Merry Christmas

I am home in CT for the holidays.

Christmas Eve was wonderfully shared at a beautiful party done by Lauren Chitwood Events out of Louisville, KY. It was an overall beautiful night.

After the party I opened my stocking that Santa's helper filled early.

Christmas day was spent with the family, working a little bit, and like all good Jew's eating Chinese food.

The evening ended with visiting friends, doggies, and the hopes of snow.

The rest of Myrtle Beach, in pictures

Myrtle Beach

A room with a view

Gallo Pinto and Home

In the traditional style of Costa Ricans we made Gallo Pinto for breakfast to remind us of our times in Costa Rica. We conference called with Emily and then it was time for me to hit the road.

I left Tes’s place in Brooklyn at noon for Grand Central. Arrived in New Haven by train at 3 and made it home to West Hartford at 4.

What a day and what a trip. It is possible to travel by public transportation, but a little more work, and much more exhausting. Good thing I travel light.

Back to NY: Rain, Traveling, Dyker Heights, Subway down, Applebee’s, and good night

With the Smithsonian and fee museums like the Crime and Punishment Museum there is always tons to do in DC. Not to mention the cultural events and people to see. However I had to get back to NY for some evening plans. In the rain I made my way to the bus stop and said goodbye to my amazing host Alicia and DC.

The bus ride went well and four hours later I was in the heart of NY. I slowly made my way to Brooklyn, filled Tes in on my time in DC as well as our friends and it was time to head out.

We hopped on the R line which we would need to get to the best Christmas lights in one neighborhood. However, we didn’t make it all the way. R line was down and other lines very backed up. We ended up getting an Italian snack and walking around 30 blocks. We finally made it to the lights and began to enjoy them. After maybe three or four blocks the rain really started to come down. Not having a car or knowing the buses, we got soaked.

We made it back to the Subway only to learn it was still at a standstill over an hour later. We then waited in the rain for a bus which only comes on the ½ hour. I felt bad the people on the bus wouldn’t smush and a few people couldn’t get on. People on the bus weren’t the nicest either. Saying, “Oh come on, they can get the next one”. The next one being in probably an hour.

How do really poor people handle this? They paid for the subway which stopped moving, then had to pay for a bus. A cab is out of the question when you have to go far. Ohhh. Sundays in the cities.

Once at our meeting location it was still raining. We tried to locate a fun or local restaurant to eat at but there was no such place in the Atlantic area. We ended up at Applebee’s in the mall where we waited for Jenny. Once warm and all together we had a good time filling each other in on our lives. I learned a lot about the KIPP schools in NY and it was great to see Jenny.

After a warm shower Tes and I played some online trivia games and went to bed.

Second Day in DC: Columbia Heights, Sculpture Garden, Natural History Museum, American History, Columbia Heights, Ivanhoe, and Dinner with PC friends.

We laid about for a little bit then made the not at all far walk to Columbia Heights so I could see this area. Many of my friends say this is their favorite area in DC and I can see why. We grabbed an empanada and headed to the Sculpture Garden area to wait for Dave. Although a little chilly it was a nice day to just sit and look.

Once all together we made our way to the Natural History Museum. Alicia’s cousin decorated the Christmas tree and it was so fun to see all the owls. Not wanting to make Dave and Alicia endure the museum I chose to go at the museum alone. The coral reef display was the coolest thing ever and I want it in my house, the hope diamond is huge, the rock/mineral area is humongous, and the bone display was a little strange with cool forensic information.


It blows my mind the amount of wealth the Smithsonian has. With 16 free modern museums that are all professional and competitive I can only imagine the money that has been given / donated / budgeted.

After my quick stop I headed to the American History Museum. I was a little bummed that not all the exhibits were open but I got to see the First Lady’s dresses throughout history. What a random tradition the U.S / museum has. Also, I love popup books.

I took the long away back to the Metro pausing for stamps in my National Parks Passport, to look at the Washington Memorial, and see hundreds of Santa’s on the Mall. Still haven’t figured out why they were there. Who knew you could go to the top of the Memorial for free?

Once back at Alicia’s I met her housemates and got to do some reading in my book. I decided to read the classic Ivanhoe and have been loving it!

We made our way back out around 7 to meet up with Josh and Blake from Peace Corps. We met at this little modern Vietnamese place. The place was new and seemed to be doing well. The kitchen was little backed up so they brought us out some wings, and also tossed in another bottle of wine for the table. It was great to see everyone and after a few ours it was time to call it a night.

First Day in DC: Spy Museum, Outdoor Market, Postal Museum, Chinatown, Irish Bar, Christmas Tree, Silver Spring, and 127 Hours

This whole house mate / house sharing thing is very knew to me. I thought it was unique to DC. A friend pointed out that it may be common in San Francisco as well, which makes sense. After sleeping in I made my way to the International Spy Museum. Of course I want to go to one of like three museums out of 30 you have to pay for. Although not what I was expecting it was worth it. It was more informative and historical than hands on experimental which I had previously thought.

Having visited one fee museum I headed to the U.S Postal Museum. I took the long way walking as opposed to the Metro and was able to see a lot of the city. Once there I made friends with a security guard and enjoyed the museum. Although I do not understand the collection and culture of stamps I enjoyed the museum. The part of the Pony Express as well as this touch screen game were my favorite.

Not feeling well I headed back to my friends place to rest, read, and call a few other Peace Corps friends. Before I arrived I read a poster of gentrification in DC and a rally to keep the city chocolate. Very interesting. The moment I arrived in the house Hillary contacted me and I headed back out to Chinatown. We grabbed some food at an Irish pub and caught up on life. From there we explored DC and she showed me some new areas. We went down to see the Christmas Tree which I was bummed about. Online said there would be music which there was not, and several of the states trees had been blocked off due to their slow disassembling of the stage from the night before. Seeing the White House at night was cool and I enjoyed the quietness of the city.

We grabbed walked around, grabbed some frozen yogurt, and headed out to Silver Spring to watch a movie. The movie was intense and theater awesome. Hanging out with Hillary was fun and the perfect low key evening. I almost convinced her to jump down on the track, climb a fence, and hop a train, but it was too cold.

On my way back Alicia invited me to go out dancing. Any other night I would have loved to but the energy was very low. I was so thankful Alicia gave me a key and didn’t feel pressured to stay with me.

BUSES , Baltimore, and public transportation

It was time to say goodbye to Tes but I was not sad. I knew I’d be back in a few days on my home to CT. Also, she had a job interview and was out the door with me.

I took Mega Bus to Baltimore which wasn’t the smartest idea. It stops 15minites outside of the city in the suburbs of White Marsh. Now 15 minutes is not bad if you have a car but today was my bus day and this leg of the trip was the public transportation part.

I hoped on a local bus and took the hour ride into the city. This ride made me realize how all cities in the United States are the same. Nice suburbs around it, a rundown rough area on your way in, and then the grand city emerges.

Once in downtown Baltimore I rode there free buses around to get a feel for the city. I knew I would need more time to get back to the Mega Bus due to rush hour so I did not choose to do any formal activities. There also wasn’t anything screaming to me. Baltimore seems nice and I was able to see key parts of the city by riding the purple and orange lines. It also seems like a place where it’s better to know someone and receive insider information.

After the hour and 45 commute on a crowded public bus where I heard the “N” word a few times other disturbing things I made it to the mall in White Bush. Walking across a few parking lots I finally made it to the bus stop for my bus to DC.

Once on my bus it was nice and warm. One reason Mega Bus and Bolt Bus are so cheap is that there are no stations. You wait outside in the cold. I made it to DC no problem, used their metro, read for awhile, people watched in Dupont Cirlce, then met a friend. We made it to her place, baked some cookies, and got caught up until after one in the morning, and she had to work the next day.

Moral of the story. To get to Baltimore take Bolt Bus not Mega Bus and to get from Baltimore to DC take a train.

Moving Up. Tes in Brooklyn

Through a TLC trip I was driven directly to Tes’s door in Brooklyn. After some hard work Tes was able to secure an amazingly little apartment in Brooklyn Heights. After taking care of a small gas leak at her place we took a small stroll. Together we walked around the area and the next day while she worked at the library I was able to explore a little on my own. I think it is finally winter.

We spent one evening having a very international Chanukah party with new friends and I played dreidle for the first time in my life. The following night was spent catching up with one of my favorite men from Peace Corps. In the true fashion of Christmas in NY we met at the tree in Rockefeller plaza. After he showed me his two phones I knew life was good. He landed a great NY job which he loves. It’s so nice to catch up with people. Especially when they are doing well and are happy.

Thanksgiving Week. Not a whole lot to report.

After Sunday Funday things began to settle down. I enjoyed time with my brother, family and friends. My grandfather had to spend a few days in the hospital, but luckily everyone was able to make it to Thanksgiving. It was the most enjoyable Thanksgiving I have had in a long time which surprised me for I had a few worries going into it.

The next morning bright and early James departed to head back to California. The following week was spent trying to make some decisions about the trip, relaxing, and I got to see a few movies which I always love to do.

After some time at home I knew I needed to head on the road again. So many variables were affecting my decision. Between Birthright, Antarctica, Nepal, friends, and Christmas, you can see why I was struggling. Finally a decision was reached and I was off to explore some cities/visit friends through Public Transportation.

Sunday Funday!

After a day or two of rest it was time to head out again. This time closer to home. Sunday Funday was a random trip to the Irish Bar in town with some new and old friends. I made a quick trip to hug my Aunties, one who had just landed from California, and headed back to my friends.

We were the loud people that no one likes in a bar/restaurant but we just didn’t care. We had a blast together, and our server loved us!

After buying some JoJo’s and hitting up Grants it was time to head home.

The evening ended with a delicious and entertaining dinner put on by my mother for a few guests. Dad did great on the dessert. I like telling and listening to jokes.

P is Getting Spontaneous

After sleeping in and making plans with a friend for Chili’s and a beer I went to visit my grandparents. After leaving my grandparents I received a text. For the first time in my friends life that I can remember she was spontaneous. I loved it! Instead of a relaxing night in CT we got dressed up and made our way to Boston. Once in Boston we hit up Eastern Standard for drinks and dinner and then Clink in the Liberty Hotel for more drinks and mingling. What a night, and what a city! The drive home the next day wasn’t so good, but it was worth it!

New York New York/ New Mommy for a Day

Because I am crazy as well as my mother and her best friend we decided to have a girls day to NY the day after I got home. Why not? Today my mommy was not my mommy and my auntie was not my auntie. We did a swap for the day to experience the Rockettes Christmas Show in style! Thank you auntie!!!!!!

We hired the driver and made our way into the city with almost no traffic at all. Our first stop was to The Plaza Condos/Hotel. It still looks beautiful but I loved the old set up better. The best changes were the shops that were added and the how they redid the basement to add these shops. I have now seen, what I think to be, the worlds fanciest food court.

We spent a few hours in the Plaza that morning. Between the Eloise store/party room, awesome hat shop, and designer headband counters we were happy. Well I was the happiest I could be stuck shopping. We dined in the Palm Court Restaurant which is not outrages for its location and being in NY. It is also a welcomed quite place in the city.

My Auntie, being the fabulous and generous woman she is, treated her adopted daughter to this great lunch and the show. (P.S. I love all my aunties). Before the show I took a walk in the park while the ladies headed to Bergdorf. What a beautiful day. Sun out and 60 plus degrees in November. Not the best weather for a Christmas show but for walking around its great. I got to see ice-skaters and saxophone players.

I now feel like a good United Statesian now that I have seen the Rockettes Christmas Show. This show is beautiful, fun, and a must see. My favorite outfit was the first one and favorite dance was possibly the drummer boy’s. I have never sat front row and thanks to auntie/mommy I have experienced it.

After the show we met up with the driver and headed to Bryant Park. I love Bryant Park, not shopping, but checking it out.

We headed out of the city and made our way home.

Just One Hour

All I wanted was one hour on the beach while in FL. Considering I did not have sun screen I thought that should be my limit. I know, I know, not smart. After breakfast at a diner/deli place, and an argument/ purchase of a towel, we were on the beach. Yay beach! There is nothing like sitting on the beach with perfect weather.

Side note, it is so weird to see Salvation Army Christmas collectors with bells in 80degree weather and palm trees. I did it once, but is still so weird.

After the beach we walked around downtown Delray, drove the A1A to do a drive by of The Breakers, saw City Place, and headed to Boynton Beach to visit a friend and supper. It was a relaxed afternoon, great dinner, and we had the best dessert of more fat free frozen yogurt.

Not wanting to leave Florida without seeing our family friend who missed out on dinner the night before we headed to his house. Some carrot cake was eaten and discussions had. It was a great ending to our trip.

We left the next morning bright and early to travel home. Well, once we finally made it through the rental car return line.

I Like Deli’s

Wake up and walk on the beach. What a great white sand beach. Tons to do, lots of room, a path, and at 9am not crowded at all. After we got a yummy yummy smoothie we headed to JR’s Deli. I freaken love delis and no one can do them like the Jewish can. Mmmmmmm.

Traveling along A1A we made our way up from Miami to Ft. Lauderdale. Got to see LOTS of hotels and apartments and some amazing houses. We cut inland to visit Morikami but had to stop for some awesome fat free frozen yogurt. Who cares if it is all chemicals, it’s yummy. What a beautiful place. I think I like Japanese Gardens more than Botanical Gardens . Along the way they had cultural stuff amongst the garden which was very informative. I liked it all and peeked in on a traditional tea ceremony. Too bad I couldn’t buy the vanilla cupcake made of towels for mommy. I like to learn new stuff. I just wish I retained info better.

After a quick freshening up at the hotel we were picked up by some old friends and went to dinner. It was really great to see them but a bummer the husband got called to work.

Bye Bye Keys, Hello Miami

Of course we had to stop at the southernmost tip of the U.S for a picture. Then making our way back up the same way we went down and it was still pretty. We made a brief stop at a flea market, tried to stop at some shops, and then got stuck in traffic in Miami. Lunch was had at a local diner in Key Largo and we were out of the keys. There are a few things I still want to do in the keys but they will have to wait until next time.

Before we could arrive in Miami I wanted to stop at the Fairchild Tropical Gardens. My luck I was in Coral Gables the one weekend a year they were having an event. Instead of seeing serene gardens I was able to experience a wonderful art, garden, and food show. The gardens didn’t seem very spectacular so maybe it was a blessing in disguise.

Miami seems like a cool city and it is HUGE! We spent our time in South Beach and that was fun. I got to see the ocean front hotel my grandfather used to own and that was way cool. We dined at Houstan’s in Coral Gables where I met a cousin for the first time and saw the Christmas light lined street. After dinner I walked around for over an hour on Ocean Drive just checking it out and people watching. I was surprised by the amount of people dining alone on a Saturday night on south beach at 11pm. Besides my grandfathers hotel all lit up my favorite was this one place where the security was so tough they wouldn’t allow people to stop and take a picture in front of it. Tough love.

To Key West We Go!!!

We awoke to drive. Slowly making our way down the keys occasionally stopping. Our first stop (besides the 7/11 to pee), was at the Coral Castle. The tour was a little too detailed and slow paced so we jumped off the tour to walk around. This place is amazing due to the science and impressive story behind it. Upon closer look it is really really cool but from far away you would never know the messy rocks are strategically carved objects.

Our next stop was at a local family style BBQ place that has been open for sixty years. I love places like this. Quick BBQ with lots of fried food.

We finally arrived in Key West after a beautiful two lane drive and seeing such lovely blue water. There was a mix up with the hotel so we ended at a not so fabulous hotel but it did the trick. Only bummer was that we got stuck in a smoking room. Oh well.

After checking in we made our way downtown to check it out. My first impressions were that I did not like the congestion. Roads are narrow, cyclist feel they are kings of the road, tourists on scooters think they are the shit, and they’re everywhere. After finding a lucky place to park it was Hemmingway House time.

I got to pet a seven toed cat and learned a lot about a very sad man. The house is nice but the compound is extremely impressive. I would love a beautiful open home with large pool and lushly landscaped grounds. Someday.

When the tour was finished we moved the car and began exploring the town by foot. Saw the shops, had an okay dinner in a great place, bought a t-shirt, and saw a boat show. The annual open water race boats were in town and were on display. What a crazy world. It would be cool to go for a ride in one of these babies. Talk about a rush.

We purchased a five dollar cookie and called it a night.

Sunny Florida, or Not

We arrived at 9pm so I did not get to see the sun. However, it was warm!!! We rented the car and hit the road. I couldn’t justify driving down to Key West and all the way back up again on the road trip since I had known so much of the Orlando area. Also, dad could always use a vacation. He had a few free flights to use so why not?

Day Of Rest

Because I am crazy I allowed myself one day in between trips. Just enough time to do some laundry, get a mani/pedi, write my blog, and pack again. The next morning I was off again. At least this time it would be warm.

I Got Stuck in a Hole

Mammoth Cave Wild Tour, Lexington, Old Frankfort Parkway, Dollar Movies, and Airport Luck

After my quick trip to Chicago I headed down to Kentucky to do some long awaited caving. I got to the airport and had some time before my friend could get to the airport. I was able to read, people watch, and fantasize about my life when I have my own private plane like the people at the Breeders Cup.

I was feeling like I caught a cold but didn’t let that slow things down. I had a good ride down to my friends, a delicious dinner with her family, and we called it an early(ish) night.

After some careful daylight savings/time change planning we made our way to Mammoth Cave, KY for the Wild Cave Tour. The three of us could not wait. After being suited up it was finally time to crawl. After years of wanting to do this tour, and failed attempts in June, it was time. We crawled for awhile, caught our breath, wiggled through an S curve and went through Bears Hole. This is where I got stuck. My little legs could not grip the gravel below me. After a few self doubting thoughts, and a little embarrassment I made it. Slowly I went side to side, tried to be pulled, went side to side some more, had a boost, used my elbows, had another boost and I was through.

After lunch underground one man bailed on the group and we continued another 4 miles 270ft below the surface. When I am rich I will buy out the tour for a few friends and me. People actually have done this because it’s amazing how much more you can do in a small group. A good portion of the tour is waiting for others to crawl and get through small holes. We had an interesting group. After the army crawl of my life we made it out of no mans pass. It’s amazing how quick six hours can pass underground.

After our drive back we went to my friends church life group, which was an experience. I am very glad they let me partake but have some opinions I’ll keep private. We went to feed the dogs but due to no furnace ended up back in Versailles, not Lexington.

I love the Old Frankfurt Parkway and the fact that my friend is used to driving it so we can go quick.

Man was I sore Monday. My cold was pretty bad the night before so my abs hurt from coughing. I hadn’t crawled in a while so the knees weren’t looking too nice. The worst was where I fell off the horse. I am too young to be this out of shape!

Luckily Monday was a relax day. I watched my friend interpret a shortened play version of Anne Frank’s Diary and walked around the Frankfort Historical District. Afterwards we relaxed in the cold house with the dogs and then headed to our back to back movie selections. I still loves this theater. For three dollars each we saw The Switch, and Toy Story 3 in theaters. Because it was Monday we could have bought a drink and popcorn for $2.50. I’ve said it once and I’ll say it again. I love this theater and every city needs one like it.

The night came to a close at Abuelos for dinner. We fed the puppies and headed back to the farm.

Tuesday was an early rise and I prepared myself for some time at the Lexington airport. What a cute airport. Luckily the guy at the Security check point was too informed and wouldn’t let me through with my travel document. I had to go back to check in and that’s when the magic happened. My original flight was overbooked so they complexly changed my plans. No waiting two hours in Lexington, no layover in Chicago and I got home three hours earlier than planned!

After a good dinner at home, laundry done, and planning for Florida made, it is nice to rest.

A Free Flight

If you can, when asked at an airport, especially O’Hare, you should take the bump. I received a four hundred dollar travel voucher, night in a great hotel, a little money to spend, and time with my friends. With that I was able to make a trip back out to Chicago and Kentucky. I would have to change planes in Chicago anyways so why not spend a few nights to see my friends.

Once in town I got to hang out with my favorite family in Willowbrook and some famous animals. I hung around a few barns, rode a good horse, got a great shake, saw Uncle Bob, walked around the North Side of Chicago, fell off a good horse, and hung out with my friends. Besides my friend not feeling well, and being neglected at a restaurant after waiting over two hours, the trip was great. We all wanted to call Tango Sur and complain about their horrible system and organizational skills. Who cares how popular a restaurant is, they should have a good system in place. I was glad to see us all patient so patient but enough was enough. We ended the night at the Piggery and I would recommend that bar/restaurant over a place who had no respect for its clients. Boo Tangosur.

All in all another great trip to the Chicago area. Thanks Cass and Hills

To Boston

While my friend Vinnie was studying I took the train into Boston. I visited Quincy Market, Nathaniel Hall, some other places, and pretty much just walked around the city for the night. Around 9pm it got rather chilly and I made my way back to Waltham to meet Vinnie and her classmates for a drink. I forgot how much I love Boston and it’s nice to see it is getting more diverse!

The next day I slept late in the nice hotel, visited the Jacuzzi, took a walk, and entered a very busy Costco. Since my cell phone died I thought it better to wait in the lobby than venture out for food. I love that while Vinnie is studying on Friday night and Saturdays I have the option to take the drive in and play.

The evening was not over yet. Once back in CT I got ready for a very important 60th birthday party. I had never been to The Wood N Tap in Hartford and got to see tons of people I have not seen in literally years. After a little wine and a lot of mingling the day was over. Good times and a great Halloweens Eve.

Why not spend Halloween moving out of Newport, it was a Sunday. At least kids were polite when they got full size candy bars.

Thanks P

Today I put up an electric fence, visited a winery, and dined at Morton’s Steakhouse in Hartford for the first time in my life. I rather like my life. Thanks P.

The CIA

Vanderbilt House, CIA, Hyde Park, Small Town, New Shoes

After being home for a few days, it was time to head out again. It was VERY nice to do laundry and rest a little. Some small country drives were made and a forced trip to the mall. Although cranky I left with some comfy shoes (that will hopefully not blister me) and a few new winter sweaters.

I had always wanted to eat at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. I checked their hours and made a day of it with mom and a friend. Having passed on the Vanderbilt House earlier in the month I thought it would be perfect to combine to the two activities.

Luckily for all of us I had a National Parks Pass and we did not have to pay entrance for the tour. We spent awhile in the gift shop (they had a great selection of fun books) and took the tour. Like all Vanderbilt houses it was gorgeous. Our Ranger guide Uncle Bob had an interesting way of speaking and presenting information but I liked how we got to explore. If I had a detailed question he would answer it instead of having to hear a lot of facts I didn’t care about. We all enjoyed the tour and grounds very much but it was time to eat.

The American Bistro was closed that day so I chose the Apple Pie Bakery Café over a fancy Italian Restaurant. The Hyde Park area has some beautiful college campuses and this one was no exception. After waiting in line we ordered our feast and then went to enjoy. Some food was amazing like the potato salad and other food was just really yummy, like my sandwich. All in all it was definitely worth the drive. I don’t know if the two hour drive for food alone is worth it but it helps that there are two National Parks nearby.

We ended the day winding through gorgeous back roads of New York. We stopped briefly in Rhinebeck to walk around and see “America’s Oldest Inn.” We’ve decided they all say that so how can you actually know? I guess it doesn’t matter that much. The history and oldness of the buildings are cool to see.

October 19, Muscle Man Trophy

Overview: Thacher State Park, Baseball Hall of Fame, World’s Largest Kaleidoscope, stone houses.

Who knew the trophies for muscle man body building competitions are bronzed muscle men? I had no idea. It was also fun to see baby pictures of my friend and stuff from his childhood, but it was time to take off.

Our first stop was a drive past my friends childhood home. Next we headed to his grandparents house a little un announced. His grandparents were great, especially his grandma, and their old farm house was amazing. We were on a slight time constraint and just stopped by to say hello but there was enough time for a tour. The old farm house has slowly been redone and is decorated like a cozy antique home. I hope to visit this home again when I have more time. I loved the high baths.

Our next stop was at Thacher State Park where my friends work when its season. This place had a great view, school group, and news broadcast. It is a very popular place and even if the state doesn’t have enough money for all its parks it should keep this one. Not wanting to take a “hike” in the cold or deal with the school group I headed out of town.

Thanks to my GPS I made my way to Cooperstown, NY on all windy, pretty back roads. Wow does this town revolve around baseball. All the stores on main street were baseball themed and had memorabilia. Rightfully so, this is the birthplace of baseball, and home to the Hall of Fame and Museum.

The Hall of Fame and museum was crazy crowded. The intro video was so cheesy it made me smile but people seemed to enjoy it. I learned a little more about baseball, got to see some world series rings, and a few great exhibits. I like how they honored true dedicated supporters from back in the day. I am not giving away anything. You have to go see it for yourself.

Not in the mood for historic mansions I headed to Mt. Tremper in the Catskills to see the world’s largest kaleidoscope. WOW. After a stop in a random cute town for gas I was n my way. This town seemed like the hub for rafting and floating in the Catskills. I should probably look at a map to get its name. Once in the Emerson compound I found it. I saw an old barn and wondered if the mill was it. Sure enough it was. Once inside the old mill I paid my five dollars to lie on the floor and experience the show inside the world’s largest kaleidoscope. That is all I will say.

After the show I moseyed around the very strangely decorated Inn, Spa, and five shops in this Emerson Campus thing. I guess in the summer this is a very popular place. The Inn and spa were Buddhist Zen meets antique country. The shops were art, antiques, kaleidoscope, market, and house ware all in an old barn. Why not?

As I made my way back to the other side of the Hudson I stopped to see the Huguenot Street Stone Houses in New Paltz. Unfortunately I arrived late and the museum/visitor center was closed. Not wanting to hang around until the next day I snapped a few shots of their exteriors and left. Time to head home.

October 18, Childhood Memories

Overview: Made muffins and rice crispy treats, drove Route 9 through NY towns, met friend in Albany.

There were tons of wild turkeys on my friends land all morning. That was cool to see. We got caught up on the news, watched some sports highlights, made perfect blueberry muffins and later rice crispy treats. In the early afternoon it was time to say goodbye. I had a wonderful time in Jay New York with my friends, speaking Spanish and catching up but it was time to say goodbye.

Although maybe cutting it a little close I chose to take route 9 all the way from Jay to Albany. I really like scenic roads and not having to drive crazy fast. I passed some wonderful lakes and very small towns. I went through Lake George and was reminded of a family vacation we had there. The stores and main street seem to be less honky tonk than I remember. Maybe because it was off season or because I was young when we were there.

I hit traffic in the nice small city of Glenn Falls. They seemed to have a few museums but I wasn’t in the mood for art. Also, because of the traffic I was running late. I hoped on the Interstate, hit more traffic, and had to pass on Saratoga Springs due to time.

I somehow made it to the mall in time to meet my friend and we headed to his house on beautiful back country roads in NY. I really had no idea where I was until I looked at a map.

While his mom made a delicious dinner I got to play with animals and cars. Not too shabby. We ended the night with some fun conversations and funny TV shows. Thanks guys!

Oops, I missed out on Saratoga Springs and Albany. Oh well.

October 17, I’ve Fallen and Can’t Giddy Up

I am sorry the titles do not always make sense. Nor are they a good representation of what I actually did that day.

Overview: I went shopping in Lake Placid

After seeing a beautiful sunrise from my bedroom window it was time to leave my warm bed. The morning was spent catching up on some work and planning the next part of my trip. Once my friend arrived home from church we had a buffet lunch of leftovers and hit the road.

The entire afternoon was spent shopping in Lake Placid just us girls. I got a very cute card and my friend got a great glass butterfly nightlight. Dinner was delicious take out from a nice Italian restaurant while watching TV. Perfect end to the day.

October 16, Gallo Pinto

My Nicaraguan friend made a delicious typical Costa Rican breakfast that I happily ate and greatly enjoyed. After breakfast we all readied ourselves for a museum. Who would have thought there would be a billion dollar state of the art Natural History Museum of the Adirondacks in Tupper Lake, NY. Tupper Lake is very small and not near any large cities. It’s about 25 minutes outside of Lake Placid. They do have the state mental hospital which it is huge, and now this museum.

Back to the Museum. The Wild Center is in thanks to one woman who had a dream for the Adirondacks and GREAT connections. After billions of dollars raised the Center was opened and we got to play. Although small it is a very informative hands on location where I was able to play. We were allowed to touch, crawl and play. If you like fish it has some amazing live displays of all the fish in the area. Throughout the day there were several short movies to watch. They also offer trails to walk on and some beautiful new wetland areas to see.

Even before the museum we made a few detours. Our first detour was to the base Whiteface Mountain so we could play in the snow. A few snow balls were thrown, some snow eaten, lots of crunching going on, and a sort of snow angel made. Our next detour was through downtown Lake Placid. I have a few memories from this town so it was nice to get a refresher. Who knew it only has about 1,500 residents but swells to 40,000 during seasons. Our last detour was at a farm stand. The colors of the fruits and veggies really popped in the cloudy weather.

After our day of play we headed back to the house for more hot cider and relaxing. A beautiful ham dinner and baked apples were prepared for us ladies. As our chef retired to watch football us ladies chatted, giggled, and got caught up on America’s Next Top Model. Tyra really loves herself.

I now know that the town of Lake Placid is not on Lake Placid.

And today’s high was 35!

October 15, SNOW!!!!!!!

The rain started last night. I awoke to rain like most in the Northeast and it did not stop. Not wanting to take a ferry across Lake Champlain in strong winds and rain I decided to drive down to the Crown Point Bridge. On the way I stopped at Dakin Farm. This place smokes their own meats and produces their own cheese, maple syrup, and more. It was a wonderful rainy stop.

Once close to Crown Point I got a hold of my friend I was going to see and he informed me the bridge no longer exists. Several months ago the bridge was blown up. This information was confirmed in an old school general store where they sold homemade chocolate and baked goods on top of regular general store stuff.

The attendants in the general store also informed me that in place of the bridge there was a free ferry. The plan was to avoid a car ferry in the wind but that is what I ended up having to do in order to cross the river.

Once on New York soil and an hour late, I made the way to Jay New York to see my friends from Costa Rica. Along the way I saw some very nice rainy views and SNOW! In the mountains of Keene, NY it was fully snowing and accumulating. It was beautiful to see and made me smile big.

Finally arriving at my friends beautiful country home it was time to get out of the rain. I spent the afternoon indoors, drinking hot cider by the fire, and having a lovely afternoon with my friends.

It feels good to speak Spanish .

We ended the night watching the new Robin Hood movie which I really enjoyed. I like when old stories get new twists and they aren’t too farfetched. I recommend this one.

October 14, Lots To Do Today

Waking up early I said no to a warm breakfast and headed out of town. The scenic road wasn’t very scenic due to clouds/fog. If you are looking at them they are clouds but if you are in it its fog. What do these people do out here?

I stopped for a picture in Montpelier but didn’t want to hang out. This city looked like it was thriving which is nice.

Not knowing I could have stayed on Route 2 I took the highway for the first time in a week to Burlington. Who knew I was so close. I got some good information at the Visitor Center and took some very pretty back roads to the Shelburne Farm. Here I got an amazing open wagon tour of the Vanderbilt/Webb grounds. What a great place for students and the world of agriculture. I now want to stay at the Inn here. It’s like all the houses I have been touring but you are actually allowed to touch stuff! Not to mention it has beautiful grounds right on Lake Champlain.

Our tour ended in the education center where we watched them make cheese. We then got to have a cheese tasting for our tour group only. I was amazed by the people eating the visitors samples when they knew the groups were coming in two minutes.

I bought some cheese for a friend, a hot pepper cream cheese dip which sounds gross but is way yum for me, and headed out.

I arrived at the Shelburne Museum not knowing what to expect. I thought it was an art museum. Boy was I wrong. This museum was the best representation of the United States I have ever seen in one place (mainly east coast). All buildings came from the East Coast or were exact replicas of buildings. They were filled with either amazing art or time period artifacts. The amount to see and take in was overwhelming and almost too much. Your ticket allows you to enter for two days. I think the best plan of action as to not get burned out would be to do half one day and the rest another. Regardless, it is a must see.

I skipped the beach art buildings, maybe one other, and rushed the circus and ceramic exhibit. I think I did well for over thirty buildings in two hours. I rushed to finish in order to go on a tour of the Magic Hat Brewery.

I arrived very early but was worried about being late. This brewery, although small is amazing. The entire vibe, decoration, and employee moral is visible to everyone. Videos of the owner and by the owner are enjoyable and make you smile. The tour and samples are free.

For nostalgic purposes I drove through downtown Burlington then called it a night.

So… Your next overnight to VT should include Ben and Jerry’s Factory Tour, the two Shelburne attractions, Magic Hat, downtown for dinner, and stopping at some local farm stands for maple syrup. They are all so close to each other. Yes its VT and on a beautiful lake but who needs a hike.

October 13, This Car Climbed Mt. Washington

If I were a bumper sticker kind of girl that is what my car would say. After a quick stop at the White Mountain National Forest offices in the Androscoggin District, based in Gorham, NH I made my way to Mount Washington! The drive up was not as intense as the drive down. I wasn’t too worried about my car over heating or going over the edge but it was still existing. I was completely enamored with the summit. The way the ice had formed around all structures due to the wind was just beautiful. Although cold it was so fun to walk around and be on the highest point in the Northeast.

After spending who knows how long on the summit I made my way down the eight miles. It was then time to hike. It took me awhile to break tree line on my Glen Boulder hike and I had to stop quite often, but it was worth it. I should have never let myself get out of shape, or eat beef jerky before a hike. I chose not to summit the mountain because it didn’t make sense. I just wanted to break tree line. After a rock climb to the cold, open boulder, it was time to hike down.

Once down in the parking lot I made the .3 mile “hike” to Glen Falls. This was such an easily accessible gem. You park, walk a little, go down some stairs and there is a powerful waterfall awaiting you. No wonder lots of people do this walk. I was thankful I had hiking boots and wished there weren’t so many people so I could sit there feeling the spray. I felt I had to move to let others take pictures.

I then took a nice warm shower at the Appalachian Mountain Club center in Pinkham Notch. This place is great and so helpful for travelrs, hikers, students, and anyone else. Good to know where it is located.

Side note: I would like to someday hike the entire AT consecutively but think those people are crazy. I am going to need some serious conditioning before that.

After my nice warm shower I headed through the cute town of North Conway onto the scenic Kancamagus highway. This road traveled along a river and was crazy picturesque. There were tons of picture ops but I did not stop for any of them. I wanted to get to Montpelier by 6:30 to see a movie. After passing through the skiing village if Lincoln and continuing on the scenic highway I saw a moose. I turned around to get another look, left my car for a picture, and it ran off. Oh well. At least it fears humans so it won’t get killed by a hunter, hopefully.

It was now getting dark and I knew I would not make it to my movie. Back in Lincoln I saw a theater so went there. I treated myself to “Life As We Know It.” I loved this movie! Funny and sad, and even though I normally don’t like love stored with happy endings, I liked this one. I then drove around doing circles in this town looking for a suitable place to spend the night. There was no Wal-Mart. I must have looked like a crazy person but who cares.

I found a good place for the night and settled in. Who knew the White Mountain Forest was littered with so many nice, large, or regular hotels and resorts. It must be a popular ski area because it wasn’t too crowded with leaf peepers.

October 12, A Day To Drive

Not in the mood to hike really at all I headed across the state of Maine into New Hampshire. Goodbye Acadia.

The drive across the state took me a good four hours, maybe more. When I was almost at the Maine New Hampshire border and on scenic route 26 I passed a few small state parks. At these parks I got to walk a little, see three waterfalls and a cave, and be outside on this gorgeous day. The air is just so clean and cold. Many trees have already lost all their leaves and leaf peeping was better on the coast but it was still gorgeous.

My favorite part of the drive was a pedestrian crossing sign. In the middle of nowhere Maine there was a pedestrian hoola hooping. This made me smile and turn around for a picture. It made me smile even more because I know what it means.

The reason for my long drive was to see, and possibly stay, at the Balsams Resort. As I rounded a corner I was surprised by its grandness in the middle of nowhere. It really is in the middle of nowhere. No wonder they offer food packages. I chose not to stay but am so so so happy I drove to see it. The grandness of the outside is not matched by fanciness on the inside. It truly is historic and I felt I was in the past. I took a self guided tour of the place, saw the famous Ballot Room, the old billiards room, game room, and all the old photos. I was by far the youngest visitor there and they didn’t appear to have many guests. Maybe another time.

I left the resort to drive some more. I knew I was close so I attempted to drive the Mount Washington Auto Road to watch the sunset. Last trip up was at 4:30 so now that will be for tomorrow.

Berlin, New Hampshire is not such a pretty town.

I was sooooo close to Canada

October 11, Sun

Following the tips from the local I went to check out the Bar Harbor Lighthouse. Although small and crowded it was great to see. I feel bad for the family that lives there though. They constantly have people in their back yard. I took a small walk along the cliffs and was able to get a nice view of the lighthouse. Who knew it was the Northeastern most part of the Island. Thank you informational signs.

Following another recommendation by the local I headed out to Seal Cove. I almost missed the turn and I am so thankful I did not. This spot was perfect. It was exactly what I was looking for (minus the cold wind, damn I am hard to please). For the first time while being in Maine I actually found calmness. No tourists, no crowds, no foreigners. This cove was beautiful, equipped with picnic tables and bathrooms. Perfect. The wind blew me away to the free buses again. Here I got to see some more views and hop on and off. I chose to walk along some of the most well maintained horse carriage trails in the U.S and around Jordan Lake. I wasn’t feeling an ascending hike so I stuck to beautiful flat foliage land. Loved it. On the bus home I met some more travelers and a photographer who has taken two years to get from California to Maine. I am not the only one.

I am now back in Bar Harbor at a very nice Victoria friendly coffee shop/café. Not too hipster new age but also not too yuppy. Perfect.

October 10, Holy Cold

Everything is so close here yet it is taking me a long time to get from one place to another. There is so much to see that rushing is not needed.

I awoke thinking I would hike to the summit of Mt. Battie in Camden Hills State Park to get a breathtaking view of Acadia National Park. However, the weather had other plans. It was so cold that I drove the car road, took a few pictures and hopped back in the car. No morning hike for me.

I than slowly made my way to Acadia. Holy crap was it busy. Maybe the four cruise ships and countless tour buses had something to do with it. Lucky for me they have a free bus service, The Island Explorer , within the park and on the entire island. Given that the day was so cold and I was a little sore I chose to ride around on the buses. I got to see a great overview of the entire Island, laugh with some Germans, did some good leaf peeping, and didn’t have to drive. I took a ride out to the farthest point thinking I could make the 6:30 bus back to my car. That didn’t work.

I ended up in the town of Bar Harbor with a few hours to kill. It’s really too bad I don’t like to shop or go to bars alone. Luckily I got a hold of a friend and we chatted until my bus came. I wish I were more outgoing when alone so I could have made friends. Oh well, next time. I did talk to a local woman on my long bus ride out to Bass Harbor and she gave me some good tips for tomorrow.

October 9, It Smells Like Winter (and Feels Like it Too)

I rode a boat this morning for an hour and a half in rough surf. No I was not selling hot dogs. I made my over to Mohegan Island on the last ferry of the year. Okay that was a slight exaggeration. It is however the last weekend the ferry is running. Does that count?

I am so happy Scott made the recommendation I visit this place. I had never even heard of it and now will recommend it to everyone.

This entire trip I have been constantly amazed with the beauty and quaintness of each town I have been through. How is it possible that all of Maine’s towns are cute?

The Island is 11 miles off the coast of Maine and has two ferry ports you can leave from. I chose to leave from Boothbay Harbor. I wish I had the personality to go to a bar alone because this place seemed very lively at night. Many people were driving in and they seemed to mostly be dinner eaters. Not the point. Maybe I will work my way to just hanging out in bars alone. Will that make me an alcoholic? Back to the Island.

It is mostly a Land Trust so no new structures can be built, it is an artist colony (Boothbay Harbor appeared to be one too), and has amazing trails and scenery to see. It is peaceful and pretty much untouched. Some locals were friendly others were not. Trails weren’t crazy well marked which made me nervous at one point, but it was still very very enjoyable, and cold. It's not flat, it's actual hiking. The ferry ride home was freezing so before I walked around Boothbay I had to put on my winter jacket, gloves, and headband. Haven’t had to do that in years.

Not wanting to go to a bar I rather quickly decided my next move. As I raced the setting sun past amazing foliage I arrived in time to see the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse (this is the lighthouse on their quarter). As the sun set I took some pictures and walked around this gorgeous point. Now that it was dark I could not stop at the beach, or fort, or take the scenic loop back to Route 1. Oh well.

Retracing my steps through Damariscotta I had the time to stop at their pumpkin festival. I LOVE FALL!!! It smells so yummy too. These were not your ordinary painted or carved pumpkins but they were all on what seemed to be prize winning sized pumpkins. So creative and artistic.
Not wanting to go to any bars I strolled around the town looking at pumpkins, the restaurants, and left. I made my way to Rockland again on Route 1. I now think all of Maine’s towns are cute and other states should take notes. I passed through a few small towns and even though I can’t see yet Rockland has some promise. They have a Doorways of Rockland poster in the McDonalds. That to me is a good sign.

Driving at night is no fun because I am missing stuff. You can’t see the stars in a Wal-Mart parking lot and not much is open. I like tree COLORS

October 8, I Like Colorful Trees

Question of the day: How do I capture the beauty I am seeing as I drive by?

I awoke early and forced myself to lay in bed knowing nothing would be open. When the sun heated the car and the frost was gone from my window it was time to get a move on. I had a feeling it was still too early but wanted to get going. Using my intuition I found a place to park. I them embarked on a self guided tour of Portland.

Being early in the day there was a lot of traffic but nothing open. Which I am fine with because I don’t like to shop. I was going to wait it out in a coffee shop but that’s just not my style. I saw some great places and this city seems like a lot of fun. Old Port is definitely a place I would like to visit again and there is tons of industry on the water front. Like a cruise ship.

On my way out of town I stumbled upon this gorgeous park. Along the railway and waterline north of Portland is a beautiful park. Tons of people were out walking their dogs or running. The neighborhood above the park looks very Victorian and beautiful.

I then crossed the bridge into Falmouth and luckily stopped at a Visitor Center. Not only did I get some good info but was told about DeLorme just across the street. Here I was privileged to see the world’s largest revolving world globe. I still need to look up what exactly DeLorme does BUT they have this globe and an amazing map shop. Of course the maps I wanted to purchase were out of stock, but I took down there stock numbers to order them.

After maps I made my way to Freeport to do some shopping. I know I don’t like shopping (in fact I am pretty sure I hate it), but I couldn’t pass the opportunity to stop in Freeport, home L. L. Bean. Who knew L.L. Bean was this monstrous! I liked the L. L. Bean places and a few of the outlets like North Face, but it’s very boring when you don’t actually need anything.

I than sat in the car trying to figure out my next step. I think I am used to the mid west where everything is far far apart. I forget that this is the East Coast and its all relatively close. After much debate I made my way to America’s Quaintest Town, Wiscasset, Maine. Minus the traffic I see why this town has been given this name, or chosen it. I stopped at the Castle Tucker but chose not to do the tour for fear of the other house run by Historic New England closing. I made it to Nickels-Sortwell House in time for a tour and a very nice man allowed me to park at his gorgeous antique store. This town is full of antique stores and beautiful historic homes. Many of the home are for sale. They need a lot of work but if you have a lot of money it’s worth it.

The Nickels House was neat and had some awesome features. Like all the hand carved wood work on every floor and spiral stairs. I liked it. If the town didn’t have the worst traffic in Maine it would be the perfect small town on the outside.

After asking someone how far it would be to get to Augusta I headed there. While looking for a freaking coffee shop with internet I was able to see the rather sad downtown of Augusta and the cute small town of Hallowell. After being frustrated I asked for some advice at a Super 8. They have been very helpful on this trip and here in Maine that proved very true as well.

This state is CRAZY busy with tourists. All the hotels are filled and the out of state license plates are fun to see.

Why don’t young people go leaf looking?

October 7, Drive

I said goodbye to the animals at my friend’s apartment in Portsmouth, NH and headed out to Maine. Of course I had to stop for a few pictures first. For some reason I did not bring my camera with me on my strolls.

I drove through the small town of Kittery and wasn’t too impressed. Maybe I somehow missed the actual downtown because I have heard good things. I then took off without much guidance expect the knowledge of the route number I wanted and the desire to be near the water. I found Fort McClary State Park in Kittery and loved it. At first I wasn’t sure what to expect. As I got closer the sun was shining brightly off the water and an old wooden fort was up on a hill. You could walk around the fort and see remains of many buildings that used to be on the site. They also had this cool structure underground that had window lookout holes to the ocean. My goal is to be thin enough to fit through these windows. Very cool place.

I than headed off to South Berwick in order to visit The Hamilton House. On my way I saw some awesome leaves and wanted to stop for pictures. I am driving very slow and doing lots of leaf looking! So the Hamilton House is this gorgeous Georgia Style home at the tip of two rivers. The best part are the house were the hand painted walls decorated to look like Rome, Ancient Greece, and the area. I LOVED this. The trip to this very small town is worth it because of these walls! Not to mention the tide line outside matches the tide line in the mural wallpaper.

I then made my way back to the coast. I followed the road along the coast on my way to Old Orchard Beach. I noticed some beach access so decided to randomly park. I hit the beach walking and just kept walking. A few hours later and some good phone conversation it was getting dark and time to find the car. Finding the car was interesting but beautiful .

Once again in the car I headed to Portland. It was now dark and I wasn’t exactly sure where I was going. After a few turn arounds I started my journey looking for a coffee shop downtown. Downtown looked cool but I was in no mood to find parking at night. So… no coffee shop. I ended up at my place for the night rather early. Did some very unproductive driving in circles and called it a night!


I wish I could take pictures of all the pretty colors I see.

A woman said you can take the New Englander out of New England but never New England out of the New Englander. She moved back after five years. I would like to think about this more.

It makes me smile to see all the people with cameras around their necks.

Lots of foreigners.

Old Orchard Beach is filled with hotels and none are chains. I like that.

Places in Maine close when it gets cold. Not much is open now or after October 15. Good to know.

October 6, Rain

Do you remember the commercial for pizza bagels? Well I remember the song. If you know the song than please sing along but substitute the word pizza with rain. Let us all try:

Rain in the morning, rain in the evening, rain at supper time. When Victoria’s in New Hampshire she can have rain anytime!

Now that we have sung together, I want to tell you about the sunny weather I we have been having. Just kidding.

I did not want to let the rain interfere with my plans. So I didn’t. It was the wind that made things difficult. Instead of heading off to Maine I luckily got a hold of a friend from Peace Corps. She drove the two hours up from Salem to hang out with me in Portsmouth for the day. We got caught up at Breaking New Grounds, did some fun card shopping, found a great art gallery store place, and had a lunch at this great organic place she knew about called Cere’s (or something like that). Brett Lee would have loved it.

After our lunch we attempted to brave the rain and experience Strawberry Banke. That’s when the wind really started to pick up. We entered a small walkway that lead to Prescott Park and it was gorgeous. The landscape, colors, fountains, and trees were beautiful. If the weather wasn’t so bad we could have spent the afternoon here. But…we took one look at the size of Strawberry Banke, and knew it would just be too cold and wet.

We made our way to the coffee shop for the second time. A little later it was time to depart.

Once my other friend arrived home from work we headed out to have a delicious homemade dinner of Beef Wellington. Her friends were so fun, welcoming, and we had some good laughs. I would like to be like that when I am married. Minus the cute twins.

I love meeting new people!

October 5, A Kittens Purr

Although not the most beautiful day in terms of weather it was a beautiful day for me. I took off, as scheduled in the clouds and rain. All along the highway I could see the changing colors of fall. Visibility wasn’t that great, but I saw some nice leaf changing going on.

My first stop on this gorgeous day was to the Beach. What better to do in the rain than visit Hampton Beach State Park. I walked onto the beach, then turned right around. Once in a headband, hair pulled back, and a monstrous rain coat, I was ready for my walk.

The walk was short and at first I was the only one. After ten minutes there were many walkers on the beach but when the rain started they disappeared. Luckily the State Park had weather proof areas and I was able to catch up on a little work. The beach wasn’t bad, and the town looked like a fun beach town. They are doing crazy amounts of construction along the beach and main road so it will be interesting to see it when it’s all done, and when businesses are actually open.

I then drove along 1A between Hampton Beach and Portsmouth. Who knew New Hampshire had such a beautiful coastline. Who cares if it’s the smallest coastline either. There are tons of rentals, gorgeous oceanfront mansions for sale, and surfers. What more do you need. One of the mansions is a given.

Once in Portsmouth I walked around the adorable little town. There are so many my kind of fun, random shops. Not to mention art places, clothes, and restaurants. I am so glad I stopped here. On my way out of town, while sitting watching the waves the break, I made an out of the blue phone call to my mom’s friends daughter .

I then got to see another part of Portsmouth, have a delicious dinner, and enjoy Portsmouth at night. We headed to Ri Ra where we enjoyed our wine, special treatment, and new friends. Great bar, location, and bartenders. After the evening at the bar I spent the night with the best nighttime companion. A very tiny kitten, up for adoption, curled on my neck and purred all night.

A very successful day back on the road!

Beginning of October, Frustrated

I thought I would be gone by now on the second loop of the trip, but have run into a few complications. That cold I caught a few weeks ago turned into a few infections and bed rest. Now that I am feeling better it is time to get on the road. A week behind schedule and not 100% healthy, but ready to go.

However, I have already hit a few snags and haven’t even left the house. The car has been fully packed for a few days and has not left the driveway. More than a week behind schedule I actually think I will leave tomorrow.

The Yankee Siege Trebuchet is not being operated this year at all. It leads me to believe something not so good has happened in their family, which makes me sad, but I am very disappointed I will not get to see punkin chukin at its finest. This snag has made me have to change my route and re think some things.

Than my friends outside of Boston were not home or did not answer their phones. No point in leaving that afternoon. Next issue was with Walgreens and filling a prescription. I know it may seem I am making excuses, but cannot justify leaving in the afternoon. I like to leave in the morning when I am high energy and have the entire day before me.

With all that being said I am finally all ready to leave. I have not seen the leaves change colors or a true New England Fall in eight years, and nothing is going to stop me. Tomorrow if I awake and my leg is broken or I have a fever, I do not care. It is time to see Fall.

Tuesday September 21, The Drive

We awoke at 7am to pack the car. By 7:30 we were on our way. After only bathroom and food breaks we arrived home in CT at 7pm.

I think I did pretty damn good at driving.

Buying gas sucks

and

It’s frustrating how many ways there are from NJ to CT through NYC. How do you know which one to pick?

Monday September 20, Raft Day

Raft day, raft day. We awoke early, had a yummy breakfast, after some more debating rented a jacket, and it was debriefing time. We signed are life away, Vinnie was the safety check girl, and it was put in time right at the release of the dam into a class III. The most impressive thing besides the dam was a man in his sixties who was paralyzed in both legs rafting in our group, crazy.

Raft time, raft time, raft time. White water rafting is a dangerous sport and the guides really are the lowest paid professional athletes. Not only are they steering and commanding, but reading the water as well. I would not want the responsibility of being a guide, nor the pay. With that being said I was stoked to be with the 2009 Gauley Raft Guide of the year on such a dangerous river and with such big men in the raft. Not anyone could have handled it. Our raft did pretty damn good through the class IV and V rapids and when the water calmed a bit we had some more fun. I can now say I have flipped a raft while white water rafting. Although not the goal, and our guide cannot admit it, we think it happened on purpose. Good thing we could all swim.

After a great raft trip, which ended much sooner than I thought, we had some down time. Showers were taken, drinks made, and the video watched. I was not feeling well from a cold and could have slept but it didn’t seem to be an option. It was too early and there would be a band later that night.

After some more debating and a little boredom we went to be social. Monday night on the Gauley is like Friday night for everyone else. They don’t have to guide Tuesday’s so they can have a good time. If I was feeling better it would have been a great time to mingle with some colorful characters all within the safety of our rafting community campus. However, I did the best I could. I met some nice people, some fun people, part of the Minnesota National Guard, got some West Virginia moonshine, and finally a smore. All in a day’s work of a gypsy, which is what I was called. And when talking to the captain his response to my life is that he felt like he was watching a movie. I took that as a compliment.

Sunday September 19, huh

At 11:30pm we left for our 12 hour drive to West Virginia. At 2:30am it was time for a quick rest. At 5:30, with a sore throat, I was ready to drive again. In the afternoon we stopped at Greenbrier, Americas Resort, in White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. We were unfortunately were not allowed to leave our car for lack of proper attire. It was still neat to see the outside so I can only imagine the inside.

Our next stop was the Coal Mine Exhibition in Beckley. Our tour guide was the stereotype of a West Virginia coal miner and he played into it. There were several times I had no idea what he was talking about and many couldn’t understand him because of his accent. They had a nice little set up there and it was very informative. They also had many replica houses from mining in the early days, as well as a transplant pre mining town on the grounds.

We left the coal place to head to the raft place. Before we got there we had to cross the tallest suspension bridge in the Western Hemisphere. We entered the Visitor Center, saw the bridge and I had my subway dinner.

A little after five in the afternoon we arrived at the Riverman Class IV rafting campus. Checked in, hung around a little bit, built a fire and debated what to do. Not feeling so well and wanting to be rested for rafting I decided to head to bed early.

Saturday September 18, The Vineyard

We awoke to a gorgeous sunrise, a surprise engagement for our new friend, and seeing one of the world’s only rising train bridge on the ground. AWESOME.

As the other girls headed off to breakfast and their day of orientation I headed to Martha’s Vineyard. I thought I could get away with three dollar parking in Woods Hole but luckily chose to play it safe. I rode the ferry than began my day of wandering. I was extremely hopeful to see all of the Island and use the public bus system. I was able to see three towns but none of the farther out places. I was blown away by the size of the Island. I do not think I would like to have a car but a private tour would be really good. Next time. I was able to walk around aimlessly in Oaks Bluff, Edgartown, and Vineyard Haven. All of which are very different in the architecture, people, and general feel. Since I do not like to shop it was a rather long day. I was happy to see the Island and look forward to when I can see the rest of it. It would be cool to live out there as long as you did not have to pay the crazy car ferry fee every time you wanted to leave.

I raced off the ferry, hoped on the shuttle, tried to get out of the scary parking lot, and headed back to MMA to pick up my friend who had been waiting awhile. We rode home together, had a few hours down time than headed off on our next adventure.

Friday September 17, The Cape

We were off to the Cape. The car was filled with gas, our tummies with a not so healthy but yummy breakfast, and the day ours.

Our first stop was at the campus of the Massachusetts Maritime Academy where my friend will be receiving her master’s degree. After a quick stop we then made our way to take the free tour of the Cape Cod Potato Chip Company. Although small I found it informative and important to see. Not to mention there was a gift shop and free samples.

We had some time to kill so drove around looking for a brewery we heard about but could not find. I wanted to ask a man with bullets on top of his car door locks for directions but was denied that opportunity. It made for a good laugh, but no brewery. We then headed to our cranberry bog tour but on our way it hit me. I had made the reservation for Saturday.

Big oops, and I felt rather silly. Instead we headed to the small town of Woods Hole and visited the free aquarium run by NOAA. The small aquarium had great displays, behind the scenes stuff, and a nice little pier to walk on. We then drove on a pretty back road to see the Nobska Lighthouse. Not too shabby to be that keeper.

We headed back to Buzzards Bay, had a snack at Flip Flops, and rested in the beautiful Inn. Thanks to Vanessa’s previous job as a mermaid we stayed in a great location and ate an amazing dinner. I met a new friend, saw a beautiful sunset, took a nice night walk, and watched my friend roll in the grass for the first time without the fear of extra PT or something.

Middle of September

I have now been home for several weeks and I am ready to head back on the road. Being home was very nice and much longer than I thought it would be. While here I did much less planning than I thought I would but nonetheless I was able to make a few decisions, still need to make many more, and have some good times.

I experienced my very first polo game in style in Newport, Rhode Island where I spent Labor Day weekend. Newport is one of my favorite places to visit and it helps I have such a good friend there. It’s a different life there than what I am used to and it’s great to see. Polo is such a unique sport and is really helps to know a player.

I have visited many local farmers markets, some new restaurants, and of course a ton of shops. I was also able to go to new places in CT like Woodstock. In the quite corner of the state you can visit the only house in CT operated by the New England Historical Society, many orchards, antiques and wineries. In the opposite direction hides my favorite small town and lake in the state. Lake Waramaug is right outside of New Preston a little past Bantam.

While home I did a little city life, but not much, by going to the Harriet Beacher Stowe House and a few bars. I tended to stick to my home and the country side. CT may not be the most exciting state but it definitely is beautiful and has a lot to offer if you look.

August 26, Break Time

I am now home being pampered and taking a small break from planning the road trip. Posts will resume shortly.

August 25, 2010, Where is the road trip luck?

Yesterday in Maryland didn’t work out so well in terms of tour times so I thought I would try my luck in New Jersey.

The day did not begin well. At the visitor center outside of Atlantic City I was informed the annual air show was being held. This would not have been a bad thing except that parking which was usually 5 dollars or ten dollars was around 25. After half an hour of driving the strip looking for parking I was going to give up when I saw it, the beautiful side street with a few parking meters. For only a few quarters I was able to walk on the boardwalk, go to a small museum, and see a few planes. The place was crowded and people watching great. Such a diverse place. It was also nice to see all the retired service people out for the show.

My next stop was the “Historic Towne of Smithville.” Smithville is not in my GPS and after awhile of playing in a parking lot I made a phone call and was on my way. It was nice to be on back roads in NJ. There doesn’t seem to be much going on and I was surprised by all the protected land. Who knew there was more to New Jersey then the cities.

So Smithville isn’t a real town. It’s a great shopping and eating area and really beautiful but I didn’t exactly get it. Is it historic?

Traveling on more back roads in New Jersey I made my way to Historic Whitesbog Village. This farm and village had something to do with blueberry farming in either New Jersey or the United States. Unfortunately the store was not open because it was not the weekend so I could not learn anything. All of their roads were open and you could explore and go offroading. With no map I didn’t venture too far but it was fun and random.

After more back roads I was on the highway headed to Northlandz to see some trains. I chose not to stop and the Grounds for Sculpture and by the time I arrived to Northlandz it was too late. The place closes at 4 and that’s when I got there. It takes about two hours to see 8 miles of toy train tracks and trains so it will have to be saved for another day. Big, big, bummer of a day.

The day ended very well. I made it through New Jersey and New York without too much traffic or missing any turns (thanks to another traveler) and arrived home in great time. I received a very nice welcome from mom and dad and had a yummy dinner. YAYYYYYY

Thoughts from the day:

So weird having someone pump your gas for you. Are you supposed to tip them?

New Jersey LOVES Dunkin Doughnuts. They are everywhere.

Why are there so many helicopters in New Jersey? I mean lots and lots, and it’s a small state. Very strange.

Random resort / golf course in Egg Harbor called Seaview. That was pretty.

I haven’t seen anyone have one leg rolled up on their sweatpants in awhile.

I am sorry I make fun of the Midwest and West for their God billboards. I saw one in CT on my way home.

People in CT drive WAY TOO FAST on 84 between Waterbury and Hartford, like unsafe.