Last day - and home again!

Saturday, June 28th was my last day in the USA, and we went to the seaside - otherwise known as Long Branch, on the Jersey Shore. We had lunch at McLoone's overlooking the beach.

I was quite surprised we couldn't drive along the 'prom' as you can in many British seaside towns, as high seawalls block your view of the beach and sea, and access is via wooden steps over the walls.

Another surprise was that the shops were more upscale than the tourist souvenir shops you see everywhere in our seaside resorts, but we did find a chocolate shop!

On a drive around the area, another surprise was finding this stone plaque in a fairly inconspicuous place in the middle of a residential area. Evidently President Garfield was taken to Long Branch in the hope that the fresh air and quiet might aid his recovery after he was shot in Washington DC in July, 1881. However, the assassin's bullet had lodged in his spine and he died just over two months later.

On our drive back from Long Branch, we stopped at Mount Mitchill, a scenic overlook with a view of Raritan Bay and the New York skyline.

On 9/11, local residents gathered here to witness the destruction of the World Trade Center towers and four years later, a memorial was erected to the memory of the 147 residents of the County who died. It shows an eagle clutching a piece of a steel beam from one of the towers, and there is also a time-line walkway as a reminder of the day’s events.

By mid-afternoon on Sunday, June 29th, I was back at Newark Airport. My month long trip was over.


One last look at NYC from the airport...

And six hours later, we're flying over the UK coastline (this is Anglesey, off the north coast of Wales).




It was an amazing month, packed with so many different sights and experiences, and of course enjoying the time I spent with my NJ cousins, and my American and Canadian friends. Thank you all for your hospitality, and all the fun we had. Not forgetting my 'online' friends either, as it was such a delight to meet with my FB and 'writer' friends. Last, but not least, thanks to all who have followed this account of my trip, and left comments for me, both here and on Facebook.