Shannon B. Chenoweth

There is truly no where else like downtown Asheville. I consider it to be right up there with the likes of New York City in the uniqueness category. Nothing can match the feeling one gets walking through the streets in downtown. Your creative juices start flowing and a smile comes across your face. You just can’t help yourself. The relaxing contentment has struck you like lightning. Don’t fight it, embrace it. Allow yourself that little extra skip in your step as your tennis shoes hit the sidewalk. Asheville is creative and loving life central. You love it and deep down, you know it.

During my week in the Paris of the South, I spent five days hitting the pavement in downtown Asheville. There is such a plethora of things to do, see and eat in-between and on those streets. Honestly, I cannot see myself ever feeling tired of it all. Not to mention all of the photo ops all over and the inspiration in the air for the scribe in me. And, there so many festivals and events that take place in downtown year-round. I only wish that I was able to stay longer so that I could have enjoyed Bele Chere. Thankfully, there’s always next year.

Popularity: 17% [?]

Going back to my favorite mountain town of Asheville, North Carolina, this particular trip would mark two firsts. One was returning as a much smaller person having lost over 75lbs, and two, was visiting as a vegan. When I lived in Hendersonville in 2008, I was an omnivore who honestly wasn’t very healthy. I tended to reach for the chips and fattening fast food during that time. My favorite fast food stop was Jack in the Box. Those tacos got my mouth watering every time. Now, I can’t fathom eating even close to the ways of my past.

Entering the city limits of the Land in the Sky, I looked forward to getting a taste of some of the best eats Asheville has to offer. My friends in town are all vegan, so I knew I could count on them in my search. By the time I was leaving a week later, I am happy to report that I enjoyed many great meals in Asheville.

The Green Sage. Already, I was a huge fan of Green Sage. It’s my favorite coffeehouse in town and I was more than anxious to get a cup of Joe there my first full day in Asheville. On Saturday, my friend Jess and I had lunch at the Cafe after our morning of Thomas Wolfe fun. I ordered the Herb Tofu Scramble with sweet potato fries and toast. The scramble was excellent. I was more than impressed with it. Not to mention the sweet potato fries, they are amazing. And, of course, the coffee is still tops in my book. I ended up going back to the Green Sage two more times during my visit. Once to get the scramble again, and a third time to try something different, the Black Bean Veggie Burger. That is also very delicious.

Asheville Pizza & Brewery Co. I couldn’t wait to see a movie at the Merrimon location and get a taste of their soy cheese pizza. As it turned out, I was able to experience it twice. Once at the simply dining and bar location on Coxe Avenue with my friends Jess and Leah on Saturday night. That was my first taste of the AVL Pizza Co. soy pizza and I really enjoyed it. Then, on Monday evening, I took in a movie with other friends and again had the pizza. The second time around was definitely better. I’m not sure if that had to do with the location or that I was seeing a movie while enjoying a couple of slices…either way, I have to say that both experiences were great and yummy. (Note: The soy cheese that AVL Pizza uses does contain casein)

Lucky Otter. My friend Jess took me to the Lucky Otter on Sunday for lunch. At first glance, the place isn’t anything to get excited about. It just looks like a simple food joint that serves burgers, fries and what have you. Once I tasted the food, the atmosphere didn’t matter. I had the Tofu BBQ Burrito which was very good. The thing is huge. By the time I finished it, I felt as though I wouldn’t be able to eat for a long time. I look forward to again eating there and trying something different.

Firestorm Cafe. All of my friends couldn’t stop raving about Firestorm, so I knew I had to check it out. I ended up entering from the back where you take the stairs to the entrance. As soon as I got inside, I liked the place. It’s a cafe and small bookstore which also features performances by local musicians as well as karaoke. I could instantly see myself going there on a regular basis once I’m living in Asheville again just to write and soak up the atmosphere. Glancing at the menu, I honestly wasn’t sure what to try. The two guys working behind the counter were very helpful and helped me choose the Maple BBQ Panini. It was simply amazing. I enjoyed every bite of the sandwich. It’s definitely a selection I’d get again in the future. Though, my next visit will more than likely be to try the Ginger Sesame Wrap. I heard great things about that one as well.

Digable Pizza. My final evening in Asheville included a movie and a pizza night in with two of my friends. We ordered a large rice cheese pizza for delivery from Digable Pizza. This was definitely awesome pizza. I dare to say it might be better than the Pizza Co’s soy pie. It’s most surely a close call. I was very impressed with how much it resembled regular “cow’s milk” cheese. Will most surely be getting pizza from them again many times in the future. (Note: I have been informed that Digable’s rice cheese also contains casein)

Of course, there are many other food choices in Asheville that I missed. Once I am back in town permanently, I will be trying each and every one of them, I’m sure. And I’m sure most, if not all of them will impress me as much as the places I did check out during my July vacation did.

Popularity: 45% [?]

“We are always acting on what has just finished happening. It happened at least 1/30th of a second ago. We think we’re in the present, but we aren’t. The present we know is only a movie of the past.”

My first full day in Asheville was set to be spent with a fellow writer and friend exploring the world of former Asheville resident, Thomas Wolfe. Having finally read Wolfe’s Look Homeward, Angel, I was anxious to again tour the author’s childhood home. The day would also include a trip to Tom’s final resting place in Riverside Cemetery.

Asheville’s infamous weathermen predicted rain and more rain for my weekend in the mountain town. This being the case, Riverside Cemetery became the first stop that Saturday morning. My friend Jess knew exactly where the author and his family were buried in the well-known cemetery. Pulling my little sedan through the black gated property, I navigated the narrow roads until we found a place to park nearby the Wolfe family burial plot.

My initial reaction to seeing Tom and his family’s places of rest was one of odd excitement. I say “odd” because most people would believe any feeling of excitement felt in a cemetery is a bit odd. For me, the feeling was like bringing Look Homeward, Angel into reality. In the novel, Tom recounts his childhood and growing up in Asheville allowing us as readers a chance to “meet” and get to know his family between the book’s covers.

The family plot is a part of history for not only the Wolfe family, but for the mountain town of Asheville, North Carolina. Being able to visit the final resting place for W.O. Wolfe, Julia Wolfe, Tom and all of his brothers and sisters was an educational and interesting part of my Thomas Wolfe experience. It was as much of a highlight for me as visiting The Old Kentucky Home and trekking to nearby Hendersonville to see the Angel that is said to be Tom’s inspiration for the novel.

The Thomas Wolfe Memorial was next after our Riverside Cemetery visit. Now, I had visited the Memorial back in 2008 about a month before I moved back to Florida. It was that tour of the home that brought on the real interest in reading Look Homeward, Angel. This time around, I was not only a bit educated about Wolfe, but had been anticipating getting another tour of the home the writer had grown up in. For my friend, this would be the first visit and her first taste of Thomas Wolfe.

Jess and myself joined about half a dozen other tourists headed by one of the Memorial’s guides. The exhibitor lead us from the Memorial’s main building a few hundred feet over to the boarding house that had been run by Julia Wolfe, Tom’s mother. From reading Angel, I knew that the Old Kentucky Home (called Dixieland in the book) was Julia’s pride and joy. She took in boarders under both short-term and long-term standing into the Home. Tom and his siblings also spent much of their time in the house. Considering the 29 room home was built in 1883, it is in amazing condition today. Julia Wolfe had purchased the Home in 1906 from the wealthy banker Erwin Sluder who had constructed it.

Our guide led us first through the first floor dining area and nearby rooms explaining the history that is known of each. Of interest is the tiny room off to the side of the kitchen where Julia would sleep very few hours before again rising to prepare breakfast and such for the day. The woman of the house would dedicate long hours to the upkeep of the home as well as taking care of her boarders and family.

The bedroom and bed itself where Thomas’ father, W.O. spent his final days is another key portion of the tour. What was more of interest however, was the bedroom where Tom’s brother Ben passed within. Tom goes into quite a great detail about the days leading up to Ben’s passing in Angel. Thomas was very close to Ben, so his sudden illness was difficult for him. In Angel, the author devotes a good deal of emotion to this tragic event for him and his family.

A small wooden desk stands in one of the rooms in which Thomas Wolfe spent his last days in Asheville in. We can only speculate the greatness that the author wrote on it’s brown wooden surface. Some of his final manuscript may have been written in that room. The final manuscript would later become two separate novels, The Web and the Rock and You Can’t Go Home Again.

The author would later become very ill with pneumonia while in Seattle visiting his brother, Fred. Pneumonia turned into tuberculosis after serious complications arose. He was sent to Baltimore and put under the care of a top neurosurgeon who discovered that the disease had overrun the writer’s entire right side of his brain. Thomas Wolfe died 18 days before his 38th birthday. His remains were transported back to Asheville for funeral services and burial at Riverside Cemetery.

I can’t recommend highly enough a visit to both The Thomas Wolfe Memorial as well as Riverside Cemetery. If you would like more information on the Memorial, please visit their website.

Popularity: 14% [?]

On Friday, July 16th, I departed in my little Mazda bound for my favorite mountain town. There were 602 miles of road ahead of me. The drive out of Florida was fairly uneventful which was to be expected. I-95 isn’t exactly an exciting interstate. You have trees to your left and trees to your right. Driving on 95 is about as exciting as watching a pot of water boil on the stove.

As I was on this driving trip solo, I entertained myself with the completion of an audio book I had been listening to, as well as some podcasts and random music selections on my iPod. For the most part, I enjoy a good podcast. Done well, they can really be fun and educational. Sometimes though, you just need some good tunes to keep you going on the long journey.

Crossing the state line into Georgia, for the first time in a couple of hours, I let out a yell of excitement. Yes, I was out of the heat hole known as Florida! I’m not a fan of my current home state, not even a slight bit. I was born on Long Island, New York and my parents relocated the family here when I was a toddler. Having grown up here, I find the place anything but exciting. I would have no qualms about never coming back. I do have family and friends still in Florida, so they are the only bright specks of the Sunshine State for me.

The trek through the peachy state of Georgia ended being about as eventful. I do find the billboards boosting about fresh fruits and touristy crap interesting though. On one hand, the colorful signs are an eye soar on the interstate. On the other hand, they make a trip less boring. By the time I hit the state line for South Carolina, a smile crossed my face. A little over two hours to go of course, but I was oh so close to mountain land!

Before I knew it, I spotted signs indicating that the Paris of the South, aka Asheville was inching closer. Fairly tired of the driving, and with my back begging for a rest, I was extremely happy that I had almost reached my destination. Roughly ten hours after departing from Central Florida, I pulled into my friend Jess’ driveway in Asheville, North Carolina. It’s most certainly not an exciting road trip to make, but the end result, the sight of those beautiful mountains make it all truly worthwhile.

**more blog posts on my Asheville trip coming this week**

Popularity: 18% [?]

August 30, 2009. It was Sunday, and my last day in New York City. I awoke just after 8:30am and took in the views and all from my friend’s apartment in Manhattan. It was a beautiful day out I could see, looking out the bedroom window in the room which I had just spent the night. The window had been open just a bit through the night, which allowed breezes of fresh air to enter the apartment. I took in deep breathes of the air, it was unlike what I was used to in Florida, and I loved it.

After relaxing for about an hour and getting ready, I headed out into the city. While the subway station closest to the apartment was down the block and around the corner, I decided to keep strolling along and take in the neighborhood some. There were people lined up down one block with various clothes, electronics and what have you for sale on blankets. Normally, street vendor types in NYC have folding tables, so I figured this was a garage/street type sale going on. Though, later I learned from another friend that this sort of thing is common in the city, so maybe it was typical street sales going on after all.

Spotting a subway station, I decided to head over and take a train to Times Square. Before I knew it, I was walking up the subway stairs and greeting Times Square. There truly isn’t anything like New York’s Times Square. It’s always buzzing with activity and excitement year-round. I took some pictures and then got in line at the first Starbucks I spotted. Yes, a much needed caffeine jolt was in order. Mocha Light Frap in hand, I walked around the Square taking it all in. Then, I headed down the street in search of the NBC Studios store. I wanted to pick up a new Biggest Loser tee shirt, as the one I owned already was very big on me now after my weight loss thus I couldn’t wear it outside of the house.

Spotting the Studios, I entered the building, only to quickly come to the realization that while yes, I was in the NBC Studios building, I had no clue where the store was. Then, I saw a couple of security guards and walked over. One of the guys smiled at me as I asked my touristy question and informed me that I looked like a young Carmella Soprano. This make me smile and laugh. The guard told me he meant it as a compliment and smiled back at me. We chatted for a couple minutes about New York and Florida and then he directed me toward the part of the building where the store was. Inside the store, I was in love. I had found the section just for The Biggest Loser and it was neat. Nearby, there was merchandise for e.r., Law & Order and many other NBC shows. I looked around the store for awhile before finally making a decision on which Biggest Loser t-shirt I wanted (Team Jillian!). Also, I picked up a neat syringe pen from e.r. for my mom who loved that show.

Having had my fill of the Times Square area, I located the subway again and got on. Now, I was headed to the seaport in search of some New York hoodies for myself and mom. Next stop, Fulton Street! Upon arriving at the destination, I got off and headed down the block to the infamous Seaport. The last time I was up this way was a couple years ago with my mom and Aunt Kyle who showed mom and I the neat area. The Seaport was as busy as Times Square was, lots of people, mostly other tourists everywhere. I looked around the shops in search of New York merchandising goodness to take back with me to Florida. Ended up getting a good deal I think on New York embroidered hood jackets, each were $20. Got a grey one for myself and an aqua colored one for mom. Also, I found a neat vintage-looking New York tee for myself. Then, I went outside and shot some great photos of the Brooklyn Bridge before finally heading back to the subway.

I got back to my friend’s apartment almost an hour before I needed to be at the train station. This gave me the opportunity to climb out onto the apartment’s fire escape and shoot a lot of cool pictures of the old buildings in her neighborhood and the great view being at this height gave you. The late afternoon breeze out really made the experience even more memorable and enjoyable.

Robyn accompanied me on the subway through part of the ride to Penn Station. She got off a few stops before me and we said our goodbyes. I thanked her for allowing me to stay with her, as I had a great time in the city. At Penn, I bought my train ticket and then got a smoothie and the day’s New York Post as I awaited the LIRR train that would take me back to Long Island.

Looking back at the weekend I spent in New York City, I have to say it was the best experience of my entire trip up to New York this year. Obviously, I wish I had more time to take in NYC, and plan to give myself another day or two next time to do just that. New York City is definitely one of my most favorite places to be, and already can’t wait for my next visit.

Popularity: 3% [?]

My vacation was closing in on it’s ending at this point, but these were the two days I had been anticipating the most. The weekend was here and that meant it was time to head into the city!

Saturday, August 29th, I got up at 6am to get ready to go. I was taking the 7:40am train into NYC. Once I was ready, my Uncle Bill drove me to the train station which was about 5 minutes away. I bought my ticket from the ticket machine and awaited the arrival of the L.I.R.R. The train pulled into the station right on time and I got on board for the two and a half hour ride into Penn Station. During the long ride in, I kept myself occupied by reading copies of The New York Daily News and The New York Post from the previous day. Yes, it’s quite the trip into NYC, but the time doesn’t seem too drag on too much when you keep yourself busy reading and whatnot.

Before I knew it, I was at Penn Station. Having not gotten much sleep the evening before, I decided my first stop should be a Starbucks one. I wanted to be as awake as possible so as to enjoy the full day I had planned in the city. Mocha Frappe in hand, I found the subway and bought a day pass. Upon locating the number one subway train, I boarded and was on my way toward my friend’s part of Manhattan. My friend, Robyn had invited me to stay with her when I was up visiting New York and I was thrilled, since I had never seen New York City at night. Usually, I go into the city and then have to head on out at the end of the day so I can get back to Long Island. This was a nice change of pace.

It was a wet, rainy morning I quickly discovered when I emerged from the subway underground at my friend’s stop. Which made me all the happier that I had packed an umbrella with me. I popped open the handy dandy covering device and followed the directions Robyn had provided to find her apartment building. After originally heading in the wrong direction, I thankfully quickly did a 360 and arrived a few minutes later at her building. She buzzed me in and I headed up.

After greeting one another and exchanging hugs, I dropped off most of my things and we headed out to enjoy a day in the city. It was still drizzling, but it wouldn’t be for much longer. Within an hour, the rain subsided and it became a beautiful day for walking around NYC. We did some shopping with Robyn in the lead, showing me the best places to go, and then headed to a perfume store. My friend and the lady behind the counter ended up giving me a brief education on perfume. I even ended up buying a bottle.

Next up was the NYC Taco Tweet-up that I had helped plan with a twitter friend who lives in New York. The event was held at the awesome Rosa Mexicano in Union Square. There was a great spread set up for our gathering. They had $2 tacos for us with choice of meat (chicken, steak or pork) as well as an array of toppings. Also, there were chips, peanuts and guacamole to be had. The food was amazing, very delicious. Highly recommend Rosa Mexicano if you are in NYC or near one of their other locations. And, the meet up itself was of course great. It was nice being able to put some faces to the twitters I speak to on a regular basis. Fun was surely had by all who attended I’m sure.

At some point, Robyn and I pulled ourselves away from the fun at Rosa Mexicano and continued our shopping/browsing around in Union Square. We went to Barnes & Noble, where I got to meet one of her roommates who works there. Pam was pretty cool, and we briefly discussed the experience of being a B&N employee since I had previously worked for them. Then, Robyn and I left the bookstore and ended up at Forbidden Planet. Very busy and cool comic book shop. They have lots of indie books which was nice to see, as a lot of shops don’t have such a good selection.

Strand Bookstore was up next, and I wandered around the huge shop for awhile before settling on a Cornell Woolrich book. I have never read his work before and have been wanting to. By this point, Robyn wanted to chill and watch the performers playing in the square. So, I headed into Trader Joe’s by myself. Honestly, the store was so chaotic and busy that it didn’t take me long to turn around and decide to just browse around Whole Foods instead. Whole Foods in Union Square is huge. Unlike the location I’m used to here in Orlando, the NY location had multiple floors. And, yes it was busy as well. I located a few items I wanted and went toward the checkouts. This location has two sides for customers to use to check out. One side is Express, the other is for people who have more than 10 items. I used Express, which in and of itself impressed me. Customers stand in about five different colored coded lines and watch the TV screen above them once they reach the front of their line. Then, a register number appears telling you which one to go to. I was impressed, as this system really kept the lines moving fast. New York knows how to keep lines moving!

Eventually, I met back up with my friend and we headed for pizza. She took me to a great place called, Famous Famiglia. According to the signage, they are the official pizza of the New York Yankees. We each enjoyed a slice and some garlic knots. While the pizza was great, I still think the pizza I had my first day in New York was the best slice I had while up in New York.

Robyn and I both agreed to that even though it was still a bit early, we would head back to her apartment and watch a movie. Twenty minutes later, we were back at the apartment and popping in a DVD. I ended up falling asleep as we enjoyed the movie, Push.

The day was over and I had a great time in the city.

Popularity: 3% [?]

August 26th and 27th were fairly uneventful in terms of blogging excitement. That Wednesday, I met my cousin Laurie and her daughter at the shopping outlet. The two of us hadn’t seen each other in like three or four years, so it was great seeing her. We ate a quick late lunch and then wandered around the outlet shopping and talking.

Thursday, I hung out with my Aunt Linda, Uncle Bill and the kids. We went that afternoon post-lunch to the local inlet so the kids could collect snails and shells. This gave me a good opportunity to shoot some photos which was nice (see http://shannonshots.deviantart.com).

That brings us to Friday, August 28th. That morning, my Aunt Kyle and cousin Kim picked me up and we were off to Montauk Lighthouse. It ended up being a drizzly day, but we were determined to enjoy not only our time together, but the lighthouse despite the inclement weather. The drive out to Montauk took longer than per normal due to weekend Hampton traffic. This didn’t bother me though anyway because it gave me time to have a good conversation with my Aunt and cousin. We only see each other about once a year usually, so that was cool.

Once we got to the Lighthouse, my cousin decided she wasn’t interested in climbing it or seeing the sights inside. So, my Aunt and I went in while she wandered around the gift shop and read her book. The bottom portion of the place has a lot of pictures and history information about the lighthouse. The literature talked about erosion of the ground surrounding the lighthouse and how it has held up over the years. After you get through the history part, you can get in line to actually climb to the top of the lighthouse. We waited for about 15-20 minutes and then got our chance to do just that. Only fifteen people can go up at any given time, thus the wait can be long. The stairs up to the top are winding and narrow. With other visitors coming down as you are going up, it can be a little nerving as you make your way to the top of the stairs. Once you get there though, there’s nothing like it. The view was amazing. Very cool indeed.

After we climbed down from the top of the lighthouse, the drizzling rain had subsided, so I had a chance to shoot some photos from the ground of the beauty that surrounds the lighthouse. After popping into the gift shop, we decided our experience at Montauk was complete. A good time was had, but it was time to find someplace to have lunch. It took us just about as long to get back to Riverhead as it did to get there due to heavy traffic, but it gave me another opportunity to see the Hamptons from the car window as we drove.

Upon arriving back in Riverhead, we went for lunch at a Chinese restaurant. Normally, I don’t indulge in this kind of cuisine, but I was on vacation and had been craving some oriental food for awhile. I ordered Pepper Steak (my favorite) and it was delicious. Definitely worth allowing myself this treat while I was on vacation.

It was mid-afternoon once we finished eating lunch, and since I hadn’t been able to really do all the shopping and looking around that I had wanted to do two days before, we headed to the local outlet mall. My aunt was awesome in helping me find some nice pants and tops, which I was in great need of. I ended up finding some nice clothes in Eddie Bauer and the Gap, my favorite of which is the light jacket I bought at Eddie Bauer. I think it’s safe to say that Eddie Bauer is now one of my favorite places to shop.

We looked around the outlet for a little while longer and then headed to Borders. I have an addiction to bookstores, a love I share with my cousin. At the bookstore, I found a great book, Manhattan Noir 2 (I have the first one already) and got a cookies and cream frap at the coffee bar. My aunt and cousins found a couple of things to purchase, then the three of us headed out.

My aunt then brought me back to my Aunt Linda’s house and we said our good-byes. Fun was definitely had on this day, and I was very happy to have had the chance to spend the time with my Aunt Kyle and cousin Kim.

Popularity: 3% [?]

I had hoped to start posting my vacation journal stuff before now, but obviously, that didn’t happen. Anyway, here we go!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009. My most anticipated vacation week began with my alarm clock buzzing loudly to arouse me just before 9am. I got up, ate breakfast, showered and dressed. After ensuring I had everything, I gathered up my bags and loaded them into my dad’s Grand Prix. We were then off for the Orlando International Airport for my 9am flight.

The check-in was quick and easy, which is just how I always hope it will be. The security checkpoint wasn’t too bad despite a couple of folks in front of me who always seem to not know how to put all their stuff on the x-ray belt and remove their shoes. Sometimes, it’s the things that most of us see as simplistic and not requiring much brain activity that boggles the minds of a select few… reminds me of the people who think ordering a sub at Subway is a rocket science. I have to force myself to chuckle at these sorts of things and people, or I might go insane.

My airline of choice to Long Island, New York is Southwest Airlines, as they not only tend to have reasonable fares, but their staff always treats me right. In the past, I’ve flown with a few others like Delta (I recall the short-lived Delta Song!) and JetBlue, and while they were okay, honestly, they didn’t impress me in the least. I don’t expect a lot when I fly, but some airlines just know how to treat their customers better it seems.

The flight into Islip was pretty smooth, not a lot of turbulence. I had a local Long Island mom to my right who was returning home after helping her sophomore college son settle into his dorm. In the window seat was a middle-school aged kid who was also returning back home to Long Island, after visiting his dad in Florida for the summer. Both nice people to chat with during the two plus hour flight from Orlando.

Upon arriving in the Big Apple, my mom’s sister, Linda picked me up in her new Civic. In tow, my Aunt had my cousin Jimmy’s two kids, Brianna and Cameron. Having never met my second generation cousins, it was nice to finally get the opportunity to do so. Brianna is fourteen and starting high school this year, Cameron is six. The kids wanted to go to Chuck E. Cheese to play some games, so that was first up. Now, I haven’t been to a Chuck E. Cheese since I was probably like ten years-old. So, my feeling that the experience was going to be unlike it is through the eyes of a kid was spot on. To say the place is loud and overwhelming is probably and almost certainly and understatement. Kids of all rugrat sizes and ages were running all over the indoor playground. Between the sounds of kids squeeling for joy, the musical sounds of the games themselves and the blaring loudspeakers singing the praises of Chuck E. Cheese world, a few minutes of this place is enough for any adult to go bananas. How parents can manage to survive this sort of thing with their children, I do not know. It didn’t take me long to imagine how my own parents must have felt when I longed to play there as a youngster. For those years, I’m so sorry mom and dad.

Once my Aunt and I were able to prod the kids along in spending all of their game tokens, the experience wasn’t over, oh no. There were tickets won by playing said games that now needed to be redeemed on toys, ie: junk that is of course worth nothing…well, nothing unless you’re a kid that is. Watching my little cousins decide on prizes, my mind again went back to my childhood. I vividly remember an arcade place where you won tickets that you could exchange for similar junk toys or candy. My dad used to take my brother and I there pretty regularly when we were in elementary/middle school. So, I had to smile when I saw the indecision that my cousins went through in choosing their prizes.

Laffy taffy and plastic rubbery toys in hand, we finally left Chuckie’s land and made an immediate beeline for a a place I had been waiting for since booking my plane ticket the month prior. It was time for some real New York pizza goodness! And, it’s no lie that the best slices are found at “holes in the wall.” Totally true, at least in the state of New York it is. No atmosphere, but hands down the best pizza I had my entire trip. Oh, and the garlic knots are great as well. I had a good chuckle when my six-year-old cousin proclaimed out loud that Virginia (his home state) had better pizza that the slice he was slowly munching on. Ah, kids say the funniest things, don’t they?

The rest of the day was fairly uneventful. We went back to my Aunt and Uncle’s place, where my Uncle Bill and I got to admire each others weight loss from the past year. He had lost more than 90lbs whereas I’ve lost 70lbs, and he looked great. He took me out to his local health good store, Wild By Nature. It is a nice store, I was impressed. It is down the road from their house, where a King Kullen grocery had previous been. I picked up a few items as did he before heading back to the house. We then changed into our workout clothes and headed out to the Nature Preserve for a walk. The Preserve has great trails for walking and I enjoyed taking in the fresh air as we went along the paths.

The day came to a close with a viewing of the Iron Man movie that I brought up with me. My Uncle and Aunt had never seen it, nor had the kids, so it was cool watching it again with people who hadn’t seen this awesome film before. Especially neat seeing the excitement in the eyes of a kid for it. All in all, it was a nice first day of my vacation. I was happy to finally be back up in New York.

Popularity: 3% [?]