Between our Gay Weekends at The Woods in the Poconos, we made our first of three Bucks County base camps in Quakertown, PA. A classic covered bridge flanked the entrance to the RV Park.   Ron's cousin June & hubby, Scotty, live a short drive away in Washington Crossing where much laughter, banter, food and adult beverages were consumed and enjoyed.   We had an amazing night dining out with the Scott Girls at a fantastic, critically acclaimed restaurant called Honey in Doylestown, PA.

After our second weekend at The Woods (see previous post) we made our basecamp in Philadelphia at Campus Park & Ride.  Not your regular campground (no grass, trees, ponds, etc.) but a great downtown location.  It was very safe as it shared its facility with US Customs & Border with electrified fencing and gates. We could ride the free shuttle to town or drive less than a mile.  Everyone said we had to go to the Reading Terminal Market. WOW! What a fantastic food emporium.  If you can't find something special to eat here, you need new taste buds!  We had a pork sandwich from the famous Tommy Dinic's, a Philly Cheese Steak (at least 10 places to choose from), and brought home NY strip steaks for the grill along with Lancaster potato salad, fried mac n' cheese balls and new pickles from the barrel.  And of course Mike got some Penn-Dutch sweets from one of the iconic pastry shops.

It was a beautiful day so we took a double-decker bus tour of Philadelphia and saw many of the amazing historical sights that were such a big part of the foundation of this great nation. That evening, June and Scotty came into the city for another great meal at one of their favorite Italian Restaurants in South Philly!

After staying in the downtown area, we "driveway surfed" at Maurice & Keith's home in Huntingdon Valley, PA. Their RV was gone for a couple of weeks and they invited us to 'hook up' at their house. Later we joined the Scott Family and friends at Charcoal in Yardley, PA, followed by dessert and laughs at June & Scotty's home in Washington Crossing. Needless to say, a great time was had by all!

On Saturday we feasted at friends Gayle & Ted's in Doylestown with a traditional "break the fast" on Yom Kippur.  The next day Queen Mum & Scotty had us, family and friends over for a fantastic Sunday brunch.  Another food fest with bloody adult beverages, stories and lots of laughs.

On Monday evening we had a "Trailer Trash" driveway bash at our place, but forgot to take pictures of the group... Oops!  Tuesday another Queen Mum organized evening at Francesca's on the River with more great food, adult beverages and laughs!  Can we endure anymore?  We need to get out of Philly!  But there is still one more day that we had planned many months ago!

On our last day in the Philly area we boarded the train in Trenton, NJ for the Big Apple to see Dear Evan Hansen on Broadway. But first, lunch at Carmines, a NYC institution with old world atmosphere and incredible Italian food served family style. Then the show with our bellies full. WOW! Dear Evan Hansen was a thought provoking musical with a message and lived up to the critical acclaim and hype. A fun day was had by all!

Many hugs and much love to Scotty, Queen Mum (June) and Family and great friends for making our time in the Philly area so special... So, 10lbs later we leave Philly!

WARNING: If nudity offends, please skip this post!  A wilderness glamping adventure! The Woods is a large LGBT campground with events every weekend May - Oct.  We spent two weekends here while in the Bucks County and the general Philly area to visit family and friends.   The first weekend was a leather weekend with lube wrestling! OH MY!

The next weekend was Festival of Lights with illuminations of every possible description lighting the camp sites on Saturday along with a fabulous party put on by a group of seasonal residents.  This weekend we also met up with our good friend Scott, from many RSVP cruises, who keeps a trashy trailer here for weekend use. 

On the way to New Jersey, we met up with great friends from Boca Raton, FL, Stanley and Karen, who were in town for a wedding. We had a great lunch in a local diner near Westport.  It was good to see them and catch up while pondering the fate of FL with the approaching hurricane Irma.

Our basecamp was nothing fancy, but it was all about location and views!  Situated along the Hudson River we could see 3 layers of skylines including Jersey City, NYC, and Brooklyn in the distance.  Also the convenience of ferries to Brookfield and the World Trade Center and the NYC Financial District at our docks.  Ron was taken by the eclectic nature of the boats in the marina, including one (the black houseboat barge) that reminded us of our time in Amsterdam.  Across the canal from the marina was Liberty State Park with ferries to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty.

Our first evening, one of our neighbors informed us about the 9/11 Tribute In Light, which was being tested that night prior to the 16th anniversary a few days later.  Ron took this picture from the dock after the full moon came up and as bagpipes from a boat played in the background.  It was a goose-bump moment!

A visit to Liberty State Park and the tribute "Empty Sky".  Today, the ferries  for Ellis Island and Statue of Liberty dock at the building that used to serve as the terminal train station that would disperse those that were processed through Ellis Island to immigrate to America.  The Central Railroad of New Jersey continued to operate as a transportation hub up until 1967.  Shortly after the terminal and surrounding harbor front properties became Liberty State Park and on June 14, 1976 the State of New Jersey dedicated Liberty State Park as New Jersey's Bicentennial gift to the nation, and it now consists of 1,212 acres.

Saturday we met up with cousins Kris and Larry to visit the MoMA in NYC.  We started with the Permanent Collection exhibits followed by the recently opened special exhibit of architect Frank Lloyd Wright at 150: Unpacking the Archives.  Both were amazing.

Following MoMA, we dinned at THE SMITH with cousins Kris and Larry.  Lively conversation and adult beverages, along with reminiscing made for a wonderful evening in the City.

On 9/11 we took the ferry over to the new World Trade Center and memorial park.  The Memorial Ceremonies were closed to family and friends till 3 pm.  So we toured the major waterfront plazas, the Westfield Center and the Oculus, an architectural transportation hub replacing the PATH station that was destroyed 9/11. "The world’s most closely watched urban renewal project, the World Trade Center links Tribeca to the Financial District, and brims with innovative architecture, renowned public artwork, and grand open spaces. This is a neighborhood reborn, pulsing with energy 24/7/365, and offering a vibrant, street-level experience that thoughtfully integrates the built environment into its surroundings."  As this was the 16th Anniversary both police and secret service presence were very evident.

The 9/11 Memorial Pool on the site of one of the fallen towers.  It was very somber and emotional with the names of all who lost their lives that fateful day.

Another day we were able to get matinee tickets to War Paint! A great Broadway Show with a story, music, and great costumes! Patti LuPone & Christine Ebersole were amazing! Of course, we had a corn beef & pastrami with a smear at the Stage Door Deli!  A great way to spend a Wednesday in the City.  We used TodayTix and highly recommend them for Broadway Shows.  We also had a corn beef with swiss and a smear on rye at the famous Katz's Deli another day.

What can one say about one of the greatest city in the world!  We LOVE NYC!  Also we were unexpectedly very impressed with Jersey City.  What a great place right on the Hudson overlooking the NYC Skyline.  Once a very industrial area, today it is gentrified into ever-changing metro with new tall apt/condo buildings, brownstones, cafes, and an eclectic mixture of shops.  A strong Portuguese and Asian influence is very present.

​Leaving the Cape, we spent two nights in this interesting and very scenic part of Connecticut.  The famous Foxwood Resort & Casino was only 10 minutes up the road! 35 restaurants, 3 large casinos, outlet shopping and more!