On to Maine thru PA, RI, and MA

We spent some real quality time with family in Pennsylvania.  Even saw some cousins that we hadn't seen for years.  It's always great to reconnect with family, catch up on all the changes, and exchange contact info so that years don't go by before the next connection.

Left PA for New England.  One of the things that we don't miss from living in the east, and don't see much in the west, is toll booths.  Crossed the George Washington Bridge into NYC and dropped $14 in toll.  Went through several toll booths along the highway and dropped several more dollars.  We always hated that a body was "nickel and dimed" (actually $$$$$) to death with taxes and fees in the east.  We also don't miss the traffic.  Couldn't believe how many tractor/trailers there were and how busy traffic was, and we went through in the middle of the day trying to miss all that.  At least in our direction (north) traffic moved.  Couldn't say that for the other direction.  All that reaffirmed why we don't live back east anymore.

Spent the first night in Seekonk, MA which is just over the border from Providence, RI which was the first capitol we toured in our missing New England bunch.  Got there early enough in the day to tour the capitol that afternoon instead of the next morning.  Traveling in the spring and touring capitols, we always see lots of school kids on field trips.  Just goes with the territory.







Next day we went to Boston to tour that capitol. 






This is a "teagle".  When MA was becoming a state, it hadn't been decided if the national bird would be the turkey or the eagle, so they combined them when they did this clock in the MA state capitol building.  I think it should be called a "turgle".




Had more time in Boston since we had planned to tour Providence that morning and already had it done the day before.  Allowed us to walk part of the Freedom Trail.  Passed Boston Common, the State House, Granary Burying Ground (they had costumed guides), King's Chapel, site of the first public school, old state house, and ended at Faneuil Hall.

 

 

 

 

 

Wanted to go on to the Old North Church but it was too far, too hot, and we wanted to get out of Boston before heavier traffic started since we were headed for Augusta, ME for the night.  I had walked the whole trail years ago but Doug had not.  He was more interested in getting out of town than further touristing, though.  Parking for the 3 1/2 hours cost us $40.  Sheesh!!

We have had great weather and safe travel.  Can't ask for more than that.  Now spending time in Maine.

Williamsburg, VA

We have spent the last few days in Williamsburg, VA.  We have been here before but Williamsburg is always a nice place to visit.  We arrived in rain and were supposed to have more but it turned out to be much nicer than forecast.  The first two days were pretty warm and humid (91 degrees) but today was much cooler (mid 70's) but still very nice.  I actually spent some time at the pool which I haven't done in years.  Doug sat under the umbrella while I used the pool and laid in the sun.  Very relaxing.


We did spend one day down in historic Williamsburg.  It is such a nice area to just wander in.  Saw some school groups out on field trips but generally not too busy yet as schools are not out for the summer quite yet.  Passed these magnolia trees (I think that's what they were) and you could really smell them.  Very nice. 



Also passed this very pretty flower garden next to one of the buildings. 

This is the governor's house.  There are also several taverns and trade shops that are now souvenir shops.  Plus houses and Bruton Church which is from 1674.  It still has services and we have been to an organ recital there before but didn't make anything this time. 


It is just a fun place to get a sense of early American history.

We also went to Yankee Candle Village, the world's largest candle shop.  The store is really a complex under one roof that has many sections around a central town square with animated mice.  Each offshoot section sells a different product; like Vera Bradley, Pandora, Dept 56, food, candy, toys, and a Christmas section where it snows every 4 minutes.  It is kind of fun.

Missouri and South Carolina

From Kansas we went to Branson, Missouri.  Branson is the Live Entertainment Capitol of the World.  It is full of theaters and shows, three times a day, every day.  You can go to one in the morning, afternoon, and evening all week long.  It is a hot vacation spot and particularly for a one day drive radius although we met people from Chicago, New Jersey, and Idaho, too.  It prides itself on good, clean entertainment.  It is a family destination but, I guess, due to the travel flexibility of the retired, the average age of the city at any given time is probably somewhere near 70.  It is a favorite bus trip destination.  It is really rather funny to see an audience that is all silver haired and to hear the conversations going on around you from an all-senior group.  Although it might be slightly different when school is out but we saw very few younger couples and only a few children.  Kind of hits you in the face that you are now part of the "senior citizen" crowd.

We stayed at a time share for a few days and they had a package deal that was too cheap to pass up so we did go to a couple of shows.  One of the events at the time share was a mixer where they provided dinner and lots of shows sent someone to give a teaser of the show.  We saw short performances from a ton of current shows in town.  In itself, it was a great evening and we saw some great entertainment from singers to magicians to musicians.  One of them was an older guitar picker who was phenomenal.  Also some terrific singers.  Really made you want to see some of the shows.  We only had one evening that wasn't committed and we had already purchased tickets to an Irish dance show which was also very, very good.

We went to a lunch show on the Showboat Branson Belle.  It included a boat trip around the local lake plus lunch and the show.  We had great weather while we were there so it was a good day.  We were in Branson between two storm systems so we lucked out on that score.  The show was good, too, and included a 5-men singing group, a 4-men tap dancing group, a woman singer, and a 5-piece band.  Plus we had a good lunch.  Between all the meals we ate, we bought very little food and had some excellent meals which meant we ate too much.

From there we went to Greenville, SC to meet a nephew that we had never met before.  He is the son of Doug's oldest brother that the family had lost track of since the brother's divorce.  Doug had "found" him through Ancestry and Facebook.  Amazing what information is out on the web.  That is where we are now and we have had a very nice time getting to know another member of the family.  We will be sure not to "lose" him again.

Greenville is also a very pretty city.  There is a park downtown called the Falls Park on the Reedy River.  It is a very nice oasis in the heart of the city.  And their suspension bridge over the river is also unique since it is suspended only on one side.  A really pretty park and river walk area.


I also liked this intersection corner.  Don't see anything like this in Colorado Springs.

Kansas. Who'd a thunk!!

We left CO after one of the strongest hail storms we have ever seen there the day before.  We still hit bad weather for about the first hour in Colorado.  Fortunately, we got to Payton after the hail came down but it was like driving through heavy slush in heavy rain, quite a combination.  Once we got through all that, we had periods of rain and constant overcast skies but no more really bad weather.





We were staying in Kansas the first two nights and they had severe weather warnings, even possible tornados, for over the two days we were going through the state.  We had some rain periods but nothing bad and I am so glad.  We are safely tucked into our hotel for the night.  Hoorah.

Doug occasionally catches a show called Aerial America on the Smithsonian channel.  I have seen a couple episodes and it is really a good show.  It goes state by state in America and talks about the highlights of that state while showing aerial photography.  He caught one on Kansas and had a list of places he wanted to stop at.  Who would have thought that this kind of topography existed in Kansas?

When I think of Kansas, I think of flat terrain, farm country, and getting across I-70 as fast as we can.  You expect Kansas to look like this


so Monument Rocks National Natural Landmark outside Oakley, KS was a surprise.  It is buried in farm country so in all of these places, we had to drive down county dirt roads for a few miles to get to them but they were worth the effort.  Different from what you expect when you think "Kansas", for sure.

Today we were north of Salina, KS at Rock City.  This place has a small fee and a gift shop.  The grouping of rocks is within a small area, as they all were, but so interesting.  The rocks are left over from when the area was an inland sea, many millennium ago.


The second stop, a few miles south of Salina, was Mushroom Rock State Park.  I just love the texture of the rocks.  They are not layered, even though they look like it, but are solid rock.

These three areas are part of the "8 Wonders of Kansas".  You never know what a state holds until you get off the beaten path but it's worth the effort to do so.  Ain't road trips fun!!!