Still out there on the road

Hmmm, over a month since I posted any news about our travels.  I have a really good excuse!  Honest, I do!  I've been really, really... lazy!  Hey, it's summer, it's that lazy time of year.

After Tash and Ryan's wedding we hung out in New Jersey/Pennsylvania for another couple of weeks to do some sightseeing and play with "the kids".  We took in Grounds for Sculpture in Hamilton, NJ at the recommendation of Tash with the added incentive of a gift certificate to the award-winning restaurant Rats located on the premises.   Grounds for Sculpture is a year-round 42 acre outdoor sculpture garden located on the former location of the New Jersey State Fairgrounds.  It has been open to the public since 1992 and has a collection of over 240 outdoor sculptures along with three exhibition buildings built in the 1920s that house special exhibits.  The Grounds are a great destination whether you're an art enthusiast or a plant lover, the park is also a beautifully designed arboretum that comes complete with resident peacocks.

Sagg Portal, 2004, stainless steel, by Hans Van de Bovenkamp

Aah, who's real and who's not?  

Were You Invited?, 2001, cast bronze and aluminum, painted, by Seward Johnson

Dorian, 1986, stainless steel, by Bruce Beasley

Rats Restaurant

As I mentioned, we were the grateful recipients of a gift certificate courtesy of Tash and Ryan to the restaurant and decided on lunch.  I have told more than one person that this meal was definitely one of the top ten meals we've had since we hit the road.  All ingredients were from local farms, super fresh, and cooked to perfection. I'm not much of a fan of daiquiris but I was intrigued by the description of the fresh raspberry daiquiri and had to try one.  Boy, was I a happy sipper!  Fresh, light, and just the slightest tinge of tanginess from the raspberries that were crushed into the rum.  Heinz opted for the smoked salmon tartine followed by seared trout, while I ventured forth with traditional onion soup made with local gruyere, followed by short ribs cipollini with onion confit.  We both were full, but decided to go for "totally stuffed" and chose desserts, strawberry rhubarb tart and goat cheese panna cotta.  I still drool thinking of that meal!

Short Rib Frites Riesling cipollini with watercress salad and Kennebec pommel frites (aka: ribs and French fries with salad)

Strawberry-rhubarb tart with home-made vanilla ice cream and a strip of dried rhubarb

Later that week we took in a Philadelphia Phillies game courtesy of Lockheed Martin (Tash and Ryan's employer).  It was the hottest day of the year so far in Philadelphia (90 degrees at 7 pm, game time), but we tailgated with friends and co-workers of the kids, enjoyed the game and took the chance to text insults to relatives back in Colorado (around the fact that the Phillies were winning).  But alas, in the 7th inning Philly blew a 2 run lead and wound up losing 4-2.

A great pre-game father/daughter moment

Phillies vs. the Rockies

On Father's Day we met up with Tash and Ryan again and headed off to the Simeone Foundation Automotive Museum in Philadelphia.  Assembled by a neurosurgeon, Dr. Frederick Simeone, over a 50 year span, the museum houses what is considered one of the world's best collection of sports cars, including some of the rarest.  There were some truly amazing cars on display.  Even better (although we didn't get a chance to see it) once a month the museum takes some of the cars out and runs them around a track located behind the building and lets the public in to watch.

Cars of the Automotive Racing Club of America 1927-1929

1921 Vauxhall, all aluminum body, found in a barn

My favorite--1937 Alfa Romeo 8C 2900A

1938 Peugeot Darl'mat Le Mans

Just before we left the Philadelphia area Tash and Ryan treated us yet again to tailgating and sports fun at a Philadelphia Union pro soccer game.  They played Kansas City Sporting - beating them 6-0.  At least during this game we got to gloat via text to the folks back in KC until the bitter end.  

It's all about the action!

Heads up!

Leaving Philadelphia, we dropped the RV off in New Jersey to have some maintenance done and drove the car to Kansas City for two weeks at Heinz's sister's house.  While there, we finished going through the remainder of our household goods.  Following that, we stored some boxes of "gotta keeps" in Suzi's basement, listed a few pieces on Craig's List and held a three day garage sale to off-load as much of the rest as possible.  We sold quite a bit, boxed up the leftovers and hauled them off to the local Catholic Charities.  

Sell, sell, sell.

Suzi and Heinz trying to stay cool during 99+ temperatures.

We spent the 4th of July in Kansas with an all-American celebration: steaks and salad, TV, and air conditioning!  

After the holiday we headed back east, picked up the rig and moved on to Cape Cod, MA.  We stayed at a great RV park, Bayview Campground that is celebrating their 45th year of existence this year.  We spent a few days with some old friends from California that were visiting on the Cape, did a little sightseeing in Provincetown and Chatham, checked out the Cape Cod National Seashore, and had a lot of great seafood.  

Cape Cod - right out the back of the restaurant

Cape Cod sunset

Cape Cod National Seashore

Leaving Cape Cod we did another one of our long hauls (a whole 1.5 hours) up to the Hanscom AFB FamCamp.  We've spent our time here meeting up with friends and relatives.  Over the weekend we headed up into New Hampshire for a nice visit with our oldest daughter's in-laws.  Wayne and Betsy showed us a great time with a sunset cruise around the harbor area of Portsmouth on Saturday and a trip across Lake Winnipesaukee on Wayne's whaler on Sunday.  We zipped around the lake for a bit, stopped in at the Wolfeboro Dockside Grille for a quick lunch, then headed for home and a lovely afternoon nap by all.  That night we went out for dinner and Heinz finally got himself some lobster (his fault for not ordering it sooner)!

Lighthouse in Portsmouth harbor

New Hampshire sunset

Wayne and Heinz grinning their way across the lake.

Betsy enjoying the wind in her hair.

Now don't we look like seasoned boat hands?

Just like a teenager, Wayne decided that his two-week old truck needed to be spiffed up, so made a "functional modification" during the day.  We thought it gave the truck a very manly aesthetic.

No "candy-ass poser" truck for Wayne - he's got himself a "working" truck!

Heinz had to go for the lobster twins!  One simply isn't enough when you're craving.

We headed back to Hanscom on Sunday night and finished up our time in the area with dinner with a cousin and her husband, and lunch with an old friend of Heinz's.  Now we're ready to head further north.  Next stop, Great Pond Outdoor Adventure Center in Great Pond, Maine, the military FamCamp for the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard.

Our friends of the day are a little on the tinier side than usual:

New Jersey and environs

We’ve been at the Fort Dix FamCamp, Willow Pond RV Park, since we got to New Jersey at the end of May.  It’s a small camp with electric and water (no sewer), but a beautiful view of the pond straight out from the front of the rig. 

Willow Pond

The time here has been taken up with chores, routine RV maintenance, relaxation, and, drum roll if you please... our youngest daughter’s wedding.  

Tash and Ryan tied the knot last Saturday in a beautiful outdoor ceremony at the county park.  Fingers were crossed big-time as it rained every day for the two weeks prior to “The Date”, but the 9^th dawned clear and the sun stayed out in all its glory for the day.  The last few days before the big event were full of the usual pre-wedding confusion and chaos, with family and friends coming in from all corners of the country, errands to run, nerves to calm, etc.  Looking at Tash and Heinz walking calmly down the aisle that afternoon you would have never guessed that there had ever been a moment of drama.  The afternoon ceremony was followed by a reception that lasted until 8:00, when the park closed down.  No problem, everyone simply moved the party over to the Hampton Inn and kept on going.  Heinz and I finally admitted we’re getting old and headed for bed around 1:30 am.  From what we heard on Sunday morning, the party finally broke up around 4:00!

Ok, let's review, something old? check.

Something new? check.

Something borrowed? check.

Something blue? check.

Proud Papa Heinz escorting Tash down the aisle.

Well, now it's official.

First dance as Mr. and Mrs. Paul.

Father-daughter dance, is the laughing over his dancing moves (or lack thereof)?

Due to the wedding, we've done nothing in the way of sight-seeing since we've been here, but that will change in the next week with several plans in the works.

I made a pizza the other night for dinner that Heinz absolutely loved.  His exact words were "my mouth could eat another 8 of these, but my stomach is begging me to quit."  He also thought that I should share, so here goes.  Don't let the unusual ingredients combination throw you, it is really, really tasty.  The recipe will make one pizza using the canned pizza dough from Pillsbury.

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Kale, Chorizo, and Manchego Pizza

1 bag Kale, fresh, uncooked, rough chopped

1-2 Chorizo sausages, casing removed, coarsely chopped

1 Wedge of Manchego cheese (a Spanish sheep's milk cheese), coarsely grated

1 Pizza dough (I use Pillsbury in the can)

Preheat oven to 500 degrees.  

Preheat pizza stone if using, if not, use a baking sheet, but do not preheat sheet.

Parboil kale in boiling water for 3-4 minutes until softened.  

Drain, rinse kale with cool water, and squeeze out excess moisture.

Roll out pizza dough to fit stone or baking sheet. 

Place dough on stone/sheet.

Spread chorizo on pizza dough.  Top with 1/2 of the grated cheese.  

Spread kale on top of cheese and top with remaining cheese.

Bake 10-15 minutes until dough has risen and browned.  

Cooking time will vary with use of stone vs. baking sheet and amount of toppings you use.

Slice and enjoy!

Our friend of the day: 

Tango's in love with Heinz's ear scratching abilities.  

Of course, he's also in love with anybody else's attention as well!