excursions – Ahuva’s Blog

Hostages Square

One place Debbie and I were determined to visit was Hostages Square. Hostages Square is the public plaza in front of the Tel Aviv Museum of Art. Since Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, 2024 the hostages’ families and their supporters have been camping out at the square. It is both a public plaza and very close to the IDF Headquarters. There are banners and art installations highlighting the hostages. We’d learned that every Saturday night there was a rally with speakers and singing, keeping alive the demand to bring the hostages home NOW. Several of our fellow SAR-EL volunteers had been the previous weeks and Feb 3 was our last chance to get there and show our solidarity.

Saturday day itself was rainy and slow. Debbie headed off to visit her good friend Bobbie, who’d just relocated that week from her temporary displaced-persons housing in Mitzpah Ramon to an area of Tel Aviv. I took the time to sit in the art gallery writing, people-watching, and looking at the water. The weather alternated between torrential world-ending rain and merely gray skies. I wrote for awhile and then headed upstairs for a nap. :) I’d originally thought I might go exploring on my own but napping seemed more apt for the weather.

Once Debbie returned to the hotel we packed up our bags (yet again – sometimes this whole trip seemed to be packing and unpacking and packing again) so we’d be ready to leave before dawn the next morning. We were determined to get sent south to Be’er Sheva this week and we’d been clued in that the earlier places in the check-in line had the most chance of getting assigned as desired.

Once we finished the packing it was time to head out and find some dinner. We decided to find some place on our way to Hostages Square. When our path crossed Dizengoff Street we turned up there – we knew there were many cafes and restaurants on Dizengoff.

We found a table at Cafe Mayer with outdoor seating. I was, per usual, already cold but the kind host seated us under a heating lamp. :) The food was delicious and the service great. As we ate we could see many people heading up the street carrying signs and banners, all apparently heading to the museum. One of the culture-adjustments Debbie and I needed to make was the different attitude towards ‘dining’. Back home in the states most restaurants tend to bring you your check very quickly and then hover, hoping you’ll leave so they can get the table filled again. I think that every place we ate at we ultimately were the ones to signal for the check. It was so wonderfully civilized and would have been perfect if we’d not always been on a schedule where we “needed” to get to the next stop. 🙂 After we’d chatted a bit with the waitress we got up to join the stream of people heading to the rally.

There were a lot of people walking our direction. If we’d not had maps we would have still found our way. It was day 120 of captivity and yet the square was full, filling the sidewalks and surrounding area. Israel is in pain – no one is forgetting the hostages. Signs and banners. People of all ages. There were many huge video screens erected showing the speakers on the central stage. Yet it was a peaceful, somber crowd – no violence, no one pushing. The only yelling was when we all shouted “Achshav! Achshav!” (Now! Now!).

Almost all of the speeches were in Hebrew of course, but every now and then a speaker would use English in order, as they’d say, to reach a wider audience. Debbie was doing quite well understanding the Hebrew but I made do with reading the crowd reactions.

We’d asked our SAR-EL friends the “schedule” for these rallies. Steve had said that folks start arriving around 7:30-8:00 pm, and the rally goes until approximately 9:00 pm, and then closes with the singing of Hatikvah. The evening we were there the speeches seemed to be going longer than 9:00. At 9:20pm when there seemed to be more folks lined up to talk, Debbie and I decided we needed to get back to the hotel. It was a good 30 minute walk back, and as I said above, we needed to get to sleep in order to wake for a taxi at 7:00 am. We REALLY wanted to be at the head of the check-in line.

We were both reluctant to leave the square. It felt so right to be with our people there, even though why we were all there is so very wrong. I cannot begin to imagine what the families of the hostages are enduring. Not to know if the hostages are alive, or well, or dead and discarded somewhere. It’s as if life simply froze on October 7.

Bring them home now!!! ACHSHAV!!!!

Birthday Dinner Down the Shore

It’s been a few weeks since my birthday but I’ve gotten very off-tempo with posting. 🙂 Must be the effect of being retired. Although that doesn’t explain the photos from the last 2 years that I’ve never written up.

what happens when you focus on taking the picture through the window, and miss the reflection of the dining room lights

In any case we went down to Pt. Pleasant with friends to have dinner. It was one of those perfect weather nights. It was a Sunday and maybe that is why the boardwalk seemed less crowded than I expected. Dinner was good – it was mostly about the view and the friends. The moon was nearly full and shining brightly and was lovely.

After dinner we strolled the boardwalk, playing a few of the games, but mostly watched other folk play the games. 🙂 It is often much more fun to observe others striving than to be the one striving. We spent a good bit of time watching folks try to hang suspended from a bar for over 60 seconds. It looks as if it should be easy but of course it isn’t. We “interviewed” participants afterwards to get the scoop. There were 2 factors I think that made it much more difficult than it looked. Rather, it obviously looked difficult because almost no one made it past 30 seconds, much less 60. The one I remember was that the bar was not fixed – it moved within its fastenings. That means the slightest shift in weight would roll the bar. I think one contestant also told us that there was a forbidden hand hold, but I can’t remember that for sure.

We did actually win one of the water races (shoot a water pistol at a board trying to get your piece to the top of the pole before anyone else gets theirs to the top) and got a prize. Our custom is to give the prize away – the last thing I need is more STUFF in the house. Times have changed. I tried to give it to one man for his son and he backed away as if I was attempting to kidnap them both. Finally we found a young prize-less child whose parents understood the concept of a gift, no strings attached. 🙂 Whew! Almost thought I would have to bring it home with me. 🙂

Back To Bull’s Island

Delaware River from the Lumberville-Raven Rock pedestrian bridge, looking north, NJ to the right, Pa on the left

Although it’s September we are in a heat wave – 5 days of 90+ temps. Since it’s NJ that means it is HUMID. My friend Pam contacted me and asked “any ideas of somewhere to go on a hot & humid day?” Well of course. 🙂 In NJ there are at least FOUR choices you could make to go someplace cool and interesting.

(1) The beach of course, but it was Labor Day and I knew we’d hit traffic going and returning. Besides Pam & I just recently shared our favorite beaches with each other.

(2) We have forests as well. I still need to post about my hike a few weeks ago in the Watchung Reservation. I’ve already posted Part 1 of my adventures hiking the forests of the Appalachian trail.

PA side, across the road from the Black Bass Inn

(3) Caves. There are caves in NJ. This is yet another unwritten post – when we went to the Sterling Hill Mine in Ogdensburg, NJ. It is VERY cool down there in the mine and caves. 🙂

(4) Rivers – we have lots of rivers. If I can’t make it down the shore, I go down to the river – the Delaware River in this case.

I picked up Pam in the convertible (of course, because even though it was in the 90s, it’s never so terrible with the wind blowing right on you). We took the non-highway, relatively scenic drive west across the state to Lambertville, and then headed up Rt. 29 to Raven Rock. Yay for prior blog posts to remind me of where Bull’s Island is located! It’s part of the Delaware and Raritan State Park, along the Delaware River.

Black Bass Inn dining room, looking at Delaware River & Bull Island

We pulled into the parking lot and left our chairs and snacks in the trunk in order to explore first. We walked across the little bridge which used to be a lock and across the Lumberville-Raven Rock Pedestrian bridge to the Black Bass Inn (you’ll have to look at the prior post for pictures of the Inn as seen from NJ).

Lumberville-Raven Rock Pedestrian bridge seen from the Black Bass Inn dining room

Pam thinks of things I don’t, which is why we get along. 🙂 We wandered a few yards down Rt. 32 (the PA side of the Delaware) to see the Lumberville General Store just past the Black Bass Inn. I’d have been happy with that but Pam suggested going INTO the inn. Wow. Why did I think I couldn’t just go in to see it if I wasn’t staying there or eating there????

side view of the Black Bass Inn veranda overlooking the river

We did and it is LOVELY. The staff there were all welcoming and friendly and chatted with us as well. I really have to go stay there. Or at the absolute least I have to get there and have drinks on the veranda overlooking the river. I took a pamphlet and a very strong resolve to get back there and enjoy it somehow or other.

We walked back across the bridge (yes dear, we walked to PA this weekend) and got out our chairs and blanket to settle by the canal.

When I was here in 2020 there was a couple sitting by the canal. I resolved to come back some day and do the same. It only took a little more than 3 years but I made it.

It was delightfully cool in the shade, with the sound of running water, very few non-nature noises. We’d started out in mid-afternoon so we didn’t have hours to sit and soak up the atmosphere but we did get to cool down and mellow out.

Since it takes a good hour to get home from there, we packed up a little after 5pm. We decided that we were “Ladies Who Dine” as opposed to “Ladies Who Lunch” so we decided to stop at a restaurant on the way home for drinks and a nosh.

view from our chairs – my husband says the lock would have been where the vertical cement structures are (the bridge now)

We chose our restaurant based on its outdoor seating. When we walked into the building, however, the air-conditioning felt SO GOOD that I caved and agreed that eating inside was the way to go 🙂

Heading home it was still over 80 degrees but with less direct sun beating on us. Once I made it in the house it was straight up to the shower to rinse off the suntan lotion, the bug spray and the tick repellent. *grin* Braving the outdoors is NOT for the faint of heart.

because this is only the 3rd butterfly i’ve seen this year – Monarch butterfly

BBQ, Beer and Horses

I was horse-crazy when I was a young lass. Riding lessons. Horse camp in the summer. Western & English. Jumping. My saint-of-a-father schlepping me every Saturday morning to my lessons up in the Watchung Reservation. I used to trace pictures of famous race horses and color them in and keep a notebook of all the pictures. 🙂

Waaaaay back when, before I was married, my mother and I went down to Monmouth Park racetrack in Oceanport, NJ. I don’t remember why we went on Wednesdays but that was when we went (free parking? free admission?). We each had $20 and the price of a racing program. We’d bet $2/race. If we won (could you believe it??? we won!!!!!) we could bet our winnings. 🙂 We went more than once but not many times.

because you KNOW you wanted to know how he built this sand castle

I remember the first time we went. We arrived too late to BET on the first race but in time to see it. By the way – I’m talking back in the 70s here – no fancy shmancy instant electronic betting and such. We went up into the grandstand and got our seats. And they’re off!!!! The horses were out of the gate for the first race and running running running. As they came down the home stretch in front of us the crowd around us rose to their feet as one, yelling and screaming for THEIR horse. Oh. Em. Gee. I was mortified. Did these people have no shame? No self-respect??? Pitiable.

There is a lot of time between races. Time to groom the track. Place bets for the next race. Food and bathroom. We had time to read our programs and find all the horses, jockeys and starts/finishes records. Of course we bet based on the NAME of the horse. How else could you choose?

So we placed our bets, settled down in our seats and … They’re Off!!!! As the horses rounded the corner into the home stretch and the crowd leapt as one – I was right there with ’em, sister!!!!!! Come on, Seabiscuit!!!!!!! RUN YOU NAG RUN!!!! *grin* Oh yeah, I loved the races. I had one day where I was winning but I kept betting the winnings – it was such fun.

Anyway, Monmouth Park like many places these days does special attractions – attempts to bring in more folks to the park, to inspire new bettors, family fun. It’s still only $6 to get in and you don’t have to bet – you can just watch the beautiful horses run. (Except for Big Brown Eyes in the 6th – good thing I did NOT place my bet – did he even know he was IN a race???? He probably finished a good 10 minutes or so after everyone else.) This weekend was the BBQ & NJ Craft Beer Festival.

you’re going to see all 4 sides of the incredible sand castle

My husband loves BBQ. I suggested we go down for the festival – the weather was supposed to be great and we had nothing else planned. He agreed. I guess the BBQ & Beer wasn’t enticing enough for him.

He fell on Saturday and really did a number on himself. We spent 7 hours in the emergency room after his little ride in the ambulance. NOT what I had planned for THAT day. He’s fine, recovering, looks like he went a half a round with Ali and lost badly. 17 stitches in his left palm, but it was long and shallow, no real damage. For some reason he didn’t feel like going to the festival on Sunday as we’d planned.

Well, my brother-in-law also loves BBQ but you may recall from my posts back in May & June that he is still recovering from over 10 hours of surgery on his back. Driving down to the race track was not happening for him either. Good thing my sister and I are made of sterner stuff. 🙂 Into the convertible and off to the races!!!

We got to eat yummy food and see the horsies run. I really don’t like BBQ so I had fish tacos that were delicious. My sister got to savor yummy ribs. There were some very interesting and tasty food trucks there. Maybe we’ll go back next weekend for their Food Truck event. It was warm and humid but there was a lot of shade available. We didn’t go up into the grandstand – sat on the benches at track level. Inside the building (betting, cashing in, bathrooms, food vendors, etc) was air-conditioned so that was a nice break.

my husband said these might have been the best ribs he has ever had

Before we headed back home we stopped at 2 of the vendors to bring back care-packages for the menfolk and we each got a cupcake. 🙂 You know dinner was great Sunday evening.

Sharing Favorite Beaches

Sandy Hook, NJ – view of Beach A, Causeway in upper right

My friend Pam and I both LOVE going to the beach. Waves, wind, ocean, sun, relaxation. It took us until July 20 to finally get there this year, but it was lovely.

Pam’s fav beach is down at Long Branch, mine is Sandy Hook, Gateway National Recreation Area. Pam likes to leave for the beach mid to late morning, or even – gasp – the afternoon. *I* like to leave the crack of dawn – okay, 8:30 – to get there EARLY and have EVERY SINGLE MOMENT possible. Not to mention that maybe if I get there late they will have used up all the waves & wind & sand & sun & relaxation (and parking spots).

Still plenty of sand, surf and sun left even at NOON!!! *grin*

Now that I’m retired (you’re hearing me say that a lot, aren’t you?) I decided it was time I was open to new experiences. We agreed to “beach” Pam’s way. I’d pick her up in the convertible (we both agree on THAT aspect) around 11 or so and we’d go to Long Branch. The ride down was uneventful (although longer than going to Sandy Hook) and then we began the hunt for parking. Not so easy. There is no free parking in Long Branch – it’s all metered or lots. After 2 sweeps around the Pier Village area we agreed to stop wasting time and park in the deck closest to the beach access. Not only is there no free parking, all the lots are a flat daily fee ($35), no matter how long you will be there. We were only going to have maybe 3 hours (Pam needed to be back home by 4:30 that day) so that is a bit steep in my opinion. On the other hand, because we were in a garage the car was in the shade the whole time.

the ocean rocks at Long Branch deserved a closeup

Long Branch was lovely!!! It’s a great beach and beach access is FREE for us because we are – ta dah – SENIORS!!! Ah, the rewards of aging. 🙂 I was astounded to discover that there was still plenty of sand, waves, wind, sun, space even though we didn’t get all set up until maybe 12:30. 🙂 The water was perfect. AND we made it home by 4:30. 🙂

enjoy the wind & surf from Beach D at Sandy Hook!

We headed down the shore again on July 31. It seemed only right to try out Sandy Hook this time for comparison. Sandy Hook is a much larger area. Multiple parking lots, hiking, sailboarding, fishing, multiple beaches – both ocean side and bay side. It also has the only public nude beach in NJ. In prior years Sandy Hook has been a camp destination – lots of buses and children. I have my favorite beach area – E. This year E is closed (I bet it’s because of the piping plovers nesting or something). I was a little concerned that the remaining beaches would be very crowded.

We headed down around 11 am (yes, I was a little concerned about everything being used up already 🙂 ) and got down there within the hour. I have a senior national parks pass so parking was only $10 – wooohoooo! We headed down to beach D. Plenty of parking, only one small group of what seemed to be campers. We headed onto the beach and there was plenty of open space. I was surprised, to be honest. Mid-day, mid-summer, great weather – where WAS everyone? We found a spot, set up, and went “ahhhhh”. I took a dip first thing and the water was lovely -calm and clean. As in Long Branch there was a sand bar that went waaaaay out, so it was all fairly shallow as well.

After a bit the wind began to pick up and the skies looked a little cloudy. We’d spent a good 4+ hours at that point so we headed back home. As we crossed the causeway I remarked on how relatively clear the view was – it is often very hazy. It turned out that Pam had never been to the Mount Mitchill Overlook. It is on the “scenic route” through the Highlands. We had time so of course I diverted to show her Mount Mitchill. I thought that I’ve shared with you many of the scores of photos I’ve taken from Mount Mitchill, but apparently those were all over on “social media”. Now I get to do it here. 🙂

On Mount Mitchill there is a 9/11 memorial. It is hard to grasp how many people from Monmouth county, NJ worked in NYC until you see all the names of the 147 lost in that tragedy. Driving by car would be nearly 2 hours; most probably took the ferry to South Street or the train to Penn Station. A very sobering monument. Looking out over the water you have a wonderful vista: “At 266 feet, this overlook in Atlantic Highlands sits on the highest natural elevation on the Atlantic seaboard (excluding islands) from Maine to the Yucatan providing beautiful views of Sandy Hook, Sandy Hook Bay, Raritan Bay and the New York skyline.”

As we took the scenic drive back to the main highway we passed something I’d never seen before!! Something NEW! There is a statue of a bear, made all of branches. Of course I reversed and went to investigate. Kudos to Pam for the photos of what I now know is an entrance to Lenape Woods Nature Preserve: “Lenape Woods offers approximately 51 acres of beautiful and natural woodlands and freshwater wetlands that are the headwaters to Many Mind Creek. These wonderful resources (located in a modest 1.2 square mile community) are available from dawn to dusk for hiking, walking, cross-country skiing, bird watching, nature observation, and everyday enjoyment.”

I’d never heard of Many Mind Creek which meant I needed to do research: “Many Mind Creek is a natural waterway which receives rain water that drains from a large land area of Atlantic Highlands and parts of neighboring Middletown. The creek drains into Sandy Hook Bay…“.

Now I was reading all the little signs and plaques in the area avidly and discovered that we were right by the Henry Hudson Trail: “The Henry Hudson Trail is a rail trail in western and northern Monmouth County, New Jersey. The trail is named for Henry Hudson, who explored the harbor at Atlantic Highlands and the Raritan Bayshore coastline in the early 1600s. The 24-mile-long (39 km), 10-foot-wide (3.0 m) paved multi-use trail is part of the Monmouth County Park System. The rail trail traverses the Raritan Bayshore region from Highlands and connects inland to Freehold Borough using the former rights-of-way of several rail lines“.

What a day!!!!!! Good friend, good beach, something new & interesting! 🙂 Gotta love Jersey. 🙂

Driving the Old Mine Road

Delaware River at Turtle Beach, looking south

I’ve mentioned before that my husband and I take a yearly drive up towards the Delaware Water Gap. The tradition started with our honeymoon in the Poconos. We drove thru the Gap on the way home and stopped to take pictures along the river. We also stopped at various farmers’ markets and such, including Marshall’s Farm Market and Hot Dog Johnny’s. Call us sentimental but we head back to that area every year in the fall. It’s our version of seeing the fall leaves, and getting out into the country. I’m very fortunate that my husband enjoys riding about back roads exploring as much as I do. We put on music that we both enjoy, I drive and he relaxes.

I’m always reading articles about “best drive in your state”, “back country roads“, “historic drives”, and the like. One of the drives that shows up regularly is the drive along the Old Mine Road. This drive had great appeal for me that year (2022) because the Old Mine Road runs along the Kittatinny Mountains. You may remember that it was up there that my son and I ended up hiking the Appalachian Trail instead of the Coppermine trail last April (2022).

We did our usual route up to the Water Gap (Rt 31 to 46 to 80) and took the last exit before the Gap – Millbrook/Flatbrookville. At that point the road is a fairly narrow 2-lane road. At one point it narrows to one lane, with a light to prevent accidents. This is all part of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.

I’m not sure which article we used as our itinerary, but there are certainly many of them out there. The best not only describe the road but name the various buildings and sites along the way. Our first stop was at Turtle Beach along the Delaware. It was lovely, with informational signs. We did indeed have to walk a bit from the parking lot to the water and picnic areas, but it was well worth the walk.

Delaware River at Turtle Beach, looking north

We continued driving and stopping to view the places listed on our guide. Our original intent was to drive the entire road, all the way up to Port Jervis, NY. We made it all the way up to Millville when we decided we’d had enough going north – it was time to turn back south, head home, find someplace to eat.

We turned about in a parking lot and went back to Dingman’s Ferry Bridge to cross into Pennsylvania. We were both tired by that point but I jumped out anyway to take some pictures of the stream running along the parking lot at the site. Then we continued on 209 south to Easton, PA.

One of my favorite road sights is the mural in Easton, PA as Rt 611 winds about heading south to New Hope. This trip I was able to snap some good pictures of Matt Nixon’s mural of Josiah White, a key Pennsylvania industrialist, and mules moving supplies along the Lehigh Canal.

We THOUGHT we’d get to New Hope around dinnertime, and have a nice meal. We didn’t really think that through very carefully. We SHOULD have called to New Hope at that point and tried to make a dinner reservation. It was Halloween weekend, it was Saturday night, and by the time we hit New Hope at 6pm every restaurant was booked. We tried calling restaurants across the river in Lambertville, NJ but had no luck there either. We were both tired and hungry at that point. We’d been driving for more than 6 hours. By the time we could have gotten served somewhere we could have been home. 🙂

We opted for driving one more hour and getting home to food, quiet and comfort. We loved driving the Old Mine Road. I want to go back to Dingman’s Ferry. I want to do some more exploring along the way. Maybe we’ll even check out Port Jervis, NY next time.

Matt Nixon mural, Easton, PA, intersection of S. 3rd and S. Delaware Dr.

Weekday Dinner Down the Shore

What’s so special about dinner down the shore? We went DURING THE WEEK! *laughing* All these years we’ve both been working, needing to either get to an office or be alert working from home in the morning. Now we are both retired and we can sleep late. That means we can go down the shore for dinner in the middle of the week. That’s good because EVERYONE eats out on Saturday night. 🙂 Our favorite shore restaurants have very long wait times on summer Saturdays.

if you are in the right seat, and at the right height, you can glimpse the bay over the sand dunes

But a few Thursdays ago we headed down to Keansburg, NJ for dinner. My sister and I “discovered” the Half Moon restaurant back in the fall during one of our drive-about adventures. We were cruising about in the Middleton-Union Beach-Keansburg area, following Raritan Bay as best we could, when we found Half Moon at about the time we realized we were very hungry.

We had a lovely lunch there – cocktails and yummy food. Although it was November it was still warm enough to sit outside on the deck. We could see a walkway over the dunes, and a glimpse of the bay. After lunch we headed over to explore.

bicycle rack in the shape of a bicycle. 🙂

I’d never really driven about in that part of NJ before. For me those towns have existed solely as exits off of Rt 36 as I head to Gateway National Recreation Area (Sandy Hook beach). I knew there was a water park in Keansburg – Runaway Rapids – but for whatever reason I have never gone there. Nor have I ever known anyone who has gone there. It’s been there for decades and is still there so obviously I and my coterie are in the minority. 🙂

planter at the parking lot for the boardwalk & beach. yes, simple pleasures bring me joy

We went up the wooden ramps and discovered not only a lovely boardwalk but a lovely beach as well. There is a great view of New York, assuming no haze.

you’ll have to filter out the haze yourself. 🙂 Verrazano bridge and NY behind it

It seems that the boardwalk and associated structures are part of a restoration and revitalization effort after Superstorm Sandy in 2012. I’m not the only one who thinks the boardwalk and beach area are beautiful. The project won a national award for Best Restored Beach.

I have a feeling that nesting piping plovers are the reason my favorite Sandy Hook beach – Beach E – is closed this year

Back in November the restaurant had advertised that Thursdays were “Lobster Night”, emphasizing lobster entrees. My sister and I had remembered that we wanted to bring “the guys” down on a Thursday but by this June I couldn’t remember why. *grin* There didn’t seem to be anything on the menu that would prompt me today to say “have to bring the guys” so I asked our waitress if she remembered – that’s the only reason I now know that it was Lobster night. It wasn’t lobster night but we had a lovely dinner ANYWAY. 🙂

After dinner we went up on the boardwalk and took obligatory selfies to prove we really do exist and that we do fun things. 🙂 Even if I don’t post the selfies here. Keansburg is not really all that much closer than going all the way to the Highlands. We have a few restaurants in the Highlands that we enjoy, with views of the Highland s Reach, a term I’d not known before I wrote this post. I’ve always said that Inlet Cafe is on the Navesink River. That is somewhat true. That channel, where we have 5 restaurants we frequent, is known as Highlands Reach. Rt 36 crosses Highland Reach to get to Gateway and to Sea Bright. The channel is where the Navesink and Shrewsbury rivers have joined before opening into Raritan Bay. And that is our geography lesson for the day!