DDTSII04

 

THE STATE I’M IN is a yearly column about my once-a-month New Jersey trips.
This is the Atlantic City Issue.

⤓ Issue #4:
1.RESORTS and the ATLANTIC CITY HISTORICAL MUSEUM—I spent this whole year visiting Atlantic City (AC); after all, it’s the most-visited place in New Jersey. Resorts is the oldest casino/hotel in AC, and the AC Historical Museum on Garden Pier can give a quick history lesson.
2. CAESARS’ RESORT and CAESARS’ PIER SHOPS—Experience a taste of Ancient Rome, and visit the former Million Dollar Pier with its shops and water show.
3. BALLY’S and AC OUTLETS-THE WALK—It’s the only casino/resort in AC with two casinos—one of them with a Western theme. The Walk offers outlet stores from many famous retail chains, but the merchandise sells for up to 70% off of retail prices.
4. RAINFOREST CAFÉ and STEEL PIER—Have lunch in a simulated jungle atmosphere, and spend the rest of the day at AC’s only pier with amusement-park rides.
5. HARRAH’S and the WATERFRONT SHOPS—Harrah’s was the first casino/hotel to open up in the marina area, and the Waterfront Shops displayed some colorful archway lights and offered browsing in upscale boutiques.
6. AC HILTON and CENTRAL PIER—The southernmost Boardwalk casino/hotel offered views of the beach and the ocean from its buffet, and Central Pier had arcade games and a large 99-cent store.
7. TROPICANA and THE QUARTER—The Trop gave a Cuban atmosphere, and its shopping mall, The Quarter, could remind many of what pre-1959 Havana may have looked like.
8. TRUMP PLAZA and the ROLLING CHAIRS—Being next to Boardwalk Hall is this casino/hotel’s asset. The Rolling Chairs are to AC what the cable cars are to San Francisco, CA, and the trams (trolley cars) to Blackpool, Lancaster, England.
9. AC AQUARIUM and TRUMP MARINA—This aquarium will enlighten you about what lives in and near the waterways; Trump Marina’s biggest asset is its location at the Farley State Marina.
10.ABSECON LIGHTHOUSE and SHOWBOAT—See NJ’s tallest lighthouse, and Showboat’s New Orleans French Quarter theme.
11.TRUMP TAJ MAHAL and THE SPICE ROAD—The casino/hotel’s Indian-interior theme carries on in its shopping mall, The Spice Road.
12.BORGATA and BORGATA SHOPS—AC’s newest casino/hotel opened in 2003 in the marina area. Inside, the Borgata exhibited glass sculptures by Dale Chihuly, and the Borgata Shops displayed upscale merchandise.

DDC07

 

DOTTY'S DIMENSIONS CONTINUES:
 A twice-yearly zine.

Format:
  The odd-numbered issues cover my New York City trips and Balticon, a science fiction convention.

  In the even-numbered issues, I'll write about another NYC trip, some trips to Philadelphia, and another science fiction convention: Philcon.

STOP PRESS:
 Publications of MY CAPITAL TIME will end, and starting with DDC Issue #7, all odd-numbered issues will cover Washington, DC, and Lunacon.
 The even-numbered issues will still cover New York City, Philadelphia, and Philcon.

⤓ ISSUE 7
01 - LUNACON 2009
02 - ESPN ZONE
03 - WASHINGTON NATIONAL CATHEDRAL
04 - NEWSEUM
05 - SEWALL-BELMONT HOUSE

DDC06

 

DOTTY'S DIMENSIONS CONTINUES:
 A twice-yearly zine.

Format:
  The odd-numbered issues cover my New York City trips and Balticon, a science fiction convention.

  In the even-numbered issues, I'll write about another NYC trip, some trips to Philadelphia, and another science fiction convention: Philcon.

STOP PRESS:
 Publications of MY CAPITAL TIME will end, and starting with DDC Issue #7, all odd-numbered issues will cover Washington, DC, and Lunacon.
 The even-numbered issues will still cover New York City, Philadelphia, and Philcon.

⤓ ISSUE 6
01 - OFF-OFF-BROADWAY SHOW: THE BUBBLE
02 - AMERICAN MUSEUM OF NATURAL HISTORY
03 - IMAX FILM: WILD OCEAN
04 - PENNSYLVANIA ACADEMY OF THE FINE ARTS
05 - PHILCON 2008

Pearl S. Buck House

     Wednesday, November 12, 2008: Despite making a few wrong turns here and there, I finally found my way to the Pearl S. Buck House, 520 Dublin Road, Perkasie, PA (215-249-0100). The famous humanitarian and author, Pearl S. Buck (1892-1973), bought this 1835 stone farmhouse in the 1930s. Upon my arrival, I viewed a short video that gave a biography about her life, her writings, and her lasting legacy--especially toward mixed-race children. Then I took a one-hour guided tour of her house. Because I visited during the 2008 Festival of Trees Holiday House Tour, many local businesses, churches, and schools donated theme-Christmas trees, wreaths, and garlands as well as centerpieces and other Christmas and Hanukkah decorations. Thus, I noticed those festive decorations throughout her house in addition to the permanent collection of Pennsylvania Country furniture and many Asian items, especially Chinese: furniture, household items, and decorative items. I especially remembered seeing the Chinese-styled desk where she wrote most of her books and articles and the typewriter that she used to write one of her most famous books, The Good Earth. In another room, I looked at the many rewards and gifts that several famous people and organizations gave to her. Even the surrounding grounds looked lovely in the hilly Pennsylvania countryside and included her graveside and a water garden. Nevertheless, the people who benefited best by Pearl S. Buck were the many mixed-race children that she adopted, raised as foster children, or paved the way for other people to adopt.

Peddlers' Village 2008

     Saturday, October 11, 2008: In Lahaska, Bucks County, Pennsylvania, where Routes 202 and 263 meet, has been the location of a re-created, 18th-century-styled village: Peddlers' Village (215-794-4000). Although the buildings looked as though they dated back to the 1700s, they really date back to the 1960s. Except for the antique and collectable shops, the merchants sold 21st-century merchandise. Because I'm not an impulse shopper, after lunch, I browsed inside some of those shops. (The restaurants in Peddlers' Village offered many kinds of food from upscale to fast food.) I especially liked looking at the art galleries; my favorite art gallery was the Thomas Kinkade Gallery. (I'd like to see someone turn those places in his paintings into a theme park!) Besides art galleries, antique shops, and collectable shops, other merchants sold clothing, home decor, and jewelry as well as food, toys, and other items. The landscaping here looked great too and included many colorful flowers, a waterwheel, a windmill, and a gazebo to sit in and relax for a few minutes. Throughout the year, this place plays host to different festivals and events. When I was there, I saw several scarecrows made out of almost any and every kind of material.

New Hope, PA

   DOTTY’S DIMENSIONS:THE BLOGS
   By Dorothy Kurtz
     Wednesday, September 10, 2008: I spent the day at New Hope, Pennsylvania. After picking up a town map at the Visitors Center, I walked toward the New Hope branch of the James A. Michener Art Museum, 500 Union Sq. Dr. (215-862-7633). (The main museum is in Doylestown, PA.) In the museum's two galleries, I spent a few hours. The first gallery displayed temporary art themes. When I was there, the museum presented "New Hope: Art and the River." Here, I looked at paintings of the nearby Delaware River, Delaware Canal, and the town of New Hope dating from the 19th century to the present. In addition, this gallery exhibited some photographs of the above subjects that photographers took in the 20th and 21st centuries. A more active second gallery showcased the different artists, writers, and actors who lived in Bucks County, PA, from the 18th century to the late 20th century. Thus, via pictures, texts, and videos as well as audio presentations, hands-on exhibits, and a cinema, I learned about how much these actors, writers, and artists made our culture much richer. I especially spent much of my time in the cinema--about an hour--watching film clips from different films that a Bucks County writer wrote either the screenplay or music or a Bucks County performer acted in. Later, I walked along the main streets with its quaint-looking 18th- and 19th-century architecture that contained shops and restaurants. With a few exceptions, most of the stores were boutiques, antiques shops, or arts and crafts galleries. It made for an interesting browsing experience!

Harvard Hall 2008

     July 2008: The next day, after my visit to Harvard, I saw the sights along Boston's Freedom Trail. My favorites included the Old State House, Washington St. and State St. (617-720-1713) and nearby Faneuil Hall. First, I found that Boston seemed to differ from Philadelphia concerning its historic buildings. Whereas Philly in most cases put some distance between many of their historical buildings and more modern buildings, Boston in many cases had skyscrapers build very close to their historical buildings. I also found this true with the Old State House. Inside, however, the building contained a museum of Boston history. They especially included exhibit items and multi-media presentations about Boston just before and during the American Revolutionary War. Later, I entered Faneuil Hall and at first, I wasn't very impressed with the ground floor; it looked like a tourist-trap shopping center. Then, as I walked through, I saw a closed-circuit video showing the floor above. Therefore, I walked upstairs and stepped into their 18th-century-interior meeting hall. Here, a National Park Ranger told the story of the events that happened in this room, especially in the 1700s.