Part 4: New York City

Our last long drive was across Pennsylvania. We found a cute little town to stay in just off the highway and we also found two of my favorite friends, Jan and Katie. They were also headed to the Big Apple to spend some quality time with H and I.

I'd been to NYC twice before but this time I really "got"the city. I fell for her, hard. The sun shone softly. The wind blew through my hair. People passed by on all sides. The city is full and busy and overwhelming and moving and alive. I fell in love with that life. I'll be happy to go back to NYC again and I'm sure that I will.

We did the Empire State Building, of course. It is a must. We ate at Katz's Deli (www.katzdeli.com). We strolled along the streets of China Town and Little Italy, soaking in two worlds at once. We went to Times Square. It is a place where you see that life goes on, it doesn't stop or sulk or panic. Central Park and the Metropolitan Museum of Art gave us peace in a bustling city. And we ate Indian at a hole-in-the-wall in Queens that was so good we went back two nights in a row.

At the end of our time in NYC, I was full of friendship, experiences, good food and happiness. I was ready to sleep in my own bed again but I knew I'd be dreaming about hugs and oceans and lighthouses and seashells and smiles and driving and all the good things I love about America.

Part 3: Niagara Falls

If you want to impress your family on an American road trip, I recommend Niagara Falls. Big nature equals big smiles.

I was looking forward to Niagara most because my mom was driving up to hang out for a few days. With so much family running around the Falls there wasn't a dull moment.

Honza took his mom and sister on The Maid of the Mist boat ride while my mom, the kids and our friend Megan had a nice walk. In the afternoon my agenda was swimming and sauna while H got roped into taking the family shopping. The weekend was lazy and casual with no rushing. The only thing rushing was the water.

Part 2: Cape Cod

H and I have been to Cape Cod twice before. That's why it was a shoo-in for our itinerary. I love the gentle rumble of the Atlantic Ocean. The off-season empty beaches. The locals' knack of making tourist feel like they are home. And the scenery! Nature has done some of her top work on this little peninsula. The sand dunes roll brown and green stretching miles along the shore.

We spent three days on the Cape, which isn't enough time to relax and enjoy and take long walks but is certainly enough time to tackle the important stuff. Our first day we drove up to Provincetown on the very tip. P-town, as the locals call her, is a small town where the pilgrims first landed. There is only one main road lined with quirky shops, yummy diners and lots of ice cream parlors.

Day two took us on a driving expedition of little fishing villages and local fare and lighthouses. The weather was changeable with a bit of rain and wind. The car was my friend as I had a head cold and the last thing I wanted to do was stand in the rain and wind and blow my nose at the ocean. In the afternoon it cleared a bit and I walked around on the beach. For dinner we drove back to the mainland to have H's favorite Chinese buffet in the world (quite literally!)-Peking Garden. It's in Dartmouth, MA and we've eaten there every time we've done this road trip. (www.menujoy.com/menu61.htm)

The last day we took a ferry over to Martha's Vineyard to get a taste of island life. Being that it was out of season, most shops and eateries were closed. But we found a great little coffee shop in Edgartown, Expresso Love (www.espressolove.com/mainfr.htm) where we were served some sweet chai and toasted bagels with smiles all round.

If I could have, I would have stayed on Cape Cod. I would have sat and listened to the Atlantic tide roll in and roll out for hours, writing nonsense in my journal. I would have hiked one of the many nature trails that criss cross the long thin cape. I would have soaked in all the great blue sky and deep green leaves and let the city slowly seep out of me. But I couldn't stay, Niagara was waiting....

Part 1: We're out of here!

This trip may appear similar to other trips that H and I have done in the past together. But this trip came with a twist. It wasn't a relaxing holiday for the two us, it was a gift for his mom. His mom had never flown and had certainly never been to the US before. At first she flat out refused to go, I think the flying thing was the hang up, but when we agreed to bring along H's sister as moral support then the trip went ahead.

The plan was to do a nice sampler of American nature, culture and sites. We'd start off on Cape Cod, move on to Niagara Falls and end in New York City before heading back to Prague via JFK airport.

At Prague airport our travel mates were visibly nervous but they took it all in stride and after take off loosened up and relaxed. I'd never flown with someone who had never flown. I'd forgotten how nerve wreaking of a concept it could be. I love flying and fear has never been a factor.

At JFK, the Czechs got a full-on dose of American hospitality when the guys sitting next to us on the sky-train started giving us advice on rental cars because they all happen to work for a rental car company. They even offered to try to get us a deal. The deal didn't work out and we went with the original company we'd reserved with but they effort to help out strangers was appreciated by me and a little dumbfounding for the newbies to American ways.

We hopped in our rental car, sped out onto the highway and head north to the Cape...

Friends

There is something mysterious and lovely about friendship. It is part of us and yet beyond us. It finds us when we aren't looking and eludes when we do. It is beautiful and painful and generous and overwhelmingly humble.In the past few weeks I've had the pleasure to savor nearly all of my favorite friendships.

I've been traveling with H, who is the friend who gets to see me in my best of moments and worst of moments. It is such a rarity to spend 24/7 together, I'm basking in the ability. I love sitting next to him in a car, knowing there is an open road in front of us full of adventure.

My mom came to Niagara Falls to spend a little

quality time w

ith us. She might be my mom, but she's also an amazing friend. She drives across states, goes across continents and puts herself at any lengths of inconvenience to be with me. I adore that woman.

There are friendships that come to us. We ask for them, we need them and they come. This is my Nan and my Kate. These girls and I have clocked some mileage over the years. We come and we go and we love and we share. I couldn't be me without them. The affirm me and

challenge me. I know that with these people in the world, it is an infinitely better place to be.

The End of the Road

I'm sitting in Jamaica, NY, listening to the traffic go by. A few horns toot, sirens go by now and again and I sit listening. What I'm really listening to is the end of our trip. A few legs of the journey are missing from this blog, but I promise a faithful and full depiction when I'm back with my own computer and internet.

Until then, some thoughts:

-New York City is grand. It took three times of visiting the Big A

pple to get there, but I've definitely fallen under her spell.

-Niagara Falls has "wow" power.

-Children don't care if you take them to the moon, as long as the hotel there has a swimming pool.

-Traveling in the spring means frequent stops for tissues and allergy medicines. Oh, and bring the bug spray.

-The greatest last minute road trip helper you nee

d is the Room Saver magazine. Pick it up at any roadside rest area. It'll save you cash on last minute hotels and get you to visit cute little place you'd never have expected, ie Danville, PA. (www.roomsaver.com)

-Whenever the tr

aveling becomes too much and the pressure is building, feed people. We've found a

little food, drink and rest go a long way to healing conflict.

-On a road trip one should stop often and enjoy the quirky.