Travel Chaotically! ~ From NJ to the Hudson River Valley with amazing vistas and dear ones!

B and Google saved the morning.  After our stinky night, breakfast at Hightstown DINER, set our day off right.  It was incredibly busy, but the staff was amazing and energetic.  Our young waitress certainly deserved more than her pay!  Delicious pancakes for me, egg white omelet and turkey bacon for B.  He's so good!!  Then again.......

To back up a step!  Back in our foul hole the night prior, we meticulously planned our route to Fishkill, NY - assiduously avoiding NYC or the George Washington Bridge!  Why then, you might ask, do I have this?????

Because my navigator loses his mind periodically!!!  And that's not good!!!!  I traveled over a bridge I expressly asked to avoid during a POURING, FLOODING, DELUGE!!!!!!!!!  Oh, my!  Imagine driving through crazy weather, on a multilevel bridge, during NYC rush hour, in a nasty ass Corolla with a wonky left front wheel that did not behave as expected and made strange rubbing sounds, while listening to some gibberish about, "In my defense Google maps changed the route while enroute!!!" Along with sycophantic comments like, "Fortunately, excellent driving saved the day!"  What a crazy boy!  While difficult and unpleasant, (AND NOT WHAT I REQUESTED!!!) it was still not as bad as driving in Atlanta!

The drive through the Hudson River Valley was very pretty.  Little towns with old fashioned squares and historic districts were bright with red and yellow maples.  My vision of stopping and walking through them as fancy struck was stymied by the pouring rain, which was unfortunate.  However, Sleepy Hollow, Ossining, and Tarrytown were most lovely and I would have loved exploring them more as we made our way to the Springhill Suites in Fishkill which was very nice and funk free!!!

Supper was a bit sad in a strip mall at Charlie Brown's Grill.  Usual fare, served as imagined.  But, exciting times as an old grey headed codger holding forth on a bar stool suddenly fell to the floor, seemed to have a seizure - but just as B and I were about to see if we could assist - he got up, finished his drink, ambled out, and I presume - DROVE (!!!) off!!!

Up early for exercise and oatmeal - both very refreshing and on to Beacon Falls to meet our dear friends F and J!!!

Keeping it me-made, in prior jean jacket, nikko turtle, layered under a Sasha Basic instinct tee, all paired with yet-to-be-blogged Romero Trousers from the same pattern I used for Roo's shorts!

After a lengthy, but interesting history of the town provided by a local out waxing both his SAAB's on the curb (???) in front of his real estate office, we had a spot of tea and a lovely catch-up with our dear ones.  Then we were off to Storm King.  An incredible place that combined the beauty of a nature preserve with art installations!

Two of the smartest, most convivial, adventure loving, amazing peeps you will ever be blessed to meet!!!

The photog!

Such a lovely place.  Here's a cool video J shared via the NYT about the care involved in managing such a place:  Who Mows the Lawn at Storm King, New York’s Largest Sculpture Park?

So great to share time with dear ones.  So many lovely sights to be seen. Travel and live chaotically! ~ les