Tuesday, September 13, 2016, Baltimore, MD
Day 108
Visited Fort McHenry National Monument and Historic Shrine, the sight of the battle that inspired Francis Scott Key to write the Star Spangled Banner. The battle began September 13, 1814, so we were there on the 202nd anniversary. The visit began with a 10 minute film that really gets your patriotic emotions going concluding with the screen rising to show the flag flying over the fort while the national anthem played. The fort is a must see. Lunch at Fraidley Seafood in the “World Famous Lexington Market” was more delicious crab cakes together with Maryland Crab Soup. The afternoon was spent at the American Visionary Art Museum. A “gem” according to AAA - interesting but not for everyone. The flatulence post was funny. Each time you push the button a different sounding fart noise would play. Dinner in the coach followed by Vaccaro’s pastries - yum!
Monday, September 12, 2016, Baltimore, MD
Day 107
Departed Jersey City and arrived at the Nottingham Walmart in Baltimore. Drove the car to the Inner Harbor. Walked around the harbor and had dinner at Phillips Seafood. The crab cakes lived up to their reputation, best I have ever had. The Heavy Sea’s Deep Six Porter, a local brew, was excellent. After dinner, we walked to little Italy and had gelato at Vaccaro’s Italian Pastry Shop. We took home an Italian Strudel and several almond cookies.
Sunday, September 11, 2016, Jersey City, NJ (NYC, NY)
Day 106
Our last day in NYC and we finally get to meet Rebecca and our new granddaughter. We waited to meet her due to Rosemary still having a cough after recovering from a cold. We then made a trip with Daniel and the boys to the Museum of Natural History. The boys really behaved well and were excited to see the exhibits. We all met Beth and Joachim at Big Daddy’s for lunch. Later, at nap time, we introduced Daniel to Kung Fu Tea’s bubble tea, a 5 minute walk from Daniel’s apt.
Saturday, September 10, 2016, Jersey City, NJ (NYC, NY)
Day 105
We finally hooked up with Daniel and our grandsons. Lunch at Khao Thai Kitchen and then spent some time at the Washington Square Park playground. Dessert of raspberry almond croissants at Mille-feuille Bakery Café. All of these were just a few minutes walk from Daniel’s apt. Said our goodbyes when the kids nap time came along and we visited the Chelsea Market. Later, we met Beth and walked the High Line Park and took a picture of a car made out of cut up tires - a good way to avoid paint nicks.
Friday, September 9, 2016, Jersey City, NJ (NYC, NY)
Day 104
Our day began at MOMA (Museum of Modern Art). Fantastic collection and that was only the fifth floor. Highlights included The Starry Night and The Persistence of Memory but so many masterpieces and lots of favorites. We met Beth and Joachim for lunch at the Carnegie Deli where the corned beef was piled high and the pickles were sour. After bubble teas at Vivi Bubble Tea, it was back to MOMA via a walk by Times Square. We met Beth and Joachim for dinner at Bareburger where I had a bison burger and a 20 ounce Chelsea Black Hole Stout (that was their smallest serving but I forced it down). We ended up closing the place down at 11:00 which made for a late night as it was about 12:40 a.m. before we got back to the coach.
Thursday, September 8, 2016, Jersey City, NJ (NYC, NY)
Day 103
Departed New Haven, CT, and headed south on I-95 through Manhattan and over the George Washington Bridge. It took us 45 minutes of bumper to bumper traffic to get across the bridge into NJ. We headed to the Liberty Harbor RV Park in Jersey City, NJ, which is the only campground anywhere near NYC where our son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren now live. The roads leading to the RV Park are narrow and at one point we came across an 12'6" low clearance sign (we require about 13') but fortunately we turned before we reached that spot. Check-in was quick and easy since we had a dry camping spot. Without hookups, we run the generator non-stop as we finally encountered summer - with temps in the 90's. For the first time since we left Florida, I got sweaty as we walked the 5 blocks to the Path train to the World Trade Center. The train arrived at the Occulus, a beautiful, tremendously large, white station/shopping mall. We visited the 9/11 Memorial (an emotional experience) and walked across the Brooklyn Bridge and back. Dinner with Rosemary’s sister Beth, husband Joachim and daughter Avery at Joe’s Shanghai in Chinatown included three orders of soup dumplings (for those inexperienced in all foods Asian, that’s soup inside the dumplings). After dinner, we walked around Chinatown and Little Italy.
Wednesday, September 7, 2016, New Haven, CT
Day 102
Departed MA and arrived at the New Haven Walmart. Drove around the campus of Yale and visited the Yale University Art Gallery. An incredible collection including Van Gogh’s “The Night Cafe” and Renoir’s “Mount Sainte-Victoire” among many others.
One could spend a lot more time than just an afternoon like we did.
Friday through Tuesday, September 2 to 6 , 2016, Bellingham, MA
Days 97 through 101
Enjoyable visit with Kathy and gang. Friday night was Brian and Christy’s farewell party as they left Sunday for their move to San Diego. I got to be the boss of the two grills as I cooked for some 60-70 people including burgers, hot dogs and marinated chicken. Lots of fun since the grill is the only thing I’m boss of at home. Other out to eats included Takara Japanese Restaurant and “The Original Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana” established in 1925. Shared 4 types of pizza including the specialty, fresh clam pizza. Our stay got extended through Tuesday as our planned trip to Newport, RI, got weathered out by the remnants of Hurricane Hermine.
Thursday, September 1, 2016, Bellingham, MA
Day 96
Departed Manchester and headed to Worcester, MA. Spent all afternoon at the Worcester Art Museum which surprisingly, I enjoyed and could have spent more time there but we still had a bit of a drive to our campground. Arrived at Circle CG Campground in Bellingham, MA about 5:30. Dinner with Rosemary’s sister Kathy, husband Bob, son Brian & girlfriend Christy and son Jamie at a new pub in Millis, MA. I had the Shepard’s Pie which was good but came without a crust. Rosemary had the chicken parm.
Wednesday, August 31, 2016, Manchester, NH
Day 95
We departed Canterbury and headed back to the Concord Walmart to park the coach. We drove the car into downtown and did a self-guided tour of the State House. The State House is the oldest continuously used legislative chambers in the U.S. having opened in 1819. The Senate has 20 members but the House has 400 and they meet 6 months a year all at an annual salary of $100. When I inquired why such a large House of Representatives, I was informed that it was larger at one time and finally an agreement was reached to reduce it to the 400 which is one representative for every 3,400 citizens. Next we visited the Pierce Manse, the house owned and lived in by Franklin Pierce, our 14th President, from 1842 through 1848. Our own guided tour left us with an appreciation for this President that was lacking before. He was nominated on the 49th ballot in 1852. In 1856, he became the only President not to be re-nominated by his party. This was primarily due the passage of the Kansas Nebraska Act in 1854 which proved very unpopular with both the Northern States and the Southern States. He also was against the civil war and thus, considered by the Northerners to be in favor of slavery. He was so despised by the Northerners that in 1920 when a statue of him was proposed at the State House, there was much opposition. Today, there are several statutes around the State House. We had to hunt for the Pierce statute which is hedged off from the State House in a corner of the lot. We then picked up the coach and drove south about 40 minutes to the Manchester Walmart. A car drive downtown and a walk on the “riverfront”, an ugly 7 minute walk that I wouldn’t want to do at night, resulted in us taking our walk at the New Hampshire Mall near the Walmart.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016, Canterbury, NH
Day 94
We drove the coach about 15 miles north of Concord to the Canterbury Shaker Village, a National Historic Landmark. The Village includes 25 Shaker buildings and 700 acres of forests, fields, gardens and ponds. We had a guided tour by Mary who had known a couple of the Shaker sisters and gave us some first hand knowledge of the Shaker history. Begun in England as part of the Quakers, Ann Lee and 7 others left for the US in 1774 due to the religious persecution experienced in England and founded the Shaker religion. At its peak, there where 19 Shaker communities and 6,000 followers. Their lifestyle was all about duty to the community and giving their all to God so as the get to the Summerland as they called heaven. Giving their all to God meant celibacy. No husbands and wives, only brothers and sisters. Buildings would have 2 separate entrances, one for brothers and one for sisters. The communities were quite successful and invented many things useful today such as the washing machine agitators and the sale of seeds in envelope packages. The communities would take in orphans who would perpetuate the community at least for awhile. Later laws where passed which stopped the flow of orphans and being celibate, the end was near. The Village opened for tours in the 1960's. The last Shaker in this Village died in 1992. We saw demonstrations of corn broom making, printing and weaving. We spent the whole day there and then received permission to spend the night in the parking lot. After dinner, an evening stroll through the village totally alone was very peaceful. A very quiet night was forthcoming.
Monday, August 29, 2016, Concord, NH
Day 93
Departed Portland and stopped in York, ME, at the Stonewall Kitchen Factory a place Rosemary has been anticipating the whole trip. Lots of different goodies to sample and what luck, 10% off the jellies when you buy 4 or more. There was never a doubt about making the discount. We bought 6 of the blueberry jam plus a few other kinds. We then headed to Manchester, NH, and visited the Currier Museum of Art. The museum also had a tour of the nearby Zimmerman House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. We arrived a little before 11:00 and attempted to buy the joint ticket for the museum and house but were told the house tours that day (11:00 and 2:00) were sold out and that the house is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Our begging went unfulfilled as we were told only 13 people are allowed in the house at a time and there were only 2 tours a day so reservations are required. We have visited several other Wright houses and never was a reservation needed. We viewed the museum which had an impressive collection of art dating from the 1300's to the present. We then drove the car to the house to view the outside just as the 2:00 tour was beginning. Apparently our begging had an impact. The tour guide knew about the Florida couple who wanted the tour but where leaving town before the next tour day of Thursday and asked if that was us. We answered affirmatively and the guide allowed us to join the tour on our promise to return to the museum to pay. No problem since our coach was there anyway. The house was very interesting and similar to the Rosenbaum house we visited in Florence, AL, last year. Aaron Copeland was playing in the background and although there was only one speaker and hidden at that, the sound filled the room (stereo had not yet been invented at the time of the building of the house in 1952). The house cost $55,000 to build when comparably sized houses ran about $20,000 (Wright had a preconstruction estimate of $35,000). At only about 1600 square feet, it felt small even with Wright’s space expanding design. We then drove about a half hour north to the Concord, NH, Walmart for the night.
Sunday, August 28, 2016, Portland, ME
Day 92
Rosemary can stand it no longer! The beard must be trimmed! In case it was not obvious from the photos, I had not trimmed the beard for 3 months. I was not planning on doing it until we got home thinking I would spare Rosemary the mess in the coach but no cigar! The beard was trimmed - I feel naked. A last hike around the waterfront of Bar Harbor and we were off to Portland and Shipyard Brewing for tastings. Shipyard is open until 5:00 pm. We arrived at 4:25 only to be told the tastings end at 4:00 but the gift shop is open until 5:00. Rats! We checked into the Scarborough Walmart where we had stayed in 2014. We walked the nearby Maine Mall and then ate dinner at Pom’s Thai Taste and Noodle House where we had a great meal in 2014 and had another one today. Our first Thai meal on the trip included a five spice noodle soup and choo chee curry - delicious, almost makes us want to stay another night in Portland to eat there again.
Saturday, August 27, 2016, Bar Harbor, ME
Day 91
With Canada in our rearview mirror, we headed west for 2 hours and checked into the Bar Harbor Campground. We visited this area and Acadia National Park 2 years ago but since we were going right by it, Rosemary wanted to see the park again. So in the afternoon we did the loop drive and climbed Cadillac Mountain for some spectacular views on a bright, sunny day. Dinner at Mainely Meat BBQ was a full slab of ribs and a “Real Ale” by the local Atlantic Brewing Co. After dinner, we walked the shops of Bar Harbor and Rosemary got her Maine blueberry jam that she ran out of earlier on the trip and was very happy. Me too since she has been using up my haskap jam.
