July 17 and 18

July 17
Ben and the girls haven't had enough uphill intensity, so right after breakfast we take a short drive to Treman State Park for a trek up and along the Gorge Trail and Rim Trail. Fortunately, the Rim Trail ended very near the entrance to the swimming hole, and Morena and Maya were more than happy to cool off with a dive off the diving board and some splashing around the 70 degree natural pool.

In the afternoon we went to watch Vince's final scrimmage of the Cornell camp, then met him back at the dorms for checkout. Before departing camp, he had a very positive and fruitful conference with the coaches, and he left his last camp of the tour very pleased with performance.

To celebrate, we made some veggie fajitas back at camp then rode back into Ithaca to cap off the night at Purity Ice Cream. According to their own claims, they are inventors of the ice cream sundae. Have to admit it was some tasty decadence.

On the trail at Treman State Park

Paula dips a foot in the falls during a break in the hike 

Morena in mid air!

Careful on those slick rocks!

Big view of  Treman State Park swimming area 

Vince's dorm at Cornell camp

Cornell campus as the sun begins to set

July 18
Time to pack up camp yet again. The rolling drive east from Ithaca then south into Pennsylvania felt like a self-guided tour of colonial quaintness. It was a light and easy ride through villages anchored by colonial churches and old houses adorned with vibrant gardens of veggies and wildflowers. Our destination was Easton, Pennsylvania, home of Lafayette University. If I didn't know better, I could have sworn I'd driven into Philly. I swear I had the sudden urge to put on some Franklin bifocals, play a  snare drum, and sign something important. But actually it was just a funky college town on the border between Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Vince and Ben took an official tour of Lafayette and met with the soccer coach while the girls relaxed at the student center. Originally, we had planned on camping at Spruce Run State Park in New Jersey, but since the weather had taken a stormy and threatening turn, we decided to treat ourselves to an extra night in our hotel near NYC (where we already had reservations for July 18 and 19).

It was neat to see the NYC skyline as we neared the hotel, which sits in the virtual shadow of MetLife stadium, where the New York Giants and Jets of the NFL play (Note: Technically we were still in New Jersey, just across the bridge from NYC).

Easton, PA

Lafayette University

Vince's first slice of New York pizza (OK, it was New Jersey)