East Coast Trip Aug 2011

We had an excellent visit with family, friends, and business colleagues during August of 2011.  Here is a quick summary of some of the points of interest and restaurants we visited during this whirlwind visit.

• State College, PA – Aug 20 – Visit with Kathy and Mark Maughmer.  Mark was my buddy at Princeton and is now a Professor in Aerospace Engineering at Penn State.  He is a ‘country aerodynamicist’ and is known for his work on winglets, airfoil sections, windmills, and aerospaceplane control derivatives.  We had a great conversation and visit at Duffy’s Tavern in Boalsburg, PA.

• Bedford, MA – Aug 21 – Visit with Chris Mosher our former VP of Advancement at Embry-Riddle.  Turns out we flew into his former flight training airport, Hanscome Field in Bedford, MA.  We went to Longfellow’s Wayside Inn for a country New England lunch (I had an interesting Chicken Pot Pie). Longfellow’s Wayside Inn is proud to be the oldest operating Inn in the country, offering comfort and hospitality to travelers along the Boston Post Road since 1716.

• Boston, MA – Aug 21 – Visit with Ashley Zolenski, my niece, who started a new job in Major Gifts fund-raising for Wentworth Institute of Technology.  We hiked around campus.  Ashley took us to Sibling Rivalry, which is a unique restaurant.  Brothers David and Bob Kinkead crested a ‘dueling’ menu to showcase their talents with different interpretations of seasonal ingredients.  Our table chose equally from both columns.  We were there on restaurant week but came in for an early dinner to avoid the rush.  Many of the recent reviews complained about the crush and slow service, which we didn’t experience.

• Brunswick, MA – Aug 22/23 – We went to Brunswick and visited with former Insitu board member Grog Johnson and wife Joy.  The Johnson’s saltwater farm is known as SnowRidge Farm in Harpswell ME.  We started with a lunch at Holbrooks Wharf Lobster in Harpswell, ME where we had Lobster Rolls with probably a pound of fresh succulent lobster meat, sweet potato fries, and cole slaw.  We loved it.  That night we boated out with DeLorme’s classic motor-sailer the William Hand.  Included in this activity was ISAC member Harry Spies with wife Jeanie and new DeLorme president, Mike Heffron.  We had dinner at the Chebeague Island Inn, which can only be reached by boat or ferry.  We had breakfast near the Cribstone Bridge with a view of Cook’s Lobster House on Bailey Island.  Nancy had strong unpleasant memories of the Cribstone Bridge while growing up (fear of falling in) and fond memories of Cook’s (family celebrations).

• Saratoga Springs, NY – Aug 23/24/25 – Arrived at the Union Street house on the 23rd to have a light lunch with Lyman and Merrie Wood.  Lyman and I became acquainted when I was President of Embry-Riddle and Lyman was an instrumental supporter.  Our first night we had dinner at Villa Balsamo.  It is only open during race weeks and has some unique aspects to the experience.  No reservations are permitted (but Lyman had connections) and it seem chaotic under the watchful eye of the owners.  They want to serve the meal their way, but the food was really fresh and tasty.  We wish they would publish their recipes.  The next day we went to the races.  My betting success was weak but all three of my ‘exotic’ bets hit on Race 6, including a Trifecta.  Nancy succeed to use $40 to bet heavily (for her) for all 10 races.  That night we had an excellent meal at the Wishing Well restaurant.  The Wishing Well had a really nice ambiance, was quiet, and the meals were well prepared.

• Easton, MD – Aug. 25 – We went to visit with Professor Dave Hazen and wife MaryAnn.  We always feel comfortable and enjoy catching up at DOSHAIH (Dickerson Old Sailor’s Home and Ice House).  When we arrived we had lunch at the Out of the Fire Restaurant and Wine Bar.  We enjoy the pizzas and grilled sandwiches.  We keep hoping they will have Mango Pie back on their menu.

• Sherrill’s Ford, NC – Aug 26/27/28 – We departed Easton early to dodge Hurricane Irene and joined the Brignoli’s at their new retirement home.  We had a nice lunch and dinner with Debbie and AJ.  We love Debbie’s style and all of the improvements since the last time we saw it.  The next day we had dinner at Mickey and Mooch in Lake Norman.  The next day spend with George and Sandy Village and heard about some George’s new business venture ideas.

• Hilton Head, SC – Aug 28 – We flew to Hilton Head to visit with my former NASA boss and flight instructor, Bill Anderson and his wife Jane.  They took us to the Crazy Crab for lunch and toured us around the island.  Bill retired from NASA about 15 years ago and settled nicely into Hilton Head.  Jane and Bill were my family away from home during my 20’s and it was great to catch up with him and hear about the kids.

• Johnson City, TN – Aug 28/29/30 and Sept 1 –  We ended out travels with a visit to Nancy’s mom.  We stayed at the Johnson City Doubletree but had some nice meals with her mom.  We ended up eating at the following:  Firehouse Restaurant, Gourmet & Company, and the Wellington’s Restaurant.  The last two were new to Nancy’s mom.  The setting on the last one was great but we really enjoyed Gourmet and Company the best.