Mittelstaedt -12- vacation 2012

Vacation 2012

10 July - 9 August
a tour of places in eastern USA

the R-pod travel trailer - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - a map of our travels

Thursday - Friday, 26 - 27 July 2012

Page 12
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~ New York (Bronx - Queens - Brooklyn - Staten Island)
- Perth Amboy, New Jersey - Freehold New Jersey
- Princeton University ~

We entered New York on Interstate 95, proceeded through the Bronx crossing the Whitestone bridge
-
probably the Whitestone Bridge

into Queens

and followed the Van Wyck Expressway toward Kennedy Airport, then turned right
on to South Belt Parkway (much construction) across the southern edge of Brooklyn to the

Verrazano Narrows Bridge
(sign closer to the bridge says no photos) to Staten Island.

We crossed Staten Island (road construction - long delay) and
crossed the Outerbridge crossing (another toll bridge) to Perth Amboy, New Jersey.

Not many pictures of the drive through the New York area... we were too busy driving and navigating.
About half way along we pulled off the road, drove into a moderately quiet neighborhood, parked at street side
got out the tape measure and measured the height of the RPod, from the top of the air conditioner to the pavement.
There was a sign about no load over 9 ft. tall. We just made it and proceeded on our way.
There was a lot of road construction in Brooklyn and Staten Island. Lanes were narrow and with the width of the RPod being
what it is (wide for stability) we were often just barely on the pavement.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Freehold, NJ the closest place to Princeton Univ. which had camping.

-
Our Camping spot in the Pine Cone Campground - Freehold, New Jersey.
It was very sandy and had lots of pine trees.

~ ~ ~

As soon as we got situated we checked the map and drove west to Princeton,
to scout out the route so we would have an easy time the next morning when we would have to arrive on time.
The map made it look complicated, but in actuality there was a well marked road, and it was easy to find.

A whimsical mailbox on the road, about 2 miles outside Princeton. Next to it there was a sign for a computer repair outfit.

The last half mile toward the campus is tree-lined.
The Institute for Advanced Studies where Einstein worked while here is off to the left of this tree lined road.

Clio Hall the only Greek Revival building we saw on campus.

Blair Hall

Blair Hall entrance and passageway

-
Details in the passageway - Blair Hall

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Nassau Hall

West end of Nassau Hall

Nassau Hall - front

Inside Nassau Hall - This room built to be the same as the House of Commons in the English Parliament.
Flanking the window on the left is a portrait of George Washington, on the right George III of England.
During the Revolutionary War the British held Nassau Hall. Washington beseiged it and shot cannons at it.
One of the cannon balls went through the head of the portrait of George III. The British considered this was a bad omen,
and abandoned the building. Later the Continental Congress was meeting in Nassau Hall when the Treaty of Paris 1783 which
formally ended the Revolutionary War was received for ratification.... in this room.
Our guide said that if one looks carefully one can see the effects of some cannonballs on the walls.

The classroom in Frist Hall where the lecture part of the tour was conducted.
About half way through the presentation the young man delivering it noted that this lecture hall
was the one used by Albert Einstein when he lectured at Princeton, and that it was recently restored to how it had look when he lectured here.