My Hometown - Fairfield, NJ

While we slowly work our way back up north to our place in New Hampshire after spending the winter at Cherry Grove Beach in South Carolina, we have been visiting my dad in Fairfield, New Jersey. I grew up in Fairfield, having moved here when I was three years old.

Because we don't have high speed internet at my dad's place, we came over to the Fairfield Public Library. Wow, how things have changed! I was telling one of the library staff that back in 1963 or so, when Fairfield opened their first library, I had the eleventh library card issued in town. The library then was a tiny 2 or 3 room building on Fairfield Road (it is still standing, and is currently housing a barber shop).

My dad would take me to the library on Saturday mornings for story hour, and I just loved going there!

After a while, the library moved to larger quarters - an old school located across from the Police and Fire Station. Then, sometime long after I left Fairfield for my various adventures, the town built the Anthony Pio Costa Memorial Library located on Hollywood Avenue - and what a wonderful library it is!

The library is adjacent to the marvelous Fairfield Recreation Complex, where - prior to coming to the library - we played a great set of tennis (I lost miserably), and watched people as they walked on the park fitness trails. The town has beautiful ball fields at the complex as well as a gorgeous pool for the townspeople to enjoy during the summer. My dad has a great place to walk, which he does almost daily, and a wonderful library to visit as well.

We're so thankful that while we travel we can pop into public libraries almost everywhere and find internet access and computers for our use. And I'm equally thankful that I had an opportunity to take advantage of this great complex in my old hometown of Fairfield, NJ - which truly is a great town.

I'm glad I'm from here.

Next Adventure: Banner Elk, North Carolina

The last week and a half was filled to overflowing with activity as we prepared to end our 5-month stay in North Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. It was with mixed emotions that we closed the door behind us for the last time on Friday morning, 5/1/09, car packed to the brim, to begin our trip back to northern New Hampshire.

We made some wonderful friends in South Carolina, enjoyed true southern hospitality, and expanded our interests and knowledge in ways we never could have anticipated. What an adventure! And we plan on returning next winter.

Instead of racing home, however, we decided that it was time for a little vacation. I know a lot of people think of our winter in SC as more of a vacation, it really wasn't. One of the advantages of working online for yourself is that you can pretty much live wherever you want (within reason!).

Anyway, since we market luxury resort vacation memberships, we took advantage of one of the resorts, and booked a week here in Banner Elk, NC at the Blue Ridge Village resort. You can check out the resort here at the resort registry at my Fine Resort Vacation website.

In the one day since we've arrived, we realized that I'll have a lot to write about! This area is just magnificent! Even though we live in the mountains of northern New Hampshire, these mountains are different, and the communities offer different activities which we are going to be exploring this week.

Stay tuned for more! For now, it's time get ready to go hear some bluegrass... :)