August 30-September 1           Jersey City, New Jersey

Dave and I left the boat early to go into the city.  We wanted to tour the New York Public Library, a place neither of us had been.  For the first time in a long time, the library was not shrouded with scaffolding for repairs and cleaning.  The familiar exterior with its iconic lions, urns, and columns was pristine.  Built in an age when public buildings were designed by Ecole des Beaux-Arts trained architects, the library has an overall appearance of grandeur and significance.

Using an audio guide, we toured the main areas of the building:  The Map Room, Periodicals Room, Education Area, and several small reading rooms.  The Main Reading Room was not open.  Since the main branch of the library is only for research, none of the millions of books and other items in the collection can be checked out.  Circulation is available at the many branch libraries throughout the boroughs.  The Periodical Room was our favorite with its outstanding murals of publishing houses existing during the early part of the last century.  The murals were painted by WPA-paid artists and are not only beautiful but reminders of the Golden Age of publishing in America.

Our farewell dinner for Dave was at Maritime Parc, the excellent seafood restaurant at the marina.  He expressed many times how much he had enjoyed being with us on the boat.  We were grateful for his company and his expert piloting from Maine to New York.  It had been a special time for us as a family.