Wednesday, September 21, 2016

After the wedding lazy CT days

At a beautiful Connecticut beach, where no swimming, wading or touching the water is allowed.
It was good to know the fun wasn't over even after we had to leave the beach. Mum and Dad were off to Washington DC and John and Kel headed to ours for a few days. It was a bit of a manic exodus from the island, but after a relaxing morning at a New Jersey State Park with the Clark family they made it to JFK and Kel and I managed to get the RX7 restarted after a short breakdown on the most congested interstate-95, right in the heart of the busiest city in the USA. After that, we tried to keep it as chilled as possible, but with any drive in the North East, traffic is always the obstacle.

John with his successful catch.




Back in Connecticut, we had a good drive through the country side up the Housatonic River across open roads and dense forest finding ourselves at a legit dingy old road side diner for a malt shake. The big destination however was Captain Scott's Lobster Dock in New London. A seafood fueled lunch that was worth the trip around the work for John. Lobster rolls, shrimp and clams in all their New England goodness. With full stomachs, we took the scenic ride home via some coastal towns and antique shops. But the day wasn't over, meeting Mum and Dad off their train in New Haven, we went to Barcade. You heard me, a Bar-Arcade. Craft beer and Pac-man, Tetras, Pong and every other racing or joystick operated game imaginable.



A cool little adventure John, Kel and I had was a cycling tour of NYC. Walking from Grand Centralto the High Line with a pizza break, then along the High Line finishing at our bike rental shop. John started us off in style with a dismount over the handle bars, while finding out the break levers are on the opposite side here I guess. It was a truly mad day. We circled down the West Side to Battery Park, Wall Street and South Street Seaport. And hey, I knew of a decent pizza place for a bite too. Up the East side and over the Brooklyn Bridge and back across the Manhattan Bridge. Continuing up the East Side with a good stint riding the streets through Midtown eventually crossing for a lap of Central Park right up into Harlem. Managing not to melt and dehydrate, we made our way all the way back down the West Side. With most of the riding on separated cycle lanes, it was fun, safe and provided a complete city tour easily and from a rider's perspective. A quiet couple of beers were well deserved in a small local park before a last couple slices of pizza and the train ride home.

Now probably the highlight of everyone's trip to the US was a visit to the Pass Bro Shop. A place of unbelievable American-ness. It had everything a red blooded American could ever want: pistols, bows and rifles, to camo print handbags, lazy-boyz  and bedding sets. Not forgetting the waterfall fish pond and countless taxidermic animals hung from the walls and celling. Thinking we couldn't get any more American, we then went the the local Bridgeport Bluefish baseball game. Everyone was so positively Americanized at this point there weren't even any complaints at the $8 beers at the game. Considering Thomas the Beer Barron from Two Roads had plentifully supplied the beer for the previous three weeks, they weren't doing bad. Although I had to leave every to head off to another 10pm work shift, John got a foul ball and everyone had a blast.  

Amy playing tour guide for the day.
The next day, everyone but me headed by train into NYC, where they parted in Grand Central with John and Kel to the airport, and a final day for Mum and Dad in NYC with the luxury of a personalized private tour, care of Amy. I was fast asleep that day as the working life grind had resumed for me, at least my last couple of night shifts. Amy took them back to the New York Public Library to see the original Winnie the Pooh dolls that live there, then up into Central Park to see the Dakota, Strawberry Fields John Lennon Memorial, up the Belvedere Castle with a nice view over the park and on to the Boat House for lunch. Unfortunately, this is when it started to rain. They were hoping it would pass, but it turned into a full on downpour. With nothing to do but stand under an awning, Amy opted to venture out, as she was the only one with a raincoat, to try and find ponchos for the rest. No luck, she returned as the rain started to stop, and they decided to make a break for it and see the special spot where we got engaged. They then bounded into the subway station and made it out right at Madison Square Garden, and finally on to the Empire State Building, which my parents chose to go up to the observation deck. Eventually they made it on to the to the High Line and at the end of the line stopped at a Biergarten for German beer. As they later walked around to find some food, I was very humoured to hear later of my dad getting to the point where he just stopped dead and said "No, I'm not walking any further," and then demanding to go home. Classic Dad.



We spent our last day together in New Haven. We took my parents to East Rock State Park, where we drove to the top for a view of the city. We then drove off to a state park to view a lighthouse, and have a bit of a play on the playground. We stopped for a seafood lunch and then had a casual night of board games at home. We headed back down to Stamford on my parent's last day to have lunch with Amy's parents, and then drove them to the airport, again reciprocating all the times they have done the same, always with a few wet eyes as we say goodbye. 

The Devo Clan

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