This morning, I left New York for Vermont. The trees are just starting to change! Mtl-Marc met me at the capitol and signed my hood. Thanks, Marc!!
On to New Hampshire, and Maine!
Capitol of Vermont
New York State Capitol
Visited Albany, New York today. Took photos of the downtown area. Then I drove to Amsterdam, NY – and Julie took me to the Windmill Diner for dinner.
Driving to New York’s State Capitol
This morning, I bid Raul goodbye. Raul is the executive chef at a restaurant called Swanky Bubbles, which has a location in Center City Philadelphia, and also a location in Cherry Hill, NJ. Raul’s car was broken when I left, it is still broken, hence the “fix me”
I drove through NJ, and stopped by sciroccojim’s place to drop off a rear seat I had carried from echassin in Chicago to here. Jim bought me lunch at the Cafe California.
Now I’m in NY, heading for Albany.
Trip to New York
It just happened that my grandpa was going up to New York to see the Queen Elizabeth 2 leave New York. This is the second-to-last time that it will be here before it retires to Dubai, the last time is in October, so the light will be gone on departure, so the best photos will be today.
We got into a 2000 Subaru Forrester, and I drove us up the NJturnpike up to Staten Island, New York. We took the ferry across, and then took the subway up Manhattan. We went to the pier area, and took a small ferry across to Weehauken, NJ to take pictures from a higher vantage point.
The QE2 was parked next to the Crystal Symphony at the pier, but the Symphony was not scheduled to depart until later tonight. We took photos with my camera, and my grandpa’s Nikon D40x.
Then we got back on the ferry, and took the subway down to Little Italy. There was a street festival. it was called the Feast of San Gennaro, and it happens every year. We ate dinner at Benito II – a great true Italian restaurant that is a tradition for us in New York visits.
Pennsylvania Welcomes Me!!
Muahahahahahaahahahaahah!! I’m back in my state!! (er, Commonwealth!!!)
Pennsylvania welcomes me. Well, thanks! 😀 McConnellsburg!! (My last name is McConnell)
West Virginia
Left Daun’s devastated area this morning. It really looked like a Hurricane hit. The highest recorded windspeed was actually at Clinton County Airport – the airport next to which we have the “Cincy” Scirocco get-together each year. The speed was 77mph!!
Anyway, I drove to West Virginia, and saw the capitol. The sign there says the capitol used to be in Wheeling, WV. That would have been SO much easier, dangit!!! It’s right on I-70, and I’ve driven through it a million times!
Airplane Destruction in Hurricane Ohio!
Drove to Dayton, OH. So far, so good.
The streets in Daun’s neighborhood were trashed. There’s trees down, power lines down, and general destruction. There’s also a LOT of sawdust in various places, this is half cleaned up.
This is Daun’s partner Brad’s Grumman airplane. The nose gear was being repaired, so the plane was being supported by an engine hoist, which twisted about. The roof ripped off the hangar
So, I’m here at Daun’s again. So far so good, but there’s no power here, and I doubt there will be for a long time.
WINDSTORM!!
Crazy windstorm in Ohio!! It’s a hurricane!! 60-70mph winds!! STUFF HIT ME! Cones, trashcans, signs, cornhusks.
But I got the Capitol!!
Entering Ohio
Welcome to Ohio AGAIN!!! This is the FOURTH time I’ve been to Ohio this year. That does not include a fifth time that I flew over it. 🙂
A Bra for Tony
Paul@VWVotex gave me a bra in Arizona, but I couldn’t use it because I don’t have the correct bumper. But Tony does!!! It’s rather nice, I think!!
Michigan GTG in Tony’s Garage!
Tony invited all the area VW people out to his garage…. and ALL of them came!!! It was rainy, but we made the best of it. It was great to meet all of you! I was too tired to last past 10:30pm, but the fun lasted to 1:30 in the morning.
Arrived in Ann Arbor, MI
I’m here with Tony!
Trip to the Capitol of Michigan
I drove echassin’s Honda Spree around the block one more time, it was fun!
It’s raining. A lot. The highway was flooded. Westbound was closed, our side had to go around the flood. BAD!!
Anyway, I’m at the Capitol now, took my picture, and I’m on my way to Tony (Neptuno on VWVortex)’s place
It’s not Orange – it is brown!
We visited Chris (Fein1 on VWVortex) – he has a Panama Brown 77 rabbit with a 16v. It’s a very cool car. The wheels are ATS Classics, the tires are Sumitomo HTR200s, the same tires that I use (in a very different size though)
Chicago and the Adler Planetarium
We drove downtown to get some pictures of the skyline of Chicago. But the buildings were hiding in the clouds! But this spot would make for a GREAT car picture on a sunny day!
The Most Expensive and Cheapest gas, one tank after the other
The least expensive fuel of the entire trip was near Blaine, MN – it was 3.42 per gallon for regular. Konomi bought me that tank of fuel! Thanks!
The most expensive fuel of the entire trip had been the 4.12 I paid at the station near my house in Philadelphia, but it was beaten this last tank. This time it was 4.14 near Chicago – thanks to echassin for this tank!
Shrttrackr’s insane Race Rocco
Here’s an insane Scirocco racecar. Craig’s Scirocco is a 2.0L 16v bottom with an 8v top and a large cam. Muahaahaha!
Transmission and Spreeeeee
We started putting back together Eric’s spare transmission for fun. Eric happens to have a BOSCH oven!
Then we worked on Eric’s new FREE Honda Spree! It’s from 1986, has 1500 miles, and needed the carb to be cleaned up a bit. By nightfall, we were buzzing about the neighborhood!
The ATS Cup Convention
Eric has 3 VWs with the ATS Cup wheels on them. From the $400 Cabriolet, to the perfect GTI, to the mythical Scirocco that has been amazingly rolled out on to the driveway for my honor! 🙂
Wisconsin and Jelly Beans
Met up with meanvw to have lunch. Had THE CHEEF – it was HUGE. Then we went to the Jelly Belly warehouse. There was a “factory tour” – but it was really just riding around in the warehouse looking at TVs. But you can buy a bag full of ONLY RED JELLYBEANS!!! Muahhahaa, what could be more awesome!!
Then I fought Chicago traffic. Got on the Tri-State Tollway. It aparantly accepts PA Turnpike EZ-Pass – so I flew on through after the tollbooth lady said “YOU GOT I-PASS – GO GO GO!!!”
