From Asbury Park to the Promised Land

It was a good day in Philadelphia this past Monday. We ventured into the ever sunny city for a bit of pop history at the National Constitution Center and came away with so much more. I am always pleasantly surprised when I visit this place, especially the Old City District, where much of the history of Colonial America is located. Team VFH could easily devote days to just exploring this area, but we were here for Bruce. 
http://www.oldcitydistrict.org/

Perhaps you have heard of this musician from Freehold, New Jersey? Bruce Springsteen has been giving the world music since the 1970's. Some of his songs are iconic, the poetry is at times powerful, but I would be remiss in trying to belabor with my thoughts on Mr. Springsteen. So much has been written about him and thousands of his adoring fans who pile into his legendary and lengthy shows that each can regale you with their own tales. I would do them all a disservice in adding my own observations, but I have to say that Thunder Road is a phenomenal song and my favorite album is Tunnel Of Love. It is at this album that Bruce first went from the working man on the road, to the man embroiled in the confines of his home and the trappings of marriage. 
Better served in this are several homage websites dedicated to "The Boss".
Here is one: http://www.legendsofspringsteen.com/
Here's another: http://www.springsteenlyrics.com/

In a recent article Springsteen spoke of experiencing depression and the joy and the self preservation of his performing:...
            "...there's a tremendous finding of the self while also an abandonment of the self at the same time.  You are free of yourself for those hours; all the voices in your head are gone."
  

....your favorite song here...

The National Constitution Center has been running an exhibit of Springsteen artifacts and memorabilia. It is called: From Asbury Park to the Promised Land / The Life and Music of Bruce Springsteen. If you are a fan or at least mildly interested in the Boss it is well worth the visit. On display are articles of clothing worn during shows, instruments played, lyrics and a motorcycle he rode cross country back in 1989. Music stations offer rare snippets of songs he performed with the first band he was in, The Castilles. There's documentary about the recording of Born To Run, where Bruce obsessed and changed over every word in his songs. It's all fascinating and we really enjoyed our visit. The exhibit runs until September 3.

Also included in the cost of the ticket is access to the National Constitution Center, worth the visit alone. There is a live performance entitled "We The People," that left Team VFH feeling especially patriotic, and a hands on display chronicling American history and the Constitution. 

 http://constitutioncenter.org/exhibits/feature-exhibitions/bruce-springsteen/

But, most wonderfully is the cost. Normally $25 per ticket, Janet was able to go to livingsocial.com and got two tickets for just $24. I had always cast a wary eye toward websites like Living Social or Groupon that offer discounts, but Janet has cured me of this. Anything to save a buck. http://www.livingsocial.com/

After our visit to the Promised Land, we headed towards the promised land of good beer, stopping first to drop a penny on the grave of Benjamin Franklin and to make a wish. The tradition stems perhaps from a line in the thrifty Ben Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac, "A penny saved is a penny earned." His grave is directly across the street from the Philadelphia Mint. As my luck has yet to change though I probably should rephrase Mr. Franklin's line with: "A penny tossed...is lost."

Along the way we stopped to devour cheese steaks at Campo's on Market Street; rated by some in the Top Ten in the city renown for cheese steaks, and the subject of great debate in Philly. See the link below for a listing and endeavor to try them all yourself.  We then went to two taverns to end our visit to Philadelphia.
http://www.visitphilly.com/articles/philadelphia/top-10-spots-for-authentic-philly-cheesesteaks/?gclid=CM3ixuGIwLECFUp76wodkxcAJQ

The first was Khyber Pass on Second Street. We went there because our first choice did not open until 5 p.m. Janet said she used to go to this bar when she was underage and to party....DO NOT tell her Mom!! We were pleasantly surprised at their beer list and we just arrived in time for happy hour where drafts are discounted $2.00. The bar was beautiful carved wood and the place had a friendly feel to it and it was a great temporary fix until our next destination. http://www.khyberpasspub.com/

Can't have it all!

We were really here though for the Eulogy Tavern just around the corner. We have visited this Belgian style tavern several times in the past. Eulogy and the equally outstanding Monk's Cafe on 16th Street each boast an incredible selection of beers from Belgium and around the world. Some reviews give the edge to Monk's, but we prefer Eulogy on Chestnut Street. We drank our first Westmalle Triple Trappist brew at Eulogy when Team VFH did research for the trip to Belgum last year and when we stumble in deciding on our selection, the knowledgeable and friendly staff are good for beer advice. On Monday. when I was unsure of the name of the Quadruppel I wanted from Brugges, the bartender swiftly produced the bottle and waggled it in front of me. When we showed him a picture of a beer we had purchased in Brugges (lifted from Facebook) he said he didn't have that particular one, a Wit Goud from Hof Ten Dormaal, but had two others available. Impressive. At Monk's we were kind of on our own with the daunting task of beer selection, but in the warm confines of Eulogy we get drunk without the angst. http://eulogybar.com/

news and notes

working hard finding
you deals

Team Cheapskate... oops... Team VFH has been diligent this summer in seeking out deals to pass onto you fair reader. We have worked tirelessly and after sweating days and days we have discovered several ways to stretch your hard earned dollars to the point of snapping! Covered here is a quick ledger of some of our discovers.

RESTAURANT WEEK in New York City.  From July 16 through August 10 several restaurants in the New York are offering three course meals for a good price... $24.07 for lunch and $35.00 for dinner. This does not include drinks or tip.New Yorkers usually flee the city during the summer, leaving it for the tourists. This is a way for restaurants to drum up some business. Janet and I went to DBGB Kitchen and Bar on the Bowery before a Missy Higgins concert. Great food, great service, and a great selection of expensive beers. I had an Ommegang that cost me $12.00!!!!!! We could have ordered off the regular menu, but we stuck with the offerings for Restaurant Week. We splurged on this one. Check out the website for the listings.   http://www.nycgo.com/restaurantweek

SANDY HOOK CONCERTS. Talk about sticker shock! The daily fee for getting into Sandy Hook went up to $15.00 per day and $75.00 for a season pass. Yikes. Last year it was $10.00 and $50.00. You can still get into the park for free though if you arrive before 7:00 a.m. or after
4 p.m.. If you arrive before 7 a park ranger will give you a day pass, but not ask for money. (Janet says getting to the shore before 7 a.m. is ridiculous. I guess some just like throwing money away!) Anyway, we went last Wednesday and left around 5 p.m. There was a lot of traffic coming into Sandy Hook as we exited. We learned that there is a free concert  held every Wednesday during the summer at 6 p.m. Taking advantage of the free entry after 4, people pile in for the early evening show. It looks like it is well attended. Advice would be to arrive around the cut off time
http://sandyhookfoundationnj.org/eventprog.htm


LIVING SOCIAL ... I never thought much of savings coupons like Living Social or Groupon, but Janet turned me into a believer. Through Living Social's website she bought tickets to the Bruce Springsteen exhibit at the National Constitution Center for $12 each, instead of the $25 per ticket that they charge. We are going Monday; we'll let you know how this works out.
http://www.livingsocial.com/

PIZZERIA UNO  Team VFH likes going to the movies. We also like our beer. It turns out that the Pizzeria Uno on Sloane Avenue in Hamilton, NJ is on the grounds of the AMC movie theater. A couple of weeks ago we got to the theater a bit early for our viewing and decided to drop in for something to eat and drink. Not only were we pleasantly surprised at their beer listing and the quality of their deep dish pizza, we also noticed that for any purchase, even a bottle of water, we could also purchase movie tickets for a substantial savings. We of course leapt at the opportunity.
You should also look for similar savings at either a Pizzeria Uno or similar establishment. The beauty of Team VFH is that we always are on the look out for a way to save some money.

If you happen to come across any similar savings, no matter how small, please share them with your favorite mooch crew. We will post your leads here on future blog entries.
Send them to: greg.dunaj@yahoo.com.

Love,
Janet and greg.

A trail runs through it

Ohiopyle Falls on
the lower Youghiogheny

The Youghiogheny River isn't the only game in town in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania where the Vacations From Home team went on a recent car camping vacation. The upper and lower Yough have some of the best white water east of the Mississippi and the town is a popular destination for those who like to endanger their lives in rafts or kayaks in the class III and class IV rapids.

The Ohiopyle House Cafe's
Marriettaville Tavern

Though Ohiopyle is a charming, rustic river town where many local's conversations at the downstairs bar of the Ohiopyle House Cafe, The Marriettaville Tavern, center around the river, a lengthy bike trail called the Great Allegheny Passage, or GAP, is another great attraction of the area. The GAP is a well maintained rail trail that runs from Pittsburgh to Cumberland, Maryland for 141 miles. In Cumberland one can then travel the Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Towpath, C&O Canal, all the way into Washington, D.C., for a 325 mile stretch of interrupted biking. Because the GAP is a series of converted train rail beds, it is very level, making for lesiurely traveling. The outfit we went to for our rafting zaniness, Wilderness Voyageurs, not only rented bikes by the hour, but offer guided biking tours from Pittsburgh to D.C., fully catered with support vehicles meeting at various points. Although, I just checked W.V.'s website and they say all 2012 bike tours are sold out.

the GAP

There were several bike rental places in Ohiopyle, but we stayed with W.V.. They were more expensive per hour, $6.00 per, rather than $5.00, but they stopped charging after 3 1/2 hours, making the total $21 plus tax. The others stopped charging hourly after 5 hours, making the daily bill $25. We liked our time rafting with W.V. and we liked the Cannondale Mountain Bike they offered for rental, so Team VFH went with them.
http://wilderness-voyageurs.com/

Make sure you know
where you're going

I'm not a bike rider like Janet, but because the GAP is level we figured I could make the 20 mile round trip to Confluence, PA, despite the mid-90's temperatures of the day. A large part of the trail is shaded. There was something alluring about the town, Confluence, who's town motto is "where the mountains touch rivers," is a vacation community that is divided by the Youghiogheny and Casselman Rivers. Brochures said there was riverside dining and a "lovely" town square. It sounded charming and we decided to steer our rental bikes to Confluence.

Well, 17 miles later we had not yet reached Confluence. We did travel along some spectacular countryside with amazing views of the Yough. For a long time we could hear the rapids we had bounced along by raft just the other day thundering below us. We traveled over both the low and high bridges of Ohiopyle, the second majestically soaring far above the river. We peddled and peddled and peddled .... and peddled .... until, dripping with sweat we reached .... Connellsville,. We had headed in the wrong direction! Connellsville was a town still mired in the Rust Belt of western Pennsylvania, but they were trying really hard to make it. The town had embraced the GAP and there were bike lanes decorated with flowers and maps of loops one could take through town if one chose to deviate from the Great Allegheny Passage for a spell. There was also a lot of traffic and it was in the mid-90's and my butt was sore, so the review of Connellsville may be tainted in this report. Dripping with sweat but happy with our accomplishment of peddling as far as we had, we stopped for waters and iced-t at a dreary convenience store that was closing it's doors permanently in a few days and rehydrated in a park carved out of a parking lot.

Where the hell am I?

I withered on the way back; the psychological effects of besting the greater distance to Connellsville had worn off. Spirited talk of continuing on past Ohiopyle to also reach the shining jewel of Confluence and it's "lovely" town square faded with every crunch of my buttocks onto the seat. Ugh...Janet was barreling down the path with her competitive zeal. I was hurting, but we decided to try and make Confluence after a stop back in Ohiopyle. Afterall, we are Team VFH and we wanted to get our money's worth on the bikes. We didn't need to have them back until 8 pm. It was just 5! Well, after rehydrating in Ohiopyle we set out in the heat once again, but I had no heart to continue after just a few miles. Janet said she was willing, but was kind and we returned to Ohiopyle and the bike shop at Wilderness Voyageurs.

We decided then to drive to Confluence. Afterall this is what we had started out to see this morning. It's where "mountains touch rivers". It boasts a "lovely" town square and riverside dining. We had to see it...even if we needed to drive.

Boy, am I glad I didn't try to muscle it through to Confluence on the second leg of the trip. Perhaps it was the sweat still glistening in our eyes from our 40 plus miles on the bikes, but I missed a lot of the charm and couldn't find the lovely town square that was boasted about in the brochures. Sure there were some nice homes ... next to some nice double-wides ... and we did drive by the charming looking River's Edge Cafe, but there wasn't a whole lot more. Had we gone in the correct direction earlier, we would have had time and the inclination to explore, but we were gassed and happy that we only drove here. Instead we hightailed it back to our favorite watering hole at the Ohiopyle House Cafe. We slept soundly that night.

BLOB BALL

Yum

Don't worry, there's still more Ohiopyle escapades to relate here on this blog, but there is a timely matter to tell you all about. If you happen to find yourself in Pennsyltucky this weekend, head over to Phoenixville where the 5th annual Blob Ball is being held this Friday and Saturday. You may recall the Blob was a 1958 "B" horror film that starred a flesh absorbing monster from outer space. It was also Steve McQueen's first movie role. The film was shot in the area including The Colonial Theater where the infamous scene of the Blob oozing through the projectionist windows panics the audience to run screaming from the theater. This scene is reenacted everytime the Blob Ball is held. Sadly, the tickets for this portion of the festivities is sold out, but you're still able to run around the revitalized downtown of Phoenixville shrieking like a knucklehead.

Other activities during the two day event include a Fire Extinguisher parade (fire extinguishers worked very well in combating the Blob), musical acts, stageshows and a Sci-Fi costume contest. The Colonial is still a working theater and music venue and they are showing a double bill of "The Blob" and the original "The Day The Earth Stood Still." Phoenixville has become a destination. There are several restaurants and bars that are worth visiting after you're blobbed out. Iron Hill Brewery, Steel City Cafe, Fenix, The Black Lab Bistro and The Columbia Bar, among many others are within walking distance of the theater. Go! or be devoured.

http://www.phoenixvillenews.com/article/20120710/ENTERTAINMENT01/120709982/blobfest-offers-family-fun-sci-fi-entertainment-in-phoenixville

Fallingwater

After the extreme dangers we faced the day previously while white water rafting on the lower Youghiogheny River we decided on a peaceful day during our camping trip to Ohiopyle in western Pennsylvania. We slept in, giving our muscles some more recovery time and ate another glorious Janet breakfast. It was just bacon and eggs and strong percolated coffee, but it was just wonderful. 

Wright's plan for Fallingwater

We then decided to visit Fallingwater, the Frank Lloyd Wright home that was commissioned by the Kaufmann family of Pittsburgh in the 1930's. The house seemingly "floats" over Bear Run a creek that runs beneath the house. Because of the cantilevered beams the weekend retreat home for the Kaufmann family features dramatic terraces that allow one to gaze into nature as Wright intended. Fallingwater literally juts out above the falls. When it was designed evidently the Kaufmann family was surprised because they thought their house would have a view of the falls itself, instead it hovered over it. The 30 foot falls spills out from beneath the home, a harmonious display of form and nature. From the terraces one could hear the falls and there are steps, added at the insistance of Mrs. Kaufmann, that led one down to the waters for a dip.

Typical of Frank Lloyd Wright's designs the bedrooms are small, coaxing people to gather in the main rooms with their walls of glass that allowed sun and nature to be enjoyed. Wright also designed all of the furniture and the color schemes. It is a dramatic, wonderful place and worth the visit, although the cost, $23, was an extravagence for Team VFH.

The fee allowed us access to the home on a guided tour. No photos were allowed while on the tour. We saw all the rooms except for the kitchen. The massive fireplace was set on rocks that formed the core of the house and Wright even had some of the rocks protrude from the floor. It was all very beautiful and as we listened attentively to our corpulent guide we were struck with the details that Wright put into this shining example of his visionary skills.

Fallingwater from view from Bear Run falls

After the deaths of the Kaufmanns in the 50's Fallingwaters was left to their son. He eventually left it to the Western Pennsylvania Conservancy, which took on the massive repairs needed to correct the sagging of the terraces and the effect the waters of Bear Run had on the foundation of the home. Since it was bequeathed to the Western Conservancy in the early 60's thousands of people have visited this iconic home.

After our visit to the home and the guest quarters, which features a spring fed pool, we walked the grounds getting various views of the home from below, at the falls and above to see all the terraces and how they floated above this beautiful place.

Evidently there are lots of hiking trails on the grounds too, but it was too hot so we just breezed through the museum and store. We returned to town and sat in our beach chairs near the river and watched the people frolic in river.

http://www.paconserve.org/

Back paddle!!!

I have a love and respect for rivers. The Delaware River has been a source of recreation and joy for me since I was a kid. I have canoed a lot of it over the years, once paddling from Hancock, New York down to Port Jervis, Pennsylvania in 5 days. It was natural that I have ended up living in this little river town of Lambertville, New Jersey.  I have an Old Town Discovery that I bought as surplus at one of the boat rental joints up river from my town. When asked if I needed help carrying it to my car I said, 'no, help me carry it down to the river.' I paddled the 10 miles by myself.

Though it is a placid river, I have a very healthy respect for the river. Treachery lurks beneath the surface. Rocks and ledges and suddenly swift currents can tweak a bone or even lead to death. I know of two people who have died on the placid Delaware. I can't speak for their particular cases that led to their deaths, but I would hazard to guess they were lulled by the serenity into tomfoolery. There is room for chicanery while on the river, but one must always be aware of the dangers..

Now, take the "treachery" of the Delaware and ratchet it up 100 fold and you've got an idea of Team VFH's excursion down the lower Youghiogheny. Take the "white water" of Skinners Falls on the upper region of the Delaware and you're kind of close to the verocity of the Entrance Rapids on the lower Yough. Close.... Better yet, consider traveling down the class III rapids of this whitewater destination in Western Pennsylvania while wearing a fat suit, a cumbersome detail, and all you can do is bounce around like a nincompoop hoping you'll survive and you have a close approximation of my day on the lower Yough. 


Gone was the nimble agility of my canoe. Gone was the ability to make quick judgments and the ability to feint left or right in order to avoid the rocks that awaited my sluggish fat suit ass of a raft patiently. How often were we pinioned on rocks caught hopelessly until one of the guides came to our rescue and pulled us free? It was embarrassing. I had a great time!!!! 


After my initial misgivings I became resigned to bouncing rather than maneuvering. Truthfully though as the attentive crew of Wilderness Voyageurs went over the particulars of our trip down the lower Yough I was dreadfully afraid. I don't take these things lightly, but my healthy respect for the dangers of the river did not keep me from looking like a dimwit as we paddled down the rapids. There were times I did not know what to do, what commands to ladle out to my "crew". Janet and I were paired with a trio of teenage girls from Lancaster, PA. They were nice, though they chatted incessantly, and, would stop paddling when we hit rapids. We went through many of the rapids like a spinning top. Still, I had a great time! And, I would probably do it again. Janet has this elan for such adventures and prods me in the right direction.... She wanted to stay an extra day at Ohiopyle so we, er, she, could hit the class IV rapids of the Upper Yough, but there wasn't enough rain lately to allow for the required release of waters from the Youghiogheny River Dam, a reservoir formed by a dam erected in 1944 for flood control. I was prepared to wile away the day getting my land legs back. 


Did I say that I had a great time? Thankfully we were never far from any one of the W.V. guides, either in another raft or kayaks. Before entering any of the rapids they laid out the plan of attack while we drifted in eddys. On some of the more difficult rapids one of them would position themselves on a rock and give hand signals as to what we were supposed to do, i.e. "stop paddling", "back paddle left or right", or, "paddle!" Before one especially hazardous rapids, called Dimple Falls we were given the option to portage around it as this series of rapids featured "entrapments" and underwater caves beneath the massive rocks that waited patiently for 605, our raft's number. 


I have fallen out of a boat twice in my life by accident. The first time I was in a canoe with my ex-wife on the docile Wading River in NJ. She was two weeks shy of giving birth to my first child and the river zigged while we zagged and we toppled over. Don't worry, all survived and have thrived. The second time was at Dimple Falls. The W.V. crew cautioned us against "Pinball Rock". Well, we pinballed off this rock and caromed into this huge rock that pitched the raft so violently everyone but Janet fell overboard. I panicked momentarily, thinking I had been sucked into one of the caves, but it was only the raft above me. I grabbed the raft and then one of the girls and while the waters had us trapped dragged ourselves back onto the raft. The W.V. crew then threw us a rope to pull us into an eddy. 


Did I say I had a good time? I did.


We were required to wear life jackets and helmets. I looked like a turtle, but I survived.


Janet did the research and picked Wilderness Voyageurs because of their website. Everyone of the crew were diligent and helpful. Later, when we were rehydrating at the Ohiopyle cafe a couple of the crew sauntered in and we bought them beers, thankful they were as respectful of the river.
http://wilderness-voyageurs.com/

OHIOPYLE

We have an adventurous spirit, but are saddled with indecision. We are dilettantes, touring Tuscaloosa. We are ex-patriots living in Camden, NJ. We swoon with elan, but are moldering from ennui.

Yes, the glorious days of travel are in the past fair reader. Belts are tightening and expectations are low. Tuscan sunshine, Belgian beer, London fog, Hawaiian luaus, Australian barbees, might as well throw in a side trip to Mars, will escape us this summer. But, never fear fair readers, Team VFH can find happiness everywhere and this year we are going camping. It is a cheaper way to travel, and we need to be cheap this summer, but in no way one must consider this a flawed way of traveling. I once hitchhiked and camped my way around France and though my French is severely limited, had a great time. Janet too has camped her way all over Europe and she will regale you with lengthy tales of her camping trips to Colorado and Alaska. I never tire of hearing them. And, in our relative short time together as a team we’ve already camped twice previously, once at Ricketts Glen in Northeast Pennsylvania and once at Cooperstown, NY. At Ricketts Glen we hiked the Falls Trails which features several cascades of various heights and at Cooperstown we visited the Major League Baseball Hall of Fame and the Ommegang Brewery. We had a great time at each.

With this year’s financial difficulties camping swiftly became the only option for us. We talked about Ocracoke Island and Bar Harbor, but Janet insisted on Ohiopyle. Logistics such as distance and cost were the deciding factors. The cache though of vacationing in Pennsylvania is thin though and I was worried that our experiences would be fleeting. But, now that we are in the third day of our trip I have to say that Janet knows what she’s talking about. She plans trips well and the details are never lost with her. We… or should I say she… makes Team VFH a great traveling squad.
Janet had heard of Ohiopyle State Park from a friend. There are plenty of activities here she was told, like biking and hiking and …gasp… white water rafting… Janet has wanted to go on a one or two week trip through the Grand Canyon, but the cost for that is steep. At Ohiopyle one can raft or kayak in class Class III or IV rapids or placid waters along the Youghiogheny River or Yough for short. There is a bike trail that goes from Pittsburgh all the way to D.C. with just a 2% grade. The part we are on is called the Great Allegheny Passage and it hooks up with the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Towpath in Cumberland, Maryland. Hiking trails are everywhere, and the Meadow Run Natural water slide is one of the best east of the Mississippi. There is swimming in the river right in the town of Ohiopyle and two famous Frank Lloyd Wright homes are minutes away; Kentuck Knob and the iconic Falling Water. The more we discussed it, the more Ohiopyle seemed a worthy destination for Team VHF.

To save money we took my 1999 Nissan Pathfinder. Comfy and trustworthy and with plenty of room for car camping, it is a good chariot for our escapades.

Readers of this blog may remember “Greg’s Way”. I feel the traveling is as important as the destination. This means we don’t take the Turnpike. So, instead, Janet let me drive the 260+ miles to western Pennsylvania via Route 30, the Lincoln Highway. It added 1 ½ hours to our trip, but it was worth it. We drove through Lancaster and Gettysburg and through some very lovely countryside and we largely had the road to ourselves; leaving at 6 a.m. helps. We stopped in York for a cheap but good breakfast at Lee’s Family Diner. Using Janet’s trusty new gadget, Siri, we were able to find routes to Ohiopyle once route 30 started veering northward. We got on route 31 for a while then several smaller state routes for the final leg.

When we finally arrived in Ohiopyle we were calmer and more rested than had we scurried and caromed down the Turnpike. The town has a rustic charm to it and it caters to people who want to use the river for recreation. There is a park where people wade into the river and climb onto rocks. It is an idyllic scene, although signs caution waders of the treacherous waters ahead and rope with buoys strung across the river serve as a further warning.  Right as we entered town we passed a working railroad track that is used to carry freight and another smaller trestle that was once a narrow gauge train bed that ferried lumber and then tourists from Pittsburgh 70+ miles away as Ohiopyle increasingly became a destination. The first building on the left as we entered town was the Falls Market and Department Store. Old and listing it had a souvenir shop, deli, restaurant and ice cream parlor. Outside there was a bbq smoker! Later that evening we bought some very good bbq from another stand a block away. At Falls Market We bought breakfast foods, ice and a couple of milk shakes. It turns out the bars around here don’t open until 4 p.m. We walked around Ohiopyle and along the river. From a platform set up to view the rapids we shuddered as we watched in awe at kayakers who went over a 20 foot falls, laughing and high fiving each other when they met at the bottom. I could never be that brave, or foolish, to attempt such a plunge….but knowing Janet, she will attempt to prod me in that direction. 

Ohiopyle Falls

The town has several bike and other gear rental houses. There’s a zip line course somewhere and a rope bridge. White water rafting and kayaking are very big here in Ohiopyle. Evidently the Youghiogheny River has class III and IV rapids and the lower Yough, which begins in Ohiopyle town, is the busiest section of whitewater rapids east of the Mississippi with all the people plying its waters. Janet has a trip planned for us on the lower Yough the next day.


After pitching our tent in Ohiopyle State Park, about two miles out of town, we decided to find a bar. Janet, in her infinite ability to do research, found a place a few miles out of town along Route 40 in Farmingham. That too opened at 4 pm, but we got there just as it opened. The Stone House Restaurant has a very fine selection of beers on tap served by a friendly and knowledgeable staff. We had a couple of beers, my second was a strong Farmhouse Ale, split a very tasty hamburger and headed back to Ohiopyle to rest up for our long, treacherous day on the river.
http://www.stonehouseinn.com/

Wine Not

Father's Day recently came and because the day was overcast and cool we decided against going on the Delaware in my Old Town Discovery 158 ...I call it the Cadillac of canoes... for a moveable picnic lunch. Janet did plan a lovely meal though of tomato, mozzarella and fresh basil from her garden, cold sesame noodles, tabouli, brie and crackers and brownies, but the weather was not cooperating and the river would have been a poor choice. So, we did the next best thing, we went to one of the local wineries that are near Lambertville and had a picnic there.

Lambertville is a little Delaware River town. It's about 7 miles north of where Washington and his troops crossed the Delaware on that faithful Christmas long ago. I've lived in this lovely place since 1989. For awhile I lived in a home that was built in 1860 and was right near the canal that was once used to haul coal from Pennsylvania to New York City. Idyllic, pastoral, quaint are words that readily apply to L'ville. Despite it's small size, the "city" brims with fantastic restaurants and cozy bars. Across the river from the relative decadence of New Hope, PA, Lambertville is quiet and serene. Nestled in the hills near to this town are several wineries. Years ago Team VFH attended a Garden State Wine Growers Association event in the Far Hills of Somerset County. We sampled wines from all an array of wineries, ate food, listened to music. It was a good day and over the years have visited several of the individual wineries.  http://www.newjerseywines.com/

This blog isn't going to comment on the quality of the wines offered by the area wineries, but they are certainly a joy to visit. Whenever your favorite mooch crew is stuck for an idea we think "wine not?" Our favorite has been the Hopewell Valley winery because of the convival atmosphere they create. It's basically a party there, with a band, a wood fired pizza oven and an invitation to purchase their wine, but not necessarily a requirement.You can come with your own libations and snacks if you'd like. You can sit outdoors on a deck that overlooks the grapes or inside to listen to the music. On Fathers day our first choice was with Hopewell Valley, but when we called we learned they were closed.
http://hopewellvalleyvineyards.com/hvv/

The second choice was the Unionville winery. It is more rustic and lacks the amenities of Hopewell Valley, but it is in a beautiful location down a gravel road that winds through the Sourland Mountains. The area is worth a drive as it remains largely rural to this day with 90 square miles of forest in central New Jersey. A notable inhabitant of the region was Charles Lindbergh, the famed aviator. It was from his home in the Sourland Mountain that his son was kidnapped and murdered. He and his wife had chosen the area because of it's isolation.

Well, thankfully Unionville is not that far for me, perhaps 6 miles or so from the house. We had been there once previously and purchased Port wine. Today, laden with our picnic basket, we settled on a Pinot Noir, after sampling several. We asked them to open the bottle, borrowed a couple of glasses from them and sat at tables arranged for such occasions under a glade of trees. People came and went on little tours of the grounds, but we busied ourselves with our meal as the clouds churned over the rolling hills and then the sun finally broke through. It was a unique, relaxing and inexpensive way to spend the afternoon.
http://www.unionvillevineyards.com/sites/courses/layout.asp?id=825&page=45606