Today is the last day of my visit. Mother is staying until Thursday when Dave will come over and take her back to the airport and go home. There’s not much more to see, so we decided to spend some more time with Grandma. I had some pictures of my little family printed and framed to put on her shelves. She was sleeping when we arrived, but woke enough to know we were there. I showed her the pictures and helped her drink some water. She went back to sleep and mother and I enjoyed the time just sitting with her.

There are many photo albums on the shelf so I decided to pull a few of the older ones down to see what treasures I could find. I was greatly rewarded. There were scrapbooks filled with all the people mother had been talking about through the week. I remember older faces from my childhood, but these pictures captured them in their youth and in their prime. I especially enjoyed seeing my grandparents and great grandparents as young people.  The pictures revealed that many of people I considered old as a child were actually younger than my present age. I wonder how I appear to Elizabeth and Amelia?

Grandma Doris and Mother

We needed to leave to make it to lunch at Debbie’s. Before we left I gave Grandma a goodbye kiss and knew that a chapter of my life was coming to a close. It’s doubtful I’ll see her again in this world. I know that she is a part of me though, and I see her legacy in my mother, myself, my children, and my children’s children.

Debbie’s sister, Patty joined us for lunch and we had a marvelous time catching up. All too soon it was time to leave. I got mother back to her hotel, said my goodbyes and made my way back to Seattle to board my red eye flight to Boston.  

It’s been a great to experience this trip with my mother. It’s been 20 years since I last visited this part of my life.  I’m so glad we were able to share this time together to have one last visit.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

Saturday morning and not much of an agenda planned. I suggested that since we didn’t see Cashmere on the way in, we drive out and see the little burg. While Leavenworth went Bavarian, Cashmere chose a pioneer-wild west theme. The little town sits on the Wenatchee river, which looks perfect for kayaking and rafting. The downtown has facades that would make you think a hitching post was necessary. Being early on a Saturday morning, none of the stores were open, and I guess everyone was still in bed. I was able to get out and take pictures with little obstruction.

Nestled behind the main street is the Aplets and Cotlets factory. Mother tells me that it’s a family owned business that enjoys staying small. I’ve seen their candies outside of Washington so they must be doing something right. Cashmere also boasts a pioneer museum dedicated to the first white settlers in the area. The museum includes a little pioneer village. None of it was open, but I thought it made for good pictures.

After Cashmere, mother suggested we drive down to Rock Island Dam.  Rock Island is the oldest of the thirteen dams on the Columbia river in the state of Washington. As a kid it seemed really large, but driving by it today not as much. Dams are controversial in that while providing water for irrigation and hydroelectric power, they also destroy natural habitats and sometimes beautiful scenery.  Salmon runs along the Columbia have been deeply impacted by these dams. The whole valley where mother grew up was dramatically changed when the Rocky Reach Dam was completed in 1961. The cost of progress is challenging and is better suited for debate at another time.

We made our way back to Orondo to visit my cousin Debbie and her husband Ted. Debbie and Ted live on the side of a mountain. After my terror at Ohme Gardens I wasn’t so sure about my ability to manage this mountain goat life style, but I’m game for a visit.  Their house isn’t so bad. A paved road leads to their level and the views from their yard are amazing. Ted’s son is building a house farther up the side. Ted invited me to join him in his little ATV and see the site. While I’ll admit the views are spectacular, the gravel road and the sheer drop off once again challenged my sense of vertigo, and I was thankful when we returned to safety of the lower level.

Debbie has been taking care of Grandma for years, even before she moved into assisted living. Before they tore down the old house, she rescued some of Grandmas belongings including the old wood stove she cooked on. What a treasure to walk into the kitchen and see this memory from my youth cleaned up and looking like new. I’m very thankful for her thoughtfulness and care. Before leaving, we made arrangements to come back for lunch on Sunday in hopes of seeing more family.

Mother and I stopped at Shari’s in E. Wenatchee for lunch. This was my choice as Shari’s was a blast from the past hearkening back to our days of living in Portland, OR.  Stepping into the restaurant was almost like going through a time machine. Nothing had changed at all in the 22 years since I’d last eaten at a Shari’s. Good times.

Our visit with Grandma was highlighted by a vanilla milkshake. We learned later that chocolate is her favorite, as it is much sweeter. But she drank the vanilla without complaint. She was in good spirits and really appeared to enjoy our visit.

The afternoon was filled with a drive up badger mountain, just east of the Columbia valley. It’s here that you see the stark difference between the west side of the state and the east side. On the west are lush forests and spectacular mountains. The east side is rolling plateau with wheat fields as far as the eye can see. The river slices the state in two like a knife. Many people don’t even know this side exists as most of the commerce and living is in the west. It was in the little town of Waterville, at the top of the canyon, my mother was born. We drove past the house and then proceeded back down into the valley for another pass through Orondo, and back to town for dinner.

We’ve been here for three days now, and I feel I’ve seen more of this area than I did in all my previous trips combined. It does me good to hear mother recall her youth. I’m glad I can do this for her.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

 

I’ve visited this area of Washington state many times throughout my life. On many occasion, I’ve seen the signs to Ohme Gardens   and thought it would be a great place to visit.  Knowing that I had some time, I felt this would be the perfect opportunity for a visit. The website says “relax, reflect, revisit” so I was really looking forward to doing at least the first two.

As I entered the attraction I found it to be everything I expected. Beautifully manicured lawns, Koi ponds, water falls, and lush vegetation. There weren’t any flowers in bloom, but I’ve visited many gardens that weren’t dominated with color. Probably the most impressive feature are the very tall pine trees and poplar trees dotting the gardens and surrounding the area. These trees frame the vistas of the town and river below.

Years of painstaking work has resulted in stone paths carved throughout the gardens. These stone paths are designated on the provided map as steep or mild. One of the first paths I took was designated as steep and it turned out to be sort of like a wild set of stairs. My instincts told me that I would get some good exercise as I journeyed past the ponds and waterfalls.

It only took about thirty minutes for me to complete all the “mild” colored trails.  One trail remained that was designated as steep. It was a longer trail and ran the perimeter of the park. Believing it couldn’t be any worse than the trails I’d walked, I ventured onward.   It should be noted that this attraction is perched about 500-600 feet above the river at the edge of a mountain. As I began, I noticed that the trail was very close to the drop off of the mountain. The trees provided somewhat of a barrier, but no fence surrounded the property. At certain points, a rail ran alongside the trail, and I began gripping it tightly as I made my way. Then the rail stopped for about 15 feet. I began to feel like I was on a tight rope, making my way to the next platform, or in this case the next segment of railing. This on and off again railing continued for another 100 feet or so.  I’m pretty adventurous, but heights have always bothered me. I could feel my palms sweating and I began to have a terrible urge to get down on my knees and crawl the remainder of the trail. Finally I reached the area where it would loop back to the main part of the park. To my dismay the trail turned up the hill with no more railing. I could see that it continued all the way back with absolutely nothing to hold on to. At this point I was too terrified to continue in that direction so I turned back to the safety of the rail. The only problem was that in this direction, the view was much more open to seeing the drop off and how high I was traveling. Even thinking about it makes my palms sweat as I type. I made it back, and headed to the safety of the “mild trails.”

There were still a couple of sites I hadn’t seen, so I ventured on to the “Wishing Well” and to the “Vista Lookout.” The Wishing Well included another unrailed daredevil trail, so I skipped it. When I reached the Vista Lookout, I noticed that the sign had a QR code to learn more about the structure.

It was there I learned that these trails didn’t include any rails until the 1990s. Postcards* from the 1940s displayed people casually walking these paths, only inches from certain death. I guess today was my day to prove my quote from Helen Keller: “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” Ohme Gardens was certainly my daring adventure!

*This picture was downloaded from a postcard posted for sale. No copyright infringement is intended.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

We rose early this morning and began a great day of reminiscing. I ran out after breakfast and rented a walker so mother would feel more sure of her footing. Then we headed up to Lake Chelan to see the old family cabin. Great Grandpa Trapp bought the place back in the 50s before Lake Chelan became a recreation and winery hotspot. At the time it didn’t even have water or electricity. My mother’s cousins own the place now, and have made some nice improvements. It looks a little small between the large lake houses that have been built around it, but fond memories still remain. I remember coming up here as a kid and jumping off the dock into the freezing glacier fed lake water. The lake is beautiful any time of the year. The water is crystal clear and you could see the tree stump and all the rocks on bottom of the lake. Like yesterday mother pointed out the places she and her sisters, brother, and cousins used to go to on their weekend trips to the lake.

Lake Chelan is about 25 miles north of Orondo, the town in which my mother was raised. A lot has changed along that stretch of the Columbia river including the way orchards are planted and fruit is harvested. This valley is nicknamed the apple capital of the world. While the thousands of acres of orchards still exist, the way they grow the trees is very different. They all seem to be split and grow along X shaped frames. I guess this increases the yield and makes them easier to pick from. It sure seemed strange though. The river itself is a beauty to behold. This morning it reflected everything like a mirror.

The Orondo Cemetery is the final resting place for the two preceding generations of my mother’s family. Great grandpa and grandma Trapp and their four children, including grandpa, are all buried here.

We paid our respects and headed farther into town. Orondo is a long and narrow town. The town stretches for about 5 to 10 miles the length of the river. However, the distance between the river and the mountains can be as little as 20 feet up to about a half mile.  Our next stop was in the center of this long town at my uncle’s truck shop.

My uncle Larry owns a trucking service. His dozen trucks transport produce all throughout the state. He’s been in the trucking business since he bought his first truck in 1969. As we visited for the next hour I found this man to be a virtual encyclopedia of every house and resident in the tiny burg of Orondo.  For the most part, I just sat and listened to the siblings reminisce about people and places.

There’s something about your brother or your sister, that you kind of just pick up where you left off. It was fun to watch. Continuing our drive down memory lane, we passed the house my grandparents lived in after their original house was torn down.  Across from the house still stands the old packing shed great grandpa Trapp owned and where the extended family worked during the 1940’s and 1950’s.

Heading back into Wenatchee, we stopped for lunch at the Panda Express before heading over to visit grandma. Grandma has a spacious corner room in her assisted living facility. The place is beautifully decorated and really makes the residents feel at home. We introduced ourselves, and though I don’t think she knew exactly who we were, I think she knew we were family. I showed her pictures of the kids, and especially of Elizabeth and Amelia. She even laughed at some funny remarks I made. I guess we tired her out because she fell asleep. We left knowing we’d see her again tomorrow.

With nothing more on our agenda we headed back to the hotel. It was too early to go to dinner, so I decided to take a few hours and see Ohme Gardens. For many years visiting the Columbia River valley I’d seen signs and brochures about these gardens. I knew this would be a perfect opportunity.  I dropped mother off at the hotel and headed out on my adventure which I will describe in my next entry- The Terror of Ohme Gardens.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

My grandmother, Doris, is 99 years old this year. She lives in a nursing home in Wenatchee, Washington.  She’s receiving hospice care now and will not be with us much longer. When Dad was alive, he and mother made regular trips from Kansas City to visit. With him gone, and mother’s ability to travel alone diminished, we felt like it was our responsibility to make these visits continue.  Last year, Dave needed to come to the area to plan a yearly convention in Seattle for his company, so he brought mother along to visit Doris and other family members. He needed to return this year for the convention so he planned to bring mother along again. His duties won’t let him get away as much time as he had last year so he enlisted my assistance to meet them in Seattle and then drive mother to Wenatchee.

We lived in the Pacific Northwest for seven years when the kids were younger, and I truly believe it is one of the most beautiful places in America. Flying into Seattle, we were greeted by the overwhelming presence of Mt. Rainier. The day was clear enough we could behold it’s entire beauty as well as some other peaks along the range. When I moved to New England, I felt like I’d traveled to another country. Landing in Washington, I felt like I was back home.

I met Dave and Mother at the airport, and we headed in to the city for lunch. I have to laugh at my mid-western family when they panic about backed up traffic. Sure Seattle has a lot of cars, and congestion exists. However, living in the Boston area, and making frequent trips to New Jersey has made me quite accustomed to city traffic. I wasn’t phased, and soon we were at the waterfront for a nice meal together. The Seattle waterfront is famous for the Pike’s Market where employees throw fish at their customers. It also houses a number of restaurants, amusement rides, and entertainment venues. I love watching the ferries as they cross Puget Sound.

After dropping Dave off at his hotel, mother and I made our way out of town and headed to the central part of the state. There are two passes over the mountains to get to Wenatchee, the freeway and the scenic route. Since I’d taken the freeway a few times when we lived in Portland, I decided to take Route 2 and enjoy a beautiful drive. My only disappointment with this choice was the inability to stop and take pictures of the beautiful scenery!

Shortly before arriving in Wenatchee the route travels through Leavenworth and Cashmere. These are two small towns that are very popular tourist adventures. Cashmere is known for it’s fruit based candy, Aplets and Cotlets, which are made from locally grown apples and apricots. We didn’t stop in Cashmere because traffic was backed up and we were eager to get to the hotel. However, Leavenworth was a must see. It is a destination in itself. As we came near, my mother told me the story of how the town used to support a small ski area in the early part of the twentieth century. After a couple of years with no snow, the ski area closed down, and the town faced dire times. City planners hired consultants to figure out how to rebrand the community and came up with the idea of creating a Bavarian Village. The idea was a success and has placed the tiny town on the map. I can’t believe how many times I’ve been to this area and never seen this gem of a town. Most of the buildings in the town have a Swiss Alps style architecture complete with murals and sign boards. The hanging baskets of petunias just add to the festive nature of the town. We only stayed long enough for me to get out and take pictures, but it looked like the perfect getaway for Janet and me, if we ever make it back here.  They even have the worlds largest nutcracker museum, can’t miss that!

We made it to Wenatchee and checked into our hotel. After a short rest, we headed out to find dinner. It was a lot of fun driving through town and seeing mother point out at all the buildings that held significance to her youth. We saw the parade route where in 1958, she was the last Princess Orondo in the Apple Blossom Festival, and the post office where she enlisted in the U.S. Navy, and the building that held the business college she attended for a semester. I reminded her that I also had memories of my youth, like seeing the Great Northern Railway engine at the foot of the bridge, and the baseball fields where I fell off the bleachers.  Tomorrow we’ll revisit more of those memories, but for now it’s time for bed.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

 

I’m embarrassed to say that I’ve driven past a bona-fide tourist site for the last six years, and never stopped to see it. Now that I live in the same town, I find it impossible to write a blog such as this, and to not visit this local wonder. This amazing place of wonder is none other than America’s Stonehenge, located in Salem, New Hampshire.

With a name like Stonehenge one may imagine large slabs of stone arranged in a circle to create an astronomical observatory. Well, in fact that is exactly what America’s Stonehenge is. Though not as impressive to view, it is nonetheless quite a work, and equal in mystery.  Archaeologists estimate the site was built around 4,000 years ago, and believe it may have been a temple or ceremonial grounds. Native American people’s used the area prior to European arrival. During colonial times the land was purchased and a farm house built on the ruins. With it’s many secret chambers and tunnels, the farm was an integral part of the underground railroad, secreting former slaves to freedom in Canada. Later, the land was quarried for stones to use in the Lawrence dam and other structures. The land was purchased in the 20th Century by a man that spearheaded the archaeological study of the site. His theory was that the structure was developed by Irish monks that came to American around 1000 A.D. Since then, more study has been done, and the ruins remain an active archaeological site.

I paid my admission and downloaded the free self-guided tour app. The wooded paths led me on a maze through thousands of years of history. At the peak of the hill was the site, filled with intricately laid rock walls and heavy slabbed roofs. The builders even carved an amazing drainage system that channels the water away from the area and into local streams.

The focal point of everything was the observation deck. This modern structure sits atop the original stone slab that was the center piece of the observatory. Large slabs ringed the site marking where the sun would rise and set on solstice and equinox days. One of the scholars has mapped a line from the spring equinox boulder, shown here, all the way through one of the gate structures at Stonehenge in Liverpool, England.

I followed some of the trails out to the solar markers before heading back. Before reaching the gift shop, I stopped to see the alpaca farm housed on the grounds. The grounds also include a replica of an ancient sundial and a mini covered bridge.

The purpose of this blog is to chronicle my adventures of sight seeing places right in my own backyard. Of any, this place met all the criteria. One more adventure living here in New England.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

Most of the adventures I’ve chronicled have been on weekends or on vacation. It is truly rare that I’ve experienced a tourist adventure during the workday, but here goes!

After six years of working for the Hampstead School District, I chose to apply to the Derry Cooperative School district and was hired as their Director of Information Services. This wasn’t an easy decision as Hampstead gave me the opportunity to move to New England, and enjoy this amazing part of the country.  Not only that, my fellow administrators had become my friends.

Derry Cooperative is about four times as large as Hampstead, but like Hampstead, it is a K-8 district, and sends their students to Pinkerton Academy for high school.  Hampstead’s administrative team included 9 members. The Derry team has over 30 members.  After a month I wondered if I’d enjoy the same camaraderie I’d enjoyed in Hampstead.  Fortunately my new superintendent believes in relationships and team building exercises. And to my delight, she booked trip to Boston to participate in a scavenger hunt for our summer administrative retreat. You know I love going to the city and seeing new things. I didn’t know what this opportunity would bring, but it sounded exciting.

As it turned out, this activity combined some of my favorite things, big cities, solving problems, and learning totally useless information!! After dividing into teams, and initializing the app, we were off to solve our clues. Some of the clues were baffling. At least the app eventually tells you the right answer. My team didn’t win, but we sure had fun traveling through Quincy Market, City Hall, and other historical places. One of the most fascinating parts was going upstairs in Faneuil Hall. Up til that day I’d only been in the first two floors to use the restroom or see the gift shop. I’d heard of the meeting hall upstairs, and was excited to finally see this beautiful room of American history. The winners got medals and bragging rights. For me, the experience accomplished all it was it was intended. I really felt part of the team.

After the scavenger hunt many of us enjoyed a sidewalk lunch at Joe’s American Grill on the waterfront before proceeding to an afternoon at the New England Aquarium.  This was the part of the day I’d most looked forward to, as it is one of the few touristy things in Boston I haven’t done. As soon as I walked in, I knew I’d need to bring my granddaughters the next time they’re here. Elizabeth loves the penguins in Kansas City, and the aquarium greets its visitors with a wonderful penguin exhibit. The venue includes an outdoor exhibit of sea lions and many small aquariums filled with aquatic life. The main exhibit, though, is the four story Giant Ocean Tank in the middle of the building with a winding ramp to the top. It reminded me of the Open Ocean exhibit at the Marine Life Institute in the movie, Finding Dory. This aquarium included many varieties of tropical fish including rays, sharks, and a sea turtle. I made my way to the top to view a feeding demonstration in what looked just like the Caribbean reefs we like to snorkel.

The time to leave was rapidly approaching, so many of us waited for the bus in a beautiful pocket park. I sat there thinking how much I thoroughly enjoyed getting to know my new colleagues. It was hard to leave Hampstead, but I knew that I’d made the right decision. This touristy adventure was just what I needed to settle in.

 

 

 

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

 

 

If you’re brand new to my blog, you need to know that I love theater. I love all aspects of it; performing, producing, directing, set-building, costumes, lighting, sound, music, choreography, blocking, even the layout of the house, the ornamentation of the lobby, and the mechanics of the stage. Since the purpose of moving to New England was to be closer to our daughter in New Jersey, we’ve taken many opportunities to see shows in New York. Recently we’ve also been attending shows a little closer to home. The Boston area is blessed with some great houses in the city, and also some wonderful regional theaters in outlying areas. This month we took the opportunity to visit two of these theaters to see shows I’ve listened to for years, but never seen performed.

A Chorus Line came out when I was in Junior High, and was very popular when I was developing an interest in musical theater in High School. I fell in love with the two signature songs, “What I Did for Love” and “One.” One time I used a portion of “One” as my ring tone, which unfortunately went off during a funeral. That’s another story for another day. A few weeks ago I was visiting playbill.com and noticed that the show was playing at the Cape Playhouse in Dennis, MA.  With a near all equity cast, I thought this would be the perfect opportunity to finally see the show.

The cape is about a 2 hour drive from our home in good traffic. And traffic was really good, even through Boston, until two miles from the Sagamore bridge that leads onto the cape. At this point traffic slowed to a stifling crawl that took thirty minutes to travel two miles. The cape is certainly a popular place in the summer. Fortunately, our lunch reservation wasn’t until 2:00 and we had planned appropriately. I picked a really nice sea side restaurant to enjoy our lobster roll and quesadilla!

We arrived at the theater in good time. The place was looked like a picture from a New England architecture magazine complete with wood shake siding, white trim, and patriotic bunting.  I love the houses that are often smaller than a high school auditorium. The interior reminded me of the Country Bear Jamboree at Disney World. The show was great! The acting, singing, and dancing were all as great as I’d hoped for. The performance began at 4:00 PM and was out by 6:30 so there was still plenty of light to enjoy a scenic drive through Barnstable and Sandwich before returning home.

Evita is another show I’ve listened to for years but never had the opportunity to see. The SeaCoast Repertory Theatre in Portsmouth, NH has been recommended to me by many people so we decided to give it a try. Portsmouth is a beautiful little city and I make any opportunity to visit it when I can. We invited Dillard and Laurie to join us for a waterfront dinner at the Martingale Wharf restaurant and the show.

Unlike A Chorus Line, this cast was not comprised of Broadway performers so I was unsure of the quality going in. My fears were soon dispelled as they presented a first-rate performance of a challenging show. The venue is small, with stadium seating that surrounds most of the stage. The cast utilized the house to great effect giving the audience the sense they are a part of the scene. SeaCoast rep has certainly earned another patron.

Not only do I love theater, I can also be a snob. I figure if I am going to pay comparable prices to a Broadway show, it better be of comparable quality. While neither of these shows were quite that expensive, they certainly met the standards of my snooty sensibilities. I am certainly blessed to live in an area that has amazing opportunities even outside the major cities. Just another charm about living in New England!

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

 

Doing a little Internet research, I found that the population density of the Northeastern Megalopolis, which stretches from Boston to Washington D.C., is about 1,000 people per sq. mi. In fact, according to Wikipedia, over 52,000,000 people live in this area. That accounts for 17% of the country’s population on only 2% of the land. The national average density is about 80 people per square mi. My hometown of Kansas City is only about 200 people per sq. mi. and that’s in the metropolitan area. So why am I spouting all this totally useless information? As I’ve said many times before, there are a lot of people here. Roads are always busy. Stores are rarely empty. And for the most part, there’s usually the hum of civilization somewhere in the background. If you haven’t been here, you might wonder if there are places that aren’t totally paved in concrete and littered with buildings. Surprisingly enough,  there are!  In fact, most of this urban jungle has been cut out of dense woodlands that still exist almost everywhere you turn.  Even in the cities, there are amazing nature reserves to get away from it all.  This month, I took advantage of two amazingly beautiful nature experiences that exist in the heart of the largest city in the area, and in the small, but busy city I live.

The Arnold Arboretum of Harvard University is located on the southwestern side of Boston, just at the end of the orange line train. Janet wasn’t interested in this journey so I ventured out on a solo episode, and was not disappointed. The 281 acre park is a tranquil museum of trees and foliage that make you forget you’re in a major city. I found the arboretum to be a perfect mixture of sculpted gardens and wild woodlands. Beautiful streams and ponds accentuate the paved pathways and wooded trails throughout the sanctuary.

The visitors center contained an interactive diorama of the park and I was able to locate a couple of areas I really wanted to see. The first was a bonsai collection. My good friend Del was fascinated by bonsai trees in his younger days, and even attempted to maintain one. I’m not sure if he still has it, but I loved his enthusiasm for the art form. This collection contained about 8 or 9 miniature trees that were amazing. One really has to admire the dedication required to sustain these living pieces of art.

The final stop on my adventure was to climb Bussey Hill to the scenic overlook. I chose a trail, rather than a paved path, and quickly recognized how out of shape I am as the ascent was much steeper than I anticipated. I pushed on and finally reached the top. I was surprised to find that the peak was wooded and  I couldn’t see anything of the park below. Somewhat disappointed, I chose to return by way of the paved path that spiraled the hill. It only took me a few steps to discover why the map had labeled it as a scenic overlook. Through the trees was a view not of the park, but of the Boston skyline. I thought it a perfect way to remind me that this gem of nature was in the heart of a vibrant city.

Many large cities in the northeast contain large parks like the arboretum. Another way that cities are providing places to walk in nature is by converting old railroads into trails. In one of my next trips to New York, I really want to walk the Highline park, which was once an elevated rail line.  The Rails to Trails Conservancy is an organization dedicated to converting old rail corridors into multi-purpose public paths to promote healthier life styles. Our new apartment is fortunate enough to be located right off one of these paths. We decided to utilize the path on a trip to the Salem farmer’s market. Because they are former railroad lines, the path is mostly flat making it really easy for walkers and bikers. We met families and seniors on a beautiful Sunday morning. The portion we walked was only about 100 feet from 28 Hwy, but the wooded wetlands on the opposite side made you feel like you were in the middle of the forest. The Salem Rail trail is part of a network of trails that extend ten miles north to Derry, where I work. I guess if I were really motivated I could ride a bike to work. Don’t think that will happen soon, but you never know. We made our way to the farmer’s market for some farm fresh eggs, corn on the cob, and vine ripened cherry tomatoes. As we walked back home, we knew we’d found a new favorite activity.

I think that when you live in an area as dense as this, it’s important to be able to connect with nature, whether in a public park, a stroll through the woods, or a day at the beach!  Fortunately, we’ve been able to find some ways to do just that.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

 

My years of adventures have all paid off this week as our son, Erik and his family came to visit for a week. Erik, Amanda, Elizabeth, and Amelia have been here twice before, but always during the winter when it’s hard to visit places. We invited Amanda’s mother, Karla to join us. The girls spend a lot of time with her, and it’s nice to have an extra set of hands when working with little ones. She’d never been to this part of the country so she was truly excited to see the historical sites and the Atlantic Ocean. We pulled out all the stops this week so they could really experience the beauty of New England.

My tour guide instincts kicked into full gear as we piled into the mini-van and covered many New England miles. Many of the places we visited were repeats of past outings like York and Ogunquit, Maine. They also enjoyed our Freedom Trail excursion in Boston, and a trip to Hampton Beach. These experiences were all new for them and they were amazed at the architecture, the history, and the beauty of nature.

As always, my repeat adventures need to include something new and different for me. The new experience this week was our journey to StoryLand in Glen, NH.  Located about 2 1/2 hours north of us in the White Mountains, this little gem of a park had everything our little toddler and preschooler could want in a day designated just for them. We invited our niece, Lilee to join us with her parents for a truly amazing day.

According to Wikipedia, StoryLand was first opened in 1954. It has grown quite a bit since then, and seems to have drawn a little bit of inspiration from a couple of famous parks in California and Florida.  Like those parks, this park is very clean and very well maintained.  It also stayed true to its theme which was very impressive.

We began in a nursery rhyme themed play area and proceeded to meet Cinderella on her throne. The girls loved riding the pumpkin coach to the steps of the castle.  Outside the castle we rode swan boats in the castle’s moat.

Further into the park, Elizabeth and Lillee braved the Polar Coaster. While Lilee is a daredevil, Elizabeth mustered a lot of courage to make it to the end!  A highlight for all the girls was the Daniel Tiger show where Katarina Kitty overcomes her fears and braves the roller coaster.  We rode lots more rides including farm tractors, the train,  a carousel, a pirate ship, and an old fashioned taxi.

The thing I like best about this place is its attention to smaller children. The themed play areas, rides, and shows really appeal to younger children. Our son Erik used to work in an amusement park in Kansas City. He shared with us that many of the employees dreaded working the kiddy section of the park, and would often call in sick or just quit if assigned there very often. The employees at StoryLand all seemed to enjoy their jobs and working with children. Elizabeth, Amelia, and Lilee were certainly well cared for and entertained throughout the day.

The girls call us Papa and Grammy. There’s hardly a better feeling when your four year old granddaughter says her prayers and is thankful for all the rides in StoryLand or for jumping waves at the beach. Your heart flutters when the 22 month old toddler wants to see pictures of our day on the TV. I look forward to having them visit many times as they grow older. I hope they learn the joy of seeing new things, and learning about interesting places just like Grammy and Papa.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

 

I’m not big into baseball metaphors. In fact, I’m not really into baseball very much. I leave for that Janet. I’ll give it a try though. Our weekend adventures run the range from making it to first base to hitting it out the park. Fortunately we haven’t experienced any strikeouts. Today’s adventure would probably be a single.  

Erik, Amanda, and the girls are coming this week and we made arrangements with Janet’s brother to trade one of our cars for their van for the week. Add to that, our air-conditioning has been temperamental to the point of not working today. Put those together and it spells an adventure in the NH lakes region.

Tarbin Gardens is a cute little English garden tucked in the woods of Franklin, NH.  Though not as elaborate as some of the gardens we’ve visited, it was obvious to see the care and planning that has gone into the grounds. Winding paths lead the visitor to more than a dozen pocket gardens, ponds, and greenhouses.  My friend, Maria, would love the barnyard with the bunnies, goats, and chickens.

I love banks of color. These gardens had splashes of color and sometimes even just spot.  But scattered throughout the trails were some beautiful finds.

We didn’t get to enjoy the English Cream Tea, which looked pretty fun, but we did enjoy the formal gardens. I really love structured gardens like the French and Italian. This garden had much of the order and symmetry I love.

Today wasn’t a home run, but it was certainly a base hit. Sometimes simple things are just what we need.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

 

Janet and I just celebrated 33 years of marriage. Funny how it quickly the time has passed. Twenty of our years together have been spent living in Missouri where I grew up. Janet spent many years hearing me talk about places that meant something to me as a child. Though her family is here in New England, many of her childhood years were spent in upstate New York in the finger lakes region. To celebrate our 33rd anniversary we booked a weekend at the Hudson Manor Bed and Breakfast to go back in time and visit the area of Janet’s youth.

Interestingly enough, the Hudson Manor Bed and Breakfast is owned and operated by one of Janet’s high school friends, Jim Somerville. He and his wife Kristine have put a lot of work into making the place a very beautiful place to enjoy the finger lakes. Our first night we enjoyed a wonderful lake cruise and dinner aboard Captain Bill’s Seneca Legacy. While the food was only mediocre, the cruise itself was relaxing and beautiful. It’s no wonder the finger lakes are so popular as a vacation destination.

Sunday morning we rose early to a fantastic breakfast prepared by Kristine. After breakfast we made our way to Watkins Glen State Park.  Watkins Glen is a beautiful series of waterfalls cut through the rock over one and a half miles. The trail included tunnels, bridges, and 830 steps.  The journey was a lot for two middle aged adventurers, but the views were worth every heartbeat.

The purpose of the entire visit was to visit the tiny town of Interlaken. In the 70s, Janet’s father was pastor of the First Baptist Church and Christian School. Though the town was never a thriving metropolis, the Sheppards have always praised the village as a great place to grow up. One of Janet’s favorite memories was the family visits to Taughannock Falls. I’m a sucker for waterfalls as is obvious by this post. These falls certainly did not disappoint.

High school friends Frank and Mary Lou greeted us and took around the church. Things have changed since the 70s, but it was fun to go back in time and reminisce about the good old days.

The only downside was seeing the house they lived in abandoned, and overgrown with vines.

We made our way back to the B & B for a great night’s rest, a beautiful sunrise over the lake, and another fantastic breakfast.

Our weekend retreat was truly magnificent! I loved seeing Janet relive so many wonderful memories.  Jim is planning a high school reunion possibly as early as next year. It will be fun to come back and visit this place again.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

When I began this journey, I was determined to see all the things that normal tourists would do on a once in a lifetime trip to the area.  The idea was born from the tradition that many people do not see the wonderful sites that are often in their backyards. I’ve been to many places in New England and feel like I’ve accomplished a lot.  My friend, Moe Graenser, came for a visit a couple of weeks ago and wanted to see the sites. In planning his visit, I realized I had not yet done three of the most popular tourist activities in Boston. With that in mind, Moe and I spent a fantastic day being wild and crazy New England tourists!

Site 1-the Freedom Trail.  Throughout my trips to Boston, I’ve visited every part of the Freedom Trail, but as I mentioned during my trip to Bunker Hill, I’ve never walked the trail. I had debated between the trolley and the trail. Having done the trolley twice myself, I thought the trail would really give Moe a great view of the city and I was not disappointed. The trail begins at the Bunker Hill memorial. Knowing we’d do a lot of walking we opted to not climb the 293 steps, but instead snapped our pictures and headed down the trail to the Constitution.

This was my third trip to “Old Ironsides,” but it’s always interesting to poke around the decks and imagine what it must have been like for over 200 sailors to share the small spaces and fire the many cannons.

The trail continued across the Charles River and into the North End. The North End is so fascinating that sometimes you forget to pay attention to the trail and find that you have to backtrack a half block to get back on the path.  The trail took us past the Old North Church, Paul Revere’s house, and many many many Italian restaurants.

Our journey continued through Quincy Market, past the Old State House, and ended at the Massachusetts State House. Moe enjoys seeing old cemeteries so we had to stop and see Ben Franklin’s parents’ graves and other original American resting places.

Site 2 -Cheers. When a tourist, you must do as tourists do, and it doesn’t get any more touristy than lunch at the Cheers bar. Fortunately, there wasn’t any wait and we were able to get right in and enjoy a great meal. While it would be easy to imagine Sam and Woody behind the bar, and Cliff and Norm sitting on a couple of stools, the place is pretty small and very crowded. Good times!

Site 3 – JFK Library. Moe has a personal goal to visit every presidential library.  Out of 13 libraries, I believe this was number 8. I’ve been wanting to see it for many years and so this was a great opportunity to add to my list of must dos.  The library contained many of  memorabilia from the campaign and his presidency. The presidential exhibits were displayed in a replica of the upper level of the White House and included a reproduction of Kennedy’s oval office. Just as the event shocked the nation, the sudden turn into a black hallway with video screens displaying the assassination was surprising and sobering.

Moe and I had a great day together! It was a pleasure to share the city with him and the experience of being a tourist.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

At the close of my first year in Hampstead, an administrator was needed to attend the 8th grade field trip to Philadelphia and New York City. Since I had no other commitments, and love to travel, I readily volunteered.  That was five years ago. This week I boarded the bus to accompany my 5th and final group of 8th graders on a trip to Washington DC.  On these trips, I’m always a chaperone before the tourist, but that doesn’t stop me from being the tour guide.

This trip began as many in the past with a day in Philadelphia. Each year we’ve seen different sites including the constitution museum, the Betsy Ross House, the Franklin printing press, and of course the Liberty Bell. Last year we were able to enter the House chambers of Independence Hall. This year, our tour included all the important rooms of Independence Hall including the meeting room where the Declaration of Independence was signed, and the upstairs Senate chamber. I enjoy Philadelphia and am glad the students have the opportunity to visit the nation’s first capital.

This was my third trip to Washington DC with the school, and like Philly we’ve seen new things each year. This year our students were able to spend time visiting many of the Smithsonian museums. The Museum of American History is always a treat, and I loved seeing the Swedish Chef, Lola’s costume, and the Batmobile.

We were all amazed at how much they loved the museum of natural history. How can you not love dinosaur bones and hanging whales and sharks.

Probably the most memorable tour of the trip was through the Holocaust museum. The memorial is a poignant reminder of the evil that can happen when good people are silent in the face of bigotry and hatred. Our students were moved by the display, and the chorus sang a wonderful Jewish hymn outside the museum.

 

A highlight for me was to share the story of my uncle Bob who’s plane was shot down in Laos during the Vietnam War. I shared this story the week before the trip so that when they saw the wall, there might be a personal connection. The students were more than respectful, and seeing his name on the wall was very meaningful.

Our trip concluded with a trip to Arlington Cemetery. Unfortunately, many of the students had not been eating, sleeping, or taking in fluids well. A couple of the students fainted during the ceremony and needed medical attention. A third student needed to be taken to the emergency room. My job as administrator required I attend  her in the ambulance with another teacher. Though she recovered fairly quickly, the doctor’s tests took longer than the buses could wait. The three of us had to fly home rather than ride the bus with the group. As it turned out, we beat the bus. I guess there’s always a silver lining.

As one of my final activities with the Hampstead School District, I was proud to be a chaperone to these students. My group of boys proved themselves to be mature and responsible. I will certainly miss these trips, and this district. My time here has been a wonderful adventure in itself. Though the new job will offer new challenges, I will not forget the little district that provided me this opportunity to live in New England, and experience it like a tourist!

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

 

It’s hard to believe that I did my first interview for my job in Hampstead six years ago. One of my first priorities when I moved here was to drive to New Jersey to visit Autumn and Jim. Though we don’t go to their home as often, it is still a priority to see them two or three times a year. Last year we stopped on our way home from the Outer Banks, and they came to our place at Thanksgiving. We felt we were overdue for a visit so the Memorial Day weekend was targeted for the drive.  Driving to New York and New Jersey has become such a routine for us that when I spaced my turn onto the George Washington Bridge, I didn’t freak out but instead drove on up to the Lincoln Tunnel and crossed the Hudson. Though it added another twenty minutes to the journey, I felt good that driving in New York doesn’t intimidate me the way it did when I first moved here.

Jim and Autumn have been working hard over the past year to lose weight. Together, they’ve lost over 200 lbs. To reward them, we took them shopping for new clothes. Autumn was thrilled to be finding so many more options that were in her size. We just enjoyed making her happy.  After the shopping, we enjoyed the beautiful weather at the miniature golf course. Jim likes this course because of the beautiful waterfall and the batting cages. I learned that he used to play baseball when he was younger and really enjoys swinging the bat. After golf, we treated the kids to Sushi and other Asian delights for lunch.

Our time with Jim and Autumn is pretty routine. We come down Friday night and stay at a hotel. We spend Saturday with them until we’re all done seeing each other. Then Sunday, Janet and I drive to New York to see a show or something on the way back.  I’ve been following the development of Hudson Yards West and wanted to see it now that it’s open. One of the buildings is taller than the Empire State Building and boasts the highest outdoor observation deck in the country. We mostly saw the mall that contained many 5th Ave stores like Rolex, Cartier, and Nieman Marcus. It’s very steely and the lines are precise. But there are also pieces of art staged throughout the complex that provide color and whimsy.  The mall has a bent toward Asian food and shops. I really enjoyed a store called MUJI. It looked like a perfectionist’s dream store.

Outside the mall is a huge sculpture called Vessel. Visitors are allowed to roam throughout the structure, but it looked like more stairs than Venice, so we passed. The  complex is built over half the railway yards that lead into Penn Station.  Eventually Hudson Yards West will cover the remaining portion of the railway yards and be a city within the city. I checked out the rents on some of the apartments and learned at $9,000+/mo. I wouldn’t be living there any time soon!

We’ve done the touristy restaurants in New York, and will probably do more in the future, but today we just wanted some simple pasta. We found a nice little local ristorante in Hell’s Kitchen for lunch that decided French music would be a nice change of pace from the traditional Italian soundtrack.

Today marked my 21st Broadway show since moving to New England (24 total). If I were a tourist, I’d probably enjoy seeing the stores and sights in Times Square. These days I only go in to enjoy a few minutes of air conditioning while waiting for the theater to open.  I did take a moment to snap a picture of the larger than life (or maybe they are life-size) Godzilla pictures to send to my son, Erik.

For this trip, I booked tickets to “Come From Away,” the story of the Newfoundland community that took in 7,000 stranded passengers after 9/11. Unlike most shows, this one only lasted 90 minutes and had no intermission. The orchestra sat on the stage, and at times joined the cast. There were were no set changes other than moving chairs around and the turntable. But, it was fantastic. From the moment the music started, there was non-stop motion, dialogue, and singing. The timing was impeccable.  It had the perfect balance of humor mixed in with the heartache and tragedy of that week. I can certainly see why it won a Tony for best direction of a musical.

I kind of judge my “localness” by how quickly we can leave the city, and if we can avoid traffic. Today I succeeded on both accounts. We even chose to change the route up to give us more food options on the way home. Traffic was light, probably due to it being mid-way through the holiday weekend. But that’s just that way Janet likes it, so we were happy.  Being local, we have many options. We can pick the times to go, the things to see, and the places to eat. We don’t have to see everything in one trip, because we know we’ll be back soon!

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

 

We worked really hard on moving into our new apartment. So hard, it seemed a waste to spend a beautiful Saturday sitting around in the new digs. I’d been to Provincetown (P-Town) a couple of years ago on a very dreary April morning, but even then knew it was a place I wanted Janet to see. I suggested that we drive out to P-Town and she was genuinely interested.  Our Google Home told us the weather would be wonderful, so we headed out for our three hour drive to the end of the cape.

Cape Cod is interesting in that you can drive miles and miles on an arm in the ocean and never see water even though there are beaches less than a mile of either side of the highway. Our long drive finally paid off as we neared the end of the cape where our final destination awaited.

My friend, Michael the art teacher, tells me that P-town is very different in the summer than the spring and fall. I have to believe that what he says is true. But the P-town we saw today was exactly what I wanted to share with Janet.

Commercial street is the main thoroughfare through town and is lined with bed and breakfasts, curio shops, restaurants, and gay bars and clubs.  Like Key West,P-town is a gay resort mecca. Rainbow flags are the norm, and gay friendly B & Bs line the streets.  Michael tells me that during the summer it’s like a three month long party.  We saw evidence of that in the line up of shows for the summer, including some of our favorite Broadway stars and RuPaul’s Drag Race alum.

But in May, the attitude is quieter. P-town exuded all the charm of a quaint New England town. The landscape is punctuated with the Florence like-tower memorial to the pilgrims. It’s almost hidden behind the town hall in my picture, but stands out like a sore thumb in real life.  The buildings are colonial architecture, each with it’s unique shingle. Seafood shops are plentiful. There are also an abundance of art galleries. We didn’t visit any of the galleries, but I couldn’t help but take pictures of a local artists’ work that was displayed on the walls of an alley off the main drag. I love these little finds!

Our trek through Commercial street included many of the local curio shops in search of something fun for our new display shelf. We settled on a beautiful piece of blown glass to remember the day. Our search for the perfect restaurant ended at Patio where we dined on lobster rolls and lobster grilled cheese.

Our trip to P-town concluded with a trek to Race point beach. It’s no wonder people flock to this part of the world for a getaway week. My words are not adequate to describe what my pictures do so well.

Our trip to P-town was a 3 hour drive from our apartment. We were a week early before the ferry season opened. Sometime I’d like to take a ferry from Boston and see P-town in the summer.  I’m sure it’ll be quite an adventure!!

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

 

 

About four years ago, Janet and I began looking for an apartment complex that was a little nicer than what we were living in that would be closer to where we worked in southern New Hampshire. We searched all the communities within a 10 mile radius of our respective workplaces and were disappointed to find nothing that really caught our eye. So, we expanded our search to northern Massachusetts and found a couple of communities that really met the criteria we were looking for. We settled on the Lodge at Ames Pond which was a beautiful wooded complex on the banks of a small lake.  The Lodge was good for us, but after three years it seemed that the cost of living in Mass. was growing faster than our incomes.

Last fall I noticed that a new development was being built in Salem, NH. Tuscan Village will be a multi-use area of residences, businesses, restaurants, and offices in the place of the old Rockingham Park horse race track. The new development sits right next to one of the largest malls in New Hampshire, and a new theater is being built in the area as well.  Probably the best part of this complex is that it sits almost perfectly between our two places of work.

The apartment complex was still being built when we took a tour. Looking back, I think that the construction hindered our ability to make a fair judgement because we left disappointed we didn’t like it better. Throughout the winter we continued looking in Nashua and Salem at other new developments. We found one in Nashua that we really liked and in February I aggressively began pursuing a lease. I tried for two months, but it always seemed someone else got there first. Knowing our lease at the Lodge was coming due, we turned our attention back to Salem.  We scheduled another tour in the now finished building and and were pleasantly surprised. Though a little smaller than we’d wanted, there were many features that really tipped the balance in favor of this new place. We signed our lease and prepared for our move.

Our movers were amazing, and they saved my sciatica inflicted back from a lot of pain and suffering.  They moved everything into its labeled room and left us to rearrange our lives. That’s when the diminished size really began to make my blood pressure rise. I couldn’t figure out how it was all going to fit. The Lodge had over 200 more sq. ft. than the Corsa apt., and many more walls to place items. This apartment was very open and would require some creative efforts to make everything fit. The second night in our new home my head was teeming with ideas, and I stayed up till 1:30 AM devising a plan to make it all work.

The next morning I shared my plan with Janet, rearranging items, and adding more furniture rather than discarding. I’m not sure if she was excited, or just willing to go along with my crazy scheme. Thank goodness for Amazon, Wayfair, and Overstock.com for their quick shipping. In two weeks we were able to have all the boxes unpacked and everything in place, so let me take you on a tour.

We’ll start in the entryway.

As you walk into the front door you are greeted by our beautiful family of which we’re very proud. Facing the family is our antique secretary and lamp handed down to Janet by her grandmother. On the adjacent wall are four cross-stitched angels representing four years of Janet’s skilled craftsmanship.

My bathroom is the first room we come to. This is also used for guests.

The second room is our den. We use the second bedroom as a TV room and guest room. The sofa has a trundle that pulls out to make a queen sized bed. It’s hard to imagine that when we lived in Missouri we had four bookshelves filled with volumes. By going digital, we’ve downsized so much that one shelf also holds boxes of office supplies.

Every wall seems to be made for art of some kind and I found the perfect place for one of our cruise ship art auction purchases in the hallway outside the Den.

Turning toward the great room we found a great place for our china hutch.

The great room is a large space that includes the kitchen, dining area and living room.  The kitchen has granite counter tops and lots and lots of cabinets and drawers. 

An island provides additional prep space and we added some bar stools for extra dining. We spray painted our freezer to appear stainless steel and blend into the rest of the room. 

Our dining area sits next to the sliding glass doors that open to the patio.

In order to keep the chaise lounge chair, I decided it needed it’s own space. We ordered a six foot shelving unit to sit on top of the sofa table and create a room within the room. The piano fits nicely against the wall and can be used when needed. I bought a little corner shelf to display some of the special souvenirs we’ve purchased over the years. It’s a cozy little space with it’s own rug

We bought our sectional sofa for the space at the Lodge. When it first came over, I wondered if it was going to work in this smaller room, but I think it turned out nicely. Our elephant in the room is nicely lit by the track lighting as are the city prints we enjoy. The rug is probably one of our favorite pieces. Though we love the wood laminate  flooring, it’s often cold and hard. This rug has a nice deep pile that feels great on bare feet.

Our final stop is our bedroom. Of all the rooms, this was the least of my worries. I knew our bed, my wardrobe, and a cubicle unit would fit nicely. Some changes were made though to accommodate other rooms, and I couldn’t be more pleased. Janet has a large walk-in closet opposite my armoire, and her bathroom completes the suite.

As with many apartments, overhead lighting is scarce. I took advantage of my Google Home and purchased a set of smart outlets. All the lamps shown in the pictures are controlled by telling Google to turn on the lamps and turn them off. It’s not only fun, but is much more convenient than trying to manipulate switches on all the lamps.

Two weeks have flown by quickly, and we’re proud of the new look. We’re eager to see our Tuscan Village grow and see the amenities it will provide. Now that the move is over, we can go back to exploring New England!!

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

 

Haven’t been anywhere in awhile because we’re packing up, and preparing to move back to New Hampshire at the end of the month.  We’ve gotten so far in the packing, though, that it is hard to stay with home with so little to work with. Luckily for us, we have a year-long membership to the Preservation Society of Newport, Rhode Island, and it’s only a two hours drive away. Having seen all the mansions on previous trips, we decided to only visit two that we really liked, The Elms and The Breakers.

Readers will know that I’ve posted pictures of both these palatial buildings in previous posts, hence only a couple of shots here to prove we were actually there. The highlight of this trip was our walk down Thames Street by the port. Downtown Newport is a museum of restored colonial architecture. In fact the Newport Restoration Foundation has restored over 78 properties throughout the city. Each restored property has a placard giving the name of the house and the year it was built. Many are brightly painted and line narrow one way streets.

Thames Street fits right into these restored neighborhoods with niche shops, pubs and restaurants.  We found a great Thai restaurant for lunch that served the best Pad Thai we’d ever had.  After lunch we continued our walk down the street and discovered and antique mall in the old armory. The armory looked like a miniature castle with its twin turrets.

On our way home we stopped at Ikea in Stoughton, MA to pick up a rug for our new apartment. Our adventure wasn’t long, but enough to get us away from packing.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

 

Last week, Janet and I returned from our third Caribbean cruise. This will be another of my lengthy entries as I try to fit the whole experience into one post. This year we decided to travel sans our cruising group and experiment with one of the larger Royal Caribbean ships by ourselves. RCI has about 7 or 8 classes of ships based on size and amenities. The Oasis class is not only the largest in RCI classes, but are also the largest passenger ships in the world. We chose the original, Oasis of the Seas, for its price and itinerary. Because it’s the oldest of the 4 Oasis class ships, we were able to get a balcony cabin on the Oasis for the same amount as an ocean view or even interior cabin on one of the newer arrivals.  I’ll be writing as much, or more about the ship as our ports, because these large ships spend more than half their itinerary at sea, and there is so much to do aboard ship.

Our cruise departed from Port Canaveral, Florida. We flew in the day before and spent the night in Orlando where we were greeted with delightful weather in the upper 70s! I’d booked a shuttle service called Go Port Canaveral, that made arriving at the cruise terminal a breeze. After checking in at the terminal, we were cleared with our 6500 other vacationers for boarding. That’s right, I said 6500. This ship accommodates as many people as both our previous ships combined. Our experiment was to see if we would enjoy traveling on a ship that was larger than a small town.

As soon as we boarded the ship, you knew it was going to be a completely different experience. We spent much of the first day just wandering around exploring this floating city. So many people were amazed the thing could even float. Instead of an atrium at the center of the ship, the larger RCI ships have a  Royal Promenade that looks kind of like a mall. This three-story corridor of shops and restaurants is about 100 yards long and serves as the main area for ship parties and character meet and greets. At each end of the promenade are banks of 16 elevators to transport the guests between the 18 decks of the ship. One evening, we sat at the coffee shop like Parisians facing the walkway and gossiping about the passers by. Little did we know that our seats became front row for a Trolls meet and greet performance. We also enjoyed the 70s disco party on one of our nights that didn’t include a show.

Above the promenade is an area called Central Park. Situated on deck 8, it’s an open air space containing thousands of real plants and trees. It’s lined by many of the specialty restaurants, bars,  and a few shops. The area is beautifully lit at night. We especially enjoyed an evening listening to musicians entertain with classical music with a nice glass of wine. Some balcony cabins open to Central park and make for great people watching.

In the rear of the ship on deck 6, is another open area called the Boardwalk. This neighborhood is designed to be like a beach boardwalk and is outfitted with an authentic carousel, hot dog stand, ice cream shop, two huge rock climbing walls, and more bars and shops. At the end of the Boardwalk is the aqua theater where diving, swimming, and aerialists perform. The show was outstanding, and many commented it was their favorite show of the week. This is also the outdoor movie theater.

Below the promenade is the entertainment district. Besides the 1200 seat Broadway style theater, the deck also includes a comedy club, a jazz club, a night club, the casino, and an ice skating rink/theater. Reservations are required at most of the shows on this level as there are too many people to accommodate walk ins. This ship hosts the Broadway hit “Cats,” complete with all the staging you’d see on a touring production of the show. The headliner show featured vocalist Solomon Jaye, who covered a wide range of R & B and current hits. The third show in the theater was called Come Fly With Me and featured aerialists and gymnasts as well as singers and dancers. The ice show was a very colorful tribute to the stories of Hans Christian Anderson.

Finally, at the top of the ship is the pool and activity decks. Toward the front of the ship is the adults only Solarium where we spent many hours baking in the tropical sun. The middle of the ship contains four pools, with one specifically for young children. We didn’t spend any time there other than to pick up a towel or two. There are also about 10 whirlpools scattered throughout the deck including two that hang over the side of the ship allowing views straight down to the water. The whirlpools are open 24 hours and are often colorfully lit at night.

The activity center at the back was where the ship’s two “flow rider” surfing simulators, zip line, mini-golf, and basketball courts were stationed. I broke out of my “fear of heights” shell to brave the zip line that is suspended 10 decks above the Boardwalk. These people leave nothing to chance, and I had nothing to fear as was securely fastened to the ride at all times.

Our first port of call was in Nassau. Janet and I booked a beach/snorkeling day on a private sliver of an island called Pearl Island. The water was crystal clear and there were lots of colorful fish along the reef for our guides to feed. The swimming area included kayaks and surfboard paddling as well as a floating trampoline. Looking back, this was probably the most perfect day of our whole trip.

Our second port of call was in St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. Due to a medical emergency, we were late leaving Nassau, and arrived in port late. Because of our late arrival, our planned excursion to Christmas Cove and Honeymoon beach got cancelled. We rebooked onto another excursion which was a pirate ship to turtle cove. I’m sure the many children on board really enjoyed the trip. It’s hard to ignore years of teaching experience when watching a crew that wasn’t quite as concerned about the safety of the passengers as they were at serving rum punch. The snorkeling was OK, but unfortunately we missed the sea turtles, as they were apparently tired of entertaining the humans.

Our last port of call was St. Maarten. We’d prepared for a double-decker bus tour of the island, but as fate would have it, the bus broke down and this excursion was cancelled as well. But, when life gives you lemons, you try to make lemonade. We took the water taxi into town and enjoyed the shopping the city is famous for.

Throughout the trip, we were constantly reminded of how large a vessel in which we were sailing. At each port, our ship stood out as the largest on the pier. As big as it was though, we still were able to meet people, and see them off and on throughout the week. We met a young couple on our first excursion that we crossed paths with three or four times during the week. This also happened with our dinner table companions and trivia game team mates.

Most of you know by now that Janet says I’m full of totally useless information. That may be true, however I must say that that information paid off as we were winners in both the Movie Soundtrack and Broadway Show tunes trivia contests! We won medals, hats, and a trophy!  We were also one answer short of the finals in the Harry Potter trivia contest.

The Oasis class ships are indeed modern marvels. It really is amazing how much they can put into a ship. We rarely felt crowded or overwhelmed with the amount of people either. I had feared we wouldn’t interact with the staff like on the smaller ships, but the staff to passenger ratio was about the same, and all were helpful and courteous.

As our cruise came to an end, we were rested and relaxed. We missed cruising with friends, but found we could have a good time on our own as well. We also came back without buying new art. For those of you who know us, that is quite a feat. I have to give the Oasis of the Seas two thumbs up for providing a wonderful getaway with plenty to do and see. I’m interested to try some of the other classes of ships, but I’m sure I’ll be on an Oasis ship again!

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

Last weekend was amazing. It will be awhile before we can top an experience like three shows in one weekend. This weekend is cold again, but gorgeous sunshine with not a cloud in site. Janet is still resting up from last week’s trifecta, but I can’t waste a beautiful day inside the apartment. This morning I searched around some of my favorite sites like New England Network and Museums of New England for something close by.  I was all set to visit the Addison Gallery of Art in Andover when I noticed it didn’t open until noon. Instead, I headed down to Cambridge to visit the Harvard Museum of Natural History, and saved the Addison for another day. The HMNH is on the 3rd and 4th floors of a non-descript red brick building just north of the Harvard Yard. I was all set to pay my $15 entrance fee when the cashier informed me that from 9-12 on Sundays, Massachusetts residents get in free. Oh happy day!!

The museum isn’t huge, but it is full of fascinating exhibits. The first room I visited was filled with glass reproductions of flowers and their botanical parts. The museum is designed to display the research of Harvard scientists, so all the exhibits have great descriptions. I really had to look closely to verify that these were actual glass sculptures. Incredible is probably the only word I can think to describe the work. Even the apples were made of glass.

The second room on my tour was filled with just about every rock and mineral known to mankind. I’m sure my daughter’s friend, Ariana, could have spent a week in this room examining all the specimens.

The Peabody museum of anthropology is a wing off the HMNH and contains many artifacts from native and meso American cultures. I particularly enjoyed the exhibit titled the artistry of war that contained a suit of armor made from coconut fiber, and a samurai suit of armor. Farther in the wing was a very interesting Day of the Dead shrine and puppets from Java!

The other side of the museum contained animal specimens and skeletons from millions of years of life on earth. As I mentioned before, this museum is a showcase of the brilliant minds that do research here at Harvard. Many art students were positioned throughout the museum drawing sketches of the taxidermy animals. There were also many signs posting directions for school groups that reminded me this was a perfect field trip for science teachers.

After seeing all the exhibits, I stopped at the gift shop and purchased a bee ornament to add to our collection of animals for our Christmas tree. It was a perfect way to remember the experience. I walked back to the quad and enjoyed a gourmet grilled cheese sandwich from a local food truck.  I realize this adventure wouldn’t thrill everyone, I’m not even sure how much Janet would have liked it. But for me, channeling my inner geek, it was a fantastic experience.

 

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller