XLII: Scranton, Cooperstown, Aaron Burr and Tony Soprano
"Doctors don’t understand pain. When a doctor says, 'you're about to feel some pressure' ... buckle up" - Brian Regan
To beg, borrow, and steal Brian's material, when I say that this update is going to be a little long, you better buckle up.There are just a few weeks remaining in the Watsons tenure in the Northeast and there is much to see, do, and destroy. As I mentioned when we last met, we've been trying to develop a list of "must-see" places to visit before we head westward. The initial conference went something like this:
Me: "Alright kids, where do we want to go, we only have a little bit of time left here."
Jimmy: "How about [proceeds to name 113 national landmarks that are in either Washington DC or Boston]"
Maggie: "How about Disney World?"
Annie: "Little Mermaid and Holly Hobby Christmas"
Regis: "Somewhere by myself."
Me: "It's settled then, we're going to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown."
Since I am older than the kids [editor's note: he did not say more mature, just older] and Regis likes baseball, that was the big winner this past weekend. But since it is a 4-hour drive to Cooperstown, there were some local scenes to see first. Also, we noted that we haven't really seen much in New Jersey. Most of our sight-seeing has been in New York, Pennsylvania, and other colonies. Maybe there is a reason for that.....
So on Saturday, we hit some spots that were 100% Jersey. The first stop was a pilgrimage to two pop culture points of interest. Of course I'm speaking of Satriale's Pork Store & Meat Market and Pizzaland. For those unaware of these two establishments, I'll provide some background. Satriale's is a fictional pork market featured on the TV show, The Sopranos. It's actually an abandoned auto repair building on Kearny Blvd in Kearny, NJ, which is the hometown of our friend John Schalago (whose wife Lynn is Regis's best buddy here in Jersey). The Schalagos were kind enough to take us on a tour of Kearny so I could see the building. Unfortunately, the signage has been taken down since filming for the show ceased (the store was on last night's episode though and they filmed an exchange between the FBI and Tony right there on Kearny Blvd, so it was neat to hear Regis yell "that's where I parked my van so you could dangerously take pictures of an abandoned building").
Just down the way from Satriale's, in North Arlington, NJ (which is adjacent to Kearny), is Pizzaland. Pizzaland is a small brick building with the store name in gaudy green letters at the top. If you've watched the Sopranos, you've seen Pizzaland in the opening credits. The family picture we had taken in front of it will serve as a lovely and touching reminder of our time here. Sadly, the 375-pound pizza man who emerged from the store just prior to the photo shoot asked not to be included in the photos. Interesting.
After the Sopranos tour concluded, we (the Schalagos had not given up on us yet) headed to Weehawken, which is on the Hudson River just across from Midtown Manhattan. Weehawken, besides having a delightful name, was originally settled in 1609 by Henry Hudson and was used as a lookout during the Revolutionary War, by the tax-dodging beer-swilling Patriots that we are happy to call our forefathers. It served this purpose because it sits upon a cliff overlooking the Hudson River and Manhattan. As I stood there, I thought of the exact two questions that are in your mind now. First, what are the odds that Henry Hudson would have traversed a river of the same name, and second, how likely would it be that Annie would try to rappel down the cliff? Weehawken is also home to Hamilton Park, which is named for Alexander Hamilton, who is in your wallet on the $10 bill. On July 11, 1804, in this lovely park, Hamilton was fatally shot in a duel with the sitting vice president, Aaron Burr, who of course is famous for being in the first "Got Milk" commercial. Can you imagine a world where the sitting vice president would shoot someone? Fortunately we live in much more civilized times.
Weehawken is just north of Hoboken, NJ, which is arguably the birthplace of baseball, which segues nicely into our Sunday adventure, which was the aforementioned (which comes from the Latin "mentiondum longum tu tuo" meaning mentioned 45 minutes ago when 3/4 of you were still reading) trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
On Sunday, we resumed our mastery of the Eisenhower Interstate System and headed toward Cooperstown, NY, a tiny hamlet in the foothills of the Catskills in upstate New York. Upstate New York is a heavily wooded area mainly devoid of civilization, which is why Rip Van Winkle was able to sleep for twenty years without disruption. Regis is considering relocating here. On the way to the final destination, you pass places like "Pistol Packing Mama's Antiques and Firearms" and wonder how this part of the state coexists with the city that also bears its name. Cooperstown is on the banks of Lake Otsego, which is the source of the Susquehanna River. The town was founded by James Fenimore Cooper, author of the Last of the Mohicans, starring Daniel Day Lewis. It is also the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, built in 1939, the year considered the centennial of the game. The Hall is three stories and features such artifacts as the uniforms of Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, the bat Hank Aaron used to hit his 500th home run, the glove Willie Mays used to make his famous catch in the 1954 World Series, and Barry Bonds' syringe. The Hall also had a gift shop which featured pink baseballs, of which two were purchased so as to prevent fighting (a plan which like so many others like it, failed). Jimmy and I probably could have spent a few days there, but Annie and Maggie were less tolerant. They were good sports, as always, but not up for making a week out of a visit to the "baseball museum."
On the way to Cooperstown, we stopped in Scranton, Pennsylvania, home of the fictitious paper company Dunder Mifflin from the TV show, The Office. Scranton is a charming town on the banks of the Lackawanna River. Maroon banners hang from the town's lamp posts, each featuring a different local business. Having embraced the show that has made their town a household name of sorts, they actually have a banner featuring Dunder Mifflin. With the help of some locals, we found the Penn Paper factory that is featured during the show's opening credits, and during a downpour got some pictures. Our therapist might say we have issues differentiating between real life and fiction, but we think she's just angry about losing Tony as a client.
We have a few more weeks left so there is still a chance for more adventures. You can see all the places we've visited so far on this Google map. Who knows what we might do before the end of the month. I think Rikers Island has a nice tour.
Hope all is well. Let us know how you are doing.
To beg, borrow, and steal Brian's material, when I say that this update is going to be a little long, you better buckle up.There are just a few weeks remaining in the Watsons tenure in the Northeast and there is much to see, do, and destroy. As I mentioned when we last met, we've been trying to develop a list of "must-see" places to visit before we head westward. The initial conference went something like this:
Me: "Alright kids, where do we want to go, we only have a little bit of time left here."
Jimmy: "How about [proceeds to name 113 national landmarks that are in either Washington DC or Boston]"
Maggie: "How about Disney World?"
Annie: "Little Mermaid and Holly Hobby Christmas"
Regis: "Somewhere by myself."
Me: "It's settled then, we're going to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown."
Since I am older than the kids [editor's note: he did not say more mature, just older] and Regis likes baseball, that was the big winner this past weekend. But since it is a 4-hour drive to Cooperstown, there were some local scenes to see first. Also, we noted that we haven't really seen much in New Jersey. Most of our sight-seeing has been in New York, Pennsylvania, and other colonies. Maybe there is a reason for that.....
So on Saturday, we hit some spots that were 100% Jersey. The first stop was a pilgrimage to two pop culture points of interest. Of course I'm speaking of Satriale's Pork Store & Meat Market and Pizzaland. For those unaware of these two establishments, I'll provide some background. Satriale's is a fictional pork market featured on the TV show, The Sopranos. It's actually an abandoned auto repair building on Kearny Blvd in Kearny, NJ, which is the hometown of our friend John Schalago (whose wife Lynn is Regis's best buddy here in Jersey). The Schalagos were kind enough to take us on a tour of Kearny so I could see the building. Unfortunately, the signage has been taken down since filming for the show ceased (the store was on last night's episode though and they filmed an exchange between the FBI and Tony right there on Kearny Blvd, so it was neat to hear Regis yell "that's where I parked my van so you could dangerously take pictures of an abandoned building").
Just down the way from Satriale's, in North Arlington, NJ (which is adjacent to Kearny), is Pizzaland. Pizzaland is a small brick building with the store name in gaudy green letters at the top. If you've watched the Sopranos, you've seen Pizzaland in the opening credits. The family picture we had taken in front of it will serve as a lovely and touching reminder of our time here. Sadly, the 375-pound pizza man who emerged from the store just prior to the photo shoot asked not to be included in the photos. Interesting.
After the Sopranos tour concluded, we (the Schalagos had not given up on us yet) headed to Weehawken, which is on the Hudson River just across from Midtown Manhattan. Weehawken, besides having a delightful name, was originally settled in 1609 by Henry Hudson and was used as a lookout during the Revolutionary War, by the tax-dodging beer-swilling Patriots that we are happy to call our forefathers. It served this purpose because it sits upon a cliff overlooking the Hudson River and Manhattan. As I stood there, I thought of the exact two questions that are in your mind now. First, what are the odds that Henry Hudson would have traversed a river of the same name, and second, how likely would it be that Annie would try to rappel down the cliff? Weehawken is also home to Hamilton Park, which is named for Alexander Hamilton, who is in your wallet on the $10 bill. On July 11, 1804, in this lovely park, Hamilton was fatally shot in a duel with the sitting vice president, Aaron Burr, who of course is famous for being in the first "Got Milk" commercial. Can you imagine a world where the sitting vice president would shoot someone? Fortunately we live in much more civilized times.
Weehawken is just north of Hoboken, NJ, which is arguably the birthplace of baseball, which segues nicely into our Sunday adventure, which was the aforementioned (which comes from the Latin "mentiondum longum tu tuo" meaning mentioned 45 minutes ago when 3/4 of you were still reading) trip to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
On Sunday, we resumed our mastery of the Eisenhower Interstate System and headed toward Cooperstown, NY, a tiny hamlet in the foothills of the Catskills in upstate New York. Upstate New York is a heavily wooded area mainly devoid of civilization, which is why Rip Van Winkle was able to sleep for twenty years without disruption. Regis is considering relocating here. On the way to the final destination, you pass places like "Pistol Packing Mama's Antiques and Firearms" and wonder how this part of the state coexists with the city that also bears its name. Cooperstown is on the banks of Lake Otsego, which is the source of the Susquehanna River. The town was founded by James Fenimore Cooper, author of the Last of the Mohicans, starring Daniel Day Lewis. It is also the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame, built in 1939, the year considered the centennial of the game. The Hall is three stories and features such artifacts as the uniforms of Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth, the bat Hank Aaron used to hit his 500th home run, the glove Willie Mays used to make his famous catch in the 1954 World Series, and Barry Bonds' syringe. The Hall also had a gift shop which featured pink baseballs, of which two were purchased so as to prevent fighting (a plan which like so many others like it, failed). Jimmy and I probably could have spent a few days there, but Annie and Maggie were less tolerant. They were good sports, as always, but not up for making a week out of a visit to the "baseball museum."
On the way to Cooperstown, we stopped in Scranton, Pennsylvania, home of the fictitious paper company Dunder Mifflin from the TV show, The Office. Scranton is a charming town on the banks of the Lackawanna River. Maroon banners hang from the town's lamp posts, each featuring a different local business. Having embraced the show that has made their town a household name of sorts, they actually have a banner featuring Dunder Mifflin. With the help of some locals, we found the Penn Paper factory that is featured during the show's opening credits, and during a downpour got some pictures. Our therapist might say we have issues differentiating between real life and fiction, but we think she's just angry about losing Tony as a client.
We have a few more weeks left so there is still a chance for more adventures. You can see all the places we've visited so far on this Google map. Who knows what we might do before the end of the month. I think Rikers Island has a nice tour.
Hope all is well. Let us know how you are doing.
posted by Watts at 9:22 PM
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