Friday, January 15, 2010

Nockamixon State Park and Friday Funday

It has been over two weeks since we have really had an "adventure"!  Today was a beautiful day, so Tara and I went out in search of an adventure, a Friday Funday!  Here is the route we drove today
F - is home (also point A)
B - Care and Share, Souderton
C - Salvation Army, Quakertown (we also stopped at a nearby Goodwill)
D - Nockamixon State Park
E  - Cracker Barrel, Plymouth Meeting


First stop, Care and Share, a local thrift store that is part of the Mennonite Central Committee Thrift Shop Network.  Today was 1/2 off Friday, and it was SOOO crowded.  I felt like I was at Wal-Mart on Black Friday.  It is a great store, but today was not the day either Tara or I wanted to be shopping there.  Tara even had some "older" shopper pull a stuffed animal out of her hand!



We continued our quest for thrift shops.  We found another Goodwill and Salvation Army.  Both older stores, and I think some of the merchandise has been in these stores since the Nixon Administration.  Tara did find the next book in a series she is reading, which cost me only .52 cents, new it would have been over $7!


After the thrift store we headed for the great outdoors.  I needed to rid my nose of all clothing and shoe smell.  The very smell that has kept me out of thrift stores for oh so many years!




The name Nockamixon comes from the American Indian phrase “nocha-miska-ing” which is Lenni Lenape for “at the place of soft soil.” Several American Indian sites from the Lenni Lenape Tribe (Delaware) are documented in the park area.

Secretary of the Department of Forests and Water, Dr. Maurice K. Goddard, proposed the park in 1958. The park was developed with the U. S. Army Corps of Engineers plan for development in the Delaware River Basin. Originally known as Tohickon State Park after the principal stream flowing into Lake Nockamixon, it was renamed Nockamixon State Park by the State Geographic Board in 1965. The park officially opened in December of 1973.

Tara wanted desperately to break through the ice by throwing a rock... try as she might, the ice was still too thick.  It was beautiful in the early part of the afternoon.  Later on the clouds blew back in.

Yes, Tara has on flip flops.  In her defense, it was 53 degrees!
I could see in the distance a flock of birds on the ice, so we headed off to see what else we could find.  We soon realized these gulls were on the ice in the area of the marina.

Our next stop appears to be the area where they go ice fishing - when the ice is a bit thicker! Rocks might not have broken through, but I'm pretty sure, a full grown mann would have done the job!  I suggested ice surfing, but about that time a park ranger drove through!

The frozen lake was very beautiful.  I am hoping we get another snow storm this year, so we can visit in the snow.  They have a great sledding hill.  The weather today actually had us both thinking a bit about spring.  I however, am enjoying winter, and not quite ready for it to go!

On the way home we saw this sign.  I've seen it before and I makes me chuckle.  Today I was stopped for a traffic light and could get a good shot!

Both Tara and I were hungry, and the only thing that sounded good to Tara was Cracker Barrel which was further away than I had hoped to go for a meal, but we rarely have the chance to go there.  Tara had her favorite sirloin steak, and loved it.  I had friend shrimp.  It was okay, I would have preferred sushi or Chinese!
Tara's "dunch" (late lunch/early dinner or "linner" if you like)

I love this hat.  If I wore baseall caps, I would have bought it!


On the way home, stopped at another light, I saw this tree.  I don't know, but it almost looked like it was decorated with lace!