One Fleeting Moment

For the sake of that joint resolution that we apparently made in some moment of madness (the one about posting more) here is a quote - a place marker of sorts.

"It is sadder to find the past again and find it inadequate to the present than it is to have it elude you and remain forever a harmonious conception of memory."

-F. Scott Fitzgerald

A trip to Lancaster County, PA always leaves me feeling like an intruder. Downtown Lancaster is a tourist trap. On weekends you have folks dressed like the Amish peddling all sorts of stuff to the hordes of tourists who come to town while the real Amish are enjoying their weekends which they take rather seriously. Besides if were them,I would not like tourists traipsing through my yard, gawking at my kids, my chicken coop and my wash basin either. So let some impostor play dress up while you go about your own business.

We usually visit one of the three museums in town. It feels less intrusive. You can click all kinds of cool pictures without bothering real people and once you are done you can head out for lunch. Authentic Pennsylvania Dutch cuisine is a little too bland for us. But we do love their apple cider and the green beans and always make it a point to buy a gallon of apple cider if we happen to chance upon an Amish Market, which happens quite regularly in Lancaster. And remember that thing about this place being a tourist trap, it has its positive sides...lots of chain food establishments which cater to every kind of cuisine.

Then onto North Market Street, to see the Quilt Museum. Since most of the trips we have made are were orchestrated for the sight seeing benefit of others, we always make a stop here. Infact, we first visited Lancaster in 2008 with the in-laws.

Labels: Travel

Maryland Day at the University is a spring ritual for us. They always have free cake and ice cream. This year it was cupcakes. Much easier than cutting up a sheet cake into a gazillion pieces.

Though, the highlight of the trip was this tarantula. Yesh, I stood in line with little people and yesh, I might have elbowed some of them to get to the front but at the end it was worth it. I got to hold a tarantula, and feel her soft fuzzy skin (yesh, it was a she) and turn her upside down.

A trip to Fallingwater had been on the cards for ages. The only problem-a four hour ride (one-way) to the boonies to see an architectural delight always seemed like a lot of work.

So when our friend Nandini and Rajesh expressed the same feelings about Fallingwater, we decided to bite the bullet together and plan a weekend trip - together. The plan was to start the day before, spend the night at a log cabin at Yogi Bear's Jellystone Campground in nearby Mill Run. The Jellystone Park is very good value for money, if you are looking for accommodations with a kitchenette and would not mind carrying your own sheets. I am not going to waste to much time describing Fallingwater here, because nothing I can write (photography is not allowed inside the actual house) will be able to capture the splendor of this place. And secondly, you have to make the trek yourself to really get a feel for Frank Lloyd Wright's vision. The picture below is taken just before the tour began and shows the drawing room staircase that goes in to the spring over which the house is cantilevered.

Labels: Travel

...like the Weather Channel here is another post on the weather, snow and shovelling sidewalks. Presented in order of appearence- the backyard, the cardinal who lives in the bushes by the entrance and your fearless blogger shovelling her walkway with Mafia, the neighbour's dog. Needless to say, we are at home warming our toes and enjoying yet another snow day.