Now this is more like it :)

Hello, again... Remember the title, okay?? Because Brent had been having trouble with his knee and we were certainly doing a lot of walking, it just got so worse, he and Nicole decided they had better get back to Canada and have it tended to so decided to leave for Ormstown first thing on Tuesday morning... He insisted they buy me fare on Amtrak, not necessary but insisted so before venturing off to the "summer cottages" at Newport drove over to the train station in Providence to do it, then on to Newport... I will give you the link, which is Newportmansions.org if you want to look them up... We viewed The Breakers, Marble House (had lunch in the Chinese Tea House), then carried on to Rosecliff finishing up at The Elms, fabulous, fabulous, fabulous and very decadent, wow!! Give the site a look, if ever in the vicinity, please do yourself a favour and check them out... This is and has been possible by The Preservation Society of Newport County who being very considerate, organized a shuttle service for whoever wants to park their car at the Tourist Info Booth and hop on/hop off... Most definitely worth it... Did I mention I really liked Salem, geezlouise!! You say witch like it's a bad thing! haha!! Anywho, Brent and Nicole dropped me at the train station 6:00 am, Tuesday, and off they set... Received an email they got home safe and sound without incident, doctors appt today, I believe... I boarded Amtrak for appr. a 5 hr journey, settling in with a coffee and the paper... I have taken the train before, really enjoy it, great way to travel... We even went thro' NYC Penn Station, almost got off there, haha!! Love New Yawk!! Quite a few passengers got on and a gentleman sat beside me, we got to talking and found out he is a professional live theatre actor, his wife directs and acts... He recently played Pete Rose, disgraced ball player because of gambling, at a theatre in Dayton which he follows up with, "Don't bother putting Dayton on your bucket list, not worth it, nothing there", haha!! He is going into rehearsals in Washington playing King John at the Folger Theatre, opening in a month... Found him interesting to talk to and you gotta know the conversation came around to Trump... I think I represented Canada well having a informed conversation about US politics, held my own, that's for sure... Time to get off at Philadelphia Penn Station, what a gorgeous building, wow, took time to just stand there taking it all in... I must mention that I changed the reservation to a more central area as do not have B & N's vehicle so hopped in a cab heading for the Penrose Hotel on Penrose Avenue... As soon as I went in had the feeling this is not as advertised... That morning before leaving Providence checked my email and found the hotel had emailed me informing me the elevators are not working, this is a 12 floor bldg... I had replied requesting a 1sr or 2nd floor... I registered, one of the guys behind the counter carried my bag up to my room on the 2nd floor which meant walking up 3 floors as no rooms on the 1st floor... The room was awful, scary really, very bare bones but needed a lot of TLC to bring it up to standards... I tried to turn on the tap, the handle ended up in the sink, walked over to the tub, no water, yuck!! After taking a look around, decided to try and resurrect my previous reservation which I did so phoned down to the desk telling them I just couldn't stay there... I was told since I booked with Booking,com I would have to get their okay to cancel which I did, thank heavens... When all was said and done, asked to have a cab ordered to take me across the river to my hotel in New Jersey, was told cabbies don't like to take customers over there, in the mean time the heavens had opened up sending torrential rain, just sheeting, wow!! Forgot to mention that when getting off the train it was like stepping into a sauna, the humidity is wicked, still is... After a few phone calls found a cabbie willing to take me to my hotel in N J still in the monsoons and by this time rush hour to beat!! This hotel was so much better in appearance, a Best Western, my room was super, everything was good until Chris, behind the desk, when asked where a person could get a drink with dinner (a badly needed drink) he replied that liquor licenses are not very common in that area - too expensive, to which I replied, "You're kidding, of course!", he wasn't but called a cab for me suggesting Cafe Hollywood... Off I went and really enjoyed my meal and the 2 beer I inhaled, geezlouise, long day!! Nothing fancy but enjoyed the Caesar salad and the Tomato/Vodka Sauce with Pennè... I have to say because of being in N J paying respect to The Sopranos and The Godfather, the "gravy", not sauce was excellent... Then a cab back to the hotel, same company and from what I gathered, having teeth was not on the requirements list for the drivers... This morning, cancelled that reservation, way in the middle of nowhere and made one where I am now, Philadelphia 201 Hotel... When I went for some toast at breakfast which is supplied by Best Western, there was a family finishing up their breakfast and when the man walked by I said "This is something I have never done before but would you be driving back to Philadelphia??" To my surprise, after explaining my situation said, absolutely!,but let us run our daughter to the airport first... A couple of hours later Rick, Janet and I headed off but they suggested we go by Dover, state capital of Delaware, which we did, great afternoon!! Rick and Janet live in the bay area of San Francisco and have driven across the states on an extended holiday... The family business is an electrical business that was started by their family in 1961, very nice people and very kind to me... They dropped me off at the hotel and when I registered, don't know how it happened but was given access to "preferred guest" privileges including free access to the 26th floor where happy hour was on the house, pretty nifty, huh?? I gotta' say after that Penrose Hotel fiasco feels real good, therefore "Now this is more like it"... I have already been shopping, had happy hour and a light dinner in the restaurant down stairs before blogging, with beer in tow, haha!! Gosh, just walking thro' the streets, love being here, hearing the sound of the honking horns, just like NYC... When on the 26th floor, great view of the city, wouldn't you know, a thunder and lightening storm, wahoo!! So on to tomorrow for hopefully a city tour, maybe Amish Country, Liberty Bell, hugging Rocky and by gosh, may be able to go to a ball game on Friday, they are in town so tomorrow morning will go down to the concierge and see what I can arrange... Boy, this has been long, hope you are still awake, haha!! I will keep you posted... Helen