Fun for the Whole Family

After a delicious breakfast including Kellogg's Froot Loops (in honor of our stop in Battle Creek, Michigan), we checked out of the Bogursky Bed and Breakfast and went to Fairfield to meet up with Andy's old friend Kelley, whom he hadn't seen in more than a decade, and her adorable little girl, Gianna.

We couldn't visit this part of the country without stopping in at a Greek diner. This east coast tradition is one that has yet to be duplicated in the west. Independently owned and located at every exit of any major thruway, these diners feature the most extensive menus of any eating establishment we have ever experienced. It doesn't matter the day or time, if you have a craving for it, a Greek diner has it. Chicken parmigiana with a side of matzo ball soup? You've got it! Chow mein and a lamb gyro? Whatever you say! Why not wash it all down with a nice egg cream (an eastern treat, the ingredients of which include neither eggs nor cream)? The possibilities are limited only by the size of your appetite and the boundaries of your imagination.

Following our lunch with Kelley and Gianna at the Circle Diner, we all piled into the car for a quick trip to the beach. We landed at Jennings Beach on Long Island Sound. No wonder the Beach Boys were so stuck on California. Shouldn't a beach be sunny and crowded in July? Here, there were six lifeguards for every one misguided sunseeker. Fortunately, there was a first-rate playground nearby where Andy and Gianna could play, before it was time to say goodbye.

We spent the late afternoon back at Ken, Sondra, and Emma's house, where we were joined by Craig, Susan, and the charming young Brothers Bogursky, for a double anniversary celebration as well as more playtime with the kids. Then it was off to the casino!

We arrived at Lovin Casino (Aunt Lola and Uncle Vinny's house) just in time for dinner, for which we were joined by our cousin Kevin and his beautiful fiancée Karina. After a fine meal, the games began! We started with a quick refresher course in craps. There were hot streaks and cold streaks and a few killer margaritas, and by the time we finished, we were all down about $600 and couldn't have been happier about it! It's a good thing we weren't playing for real money.

In a rare demonstration of the declining structural integrity of modern barware, Karina bit right through her beer glass. Since she didn't hurt herself, we all found it vastly amusing. However, we also took it as a sign that it was time to call it a night, as, by all photographic evidence, the evening had degenerated into a scene right out of a Quentin Tarantino movie.

We had a fun weekend with our family and friends in Connecticut, but it's time to move on. We are growing restless and hear the distant calls of more factory tours and roadside oddities beckoning us onward.