Summer in Denver, Colorado

1 BR apartment on Franklin Street in Denver

Having sold their New Jersey house in late June, Jake and Stone headed out to Colorado. They planned to rent a furnished apt in Denver for three months while they looked for a new home. Things happened quicker than anticipated, and by late July they had bought a new residence: a townhome in the Denver suburb of Littleton, Colorado.

Their new home needed some updating -- mainly a remodeled kitchen -- so while the updating was being done, they spent the rest of the summer, through September, in their Denver 1BR on Franklin Street, nicely located near the Denver Botanic Gardens and City Park Golf Course.

What follows is a not the usual narrative daily blog of their adventures, but a sort of pictorial, random blog of this Denver summer, with minimum narration. (Jake can almost hear the communal sigh of relief from his usually word-weary readers.) So, avanti!

• Their apartment is but a five minute walk, straight up Franklin Street, to the 81 acre Cheesman Park.

Chessman Park path in twilight

The park's classic pavilion (1908) sits upon the park's highest
point and provides views of the city and the distant mountains. 

• The 2017 summer in Denver was unusually hot during the afternoons. To escape the city heat Jake and Stone took several rides into the the nearby Rocky Mountain foothills. Two of their favorite towns were Morrison, about a 20 minute drive, and Conifer, about 40 minutes. 

Trout fishing in Bear Creek, Morrison, CO.
Morrison is very close to Golden and the Red Rocks Amphitheater.

The temp dropping for 92 in Denver (5,280 feet) to 77
in Conifer (8,277 feet) called for a special lunch celebration.
So our couple made their first stop ever at a Sonic drive-in.

Do all Sonics have a view like this?

• The southwesterly drive from Denver to Buena Vista on US 285 provided Jake and Stone with a very scenic two hour trip. "BV," as many natives call their hometown, is a HQ for white-water rafting on the Arkansas River. However, our twosome declined such adventures and enjoyed instead a two-night stay of golf, hot springs, and river walks.

US 285 out of Denver toward Buena Vista, CO

Mount Princeton Hot Springs Pool near Buena Vista, CO

Along the Arkansas River, Buena Vista, CO

Sunrise on the Presidential Peaks, Buena Vista, CO

Par 3 at Collegiate Peaks GC, Buena Vista, CO

Tight Tee Shot at Collegiate Peaks GC

Cottonwood Creek at Collegiate GC flows into
the Arkansas River, less than two miles from the golf course.

• From their apt on Franklin Street, Jake could walk (with his clubs and hand cart) the 1.5 miles to Denver's City Park Golf Course. On his way, the sunrise often highlighted St. Ignatius.

St. Ignatius Church on York Street, Denver

A City View from City Park GC, Denver

A Mountain View from City Park GC, Denver

• Jake and Stone's Denver 1BR reminded them of their Manhattan 1BR apt in Gramercy Park where they lived for most of the '80s. Both buildings are over 100 years old and are redolent of a bygone era.  

The stairway of their 2nd floor Denver apt,
complete with "Lucky," a neighbor's black cat. 

• The little mountain town of Evergreen is a favorite day trip destination for Denverites. Trails, a lake, and a 9-hole golf course. Sadly, the latter was too busy on this summer's day for Jake to walk-on, but brunch with Stone at the Wildflower Cafe was more than sufficient consolation.

When Evergreen Lake freezes, it provides some of the
most scenic ice skating in the world. 

• Several days of Jake and Stone's "Summer in Denver" were spent in Maine. In mid July Jake's favorite niece got married at Hog Island Audubon Camp near Bremen Maine, and our couple flew back east for the big event. The two day wedding of Emily and Eva was unique beyond just its venue, wonderful in all the ways a wedding should be, and most memorable to everyone lucky enough to be there.

The Audubon camp seen from the mainland boat launch.

The happy brides.

Father and uncle of Emily.

The end of a wedding day.
The beginning of a life together.

• The Denver Botantic Gardens are the third most visited gardens in America. (The US Botantic Gardens in Washington, DC, and the Longwood Gardens in Pennsylvania are numbers 1 and 2, respectively.)  The Denver gardens are next door to Cheesman Park, so Jake and Stone can walk there from their apt in about 20 minutes. As dedicated readers of this blog know (all half-dozen of them), our couple are avid botanic gardens visitors, so it is no surprise they became members of the Denver Gardens. 

Stone got this shot of a hummingbird having
a nectar breakfast at the gardens.

The Monet Pool at the Denver Botantic Gardens.

Dale Chihuly's "Colorado" glass sculpture at the gardens.

• After their furniture is delivered to their new home in mid-September, they will spend the ensuing two weeks moving into their new, permanent home in the community of Columbine Lakes in Littleton, Colorado.  (Click here for a Google panorama shot.)

Columbine Lakes as seen from the Columbine Bike Path

Other Places

2,368 Miles

Jake and Stone's daughter -- Sweetness! -- and her husband moved out to Lakewood, Colorado last summer. Our duo could hardly stay in New Jersey, could they? Plus, Jake was born and raised in Boulder, and still has family there. Plus, the same Colorado lifestyle that pulled their daughter and son-in-law westward to Colorado also appealed greatly to Jake and Stone.  So they sold their house, put their furniture in storage, said goodbye to the few things they would miss about New Jersey --  their friends and family, the proximity to NYC, the cheap golf at Tamarack Golf Course -- packed up the car with some clothes and other stuff, and headed West.

Saturday, June 24, 2017 – They left dear ol' Jersey in a driving rain storm that stopped after about 30 minutes. First stop for our couple was still in New Jersey as they bid goodbye to some of Stone's close relatives. The plan after that was to take I-70 pretty much the whole way westward.

But before I-70 they had to take the Penn Pike out of Harrisburg, PA. The pike ride was surprisingly nice, and rather lovely, with open vistas, large stands of trees, farms, rolling hills – all of which was washed in a deep green thanks to the early summer rains. Either the pike has been upgraded since they were last on it, or their ebullient mood made everything look better.

"Through a glass brightly..."
At the Speers Street Grill

The Clarion Inn in Belle Vernon, PA (just south of Pittsburgh,and recently opened) proved to be a very good budget deal at only $99. Clarion recently refurbished an old motel and everything seemed new – except the exit doors which still lacked locks, which management said would soon be secured.

Our pair had a nice dinner that night at the Speers Street Grill which overlooks the Monongahela River. (Monogahela is Native American for "river of many vowels.") The food and beer/wine were good and the price even better, which is typical of the greater Pittsburgh area.

Seeking apres dinner ice cream, Jake and Stone had an adventurous ride up and down the severely hilly neighborhoods of North Belle Vernon, where the usually wise Voice of Siri lead them to a “dairy bar,” some 200 feet above the river, which was about a mile off in the distance.

The “dairy bar” proved to be hole-in-the-wall store/cafe/pizza place that had ice cream all right –

35 cents!

small Hershey ice cream sandwiches from a beat-up floor freezer. At 35 cents each, our couple bought three of them. The store caretaker/floor washer/cashier let them slide for the nickel on the $1.05 bill rather than bother with the change of two dollar bills. 

The sandwiches, shared in the store's small parking lot overlooking a less-than-handsome house with a hammock, a dog, and a young girl who was happily enjoying both dog and sling-bed, tasted downright wonderful. Serendipity often lives in western PA.

Skillet's chef and some of
the restaurant's awards

Sunday, June 25, 2017 – The wonderful weather of reasonable temps and low dew points continued as our duo headed West on I-70. College towns are always good places to stop for food. Columbus, OH – home to Ohio State University – provided a brunch that was one of the most memorable Jake and Stone every experienced. Skillet features “rustic urban food,” and everything about the place seemed nearly perfect: only about 24 seats in an old/slightly sketchy neighborhood, diverse crowd, real good coffee (of course they roast their own blend), friendly service, and run by the type of chef who makes his own hot sauce and watches over his staff with an eagle eye. Our duo lucked out and got seated right away. Stone was in near rapture eating her crab and avocado omelet, and Jake loved his cheese blintzes.

At Aullwood Audubon Center

About an hour west of Columbus is the Aullwood Audubon Center, which provided our couple with a nice little walk among the trees. The paved trail traced a small creek that featured dragon flies by the dozen. The center also has an enjoyable “bird feeder room,” where a half dozen feeders sit outside the windows drawing a nice variety of birds.

That night's budget hotel stop proved upsetting. At the Best Western in Richmond, Indiana, Stone discovered a suspicious looking bug on her bed's pillow. Carefully wrapped in tissue paper and brought to the front desk, the assistant manager confirmed that it was indeed a bed bug. Profuse apologies followed, accompanied by an admission that they had “had nothing but truckers and kids” for several days. Offered another room, Stone and Jake decided it was time to spend a little more money, and headed over to a near by Hampton Inn. A detailed, Stone-led check of the bedding, etc, confirmed that the Hampton room was indeed bug-less. Sleep was reluctant, but did finally arrive.

Monday June 26, 2017 – I-70 through Indiana and Illinois continued to be an enjoyable drive. The weather continued to be wonderful, the big sky and shifting clouds provided inspiration and awe, the truck traffic was minimal, and the speed limit was often 75 MPH.

The Stadium

In downtown St. Louis the Drury Hotel's lobby was full of Cardinal baseball fans coming and going as the game being but hours away. So near panic set in when the reception desk couldn't locate our couple's reservation. After a few moments of frenzy, the desk discovered Jake and Stone were at the wrong Drury hotel. An easy mistake, as there are no less than three Drury hotels in downtown Saint Louis. Luckily it was but a 5 minute drive to the correct hotel, and but minutes later Jake and Stone were checked into their room.

The Man

TheDrury Inn and Suites St. Louis Convention Center (better get the full name into any query sent to the wise and wonderful Voice of Siri) is a mid-level, 3-star hotel that seems to be perfect for families. It worked nicely enough for our couple as well, despite a room numbering sequence that remained a system never fully understood. By the end of their two day stay, they learned to cut across the swimming pool area, go left of the coffee stand, look for a potted palm, turn the corner and viola! – their room.

From the (proper) Drury Hotel it was but a 10 minute to Busch Stadium. The afternoon weather was baseball perfect. No sun to dodge and mild temps. The Cardinals started their half of the first inning with five straight hits, never looked back, and won 8-2. Busch deserves its high reputation. The statues of past Cardinal greats outside the stadium provide a great slice of baseball history, and the big statue of Stan “The Man” Musial (Jake's dad's favorite ballplayer) was always busy posing -- perfectly still! -- for picture after picture.

The View

The Stone

That evening, high atop the Four Seasons Hotel near their own hotel, Jake and Stone overlooked the spotty service to enjoy their drinks and food. The killer sunset views of the famous Arch, and the almost equally famous Mississippi River, would mollify the most demanding diner, let alone a couple happily starting a new adventure. It's not cheap at this altitude – $90 for a lobster cobb salad, lobster bisque, sea scallops, a martini and a glass of wine. But it was a great evening after a great day.

Missouri Botanical Garden

Tuesday, June 27, 2017 – This morning it was necessary to take care of some business. Our twosome spent most of the morning at a branch office of the Navy Federal Credit Union, across the Mississippi river back in Illinois, filling out forms necessary for their mortgage on the new townhome they are buying in Littleton, CO.

Afterward they rewarded themselves with a delightful late lunch back in St. Louis at the very stylish Eleven Eleven Mississippi. Our duo took advantage of the varied menu: beer and wine, shrimp bisque, a salad, and a small sausage pizza.

Find Jake and win a prize

From there it was a quick ride to the Missouri Botanical Garden – AKA Shaw's Garden, after the philanthropist who founded this wonderful 79 acreage just before the Civil War. They just made the next-to-last hourly trolley ride ($4 each) through this urban oasis, which is a worthwhile way to get oriented to all that is available. Jake and Stone have never been to a botanical garden they didn't like, but this one was one of the best, and was not overwhelming as can sometimes be the case. Not to be missed.

Our twosome tried to buy tickets that day to the Arch, but were much too late. Seems all the tickets were all bought on the internet (naturally!) weeks before. The view from the top of the Arch is certain to be spectacular, but Jake and Stone walked to a park near the Arch and got a view that was spectacular in its own way. At the bottom of the picture one can see Jake -- there by the white tent. Wow.

As dinner time approached, our couple sought another roof-top dining experience. At the top of the Hilton St. Louis at the Ballpark Hotel (long names seem to be de rigueur for hotels in St. Louis) is Three Sixty, a venue that was as crowded as it was swanky. Seeking a quieter scene, they walked across South Broadway to the understated Anthony's Bar.

Here the scene was the polar opposite of Three Sixty. A small horseshoe bar had its population doubled when Jake and Stone took their seat at the bar. At a corner table of the small room an elderly, well-to-do couple hobnobbed with the apparent owner. In another corner three gents quietly toasted something or other. A single bartender tended to not only the drinks, but the food orders as well.

Churchill

Wednesday, June 28, 2017 – Jake has long been an admirer of Winston Churchill, and not just because he famously smoked cigars and drank champagne. The depth of Jake's esteem for Sir Winston can be measured by the fact that one summer long ago he read all six volumes of Churchill's “The Second World War.”  (Such a feat is also testimony to the effect of New Jersey's summers and their ability to make any extended outdoor activity nearly impossible.) So when I-70 West intersected with Highway 54 south, it was impossible not visit the National Churchill Museum in Fulton, Missouri.

It was at little Westminster College in Fulton that Churchill, at the invitation of President Harry S Truman (from Missouri, remember), delivered his famous “iron curtain” speech on March 5, 1946.

The "Iron Curtain" in concrete

Many historians date the beginning of the Cold War to that day and that speech, and it is most fitting that a national museum is in that (still) small American town. The museum provides an excellent outline view telling of the life and times of Churchill. Both Jake and Stone greatly enjoyed their about 90 minute visit at a bargain price of $15 for two seniors.

Very near the museum is a piece of the Berlin Wall fashioned into a sculpture titled Breakthrough. The artist punched two large human figures through the wall. The sculptor chose her sections of the Wall from an area near the Brandenburg Gate. The graffiti repeats the work "Unwahr," which is German for "lies." To touch this wall was quite a moving experience.

Above the museum is a church that our duo liked exploring almost as much as the museum. In 1677, the great English architect Christopher Wren designed St. Mary the Virgin, Aldermanbury as part of a city-wide attempt to rebuild London after the Great Fire of London in 1666. During the Blitz in 1940, Wren's St. Mary's was almost completely destroyed in the bombing. (The Germans bombed London for 57 straight nights.)

In 1961, Westminster College spearheaded a drive to memorialize Churchill by reconstructing the historic London church on the Westminster campus. In 1966 the foundation stone was laid, 300 years after the Great Fire of London. By 1969, the restoration was complete. The more than 7,000 carefully labeled stones had been shipped form London to Missouri and had been put in place. The church's interior had been meticulously recreated by English wood carvers, Dutch bell casters, and American glass artisans.

Nothing can add beauty to light

Today the church is a wonder to see and walk around, inside and out. Wren's simple, elegant chandeliers, his clear glass windows (“Nothing can add beauty to light,” he famously stated), and his soaring Greek columns (lone vertical survivors of the German bombing) give the church an expression that lasts long after the visit is over. On this cross-country trip, this beat even Busch stadium as a building to see and feel.

The college-town eating fest continued for Jake and Stone in Columbia, MO, home to the University of Missouri. At Sycamore Restaurant, a stylish place with a nicely diverse menu, Jake enjoyed the restaurant's tasty take on the Cuban sandwich and a bottle of Duvel beer (served in the proper Duvel glass), while Stone found major lunch satisfaction with her ½ portion pulled pork BBQ sandwich and a glass of malbec.

Lawrence, Kansas was this day's last stop. As with the other stops in college towns, Lawrence proved to provide a very good dinner spot. MerchantsPub & Plate provides a gracious venue in large room complete with an attractive bar. Brussel sprout salad, crab cakes, house salad and fettuccine and salmon, provided a memorable dinner.

Thursday, June 29, 2017 – In the light morning rain before leaving Lawrence, Jake took advantage of the early morning hours of the Amyx Barber Shop (opens at 7 AM!) to get a hair cut and beard trimming. The shop has been there for years and shows it, both good and bad. Old school price as well, $15.

By the time the newly groomed Jake, and the always groomed Stone, hit I-70 West, the rain had become torrential. Stone did a magnificent job parting the waters with their trusty Nissan. As is often the case in the midwest, after about 20 minutes it was basically blue skies. But that didn't stop the rain. Oddly enough, large, seemingly individual rain drops kept pelting the car for another five minutes before the rain stopped completely. They reasoned the rain must have been wind-blown. And despite the basically blue dome above them, they kept a wary eye out for strange, Oz-causing events.

"Not much to see," is often muttered by travelers along I-70 west of Topeka. And it's often true. Out

Smoky Hills Wind Farm

of Topeka is Junction City, then Abilene, then Salina. Until the travelers see some things that are strangely vertical on the horizon. What the hell is that? Some miles later, it becomes clear. Wind turbines. Scores of them. Seems like a hundred. Smoky Hills Wind Farm. And there are over one hundred turbines. That is something to see.

Our couple is headed to Garden City, Kansas, so they leave I-70 and head south west. And once again it is "Not much to see." Maybe even more so. Every 20 or 30 miles along Route 56, then Route 50, there is a small town like Offerle, Kansas with its looming grain elevators. Concrete towers on the American prairie, they huddle together, as if for company.

Despite their “bed bug event” at a Best Western in Indiana, Jake and Stone went Best Western again, for the BestWestern Plus Inn and Suites in Garden City, Kansas had reviews that were as good as any they had ever seen. (88% "excellent" on Tripadvisor!) In a phrase, it might have been the best lodging value ever. The charge was $114 (including taxes) and they both thought the place looked like a $200/night hostelry. Sophisticated décor, a swimming pool, with a vigorous whirlpool open till 10 at night, fashion-forward rooms with up-to-date internet device chargers, and a great staff made the stay most memorable.

Memorable can't be used to describe the restaurant choices in Garden City, a town big enough to do better than it does. After finding one place closed, and walking in and quickly out of another eatery, Jake and Stone settled on Margaritas in downtown Garden City. The Mexican food was plentiful, if not outstanding. However, Jake's Corona beer was served without a lime (hooray!), and in perhaps the coldest beer glass in town.

Friday, June 30, 2017 – The reason for getting off of I-70 the previous day and heading to Garden City was simple and worthwhile – golf. According to Golfweek, Garden City has the number two ranked golf course in Kansas: Buffalo Dunes. The fact that Buffalo Dunes is run by the city makes it one of the best munis in the midwest. Jake got up early to play nine holes, got out alone(!), and had a wonderful, slightly windy round, amid prairie views and cottonwood trees, on a course in great condition. And all for $15. Saddle up, golfers, and make the trip.

The ride northward back to I-70 took our pair though some landscapes that were astonishing. Flat,

Yes! Grain elevators straight ahead.

flat, flat. On roads that were lonely lanes among miles of wheat fields, it was not unusual to drive for 10 minutes without seeing another vehicle. At one point, on Route 385 out of Granda, Colorado heading north, it seemed they traveled 20 miles without seeing a person who was not driving a pickup truck or manning a giant combine machine mowing down the golden wheat.  

For the same 20 miles not a farm house was ever in sight, and when the black ribbon of road finally intersected another black ribbon of road, it was a relief to both Jake and Stone to see, shimmering in the distance, the grain elevators that are the towering, ubiquitous landmarks for nearly every town in this part of western Kansas and far-eastern Colorado. See, there must be people over there! This part of the final ride was spooky and thrilling at the same time.

On arriving in Denver, Jake and Stone got the keys to their temporary one BR home on Franklin Street in Denver, then had dinner that night with Sweetness! and her husband in the Denver suburb of Lakewood. Our couple slept for that first night in a state that will no doubt be their home for years to come. The driving adventure was over. The much longer, better adventure was just beginning.

Other Places

Like a Fine Brandywine....

Seventy years old is an age noted by two rather noteworthy writers -- Moses and Shakespeare.

In Psalm 90 Moses wrote (attributed) most famously:

“The days of our lives are threescore and ten....”

In Macbeth (Act II, Scene 4) a character called simply “Old Man”(!) says:

“Threescore and ten I can remember well....”

Having reached this literary milestone – and refusing to view this milestone as any sort of “a milestone around his neck” -- Jake and his Number 1 headed out for a three-night celebration in the historic and picturesque Brandywine Valley of Pennsylvania, just southwest of Philadelphia.

Monday, April 24, 2017 -- The predicted rain stayed away from our couple long enough to allow them a wonderful day of outside pleasures. First on the list was nine holes of golf (Stone walking in caddy-for-a-day duty) at the Ed Oliver Golf Course in Wilmington, DE. This 18-holer recommended itself mostly by being on the way via the trusty NJ Turnpike, and being one of the few courses in the area to have a reasonable price. Still, $20 for nine holes seemed excessive to Jake, who is use to his cheap-o, senior rate at his home course, Tamarack in East Brunswick.

The course, which honestly is not worth going out of one's way to play, proved to be an interesting golf history lesson. Ed “Porky” Oliver was a popular and successful PGA pro in the 1940s and 50s. Oliver was certainly a Delaware guy. Born in Wilmington, Oliver got married to an Army nurse while on duty at Fort Dix in 1942. The course that now bears his name was the original site of the Wilmington Country Club (now a tony golf club some three miles north; Joe Biden became a member there in 2014) where Oliver was a caddy before turning pro at age 18. The course had quick greens and some strong holes, but it was pretty beat up in general. However, it seemed to be getting some much needed major maintenance.

Jake by Brandywine Creek

Stone at Ridley Creek

The rain clouds threatened, but the rain stayed away as Jake and Stone had nice little bike ride up and down a bit of the Brandywine Creek, but a ten minute drive from Ed's golf place. Then it was on to a longer, vigorous ride at Ridley StatePark, which provided various terrain, creek views, and a wide, paved trail.

At the edge of the the state park is La Porta, a ristorante that provided a nice late lunch. La Porta had a good wine list, and featured a welcoming, cozy, somewhat rural ambiance. The mushroom soup was especially tasty.

Our couple's hostelry for their three nights away was The Inn at Grace Winery in Glen Mills, PA. Here the main draw proved to be the expansive grounds and buildings, which included the main inn (which is historic and elegant) and several “cottages,” of which the Brandywine Cottage featured a jetted tub, so Jake needed little more incentive to choose it. 

The inn does all the big things quite well – the staff is wonderful and the atmosphere is a sort of restful, understated country chic, but the inn was not without its small irritants. The wi-fi was inconsistent, a dog roamed the breakfast room, and though they state “free breakfast,” to get more than yogurt or oatmeal it will cost you extra. Such a fine establishment is demeaned by such nickle-and-diming.

Speaking well of the inn's staff, the welcoming desk did well indeed to direct Jake and Stone to the Harvest Seasonal Grill and Wine Bar for dinner. Both Jake and Stone were immediately struck by mimicking of the much larger chain, Seasons 52. If you have been to a Seasons 52 then you will find little different at Harvest Seasonal Grill. Luckily, both chains are real good at what they do – attractive atmosphere, attentive service, good menu, lots to drink – and Jake and Stone enjoyed their drinks and food.

Tuesday, April 25, 2017 – The rains were in full force on this day. So it was into Philly for a look at the American Watercolor exhibit at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Both Jake and Stone thought the exhibit one of the best they had seen in quite some time – interesting, just the right size, educational, and downright amazing to look at. Neither had realized the versatility of the watercolor medium, nor how Americans came to dominate this artistic scene in the 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Best of all, there were some classic Winslow Homer and John Singer Sargent works to look at – the juxtaposing of which was fun to see. Both Stone and Jake have realized over the years that they like their art to be representational, and one can hardly do better in this category – at least by Americans – than Homer and Singer.

But even better than the planned art was the serendipity of the past recovered. Stone's father grew up in Narbeth, PA, outside Philly. When Stone was a child, her family spent many a holiday at her dad's home. On the way to Philly, Stone soon recognized the Narbeth area, and with a little good luck our couple found the actual house! While Stone was taking pictures of the house to show her brother back in Jersey, the owner pulled into the driveway. Soon Jake and Stone were invited into the old house. Amazingly, except for a new kitchen and an added ½ bath, it had not been renovated. Stone toured the house, with the gracious owner at her side, for more than 20 minutes; Stone on the edge of tears more than once. Wondrous indeed.

After the art and an arduous drive from Philly back to Brandywine country, it was still raining like hell, so Stone and Jake made the quick trip to La Porta again for dinner. This time the food was less wonderful, but the wine was still delicious and the vibe most sheltered and homey.

Wednesday, April 26, 2017 – A major draw of the Brandywine area for Jake was the chance to play a golf course he had longed to patronize since he was the webmaster of the now forgotten, but still legendary, in Jake's mind, Internet site, Jerseygolf.com. Back in the heyday of Jerseygolf.com, Jake featured a story about the Golf Course at Glen Mills in Glen Mills, PA. In 2000 the Glen Mills Schools, a school for troubled youth that dates to 1826, had golf architect Bobby Weed design a golf course on the school's grounds. Since then, the schools' course has given students the chance to develop hands-on training for careers in the golf industry.

The Golf Course at Glen Mills

Yikes!

Little more needs to be said about the Golf Course at Glen Mills, except to note that it is ranked by Golfweek magazine as the fourth best public course in all of Pennsylvania.

The starter warned Jake (and his golf cart co-pilot Stone) that the course was pretty difficult. Understatement! Even sometimes using what Jake came to call the “grandfather tees,” the blind and pur-blind shots, the roller-coaster terrain, the humpy-lumpy greens, the thousands (so it seemed) of bunkers, all provided a fun day of golf -- if, like Jake, one doesn't lower the tone of the day by keeping score. With the right attitude, or really good golf skills, Glen Mills is a terrific place to play.

Did someone say “terrain”? Perhaps our couples' most enjoyable meal was at Terrain Garden Cafe Restaurant, about eight miles from the Glen Mills course, on US Route 1 – often referred to in theses parts at the Baltimore Pike. Their apres-golf, late lunch, which was served in an old greenhouse, was simply delightful: they shared a creamy yogurt/granola/fruit plate, and each had a bowl of Kennett Square mushroom soup. Little wonder reviewers from Open Table to Tripadvisor give this unique eatery such high marks.

(Why Kennett Square mushrooms? Kennett Square, PA, about 20 miles away on the "Baltimore Pike," is the self-proclaimed Mushroom Capital of the World, and it most likely is just that. The surrounding area not only produces over 50,000,000 pounds of mushrooms a year (half of the total in the USA), the town also has it own two-day mushroom festival every year, and on New Years Eve they often drop a rather large mushroom (say, about 800 pounds) in lieu of a Times Square ball at midnight.

That night's dinner was the Gables atChadds Ford, about a 30 minute attention-necessary drive from the inn. (The up-and-down, winding nature of the skinny roads – typical of much of the Brandywine Valley -- reminded both Jake and Stone of the golf course.) The Gables promotes itself as an up-scale food place, but on entering the large eatery (housed in an old barn) Jake and Stone had their doubts. However, they both found their Gables Farmhouse Salads (one with chicken, one with salmon) to be first rate. The martinis were perhaps the coldest and best of the trip.

The Brandywine Cottage features, besides the mentioned jetted tub, a nice little porch. It was here, after dinner and the drive back to the inn (Stone at the wheel, thank you very much), and after a final rub-a-dub-dub in the jetted tub, that Jake enjoyed a Romeo Y Julieta cigar. Like Macbeth's “old man,” Jake could, thankfully, remember well his three-score-and-ten.

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Other Places

Stay, Just a Little Bit Longer 

On their first trip to Jekyll Island, Georgia in 2010, our couple stayed for a week. Over the subsequent years, one week's stay soon went to two weeks, then this year they stayed for three. They left Jekyll this year thinking it likely that soon three weeks might evolve into four. Jekyll is not for everyone, but for Jake and Stone it has proven to be a sort of paradise gained, and regained.

(As usual, links provide more information about places, restaurants, bars, etc that Jake and Stone found to be positive experiences.)

(Also -- this little map below gives an idea of the island, including its basic bike paths. HOWEVER, though it takes a little while to download, there is a much better, more detailed and very useful map of Jekyll, including its bike trails, available here. Do have a look.)

Along the New River Trail
near Galax, Virginia

Friday, January 13, 2017 – It's all about relaxation, so I-95 was eschewed in favor of their favorite route south: I-78 west out of Jersey, then I-81 south. At Strasburg, Virginia they stopped for a nice lunch (half sandwiches and soup) at the homey, yet apparently community-oriented (open-mike sort of place) Cristina's Cafe. Local charm, as they say, and good food, with relaxed, friendly service. Before spending the night at the truly wonderful Hampton Inn in Galax (VA), Jake and Stone took a late-afternoon bike ride (four miles, R/T) on the New River Trail. This is one of America's premiere bike trails, and happens to have a southern terminus in Galax. Lovely way to unwind from the hours of driving.

Dinner this night at a nice local place, Creek Bottom Brews for beer(!), burger and Asian salad. They also sells a lot of craft beers, and our couple couldn't resist buying a bottle of Sweet Baby Jesus beer, which waits in the fridge for either Christmas or the Apocalypse, whichever comes first.

Saturday, January 14, 2017 – Leaving before sunrise is normal when Jake and Stone have places to go, but on this morning their early rising put them in the middle of a fog event the likes of which they had never experienced. The fog on Fancy Gap Mountain (I-77) is historically so bad that the Virginia DOT added over a dozen cameras last year to keep on top of the many dangerous situations. There are also lighted speed limit signs that decrease the speed limit when necessary, which at one point listed 30 MPH as the safe speed. Before daylight, with only ghostly trucks and pea soup for company, Stone somehow made it down the mountain and into eventual daylight and normal conditions. Atta grrrl!

Part of Jekyll's allure is its proximity, about 90 minutes south, to one of our couple's favorite cities, Savannah, Georgia. Having left Galax early and made good time driving (after the foggy start), Jake and Stone delayed lunch until they could reach Savannah. They wondered why the city was so crowded, then realized it was MLK weekend. (Vacations are deemed a success when the travelers don't know what day it is.) After being told at several lunch spots that they would have to wait for seating, they spied a couple of open bar seats at a favorite place – The Public Kitchen and Bar on the corner of Liberty and Bull Streets.

Sitting at the bar has become their often preferred way to eat. The “waiter” is always available, and it is easy to fall into conversation with bar mates. Things worked wonderfully on this day, as a lively conversation ensued with a Savannah local woman and another couple headed to Florida. The ham & brie melt, shrimp & grits, two Stella brews (Jake), and a glass of the nicely named Whispering Angel Rose (Stone), completed a terrific lunch scene on a warm, sunny day in this lovely southern city.

3 BR, 3 bth, 2 balc rental
at Villas by The Sea

Early morning sun
tops the condo's treed setting

The only glitch on the trip happened when they arrived in Jekyll and walked into their three-week rental – a large house on Beachview Drive North. In short, the house (which had a for sale sign in the yard) would not do for more than a couple of reasons. Stone called the realty office to strongly complain, and 30 minutes later both she and Jake were walking into a lovely 3 BR, 2 bth condo at the Villas by the Sea condo complex near the northern top of the island, at an even cheaper price. Atta grrrl!

This two-story, 2-balcony place proved to be an ideal home for three weeks. Too worn out from the moving-in struggles to cook, they repaired to the Westin Hotel for snacks (sweet potato soup, crab cake, shrimp cocktail) and martinis, before falling asleep to the sounds of Jekyll's quiet back at their 3 BR home for the next three weeks.

We interrupt this blog to bring you a A Must (or maybe, A Suggested) See:

The Federal Reserve Room at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel

Jekyll Island is most famous for being founded at the end of the 19th century by a group of millionaires (the Astors, Rockefellers, Goulds, Morgans, etc) who needed a private winter hunting ground that might also serve as a getaway from the trials and tribulations of making way too much money. The Jekyll Island Club Hotel started in 1896 as America's first condo development, albeit only for millionaires. (Sounds a lot like today's Manhattan.)

The Hotel Today:
front veranda on left, entrance on right,
iconic turret above the giant live oak

Such was the atmosphere of the subsequent hotel expansion, that in 1910 six high-powered men met in secret at the Jekyll Island Club Hotel intent on reforming America's banking system. They hoped to come up with something that would mitigate the numerous financial panics of the 19^th century – the most recent one in 1907 being, apparently, the last straw.

Long story short, what emerged would form the basis in 1913 for America's Federal Reserve System. The hotel's Federal Reserve Room has some history and pictures about the talks. The most interesting picture, however, is a fairly new one. It is of former Chairs Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke standing in the room where the Fed began, and where you are standing as you look at the picture of them. As they say at the Fed: way cool.

Sunday, January 15, 2017 – The first Sunday on Jekyll is a holy day of obligation for Jake and Stone. As required, they made the pilgrimage across the causeway bridge and into Brunswick, Georgia to the Waffle House. Best pecan waffles, and unbeatable southern, blue-collar, family, hello-to-everyone vibe. Groceries were gathered at the nearby Winn-Dixie where it is worthwhile to get the members savings card. It's NFL football in the afternoon and into the evening, accompanied by the requisite hot dogs and burgers.

Cart bridge to the "marsh holes"
on King & Prince GC, St. Simons

Monday, January 16, 2017 – Thanks to a “hot deal” early-morning tee time on Golfnow.com Jake played at the normally off-the-chart expensive King and Prince Course on St. Simons Island. This cart-only, residential type course is not Jake's normal bailiwick, but it proved to be worth the $50 bucks or so just to see how the other half plays golf. And the back nine's “marsh holes,” and their attendant cart bridges, give one an away-from-it-all feeling.

"Away from it all" in the marshlands
at King & Prince CG, St. Simons

Stone's inaugural bike ride down to the Jekyll Island Club Hotel was highlighted by marsh views, a distant sighting of a heron or two, the atmospheric Spanish moss dripping from the live oak trees, and a winding bike trail that is the favorite of both her and Jake. They meet at the new Beach House, which basically has a seafood menu, for corn chowder bisque, and salads with shrimp and salmon. This new addition to Jekyll dining scene has a summer/beach vibe, with ample outside seating ready for the summer crowds. Our couple promised themselves to try the bar at some future date.

Tuesday, January 17, 2017 – A typical Jekyll day. Bike ride for them both to the hotel, talk for quite a while to a visiting family of four on the hotel's back veranda, back to the condo for some reading and nap. Pre-dinner martinis at the hotel's bar, where they spot the legendary Harry (famous yachtsman and longtime Jekyll resident), and meet a woman who shows them pictures of her dog and her Alabama beach-side condo. Tuna pasta for dinner and then “Harold and Kumar Escape from Guantanamo Bay” on the TV, which they felt silly enough to enjoy.

Stone's favorite
beach-view reading bench

Wednesday, January 18, 2017 – Jake plays Pine Lakes golf course, finding that he can play alone if he gets to the course early, Jekyll time – which means 8:20 or so. Alone and early on the course? Did someone say Elysium? Stone bikes around and reads her book at a favorite bench, then they meet at the hotel for coffee and pastry, back to the condo for lunch and a snooze. Jake has a cigar on the lower balcony as Stone relaxes on the balcony above, then they watched “It's Always Fair Weather,” an unusually bleak Hollywood 1950s musical that does have Gene Kelly tap-dancing on roller skates, which makes it all worthwhile. (See the video here -- which might be the best 4 minutes of your day.)

Stone Chips at Great Dunes #3

Thursday, January 19, 2017 -- 7am coffee, 9am at GreatDunes 9-hole course. Nature sightings at the course included two red tail hawks and two baby gators. Both Jake and Stone finished their round with good last few holes. Lunch back at the condo. Walk to dinner at the always good and inexpensive Driftwood Bistro. “The Martian” movie on HBO. The night seemed so warm they put on the A/C.

Stone selfie at the
Beach House restaurant & bar

Friday, January 20, 2017 – Jake plays Indian Mound on this warm (70s) and windy morning. Stone does a bike ride and has late breakfast at the Beach House. Trying to ignore the TV news of the day, our couple have lunch, snooze, do some reading, drink some gin and tonic, Jake has a cigar on the balcony, and they watch another movie, this time on TCM.

Saturday, January 21, 2017 – Once again to the Waffle House and Winn Dixie, then an exploratory bike ride to the 200-site RV campground and Maurice Road, which they had often ridden past but never gone down. Thinking they would go to a movie, they changed their minds and spent a good part of the afternoon napping. Jake biked the five miles down to the Beach Village on a mission to replenish the gin supply. Rain at night and yet another movie, “Boomerang.” Not the Eddie Murphy one, but the one in 1947 directed by a Elia Kazan; different and better.

Sunday, January 22, 2017 – The weather is threatening so it's stay inside and relax. Then they decide to do laundry, which proves to be an adventure. The laundry facility is but a five minute walk, but it is long enough for a sudden rain squall to erupt, followed by a downpour, followed by another downpour. Damn tropical weather! The clothes get washed, and so do Jake and Stone. In the afternoon it's NFL football. Then Jake and Stone watch their first-ever tornado warnings on the local TV channel. They decided that the downstairs bathroom would be the best place to “shelter in place,” as they say on TV. Luckily, things pass without serious incident.

Monday, January 23, 2017 – Jake and Stone are up early on a day of a cloudless sunrise, 55 degrees

Part of the new Beach Village
at Jekyll's equally new "Main Street"

temp and plenty of post-storm wind. They bike into the wind (so as to have the wind at their back coming home) down to Beach Village for java and a pastry at the Club Cafe. Back home they drive way down island to St Andrews Beach for a very windy walk and take quick look at Glory Beach, which looks fabulously and deserted.

In search of a book Jake wants, they drive over to St. Simons Island. But despite being the largest bookstore in the Golden Isles, Jake's desired book is not in its stock. However, our couple find HarrisTeeter, a grocery store to rival Wegman's back home. Good-bye Winn-Dixie, hello wonderful grocery shopping.

Tuesday, January 24, 2017-- Jake golfs at an increasingly warm and windy Indian Mound while Stone walks on the famous Driftwood Beach, which is a short walk from the condo. Later in the day our couples' very good friends, The Labetts, arrive from Virginia. Wonderful to see them again, and the recently purchased gin is put to good use. Dinner is Stone's signature tuna-and-nicoise salad, followed by drinks at the Jekyll Hotel bar where two other couples are apparently ending some black-tie event at the hotel. Back at the condo the foursome talk till after midnight, then put the bedrooms to a sleep test which they pass with honors.

Wednesday, January 25, 2017 – The two women bike and walk while the two guys enjoy a round at Great Dunes. After golf the guys have lunch, then bike down to meet the ladies at the hotel. It's a foursome dinner at the Driftwood Bistro, highlighted by a killer she-crab soup and two $12 bottles of Clos du Bois white wine.

Thursday, January 26, 2017 – It's off to St. Simons Island for a quick meet with a retired couple The Labetts' worked with in Virginia. Their retirement home is a showcase (complete with a one-flight elevator) that might well appear in "Southern Living" magazine. There is much good talk, including of how easily the several PGA golfers who live on St. Simons move about unbothered among the locals. Its is not unusual, say these retired St. Simons locals, to see Davis Love, or Zack Johnson, or Matt Kucher shopping or out with their kids.

After the work reunion our four had a real good breakfast at Palmer's, which seemed filled with locals, always a good sign. The four liked Palmer's so much theysigned up for dinner on Friday night.

Today is Jake and Stone's 37^th anniversary, so it's off to Savannah for celebration. After finding his book at the always reliable Shaver Bookstore, our foursome discover a new drinking place – the Artillery Bar on Bull Street. The place is new, but all agreed it will soon be legendary. At last, a bar with just drinks, no food. What a concept! All four drinks were most memorable, as was the service, décor and vibe. Not to be missed if in Savannah for more than 15 minutes.

At the Artillery Bar in Savannah

As good as Artillery was, the also-new restaurant The Grey proves to be its equal. Housed in Savannah's old and previously abandoned Greyhound bus terminal, the designed refurb left enough of the old terminal to be quietly retro chic. Food hits of the night included the raw bar oyster menu, the County Pasta and the Roasted Yardbird. The celebration concluded with a nightcap back at the Westin Hotel bar. A wonderful day and night made that much better by being shared with two most wonderful friends.

Typical fairway setting at
the three Jekyll Island Golf Courses

Friday, January 27, 2017 – Jake and Mr Labetts play a coolish 18 holes at Pine Lakes. The three 18-holers at Jekyll are all $32 and provide a player-friendly time. Oleander has the most memorable
holes, but has trouble draining after a rain. The setting for all three courses is terrific – tall pine trees, some local fauna, no homes or cars or other signs of that evil termed civilization. The main deterrents to par are the numerous bunkers, and to a lesser extent, the usual breeze/wind. Jake's only complaint is that there is little in the way of yardage markers, with most of them being the usual blue/white/red slabs in in the middle of the fairway – a lot of good middle-of-the-fairway markers do for Jake!

Distant view of Sidney Lanier Bridge
seen from St. Andrews Beach 

After The Labetts return their rental bikes (tip: bike rentals are much cheaper at the “Bike Barn” near the putt-putt course on Beachview Drive than anywhere else – about $50 a week), Jake sleeps while Stone takes The Labetts to look at St. Andrews beach where they enjoy a distant view of the bridge over to St. Simons Island, and spot a group of American white pelicans fishing for dinner. Then all four are off to St. Simons for a look at Christ Church and the attending graveyard, made all that more properly atmospheric in the growing gloaming. Dinner at Palmer's closes the day.

Every baby is a cute baby

Saturday, January 28, 2017 – The Labetts depart for their trip home, Jake and Stone shop for food at the wonderful Harris Teeter, lunch in, then attend an interesting talk on “Gatorology” at the Georgia Sea Turtle Center. The 60-minute talk is highlighted by letting all attendees touch a live baby gator. It's cute, sorta.

Sunday, January 29, 2017 – Jake and Stone attend service at the historic Faith Chapel in Jekyll's Historic District.. The chapel is worth seeing just to see the luxurious Tiffany window. The “service” is mostly a talk on the the musical history of the the ancient Christian hymn "Gloria," which suits our couple just fine. It's time for coffee and pastry (chocolate croissant/bear claw/maple pecan thing) at hotel's Club Cafe, which is a quick walk from the chapel. The afternoon is time for reading before a trip into Brunswick (GA) movie complex to see the inspiring “Hidden Figures,” which they both enjoyed.

Oleander Course at Jekyll Island

Monday, January 30, 2017 -- Jake plays another delightful solo round at Oleander, and gets an eagle! Well, gets to see one anyway, cruising majestically overhead. Minutes later, above the same azure lake, a pair of ospreys circle the water, but spy nothing and move on. Stone sleeps in, then out for a bike ride. They make good on their promise to visit the bar at the Beach House, and find the martinis match any on the island. Dinner at home and then a special treat for them, a great American musical, “The Blues Brothers” on HBO.

egrets, ibis and storks, oh my!

Tuesday, January 31, 2017 – On their morning bike ride toward the north end of the island, Jake and Stone discover their best birding sight ever. By the edge of the bike path, behind some bushes, there are no less than 13 birds hunting the still water for food. Across the pond, a photographer with a seeming 2-foot long lens quietly snaps pictures. There are several egrets, a possible great egret, maybe an American white ibis and even a wood stork. Later, on the same bike ride, a sighting of two eagles sitting atop very high utility poles, and then on the beach-side ride, pelicans dive bombing into the ocean. All in one 3.5 hour bike ride.

The early evening also turns Jekyll-at-its-best as our couple joins others sitting in rocking chairs on the hotel's sweeping veranda to sip drinks while watching the sun set over the river/creek that separates Jekyll Island from mainland Georgia. As the dark gathers, a half-moon appears, then Venus, the evening start. In the twilight a tall Palmetto Palm's silhouette completes the scene.

Still Life:
Fog & Palm Trees

Wednesday, February 1, 2017 – On his usual morning trips down Beachview Drive to the island's convenience store for morning java for both himself and Stone, Jake often witnessed lovely sunrises over the Atlantic. This morning they both got up to do the coffee run and see the sunrise. Though the weather was reportedly foggy in nearby Brunswick, the Jekyll coast and sky was clear as they got into the car. However, before they had completed the 7-8 minute ride to the store, the fog had rolled in, not so much on Robert Frost's “little cat feet,” as much as on the tires of a truck. No sunrise for you! But Stone did manage to capture the earth-bound cloud in a flash picture taken with her phone camera.

Yet another good thing about golf on Jekyll is that the courses don't have “fog delays,” so Jake got to play another lovely, lonely round, this time on Oleander again. The fog dissipates after about an hour. Stone reads and relaxes till Jake gets back from golf. They head out on their bikes again, getting ice cream at the Beach Village, walk around the Westin Hotel area, then bike back. Stone enjoys a drink on the upstairs balcony while Jake has a cigar on the lower, both enjoying the view of the numerous trees that makeup the maritime forests common to many barrier islands, and the seemingly equally numerous squirrels.

Jake, Java, Sunrise

Thursday, February 2, 2017 – This morning the sunrise was indeed visible, and our couple sipped their java on the beach watching the red sun rise from the blue/grey ocean. When they go to play golf at Great Dunes, the computer doesn't work, so the attendant tells them to pay later. (This happened once at the 18-holers facility as well. Not sure such trust would be applied in Jersey!) The day features spectacularly sunny weather that is not too warm, and both have a great couple of hours on this historic and fun 9-hole course.

The rest of the day passes normally. Coffee and pastry again at the Club Cafe at the hotel. A walk around the hotel and the historic district to look once again at several of the 5-6 room “cottages” put up by the likes of Goodyear (the tire guy) and Crane (the toilet guy). Bike back home with some more views of distant birds in the marsh. Pre-dinner drinks and the usual attendant conviviality at the hotel bar. Dinner at home. Movie. Sleep.


Friday, February 3, 2017 – Last day. Jake plays Oleander again. It is windy, hot (74!) and crowded (Friday is the one busy day at the golf center), but still.... Stone has a final bike ride, pausing twice to read at two of her favorite read-with-a-view benches. Packing for home takes its usual time, and finally is finished as night falls.


Saturday, February 4, 2017 – A little bit longer than half way to Jersey is Roanoke, VA, where – as they did on last year's tip home -- our couple checks into the Hotel Roanoke. Like the Jekyll Island Club Hotel, this hotel is itself historic, dating to the 1880s, and equally grand in style and atmosphere. Jake booked it on booking.com, which has served him well in the past for many bookings, for what he considered a reasonable price. Walking around this hotel is itself a pleasure.

Another reason Jake and Stone like the Hotel Roanoke is its proximity to downtown Roanoke and its several good restaurants. They had a delightful dinner and drinks at Metro!, with it numerous plush banquette seats, which is but a five minute walk from the hotel.


Sunday, February 5, 2017 – Home in plenty of time to unpack, turn up the heat and hot water, water some plants, have a little snooze, and watch the Super Bowl with some Stone-inspired football snacks. Later that night, they agree that when it comes to Jekyll Island, it is never wrong to -- stay, just a little bit longer.

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