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Review: Yocco's - William World News
Tuesday, February 02, 2010
Review: Yocco's
 ALLENTOWN, Pa. -- For several years now, I've been wanting to try Yocco's The Hot Dog King on the way back from my annual ski trip in the Poconos. Yocco's goes back to 1922 and is perhaps the best known Lehigh Valley eatery. We stopped by the location near Lehigh Valley International Airport, just off of the Airport Road exit of US 22-Lehigh Valley Thruway (or the Double-Duece according to my friend Tom). Going in, I had heard mixed reviews of Yocco's. Tom said "really, Yocco's?" while another acquaintance gave it the thumbs up. Tom's contention was that Yocco's wasn't bad, but nothing special. After eating there, I have to agree with Tom.  My wife and I each ordered two hot dogs each with chili sauce, onions and mustard. She also added cheese; Kraft singles or something similar that is put in the bottom of the roll. The franks are Hatfield, a tasty brand that are the official hot dog of Citizen's Bank Park in Philadelphia. Ours were not very fresh though, having sat on the cooler side of the stove for an indeterminate amount of time. The chili sauce was fairly tasty, but not very hearty and overall nothing special. One cannot expect much for $1.24 each I suppose. I also ordered the crinkle cut french fries which were fine, but nothing special. Mrs. T's pierogies are also available as a side, but we did not order them. Yocco's is so named because the indigenous Pennsylvania Dutch population had trouble pronouncing Iacocca, the family who opened the restaurant and runs it to this day. Yes, it is the same family as former Chrysler chairman and Snoop Dog pal Lee Iacocca -- he's the nephew of the founder. Know run by a fourth Iacocca generation Yocco's has six locations. They also have a great "hot dog king" logo that looks like the kind of sticker a pre-teen's skateboard might have on it. Yocco's is cheap, decent and the backstory is good, but nothing really special. I may stop a Yocco's again some time if I'm in the Lehigh Valley, but I am not going out of my way to do it. Labels: Food and Drink, Pennsylvania, Travel
posted by WFY @ 10:41 AM |
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Places I went in 2009 - William World News
Tuesday, January 05, 2010
Places I went in 2009
Every year I do a tally of places I have been. The two ways for a location to qualify -- I had a meal there (non-fast food) or spent the night there. Sometimes, I make exceptions that rule though, like for apple-picking. Alexandria, Va. Arlington, Va. Falls Church, Va. Great Falls, Va. McLean, Va. Purcellville, Va. Reston, Va. Vienna, Va. Washington, D.C. Newark, Del. Ellicot City, Md. Avalon, N.J. Stone Harbor, N.J. Wildwood, N.J. New York, N.Y. Boiling Springs, Pa. Burnham, Pa. Harrisburg, Pa. Lewistown, Pa. Reedsville, Pa. Yeagertown, Pa. Springfield, Pa. State College, Pa. Tannersville, Pa. University Park, Pa. The list has been getting shorter for the last couple of years. Here is to a more adventurous 2010! Labels: Arlington, BeltwayLand, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, The District, Travel, Virginia
posted by WFY @ 2:00 PM |
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The Trenton Makes The World Takes bridge - William World News
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
The Trenton Makes The World Takes bridge
 TRENTON, N.J. -- One of my favorite parts of the ride up the Northeast Corridor is crossing the Delaware River and seeing the "TRENTON MAKES THE WORLD TAKES" sign on the Lower Trenton Toll-Supported Bridge. Ironically, the bridge is free, but is supported by the Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission. The neon sign, erected in 1935, celebrates Trenton's industrial legacy. I don't know how industrial Trenton still is but Taylor Pork Roll comes from there and that's good enough for me. It is also the state capital of New Jersey. Oddly enough, I have been a legal resident of New Jersey and Virginia and I had never so much as set foot in either state capital until this last jaunt up the Northeast Corridor. On the way back, I hopped off the platform and snapped a quick photo on the platform of the Trenton train station. That probably marked the first time since 1979 that I had set foot in the Garden State on three consecutive Saturdays. As for Richmond, maybe someday, no rush.  TRENTON MAKES THE WORLD TAKES, Trenton, New Jersey, NJ, Delaware River Joint Toll Bridge Commission, Lower Trenton Toll-Supported BridgeLabels: Datelines, New Jersey, Northeast Corridor, Travel
posted by WFY @ 10:00 AM |
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Newark, Del. might have been my college town - William World News
Tuesday, September 01, 2009
Newark, Del. might have been my college town
 NEWARK, Del. -- On our way back from the Jersey Shore last month, we had no timeline for getting home, so we took a more leisurely pace. After leaving New Jersey we entered Delaware and found ourselves getting hungry which is advantageous since there is no sales tax there. Our son was ready to be out of the car too, so we wandered into Newark which is pronounced by the locals as "New Ark" as opposed to Newerk (New Jersey) or Nerk (Ohio). I am somewhat familiar with the second largest city in the First State having toured the University of Delaware as a high school senior and stopped at the McDonald's on Route 896 scores of times over the years. I was pretty impressed with Delaware's campus and location at the time and surely would have happy to apply had they sent me an application. Newark strikes me as a pretty good college town, better than say, College Park, Md. or New Brunswick, N.J.  We decided on Klondike Kate's, a local saloon with an outdoor patio. I ordered a pretty good cheesesteak which was and my wife enjoyed "The Soprano," an Italian hoagie. Our son had grilled cheese and applesauce, free during the summer, information that may come too late (sorry!). We'd go there again sometime. A co-worker of mine from Delaware agreed it with us that it is a good place. It was also much more affordable than the Friendly's on Route 896:  Oh and no regrets about not applying to Delaware. While everybody I know who went there really enjoyed it, Penn State was and is pretty good to me. I'm glad I am a Nittany Lion and not a Fighting Blue Hen. ;) Newark, Del., University of Delaware, Delaware, Klondike Kate'sLabels: Datelines, Northeast Corridor, Travel
posted by WFY @ 9:30 AM |
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Why does New York get their own Pepsi cans? - William World News
Monday, August 31, 2009
Why does New York get their own Pepsi cans?
 NEW YORK -- Since at least the mid 1990s, Pepsi cans sold by food carts in Manhattan have always said NEW YORK. I don't recall seeing this in any other city. Granted the other cities that tend to buy from food carts are Washington and Arlington (actually a county, of course) so I can't speak to say Boston or Chicago, but I have a feeling its just a New York thing. Why don't other cities do it? By the way, a Sabrett and a can of Pepsi is a requirement of any trip to New York for me.  Pepsi, foodcart, nyc, New YorkLabels: Datelines, Food and Drink, New York, Northeast Corridor, Travel
posted by WFY @ 2:00 PM |
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Saturday, September 12, 2009 11:57:00 PM
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Monday, September 28, 2009 6:48:00 PM
In which find a similiarity between New York and West Hazleton, Pa. - William World News
In which find a similiarity between New York and West Hazleton, Pa.
 NEW YORK -- When I was student at Penn State Hazleton, many of us often passed an intersection that had a "WAIT FOR GREEN" sign next to a traffic light in West Hazleton. Obviously, this from the Redundant Department of Redundancy Department, so we we made fun of the borough of West Hazleton/PennDot for posting it. As much as I like New York, I have to poke fun at them now too. Maybe next time, they'll post the more appropriate DELAYED GREEN sign and spare themselves my mockery. waitforgreen, donuts, Lower East Side, nyc, New YorkLabels: Datelines, New York, Northeast Corridor, Transportation, Travel
posted by WFY @ 10:00 AM |
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Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side - William World News
Friday, August 28, 2009
Doughnut Plant on the Lower East Side
 NEW YORK -- I visited my friend David for six hours last Saturday. We wound up at the Lower East Side's Doughnut Plant after breakfast at a dive near his apartment in the East Village. Had I known beforehand about Doughnut Plant, I would have insisted we just go there for breakfast. The bakery, with its very small customer area, stays open until they run out of donuts. David talked up the creme brulee donut and awful lot, so I went with that one. It met his high expectations. The standard yeast raised glazed was also quite good. I might even make a special trip the next time I'm in Manhattan. Doughnut Plant, donuts, Lower East Side, nyc, New YorkLabels: Datelines, Family and Friends, Food and Drink, New York, Northeast Corridor, Travel
posted by WFY @ 10:00 AM |
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A poor attempt at "What Exit?" - William World News
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
A poor attempt at "What Exit?"
 STONE HARBOR, N.J. -- I give credit to those in New Jersey who took the "What Exit?" joke and decided to take it back and embrace it with buy selling it as merchandise. Down the Shore, stickers, t-shirts and more celebrate the Garden State Parkway exit number for that particular beach town. When I first saw this hat, I wondered why there was a North Carolina route marker on it. Then it dawned on me that it was probably an attempt to say "EXIT 10" which is Stone Harbor Blvd. My theory is that the shop saw something for NC 12, the main highway in North Carolina's Outer Banks and tried to adopt it for the Jersey Shore. For me, well-versed in things like state highway markers, it falls short. Stone Harbor, NJ, Jersey Shore, Seven Mile Island, NC 10, Labels: New Jersey, Travel
posted by WFY @ 9:16 PM |
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Oh Superman where are you now? - William World News
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Oh Superman where are you now?
 AVALON, N.J. -- 50th Street may be hard as nails and sensitive too, but it can't seem to figure out that Dune Drive in Avalon and Second Ave. in Stone Harbor are really the same road. Avalon, NJ, Jersey Shore, Down the Shore Lois LaneLabels: New Jersey, Travel
posted by WFY @ 2:00 PM |
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Kentucky is a storm ready community - William World News
Kentucky is a storm ready community
 AVALON, N.J. -- When I first saw this sign, I wondered why Kentucky was on it. It turns out it was a cloud and it was a little "chubby" to be Kentucky anyway. Avalon, NJ, Jersey Shore, Seven Mile Island, Ocean Drive, sign Cape May CountyLabels: New Jersey, Travel
posted by WFY @ 10:00 AM |
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Pop quiz, The Avalon Motel is located in? - William World News
Monday, August 24, 2009
Pop quiz, The Avalon Motel is located in?
 NORTH WILDWOOD, N.J. -- If you guessed Avalon, you're wrong. Why someone would name a hotel after two towns up (via two bridges) is beyond me. Avalon and North Wildwood are very different places. North Wildwood, NJ, Jersey Shore, The Avalon MotelLabels: New Jersey, Travel
posted by WFY @ 8:50 PM |
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Pitza: It's not just from Hazleton anymore - William World News
Pitza: It's not just from Hazleton anymore
 WILDWOOD, N.J. -- My wife noticed this sign on the boardwalk. Previously, we had been led to believe that pitza was a food stuff indiginous to Senape's of Hazleton, Pa. Our friend Tom once had this to say about it:To clarify, no one "likes" Senapes pitza. We consume it out of fear. Yes, fear. No one has ever seen a Senape's bakery delivery truck anywhere near their local market, and yet, there it is...every Saturday morning during grocery shopping...the ominous blue and white box (obviously the colors of the ever-mistrusted and thrice-cursed U.N.)...oils slowly oozing from the corners of its container...lying there...lying there in wait...slowly self-replicating via some bizarre Cronenberg-ian ovipository sequence relating to its bakery-string-like replication tendrils.
Shudder. It is not so much ingested as it is...destroyed. Based on that, we decided not to inquire any more. Wildwood, NJ, Jersey Shore, boardwalk, pitzaLabels: New Jersey, Travel
posted by WFY @ 10:00 AM |
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This almost makes it okay to get McDonald's on a boardwalk - William World News
Friday, August 21, 2009
This almost makes it okay to get McDonald's on a boardwalk
 WILDWOOD, N.J. -- This retro neon Speedee sign on the Wildwood boardwalk may have been there from before it could be considered retro. That almost makes it okay in my mind to get McDonald's on a boardwalk. When on a boardwalk, support the indigenous grease merchants, mmmkay? You can still stop for McDonald's on the way home. Wildwood, NJ, Jersey Shore, boardwalk, McDonald's, SpeedeeLabels: Food and Drink, Travel
posted by WFY @ 2:00 PM |
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The Wildwood boardwalk - William World News
The Wildwood boardwalk
 WILDWOOD, N.J. -- As Jersey Shore towns go, the Wildwoods (shorthand for Wildwood, North Wildwood and Wildwood Crest; Jersey loves identifying similarly named towns with "The" as in Oranges and Amboys) are about pretty much the antithesis of the Seven Mile Island towns of Avalon and Stone Harbor. Whereas those two are quiet towns with beach houses and no boardwalks, Wildwood full of motels and a long boardwalk. Needing to keep my son out of the house for a few hours for cleaning, we decided to spend a little time on the Wildwood boardwalk. We parked on the last street in North Wildwood and pushed the stroller up one of the steep ramps onto the boardwalk and headed south. Several years ago, my first impressions of the Wildwood Boardwalk was that it was more tacky than trashy and that remains my opinion. We saw lots of shops with t-shirts extolling the merits of New Jersey, regional teams, Cookie Monster and my favorite, the "I put ketchup on my ketchup" shirt. I restrained myself from buying it. Food wise, I wound up getting Curley Fries which are actually crinkle cut, while Erica got funnel cake. We all shared it, Will approves. We also stopped a Stewart's stand for root beer. I took a few photographs while we were there too. [ flickr : Photos tagged with wildwoodboardwalk/ slideshow] Wildwood, NJ, Jersey Shore, boardwalkLabels: New Jersey, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:39 PM |
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No toll for cyclists on Ocean Drive bridges - William World News
Thursday, August 20, 2009
No toll for cyclists on Ocean Drive bridges
 AVALON, N.J. -- In Cape May County, a series of roads connecting the barrier islands all the way to Atlantic City are known as Ocean Drive (Wikipedia). The " Follow the Gull" signs direct motorists to a thru route that avoids the mainland. The route has a number of drawbridges over inlets connecting the islands. There are tolls between the islands though, likely so that Ocean Drive won't be used as an free alternative to the Garden State Parkway, not too mention bridge upkeep. When I started going to Seven Mile Island for extended stays again, I started making sure I had my bicycle with me. The first year, I decided to cross off the island, I asked the toll taker if I had to pay a toll. I was pleased to learn that I did not. It is a good thing too -- tolls are now $1.50 which is more expensive than the Parkway I believe. This year I wound up biking across the bridges between Stone Harbor and North Wildwood as well as the bridge between Avalon and Sea Isle City. I also drove across those bridges in addition to the one between Sea Isle City and Ocean City when I went for a drive with my son to get us out of the house on cleaning day.  [ flickr : Photos tagged with oceandrive/ slideshow] Avalon, Stone Harbor, NJ, Jersey Shore, Seven Mile Island, Ocean Drive, bicycling Cape May CountyLabels: Bicycling, New Jersey, Transportation, Travel
posted by WFY @ 11:45 AM |
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We have been going to Springer's for five generations - William World News
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
We have been going to Springer's for five generations
 STONE HARBOR, NJ -- I have mentioned Springer's before, but I'll do it again. The place has great ice cream and is a Seven Mile Beach institution. By my calculations, my son and his cousin, became the fifth generation of my family to enjoy ice cream there. Will had chocolate and banana on separate visits. My dad had rum raisin as always and my mom had lemon. I don't know what the rest of us had, but I went with my usual. We went there only three times during our visit, though it'd be pretty fun to go nightly. Springer's has been owned by Barbara and Neil Humphreys of central Virginia since 1975. He took the famed Penn State Ice Cream Short Course. Next year, they are inviting back anybody whoever worked at Springer's since they bought it for a reunion.  [ flickr : Photos tagged with springers/ slideshow] Stone Harbor, NJ, Jersey Shore, Seven Mile Island, Springer's, ice creamLabels: Food and Drink, New Jersey, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:06 PM |
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And now let us praise the outdoors shower - William World News
Monday, August 17, 2009
And now let us praise the outdoors shower
 AVALON, N.J. -- I know I'm not the only one who loves the outdoor showers at the beach. I still get occasional hits from a defunct nj.com blog that I commented on with a link to this 2007 post about outdoor showers on Capitol Hill. In short, showering outdoors after a long day on the beach and in the ocean is incredibly refreshing. All the more so with a Pepsi in hand (the gin and tonic comes after the shower). For my family, an outdoor shower is a requirement for a Shore beach house. This year's rental had a decent one, the water pressure was good, but the floor was concrete. I prefer the classic all-wood shower, but in the end this one was good enough. Avalon, NJ, Jersey Shore, Down the Shore outdoors showerLabels: New Jersey, Travel
posted by WFY @ 2:00 PM |
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Avalon is a great place to be "off the grid" - William World News
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Avalon is a great place to be "off the grid"
 I'm back from a week down the Shore in beautiful Avalon, N.J. We had a great time and my son seems to like the beach and the ocean. While there we introduced him to the Atlantic Ocean (he likes splashing around), the fine Seven Mile Island sand, Springer's Ice Cream and even funnel cake on the Wildwood Boardwalk. I had absolutely, no internet withdrawal while up there either. I also won the Yurasko Bodysurfing Competition again. Now, I'm back and I think might have a few things to blog about now. I just wiped out my Google Reader which was at 1000+ too. Let me know what I missed that was really good. Avalon, NJ, Jersey Shore, Down the ShoreLabels: New Jersey, Travel
posted by WFY @ 8:40 PM |
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Cheaper Northeast Corridor Amtrak this summer - William World News
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
Cheaper Northeast Corridor Amtrak this summer
 Amtrak cuts Northeast fares 25 percent for the summer - Bloomberg/The InkyThis summer many one way fares to New York from D.C. will be $49. This is pretty good news, since I have been thinking of spending an afternoon up there to catch up with a few people. This is also good news for people trying to take a daytrip to catch a ballgame, like we did last year. Amtrak, train, Northeast Corridor, lower faresLabels: Northeast Corridor, Transportation, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:01 PM |
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Places I went in 2008 - William World News
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Places I went in 2008
I used the same criteria as previous years -- I have to had a meal or spent the night there. Fast food does not count either. Alexandria, Va. Arlington, Va. Bluemont, Va. McLean, Va. Vienna, Va. Virginia Beach, Va. Washington, D.C. Columbia, Md. Avalon, N.J. Sea Isle City, N.J Stone Harbor, N.J. Bronx, N.Y. New York, N.Y. Allentown, Pa. Belleville, Pa. Harrisburg, Pa. Hershey, Pa. Lewisberry, Pa. Lewistown, Pa. Manada Hill, Pa. Mechanicsburg, Pa. Reedsville, Pa. State College, Pa. Tannersville, Pa. Kenley, N.C. Wilson, N.C. Conway, S.C. Myrtle Beach, S.C. Pawley's Island, S.C. There are a couple of exceptions to the rule -- we did not eat in Bluemont, but cut down a Christmas tree, so that counts. Also, we drove through Delaware but did not stop. This year also marked the least amount of visits to New Jersey ever. Next year, we will have to do better. Labels: Alexandria, Arlington, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, The District, Travel, Virginia
posted by WFY @ 8:48 AM |
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Details on a US 22/322 accident that delayed our return home - William World News
Monday, December 15, 2008
Details on a US 22/322 accident that delayed our return home
Wrong-way crash on U.S. 22/322 leaves nine hurt - Patriot-NewsDriving back from some early Christmas celebrations with my wife's family last night, we hit a delay on US 22/322 eastbound, near Dauphin. Apparently, this is what happened: A wrong-way crash Sunday night on U.S. Routes 22/322 near borough Dauphin sent nine people to local hospitals.
State troopers say Timothy Kinert, 51, of Harrisburg was driving east in the westbound lanes and is suspected of being under the influence of alcohol.
Troopers said Anthony Krakowski, 44, of Halifax, was driving west at 7:10 p.m. in the left lane approaching the Dauphin exit when he encountered Kinert's vehicle heading toward him.
Krakowski steered toward the right lane to avoid a head-on crash, but the left front of his vehicle was struck by Kinert's vehicle, troopers said.
The Impact caused Krakowski's vehicle to spin in a counter clockwise direction, and it was struck by a westbound vehicle driven by Larry Mensch, 71, of Milton.
Troopers said Kinert's vehicle continued to head east and spun across both lanes before it struck a concrete retaining wall, troopers said. Troopers said the vehicle continued to spin around, crossed back over both lanes and hit the barrier that separates the east and westbound lanes. That could have been very nasty. As for us, I got off at PA 225 and tried to find a way back to US 22/322 eastbound, but that is just about the worse place for something to happen since Blue Mountain is in the way. After spending 15 minutes trying to find a way out, I turned around with the intention of going back over the Clark's Ferry Bridge (which is kind of an oxymoron, no?) and then down US 11/15. Fortunately, the traffic eastbound had cleared by then. Westbound though, US 22/322 was backed up all the way to PA 39. That could not have been fun. Dauphin, US 22/322, Pennsylvania, accidentLabels: Pennsylvania, Transportation, Travel
posted by WFY @ 2:00 PM |
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Riding the rails of the Northeast Corridor - William World News
Wednesday, August 20, 2008
Riding the rails of the Northeast Corridor
 I have used "Northeast Corridor" as one of my blogger labels for some time now. I use it as a way to organize posts about the Washington-to-Boston corridor since cities like Philadelphia and Boston don't get enough coverage here to warrant their own label. I could use it for The District as well, but I figure it is redundant. Anyway, the actual Northeast Corridor is the electrified railroad tracks between Union Station, Washington D.C. and South Station, Boston. I have been along it via NJ Transit and MARC trains and alongside of it on the PATH and of course I-95 and its spurs and loops, but never on Amtrak, which succeeded the Pennsylvania Railroad as the carrier along the line. We determined that it was the most practical way to make our trip to Yankee Stadium. I ordered our tickets online at amtrak.com and was surprised to see that the standard fare was significantly less than the AAA fare. So, if you are going to be using Amtrak, make sure you check and don't just use AAA or another discount out of habit. For a 6:20 a.m. departure from Union Station and a return trip from Penn Station at 7:55 p.m. it cost $196 total for the two of us. There was a $19 parking fee for that duration at Union Station as well. The train left right on schedule and and proceeded through New Carrolton, BWI Airport, Baltimore, Aberdeen, Wilmington, Philadelphia, Trenton, New Brunswick, Metropark (Iselin), Newark and finally into Penn Station. I enjoyed looking out the window and "seeing everybody's backyard" as my father put it, as a different view of the major cities we passed through. Naturally, I had my camera out and uploaded about three dozen shots of the journey. [ flickr : Riding the rails of the Northeast Corridor/ slideshow] It is hard to beat the convenience we experienced on the ride up. The train puts you right in the transportation heart of Manhattan with several subway lines and other trains available. You can't get that driving or even taking the bus and forget flying. We hopped on the 2 line and switched to the 4 in the Bronx. The snack car was also reasonably priced compared to other travel, no wonder Amtrak is having funding shortfalls. On the way back, it was dark, so taking photos proved to be impossible for me. We ran into trouble too -- overhead wires were malfunctioning, possibly from a fire. That led to single-tracking between Wilmington and Aberdeen which added an hour to our return trip. Ah, deferred maintenance, you are just as bad as I have heard. Even with that, I was pleased overall with the decision to take the train, and will strongly consider it again, although they need to bring back names like the Yankee Clipper for these trains, which would be fantastic. Amtrak, Northeast Corridor, train, railroadLabels: Datelines, Northeast Corridor, Transportation, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:42 PM |
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A final visit to Yankee Stadium - William World News
Sunday, August 17, 2008
A final visit to Yankee Stadium
 THE BRONX -- Erica and I took her parents to their first game at Yankee Stadium. It was my fourth and final visit, the first being 20 years ago. Like that day, the Yankees played the Royals, but this time they won. It took 13 innings and heroics of CF Brett Gardner to win it after an exciting and frustrating day of Yankees baseball. Thankfully, it was a beautiful late summer day and we were sitting in shade, so the nearly five hour long game just flew by. The Bronx Bombers stranded about ten runners, including leaving the bases loaded at least twice. Were it not for several Kansas City errors, the Yanks might have been shutout. The day also featured the awkward experience of cheering for a pitcher that lacked the character to even play for Peter Angelo$. To his credit, Sidney Ponson pitched a pretty good game. We were not able to get in the Monument Park line before the game, so I still have not been there :(. I will have to settle for the new Monument Park across the street someday. I will have several posts about our trip over the next few days. [ flickr : Final visit to Yankee Stadium/ slideshow] Yankees, New York, Yankee Stadium, BronxLabels: Best of WWN, Datelines, New York, Northeast Corridor, Photography, Travel, Yankees
posted by WFY @ 12:00 PM |
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Cowtown, N.J. - William World News
Monday, August 04, 2008
Cowtown, N.J.
 PILESGROVE, N.J. -- Ever since I started going back to Avalon/Stone Harbor, I've been passing this cowboy and Cowtown along U.S. 40. I never bothered to look it up until this week. Who would have thought the longest running rodeo was in South Jersey? Cowtown, rodeo, NJ, NewJersey, South JerseyLabels: New Jersey, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:40 PM |
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Sea Isle City by Segway - William World News
Friday, August 01, 2008
Sea Isle City by Segway
 SEA ISLE CITY, N.J. -- I think it was in 2000 when my friend Tom told me about what would become known as the Segway. He was quite proud of the fact he accurately determined that the Dean Kamen's project IT or Ginger was some sort of scooter with gyroscopes, and was talking to a Times reporter about it. Now, many years later, Segways are well-known, and something I see around my office campus and downtown D.C. regularly. Videos of the Capitals on Segways in downtown D.C. were greeted with much enthusiasm. Up until this week, however, I had never been on one. In June, I opened an email from Jamie Connor of Moving Foward Rentals, a company that offers Segway tours of Sea Isle City. Connor offered me two free rentals in exchange for "an open post on your blog describing your experience (no matter how critical)." Since Sea Isle City is only "two beaches up" from Stone Harbor, I took him up on the offer on Tuesday. Erica joined me, as did my father, who paid his own way (about $40). Upon our arrival, we watched s safety/how-to video that proved to be quite entertaining. We learned that improper Segway use could be very hazardous to the stick figure on the DVD, or us. Following the video, Kimi, our tour guide, demonstrated how to safely use a Segway and helped all of us "get our wheels." She predicted that two of the riders, both of whom may have the same first name that starts with a "W", would be trouble. After several minutes rolling around the showroom, we were ready to roll out on our tour. Oh and there were release forms to fill out. If you do rent a Segway, you probably don't want to destroy it. Kimi took us through the bay side of Sea Isle to start. Our tour was initially along mostly empty streets. There were several straightaways that gave us the opportunity to open up the Segways and reach the maximum allowable speed of 12 MPH. Here Kimi's suspicion was confirmed as one rider was forcibly dismounted by a curb. The other troublemaker was disappointed to be too slow to get out the camera, but was pleased there was no serious injury. That rider was also quite pleased to see that the governor switch that restricts the speed to 12 MPH was imperfect and that a top speed of 13.1 MPH was achieved. Actually, that is the top known speed, so it could have been a little faster. After some time riding along city streets, Kimi directed us to the asphalt promenade that Sea Isle City calls its boardwalk. Here we had the additional challenge of navigating around walkers, cyclists, skateboarders and park benches. Along the way, Kimi chatted with us and the family of four that was part of the tour. She was quite personable. After the boardwalk ended, we were back on the streets of Sea Isle City. I saw the unmistakable umbrella of a Sabrett hot dog stand and decided to stop and get one. My wife and father also indulged. Steering the Segway with one hand was not too hard, but I certainly kept my speed lower.  The tour continued for a little while longer and wrapped around back to the Moving Forward storefront. In all, we were probably out for about 90 minutes. It was quite enjoyable, we all had a good time. I enjoyed riding a Segway, and hope to have another opportunity. It only took a few minutes to get used to it. After the tour, we were all given Moving Forward t-shirts as well. My dad noted that Moving Forward might want to include a sign out front that indicates a lesson was included in the rental, so that potential customers who have never used a Segway would not be intimidated, which struck me as a good point. Otherwise, we were pleased with Moving Forward; their Segway tour was one of the most memorable parts of our vacation. Sea Isle City, Segway, Moving Forward, NJLabels: New Jersey, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:15 PM |
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Time to take Will down the Shore - William World News
Saturday, July 26, 2008
Time to take Will down the Shore
Will is now 8 weeks old and he has yet to experience the Jersey Shore. The time to correct that is today - we're heading up to Stone Harbor for a few days with the my 'rents. Hopefully, upwelling won't be an issue, the surf will be good, short lines at Springer's (ha!) and the weather will be cooperative. There are several posts already scheduled for the next few days. We are scheduled to get back to BeltwayLand on Wednesday. Labels: Family and Friends, New Jersey, Travel
posted by WFY @ 7:50 AM |
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Turnpike dining - William World News
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Turnpike dining
The United Plates of New Jersey - The Times A look at some places to eat near the Turnpike that offer a Jersey experience more satisfying than Vince Lombardi Service Area. I would not have been surprised if all the places selected were diners (Jersey has got to have more diners per capita than anywhere), but a few other kinds of places are featured. New Jersey, NJ, NJ Turnpike, road foodLabels: Food and Drink, New Jersey, Northeast Corridor, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:02 PM |
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Restuarant Review: Moore's Barbecue - William World News
Monday, March 03, 2008
Restuarant Review: Moore's Barbecue
 KENLY, N.C. -- We were not feeling as adventurous on the way back north as we had been on the way down, so we didn't stray far from I-95 for our final meal of the drive. Moore's barbecue, located next to the exit 107, gave us the convince we wanted, but would it deliver on food? The answer -- sorta. Moore's has a pleasant dining area that you set yourself in after ordering food cafeteria-style. I went ahead and got a plate of pork, potatoes and hushpuppies. Pork rinds were thrown on top of the plate, but "being-gastronomically-honest-to-the-local-cuisine" be damned, I'm not eating pork rinds! The pork was tasty, though not as tender as Parker's, the place we ate at on the way down. Moore's uses more peppers, so it has a bit more zing. I enjoyed it as it came and with the pepper sauce. The potatoes were pretty good, though a few were overdone, and the hushpuppies were fine. Erica had another pork sandwich this time and enjoyed it. I was enjoyed Moore's and would go there again, but I wouldn't go out of my way for it like I did with Parker's. Moore's convenience from I-95 meant good barbecue was good enough. I'd be quite happy to have barbecue of this caliber in my neighborhood.  Moore's Barbecue, Kenly, N.C., NCLabels: Food and Drink, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:18 PM |
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Fast Food review: Bojangles - William World News
Friday, February 29, 2008
Fast Food review: Bojangles
 CONWAY, N.C. -- Not long after visiting Coast Carolina University, we needed to make a pit-stop. Since I was a little hungry and certainly curious, we stopped at a Bojangles' Famous Chicken 'n' Biscuits, known for . Not needing a full meal, I ordered a two-piece and biscuit combination, ($2.18), for us to split. Now, I've eaten at a few fried chicken places over the years; KFC, Popeyes' and even El Pollo Campero and I have to say that even with this limited sample size Bojangles emerges as superior. The piece I had was hot, juicy (not just greasy) with spices that were complimentary and not overpowering. Seriously, that was some good chicken. The biscuit was also quite tasty and not too greasy like a lot of places. I will try and go back to one the next time I am down South.  By the way, there is a chain called Maryland Fried Chicken down there. Bojangles, fast food, fried chicken, Conway, South CarolinaLabels: Food and Drink, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:01 PM |
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# posted by Brad Stratton :
Wednesday, March 05, 2008 3:05:00 PM
Fast Food review: SONIC - William World News
Thursday, February 28, 2008
Fast Food review: SONIC
 MYRTLE BEACH, N.C. -- Since we only had a few hours to explore Myrtle Beach, we wound up choosing fast food for lunch. Having never been to a SONIC, we figured we would give yet another regional fast food chain a try. I hadn't planned on making visiting fast food places a theme, but after trips to White Castle and In-And-Out Burger, I have to admit it is fun, if not good for me. We pulled into the SONIC lot and I ordered directly from the car. Despite never having car service before, we elected to sit at one of the picnic tables. Yes, we realized this could be controversial, but after spending 1/3 of the previous day in the car, dining al fresco was a welcome option. Just a few minutes after sitting down, a server arrived with a tray of food. I ordered the SuperSONIC® Cheeseburger with ketchup, fries and a Sprite, and Erica ordered the Bacon Cheeseburger TOASTER® Sandwich with fries and a Coke. I was pleased, that was a tasty burger. Erica enjoyed her sandwich too. The fries were okay.  Despite being satisfied, I also ordered a Coney, a foot long hot dog, with chili (hey, today's National Chili Day), cheese, mustard and onions. That was okay, but nothing special, I only ate about half of it. If/when I go again, I'll skip it and get a SuperSONIC®.  I'll put SONIC behind In-And-Out Burger, but well ahead of White Castle. SONIC, drive-in, fastfood, Myrtle BeachLabels: Food and Drink, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:03 PM |
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# posted by :
Monday, July 07, 2008 2:30:00 PM
Scouting Coastal Carolina University - William World News
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
Scouting Coastal Carolina University
 CONWAY, S.C. -- Penn State's first opponent of the 2008 football season is the Coastal Carolina Chanticleers. It just so happened that our drive down to see Aunt Janet took us right past Brooks Stadium, home of CCU football. After our visit this past weekend, we stopped by the campus to take photos. The campus itself is spread out with pleasant looking brick buildings. The athletic complex on the edge of campus is suitable for a school of its size. There was a baseball tournament going on with Pitt beating Virginia Tech, 9-3 in the fourth inning before dozens of spectators. Brooks Stadium is a small, but attractive football stadium. According CCU Athletics, it seats over 6,000. It also doesn't have locked gates, so I walked around and even onto the field. I was a bit surprised, but pleased to see that CCU plays on grass and not a rug. Good for them, it almost makes up for the teal and black colors. [ flickr : my photos tagged with ccu/ slideshow] Coastal Carolina, Chanticleers, Conway, S.C.Labels: Sports, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:26 PM |
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Restaurant Review: Parker's barbecue - William World News
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Restaurant Review: Parker's barbecue
 WILSON, N.C. -- I took the advice of commenter Sean and John T. (who emailed me) and visited Parker's Barbecue last Friday. I enjoy Carolina-style barbecued pork and was eager to try some from an authentic Carolina restaurant. Parker's is on the side of US 301 in an unassuming building. Upon entering the restaurant, diners may seat themselves. A server offers menus (smaller than a sheet of paper) with barbecue and fried chicken as the highlights. I ordered the barbecue plate with seasoned boiled potatoes and was quite pleased. The pork was moist and tender shoulder meat with a little bit of the browned meat from the outside mixed in. I enjoyed with by itself and with a little of the pepper sauce (similar to Tabasco, but not as strong) from the table. Since we were in the eastern part of the state, the pork doesn't have a tomato-based sauce like western North Carolina barbecue. It was also nice and lean with no chunks of fat mixed in, a welcome sign. The orange-colored, spicced boiled potatoes were also quite good, I'm going to have to start making them on occasion once I get a recipe. Erica enjoyed her barbecue sandwich and fries as well. We also ordered a hush puppies and corn stick plate; the hushpuppies were fine, but the oil overpowered the tasted of the fried corn sticks. Overall, I was quite pleased with Parker's and would not hesitate to make the slight detour from I-95 again. Also, it is worth noting that Parker's does not accept credit cards, but does accept checks from Virginia. Our total came to less than $12, but we rounded up to $15 with tip. Directions: From I-95, take exit 119B to US 117 SOUTH/US 264 EAST (and nominally, I-795 SOUTH). Stay on US 264 past US 117/I-795 split and take exit 43B, US 301 NORTH/Wilson. Parker's is on the left a couple of miles up US 301.  Photo taken from roadfood.com without permission because I forgot to get one of the building. Visit their review of Parker's too.Labels: Best of WWN, Food and Drink, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:32 PM |
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Down south - William World News
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Down south
PAWLEY'S ISLAND, S.C. -- After 450 miles of driving, we arrived in Pawley's Island after 7 p.m. yesterday. If I ever see a scrub pine along I-95 again, it will be too soon. In reality, it'll be tomorrow. After we get back, I'll be posting about Parker's Barbecue, where we had lunch yesterday. In the meantime, some observations from along the road: Wth the completion of the Marine Corps Museum at Quantico there are now four landmarks along the drive . The other three things are Kings Dominion and its "Eiffel Tower," the cable-stayed bridge (or the city of Richmond if you stick to mainline I-95) and the kitchy-est place on earth, South of the Border.
Speaking of South of the Border, the signs for it don't begin until entering North Carolina -- they are showing restraint now.
For the 7th consecutive time I passed it, I did not go to South of the Border.
The billboards along US 501 seem indicate that Myrtle Beach fancies itself as Branson-by-the-Sea. We'll try to drive through it on our way out tomorrow to check it out.
The Grand Strand that I have seen is very pleasant. We're going to walk on the beach in just a little while.Labels: I-95, Travel
posted by WFY @ 10:19 AM |
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Southern swing - William World News
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Southern swing
 On Friday, Erica and I are headed to South Carolina (south of Myrtle Beach) to visit some family. We've got an eight hour drive (or more if this winter storm gets bad), mostly down I-95 and then US 501 in South Carolina, ahead of us. Any suggestions on places to grab a bite to eat? I'm partial to North Carolina style barbecue. Labels: I-95, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:02 PM |
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# posted by WFY :
Wednesday, February 20, 2008 6:35:00 PM
# posted by :
Thursday, February 21, 2008 7:29:00 AM
# posted by WFY :
Thursday, February 21, 2008 8:13:00 AM
Pocono Skiing 2008: Camelback - William World News
Monday, February 18, 2008
Pocono Skiing 2008: Camelback
 TANNERSVILLE, Pa. -- Family and friends can breathe a sigh of relief -- I finally went to Camelback Ski Area in the Poconos for my annual ski trip. I won't be complaining I haven't hit the slopes yet or asking them to come with me anymore! Saturday morning, I woke up at regular time and left for Camelback, widely regarded as the best ski area in the Poconos. I arrived a little later than I had planned, but still had a full day ahead of me. Camelback was packed and I had to park along side the unpaved road far from the main lodge. This proved to be advantageous for me since I was near the Glen Lodge, a smaller lodge located on the east side of the mountain. I had to wait almost 90 seconds in line for my lift ticket. Since I had rented my skis from off-site, I was ready for the slopes. I started off on the beginner run, Sun Bowl and then proceeded to longer slopes like Upper Moore's Ramble and Mark Anthony, all enjoyable runs. I probably took a run down Lower Cleopatra as well. After getting nice and loose, I headed for the Sullivan Express lift to take me up the eastern side of the mountain to reach my favorite slope, the Nile Mile . I believe that Nile Mile is the longest slope in the Poconos. I like it for that reason and also the comfortable degrees of steepness that allow for lots of speed when I want it and not too much when I do not. Additionally, the snow is always quite plentiful on the slope, so ice doesn't tend to be a big deal. After taking Nile Mile a few times, I figured I ought to get some lunch. I stopped at the Glen Lodge and ordered the ribs combo ($12.76 with tax) from the cafeteria. This was a major departure from the typical fare offered at most resorts and actually a decent deal, all things considered. The ribs, while quite fatty, were pretty good as were the seasoned waffle fries. It was actually more food than I probably needed. After filing up, I headed back up the mountain and took another Nile Mile run. I followed that up with The Pharaoh  which fed into The Bactrian . Skiing down The Pharaoh proved quite tricky because it was quite icy and I am not in as good a shape as last year when I still went to a gym. After some more fun on the east side of mountain, I moved over to the Cleopatra triple lift and headed down Mark Anthony again but took Home Again down to the Sullivan Express quad lift. The lines were pretty heavy here and the frequent need for the lift to stop didn't help matters. Once I did get to the top, I enjoyed heading The Birches, the western-most slope, several times. It is a lot like the Nile Mile, only shorter. It feeds The Meadows and John Bailey. After buying a Pepsi from the main lodge, I returned to slopes with a trip down Near East (via the Mark Anthony lift) which fed me into Upper Moore's Ramble and Turkey Trot, each a pretty good run, though Near East starts kind of flat. Seeing that I didn't have much energy left, I headed to the Nile Mile for the rest of the afternoon and took a few final runs. It worked out that I once I finished my last run of the day< i had about a tree minute walk to my car. That was convenient, but there was a minor drawback to parking on the side of the unpaved road. I spent almost all of my time on green circles this year, a major departure from last year's trip, but in fairness many of Camelback's double greens are more challenging than Jack Frost and Big Boulder's blue squares. Also, without an enabler around, I was less motivated to really push myself too much. Weather-wise it was warmer than forecast with temperatures well into the 30s. With the beautiful, cloudless blue sky and ample sun, the snow was a little mushy. I got a little warm wearing seven layers too. Using the ski conditions scale, I give it a . Had it been a little colder, I think it would have been double blue, but that is just the way this winter has worked out. skiing, Poconos, CamelbackLabels: Datelines, Pennsylvania, Skiing, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:11 PM |
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Star Wars exhibit reaches Philly this weekend - William World News
Friday, February 08, 2008
Star Wars exhibit reaches Philly this weekend
 Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination, a traveling exhibit, is setting up shop in Franklin Institute in Philadelphia this weekend. Two years ago, during our Jaunary 2006 trip to Boston, we saw it at the Museum of Science. My brief review of the exhibit: ...has lots of models and costumes from the entire saga. The "science" of Star Wars galaxy is explained and compared with contemporary science from this galaxy. In some ways, we are not far off from things in the Star Wars universe, but sadly lightsaber technology remains elusive. Also, the Millennium Falcon is worth doing too. Sadly, we were not allowed to take any photos inside the Falcon. The Inky preview is critical of the "science" part of the exhibit which is a reasonable assessment, but not many people are there for the science anyway. Both Erica and I really enjoyed the exhibit, more so than the one the Smithsonian had in the late 1990s. Since Philly is less than three hours up I-95 from D.C. so you can make a day-trip out of the visit. If you want to make a weekend out of it gophila.com has a package. I recommend buying tickets in advance though to avoid the lines, particularly for the Falcon simulator which is a separate admission. The exhibit runs until May 2008. [ flickr : my photos tagged with starwars/ slideshow] Star Wars: Where Science Meets Imagination, Frankin Institute, PhiladelphiaLabels: Arts and Culture, Movies, Northeast Corridor, Pennsylvania, Photography, Star Wars, Travel
posted by WFY @ 6:00 AM |
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Farewell, San Francisco - William World News
Friday, January 04, 2008
Farewell, San Francisco
 Nearly three weeks after the fact, over 600 photographs and a couple dozen blog posts later, I'm going to "say goodbye" to the city by the bay. We had a great trip out there and thank David for hosting us. Be sure to check out Erica's [ flickr : set from San Francisco/ slideshow] My entire San Francisco flickr collectionLabels: Best of WWN, Photography, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:05 PM |
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Muir Woods and the Bohemian Grove - William World News
Thursday, January 03, 2008
Muir Woods and the Bohemian Grove
 MILL VALLEY, Calif. -- On day 3 of our San Francisco trip, David drove us out to Muir Woods National Monument. We went for a short hike through the redwoods and comprehended their enormous size. They are big and the woods were dark and damp. I think going there on a sunny day would be a waste of good weather, because I don't think much sunlight can penetrate those tree canopies. We also joked around with each other and got asked by two separate people if we were going to game, meaning the women's volleyball national championship featuring Penn State. We weren't and even turned down a ticket. Yes, I was wearing my Penn State hockey jersey. Of interest to me was the plaque about the Bohemian Grove. I wasn't surprised to learn that it started there and even less surprised that it was moved to private land elsewhere. In case you are not familiar with the Bohemian Grove, it is a gathering of some of the most powerful men in the country. They get together to drink, dress in drag and perform creepy ancient rituals. In essence, the Bohemian Grove is the world's most powerful sausage party. These are the types of things one learns in political economy courses.  Best viewed large[ flickr : my photos tagged with muirwoods/ slideshow] Muir Woods, Bohemian GroveLabels: Photography, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:10 PM |
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Places I went in 2007 - William World News
Places I went in 2007
Generally speaking, I had to either spend the night or sit down for a meal somewhere for it to qualify. Alexandria, Va. Annapolis, Md. Arlington, Va. Avalon, NJ Bellefonte, Pa. Daly City, Calif. Eatontown, N.J. Edison, N.J. Hamilton, N.J. Harrisburg, Pa. Lake Harmony, Pa. Lemoyne, Pa. Lewistown, Pa. McLean, Va. Mill Valley, Calif. Morristown, N.J. Mount Vernon, Va. Philadelphia, Pa. Potomac, Md. Princeton, N.J. Reedsville, Pa. San Francisco, Calif. Ship Bottom, N.J. Spray Beach, N.J. Springfield, Pa. State College, Pa. Stone Harbor, N.J. Virginia Beach, Va. Vienna, Va. Washington, D.C. Northern-most point: Blakeslee, Pa. Southern-most point: Virginia Beach, Va. Western-most point: San Francisco, Calif. (by car, Bedford, Pa.) Eastern-most point: Bay Head, N.J. I doubt I'll get any further west this year, but I hope to get further north, east and south. Hopefully, New York and Boston can make it back on the list too. Labels: Alexandria, Maryland, New Jersey, Northeast Corridor, Pennsylvania, San Francisco, The District, Travel, Virginia
posted by WFY @ 12:06 PM |
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Coit Tower - William World News
Wednesday, January 02, 2008
Coit Tower
 SAN FRANCISCO -- We stopped by Coit Tower, which may or may not be the world's largest concrete fire hose nozzle, on our second day of the trip. We took a cab, driven by an American oddly enough, up Telegraph Hill and took in the excellent views. After we had enough of the parking lot, we went into the tower, looked at the frescoes with a strong labor theme and paid our admission for the elevator ride to the top. Once there we took in the even better views and took a lot of photographs.  [ flickr : my photos tagged with coittower/ slideshow] Coit Tower, SF, San FranciscoLabels: Photography, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:17 PM |
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Virgin America - William World News
Monday, December 31, 2007
Virgin America
 When we went to San Francisco, Erica and I flew out of Dulles International Airport (IAD) on Virgin America to San Francisco International Airport (SFO), the latest offering from Richard Branson's empire. Like the return flight, the flight out was on a new A320. Walking into the plane we immediately notice the mood lighting and ambient music which elicited little more than a shrug. Whatever. Each seat had its own screen with TV, music and instant messaging. I skipped the IM, but watched some TV, when the satellite feed could be picked up, until I got tired of hearing about The Mitchell Report on ESPN. Thankfully, by that time the clouds finally parted and I could look out the window. From Illinois to Nevada, the ground was snow-covered. I also listened to some tunes by Bruce Springsteen, Johnny Cash, Ray Charles and others. Not too bad. We could also order snacks and drinks via the touchscreen; no cash transactions on Virgin America. Typical freebies like soda were free on Virgin America as well. The return flight, a red-eye, was more of the same, though the TVs were not able to get much this time either. Not a big deal since I slept through most of the flight. The flight attendants were a little too loud with their chatting for a red-eye though. Overall, we were satisfied with Virgin America and would fly them again. We departed and arrived on time and our luggage arrived the same time we did. Roundtrip for the two of us came in at under $600. Virgin America, airlineLabels: Transportation, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:39 PM |
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Another ballpark I've never been in - William World News
Friday, December 28, 2007
Another ballpark I've never been in
 SAN FRANCISCO -- A few years ago I had a page called BALLPARKS I HAVE SORT OF BEEN TO1? It was a collection of photos of me standing in front of MLB stadia that I had never seen a game in. At one time there were six, but I have since been to RFK Stadium and Citizens Bank Park for regular season games. Le Stade Olympique is no longer a MLB venue. I could probably add Nationals Park to the list, but it hasn't hosted any regular season games yet. Any way, I've added a new ballpark to the list -- Pacific Bell SBC AT&T Park. We stopped by it on the night we flew back. It was dark and my camera doesn't take great night photos, so it is not the best example. Also, it isn't the best photograph of me either, a longstanding tradition with this series. Here is a slightly better one of me:  1This wasn't originally in Blogger -- I just imported it. Labels: San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:02 PM |
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I-80 terminus - William World News
Thursday, December 27, 2007
I-80 terminus
  SAN FRANCISCO -- I can now say that I have been at both ends of Interstate 80. We jumped on it from US 101 at its western terminus for our brief jaunt to Treasure Island. I have been to the eastern terminus at I-95 in New Jersey several times. By the way, I think the eastern terminus needs to be somewhere in New York City, so that it can cross the George Washington Bridge. It would be fitting to have to big bridges on opposite ends of the road. I-80 is easily the longest interstate that I have seen from both ends. The next longest is probably I-78, though I may have been to both ends of I-87, I can't say for sure. I've passed both ends of I-84, but I wasn't on the eastern end, I was on I-90 (Mass Pike). I have been on all of I-66 and I-68 too.   I-80's current terminus was once the end of US 40 and US 50 until 1964, when California wiped out most of its US routes to avoid duplication with interstate highways. I can understand getting rid of US 40 since there is an I-40 in Southern California, but would it have been so bad to keep US 50 as a sea-to-sea route? I have been to the eastern end in Ocean City, Md. Additionally, extending US 50 back to San Francisco would mean that US 50 was routed over a Bay Bridge twice since there is the William Preston Lane Jr. (Chesapeake Bay) Bridge in Maryland. One of the spans of that cross is even the same X truss style as San Francisco's Bay Bridge. Labels: I-80, San Francisco, Transportation, Travel
posted by WFY @ 6:16 AM |
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The poor Bay Bridge - William World News
Monday, December 24, 2007
The poor Bay Bridge
 SAN FRANCISCO -- In all but about two cities, a bridge like the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge would be the signature crossing. The towers have an attractive design with x-shaped trusses. The cables are lit up at night too. Even more impressive is that the Bay Bridge is really two consecutive suspension bridges end-to-end with a brief tunnel through an island followed by another bridge on the opposite side. As spectacular as that all is it can only be considered the second best bridge in San Francisco. David drove us to Yerba Buena Island/Treasure Island on our way out of town for some views of the San Francisco skyline (and blurry photos, sadly), so we were on the western portion of the bridge. Aside from the death defying on-and-off ramps, we enjoyed the ride. [ flickr : my photos tagged with sanfranciscooaklandbaybridge/ slideshow] San Francisco Oakland Bay Bridge, SF, SanFrancisco, CaliforniaLabels: Photography, San Francisco, Transportation, Travel
posted by WFY @ 5:50 AM |
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Mermaids: more mammal than fish - William World News
Saturday, December 22, 2007
Mermaids: more mammal than fish
 SAN FRANCISCO -- In Ghirardelli Square, there is a statue of two mermaids in a fountain. One is nursing a mermaid baby, so I guess they are more mammal than fish. According to a description of the statue the debut was controversial. I have never understand why are people offended by a mother nursing? We're mammals, what's the big deal?! Labels: San Francisco, Travel, Whiskey-Tango-Foxtrot
posted by WFY @ 8:03 AM |
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The Mt. Sutro tower - William World News
Friday, December 21, 2007
The Mt. Sutro tower
 SAN FRANCISCO -- Over the years I've seen images of the television tower atop Mt. Sutro and always liked it. However, from all of those images from TV and movies and probably Flight Simulator 4, I thought the tower was monochromatic, perhaps even the same color as the Golden Gate Bridge. While I was disappointed to learn that it wasn't Golden Gate red, I still enjoy the stately presence of this unique, three-sided antenna(s). There is a great write-up about the tower on the aptly named Web site, Mount Sutro. Sutro Tower is a 297.8 meter (977 foot) self-supporting steel structure designed to withstand seismic activity—there is a huge foundation with about 6.8 million kilograms (15 million pounds) of concrete in the ground and the tower weighs about 1.7 million kilograms (3.7 million pounds); the actual center of gravity is below ground—which is shared by at least ten television stations and four FM radio stations.
Breaking ground in 1971 and completed in 1972, Sutro Tower began transmitting on 04 July 1973 to the residents of the bay area. Sutro Tower’s base is 254.2 meters (834 feet) above sea level and the total height of the tower above sea level is 552 meters (1811 feet). Sutro Tower is powered by two separate 12.5 kilovolt, high voltage lines from Pacific Gas and Electric. I took a number of photos of it from several vantage points -- [ flickr : my photos tagged with mountsutro/ slideshow] Mount Sutro, SF, San Francisco, towerLabels: Photography, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 6:04 AM |
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America's original Irish coffee - William World News
Thursday, December 20, 2007
America's original Irish coffee
 SAN FRANCISCO-- Our host David mentioned that The Buena Vista, a pub near Fisherman's Wharf, claimed to the first place in America to serve Irish coffee. Since we had spent several hours in that area buying chocolate and taken photos of Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge, America's first Irish coffee bar sounded like a great way to warm up. I'm not a big coffee drinker - Irish or otherwise -, but this experience may have converted me. We wound up having dinner at The Buena Vista and were pleased with the food, the heater next to the table and especially our waitress who was very attentive and efficient. I had the fish and chips which were quite good, while Erica had Dungeness crab cakes. She noted that they were different than Maryland style in that they had red peppers and green vegetables mixed in. While she prefers the Maryland variety, she still enjoyed her meal. The pub is a popular happy hour hangout too, so it wasn't just tourists eating and drinking there. The Buena Vista is the second bar that we have been to this year with a claim as the "first to serve" a specific cocktail. In June, we had mint juleps at the Round Robin bar in the Willard, downtown Washington D.C. TheBuenaVista, Irish coffee, SF, San Francisco, CaliforniaLabels: Best of WWN, Food and Drink, History, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:25 PM |
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Golden Gate Bridge: An incredible American achievement - William World News
Golden Gate Bridge: An incredible American achievement
 SAN FRANCISCO -- I really don't think I can say much about the Golden Gate Bridge that hasn't already been said. I just wish I had been closer on Thursday when we had a great sunset. [ flickr : my photos tagged with goldengatebridge/ slideshow] Golden Gate Bridge, SF, SanFrancisco, CaliforniaLabels: Photography, San Francisco, Transportation, Travel
posted by WFY @ 6:14 AM |
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Golden Gate Park - William World News
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
Golden Gate Park
 SAN FRANCISCO -- On the final day of the trip, we jumped on the MUNI and headed in the direction of Golden Gate Park which is actually several miles south of the Golden Gate. After a short walk through the park, we entered the Conservatory of Flowers which was he first of its kind when it opened in 1879. We enjoyed our time there, spending about an hour. Adult admission was $5 each. [ flickr : my photos tagged with conservatoryofflowers/ slideshow] We then headed in the direction of the Japanese Tea Garden. Along the way we saw this statue of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza (he's on Quixote's left) looking up at Miguel Cervantes.  I have two others as well. When we arrived at the Tea Garden, the sun had come out. We wandered around for about an hour taking many photographs of the garden. I'm partial to Japanese gardens and this one was quite beautiful. We also sat down and had tea which came to $8.67 for the two of us. Admission to the Tea Garden was $4 each. I learned from the Web site that the fortune cookie was invented by Makoto Hagiwara, one of the original landscape designers of the Tea Garden. [ flickr : my photos tagged with japaneseteagarden/ slideshow] We concluded our trip to the park following the Tea Garden. David picked us up and we headed out to Ocean Beach. [Check out all of my Golden Gate Park photos on flickr : my photos tagged with goldengatepark/ slideshow] Golden Gate Park, SF, SanFrancisco, California Labels: Arts and Culture, Datelines, Photography, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:56 PM |
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The Mission - William World News
The Mission
 SAN FRANCISCO -- When David says he lives in The Mission, he's nearly being literal. Just a few hundred feet away from his apartment is Mission Dolores which was founded in 1776. David speaks highly of his neighborhood and it is easy to see why. There are restaurants, bars, shops, a Walgreens and a Safeway (a decent one too, better than most of the BeltwayLand area stores) within easy walking distance. There is also several MUNI lines (subway and at-grade) that stop within a few blocks. A little farther way is the 16th Street-Mission BART station which came in very handy coming in from SFO. Lastly, do you know how mass media has convinced us that everyone living in California has palm trees in their yard or on their street? Dave has that too. Nice 'hood, Dave. Labels: San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 5:47 AM |
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Absinthe Brasserie & Bar - William World News
Tuesday, December 18, 2007
Absinthe Brasserie & Bar
 SAN FRANCISCO -- For several years now, I have been intrigued by the liquor absinthe. The "green fairy" got a bad rap about a century ago that it is now only overcoming. Absinthe has been only been legal in a few states including New Jersey, New York and California in recent years, though dl004d recently said "the four government-approved absinthe blends will be legal in all states starting Dec. 21." That's great, but I wasn't about to wait another few days that I did not have to -- I read in the article, " Absinthe flows again, more stylish than ever," in USA Today that San Francisco's own Absinthe Brasserie & Bar would be selling the real thing before Dec. 21. David and I sampled Lucid after our meal. We both elected to have with a a sugar cube and cold water, rather than any elaborate cocktail. We carefully poured the water over the cube before sampling it. I found the taste surprising, it was much subtler than I expected. The hints of licorice were just that; I was pleased. It was tasty and kind of fun, but at $13 a pop, I would not be terribly inclined to do it too often. Also, in case you were wondering, I didn't see music or hear colors. For dinner, I ordered Grilled Estancia NY Strip steak, fries, mustard glaze, pistou butter. I wasn't crazy about the pistou butter, but the steak was excellent. Erica enjoyed Braised beef cheeks, smashed potatoes, baby turnips, baby carrots, English peas. Dave said the pork confit, braised red cabbage, Serrano ham, crispy mustard spätzle hit the spot. I recommend dining there, even if you are not interested in absinthe. [ flickr : my photos tagged with absinthe/ slideshow] Absinthe Brasserie & Bar, SF, SanFrancisco, CaliforniaLabels: Best of WWN, Food and Drink, Photography, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:51 PM |
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Urban blimp - William World News
Urban blimp
 SAN FRANCISCO -- I was pleased to see the MetLife blimp flying above downtown on the second day of our vacation. I'm glad blimps are still allowed to fly above some cities and wish they flew above mine. blimp, SF, San Francisco, MetLifeLabels: San Francisco, Transportation, Travel
posted by WFY @ 6:20 AM |
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In-N-Out Luther Burger? - William World News
Monday, December 17, 2007
In-N-Out Luther Burger?
 DALY CITY, Calif. -- Prior to this past weekend, neither Erica nor David were familiar with the " Luther Burger" ( snopes), the gastronomical creation of a bacon cheeseburger with two Krispy Kreme donuts for a roll. The sandwich is said to have been created and enjoyed faithfully by the late Luther Vandross. Draw your own correlations between those sandwiches and Vandross's untimely passing. Upon seeing the sign pictured above, both Erica and David exclaimed "Luther burger!", as I had shared this information with them prior to our arrival at In-N-Out We didn't go for broke stroke and make our own Luther burgers when we stopped at the Daly City In-N-Out Burger on the way to SFO Sunday night. However, Erica and I did enjoy our first trip to California's favorite fast food joint, as did David, who was already acquainted with In-N-Out. I ordered a Double Double and fries. Due to my own preferences, I scraped off most of the sauce and skipped the tomato and lettuce, but in retrospect I should left the sauce on, it was tasty. The fries, which are fresh cut, were pretty good, though not on par with McDonald's. The meat was superior though and even a little pink inside. We also found the employees to be very polite and efficient. In-N-Out was the polar opposite of White Castle ( which we visited this past October). In fact, In-N-Out is probably the best fast food joint that I have visited.  In-N-Out Burger, Krispy Kreme, Luther burger, fast food, Daly City, CaliforniaLabels: Best of WWN, Food and Drink, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 2:52 PM |
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# posted by chanuck :
Monday, December 17, 2007 7:14:00 PM
San Francisco -- Day 4 - William World News
San Francisco -- Day 4
 SAN FRANCISCO -- Our final day in San Francisco was quite busy with a trip to Golden Gate Park, Ocean Beach, Seal Rock, the Golden Gate Bridge, Yerba Buena Island and a few other places. Great city, great trip; much more to come. [ flickr set: San Francisco -- Day 4 or slideshow] Labels: Photography, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 2:20 PM |
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California has worn me quite thin - William World News
California has worn me quite thin
 We are back after a whirlwind 3½ days in San Francisco. We had a great trip and thank our friend David for hosting us and showing us around. Photographs from the final day of the trip are currently being uploaded to flickr. I'll have the set/slideshow up shortly. I have a lot to share about the trip too. Labels: Photography, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 1:13 PM |
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San Francisco -- Day 3 - William World News
Sunday, December 16, 2007
San Francisco -- Day 3
 SAN FRANCISCO -- Day three was action packed! I started off the day by running around the Mission taking photos of Mission Dolores and Mt. Sutro. After brunch at a nearby diner, we were treated to a tour of Muir Woods and the Golden Gate Bridge by our host, David. We finished the evening off at Absinthe Brassarie and Bar. [ flickr set: San Francisco -- Day 3 or slideshow] Labels: Photography, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 11:07 AM |
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San Francisco -- Day 2 - William World News
Saturday, December 15, 2007
San Francisco -- Day 2
 SAN FRANCISCO -- We were out and about on day two of our trip, visiting Coit Tower, the sea lions at Pier 39, Chinatown and City Lights. [ flickr set: San Francisco -- Day 2 or slideshow] Labels: Photography, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:09 PM |
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San Francisco -- Day 1 - William World News
Friday, December 14, 2007
San Francisco -- Day 1
 SAN FRANCISCO -- We had a very busy first day here and I took lots of photographs. [ flickr set: San Francisco -- Day 1] Labels: Photography, San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 11:00 AM |
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Welcome to Kal-ee-fornia - William World News
Thursday, December 13, 2007
Welcome to Kal-ee-fornia
 create your own personalized map of the USA or check out our California travel guideSAN FRANCISCO -- We've arrived and I knock another visited state off the list. I have a whole lot more ahead of me. Labels: San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 3:42 PM |
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Going to California - William World News
Wednesday, December 12, 2007
Going to California
Tomorrow, Erica and I are finally heading out to San Francisco for a long weekend. I don't know if there will be much of any blogging while I am out there, but the certainly will be when I get back. Some things I would have discussed: - Justin King thinking of going pro -- stupid for him, but perhaps okay for Penn State since he became such a liability
- The Capitals OT win over the Rags last night
- i-99's opening delayed by weather
- Storm Center!
Have fun while I'm gone and don't be afraid to check in now and then. Labels: San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 10:36 PM |
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This just in: I-95 is really busy during holidays - William World News
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
This just in: I-95 is really busy during holidays
 Metro Networks Presents 'The Top Ten Worst Holiday Traffic Tie-Ups In America' - PR NewswireNew York-Philadelphia-Washington, DC -- Interstate 95. This corridor is easily the slowest 225 miles of highway during the holidays. The section from the Delaware Memorial Bridge to the George Washington Bridge is the worst of it. Left unsaid is that the "worst of it" is the New Jersey Turnpike, half of which is not I-95. Happy Black Wednesday, THE BUSIEST TRAVEL DAY OF THE YEAR!H/T: I-95 Makes List of Worst Traffic Tie-ups - WTOP Interstate 95, NJ Turnpike, trafficLabels: I-95, Northeast Corridor, Transportation, Travel
posted by WFY @ 6:04 AM |
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Best foliage of the season -- I-95? - William World News
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
Best foliage of the season -- I-95?
  CECIL COUNTY, Md. -- Drought has made this autumn a disappointing one for foliage in Northern Virginia and even on the roads to Penn State. I was a bit surprised to see the best colors of the season along I-95 between Baltimore and Delaware. Granted, it has been a long time since I traveled this stretch during this part of fall, but I never remembered it being so good. I'm sure in sunlight it was bordering on spectacular. foliage, Interstate 95, MarylandLabels: Datelines, I-95, Maryland, Northeast Corridor, Travel
posted by WFY @ 6:03 AM |
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If you're going to San Francisco... - William World News
Thursday, November 08, 2007
If you're going to San Francisco...
...what would you see and do? Erica and I are planning on being in San Francisco in mid-December for 3.5 days. She was there 20 years ago, but I've never been. We'll be staying with a friend in the Mission. Obviously, we'll see the Golden Gate Bridge/Park. We'll probably hit Fisherman's Wharf, Ghiadelli Square, City Lights bookstore, The Presidio, Pac Bell Park (or whatever it is called), Chinatown and maybe Alcatraz and , but what else should we see? Fortunately, our friend has lived there for some time, so we'll get to see a good portion of the non-touristy stuff, but we're still interested in ideas. We may hit an In-N-Out Burger too. A bar I read about in USA Today also looks intriguing. San Francisco, tourismLabels: San Francisco, Travel
posted by WFY @ 5:47 AM |
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# posted by :
Thursday, November 08, 2007 2:20:00 PM
<i>Times</i> Travel on the Bourbon Trail - William World News
Monday, November 05, 2007
Times Travel on the Bourbon Trail
Bourbon & Bluegrass - The TimesKentucky's Bourbon Trail is featured in yesterday's Times Travel section. I want to take the trip someday; I've joked that when a friend gets married we'll take a trip like this a la Sideways. There was a dispiriting revelation in the article though: WE were primed for a sampling of the goods. Fortunately, most distilleries on the trail offer tastings. Unfortunately, the local blue laws dictate that quantities remain barely enough to wet one's lips: I was handed a shot glass in the Woodford visitor’s center that contained a mere half-ounce of bourbon. No refills. I suppose that makes it easier and safer to drive from distillery to distillery. Bourbon Trail, KentuckyLabels: Food and Drink, Travel
posted by WFY @ 12:16 PM |
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Not my capital - William World News
Not my capital
 ANNAPOLIS, Md.-- Saturday's visit was probably the my fifthteenth to Maryland's capital city. I have been to Annapolis more than any other state capital. The only other state capitals I've actually spent time in are Harrisburg (Pennsylvania), Boston (Massachusetts), and Denver (Colorado). I've driven around or through Albany (New York), Providence (Rhode Island), Trenton (New Jersey), Richmond (Virginia), Raleigh (North Carolina) and Columbus (Ohio). I've never set foot in Richmond despite living in the commonwealth for 93% of my life. I guess I should correct that someday, but I've never felt compelled to there. What makes Richmond worth the trip? Labels: Datelines, Maryland, Travel
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# posted by
TMBC :
Tuesday, February 02, 2010 2:39:00 PM