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Monday, June 29, 2020

You Can Go On a Covid-19 Vacation




This year has been a whopper.  First, there wasn't enough snow in my area to make a snowball, then we had a pandemic.  My son was supposed to start college on April 1st.  All of my family's special occasions are between Easter and Mother's Day.  It's been a long year.  My husband and I are essential workers with unbelievable schedules due to the virus.  I'm a traveler.  I need to get out.  I had to come up with something to do, because my job insists that I isolate as much as is humanly possible.  It was tricky, but it can be done.



I did my research and found that most states have requirements for travel, but read the fine print.  I found that in most states, as long as you isolate for two weeks OR for your entire visit; they're okay with that.  So, my husband and I decided that it was worth it to isolate for our entire vacation.  The view from our north woods cabin in Maine was worth it.


We brought our food, our clothes and our activities with us.  We hauled kayaks, hiking gear, electronic devices, cameras, games, and even booze to our location.  We had a contactless check in and check out.  We kept in touch from our messenger services, because we had no phone service.  We cooked our own meals and did our own dishes.  We went to gas stations with our card.  We were completely isolated the entire time.  We didn't even stop and buy food on the drive.


What did we do?  Well, we stayed in an isolated cabin that was very nice in a town in the north of Maine with very few residents.  We had ample locations to go kayaking, which is one of my favorite activities.  We even had a public access to the lake our cabin was on.  Convenient.



We enjoyed the wildlife.  Moose peeping is one of my favorite activities in the north of Maine.  They claim that they have more moose than people, and I think they're right.  I enjoyed spotting 8 moose on this trip, and I don't use a service.  I know where to find them.



We did a lot of driving on extremely back roads.  They were mostly dirt roads that are shared by the lumber company.  But, photography being one of my loves, did well for me in northern Maine.  The skies are beautiful.  The water is beautiful.  The Mountains are beautiful.  I had a great time taking walks and drives and taking pictures all along the way.



Our cabin was more of a two bedroom house with a Jacuzzi tub, satellite TV, and a fully equipped kitchen.  Not bad for the middle of nowhere.  We were able to chef it up right and enjoy our environment. 



Kayaking is a very relaxing activity and gives you a view that you don't get any other way.  I am a kayaker and therefore, brought my own kayak.  When vacationing during a pandemic, you probably won't want to rent one, so bring it with you; just like the food and entertainment.



Now, when visiting northern Maine, there are some tourist attractions that you can visit without seeing people.  On Elephant Mountain, in 1963, a B-52 Bomber crashed.  The remains are still there today.  It's a sobering site, but interesting and it's in the middle of nowhere.  It's a one of a kind spot that will live in your memories forever.  I recommend taking a look at it.



So we had it all.  Activities, adventure, wildlife, entertainment, food, drink, and gorgeous views.  All in the backroads of northern Maine.  Thank you Maine for being there, and we hope that we will see you soon again.  Enjoy!

Monday, March 16, 2020

One of the Biggest Adventures is Staying Home and Being a Good Citizen






What do we do when we can't go out and do whatever we want?  It's an interesting question, and one I've been thinking about since the onset of the Coronavirus issue arrived in my country. 





I've been listening to the people in my life and the ones on TV and social media make fun of this virus, complain about the restraints that have been put on their lives due to the virus, and all kinds of stuff.  So, I had some thoughts myself, and I finally decided to say them.





For years, I've heard people complain that they don't have time.  I've been one of those people.  I've worked two jobs at times just to get by.  I've complained that I'm missing out on family time and writing time and time with my friends, and reading time, and cleaning time, and sleeping time, and TV time, and cooking time, and exercising time.  Well, here it is.  As my grandma used to say, "When God closes a door, he opens a window."  Let's not focus on everything we can't do right now.  Let's take a good long look at the silver lining of this situation.





Sure, there is no toilet paper.  Sure, we can't go out wherever we want and do whatever we want to do.  But there are so many good things going on as a result.  I've cooked more nutritious home cooked meals than ever before.  My family is eating together.  I've gotten more rest, had time to use my Nordic Trak, watched some great movies and TV shows, talked with my family, and in my case, had time to work on my latest book.  When my family is out of work because of the virus, they will be paid.  In my field, I may have to work more. We're saving money because we aren't running around so much.  It's a good thing.





I'm hopelessly hopeful.  I find myself in the position of my son's college start date being delayed, but I still see so much good that is coming of this horrible thing.  We all need to be aware of that.  Has anyone considered this?  Our government is working together better than they have in many years.  They are talking to one another and listening to one another.  There are suddenly 500 or so elected and appointed officials in Washington that are finally doing their jobs.  There are manufacturers, labs, research facilities and charitable agencies all working together for the common good.  A democrat actually called our President, President Trump.  Unity is a good thing, even in the face of adversity.  By having a common enemy, suddenly the powers that be are working together.  What could be better than that?





Many businesses that are normally just a pain in the neck are suddenly trying to help ease the frustration of the situation.  Cable companies are opening up movie channels for free and vowing not to cut services during the crisis for non payment.  Sports are turning to virtual sports events with the actual athletes taking part, just to help provide entertainment.  There are so many humanitarian and truly acts for the common good going on right now that I can't list them all.  Museums are providing free online walking tours of their institutions.  If you like opera, you can stream recorded performances of the NYC opera.  There are a lot of things happening to try and make our incarceration more livable.  All of these private sector things are being done without them being asked to do them.







I've instituted a group on Facebook and invited my friends.  They are sharing things and I hope that my friends get to know each other a bit.  It's working so far.  We shut out the business end of this thing and are concentrating on good things.  I've had a chance to talk to my mom more than just on holidays.  I've had a chance to clean my house and do some projects.  It's time for all of those things that you wish you had time to do.  This is an opportunity that probably won't come again in my lifetime.  I'm living the dream now.  The virus is bad, but time is good.


I know we all have things to do.  I know it sucks to be told to stay at home.  But, we need to take this time to be solid citizens.  No one thinks that we're all going to die.  The problem is that if everyone in a town like mine shows up to the hospital because they think they have the Coronavirus, that's 30,000 people.  Most of them won't be serious cases.  Most of them will rest for a while and be fine.  Mass death won't be the case.  Not everyone in a town will get sick at the same time, but if they do; you need treatment for them.  No one has that.  What happens if your grandma is weak and one of the people we really need to worry about?  What if in a line of 30, 000 people, your sick grandma is person number 30,000?  What happens when there are too many patients for them to get to the one that really needs serious treatment?  What happens if your grandma dies because there were so many people at the emergency room that she wasn't seen in time?  This is what our government is thinking about.  This is what we need to realize.  All the toilet paper in the world won't make a difference if grandma is in a line so long that she dies because no one could get to her in time.





We all have a golden opportunity to do the right thing.  Our government is actually trying to do the right thing.  It provides us with the one thing that we always wanted more of; time.  Don't worry about what you're missing because of this.  Think about what you're gaining because of this.  The world will get back to normal.  Everything will get back to normal.  When I was a kid, we were isolated for two weeks at a time from blizzards.  We played board games, cooked meals, and watched the three channels on our TV.  It's so much better now.  Enjoy the break.  Treat it like the adventure for anyone that it is and enjoy!


https://www.inkitt.com/ninakindred
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/721980
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/928833
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/954057
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B06Y1C2MS7
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred
https://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
https://www.zazzle.com/store/imagings
https://terri-dixon.pixels.com/
https://www.picfair.com/users/ninakindred/uploaded-recently
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts
https://hgis.uw.edu/virus/
https://www.mydomaine.com/things-to-do-when-bored
https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/life/a26872864/what-to-do-when-bored/
https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/stuck-home-12-famous-museums-185921806.html
https://www.travelandleisure.com/culture-design/music/metropolitan-opera-offering-free-virtual-shows
https://variety.com/2020/digital/news/comcast-free-broadband-low-income-households-coronavirus-1203532765/

Monday, November 18, 2019

My Latest Down to Earth Adventures in NYC part 1!



As we all know, I like to go and spend a weekend in the city once in a while.  NYC is that spot that always has something new and interesting to do.  Every time I go, I feel like an explorer, finding a new form of transportation, a new neighborhood, a new event, or a new place that has been recently placed in the city.  This time was no different, because I found all of those things and had a great couple of days.





Let's start with the New York City Ferry Service.  We wanted to go to Williamsburg for some unique experiences, so the best way to get from our home base in South Manhattan to Williamsburg was to catch the ferry from Pier 11 and take it to North Williamsburg where our desired activities were located.  A ferry ride costs the same as a subway trip, so it's really inexpensive.  You can stay inside the boat or go to the roof outside, depending on the weather. 




It was my first time on this ferry, not to be confused with the NYC Water Taxis which I've taken and enjoyed, but this is a different company, therefore different pricing. 

We went to NYC on a unique day, so we had some unique experiences, starting with the ferry.  The New York City Marathon was in full swing when we arrived at the docks.  Because of the security necessary during the race, we ended up waiting a long time for the ferry.  As the largest group of runners were crossing the East River at that time, the police stopped all boats in the East River until they crossed.  So, if you go during an event such as the marathon, you may find yourself detained.  If that is the case, do what we did, and give yourself plenty of time to get where you are going.  We had no timely plans that day, because we were aware of the race, and it was just fine with us to wait until the police had deemed that the river was safe.




The ferry makes three stops on this trip.  The first is under the Brooklyn Bridge in DUMBO at the amazing Riverside Grille restaurant.  The second is under the Williamsburg Bridge in South Williamsburg close to Domino Park.  The third stop was ours at Kent Street.  I would put the address up there, because it is the name of the development, but I was censored on another site, because they thought I was referring to a date that has a notorious innuendo. 

Williamsburg has been many things over the years.  Once an industrial center and home of the Domino Sugar Company, most of that has gone by the wayside.  The neighborhood from south to north is home to many groups, including Hassidic Jews, Puerto Rican folks, artists, and gentrifiers.  The gentrifiers are turning North Williamsburg into the place to be, and the prices to live there have skyrocketed.  They are a group of people who live life their own way and are doing it well.






Our first stop was Smorgasburg and Brooklyn Flea.  These two markets operate in the parks all summer long, and have become so popular that they found a great indoor space for the winter at 25 Kent Street.  There's great gourmet food and drink, and the flea market is full of unique items both old and newly artistic.  The space also comes with random piano music in the eating area and 8th floor high 360 views of the city.  Beat that.  Admission is free.  All you pay for is what you buy.  They are there every weekend Saturday and Sunday 10 - 6.  I found this wonderful project by watching Samantha Brown's "Places to Love" on PBS.  Samantha Brown lives in Brooklyn, so when she says you need to go; I go.






Williamsburg is famous for its street art.  We weren't even in the world famous Bushwick Avenue art scene, and we saw all kinds of great stuff.  Even the ads are art here, and we even met some of the muralists at work.  Everything we did in North Williamsburg was within walking distance of the ferry, and we were never bored.





The architecture in Williamsburg is well worth a look too.  The William Vale is an upscale hotel with a public second story park that comes complete with a food stand.  It's directly across the street from the building that currently houses Smorgasburg and it's an amazing structure.  Boutique hotels are all over the area and they are each very unique.  Just watch out for the prices.  We loved the idea, but I'll stay at my hotel in Manhattan and take the ferry.





As we looked at the art and met the muralists, we made our way around the corner from Brooklyn Flea and to the Brooklyn Brewery.  This is a great place that helped kickstart the micro brewery trend in the country that we all love.  This brewery was founded in 1989, and is now known around the world.  They have a great list of micro brews on tap in the tap room, and they give free tours of the brewery during tour hours every half hour.  It's an informative and entertaining tour and I learned a lot about how beer is made.  I then tried some great beer before we headed on our way.







Oh the architecture, the parks and the views.  We walked around and absorbed more of the art and architecture, and then stopped by a couple of great parks.  Williamsburg is home to a New York State Park.  The East River State Park is a great riverside park with some amazing views of the Manhattan Skyline.  Right next to it sits the local Bushwick Inlet Park with ball fields, picnic tables and equally amazing views along the river.  Well worth the stop and once again; free.



After a great afternoon of beer, food, architecture, art, shopping, parks and amazing views, we caught the ferry back to Manhattan.  The November afternoon was already ending in sunset and we had a great view of the Statue of Liberty and the harbor on our way back to Pier 11.  I will take the great discoveries from that point next time.  Enjoy!

http://brooklynflea.com/
https://www.smorgasburg.com/
https://www.mrandmrssmith.com/luxury-hotels/the-williamsburg-hotel?utm_content=non-brand&msclkid=163a14b341b0126fa55e496196d67302
https://loving-newyork.com/things-to-do-williamsburg/
https://parks.ny.gov/parks/155/details.aspx
https://bushwickinletpark.org/
https://www.dominopark.com/
https://www.thewilliamvale.com/
https://brooklynbrewery.com/verify
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https://www.ferry.nyc/
http://web.mta.info/maps/submap.html
https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B06Y1C2MS7
https://www.inkitt.com/ninakindred
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/721980
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/928833
https://www.smashwords.com/books/view/954057
https://www.fictionpress.com/u/530752/Nina-Kindred
https://www.cafepress.com/artisticcreationsbyninakindred1
https://www.zazzle.com/store/imagings
https://terri-dixon.pixels.com/
https://www.picfair.com/users/ninakindred/uploaded-recently
https://ninakindred.wixsite.com/ninakindredgroup/connections
https://www.facebook.com/adventuresforanyone?fref=ts