I'm In Love

Paul and I went to the Greater Philadelphia RV Show held in Oaks, PA at the Expo Center. This is the third RV show we've been to this year and so far, the best. There were lots of dealers with many different makes and models. The two in NJ, Edison and AC, had the same dealers and mostly the same models, that in itself made this one better. There were also so many more to see. Knowing we have narrowed the field down to a Class C or small Class A, we focused on those. There were three good possibilities and a couple of, "well, it could work". Thing is, this is where we plan on living for the next, oh who knows, at least a year and hopefully, five or ten. We don't really want a "well, it could work", we want a, "Yes, This is good" And, we found it, if it were six months to a year from now, we may have drove out of there in a new RV.

What, you may ask, set it a part from the others, many things. Having looked at so many different units, we know more and more what is important to us. Two concerns are on the top of the list: Small enough to get us in the State and National Parks yet big enough for Paul to be comfortable. Believe me, this is not an easy find. Paul is 6'4" and most Class C so called queen size beds are 74" long. That is several inches to short for him and no, he is not going to forfeit being able to stretch out in bed. Speaking of beds, so many of the smaller unit have corner beds so one of us would have to crawl over the over and slide out the bottom or the bed is on a slide and folds when the slide in is. That leaves the mattress with a horizontal ridge across the middle. If you ask me that is going to get uncomfortable real fast, rather like sleeping on an old sofa bed with that wonderful bar across the middle! The other issue most units have is the shower is to short for him and the ac unit, which is mounted on the roof hangs down into the living space and becomes a nasty head banger.  He could just crawl around on his knees, but that's not really a option.

Along comes the 27QB Freelander by Coachman. It hits all the marks. It has enough head space for Paul to walk freely and stand up in the shower. The bed is a true queen size and not only that but is a walkaround, which means you can access it from the bottom and both sides. It has a couch as well as a dinette, which gives you more seating space and if we have the families along from time to time, can sleep 7 - 8 people. Two in the back in the queen, two in the space over the cab that coverts to a almost queen, two in the dinette converted into a double and one (or two small kids) on the sofa bed! With Sara and Kevin having three boys, that is a bonus. It has nice storage and is well appointed, not flashy and glitzy like some of the Class A's. Another big bonus, it has over 3800 lbs of Cargo Carrying Capacity!!! Many of the Class Cs have just over 1000 lbs and when you consider the weight of the people, water, propane and all your stuff, it adds up fast. We also like that it has no slides. Slides are nice in that they give your more room when out, they are one more thing to go wrong and sometimes you can't walk from one end to the other when they're in. Yep, just about perfect and that's pretty much the best you can get with any RV. Just about perfect for you.

So this is my some day soon!!

Yep, Nice fit!! 

The Poet Of Matawan

Recently, I had the pleasure of meeting a friend for dinner at a local restaurant, The Brass Rail, located along a stretch of Route 79 also called Freneau Avenue in Matawan, New Jersey. Good food, good prices, and welcoming atmosphere makes it a worthwhile stop. I did a bit of reminiscing as I was leaving, thinking of all the different names the building has had over the years. The one that stands out: The Poet's Inn.

The Poet's Inn opened in 1961, with the name honoring the memory of Philip Freneau, who lived in the original house at that location, circa 1700's. Philip Freneau was, among other things, a poet, and newspaper editor. He was often called the "Poet of the American Revolution". Through his newspaper he a strong critic of George Washington and was close friend of James Madison. 

The area surrounding the restaurant is also known as Freneau and has a Fire Company, cementary (where Philip Freneau is buried) and several parks with that name.

One of those parks is tucked in a quiet area where Matawan, Marlboro and Old Bridge borders converge, off Monastery Lane. Freneau Woods Park, part of the Monmouth County Park System, covers 209 acres of wooded land which once belong to a Basilian monastery, the Basilian Fathers of Mariapoch, as well as the Freneau family. There is a 1.6 mile trail with more trail development planned in the near future.

We went to explore the park over the weekend. We were disappointed that while it boasts a Visitor Center, it was closed. 

Visitor Center

Chapel

Love this old tree

We did walk along the unmarked trail, which was easy to follow until we came to a fork. Going to the right, we found, leads to an large swath of land following the electrical power lines. There were further paths along this but the area was so swampy at this time we couldn't go far. Backtracking, we picked up the park trail which loops around to the parking lot once again. Perhaps, one day we will go back to visit the center and see what progress has been made on the other buildings. We didn't see much but did get to listen to a woodpecker and watch a nuthatch climbing around a tree.

It could be considered one of those little known gems.

Not much green this time of year but this tree like moss was pretty.

We decided not to take this path!!

On the Death of Benjamin Franklin
By Philip Freneau (1752–1832)
(April 17, 1790)

THUS, some tall tree that long hath stood
The glory of its native wood,
By storms destroyed, or length of years,
Demands the tribute of our tears.

The pile, that took long time to raise,      
To dust returns by slow decays;
But, when its destined years are o’er,
We must regret the loss the more.

So long accustomed to your aid,
The world laments your exit made;      
So long befriended by your art,
Philosopher, ’tis hard to part!—

When monarchs tumble to the ground
Successors easily are found;
But, matchless Franklin! what a few      
Can hope to rival such as you,
Who seized from kings their sceptred pride,
And turned the lightning’s darts aside!