A few of my favorite things...

As our time on the East Coast comes to a close, I spent some time reflecting on the things I will miss. Although this list is in no way comprehensive, here are a few of my favorite things:

1.  "Green"...

One of the first things I fell in love with here is how green it is... especially from late spring to late fall. But, as Kermit the Frog says, it isn't easy being green. One of the downsides is that I sometimes feel a little claustrophobic driving with tall green walls on either side of me... and windy roads making it green in front of and behind me!

2. Close proximity to lots of historical stuff...

We came with a list of things we wanted to see while we were here... and we've seen a lot! Of course, for every place we go, I add two or three more to the list! We've visited battlefields and Presidents' homes, cemeteries and monuments, museums and courthouses,... 

3. Puffy clouds...

Two-diminsional photos just don't do the clouds justice. The East Coast has the biggest, puffiest clouds I've ever seen. According to my six-year old grandson, Nick, they are cumulus clouds (left) unless they are grayish on the bottom (right) and then they are cumulo-nimbus clouds. Whatever they are called, they are the prettiest clouds I've ever seen... they look like giant puffy marshmallows floating along in the sky. They give depth to the sky making it seem enormous.

4. Public transportation that is user-friendly...

I drive because I have to, not because I enjoy driving. And I despise driving in traffic... and there is a lot of that here! Having a variety of public transportation options (city bus, light rail, commuter train and the Metro) that are safe, clean, convenient and relatively inexpensive is absolutely marvelous- and I cannot wait for Arizona to jump on that train.

5. Being able to drive to Ft. Bragg (where the grandkids are!) in about 6 hours...

I will miss the short day's drive or train ride (instead of an all-day plane trip) whenever I want to see "my NC sweethearts." They grow and change so fast and I hate to miss any of it. And it's fun to have them come visit us- something that is not really feasible when we're in Arizona.

6. Rest stops that are pretty, motorist-friendly and OPEN...

Rest stops in the west are almost always in remote places, often without regular flush toilets and in general don't look very inviting. When our kids were little (and even today!) they thought rest stops were scary and didn't want to stop there- not very "restful!" Without exception, the ones we've encountered up and down the East Coast are very motorist-friendly with nice restrooms (some even have showers!), information kiosks, vending machines, play areas for kids, beautiful paved areas to walk- some have walking trails (unpaved) in the surrounding wooded areas. They are very much a welcome beacon and an enjoyable change from a noisy Mickey D's.

7. Rita's...

I had never been a big fan of Italian Ice... until we went to Rita's, a chain establishment serving Italian Ice, custard and variations of the two mixed together. My personal favorite is a wild black cherry/vanilla gelati (looks just like the picture on the sign). The good news is that they are finally expanding into Arizona... the bad news is that it will be at Arrowhead Mall... 47.26 miles from our house.

8. FOUR Seasons...

Having lived in the desert most of my life, I had only experienced seasons twice- once when we lived in Albuquerque, NM for a year and again when we lived in Calgary, Alberta, Canada for a year. Being on the East Coast this year made me realize just how much I enjoy- and have missed- having four distinct seasons.

9. Rivers that really have water in them...

Rivers in the desert are often dry at least part of the year making rivers with water in them exciting. Imagine my excitement in seeing not just "water" but "LOTS OF WATER" in rivers here. And with rivers come bridges- all kinds of bridges. The left photo is actually a creek (!) with a drawbridge. The right photo is a river with a high bridge to allow boats to pass under it. There are three rivers within 15 miles of our apartment and I never tire of crossing them. When we drive to Ft. Bragg, we cross SIXTEEN rivers- one of the reasons I enjoy the drive!

10. Ethnic neighborhoods with great restaurants...

I remember by mother-in-law telling us stories about growing up in a Jewish neighborhood in Chicago; my father-in-law had similar stories about the Italian neighborhood. These neighborhoods were made up of immigrants who were fiercely proud to be American citizens but also equally passionate about their ethnicity. At the time, I had only read about neighborhoods like that in books but neighborhoods like those are still alive and well on the East Coast. Our two favorite ones are Little Italy in Baltimore (absolute best Italian food I've ever had!) and Chinatown in Washington, D.C. I will greatly miss not only the great ethnic food, but also the neighborhoods that pride themselves on being American, not _____-American, on speaking English (as well as Italian, Chinese, or whatever) and on not demanding special treatment like ballots printed in a language other than English and yet fully retain the uniqueness of their heritage. If you've ever lived in Arizona, you will understand what I'm talking about.

11. Geese and songbirds and cranes, oh my!...

In the last few years I have become fascinated with birdwatching and have greatly enjoyed the variety of birds within a half mile of our apartment. I watched a flock of baby geese (goslings) grow up over the summer, spied several always-shy cardinals, watched egrets fish in the lake, listened to the honking of geese overhead and enjoyed the sweet songs of beautiful robins. 

12. An abundance of FRESH seafood, especially crabs...

While there are many varieties of fresh seafood available on the East Coast, we enjoyed crab in many forms (crab dip, crab soup, crab salad, crab cakes, whole crabs you crack and eat) the most. 

13. Old architecture and brick buildings...

Old buildings have character; they reflect the time in history during which they were built. I love walking around downtown Baltimore or Washington, DC where centuries-old buildings stand next to very modern ones. The old buildings look like the wise sages... I wonder what stories they would tell.