Nancy and Ken’s excellent New Jersey adventure

Yes, one can have a fun and excellent adventure in New Jersey. Mr. Ken and I were in the Garden State this past weekend for a family wedding. New Jersey holds a special place in my heart because a. I was born there and b. I first met Mr. Ken there.

So the story of our weekend . . .

1. Taking a trip with a car guy.

I usually fall asleep about 5 minutes after a car trip starts. (That is if I am not driving of course!) That is tough to do when you ride with a car guy though. In between comments like, “Oh no bugs are being squished on my windshield and they are messing up my car!” and “Oh, look, I got 30 miles per gallon; I wonder if I can get it up to 32 miles per gallon?”

This rather cryptic picture is one of the car statistics that Mr. Ken watches very carefully. Sometimes I fear he is watching this so closely, he is not paying attention the road!

2. Arriving in New Jersey.

We left for New Jersey at the crack of dawn. No, it wasn’t to avoid the traffic; it was so we could get to New Jersey early for Mr. Ken to enjoy a classic sloppy joe sandwich. For those uninformed folks, a New Jersey sloppy joe sandwich is ham, turkey or roast beef, together with cole slaw and Russian dressing. All I can say is “yuck.”

3. At the hotel.

The hotel is a pleasant little boutique hotel. My favorite part of the hotel was the fitness room. It was clean, cool and empty. It was almost like having your own private gym.

The hotel had a rather unique décor. The wall in our room had a large blow-up picture of rocks. Mmmm.

4. A healthy dinner.

After the disgusting, er, classic New Jersey lunch, I told Mr. Ken we are going to have a healthy dinner. Looking at the face he made, you would have thought I asked him to jump off a bridge. 🙂

There was this cute little health food store near the hotel. I was so excited to find falafel balls! My favorite. I rounded out my dinner with lupini beans and organic peanut butter cups. Can we say, “yum?”

Mr. Ken wasn’t quite so adventurous; he had a chicken sandwich.

5. What would New Jersey be without diners?

What do you think of when you think of New Jersey? (Other than “Real Housewives of New Jersey?”) Perhaps it’s pollution. But really you should think about the diners. That is what New Jersey is known for.

We couldn’t be in New Jersey without a trip to a diner. We discovered this little gem while driving about. We just knew it would be good, given the beautifully cared for grounds.

Here we are, happy after our delicious breakfast.

6. The wedding.

I just love weddings. I am such a romantic at heart. Plus, weddings represent the future and hopes and dreams. After all too many funerals these past few years, it is fun to celebrate new beginnings.

It was so much fun to see Ken’s family. They are such a nice and welcoming group of people.  A special shout-out to Ken’s cousin and her husband for inviting us to share in the celebration of their daughter’s marriage.

The weather cooperated for this special day and the wedding was held outside. Here’s a view of the beautiful venue:

The reception was a lot of fun.  Good food, good music and good company.  I even managed to get Mr. Ken out on the dance floor a few times.  And best of all, he didn’t step on my feet!

All in all, an excellent adventure. I can’t wait for our next one! What excellent adventures have you been on lately?