Visiting Pennsylvania Family & Friends and Eating

Between our trips to Boston and the Poconos we met up with friends and got to eat some of our favorite local foods (cheesesteaks, hoagies, soft pretzels, Rita's water ice, TastyKake Krimpets, and Wawa).

Al's favorite hoagie can be found at Angelo's in Southampton, Pennsylvania.  He gets the Italian hoagie and I love the ham and cheese hoagie.  

Over the years we've gotten to know the daughter of one of the owners, Nadia.  She's a waitress there and remembers our order every time she sees us.  Her father and one of the founders of the restaurant, Andre, passed away recently.  That's him in the photo behind us. 

Nadia, Nancy, and Al

We visited a friend of mine from my Prudential days, Marcie and her son, Alan.  Marcie has known me since I was 17 and before I graduated high school  I was working part-time at Prudential in the afternoons then.  After graduation, I went full-time.  Marcie mentored me as I was first learning Information Processing, a career that served me well.

Alan, Muffin, Marcie, and Nancy

Marcie and Alan have a sweet dog, Muffin.

Muffin

We visited with more friends from my Prudential days but I forgot to take photos.  It was great to catch up with Karin, Brian, and Sarah and Vicki and Bill.

A couple of weekends we went to my Dad & Barb's house in the Poconos in Towamensing Trails.  It's a cute house and just the right size for them to escape Schwenksville and enjoy the mountains.

Towamensing Lake

Al helping my Dad hang a cabinet in the bathroom in the mountain house.

Dad & Barb's cat, Lady Alaina, but often called Goobie.

I also got to spend time with my Dad on Father's Day this year which was a treat.

Dad, Barb, Nancy, & Al

One day Al and I took a drive to Jim Thorpe, PA.  The town is named for an Olympic Gold Medal Hero and I always assumed he was from the area but after reading the info boards near his grave site, I learned that is not true.  

After Thorpe's funeral was held at St. Benedict's Catholic Church in Shawnee, Oklahoma, his body lay in state at Fairview Cemetery after citizens had paid to have it moved to Shawnee by train from California. The people began a fund-raising effort to erect a memorial for Thorpe at the town's athletic park. Local officials had asked state legislators for funding, but a bill that included $25,000 for their proposal was vetoed by Governor Johnston Murray. 

Meanwhile, Thorpe's third wife, unbeknownst to the rest of his family, took Thorpe's body and had it shipped to Pennsylvania when she heard that the small Pennsylvania towns of Mauch Chunk and East Mauch Chunk were seeking to attract business. She made a deal with officials which, according to Thorpe's son Jack, was done by Patricia for monetary considerations. The towns bought Thorpe's remains, erected a monument to him, merged, and renamed the newly united town in his honor Jim Thorpe, Pennsylvania, even though Thorpe had never been there. The monument site contains his tomb, two statues of him in athletic poses, and historical markers describing his life story.

It was still a cute town to visit.

Jim Thorpe's grave site

We spent some time with my niece and nephew.  We visited Jackie down in the city where she attends the University of Pennsylvania working on her PhD.  We went to an Asian restaurant nearby with her and after dinner it was raining so hard that I forgot to get a photo of us.

Another day we met up with Zach and went to a restaurant to catch one of the 2019 FIFA Women's soccer games and catch up.

Nancy, Al, and Zach

Zach, Nancy, and Al

One day we met up with my cousin, Kate, for lunch before she went to work at the IRS in Philadelphia. Unfortunately her boyfriend, Steve, had to work and couldn't join us.

When Dad and Barb were back in Schwenksville, there were more projects for Al to help with.

Dad & Barb's house in Schwenksville

Another project for Al

Nancy and Dad (wearing glasses)

Nancy and Dad (not wearing glasses)

We met up with my brother, Jay, and his girlfriend, Mel for dinner one night in Skippack.  It was nice to see them both.

Al, Mel, Nancy, and Jay

Al trying to recreate Rashmi's delicious chutney

Dad & Lady Alaina

Al made these delicious skewers for dinner one night for all four of us

One day we drove down the shore to Strathmere, New Jersey to visit with my god-parents, Aunt Etta and Uncle Roy.  They took us to lunch at the Tuckahoe Inn.  We enjoyed our time seeing them.

Uncle Roy, Aunt Etta, and Nancy
Nancy's God-Parents

Another day we visited my Grandfather's nephew and his wife, Bob and Kathy.  We always enjoy catching up with them.  Bob had a list of questions for us after following our blog.

Nancy, Bob, and Kathy

And then it was off to visit my Grandparent's neighbors, Paulette and Richey.  They were such great neighbors to my grandparents when they were living and we've kept in touch with them over the years.  My grandmother died in November 2004 and my grandfather died in June 2007.

Paulette, Richey, Nancy, & Al
My Grandparents neighbors

We also had dinner with my friend and her husband, Karen and Pat.  Karen and I have been friends since first grade!  I found a cassette tape we made when we were kids and we all had a laugh listening to how weird we were as kids pretending to be disc jockeys.

Karen & Pat

Unfortunately, the month went by too quick and we didn't get to see everyone we planned to.  

Next we're back to Snow Canyon State Park to pick up our truck and trailer and hit the road.