Hershey Park and Valley Forge PA- Part 2

 These are the photos from my album. I just wish that my brother had given me or mom all of the photos that he threw out so I would have the originals. Although I am glad to have the copies that I had made from negatives that we found recently, it just isn't the same as having those. The coloring doesn't match up- much brighter- and the shape of the photos is different. Plus, no original dates on the back.

  Looking at the Hershey ones is making me crave one of  their Special Dark bars! 

These 2 were in yesterday's post- I had forgotten that I do have the originals and had made copies for my brother-

 

Hershey Park and Valley Forge PA- Part 1

 Here are some of the photos of our 1974 trip to these 2 places. I really don't have any memories of this family vacation. I wish that I did and also that we had some photos of the rides at Hershey Park.

   These are ones that I recently had printed out at a shop. A few of them I hadn't seen in many years because my brother threw out a lot of the pictures in his album back in the early 1990s. I wish that he hadn't done so; I am sure that he regrets this.

 

April 9 2016- 2 Duran Duran Casino shows-Part 1

I am still feeling a bit tired from my 2 DD adventures this week. It also feels like I am coming down with a cold, probably from the craziness of this schedule. I devoted so many hours towards this group for these shows, most of it travel (12 hours via buses and rail) and waiting time.

   The bus arrived at the Sands in Bethlehem by 2:00 p.m. I hadn’t been able to use my NJT discount card on the ticket. I didn’t even realize that I would be getting a $45.00 card to use at the casino; that is $10.00 additional to the ticket price.

   I don’t normally gamble but Jenny told me that I should use it. I am glad that I followed her suggestion; I won $205.00. This is the first time that I really gambled at a casino. I don’t count the 50 cents that I put in one machine at AC in 1992. I don’t plan on doing so ever again.

   I would have probably won more if I had just gone to the simple machine (with the cherries, bars, and such) to begin with. Before this, I was on a couple that were too confusing to me. I only won like $3.00 for the $12.00 that I bet on these.

    The show was great. Of course, we both wished that we could be closer to the stage. I was wondering aloud how many rows were the more expensive ticket. The lady behind me said only the first 4. I had thought it would be at least 1-10.

   I had looked in the outlet shops there to kill time before the show. They have Puma, The Farmer’s Almanac Old Time General Store, Tommy Hilfiger, Chico’s, Guess, Corelle and Corningware, Charming Charlies (a lot of nice jewelry), and others.

    I went over to the concert venue area at about 5:30. I wasn’t in the mood to hang around the other fans so I sat on the floor at a distance. I did hear one mention a past concert experience and John’s name was a part of this but I don’t remember what she said.

   Another reason that I didn’t want to be over there was because if I had been at this event on my own and had the GA ticket, I surely would have been like within the first 3 or 4 rows. A girl was selling an extra one for $25.00 and asked me if I wanted to buy it. I felt sad when this happened.

   I was surprised that they opened the doors at 6 p.m. Jenny didn’t arrive until about an hour later. We looked at the souvenir area. She saw a nice shirt but it didn’t come in women’s sizes. I got the tour book which was thick for the $30.00 price. Jenny and I looked through it before the concert. I saw a shot of them on the “Today” show.

   The two girls sitting next to me had been talking about Tony Orlando; one had been to his concert there. I told her that I like his song “Knock Three Times”.

   Jenny mentioned that her friend had ordered 2 tickets to the Camden show and asked her to go with her. She wants to but it is on the day of her husband’s birthday. She is going to try to go though. I hope that she is able to so we can meet up at yet another DD event.

   Those tickets are in row D which is 2 ahead of mine. I am a little jealous. Of course, with the pit area, this will make us further back. I can’t remember how big that area was from when I was there for the 2 Luke Bryan and the Tim McGraw shows. Maybe about 5 rows.

   I wonder which section these are in- probably to the left which is where I wish that I could be. I bet that my seat is all the way over to the right of that middle section.

   I told her that I was looking into getting a ticket on Stub Hub. I was afraid to tell her that I actually got one during the presale. I didn’t want her possibly being mad at me for keeping this from her.

   I should be including details of the concert but I don’t remember that much about it, unfortunately. I wish that I had not danced around during it. I had told myself beforehand not to do this and to just focus on the performance. I see doing both as multi-tasking, something that my brain is not good at. I hate that I wasn’t able to listen to my smart side.

   I have this general memory that I had a pretty good time despite our crappy seats.  Was I thinking about how shitty they were during the show? Maybe a few times. I definitely was beforehand and am now.

   They did 15 songs, I think. It was only about a 95 minute show. I didn’t care for John’s outfit. I can’t recall what Simon was wearing- I think that ugly, scary mouth t-shirt. I didn’t really look much at Roger and Nick which I feel a bit bad about.

 

 

John Taylor and Dom Brown

 

Scarecrow Contest - 1980s

Peddler's Village, Pennsylvania - mid 1980's scarecrow contest. Mom, Aunt Al, Mary and I went here a few times in the 80's, twice in the fall to see the cool scarecrows. My other cousin Janet was with us once. I don't remember my brother being there. Maybe he was one time. I'm in the one picture looking at the bear outside one of the many great small shops in this village. My favourite was the one with lots of stickers, stationary and cards. The kitchen items store was good too. We ate in a nice restraunt there. The last time that I was here was in the early 90s on my own. It was more fun with my family though.

These 3 are my favourite scarecrows. I am very scared of spiders but thought that this one was cool. I often think about going back there someday but my driving anxiety plus the cost of gas has kept me from doing so. A visit to Aunt Al in Bordentown, NJ is definitely a goal for me in overcoming that anxiety. It's an hour drive which is beyond my 10 mile comfort zone. My brother wants to go to the flea market near her house next month. It's been about 9 years since I last drove down there.

Beautiful Mt. Airy Lodge - 1980

This isn't the exact commercial that I remember but it's very close to it. I remember them playing the old version even up until the late 80's. I always wished that we could go there and also that Dad would take us to visit our friends in Allentown P.A. more than just the 2 times that we did go. Now it's the Mt. Airy Resort and Casino but I will always think of it as this.

Hershey Park - 1974

I don't actually have memories of this vacation but it looks like we were having a good time at both Hershey Park and Valley Forge State Park in Pennsylvania. The goat that mom and I are petting is so cute. Now I feel like having a Hershey's Kiss.