Our trip to New Jersey

On Wednesday, October 17th, we flew to New Jersey to visit with Donna and her family and April and Karl Webber, Donna's good friends there.

We left San Francisco at 7:00 am, and arrived in New Jersey, via Detroit, at 7:30 pm - a full day of flying, but great flights and seats together so we were pleased!

The weather in New Jersey was beautiful!  On Thursday we had lunch at Jim's (Donna's Dad) golf club and looked out on the beautiful landscape as the trees were all turning those amazing fall colors!  After lunch we took a great drive through the countryside and saw the area where George Washington's troops camped!  You forget how full of history the east coast is!

On Thursday night April came and picked us up and we went out to dinner and saw the play "A Chorus Line".  I'd never seen it before and it was just fabulous!  Dinner was delightful, too - it was a grand and glorious day!

On Friday morning it rained but we didn't care, as we were driving down the Jersey shore to spend the weekend in Cape May.  We stopped along the way in Atlantic City where we had lunch at Caesars and a walk on the boardwalk - much of which is no longer there, thanks to tropical storm Sandy....  very, very sad!

We stayed at Donna's brothers condo in Cape May!  It's in a great location, right on the inlet from the sea and not far from the Coast Guard installation where Nathan attended boot camp.  While we were in Cape May we spent time at the beach, shopping, eating and enjoying the beautiful scenery.  The weather was clear and warm on both Saturday and Sunday.

On Sunday we drove home and then in the afternoon went to Steven and Kristen's (Donna's nephew and his wife)  house for dinner.  All of Donna's family were there as were April and Karl.  Kristen prepared a fabulous dinner and we all enjoyed the kids!  There were 8 of them there, and the oldest is 8!  They're all great kids, and had a blast playing outside and in.  There were plenty of people to hold the 9 month old twins and follow around behind 10 month old Mikey, as he's walking and all over the place!

On Monday we took another drive, across the Delaware River, into Pennsylvania!  We spent some time in New Hope where we had lunch at a great outdoor restaurant right on the river.  Then we browsed the town and did some shopping before heading home.  Unfortunately, April had to work, so she wasn't able to join us.

Monday night we went out to dinner with Jim and enjoyed spending the evening with he and Donna.  

And then it was time to come home!  We changed our route coming home as the flights we had planned on were filling up fast.  Instead of leaving mid-afternoon, we were on the way to the airport at 6:00 am (thank you, Donna!) for an 8:00 am flight to Minneapolis.  Then a flight to Los Angeles, and finally a flight into San Francisco!  We got home about 7:30, so another long day of travel.

Thank you so much, Donna and Jim, April and Karl and Steven and Kristen, for your wonderful hospitality!  We had a fabulous time and we'll be back next year in October!  In the meantime, our door is always open, so you can come this way, too!

This is the view from our table at the club - as you can see, the trees were putting on quite a show!

A close-up of the tree with all it's brilliant colors!

We loved this 5 story stone tower which was located on the grounds of some gardens

Donna and I in the garden

The Atlantic City boardwalk.  The rain had stopped but the sky was still gray.

More of the board walk with the casinos

More of the boardwalk - you can see how wide it is - now much of it is gone.

Atlantic City boardwalk

A great war memorial on the boardwalk

This was an amazing sculpture!

Cape May, New Jersey!  Cape May is located on a peninsula so you can see both the sunrise and the sunset over and into the ocean!

The Cape May lighthouse!  As you can see, the rain was gone, the sky was blue and it was wonderful!

Donna, April and I on the walkway

Looking for sea glass and Cape May diamonds - agates that come down the Delaware river and get polished to the point that they look like diamonds!  We didn't find any...  The thing sticking up out of the water is the remains of a cement ship!  Apparently there were 11 of them commissioned, and only two remain - this one, and the one on Sunset Beach in Santa Cruz!  Cement ships - doesn't seem like a very good idea to me....

Donna, Lee and I on the walkway

The remains of a horseshoe crab on the beach!  There were a lot of them around

Donna, April and Lee at Cape May beach

Taking a shopping break!

One of the dozens of Victorians that are a great part of the charm of Cape May!  I'd like to go back and spend a week there!

We were able to walk to the Lobster House for dinner on Saturday night.  The Lobster House is a Cape May icon!  And the food was FABULOUS!!

The amazing Maple tree in April's yard!

Dinner at Steven and Kristen Priscos'!  This is Mia - she's 10 months old and just adorable!

Donna, Jim, Pat and James - he's Mia's twin brother - also adorable!!

Here's Mikey!  He's Phil and Jen's little boy and at 10 months, he's raring to go!  He wanted to jump in the trampoline with the big kids!

We crossed the Delaware!!  That's New Jersey on the far side of the bridge - we're now in Pennsylvania!

A wonderful historic stone house in New Hope

Some of the sights in New Hope!

This Halloween decoration is in Cape May.  The Washington Street Mall was decorated with all kinds of Halloween "people" like this - done by all of the retailers there - it was a hoot!