We get up early, really early in Colorado, to catch our 7:15 AM flight to Newark, New Jersey. We have to be in West Point, NY for the Baccalaureate service at 7 PM, and that includes hitting the Jersey high point, getting to our temporary residence, changing, and arriving at the Cadet Chapel. The flight (including a great view of the Statue of Liberty and the Empire State Building), the baggage, and the rental car all go really well. Cue slightly ominous music. We head up the New Jersey Turnpike, and the signs are kind of confusing, because there are TWO NEW JERSEY TURNPIKES. Eenie Meenie Miney Moe. Yep wrong one. Inside I'm thinking that I don't want to go to New York City. Not through the Holland or Lincoln Tunnels, not over the George Washingtom Bridge. Not by ferry, either. So we pay our money for the turnpike after waiting ten minutes to do so, and then find our way to I-80 West, and everything feels better. And it is. We're cruising, now.
We take the highway 15 exit and head northwest, and with the freeway MPH we are actually gaining our lost half hour back. Now, we are all starving, and finding a place that has food and drink is increasingly a priority. We go through various small towns, and they are more and more charming the deeper into the woods we get. It is Spring Green and gorgeous at every turn on our winding road, and with the blue sky and warm weather life is really good, and, after missing a Mickey D's in Sparta because of a weird exit where you had to turn right to go left, and another gas convenience store that didn't look all that great, we find a respectable looking deli in Coleville, just a couple of miles from our high point. The stuff looked positively scrumptious. One problem. The guy there was super polite, and several really nice people came in who were friendly, but man, he was painstakingly slow at making the sandwiches. They were delicious, but suddenly we're a half hour behind schedule. We grab our bags and head for the road, and our first high point since New Mexico, last September.
Now here's the nice surprise. It is speck tack u lar. We break out of the forest, and across a little lake we see the half size or so replica of the Washington Monument - that's it! What a beautiful sight. And then, the panorama is also amazing. So we take our picture next to the monument, and looking down we notice gazillions of caterpillars crawling around the ground. How cool. The only disappointment is that the monument is closed.
Next stop: West Point. We are behind schedule thanks to the World's Slowest Sandwich Maker, but oh well. We get there, we meet Col. and Mrs. Lynch, our hosts. We change. We get to the church on time. Wow. God made beauty in Jersey, and man made beauty at the Cadet Chapel. And then, maybe best of all, faces of people that we love. The Millers, the Corliss's, the Johnsons, and of course the graduate we came to see, Coco Miller. Coco sings the solo in the Cadet Choir for the service, and hits it just right, and then we get to catch up with everyone afterward. We are blessed. Monday morning Turner and I will rise early hopefully bag three in one day - Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
We take the highway 15 exit and head northwest, and with the freeway MPH we are actually gaining our lost half hour back. Now, we are all starving, and finding a place that has food and drink is increasingly a priority. We go through various small towns, and they are more and more charming the deeper into the woods we get. It is Spring Green and gorgeous at every turn on our winding road, and with the blue sky and warm weather life is really good, and, after missing a Mickey D's in Sparta because of a weird exit where you had to turn right to go left, and another gas convenience store that didn't look all that great, we find a respectable looking deli in Coleville, just a couple of miles from our high point. The stuff looked positively scrumptious. One problem. The guy there was super polite, and several really nice people came in who were friendly, but man, he was painstakingly slow at making the sandwiches. They were delicious, but suddenly we're a half hour behind schedule. We grab our bags and head for the road, and our first high point since New Mexico, last September.
Now here's the nice surprise. It is speck tack u lar. We break out of the forest, and across a little lake we see the half size or so replica of the Washington Monument - that's it! What a beautiful sight. And then, the panorama is also amazing. So we take our picture next to the monument, and looking down we notice gazillions of caterpillars crawling around the ground. How cool. The only disappointment is that the monument is closed.
Next stop: West Point. We are behind schedule thanks to the World's Slowest Sandwich Maker, but oh well. We get there, we meet Col. and Mrs. Lynch, our hosts. We change. We get to the church on time. Wow. God made beauty in Jersey, and man made beauty at the Cadet Chapel. And then, maybe best of all, faces of people that we love. The Millers, the Corliss's, the Johnsons, and of course the graduate we came to see, Coco Miller. Coco sings the solo in the Cadet Choir for the service, and hits it just right, and then we get to catch up with everyone afterward. We are blessed. Monday morning Turner and I will rise early hopefully bag three in one day - Rhode Island, Connecticut, and Massachusetts.
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