Last Day In Scranton

This was our last day in Scranton (the whirlwind tour), so we decided to spend the afternoon at the Everhart Museum in Nay Aug Park. These are the things that I remember about the Everhart Museum from my childhood: first: the most ghoulishly compelling display for all the kids was a Native American mummy, bound into the fetal position and tastefully lighted in a glass case. These days, that is considered not only politically incorrect,but morally wrong, tasteless and offensive to both the viewer and the Native American population. Needless to say, the exhibit has been removed and, I hope, respectfully reburied. How do I know it is not there? It was the first thing that I went to look for when we got inside the museum. Fools!

Second: there was a small room dedicated to rocks that glowed in the dark when you pushed a button that bathed them in some spooky light. Today, I have solved the mystery behind this phenomenon, and the rocks just weren't doing it for me anymore.

Third: there was another, larger room full of stuffed birds from all over the world, some with their nests filled with pathetic little eggs that would never hatch. I always liked the Baltimore Oriole best, because that hanging nest is a marvel of engineering. I liked the seagull least, because I have been pooped on by seagulls many times, and it is messy. I also think it is quite intentional on the part of the gulls.

Fourth, and by no means least: in the basement there is a glass-enclosed beehive, in which you can watch all the different bees doing their various things, even the fat queen. There is access to the outside for the bees to pollinate flowers and collect honey. I have actually found this exit/entrance from the outside of the museum. The bees around the opening were much too busy and smugly satisfied to pay any attention to me.

On this particular visit, we saw all of the above-mentioned attractions (except the mummy, of course), and then succumbed to my sister's favorite saying, "So many gift shops, so little time". We spent a good half hour in the museum shop, both looking at the merchandise (surprisingly nice), and talking to the staff about the changes in the place since we had last seen it. I came away with a happy heart, a poster of the museum's facade, and a tall glass vase that I just couldn't resist. You might remember these items from my final letter to Siss.

Back at the used-to-be-a-Sheraton, we had a very nondescript dinner accompanied by some equally nondescript wine. That was okay. We had the good stuff up in the room, courtesy of the spectacular liquor store across the street. I had even snagged a few of those little airline bottles full of things to later enhance our coffee. Rather than endure dessert, which was probably as nondescript as the rest of the food, we decided to get changed and hit the pool/jacuzzi, both of which were indoors, thank heaven.