenomenal peach pie kept calling my name.

You could tell fall is approaching by visiting the florist.

Kale is a great fall decoration.

Hallowe'en calls for candy corn!

 Cracker pudding! I had forgotten all about this

Pennsylvania Dutch treat.

WINSTON-SALEM, NORTH CAROLINA

Last Friday, we left our house in the hands of a contractor working in the kitchen and headed down Linglestown Road for coffee and a bagel at Dunkin' Donuts -- the first stop on our four-day trip to Winston-Salem and back.

Three or so hours later, we were stopping for lunch in the Wayside Inn (1797) in Middletown, Va., which bills itself as the longest-running inn in the country. Not much later we stopped for gas outside Staunton, Va., birthplace of President Woodrow Wilson. After that short break, we hopped back into the Box and cruised through the valleys and hills of southern Virginia and North Carolina to Winston-Salem, site of an 18th century Moravian settlement, like Lititz and Bethlehem in Pennsylvania. The settlement at Bethlehem, in fact, had sent believers down to North Carolina in 1759 to begin communities there.

We checked into the August T. Zeverly Inn, right on Main Street in Old Salem. Today, the town's preserved and reconstructed buildings, staffed by living-history interpreters, present visitors with a view of Moravian life in the 18th and 19th centuries. We were greeted by the innkeeper and shown to our room, a comfortable garret room on the top floor of the inn. The steps were a killer, but the room was nice and well-decorated.

During our visit, we saw the visitor center exhibits (including the famous David Tannenberg pipe organ) and visited shops in the village, which is very beautiful. We had good breakfasts at the inn (French toast one day and egg casserole the other) and some great chow at restaurants in the area.

On Saturday, we drove our faithful friend Mr. Box over to Jamestown to visit Furnitureland South. We have been looking for a table to use beside the new Shaker-style bed we bought. We found a very nice one and placed an order for it. We also stopped in the French Heritage section, which had lots of interesting stuff with a French flair. We felt the highboy sitting out in front of the store might be too high for our ceilings to accommodate, so we passed it up.

We returned to Salem and did some more sightseeing. I photographed a large number of the buildings. In the evening, we joined Susanne's sister Robin and friends for a charity event in Greensboro, about a half-hour away. About three hundred people milled about a large exhibition hall, tasting appetizers, entrées, and desserts -- all made by men to help the local women's resource center, a place where women receive information about services available in the community.

Robin's friend (and ours, too) Andrew had prepared shrimp for the event, and everyone seemed anxious to taste his creation. For some reason, I kept drifting to the other side of the room, where the desserts were being offered.

On Sunday morning, Robin and her friend Ellen and I went to Home Moravian Church, the center of religious life in Salem. There we encountered the Moravian Lovefeast, a way of commemorating events in the history of the church or certain days of the church year. During the service, teams of "dieners" or servers passed through the congregation, passing out sweet buns. This was followed by coffee with cream and sugar. After a blessing, the congregation listened to choir music while enjoying this friendly meal. It's one of many ways in which the Moravian Church points out its own unity in diversity.

After church, we checked out of the inn, had lunch, did some shopping at Susanne's favorite southern store, Steinmart, and then headed a few miles west of Winston-Salem to Clemmons, where we checked into the Manor House at Tanglewood, a mid-19th century mansion-turned-bed-and-breakfast in the center of a huge county park.

Our room was spacious and beautifully appointed, everything being "done up" in blue and white. It seems we were the only two people in the place, a fact that we found out in the morning when we reported for breakfast! Robin and Ellen had come along, and we spent the evening having pizza in Winston with Andrew meeting us there, and then an hour or so of conversation in our room.

The morning brought breakfast, including the best grits ever, then check out and departure, heading north through that gorgeous countryside under blue skies (well, part of the way, anyway). We stopped in Virginia at an antiques mall, where Susanne added to her collection with a milk strainer and an electrical insulator. (Don't ask!)

We were home by dark, eager to see if our kitchen project was completed. It was, and almost to our satisfaction. But that's another story.

PERRY HALL, MARYLAND

Perry Hall is a suburb of Baltimore, and we drove there yesterday to visit our son Matt, his wife Marylee, and their two-and-a-half year old, Ian.

At 8:30 a.m. I had played the piano for an early worship service at Market Square Presbyterian Church in downtown Harrisburg. I came home and goofed off a bit, and then we jumped into the Box and headed toward Ian, er, I mean Perry Hall.

As we drove past the Perry Hall welcome sign, I wondered where the name came from. Here's the skinny:

"In 1774, Baltimore businessman Harry Dorsey Gough purchased a 1,000-acres estate called The Adventure. This estate included much of northeastern Baltimore County, and Gough renamed it Perry Hall after his family's home near Birmingham, England. He completed a mansion that became known for its great gardens and distinctive architecture, rivaled only by Hampton House, [down the road] near Towson." (www.perryhallmaryland.org/history)

When we arrived, Ian was waiting for us at the door. We enjoyed seeing him and Matt while Marylee was at a shower. Ian showed his trust in his dad by leaping off one of the steps in the house into his dad's arms. It was almost time for Ian's nap, so Meemaw read him a story, and then he fell fast asleep.

Matt, Susanne, and I retreated to the coolness of the basement and chewed the fat while watching the food channel. There was a Baltimore bent to the shows we watched. One was the Baltimore- based Ace of Cakes, and the other featured a visit to Baltimore's Broadway Diner by the diners, drive-ins, and dives guy.

Soon Marylee arrived home, and our conversation continued. It was determined that Ian had slept long enough so Matt went upstairs to wake him.

Earlier, I had constructed a little building from Lincoln Logs so that Ian could have the pleasure of knocking it over, which he seemed to enjoy doing. Susanne and Ian played with a railroad set, Ian tackled an inflated football player, and he built a fort with cushions from the couch.

Soon it was time to eat, so we ordered out and had some great dinner treats. The pictures tell all. Ian and his mom and dad wished each other "cheers!" as the meal commenced.

The after dinner show included Ian singing his version of "Ding, dong, the witch is dead," which he has heard being sung by the kids at his babysitter's house, and then did a turn on the cool wooden European bicycle that teaches kids to balance and prepares them for the big time.

As we left for home, Ian was preparing to ride his bike around the court with Mommy close at hand, and Matt was heading into the house for a well-deserved snooze.

 Ian gives my log building a good whack.

  Matt had a shrimp melt.

Marylee had a crab cake sandwich.

Ian had Ian food.

Susanne had a quesadilla.

  John had a panini.

 A future Tour de France winner

gets his start.

 

 Father and son.

 

 Matt looks on as Marylee and Ian wave goodbye.

  The Box prepares to pull out as Marylee and Ian

start their trek around the court and Matt heads inside.