More from the Boston Suburbs

Today we started in New Hampshire at Stonyfield. We then went to Salem, Mass, which Eleanor was very excited to see. It was a huge disappointment. There isn't a real museum and the whole place is witch-crazy. I tried to convince her that the town's obsession with the witch trials is a living monument to the girls and the time. She only half-way bought it. It was a stretch. We also got to go on the Friendship for free, which was also only somewhat interesting. The weather was beautiful, so that's something!

Then, we went to the Minute Man National Historical Site near Lexington. We watched their excellent movie (multimedia presentation kind of thing) on the history of the Lexington and Concord battles that started the Revolutionary War. Then, we were tired and decided that we'd go back again tomorrow.

Jen's Collection- Restaurants

Mexican-Irish-Chili?


Mexican-Italian-Jewish?

If you know Calvin...

you'll know that this was great!


Matt said it was like Willy Wonka. There were no tours due to construction, but the "guide" encouraged us to try things. We had several kinds of yogurt before she insisted that the kids have two different types of ice cream. We were there for an hour!

An Alternative Road Trip- more money, no parents

I realized a few days ago that one way that the kids’ experience differs from ours is in the number of unrealized dreams along the way. The kids pick up brochures from hotel lobbies and read all the billboards on the road. They mention the things that appeal to them in a casual, resigned voice that indicates that they know that they won’t get to do them. In the past, I didn’t feel that bad for them. As Sean said on his blog about Disney and Coney Island, we all missed out on things as kids. We don’t still feel sad about missing out on them as adults.

I think because the trip is so long, it seems like there are so many activities that we deny them. From a carriage ride on the carriage roads in Acadia Park and sailing on a boat in the ocean to go-carts and making a stuffed bear, there are lots and lots of ways to spend one’s money and time on a trip. They do seem to understand that we are on a limited budget trip. We talk about expenses in front of them, so hopefully they understand that it’s not cruelty that makes us say no.

Matt pointed out to me that we spend lots of time in gift shops and that they get a lot of things. They each have a “bank account” for the trip so they can buy what they can afford. He correctly argues that this probably satisfies some of the need to control the spending of money and creating of memories. Just this week they each got rock candy for 50 cents. Eleanor said, "I FINALLY got to try rock candy!" Calvin loved it so much that he said that if he had a candy store, he’d charge much more than 50 cents for it!

Jen’s Collection- Islesboro

They mean business (in a joking way) on the island.


Cliftonites might also want signs like this for when the city tree trimmers come around!

Another side note- these pics don't convey the trust and friendliness of the island. Everyone waves as they drive; we were allowed to check out library materials while visiting; and when I went to the post office, they let me take home a box and pay for it when I came back to mail it! Not like life in the city!

Catching up on Islesboro

Sadly, we have left Islesboro. Now that we have internet, there is a lot to catch up on.

We went canoeing.


We discovered that Eleanor and I *really do* walk on water.

We saw starfish in tidepools.

Islesboro has a cute lighthouse…

And a pulpit from which to preach. You can see the mainland in the background.

Matt and the kids went to a marine museum in Searsport.

Acadia National Park

We returned yesterday evening from two days in Acadia National Park. We spent the night in Bar Harbor. It was a wonderful trip. Acadia is beautiful and the weather was perfect (thanks to global warming?). A picture is worth a thousand words. We’ll all save time by my posting several pictures.


We all enjoyed climbing on the rocks. We enjoyed it so much that we went back the second morning to do it again.




Eleanor took this great morning picture.


There is a sandy beach (called “Sandy Beach”).


There are evergreen forests to hike.


There are lighthouses to see. (The kids were shocked that people cared about seeing a lighthouse. “This is it?”)

There are lakes, that they call “ponds.” (This is Jordan Pond, for those who have been there.)


And places where when the tide is out, you can see *millions* of mussels, snails, and barnacles.



Unlike other places we’ve visited, it was pretty crowded. The park employees credited the weather. Again, it was us and the old people. Many were on tour buses this time. This is one of the many pictures that I took of them.

You can tell how much I liked it by how many pics I posted. These are fewer than I initially planned to post!

We have more Islesboro pics that we might still post. We're always rushing during our brief periods of internet.

Friday we leave here for Manchester, NH and then to Boston. And probably more consistent internet access.

Calvin's Collection-update

Bold Tic Tacs in Islesboro, ME


Tic Tacs in Burlington, VT


Airheads in Camden, ME

(He doesn't want to buy any candy that is "taunting" or will melt. He doesn't plan to eat it. So he buys things that he doesn't really want and passes through nice candy stores with their taunting candy.)

Walking to Hutchins Island

This morning we hiked out to Hutchins Island, which is just off Islesboro to the east of us. When the tide is out a land bridge appears that you can walk across to the Hutchins, which is a bird sanctuary. It was pretty cool (at least Jen and I thought so). We left right before the official low tide and had a completely dry walk out to the island. Is it still an island if you can walk to it sometimes? Either way, it gave us some time to talk more about landforms and sing “We Wish You a Merry Isthmus.”

Jen and I left behind our whiny kids – no strangers, no large wild animals, no worries, right? – and headed out to an even smaller island connected by a more narrow land bridge. While we hiked the kids “saved snails” that were stuck on the dry land by throwing them back into the water. I appreciate the ability to find something fun to do when you wish you parents would stop torturing you and just go make lunch.



Pictures are from top: (1) the view from the house to Hutchins; (2) the land bridge ; (3) the view from the island; (4) saving snails.

Jen’s collection- Motel 6's

There are no smoking signs the ashtrays in Motel 6's. Do you think that they think that their guests are going to obey it?

Pathetic need for internet (& some pics)

When I need internet, I go to Islesboro library. I have work to do today, but the library is closed so I am standing outside it with my laptop on the book return. Last night I sat on the steps in the dark. My need for internet would be less pathetic if 1) the library were open so I could sit inside, or 2) if I could get the wireless signal in my car in anonymity. My grant proposal is almost done. I will be very glad when it is. I really don't have to work on the grant much now, just monitor its electronic progress and deal with problems in that regard.

Things here on the island are good. I made an unposted blog entry about how we spend our days. Somehow they pass very quickly, even though there is "nothing" to do. It's great!





(Yes, that's E in the ocean! I went in too!)

Islesboro, ME – the first days

We’re now in Islesboro. It is amazing to be here in beauty, silence, isolation, and comfort. It’s hard to even choose what to write about. Being at the house gives us a chance to catch our breath a bit. There are many books to read at the house, plus the books that we unnecessarily brought to read here. There are stars by the millions. There are deer in the yard. We can walk to the water. We can explore the woods. We can jump on the trampoline. The kids can be away from us—in a different room or in the yard—and do their own thing. We can eat a little more regularly and healthfully. (You should have seen our Civic filled with all of our stuff plus groceries for a week. There were groceries at people’s feet and stuffed into every empty space in the trunk!) It’s calm and without a schedule. It is just what we needed on this trip and in our lives generally.

We’ll post pics and more when we can. We’re using the library for internet access. Even the library is great. We’ve been here for more than an hour. We’ve looked up info about tides and the island, and now kids are reading. I didn’t think we’d be here this long, or I would have uploaded pics to the hard drive before we came!

New Hampshire is beautiful!

(Now with bigger pics!)
With the slogan “Live Free or Die” and reference to “mountains” in New Hampshire, I have to admit I didn’t think it would be so great. I mean, they aren’t real mountains (growing up vacationing the Rocky Mountains, I am a mountain snob). And what kind of gun-toting people have this slogan? (Yes, I understand it has a history.) Yesterday we drove from Burlington, VT to Camden, ME. We stopped twice, including to do a short hike (a walk, really) in New Hampshire. I now acknowledge their “mountains” and understand why people go there. It was gorgeous.








The other place we stopped was a maple syrup farm in the tiniest capital city, Montpelier, VT. They had a homemade video about making syrup that one could watch in a shelter made of chopped wood. We also got to taste different types of syrup. We also did some shopping, including fresh baked maple cookies and some maple candy, made of only maple sugar, that Matt and Eleanor loved. We were glad we stopped.





Now we’re in Camden, Maine. We stayed in a place with an ancient woman, featured on their website, who works at the desk. The place looks pretty run-down from the outside, but is clean and fine—though lime green—inside. We thank Let’s Go for sending us here.

Let’s Go also sent us to the Camden Deli where we had our most expensive meal of the trip- $40. We had delicious food, including a lobster roll (a Maine specialty) for Matt and each with our own dessert. We had a view of the bay from the restaurant. In the way that it only can when one is on a limited-budget road trip, it was magnificent!

It’s raining today, which gets in the way of our hiking-to-beautiful-views plan. We’re heading to Islesboro later today.

Jen’s collection- Saratoga and Vermont

“Love Vermont” sugar packets in Vergennes (pronounced “Ver-Jen’s”)


Mini Park is what is was


Beware the high sodium water at Saratoga National Historic Park


Care for a “mega leg”?

Burlington and before

(To be posted when I have a connection)
September 12, 2007
8:09pm

We don’t have internet at the Motel 6, so there hasn’t been much chance to post. Of course, you probably haven’t missed us. But to us, a lot has happened. This will be a big post to catch up a bit. I’ve decided that we’ll turn this blog to a book after we’re done (Thanks, Alli, for the tip!), so it has become a journal. So, too bad if you’re bored! Don’t read! ☺

I don’t know if Matt will blog about the Soccer Hall of Fame. Though I wasn’t there, I want to say that it was great for both kids, Eleanor especially. She really was pumped from it. Matt said that it equally represented women and men. The effect was empowering for Eleanor.












Some impressions of Cooperstown—the scenery was amazing. Even with bad weather, we really appreciated how beautiful it is there. However, the homogenous rich, white, male culture there was not what we like. While working in a deli, I thought, “I do not belong in this town.” A long side story is the letter I wrote to the deli that I was sitting in explaining why “Slap Yo’ Mama Silly Chili” is offensive. It’s more than that though, the whole vibe of the town was not for us.

We had a lot of rain during the drive from Cooperstown to Burlington. We stopped along the way at Saratoga National Historic Park, which Eleanor called “surprisingly boring.” She noted that she likes history, but not this place. Between stopping at Saratoga and doing the Baseball Hall of Fame (and my working) in the morning before leaving Cooperstown, we really didn’t have time for the Adirondacks. We drove through the far eastern side to get to Vermont. It was raining with low clouds. In addition, the drive included an emotional breakdown for Calvin and crabbiness from me, so “just getting there [Burlington]” was the goal. We didn’t even begin to appreciate the park. Maybe we’ll get to it another time.

After the emotional breakdowns of the drive up here, we decided that the kids would plan today. (Thanks to Lisa for this idea!) We went to the Ben and Jerry’s Factory tour. As we got out of the car Calvin said, “Now this is what I’m talking about!” He started taking pictures as we walked up the stairs to the factory. Both kids had fun, but Calvin was thrilled. The factory grounds include a “Flavor Graveyard,” which was really funny. Matt and I actually mourned the loss of some flavors. (Remember Rainforest Crunch? Bovinity Divinity?) (Eleanor took this picture for Aunt Peggy. Click to make it bigger.)





In the afternoon, we went to Burlington and Lake Champlain. (Our Motel 6—a very nice one—is outside town.) We walked along the boardwalk. The lake is beautiful. (Again, thanks to E for the pic.) We also went to the public library (Calvin’s idea) and a playground (Eleanor’s idea).

Have I mentioned that everywhere we go there are hardly any people? Just us and a few old and/or foreign people. At the Farmers’ Museum, Soccer Hall of Fame, Ben & Jerry’s there were no other kids there! With no kids anywhere, ours get to do every interactive activity easily and as many times as they like.

And one last thing- Jumping on beds is really fun!