I'm Intoxicated, Irene Arrives and Gigi Goes

John Hancock behind
old church at Copley

Bronze ducks in Boston Common

In Boston I love the mix of old and new architecture and soon find myself armed with my camera and a new lens out wandering and photographing a variety of scenes (lots of extra photos here)! Boston is a very walkable city and offers very good mass transit as well. We are here at the height of summer and it shows with all the tourists lined up for the Duck Tours and the Swan Boats on the Common. Our calendars have been crammed full including visits to the Museum of Fine Arts with Sarah, various dinners and an odd concert or two. Even the old Boston Public Library provides stunning murals and artwork inside it's acclaimed halls as well as a lovely courtyard where you can get some quiet respite from the surrounding hubbub. Another unexpected treat is the Farmer's Market that sets up twice a week in Copley Square where I can find a bounty of local fresh produce, baked goods, cheese, flowers and other delights. I feel almost overwhelmed by it all but intoxicated at the same time!

At Fenway!

While here we also make plans to attend not one but two Red Sox games. This was during their peak and well before the disastrous and historical collapse that ended the 2011 season. In the Yankees game (we win - yay!) we meet up with Tom (all the way from Colorado) and his two sons. The next game is with the Texas Rangers - we lose (beginning of the end) but have a good time with Sarah and Jess in attendance. Click here for more from Fenway.

Fans, Jess and Sarah

Besides activities in Boston proper, we've also squeezed in various get-togethers with friends sometimes in their homes (thank you for a very fun evening Paul and Colleen) and still others on the Cape (yes, we've been eating very well!) including a picnic dinner and symphony in Orleans' Eldredge Park during Hurricane Irene,. During one visit to our own home on Cape Cod we were blessed with a bevy of turkeys in the yard. Finally we even found time to sell the trusty old Honda we affectionately called Gigi!

Eldredge Park concert during Hurricane Irene

   

Wild turkeys in the yard

Gigi's new owner, Vern

In the Heart of Back Bay

Sarah

We arrived in Massachusetts just over 8 weeks ago looking forward to reuniting with our daughter, Sarah as well as many old friends from this area. And of course John was very excited to start his new job!

John and Sue

With little time to waste we briefly unwind from our cross-country trip in yet another bed provided by our friend's in Cape Cod, John and Sue. They kindly put us up for the weekend since our own home there was still occupied by summer renters. On Sunday, the 7th of August, we packed up yet again and drove north to Boston for this next phase of our journey. We make our way through slow summer traffic to the condominium where we will stay for the next couple of months. Our time in Boston will also be useful as a kind of experiment should we decide at some point to make it our retirement home.

Sunset view from condo

The condo is an ultra-modern 1-bedroom unit in the heart of Back Bay Boston! Wow! We are highly impressed with these digs and look forward to our stay here.  John has only to walk 1 1/2 blocks to his new offices and I am eager to explore the city in a way I was never able to before. In our previous years in Massachusetts we would come into Boston periodically for certain events or activities but it's different living here day-to-day. Now I can take my time exploring the streets, our beloved (or should I say beleaguered?) Red Sox and Fenway Park are a mere 1.5 miles walking distance, the beautiful Boston Commons park is also nearby plus there are museums, shops and restaurants galore!

The Last Leg (or Two)

The end of our journey is approaching. We have timed it to arrive on Cape Cod Friday, August 5th but we have the last leg of our trip to get there and it's still nearly 500 miles away. Most might say that's a do-able day trip. They have not travelled Interstate 95 through Connecticut, an infamous singular route-through-hell in the Northeast corridor. On advice from our good friend Andy who is all too familiar with that routine, we determine to stay overnight in Stonington, CT leaving our final day on the road an easy, breezy ride.

Erik

The morning of August 3rd we make our way from Maryland to Philadelphia without incident. There we have made arrangements to stop at an area Starbucks to meet Erik, a former friend from Hong Kong. He and John have kept in touch ever since - mostly to make occasional stabs at each other about their opposing political views on various matters (though all in good fun)! On this visit however, we leave politics aside in favor of discussing more personal details. It is great to see him again catch up on his news and goings-on.

Now we make our way to the New York City region and manage to traverse around the city without too much peril. However we realize we need to stop for gas and decide to look up the nearest Costco hoping for the cheapest price possible. After again using our handy-dandy GPS, Charlotte to determine our options we re-set the destination and follow her advice. Unfortunately this takes us back towards NYC which turns out to be a fatal mistake.  With great irony it turns out that particular Costco doesn't even sell gas! Aiiyahh! We fill up anyway at the nearest gas station (at $4.19/gallon it is the most expensive fill-up of our journey!) and re-set the GPS again to our destination in Stonington. Alas our luck has run out and we find ourselves trapped on the I-95 log-jam. For thirty miles it is nothing but stop-and-go as we crawl along.

Mystic Harbor

At last we arrive in Stonington feeling frustrated and wiped-out in equal measure. But after we check-in we drive into the quaint seaside town along the Mystic River and find a place for dinner, The Captain Daniel Packer Inne. This historic landmark has been in business since the late 1700's and I imagine that historical figures of the American Revolution have stayed there. We enjoy a fine meal.

Kitchen Little

In the morning John and I decide on a morning stroll back toward the town partly for exercise, partly to find breakfast. It's a beautiful day and we enjoy a brisk walk but decide our best option is a place we passed on our way into town, Kitchen Little. As the name implies, it's virtually a shack but obviously very popular with other hopeful eaters waiting outside. John decides to check us out of the hotel and get our car while I add our name to the waiting list. In 20 minutes we are sitting at a picnic table overlooking Mystic Harbor and pondering the menu. Unexpectedly we are asked by one of the wait-staff if another party may join our table. It's fine. They are locals meeting a friend and we have a very amiable chat while we all enjoy excellent omelets!

At last we are on our way to Massachusetts and the end of an epic ride. In Orleans, our dear friend, Sue has prepared comfortable accommodations for us upstairs and we can take a breather - at least until Sunday when we head for Boston and the start of a new chapter, a new job and preparations for our move to Singapore!

Inspiring Emptiness and a Chance Encounter

Our second day in DC starts with a tour of the Capitol building. When I made the tour reservation before we departed Colorado I was hungry-for-bear to strangle a few Senators and Representatives that were entangled in political fights over raising our debt ceiling combined with deficit reduction. In fact we had avidly listened to the on-going developments in those debates throughout our road-trip and grown increasingly frustrated over the brinksmanship that was underway. One day before our arrival in DC an agreement had finally been reached, voted through both houses and signed into law by President Obama. That meant Congress had fled and gone home leaving the Capitol empty except for some of the support staff and tourists. Alas, there was just no one there to strangle so I adjusted my attitude and prepared to learn and observe.

After everyone in our tour group watches an introductory video we are separated into smaller groups. Some are directed to stand in a line where they receive headphones for self-guided tours. Somehow we end up in a group of about six people with a personal tour guide who turns out to be an aide to Senator Franken of Minnesota (an ironic twist that our good friend Vic would appreciate as a native of that state). This proved quite advantageous as we gained insight into a few side-stories related by our aide that I doubt the self-guided tourists learned of. Furthermore, in order to actually view the House gallery a special pass was required which again, our helpful aide provided. We sat in those seats and tried to imagine what it would be like to observe a live performance - but oh, I forget we have C-Span for that! Nonetheless, we are suitably impressed overall.

John outside Capitol

On to the Supreme Court

Have a look at this gallery for more of our last day in DC!

From there we decide to head to the Supreme Court. John, who started out studying criminal justice in college, is still  intrigued by the legal system. The court is also is out of session and empty. This provides us fairly unlimited opportunity to wander around at our leisure. There are various portraits and busts of past judges and the court room itself has one door open so that again we can view and imagine what goes on there. Eventually we have seen enough and try to make our way to an exit but somehow keep making wrong turns. We are contemplating this outside an office labelled Public Information Office when a nice woman steps from behind her desk there and asks if she can help. Her name is Ella.

It turns out that Ella has been with that office for nearly 25 years and proceeds to describe fascinating details of how things used to get done with regard to publication of court decisions and how it has changed with the advent of the internet. We are enthralled! She offers us a small historical booklet about the Supreme Court and asks John if there are any decisions of recent import that he would like more information about. He eagerly accepts two of them and I snap this photo of this unforgettable chance encounter!

John and Ella

At last we must get on our way back to Silver Spring where we have plans to meet our friend, John for dinner. He is now commuting to Baltimore from Cape Cod on a new phase of his own career and we are happy we can meet up there even though we know we will see him again once we are back in Massachusetts.

DC Here We Come!

When last we left you, we were headed from Monticello in Charlottesville, VA toward Silver Spring, MD. Of course that meant we had to traverse through or around DC, hoping to miss the height of traffic. Unfortunately, our timing and our GPS, Charlotte weren't working in our favor. We end up spinning round and round what seems like several morasses and don't arrive at the hotel until 8:30 p.m. Dinner ends up being ready-made salads from the local grocery store across the way. Never mind.

It's the next morning and now we are on the train. I'm so excited I feel like a little kid on the way to the big fair! At last I'm going to personally visit, see and explore our nation's capitol, Washington DC. We only have two days but I'm confident we can hit the highlights. My hopes of touring the White House were dashed before we even left Colorado - reservations must be made several weeks ahead but I was able to reserve a spot for the Capitol building tour.

First day we hit several of the major memorials including Washington Monument, Lincoln Memorial, and war memorials (WWII, Korean and Vietnam). I'm as impressed as can be. John had been through DC in the 70's but the war memorials are new for him. We only get to see the White House from the outside.

To see more pics of our first day click here!

In the afternoon it's getting pretty hot so we head inside to the Holocaust Museum. Wow! Both of us are in awe over how well the exhibitions are put together and the stories told. They  provide a real sense of that horrible history but in a way that conveys the misery and evil in a thought provoking manner.

Lastly we go to the American History Museum, part of the humongous Smithsonian collection of museums. Our primary intention here is to see the big flag that flew over Ft. McHenry and served as the inspiration to our national anthem. Yep, it's a BIG flag (originally 30 x 42 feet)! We also see a permanent exhibition of First Ladies evening gowns (which I enjoy), and a tribute to the various president's and DC's development. John then spies a section about transportation through the ages and is spontaneously drawn there to explore the maritime portion due to his upcoming employment in that industry!

It's been a fun but full schedule and we are ready to call it a day...

It's a Monticello Kind of Day

On Monday morning we are headed to our next destination, Washington, DC! In all my years of travel with my navy family and later as an adult, I have somehow never been to this part of our country so central to the birth of our nation. Moreover in recent years, I have been increasingly drawn to reading biographies of our president's, their wives and other related historical tomes. In fact, just before we leave Colorado, I have begun to read Doris Kearns Goodwin's book "Team of Rivals" about Lincoln's rise to the presidency and his cabinet during the Civil War. So now I am primed and pumped for a visit to the capital seat of the USA!

Just as we cross into Virginia, I suddenly get an inspiration and wonder, how far out of the way would it be for us to go to Monticello, Thomas Jefferson's estate? Thank goodness for the internet and our GPS (newly re-dubbed Charlotte in honor of our visit there). With the help of these tools I determine it shouldn't add too many extra miles to our day and punch in the new destination. Just in time too as John is immediately directed to take the next exit! Our new path takes us by way of Route 15 which turns out to be a lovely two-lane highway through pleasant countryside. 

About 250 miles into our journey, John sees a sign for Farmville (made infamous as a popular game on Facebook) and we have to stop for a picture.

We arrive at Monticello just in time for buffet  lunch at the historic Mitchie Tavern at the foot of the estate's vast acreage. Once we're suitably fed we head up to the main house for a tour of Monticello. Unfortunately, we have to skip the garden tours (which only gives me an excuse to have to return another day). A glimpse of the extensive vegetable gardens (Carol, are you jealous?) in this gallery gives you some idea of what we missed - plus there's abundant flower gardens and groves that are entirely omitted!

Monticello

Alas our time is limited - we still need to reach our hotel outside of Baltimore in Silver Spring, Maryland (another 125 miles distant) preferably before very late in the day. But we are not disappointed and very happy we made the detour!  

White Light and Charlotte

It's now Saturday, July 30th and we rise early for the next jaunt on our journey east expecting to reach the suburbs of Charlotte, NC by late afternoon. But first John must pursue his quest for a Triple-D diner that he thinks may be suitable for breakfast on our way out of Kentucky. Just 55 miles east is the capital of Kentucky which I bet most of you don't know is Frankfort (am I right?) and home of Rick's White Light Diner. As we drive by I see that it's a definite "dive" and declare it unfit. You can see why here but John is keen and persists. We arrive a good half-hour before opening time so decide to walk around. It seems a pretty sleepy place for a capital but maybe that's because it's early in the day. Rick spies us hanging about and right away takes notice of our out-of-state license plates (newly registered in Massachusetts with Red Sox on them) and invites us in. What can I tell you? Rick is a retired navy-man, quick-witted and sharp-tongued. He learns our tale while we place our orders. We learn about Rick's experience with Guy Fieri and his famous show while Rick and his crew get everything going. Soon we are joined by a couple of local regulars and then the sparring really gets going. They drag John into it and he enjoys every minute. Eventually the crowd persuades him to buy a hat in memory of the place and we get on the road again. By the way, the breakfast food was fresh and made from local ingredients but otherwise mediocre. Perhaps it would have been better if we could have enjoyed an Oyster Po'Boy for lunch which is one of the menu items Rick's is known for. Nonetheless it was a memorable experience for us afterall!

With 450+ miles to go we head for the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. It's picturesque but the truck traffic is appreciable and causes our focus to stay mostly with the road. Around 5 p.m. we reach our destination outside Charlotte in the town of Weddington, NC where our friends, Tom and Laura now reside. We last saw them a little over a year ago before they too departed Colorado. They prepare a sumptuous meal including Tom's family-secret meat marinade and we get settled in the roomy guest quarters in the basement. That night we sleep like dead-dogs and completely miss a serious thunderstorm that passed over. Sunday is a play-day. We hang-out and relax in the morning then decide to go to a movie in the afternoon. It's called "The Tree of Life" starring Brad Pitt and Sean Penn and is the WORST movie ever! We almost walk out (as several others did) but keep thinking it's going to get better - WRONG!

Madeline

Afterwards we grab a bite to eat and head back to Tom and Laura's for cocktails and cake. Their daughter, Madeline has made a special cake for us! Sweet!  Then Tom takes John out to his man-cave (which is actually the garage) and teaches him a new game (a ring tied to a string from the ceiling that you swing and try to catch a hook). Yeah, whatever. Later I catch the boys enjoying their drinks with cigars and the dog, Chase. They are obviously having a good time! All in all a very relaxing and needed break from our trip and thanks so much to Tom and Laura for their hospitality!

John, Tom and Chase (the dog)