The nation can’t figure out if the second Monday in October is Columbus day or Indigenous People’s day. For school personnel in New Hampshire it’s a three day weekend. We haven’t seen Jim and Autumn since July, and even longer since we’ve been to their home, so this was a great time to go see them. I have to say right here that we’ve gotten spoiled by the train. Though our last trip had some tight turnovers from bus to train, it was still so nice to just sit back, relax and enjoy the ride. We’ve done this weekend before and the driving is never fun. Massachusetts took three hours to get through turning a five hour trip into eight. I missed a turn in the Bronx and ended up paying an extra toll to go into Manhattan instead of the GW Bridge. Nonetheless we made it to New Jersey and checked into our usual haunt, the Comfort Inn of Manchester Township.

When I first moved here nine years ago, I’d visit them and pretty much demand that we do something exciting. Age and experience have mellowed me. We’re good with watching movies, grabbing a bite to eat and just being together. I bought Janet a Sushi making kit for her birthday. We tried it out a few weeks ago and were eager to make it for Autumn as it’s one of her favorite foods. She loved it and wants to try it on her own as well. These two are pretty much done living in New Jersey and want to move back to Missouri. We spent a good part of the day looking at houses and making plans for a big move! When that happens, we can quit driving down here and take the train instead!!!

As is our custom, we stayed the night in Manchester then drove into Manhattan to see a show. Being Harry Potter fans, we’ve been thinking about seeing Harry Potter and the Cursed Child for awhile. Up until this year it has been a two-show show. After the pandemic they shortened it to a one seating show which was nice! We arrived in plenty of time to get out and walk the city before brunch. Janet made mention that she liked just being able to walk around, which was music to my ears. Walking a city on a Sunday morning is just about one of my favorite things to do! Our journey took us through the preparations for the Columbus Day parade on 5th Avenue which appeared to feature floats from Latin American countries.

Breakfast eateries around Times Square were pretty busy but we happened to find a nice place in Hell’s Kitchen just as it opened. Though still accessible to tourists, 44 & X at Hell’s Kitchen appeared popular with many locals, a feature we love! New Yorkers are used to crowds with limited space. Fortunately we’ve grown accustomed to dining in close quarters didn’t mind being in the corner listening to the conversations around us. The food was fantastic and the service was outstanding! I found the bathroom quite interesting. The top half of the room was mirrored all around, and votive candles lined the ledge giving the place a very romantic feel. Though romantic is not a word I would normally attribute to a bathroom, it seemed to fit. Overall, this is definitely a place I would come back to.

The creative staff for Harry Potter and the Cursed Child have gone all out to theme the theater in order to immerse the audience in the story. Feathers cover one wall of the exterior and a nest with feathers containing a child is perched on top of the fly well. Inside the lobby has places to take pictures with Hogwarts paraphernalia as well as gifts and refreshments that are themed to the story. You can tell this is a show that is aimed at families. We’re such big fans, I forgot this was based on children’s literature and was surprised to see kids. The show was great, and I think that some children may have been frightened by dementors flying over the audience, or Delores Umbridge taking over the school. I thought it a nice sequel to the books, and left some options open for future stories.

The drive home was pretty uneventful. Traffic was much lighter on the way back so we were home at a decent hour. While perusing Facebook Monday morning, I noticed that our friends, Bruce and Barb Dickerson from Missouri, were sightseeing in Boston. I student taught with Bruce just before graduating college. After coming back to Missouri from Oregon, we reconnected at a local church and sang together in choir and the praise team, and in the Kansas City Symphony Chorus. He and Barb have been good friends of ours for a long time. I reached out to them and they excitedly accepted our offer to get together for lunch. We met at Boston Commons and enjoyed French crepes in the theater district. We had a great time catching up and sharing stories of our grandchildren. While normally I would have escorted them through the city and played tour guide, the weekend was long and we needed some rest. We let them get on with their trolley tour, while we headed home.

The country may not know what to call it, but it’s the first three day weekend after the start of school that we can go on adventures. I think I’m going to start calling it “Back to School Adventure Day!”