Day 19 – Connecticut and New York City

We had some neighbors in California with kids the same age as ours, and they moved to Connecticut a few years ago, so on Tuesday night we drove out to see them. It was late when we got there, but the kids had a fun sleepover, and it was great to catch up with our old friends, even for a little while. My friend Stephanie had to leave very early Weds morning for a business trip, but her husband Tim and their two children decided to join us for our adventure to see the Statue of Liberty on Wednesday.

My kids had only two requests related to places they wanted to visit on our trip: the Statue of Liberty and the White House. Really, those were the only things they know about so far in school. We had planned on skipping New York City and just focusing on Boston and DC, but I really wanted to find a way to work the Statue in, and so this adventure began. I was trying to accommodate both the kids request to see Lady Liberty and my husband’s request to NOT drive in down town Manhattan, so my original plan was to visit from the New Jersey side. But as it turned out, our directions would have taken us through New York to get to New Jersey anyway, and as predicted, even with the GPS system on loan from our friends, we missed our turn, got stuck going over a bridge we didn’t want to go over, had to pay toll twice to get turned around and were stressed out of our minds trying to find a place to park once we finally found Battery Park.

But after that, New York was really cool. We found one of those little markets that are half grocery store, half take-out restaurant, with chairs and tables upstairs, and had lunch pretty much like the locals. There were some people eating lunch and playing cards at the neighboring tables, and of course everyone we asked for a place to eat had sent us to the expensive Italian dining restaurant in the park. So we felt pretty good finding the market on our own. Everything seemed to work out perfect for us when we didn’t have the car to worry about. The line for the ferry was awful, but once we finished lunch it had gone down to nothing. It was a nice boat ride over to Liberty Island with amazing views, and I spent a good 30 minutes just sitting and taking in the New York skyline from the grass in front of the statue. The kids were really bummed that we couldn’t go inside – you had to make reservations in advance for that – but all in all it was a wonderful time.

Even though it’s been six years since 9/11, we couldn’t go to New York without thinking about it. On Liberty Island they have a memorial of trees and a plaque where you would normally have seen the twin towers, and I was surprised at how quickly the emotions came back just being there. We found out we could walk just a few blocks to visit ground zero once we got back to Manhattan, so we decided to do that before leaving. It was a huge construction site and you couldn’t make out much, but there were quite a few memorials already up on the walls in the viewing area.

We read what we could read, stopped at another local market for ice cream, and made our way back along the beautiful stretch of sidewalk along the water back towards our parking place. Once we got back in the car, we immediately got lost again and completely stressed out trying to drive and find the tunnel to New Jersey. So we’ve now learned the lesson of not driving in downtown Manhattan about three times over.

By the time we got out of New York and into New Jersey, Mark and I decided to drive for awhile and get moving down towards our next stop – Washington DC. I did have a cousin in Philadelphia, but with everything going on, we had to bypass that great city as well this time around. One thing about trips like this – you can’t think of it as a “once in a lifetime” experience, or you’ll drive yourself crazy trying to do everything. I keep thinking of course there will be a next time, and now I’ll know better what I want to see and do. But for now, I’ll take in whatever I can take in. Mark and I drove all the way through New Jersey and got a hotel either in Delaware or Maryland. Although we couldn’t see much at night, it became very apparent that there is SO much more to see on the east coast. We passed over the Chesapeake Bay, and I honestly think we’ve passed seven or eight presidential museums or homes.

Days 17 & 18 - Boston, Massachusetts

On Monday, August 18th, we packed our bags and headed down to Boston, where my brother Ali lives. We have never seen his house before, but he lives right downtown, within walking distance of almost everything. Monday afternoon we walked right out his front door to the Boston Commons and Public Gardens, and made our way through Fanueil Hall down to the Wharf for a nice dinner at the Chart House. On the way back we went to Newberry street and stopped for Ben and Jerry's ice cream. Newberry street is "the" shopping district, and it almost reminded me of walking in Paris at night.

On Tuesday we got up early and went to the Boston Science Museum. We took a "duck tour", which is a tour of the city in a World War II amphibius vehicle that can go from land to water and back. We drove around the city and then right into the Charles River for some additional sightseeing before we returned to the museum. There was so much to do at the museum, from witnessing a lightening show, to doing puzzles, playing with hollograms, seeing live animals, building things with weights and pulleys, to seeing planatarium shows, and a butterfly garden, that we could have spent several days just hanging out there. As it was we had to tear the kids away in the afternoon so we could head out for the next leg of our journey. Note to self: reserve three or four days for each city I care about next time.

Days 14 - 16 - New Hampshire and the Big Race

In New Hampshire, us "non-competitors" had a chance to relax and play, while the athletes prepared for their big day. Kaelyn and Justin were thrilled to see their cousins. There was a nice sandy lake beach a short walk from the hotel, and it had a big raft after the drop off that the kids could swim out to and jump off of. Growing up in Michigan, I had played on these big rafts before, but it was a first for my kids and they loved it. The athletes donned wetsuits and got a feel for swimming in the lake water while the rest of us enjoyed the beach, and later the hotel pools. Our hotel suite had a full kitchen, so we bought groceries and cooked real meals.

Sunday, August 17th we all got up before dawn for the Timberman 70.3, which is half of an Iron Man. The swim is over a mile, the bike is over 50 miles, and the run is more than 14 miles. My sister organized this race and rallied together her triathlete friends and half her family as well. They even came up with a team name and had everyone wear the same jerseys, and brought extras for those of us cheering on the sidelines. I took pictures of over 15 "growling geckos", most of them from North Carolina where my sister lives, a few from Boston where my brother lives, and one from California (my husband). It was a hot day, and almost everyone made it, with varying degrees of success, but it was a long tiring day, and we didn't get back to the hotel until evening.

The triathlete life seems to be kind of addictive. Mark had a hard race, with his hamstrings cramping up so bad he had to stop and stretch quite a few times on his bike. My sister had a hard race with her feet hurting so bad she had to take off her shoes and try to run in her socks. One of the other members of the group felt too squeezed to get air in her wetsuit and had to stop on the swim. We watched people collapse from the heat, and watched a girl crawl to the finish line because her legs were so cramped up. Yet, afterwards I watched Mark in conversations with my brother about bike drills he could do to help him prepare for steep hills, and many others in the group planning their next big race.

I don't want to plan all of our vacations around these races, and I'm not the thriathlete type, but it is definitely inspiring to see how much this lifestyle helps adults stay healthy and balanced. My sister said for her it's always been having that goal that has kept her in Iron Man training, and then she naturally burns calories through her training, so that takes care of keeping her weight under control. It also seems to provide a natural social outlet, as all her friends are triathletes too.

We have now reached the Northeast point in our Journey, and are ready to drive down the east coast - hitting some of the big historical cities on the way. First stop - Boston, Massachusetts.

Day 13 - New York and Vermont

Our trip through New York was only notable in that we were on a toll road and got acquainted with toll road service plazas, which offer gas and an indoor food court of sorts, with three or four restaurants, a newstand / gift shop, restrooms, ATM machines, and tables and chairs with wifi. We were SO hungry and wet after Niagara Falls that we were hoping to eat at a nice restaurant, so we were actually disappointed when we found it to be more of a food court. But at the same time the idea of getting OFF the tollroad, paying toll, finding a restaurant, and getting back on seemed cumbersome. So we went with the food court.

We did learn how HUGE the state of New York is, and we got a strong sense of where upstate New York was compared to "mid" New York, and how crazy it is that New York City is on kind of a wierd little corner of the state, so stretched away from the natural state boundaries that it might as well not be in New York at all. We got quick peaks at Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Albany, and then we headed into Vermont - which may as well have been a completely different country.

Vermont seems to be mostly trees, mountains, and quaint little towns where all the eateries are little country diners in what looked like old New England style houses. The food was surprisingly expensive, and it was all home-made, which is good if you are used to home-made food. My kids loved the hot chocolate, and the processed food, but they didn't eat the mac and cheese, which was made from a rather lumpy cheesy white sauce, or the bread and butter which used "real" butter, or the home-made french fries that actually tasted like real potatoes in strips with a crispy outside.

Vermont reminded me mostly of Colorado, because everywhere I looked there was a bubbling brook or stream with little whitewater rapids. It was the only state other than Colorado where we saw hitchhikers and hikers, and we stopped in quite a few places to look at beautiful landscape views of the mountains. You could see the ski resorts as well.

We only spent a few hours driving through Vermont before heading into New Hampshire and looking for our hotel. Even though the states are right next to each other, New Hampshire seemed quite different from Vermont. We listened to Boston radio stations, and Mark and I immediately noticed the license plate tagline "Live Free or Die." We also noticed that the seat belt law seemed to only apply to kids under 18. Both states seemed "free-spirited", but Vermont more in a quaint, welcoming, outdoorsy type way, and New Hamphire just a little more in your face, with hard core fisherman and signs that say "This is not Burger King - you don't get your burger your way, you get it my way or you don't get it".

We finally found our hotel and got familiar with the Lake area. New Hampshire has a whole part of the state that is called the "Lake Region", and the big lake we will be staying at: Lake Winnippesaukee, is only one of several in the area.

Day 12 - Canada and Niagara Falls

One thing that struck me as we began to drive into "great lakes" territory was the clouds. All the way accross the country the sky was clear and blue, but as soon as we got into Indiana, close to Lake Michigan, I noticed big puffy white clouds in the sky - lots of them. The sky was still quite blue, but I was struck by how many clouds there were. I assume it's from the water on the lakes. I also thought it might be just a coincidence in the weather. But after five days I'm thinking it must be the lakes.

We drove into Canada at Port Huron and had a long drive through green landscapes to Niagara Falls. It was fun listening to the canadian radio jockeys joking about the summer Olympics and referring to us as "states". It was nice hearing French on the radio, and I noticed even more clouds in the sky.

Except this time it turned out to be thunderstorm clouds. By the time we got close to Niagara we were in a blinding thunderstorm and we were worried we wouldn't even be able to see the Falls. Thankfully, they give you plastic ponchos for your ride on the "Maid of the Mist" boats that take you right up to the falls. So even though we got drenched, we were somewhat protected after that tour.

The falls were amazing, even on a cloudy day in the rain, and I definitely recommend taking the boat tour. On the New York side there was no wait and the boats weren't too crowded, but on the Canadian side they were very crowded. Luckily we had decided to view the falls from New York, so we were able to enjoy the experience, get our fill, and drive on to Syracuse afterwards.

The kids have been remarkably well behaved in the car. I think it is tiring and boring for them sometimes, but we've made a habit of letting them swim in the pool when we get to the hotel, and they seem to do much better when they can nap, and we take the trip in chunks.

Tonight we are relaxing and watching the Olympics in our hotel in Syracuse. Tomorrow, we head to Lake Winneppesauki in New Hamphire, where Mark, along with my sister and brother, will race in the Timberman - a half Iron Man. I've never been there but the area looks beautiful. It's only 6 hours away, so we'll have plenty of time tomorrow to take it easy and check out the area.

Days 8-11 - Hanging out on Gun Lake

Saturday night we picked up Mark at the airport and then Sunday morning we headed for "The Cottage." The cottage is a little summer house on Gun Lake that my grandparents owned and sold to my parents. When I was young we spent every summer at the cottage. It sits right on the lake. Back then it was more like camping than living in a house. We washed our hair in bowls of lake water, hiked through woods to the state park beach, sat by the fire at night, and fell asleep on the porch listening to crickets and the waves lapping up on the shore. Currently the cottage is under construction. For years the little house sat while neighboring properties added on to their homes and winterized them, and now mom and dad have embarked on an improvement project, adding real bedrooms and bathrooms, and even a spot for laundry hook up. As with all construction projects, it has taken much more time and money than originally anticipated, and for this trip the project looked about 60% done. We had bedrooms and bathrooms but no kitchen, living room or dining room. But for cottage living, it was actually quite nice.

My cousin Bill keeps his pontoon boat at the dock and allows us to use it. The kids got to ride in a tube on the back of the boat, go fishing, dig a fire pit and roast hot dogs and make s'mores. Even though we slept in a real bedroom, the sliding glass door still looked right out on the lake, and the crickets were as loud as ever. Justin was so excited to catch his first three fish, and both kids wanted to stay much longer. I remember the lake being quite crowded the last few times I've visited, but this week for some reason it felt like we had the lake to ourselves. Mark was even able to do a swim accross the bay Monday morning with no boats coming anywhere near.

Tuesday, we finally needed to drive back to West Bloomfield to prepare for the last leg of our journey. Our time was filled with doing laundry, running to the library to access high speed internet and catch up on e-mail, getting packed, and even watching a little bit of the Olympics. Next leg - off through Canada through Niagara Falls.

Day 7 – Minor Misadventures in Michigan

Every trip has its misadventures, and I've been pretty lucky so far. The drive through Michigan was my closest to frustrating, and I was glad it was the last long drive for awhile. We got up early to take off, with the usual plan of not eating much for breakfast and having the kids sleep the first two hours. But this time they didn't because they were too excited to get to grandma and grandpa's. That meant several spurts of arguing and "Mom! It's not fair" from the backseat.

We drove through Indiana and along the coast of Lake Michigan into Michigan for the first hour or so before turning eastward to cut through the state to the other side. You can't see the lake from the highway, and I got this great idea that the kids would love to see Lake Michigan and play awhile on the beach, so I stopped at the welcome center to find out what the most efficient way to do that might be.

It turned out that we needed to get off the freeway and head to this cute little town on the coast called St. Joseph. But it took me about an hour to actually find it and figure out how to get down to the beach. You would think it would be obvious, but construction blocked some of the roads, there were small communities with only one street going in and coming out, and Michigan has lots of trees, so it is not readily apparent which of the little streets off the main highway actually winds itself down to the beach. I got directions from some really nice people, but they all failed to be specific in one or two critical places with vague statements like "take the highway four miles and you'll run right into it" (which you don't – the highway does not end – you have to pick the right turn off.). Or, "just take the road and it curves around…" (did not specify which road), or "take a right, and another right, and another right, and another right (except that the first right lead to a dead end and the only right you could take from there headed into a parking lot). I was just about to give up when I stumbled upon it – and I realized that all they had to say was "take the road by the Silver Beach Motel to get to Silver Beach."

But I wonder when tourists stop me in Laguna Niguel for directions to Dana Point Harbor, if my friendly effort is just as ineffective?

On the way out of St. Joseph we were starving and I thought I'd stop and get some gas. I made the mistake of running in for a soda and the gas pump did NOT stop automatically, pouring gas all over my car and the pavement, and earning me a reprimand both from the shopkeeper and my husband for not standing right by the pump at all times. This also hiked my gas bill up by about $20 with today's prices, required me to make the choice between driving with the smell of gas for several miles or trying to find a car wash, and it turned out later when I stopped for lunch I could have just gotten a combo and wouldn't have needed that darn soda.

Luckily, the drive across Michigan is not that far – only 3-4 hours. Unluckily there was enough traffic including big huge trucks to make the two lane highway kind of stressful to drive. In Utah there was NO ONE on the roads and there was this sense of tremendous freedom and joy taking in the scenery and speeding along. It seems like the further east I get the more crowded it gets. To make matters worse, I started getting sleepy for the first time after only a couple more hours of driving. I drank diet pepsi, ate sugar, and slapped my face – the latter being quite effective. THEN, I stopped at a rest area and on the way back to my car noticed a lot of fluid coming out of the bottom, creating a large puddle. I wasn't sure if I had a leak or it was the air conditioning, but it made me nervous enough to wake up. Turned out it was just the air conditioning and we had nothing to fight but traffic the rest of the way.

It's funny how the little things can pile up on top of each other. As long as I was mad about the gas incident it kept feeling like everything was wrong, but as soon as I forgave myself (again) and moved into a place of gratitude thinking of all the things that COULD have gone wrong but didn't, I began to enjoy myself again.

You may notice that this is actually being posted on Day 9. Mom and Dad have a dial up modem and no wireless networks exist anywhere around their house. Today is Sunday, and we are going to the cottage for a couple of days – no wireless there either. Not even a television to watch the Olympics on. And no cell phone reception. But lots of wilderness and relaxation. Will probably tune in again sometime around Day 13.