We just took a wonderful vacation to New England. I felt like I was home! I will admit that I had forgotten some of the short cuts that I knew so well when I lived in Boston but the windy New England roads are fun to drive on. This was jam packed trip that took in the Mountains, Oceans and City. I will try to keep the travel log short:
Saturday:
We arrived in Burlington, VT after taking the red eye flight. We drove through the city and even took in the Farmer's Market that had just started. We drove along the lake shore to take in some for Lake Champlain. That night we stayed in Stowe, VT at a Bed & Breakfast. On our way to the B&B we stopped and the Ben & Jerry's Factory for a tour and free sample. Then it started to rain...or was a deluge. We toured Stowe (it did not take very long). We took the time to drive up to the Von Trapp Family Lodge (Yes, this the Von Trapp family made famous by the Sound of Music). The view was stunning!
Sunday:
Tristan and I decided that we would avoid driving on the main highway as much as possible. It is a great thing that we had a handy GPS system that came with the rental car. We were on a mission to find some of the old covered bridges in VT. Mission Accomplished! We headed to Sharon, VT to the Joseph Smith Memorial. After spending some time at the Memorial we drove past the Quechee Gorge (The Grand Canyon of Vermont...although it is nothing like the Grand Canyon :)!). A quick stop at the Simon Pierce Glass Making shop was on the to do list. They were making a couple types of glasses when we were then. New Hampshire was the next stop, with a drive across the Kancamagus Highway (this cuts through the White Mtns). There were a couple stops along view points and some of my favorite trailheads (Sawyer Pond). We made it to North Conway and our next Inn.
Monday:
Our trip to the top of Mt Washington was eventful. It is an 8 mile drive to the highest peak in the Northeast. I drove the car in 1st gear and did not exceed 20 miles (usually going 10-15). The drive started on the road surround by forest but it did not stay that way for long. The drop offs seem very big when you combine them with the expansive view. We reached the the top and found 90 miles of visibility (which is great considering the Mtn is usually covered with clouds), 24 degree temps, and 25 mph wind chill. We both hiked to the actual summit for some pictures.
South to Boston:
Ater checking into our hotel which up until the week before was a Sheraton, we headed out to see a few things in the area. We picked up some chinese food in Belmont and went to Walden Pond. We then headed to the old North Bridge in Concord and the Green in Lexington (with a few sites in between).
Tuesday:
FENWAY! We took a tour of Fenway Park. It was great to see Fenway from so many perspectives. We even got to go onto the field. We also took in the Red Sox vs Blue Jays game at night (Red Sox win 3-2). After the tour we did the 2nd half of the freedom trail and visited Bunker Hill and the USS Constitution. The USS Constitution is currently under construction (they are refinishing the main deck and a few other things), so the beautiful masts were not up. Were weren't able to go out and see Thompson Island (I worked here for 5 years) due to the unavailability of boats to and from the island, so we went to South Boston (Southie) and looked at the island from afar. I miss the smell of the ocean!
Wednesday:
This was our day to tour Boston. I could not bring Tristan to Boston and not go on the Freedom Trail. The trail starts at the Boston Common. For anyone who does not know the trail is a red brick line/painted red line that we follow from one historic location to another. We had a book that explained each for the sites from Graveyards to the North Church. We stopped by the best pastry shop in Boston, Mike's Pastry on Hanover Street. Tristan was even impressed. We took time to buy some souvenirs to take home. After spending hours on the Freedom Trail we took some time to sit in the Boston Gardens. It is very beautiful part of Boston. Wednesday night we went to Noelle Thurlow's for dinner. Noelle and I worked together at Outward Bound. I was great to see her girls Peregrine and Aquinah. She also invited Chris Wallingford and Joan. Chris and I also worked together at OB. It was great to see them all again!
Thursday:
Cape Cod...This part of MA is beautiful. We stopped in Plymouth and took in the sites...Plymouth Rock, Mayflower 2, Monument to the Forefathers and others. We then spent the day exploring several different beaches along the Cape Cod National Seashore. We stopped at a BBQ shack for lunch. We drove past the place initially but we could smell it half a mile down the road and decided to turn back to try it. We also stopped by several lighthouses found on the Cape. It was a great adventure. After have dinner at our B&B (we don't have very many good things to say about this B&B) we headed to Greys Beach for the Sunset. It was Beautiful!!!
Friday:
After a little more exploration of Cape Cod we headed toward New Hampshire. We stopped in Boston for another stop at Mike's Pastry and Anna's Taqueria (two of my favorite places!). We stayed with my friends the Blackwell Family in NH. I meet the Blackwells when I lived in NH in 2000. I took Tristan to Boston University Sargent Center where I worked when I lived in NH. I introduced him to Black Flies. Biting flies that are prevalent throughout the Northeast. We had a wonderful dinner with Lonnie which included Lobster, Steak, grilled pineapple and much more. It was great spending time with Lonnie!!! We were able to bring back NH Maple syrup that the Blackwells make each spring.
Saturday:
Travel Home.
I hope that nobody actually just read all of that but if you did I hope you enjoyed it! It really was a great trip for both of us.
