August 7 – “New Jersey”

Today is departure day for our trip to the grand state of New Jersey.  That is one state I sure didn’t know anything about.  So I did what any self-respecting traveler would do before boarding a plane into the unknown.  I googled it.  Actually I used the search engine Goodsearch, because for every search we make they give a penny to Seaside.  Can’t beat that.  Here  are some of the “Did You Know?” facts I found from the New Jersey official state website:

 

10 Things you didn’t know about NJ

1.  The first organized baseball game was played in Hoboken, NJ in 1846.

2.  New Jersey’s State House is the second oldest still in use. (Maryland has the oldest.)

3.  New Jersey was known as the "Pathway of the Revolution." Over 100 battles were fought on New Jersey soil.

4.  New Jersey has more horses per square mile than any other state. The United States Equestrian Team is headquartered in Gladstone, NJ.

5.  The properties in the United States version of the board game Monopoly are named after the streets of Atlantic City.

6.  The first state to sign the Bill of Rights.

7.  New Jersey is one of only two states (along with Oregon) where self-service filling of gasoline is prohibited.

8.  The first professional basketball game was played in Trenton, NJ in 1896.

9.  New Jersey has 127 miles of coastline on the Atlantic Ocean.

10.  New Jersey is home to more than 9,800 farms covering 790,000 acres of farmland.

 

And if that wasn’t enough to wow you, they added these phenomenal rankings:

2nd in blueberry production

3rd in cranberry production

3rd in bell peppers

4th in peach production

4th in head lettuce

 

So New Jersey is officially the state to go to if you want to bump into a horse, have someone else fill up your car with gas, meet a real live farmer, gaze upon the Atlantic Ocean, or eat a salad.  I, for one, can’t wait.

 

We did receive some advice the other night from those renowned airline experts, Zakary and Caleb, the Travel Brothers.  They just returned from a flight to Disney World, so we were certain they would be able to tell us all we needed to know in preparation for the airplane ride.  And we were not disappointed.  Zak’s advice was short and sweet: “Chew gum.”  That’s right.  Perfect for dealing with those ear-splitting take-off and landing moments of inner ear pressure.  Caleb’s words were highly practical as well.  “Make sure you go to the bathroom.”  Now I’m not sure if he meant “go to bathroom before you get on board,” or “check out the bathroom on the airplane.”  In either case, I think we got the message.  Thank you so much, Caleb.

 

It seems our flight is one of a few that provides in flight full Wifi service.  We can use the personal mobile viewing apparatus of our choice to access TV channels and on-demand movies, and some of them are even free.  Hmm.  I planned to take a book to read, work some crossword puzzles, and maybe take a little nap.  How does that work with Wifi? 

 

Psalms 104:3 says, “He makes the clouds his chariot and rides on the wings of the wind.”

 

Father, we’ll be up there on those wings of wind with you in a bit.  It’s comforting to know you’ll be right there beside us.  Amen.