It was only an hour out of the way, and we spent only an hour there – most of it with Jordan shopping for GO BLUE wear, but it was all worth it. I think she was momentarily the happiest person on earth.

written by  shoshtrvls on July 14, 2011 from Ann Arbor, United States
from the travel blog: All Around The Country (2011)
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Some observations. Jordan eats virtually nothing. Jordan has a sharp, sarcastic sense, but in a very quiet way. It’s nice to see someone give it back to Ellery every now and again. And Jordan texts constantly – really, how much is there to say and how many people are there to say it to? Ugh, I’m old; this is the comment of an old person who just doesn’t “get it.”

So, after Piggy’s the journey really began. We hit the road just before 9, heading to our first stop – Pittsburgh. To be honest, this was much of Pennsylvania that I had never seen before – there are some mountains here, and lots of rolling farmland, and some beautiful views. Unfortunately, Jordan slept through much of it; Ellery read through much of it. We passed through State College, near Altoon and Johnston, past Nanty Glo. We stopped at the side of the road for peaches and sweet corn, and then we came into Pittsburgh. I had never been here before, and driving into the city is a pretty awesome sight. Just through a tunnel, just as you curve around a bend, the city appears, all towers and Bridges.

I had decided that the Andy Warhol Museum would be a good focal point for this first day; little did I know that Jordan loves Andy Warhol. So, she and Ellery lingered long in rooms of pictures and videos that, to be honest, I just didn’t get. If a museum is supposed to increase your appreciation of an artist, for me, the Andy Warhol Museum failed. But not for the two of them, so the stop, including a brief walk around Pittsburgh, was a success.

Another interesting note; Jordan is so unfamiliar with cities, and particularly northeast cities, that I think she’s rather taken aback by the age, the grime, the small houses. In her mind, it all looks like ghetto, when in reality, it’s just a city.

written by  shoshtrvls on July 13, 2011 from Pittsburgh, United States
from the travel blog: All Around The Country (2011)
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After, the girls headed down to the hotel swimming pool, while I headed to the hotel bar to meet up with Jay, a friend I hadn’t seen in a year. It was wonderful catching up with him and we talked for a quite a bit before I returned to the room, instructed the girls to turn off the electronics that were occupying their time, and get some sleep.

written by  shoshtrvls on July 13, 2011 from Cleveland, United States
from the travel blog: All Around The Country (2011)
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Driving home, Jordan kept remarking, “this is so cool!” She eyed Java on Christian as we neared home so Tuesday morning that’s where we headed for breakfast.

As I still hadn’t packed, and had several errands to run, and because I thought the girls should get to know each other without motherly intervention, off they went for a brief intro to Philadelphia’s history, walking to the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, and the Constitution Center, with a stop back a Rita’s on South Street for the obligatory Philly water ice. (As a vegetarian, cheesesteaks were not on the list for Jordan).

So, it was time to go. After brief introductions between Jordan and Tanya, we headed to the next neighborhood watering hole for lunch – where else but the New Wave. Somehow it was fitting – the Wave was where I ate every Monday when I was pregnant; it was the first place I went to after Ellery was born, it was probably the first place I had taken Ellery as an infant, so now it was Jordan’s turn.

We eventually hit the road around 1:30, at which time Jordan piped up from the back seat, “I’ve never seen mountains. We don’t have them in Florida.” Well, actually, we don’t have them in Eastern Pennsylvania either, notwithstanding the fact that they call the Poconos “mountains.” No worries though – there will be plenty of awe-inspiring mountains on this trip. In any event, we made it to Lake Harmony just after 3. Unfortunately, they were treating the lake so we couldn’t take the boat out. Instead, after a brief tour of our house and the meadow behind, the girls put on their bathing suits, and hopped into the lake, first and then, with a bit of instruction from Ellery, kayaking. Given how little Ellery kayaks, it was an interesting choice of diversions.

After that brief interlude, it was dinner at home (a pizza that we had picked up at New Wave) and then the two of them made the obligatory evening stroll to Hog Heaven for ice cream.

The evening ended with me upstairs reading, while the two of them played monopoly in the living room. There was something very cool about that – as only children, neither probably played many board games. But here they were, doing what siblings do.

It was a very cool first day.

written by  shoshtrvls on July 12, 2011 from Lake Harmony, United States
from the travel blog: All Around The Country (2011)
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