The world famous Philly cheese steak can be had at many an eatery throughout the Delaware Valley . . . that is the Philadelphia metropolitan area, the surrounding suburbs, Southern New Jersey and Northern Delaware. I hear that there are a few, isolated genuine Philly steak shops in other parts of the nation, started by folks who are from the Delaware Valley.

The world famous Philly cheese steak is made from fried thinly sliced rib eye steak. The steak should be less than 1/8” thick, fried in a cast iron frying pan or a grill with a little oil and usually fried with onions. Other toppings include sautéed mushrooms, sweet red and green peppers, hot cherry peppers, ketchup and maybe mustard. I'll give my utterances about the cheeses, later.

Now this part is absolutely crucial. The roll MUST be from Amoroso. Amoroso's Baking Company is practically a Philadelphia institution. It has been a family run business since 1904 and known for the impeccable quality of its baked goods. Amoroso's motto is “we make the rolls that make Philly's sandwiches world famous”. Amoroso's rolls are simply the best. To show how crucial the Amoroso roll is, eateries, that sell Philly cheese steaks nationwide, have their Amoroso rolls flown in.

The Amoroso hoagie type rolls have just the right flavor and texture for the Philly cheese steak. There is no adequate substitute for the Amoroso roll.

Now for the cheese, they tend to vary depending upon the eatery and preferences of their patrons. The more well known eateries like Pat's Steak House or Geno's tend toward Cheese Whiz. Others like D'Allesandro's uses Provolone Cheese. Many established offer both. These particular cheese preferences are extremely popular. The Cheese Whiz is liberally spread on a warm roll. Provolone slices are place directly upon a mound of the shredded fried steak for melting, just prior to being scooped up into the warm roll. You don't have to have the cheese at all. Thus it's simply called a Philly steak sandwich.

I once ordered a cheese steak sandwich in Columbus, Ohio when I was away at school. I was flabbergasted when I received my steak sandwich. It was a dry, spongy cubed steak in a Kaiser roll. I was in a state of shock. I really should've known better.

The authentic Philly cheese steak can now be had at a few choice eateries throughout the nation. On almost any walking tour in Philadelphia, you're bound to find an eatery that features the Philly cheese steak. You can't visit Philly without partaking of the cheese steak experience. Other tasty treats that Philly is famous for are Habbersett's scrapple, hoagies, Italian water ice and, of course, our soft pretzels but the Philly cheese steak is king. Bon Apetit!

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania is not only famous for the historical landmarks of Benjamin Franklin. Tourists find it irresistible to visit the city for the famous cheese steak. Named the number one sandwich on the East coast, many restaurants across the city of Philadelphia sell cheese steaks. Popular places like Jim's Steaks and Ishkabibbles located on South Street specialize in the cheese steak or cheesesteak. There are many shops located in every neighborhood in the city serving these tempting sandwiches. Center City and South Philadelphia spots are more distinguished than others.

The cheese steak is not actually what it is named to be. It is a sandwich with chopped steak cooked on a grill top and topped with Cheeze Whiz; American and provolone play as substitutions. The Philadelphia cheese steak is truly one of the most beloved foods available in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

According to Philadelphians, the “Philly Cheese Steak” is not authentic unless made in Philadelphia and made with the correct roll and steak. The roll is genuine because it must be the correct length and soft. Many restaurants in Pennsylvania imitate the cheese steak but have failed to please because they are not truly “cheese steak makers.”

Besides other South Street restaurants, the legendary Pat's King of Steaks was the first to sell the sandwich. During the 1930s in the Italian section of South Philadelphia, brothers Harry Olivieri and Pat Olivieri were hot dog and sandwiches vendors. Tired of making the same food every day, they decided to try something different. A cab driver passing by smelled the aroma of the cheese steak and insisted for a sandwich. Not knowing what to charge, the brothers sold the sandwich for a nickel. The cab driver enjoyed the sandwich and influenced the brothers to sell them.

In 1940, the brothers open Pat's King of Steaks at 1237 East Passyunk Avenue in the Italian Market; a must see area. The 24 hour business has been there ever since. Many years later Kraft introduced Cheez Whiz, the cheese spread. It was added to the cheese steak and made it to what it is today. Geno's, the rival shop across the street is also open 24 hours. For 40 years, the two shops hold a friendly competition to win the title of best cheese steak in town, with Geno's founder, Joe Vento, claiming it was he, not Olivieri, who first added cheese to the sandwich.

The sound of the seashore is brought to your attention as you are greeted by the host. Near the waiting area is a staircase leading downstairs. There is a private eating room located at the bottom of the steps before the long hallway leading to the bathrooms. The secluded room is softly lit for the one large round table.

The bathrooms accentuate the restaurant. The light wooden bathroom stalls complement the stone floor and sleek constructed sink. The hand dryers are hidden inside the walls. Dark stones are placed below the dryers. Black and white curved seats, green glass tables, and clear seating dividers change colors throughout the restaurant.

Classical music is softly played in the dining area. The wooden floors match the ceiling; which is curved like an ocean's wave. The restaurant's great service makes up for its limited space. Every employee is dedicated to serving the customers. The tan walls glow from the wavy light fixtures.

There were many dishes to choose from. The menu is a bit pricey, but it is worth every penny. The sushi I ordered tasted very fresh; lightly fried shrimp tempura with avocado was flavorsome. I ordered the lobster salad for the main course. It is reasonable for an appetizer. Compared to the dishes my family ordered, it ranked last. The salad was lightly seasoned in oil with fried and broiled lobster, thin sliced tomatoes and basil all covering a bed of greens.

For dessert, I ordered the sorbet. One scoop of three different flavors: chocolate chipotle, coconut and white grapefruit. The chocolate had a hint of spice, which was very unique. The white grapefruit was not my favorite; with a distinctive taste.

Reservations recommended, I will definitely return. I advise anyone visiting the city of Philadelphia to stop by and enjoy this dining experience for their selves.

The United States Mint

Independence Mall
Philadelphia, PA 19019
usmint.gov

No money of your own, check out America's first production facility for the nation's coinage where you can see money actually being made. Why not learn about the history of the monetary system and the role of America's bank, the Federal Reserve. Free of charge public tours are available everyday.

Elfreth's Alley

Old City
Philadelphia, PA 19106
elfrethsalley.org

Opened in 1702, Elfreth's Alley is one of oldest surviving streets in the city. For 300 years, this neighborhood was home to the working classes and immigrants who eked out an existence in the conditions of 18th & 19th century urban life. Walk down the alleyway to see 32 homes restored by the Elfreth's Alley Association. There is a fee to go inside the homes but the stroll down the street scattered with artisans and street performers is free.

Love Park

15th St and JFK Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19102
ushistory.org/lovepark

For love or money? You can decide by the fountain at JFK Plaza located in the heart of Center City's business district as you gaze up at Robert Indiana's famous Love Sculpture. The iconic image has been photographed and replicated the world over from the skateboarders, now banned, who used the park to practice their high-flying tricks to the cover of the Erich Segal classic, “Love Story.”

Tall Ship Gazela

301 S Columbus Blvd
Philadelphia, PA 19106
gazela.org

Along the Delaware River at North Penn's Landing you can visit the tall ship Gazela Primeiro. Built in 1883 in a shipyard in Portugal, the non-profit organization Philadelphia Ship Preservation Guild are the owners of this once seafaring vessel among others. Free to visit, donations are accepted. If you drive there, you may have to pay for parking

Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site

532 N. 7th St
Philadelphia, PA 19123
nps.gov/edal

Fans of the author Edgar Allen Poe will get a rare treat visiting the home where he published a number of his widely read stories. At the entrance to the museum, you are greeted by a statue of a raven, an obvious reference to the famous poem. Inside, the house is maintained to look decadent and eerie an homage to his literary legacy.

Eastern State Penitentiary

22nd St and Fairmount Ave
Philadelphia, PA 19120
easternstate.org

Not free but worth the $7.00 admission fee, the Eastern State Penitentiary was built to rehabilitate its inmates using solitary confinement and hard-labor. Once there, you can tour the cell block that once was the home to gangster Al Capone. Closed in 1971, the abandoned prison stands as a reminder of America's early penal system.

In 5 days, we had a fabulous time and here are the highlights the things we did them.

Food Memories

• Wonton Garden on Mott St:
  
  They don't have an official website, but this link will help you find it. As far as inexpensive Chinese food goes, this is pretty good. If you like soupy noodles, regardless of whether it's ho-fun, vermicelli, or chow mein, this is definitely a place to hit. The food is flavourful and the portions are substantial. It's your typical Chinese fast food venue, so it's got the sticky floors and condensate dripping HVAC ducts, but for $6 you can totally stuff yourself full.
• Balthazar really *is* worth the wait (luckily for us, we didn't have to wait). The food was delicious. The service was fantastic. And if you like the hubbub of a French bistro, you will love this place.
• What does it mean to go to Dim Sum with my Uncle? It means eating dim sum in rounds.
  • Round 1: Dim Sum dishes
  • Round 2: Fried dishes (noodles, rice, etc...)
  • Round 3: Dessert

So although I don't recommend that you gorge, I will say that no trip to New York City is complete without going for Dim Sum in one of New York City's many Chinatowns (side note: it's easier to find parking if you go to the Chinatown in Brooklyn).

• Dale & Thomas Kettlecorn is the best popcorn ever! I brought this stuff home and my mom was instantly addicted to it. That is only a significant tidbit of information because prior to trying Dale & Thomas, my mother has always hated popcorn.
• The Chinese bakery at 59th St. & 4th Ave in Brooklyn makes the best yuan yang (served in a Dunkin' Donuts cup).
• Whole Foods at Union Square is *way* better than Whole Foods in Yorkville. If the salad/food bar was *that* good at the Yorkville location, I'd eat lunch there every single day! Eating lunch here was fabulous. It's quick, it's healthy, and incredibly convenient if you're shoe shopping at DSW.
• Bubba Gump Shrimp... that's not real scampi! But it still tastes great.


• Going to brunch/lunch with my aunt means eating until you enter a food coma (recall, ice cream tempura)
• Garrett Popcorn is only good in Chicago. It just didn't taste the same in New York. The popcorn was harder
• I paid $3 for "the best hot dog" in the city (more details to follow in the Memories of New Yorkers section below)
• Ciro makes great pizza, but next time, we'll have it at the beginning of the trip instead of the end. Our particular favourite at Ciro is their Chicken Salad Pizza.
  It's basically an entire Chicken Salad spread over a pizza crust and baked. It sounds strange, but it tastes amazing! If you're ever out on Staten Island, this is definitely a place to stop for a meal.
• When we couldn't find Corner Bakery, we settled for the first Philly Cheesesteak place we could find. Big mistake. We should've went for *real* Philly Cheesesteak.
• Corner Bakery... it was just at 17th and JFK... our hotel was at 17th and Locust... and we wandered all over the place in the wrong directions because we didn't check the map before we left the hotel. bah... we'll know better for next time. Corner Bakery is good... but still better in Chicago.
• The complimentary spring water in our hotel room was opened. Ewww! Gross! But the hotel did send us unopened bottles of water when we mentioned it at the front desk.


• Just how much Starbucks did we drink on this trip anyways? Too much!

Memories of New Yorkers

• You don't need to search for knock-offs when standing on Canal St. If you wait long enough (i.e. less than 2 minutes) someone will ask you if you're interested in knock-offs or bootleg videos. How many times did we get approached? 6?
• Not only do the waiters at Balthazar's speak with a French accent... they actually speak French.
• Who says New Yorkers aren't friendly?! While waiting for a subway, we encountered a screenwriting professor from NYU. He overheard us talking about museums and then kindly informed us that The Met is closed on Mondays (rats!). But, he did tell us that The Museum of Modern Art was open, and he would've given us free passes if he hadn't left them in his office. He also helped out by directing us on what trains we could take to get there since there were many route changes due to summer maintenance. Amazing, the people you meet on the subway in Brooklyn.
• The security guard at the front door of the NBA store:
  • My Best Friend: Do you know what they're filming out there?
  • Security Guard: No
  • Me: You should kick them out. They're blocking the store front.
  • SG: lol
• The Egyptian hot dog vendor:
  • Me: I'd like a hot dog
  • Hot Dog Vendor: Just one?
  • Me: Yes. The best one you've got.
  • HDV: I've got the best in the city
  • Me: laughs
  • HDV: Where are you from?
  • Me: Toronto
  • HDV's friend: Have you ever been to Montreal?
  • Me: I was born there
  • HDV's friend: I'm from Egypt. Very far from Montreal.
  • Me: Uh... yeah.
  • HDV: So have you ever been to an Arabic cafe?
  • Me: No
  • HDV: Then you must go. We can go. We have two pairs. You two and us two.
  • Me: Maybe some other time
  • HDV: When?
  • Me: We'll come find you

Shopping Memories

• How many pairs of shoes did we try on in DSW? My best friend should've bought the Jimmy Choo's. They were only $400; marked down from $1300.
• How many times did we go back into DSW and Filene's Basement just to use the restroom? I guess that happens when you spend all morning shopping and eating lunch at Union Square.
• And we finally found Balducci's.
  I love gourmet grocery stores. I could live there. The closes thing we've got in Toronto is Pusateri's, but Balducci's is much better.
• Remember what happened when we stumbled upon Dale and Thomas? We both exclaimed "Popcorn!" And then, two days later, when we saw Garrett, we did the same thing. We're such geeks.
• How much Bath & Body Works stuff did we (ahem... I) buy?
• How many long distance calls did we make on the iPhone at the Apple Store on 5th Ave?
  • Me: Hi, hunny! I'm calling you on an iPhone at the Apple Store
  • Boyfriend: You called just to torment me?
  • Me: Now you can tell people you talked on the iPhone... sort of.
  • Boyfriend: Argh!
    side note: the boy is dying for an iPhone to use in Canada

Show Memories

• Avenue Q was so funny. It was worth the wait in that long tkts line. It's too bad we had to deal with that scary usher at the John Golden Theatre when your camera flash went off... and the jerk who snitched on you.
• The Michael Bublé concert was the whole purpose of this trip. The perfect end to a perfect holiday. Although it was insanely hot, and despite the fact that this was an outdoor venue (the Mann Center), I think it was a sensational concert and I'm glad I was able to share this trip with my best friend.

Elfreths Alley gained its name in the 1800's when blacksmith Jeremiah Elfreth took up residence in one of the alley's Georgian and Federal-style homes. Over the years the street has been home to a constant wave of immigrants, becoming mainly Irish in the 1900's, according to census data.

This alley, although a national historic landmark, remains the home of many who on every 1st or 2nd Saturday of June become part of a reenactment open to the public named “Fete Day”. This day of festivities is organized by the EAA (Elfreth's Alley Association), which is responsible for preserving this site from demolition and has also requested the city to return the streets name. Elfreth's Alley is a scenic and interesting place to visit.

It took me several years to overcome my fears and make my first step on USA soil. Isn't it surprising that me, being an Israeli, am not afraid to travel all over my country, to walk for my pleasure on military paths near the boarders, under the eyes of the Hezbollah, visit any mall I wish, travel by buses, but shivered only from the thought to walk on the streets of New-York City, or travel along the country?!

Well it was the time before Mayer Giuliani, when the newspapers and films covered the stories of crime all over the country, like bands of motorcycles, and the situation in New-York City, especially the underground.

After I visited the USA for the first time, on 1993, it became like a magnet to me, and I visited the USA five times more, during the years 1994 thru 2001. Each visit lasted a month. So, I can say, proudly, that I lived in the USA for a period of half a year.

I had in my mind thoughts to put on some media the descriptions of those trips.

The last trip that I and my wife took was on 2001.

We started our tour on the 23rd of September and ended it on the 17th of October, having in mind to travel the state of New-York during the "Indian Summer".

For those who have no patient to read my entire story, I can summarize in brief that the root was from Chicago through the states of Indiana, Ohio, New-York, New-Jersey, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and back to New-York City.

I always start planning our trips several months ahead. As the USA is so convenient for the tourists, I manage to plan for each day the places to visit and places to stay for the night. We find Super8, Best Western and Comfort Inn to be chains of perfect motels for our needs. I start my planning by marking on the map the places were those motels are, and I build the plan of the day to drive no more then 150 miles, because my back pains.

We booked our flying tickets on July 2001 to take off on the 23rd of September. Then happened "September 11". After we recovered from our shock, we decided that it is not typical for us, being Israelis, to cancel such a trip. Our family members and friends tried to prevent us from going to the USA in such a time. Now I felt for the first time the hesitations of those who want to come to Israel. But from our experience we knew that such terror activity cannot take place again too soon.

I myself felt that I have to "support" the American people with their grief and shock, after the long years they supported my people.

We passed much stressed days because all the flights to the USA were canceled, but we were lucky that several days before the 23rd of September, the flights were renewed.

So, the happy day came and we started our trip, flying with Lufthansa to Frankfurt to continue with them to Chicago.

I don't know how other people manage to sleep the night before the flight or during the flight. We slept very little, if any, before the flight, as the flight was due to take of at 5AM and we should be at the airport 3 hours before embarking the plain, because of the Israeli severe security check up. We couldn't also get some sleep during the flight because we were excited and worried about our connection. It was one hour interval between landing and taking off in Frankfurt, and according to the captain's announcement we were half an hour late. As the plain landed we rushed to the appropriate gate and to our astonishment we found ourselves in a long line. Immediately we felt at home: severe security check up! As it was only a few days after the renewal of the flights to the USA, the checkers did their job very slowly and according to the questions they asked one could feel the embarrassment of the security guys.

At last, after one hour delay we found ourselves in the air. The flight was very convenient, and after 8 hours we landed at the international terminal of Chicago airport. We were asked only about our purpose of coming, we got a tourist visa for 6 months, and we rushed on our way to our hotel, one of the Travelodge chain.

Chicago.

We woke up in the morning after sleeping some hours, with the known feeling of jet lack. The sun greeted us as a familiar friend. We liked the city from the first moment, almost like San-Francisco, the city we like most in the USA. It is a pleasure wandering through its streets especially the Michigan Ave with its lot of street sculptures. Where else can you take a picture with President Abraham Lincoln or ride an ox? In the back of my head I could hear Frank Sinatra singing his famous song about Chicago being his home town.

We stayed 5 days in this charming city, visiting all its recommended high-lights.

We were lucky to experience a very special exhibition in the Art Institute: pictures of Paul Gaugin and Vincent Van Gogh side by side, painting the same view or subjects. Such a case you can meet once in a life time!

We enjoyed, free of charge, two concerts for the public, one in St. James Cathedral and the other at the Cultural Center.

We couldn't visit two of the sites we planned: The Sears tower and the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. The authorities were so confused because of September 11, that they forbade non authorized people to visit those very tall buildings!

We wanted to visit a zoo located in Brookfield, which was highly recommended in tour books but we had some difficulties to get information how to reach there. I almost gave up, but finally I bumped into a tourist information office on Michigan Ave, where I learnt how to reach Brookfield by train, and than by bus.

Traveling by the train was an opportunity to see a bit of Chicago vicinity.

Well, it was worthwhile to visit that zoo. The animals live there in huge cages. One gets the impression that someone wanted to give the animals the feeling of living in their natural habitat. My wife enjoyed the zoo so much, especially the big monkeys

(usually she doesn't like much the look of animals), that it caused her to look for more zoos along our trip.

In the morning of the fifth day we walked to the Hertz agency office to pick up a car we rented in Israel. I enjoy very much driving American's cars, being so huge and convenient. I always rent a car that has a cruse control. My wife says that driving an American car is so simple and convenient because you need only to hold the wheel with your hands and put a match in each eye to hold your eyes open.

I don’t know why, but I wanted very much to get this time a Ford Taurus, and you can imagine my excitement getting to the agency and found a big white Ford Taurus waiting for me. I asked for instruction how to operate the handle gear stick, because it was connected to the wheel and not to the floor, as I'm used to, and the man in service thought that I came from some other planet, not knowing to operate such a simple element…

Overfilled with joy we drove back to our hotel to pick our language and started our way out of Chicago. I cannot avoid mentioning the wonderful service of the AAA by providing guide books and maps. I cannot imagine a successful trip without their guide facilities. I also want to praise the excellent roads and guiding signs, which make the driving in the USA a "piece of cake". A local person who is born to such a system cannot appreciate it like an outsider.

Indiana.

We drove through the Indiana Dunes National Lakeshore. At the visitor center we viewed a nice audiovisual program about the history of the lake and its shores and drove towards South Bend. There we visited Copshaholm, the Oliver mansion. A very impressive house, owned by the man who built a factory of agriculture machines. Besides the large building, there is a smaller one, typical house of the workers. As a Polish born, I was surprised to learn that all the area was populated by immigrants from Poland, and the worker's home is called Dom Robotnika.

We found a nice restaurant for dinner, where one of the waiters, explained to us how to reach the S. Ray Miller Antique Auto Museum near Elkhart.

We visited several such museums during our traveling in the USA, but this museum was the biggest and the richest. One can roam hours among sparkling antique cars, and watching puppets in and beside the cars, dressed with clothes of the appropriate period.

The USA is a "young" nation comparing to Israel, and such a museum symbolizes to me the efforts the American do to preserve their history in every discipline.

While driving to our booked motel, we met strange horse carriages; we recognized them as belonging to the Amish, according to pictures we've seen in the past. We took photos of them, while driving. Later on we learnt that they are not allowed to be photographed, so, I apologize!

That night we spent at the Best Western Angola Inn.

Ohio.

We started that morning visiting the Historic Sauder Village in Archbold.

Entering the ticket office, the lady in charge noticed that we are foreigners. She was so pleased to hear that we came from Israel at such a time, that she wanted to raise the Israeli flag, in favor of us. We refused, because, as Israelis, we have instructions not to be outstanding, and we kept this advice, even while being in the USA.

It was nice to walk through all the rooms describing the early life of the American craftsmen learning about antique tools and clothing. The most attracting part to my wife was the doll room. It was hard to pool her from this charming room.

Our next station was the museum of art of Toledo. It has a very impressive collection of art and we enjoyed very much to watch all the collections.

I planned a relaxation day before continuing our trip, and I choose to make it in Port Clinton, being on the Lake Erie shore, and in the honor of the name "Clinton", which for me as an Israeli means a lot!

So, we stayed two nights at Best Western Port Clinton. Again, we had a very warm welcome from the lady manager, telling us that we, the Israelis, traveling at this time in the USA, prove to her how to continue with regular life, beside all the troubles!

In the morning we took a ferry to the Put-in-Bay Island, and we had a very charming morning. The rest of the time was dedicated to resting.

Our first station, on the next day, was the Health Museum of Cleveland. How often have you the luck to wander alone in a museum? I didn't ever visit such an interesting museum! The most impressive experience was traveling inside a huge tooth, learning from the inside about its structure.

The next station was, of course, the Cleveland Zoo. We passed nearby a group of Amish people, dressed in their typical closes, who visited the zoo, and we pretend to take photos of ourselves, but focused on them. Forgive us again!

We crossed the "border" to Pennsylvania and slept at Super8 Motel Erie.

New-York state.

We were excited to get near the area where the "Indian Summer" prevails. As my wife once said:" traveling that area is jumping from one picture into another"!

Crossing the border to New-York state we reached a charming little town with a bold sign: Public Library. One of the tourists' privileges in the USA is using the internet in the public libraries conveniently and free of charge. For the local citizens it is so obvious, that they cannot appreciate it. We wrote home calming messages to our family.

When I am in the USA, I mainly watch two TV channels: the weather channel and Fox News. On an evening bulletin they told the public that because lack of tourists in New-York City, there are excellent deals for those who want to get an hotel there.

So we also checked the deals on the Internet and there was nothing attractive. Our reservation was still cheaper than all the "deals".

The old rule prevails: never believe what they want to "sell" you on the news media!

We drove along the shore of Chautauqua Lake towards Corning.

My language is too poor to describe the delight feeling to be in the NW of the USA during the "Indian Summer". Better writers than me did it a lot. I can only wish everybody to experience it.

Corning - a charming little town – was our next stop. There we visited the Corning glass center. Walking through magnificent pieces of glass art, one cannot avoid wondering how people developed the glass industry and the secret of producing such wonderful and delicate pieces of art. There is so much creativity in each model!

One cannot avoid adoring the skills like patience, punctiliousness, delicate and strong muscles that the manufacturer needs!

That night we stayed at Super8 Motel Corning.

The next day was dedicated to travel through the Finger Lakes. We started with a delightful walking along the scenic glen in the Watkins Glen State Park. At noon we visited the Rose Hill Mansion, admiring its Greek revival style and charming furnished rooms. At the afternoon we walked again in a glen and admired the Taughannock falls near Ithaca. At night we stayed at Super8 motel Binghamton.

Next morning driving on route 88 we reached Howes Cave. The uniqueness of this stalactites and stalagmites cave is that it is very deep. You go down by elevator, and then you tour it by a rowboat. Our "sailor" must have been the most bored man on earth, as it was reflected on the look on his face, and his explanations. I wanted so much to ask him what keeps him in his "job", but, I didn't dare…

Our next goal was the Catskill Mountains. We drove the recommended roads by the AAA's map all the way to Kingston, where we stayed at Super8 Motel Kingston.

The next morning we started by crossing the Hudson River. If someone was watching us, he could, I believe, watch two strange people with open widely mouths, for a good period of time. For us, the Israelis, coming from a relatively dry area, such a huge amount of water is a miracle!

Hyde Park is a little town with several mansions and museums. We could visit only one mansion and we picked the Vanderbilt Mansion. What can I tell you?! It is good to be a millionaire, and the best is to be such one in the USA!

Wandering through the rooms and the gardens reminds you the biggest and richest palaces of the kings in Europe.

Our next visiting place was West Point. Can you imagine my excitement, being an Israeli officer, coming near the legendary place on which we heard and learnt during our training? It was a big disappointment to find it is closed to visitors because of September 11! Only family members of the young trained officers were allowed to enter the place! The only compensation we got was a very good meal in a Mexican restaurant not far away from the camp.

We made a charming visit to Bear Mountain; from its top one can see the entire Hudson valley below as far as the horizon…

That night we stayed at Best Western Nyack.

New Jersey.

We passed this state on our way to Philadelphia. The only place we visited was Edison National Historic site at West Orange. Wandering through the laboratories one cannot avoid thinking about the huge contribution this man gave to the human development!

That morning was the only raining time during our visit in the USA. Can you imagine our luck being on a tour with only two hours of rain during 25 days?

Well, coming from the Holy Land, the sun always follows us…

We found no more interesting sites to visit in NJ. What we did found, with no offend, that NJ is only a passing roads to many Americans. There were no such crowded roads in any other state! After some very long and fatigue driving hours, we reached Brooklawn, our next two days base for visiting Philadelphia. There we stayed at Days Inn.

Philadelphia.

I think there is no Israeli who did not study the early history of the USA. To me this period of time was always fascinating, and comparable to the Jewish straggle to establish our own state. So, a visit to Philadelphia is accomplishing of a childhood dream! We had a very exciting day at the Independence National Historic Park.

I couldn't avoid taking pictures with the Liberty bell.

At the evening we had a very pleasant meeting with a couple of American friends, who came especially to meet us from Wilmington, Delaware.

We became friends when we met them on a guided tour to Scotland a few years before, and our friendship keeps going on. They took us to a very unique restaurant called Ponzio's.

The food and the company were great!

The meeting with the Amish people as I described above, made us curious about them. Reading the AAA guide book, we found to our pleasure that we are not far away from the Amish land. Our former plan was to drive straight to Washington D.C., but now we decided to visit first the Amish land. It came out as an excellent decision. At the Amish village Bird-In-Hand (what a name?!) we found all the explanations we asked for. There is a tourist center explaining all about the Amish people: their foundation, believes and traditional way of life.

Full with satisfaction we drove to Washington D.C., to our reserved motel – Days Inn Alexandria. There we stayed 3 nights.

Washington D.C.

It was our third visit to this wonderful city that we like so much.

At this time we stayed in a beautiful suburb named Alexandria. My wife even found a suitable and cheap jacket at a Benetton store. Sometime you need to come to the USA in order to buy cheap and good European products!

This time we visited museums that we hadn't the chance to visit on former tours to D.C, like that for Modern Art and the Corcoran Gallery of Art. At the last one we had a very nice experience, listening to a great performance of Jazz at noon.

To my disappointment the botanical gardens in the city were closed.

Pennsylvania.

We faced a very interesting but emotional day. Our plan was to visit Gettysburg.

At first we visited Eisenhower National Historic site. It was surprising to learn that such a great soldier and leader had habits of a common man, sitting by the fire place or running a farm. I think that dealing with animals is much more easy then dealing with people…

In the memory of those who died in the battle of Gettysburg, I don't even dare to tell with my poor words about the place. I can only tell, that me, an Israeli officer who participated three wars, suffered again all the horror, pain and agony I felt.

May be such a war, must have happened in the history to make the American people what they are today…

It was not easy to get a room for the night at Harrisburg. After we found one in Super8 Motel Carlisle, the owner explained, that in the area there was an exhibition and motor race of old cars, occasionally happening once a year in those days. As he told us that all the roads will be crowded we canceled our plan to visit the famous chocolate factory, Hershey.

New-York City.

Next day we drove all the way to New-York City. Lucky enough, we were advised by a tourist information office, in NJ, that there was only one open way to enter NY City, by the Lincoln tunnel. The Holland tunnel was closed to the public because the works in ground zero.

It took us two hours to cross the tunnel because of the heavy traffic.

Can you imagine how happy I was to return the car after more then 4000 miles?!

It was our third visit to NY City. This time we stayed in a booked apartment in Greenwich Village. I don't know why, but the city looked to me quite different this time.

The buildings were not so high; visiting Time Squire was not so exciting…

We stood 2 hours in the line to buy tickets to the Loin King musical, but left the line when we found out that the price was 92$ per ticket!

We enjoyed very much staying in Greenwich Village. It is not at all as NY we met on previous visits.

We also enjoyed wandering in the near neighborhoods, like Chelsea.

A couple of friends from Long Island, with whom we traveled together in Lapland, invited us to dinner in a restaurant. Although the table was booked before, it took a long time until one table was vacant. Well, it seemed that the New-Yorkers were coming back to themselves…

We took the subway to Brooklyn. We walked on the charming streets of Brooklyn Heights, and then we faced very emotional scenery – in the promenade facing ground zero, many lighted candles and wreaths of flowers in the memory of the innocent victims…

Such an end of the visit to USA reminded us more than anything the place we are going back…