Wallkill Bethel

We arrived at Wallkill Bethel late in the morning and enjoyed all the displays and video in the lobby until it was time for lunch.  Then Chase arrived to take us for lunch with the Bethelites.

After the delicious lunch we took a walk through the garden then Chase gave us a tour.

After the regular tour we visited a few spots off the beaten path....

                                  

     

We had a wonderful time.  By the end of the day Connor was ready to be a Bethel Fireman and Em wanted to be a Bethel Dessert Chef.

Brooklyn, New York

We arrived in Brooklyn mid-afternoon and checked in at the Bossert Hotel.

Brass mail box at Bossert

Bagels and muffins for breakfast.  Then a walk on the Promenade.

After our walk we headed to the subway for a ride to Manhattan.

Art in the subway tunnel

The kids thought riding the subway was a blast.  The people were quite entertaining.  The kids didn't want to sit down even when seats were available.  They thought standing while riding felt like surfing. We got off the subway and headed for FAO Schwartz, the giant toy store. There we saw life size stuffed animals for $3,700 and a giant piano for $250,000.

 And no toy store would be complete without a Lego section.  There were life size Lego structures of Capt. Jack Sparrow, the Statue of Liberty, and Batman.

After the toy store we took a quick stroll through a small part of Central Park then boarded the subway and headed back to Brooklyn.  Once back in Brooklyn we found a nice playground for the kids with a relaxing bench for us.

The next morning we walked down the street to the Happy Days Diner for a big breakfast.  Em enjoyed hot chocolate while Liv went for the chocolate milk.

With our stomachs full and more sites to see we walked around the old factory building then down under the Brooklyn Bridge.  The city is developing a nice park just under the bridge that continues along the river below the promenade.  After exploring the park we boarded the East River Ferry and crossed the river to catch the Statten Island Ferry.

Factory and 90 Sands in the background

We boarded the Statten Island Ferry and rode it to the island then back again.  It was the cheapest way to see the Statue of Liberty up close.  We had hoped to tour the Statue but it  is still under renovation.  Maybe next time we go it will be finished.

Next we went to Pier 17 and enjoyed lunch on the deck while watching the boats on the river.

After 3 very busy days in Brooklyn we were ready for a good night of sleep.  Then we packed up and headed for Wallkill Bethel.

Washington D.C.

After driving 12 hours we were very ready to get out of the van.  Thankfully we had a reservation at the Springhill Suites and we loved it! Had an awesome suite and an indoor pool. Aaaaaah!

Hotel lobby - checking in

A huge cozy suite

A relaxing pool

The next morning we fought traffic into the heart of D.C. and searched for a parking spot.  We parked at the Ronald Reagan Building.....only one block from all the Mall.  Our first site was the Washington Monument.  Then we walked the National Mall.

Washington Monument

The last time I was there was 1994.  Things looked mostly the same but a new monument has been added since then.  It's called the National WWII Monument. It is a large circle with large fountains in the center, an arched entrance on either side, one for the Atlantic and one for the Pacific.  The circle is lined with columns with a state name on each column.

From there we walked past the Reflecting Pool.  But there wasn't much reflecting happening.  It is drained right now and having maintenance and repairs done.  Disappointing.

The next site was the Lincoln Memorial.  Liv climbed all the steps, counting as she went. It's really amazing how enormous everything is.

We circled around the end of the mall and headed back down the other side.  We stopped for a hot dog at the corner of the White House lawn.  We had a nice view as we walked past the White House.

Then it was back to the car and onward to Brooklyn.