I haven’t written one of these essays since I was in grammar school. However, I had several interesting and science-related experiences this summer and I thought I would share them. I drove my son Ed and my mother from Long Island to York, Pennsylvania, to visit my sister. On our way, we crossed Lower New York Bay, the Delaware River, and the Susquehanna River. Once we cross the Susquehanna, we know that we are nearing York. I find it amusing that we travel from New York to York, which claims to be the first capital of the United States.
After a short visit, I left my mom at my sister’s, and Ed and I traveled south along I 83 to Baltimore, Maryland. I 83 runs south through the Appalachian Plateau. At that time, I was working on the chapter in Reviewing Earth Science: The Physical Setting, Third Edition that deals with the landscapes of New York. I mentioned to Ed, as we travelled up and down some really big hills, that according to the New York State Earth Science Reference Tables, we were travelling though a plateau not mountains. He said that he thought that plateaus were flat and we certainly were not going through a flat area. I told him that this area is a dissected plateau, which means it has been cut up by rivers and erosion. The layers of rock in a plateau are horizontal while the layers of rock that make up mountains have been folded and tilted He said, “I like traveling with you because you know so many odd facts.” By the way, Reviewing Earth Science: The Physical Setting, which will include the 2010 Earth Science Reference Tables and has been updated to include questions based on the new tables, will be available in early October.
When we got to Baltimore, where Ed was attending the Firehouse Convention, I had some time to kill, so I visited the USS Constellation, the last all sail warship built by the US Navy. A nice young man who works for the Inner Harbor in Baltimore saw me taking pictures of the ship and asked if I would like him to take my picture, which you see above.
Later in the afternoon, Ed and I visited the Maryland Science Center. As we walked toward the building, we heard a strange noise; it sounded like a loud roar. Through the windows of the science center, we could see a large dinosaur. Well, Ed knew that would be the first place we visited. There was an exhibit that had a full size replica of an encounter between at T. rex and an Astrodon, a plant eater whose name means “star tooth.” We also had fun visiting the exhibits in Newton’s Alley, which featured physics demonstrations.
I left Ed in Baltimore and went to spend some time with my nephew Eric, his wife Deverie, and their family. I really enjoyed playing with Ryan (three years old) and Lauren (one year old). It was good granny practice for when Theo gets older. We went to visit Dutch Wonderland, a family centered amusement park and had a great time. The little ones were a joy.
So, that is how I spent my long weekend away from NYC: some family activities, some driving, and of course, some science.
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