Blog #24

May 4 – May 11

An extended coffee break at Summit Coffee in downtown Asheville wasn’t the only thing that held up our start but oh, the things we do for good decaf…   Since we had to be in NY for a Thursday afternoon doctor’s appointment, we pushed ourselves a little driving from Asheville north and stopped at a Cracker Barrel around 9pm.  

The drive through western Virginia always gets me. It’s so darn gorgeous. It’s completely different from the more populated areas of the state with mountains in the distance.  The farms are just idyllic. With everything starting to green up, it’s amazing. No photos from the car. I was just gaping the whole time.

Various signs entering new states

We pushed through on Wednesday because we knew David had doctors’ appointments on Thursday and Friday. One was check-up but Friday’s was an important one with a hard to schedule neurologist. David’s been living with pins and needles in his hand and we had to see peeps our peeps recommended. Assuming that we lived in the area, the doctor’s office called on our drive Thursday. We thought he was confirming the appointment but the office said he had to cancel. The soonest he could reschedule was Tuesday morning. We would have to shift around plans and delay seeing our son in NH. That’s the way the cookie crumbles!

We made it to Long Island in time to drop off the trailer at the campground and boomerang west to the Lake Success area. We then boomeranged again (can you even do that?), returning east to the campground in Bethpage. We’d never known about the Battle Row Campground near Bethpage State Park. It’s centrally located on the Island and easy to access from so many of the populated areas. The campsites are spread out so you don’t feel completely on top of the other rigs and there are plenty of trees and greenery. It’s a county run and one of the few campgrounds on Long Island. We’ll bookmark this one.  I’m sure it will be difficult to reserve a spot in the height of the season but it’s open all year – a huge plus — and it’s hard to believe exists in this area.

On Friday after I met some friends and had an appointment, we headed east to my in-laws in Sag Harbor for Mother’s Day weekend. Two of my kids had been at Berken’s Retreat the whole week and we were so excited to see Brianna and Rachel. We got the Airstream situated in their driveway which we’ve done many times before – so many that they got a special plug installed so we can have electricity while parked there! We had a great dinner of our favorite local fried chicken, something we never eat anywhere else, and salad. The dogs got to play with Bri’s dog Karma and all was well in the world.

Late that night, my oldest, Alex, and his husband, Ben, arrived with their dog Stella. It rained the whole weekend but we had a blast talking, walking around old and new haunts in Sag Harbor and enjoying each other’s company. Mother’s Day was a fabulous and we’re so happy we got to spend it with Mitchell, Nancy and our kids Rachel, Brianna and Alex and Ben!

When we left on Sunday afternoon, Rachel came with us to spend a couple of days together. The three of us went back to Battle Row Campground and got David and me to some more doctor’s appointments. We dropped David off at the train so he could make the rescheduled Tuesday early appointment and also spend time with his sister in NYC. Rachel and I got some special time together. She’s getting married in September and she and her fiancé are still building out their registry. We stopped at Crate and Barrel so she could see items up close and personal. After running a couple of errands and stopping off to take care of the dogs, we found one of the best Thai restaurants on Long Island.  Thai is Rachel’s favorite and we’ve spent time exploring the best the nation has to offer ever since we traveled for sports in high school. Anyway, Tum Thai in Rockville Center is very high on our list. 

Tuesday morning Rachel and I packed up the Airstream and hit the road. Even though we don’t RV together much any more, she’s done it since 2017 and now has her own teardrop she camps with. Packing and hitching with her was seamless.  

We drove to Stamford, CT where we met David at the train station. Our timing couldn’t have been better as he just got off the train when we arrived.  I was nervous to enter the drop off/pick up area with a trailer, but in the middle of the day there was noone else around. I would never attempt this during rush hour.  

We drove up to New Hampshire where Alex and Ben live and work. We haven’t seen their apartment and the area they live in since they moved in August. We’ve seen them in between, but this trip was a long time coming. 

They live near Keene, NH in a town called Swanzey although David always calls it Swazney. Is there verbal dyslexia a thing? Our campground was aptly named for the Ashuelot River that it abuts. We’ll be here again for a couple of weeks this summer and can’t wait to explore the kayaking tours and bike paths that run through the area. 

We stopped off at Alex and Ben’s apartment, a three bedroom with a full basement that accepts dogs and has plenty of greenspace around it. It’s a steal at the price they got it for, which is the same price I paid for a studio in NYC in 1987!  We went to a speakeasy that night in Keene. Lots of fun. 

We had a great breakfast Ben made homemade chicken sausage, matzoh brei and banana /chocolate chip muffins. Later, we met Alex for lunch and later had a great dinner they made with beans and rice, salmon and salad. This couple are great chefs and writing it down the menu doesn’t explain the epicurean delight that it was.  You’ll have to take our word for it.

In between all the eating, we had lots of discussion about the potential Supreme Court decision about Roe v. Wade and its ramifications. There was lots of playing with dogs and lots of fun.  Sad to leave but happy they are in a good place – and we’ll see them this weekend at Bri’s graduation from grad school in a couple of days!