Meanwhile, back at the ranch: Travel adventures!

Wednesday Mike and I left Austin for the Jersey shore. (See I didn't say "beach" because these northerners call it the "shore" which is alien to me, but I am trying to fit in.) Our original flight left around noon and was to go through Raleigh-Durham and then on to Newark. We were supposed to get in around 7:30 p.m. However we got to the airport in time to catch a flight through Chicago instead. We thought this was a better bet for two reasons: 1, there was a huge storm system moving up through the Carolinas all the way up into New England and Chicago had clear weather and 2, the Chicago flight to Newark would arrive 1 1/2 hours earlier. In the end it wouldn't have mattered what flight we took because Newark was closed to all incoming flights from Chicago and Raleigh.

So we ended up with this view from the Holiday Inn Crowne Plaza Ohare at the end of day 1 of vacation:

In the a.m. we caught a 6:25 A.M. flight. We saw a beautiful sunrise from the airport and it looked like it was going to be a beautiful day in Chicago. We taxied out to the runway and then the pilot announced that the ground crew noticed something dripping from the plane, so we had to go back. Oh no! Were we due for more travel adventures today?? Fortunately it was just condensation from the AC so it was just a short delay and then we were off.

Because of all the other travelers stranded in Chicago who wanted to go to Newark we wouldn't have been able to get seats on a flight there until the afternoon so we chose to fly into Westchester County airport, about an hour from Newark. It was a cute little airport with about 4 gates.

It was unlikely we would be able to get any beach time today so Mike drove us though the Bronx to show me where he lived. This was the house he lived in from age 2

and then they moved across the street when he was 12 or 13

here is his elementary school.

It continued to rain on and off on our way to the beach but by the time we stopped from groceries, it started to clear and we were hopeful to get some beach time. We stopped by his parents' house to say hello and then went to his house on New Brunswick Ave, unpacked and went to the beach. It ended up being a wonderful late afternoon on the beach. We went in the ocean and although the lifeguard chair said it was 61 (they have a chalkboard with all the tide & temp info on every lifeguard chair. We have to guess at "my beach" in OC MD), I think it was closer to 70 degrees in the water. (You know I won't go in if it is too cold!). We played in the waves with Mike's nieces & nephews and his brother Brian for a hour or so. That night we went to the Crab's Claw, one of the only restaurants in Lavellette for dinner and then an ice cream at Salty's.

Here is the front of his house. This house was built in 18something so it is over a hundred years old.