Ever stay up all night and forget why? Then it dawned on me…just saying. Ohh the eclipse, it’s a several nights event.

We certainly had a busy day ahead. We started early and loaded the car. Our first stop was an emotional and somber experience at the Flight 93 National Memorial. On September 11, 2026, it will be the 25th anniversary of this tragic event. Forty people lost their lives on that flight. Hearing the courageous stories and recordings from President Bush and the news coverage brought chills down our spines. Heather and I will never forget the exact moment and location we were on that day, as many lives were lost.

After an hour driving in silence with deep thoughts and emotions, we regained our strength and started to focus on the positive. We were only two hours away from our second destination. This place has been a dream of mine since childhood. First, we stopped at a small spot in the town of Indiana, Pennsylvania. The food was delicious, and the people were friendly. Homemade food! Not quite Amish though.

Okay, let’s talk about my bucket list, which included visiting the home of Punxsutawney Phil. We drove to Gobblers Knob, but unfortunately, Phil wasn’t there. Instead, we found him and his wife, Phyllis, downtown at the Zoo. However, his kids, Sunny and Shadow, were here, and that made for an amazing experience. Gobblers Knob, the Groundhog display, and the cool gift shop with clean restrooms all contributed to a memorable visit.

All throughout the town of Punxsutawney they have statues of Phil dressed as on location. Really cool stuff.

We drove for another two and a half hours and finally arrived at our resort, Peek n’ Peak, in New York State. After unloading the car, we drove 30 minutes down the road to the Chautauqua Institute.

Of course Heather is going to run into a friend! Cara G. from Fort Worth.

We met the hosts of the Disciples of Christ House. Diane B. gave Heather a quick tour. Then, we met Greg and Brenda in the second Disciples of Christ house. Greg and his wife are the current hosts and are members of the UCC. I told him about one of my favorite churches is UCC in Friona, Texas. He was very friendly and took Heather’s and my picture with the second house in the background.

Next, we attended the Kenny G concert held in the Amphitheater here in Chautauqua one house down from the DOC houses. The live music was incredible, and the venue was fantastic. We had excellent seats with ample space, sitting six rows away from the stage. Heather, who had missed winning a saxophone by just three numbers, was disappointed. However, a couple in front of her managed to purchase the winning ticket. Kenny G graciously autographed it and serenaded the winners. He was also quite entertaining during his commentary on the history of jazz, using his saxophone as a prop.

As we trudged ten miles back to our car on well lit walkways, we engaged in a conversation about food and fuel. We managed to find fuel, but unfortunately, all the restaurants were closed. On our way back to Peek n’ Peak Resort we stumbled upon a Tom Hortons, a Canadian restaurant (it too was closed)! I couldn’t help it by saying: If a King chooses to change the name of poutine because he can, he is doing it to piss people off! (Canadian food dish of fries and cheese curds with gravy)

What a wonderful and busy day we’ve had! We’re enjoying our time together and meeting new people. We believe my medications have been ordered for pickup in Boston next week. However, it was a bit of a challenge getting my insurance to cooperate.

Ending our day with a pondering question. Have you ever had one of those days when you carried a stick and everyone looked like a piñata? Don’t do it!!!