Not going to lie.... four days in New York shattered us. So when we left Staten Island we were excited to be getting back to something a bit quieter... sound like an old fart... must be Mike's effect on me.
You are only as old as the woman you feel, Wendy! The plan was to cover Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, New York state and Pennsylvania in nine days..... yes we know Maine is beautiful but our lost time when we were both ill meant we had to let this one go. But we will be back... we absolutely loved the New England states and we are keen to spend more time here in the future. Here are the highlights from the last nine days.
Massachusetts- Our arrival.
We had a great drive from New York, popping into Connecticut and Rhode Island en route to add to our state totaliser. We stayed in an Airbnb in a place called Weymouth, 16 miles south of Boston... so much cheaper! The couple we stayed with were hilarious; Francis a typical Derry man (
every other word was an expletive) and Pearley an American with an absolute love of the Royal family. She spent much of the time we were there making her hat and outfit for Harry and Meghan's wedding! The location was great- both the coast and the city were within easy travel distance.
Massachusetts- The Coastline- Hyannis (Cape Cod) and Plymouth.
The weather forecast for both days suggested that our first full day should be spent on the coast. Francis and Pearley said we had to go to Hyannis and so we did. We stopped in the town centre and visited its beautiful harbour but the main interest lay in Hyannis Port and the 'Kennedy Compound'. During the Kennedy era, dad Joseph owned one of the houses and then John F and Bobby owned a house each. Rumour has it that Ethel, widow of Bobby still lives here. We walked down to the section of the beach that gave us a view of what we thought was Jospeh Kennedy's house and took some pictures. A Russian couple who were sat on the beach came over and asked us what we thought we were taking a picture of.... ''Joseph Kennedy's house'' we replied. They kindly pointed out that the Kennedy compound was around the corner... that we had to walk further down the beach to view the houses. The lady added that Taylor Swift's house was the smaller house next to the compound. I then carried on chatting with the couple. When our conversation was over I turned round to see Mike bounding down the beach with his camera and zoom lens in hand (
that was no zoom lens Wendy)... not because he was particularly interested in the Kennedys, more so the lovely Tay Tay. I left it about ten minutes before I told the old perv she had sold it in 2013 (
I think it is fair to say that the elderly Russian man did not like being called an old perv)..... As I said in my facebook post, I bet this beach could tell some stories.
Our next stop was Plymouth, the landing place of the Pilgrim Fathers in the Mayflower in 1620. The rock which they are believed to have first set foot on is disappointingly protected in a cage which takes the magic away somewhat! However, the harbour front and the town are gorgeous. We had one of the best meals of our trip so far at Crabby's on the harbour front.. Mike had the clam chowder (
a mere 500 calories) and I had the fish tacos. We were so stuffed that we had to walk the harbour wall afterwards... gorgeous.
Massachusetts- Boston
After an interesting train journey we arrived in Boston. We decided to walk 'The Freedom trail', a 2.5 mile trail dedicated to famous landmarks both in the story of the War of Independence and in Boston's early history. It was a great way to see the city as well as the beautiful river front. We loved Boston. Apart from the area by Boston Common, it felt very safe. It had some great architecture and a very relaxed ambiance, in great contrast to the crowded streets of NYC. After finishing the trail- in 87f heat- we stopped off at the USS Constitution (
I should add we had to wait for 30 minutes for Wendy to stop drooling after she had met the Captain of the ship - "Mike ask him if I can have my picture taken with him", imagine the small giggle and try as I might she would not sit astride a canon and sing Cher songs) and then took the ferry back to the harbour front where we ate some great seafood.
New Hampshire
Our lovely Airbnb hostess was a New Hampshire girl and so she recommended we visited the Franconia Notch State park. Once we got across the border into New Hampshire you could see why this is a must place to visit- despite the fact that they say Autumn is the time to visit, I promise you that late Spring does not disappoint. Franconia Notch state park is absolutely stunning. There are walks and trails, look out points and Echo beach (
what) for when the weather is a bit warmer. We did the 'Flume and Gorge' trail, a two mile walk that takes you through some breathtaking geological formations..... see, still love my rocks! That night we stayed in Lincoln but ate down the road at the Woodstock Inn. For those of you who love your meat, we had ''Pig wings'' which were basically small bacon hocks roasted and covered in bbq sauce.... OMG.... there are no pictures....
Vermont
From one beautiful state to another.... we left New Hampshire thinking the scenery couldn't get any better but I think Vermont topped it.... Someone had mentioned that the original Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream factory was in Vermont so that obviously had to be our first stop..... why oh why don't they do CIN-DOUGH-RELLA in the UK?? A fabulous company that has a great story and ethos.
Please note that the Half Baked in the picture below relates to the intellectual capacity of those that stick their heads in the wooden circle not the ice cream.
Burlington is the largest city in Vermont but still only has a population of 42,000. We loved it here. Not only is it surrounded by beautiful countryside but it also sits on Lake Champlain which gives it a beautiful water front. Having overdosed on Ben and Jerry's we felt the need to take a long walk along this beautiful waterfront....We were blessed to see the most stunning sunset.
The next day we drove through some more of Vermont en route to New York state... its safe to say that it has become one of our favourite states. We didn't take pictures... what we saw with the eye couldn't be replicated on film.
New York State- part 2- Buffalo
This was our second visit to NY state following our time in NYC. The reason for this trip however was very different... Niagara Falls, what many people believe should be named the eighth wonder of the world.... and I would agree! When we arrived it was a bit grim and overcast but the falls still looked breathtaking. We visited the 'Cave of the Winds' where you literally stand in front of one of the smaller falls... (
imagine the conversation: "Mike I didn't get a good picture can you do it again", "but Wendy, my dear, I have done this three times already") it still had incredible power! We then went on the 'Maid of the Mist', a boat which takes you up close to two of the biggest falls... amazing!
Pennsylvania
After a night in Olean in NY state, we made our way to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. We arrived late afternoon on Sunday, with a plan to visit the National Military park the next day. There were lots of options to do at the park... guided bus tours, individual guided tours, but we chose to buy the audio self guided tour... Mike doesn't like crowds of Americans (
all that whooping)... It was advertised as being a three hour tour... it took us 5! It was brilliant! Even if you aren't a big lover of history, the countryside you drove around was breathtaking.. I think at one point I actually said to Mike ''Lovely place for a battle..'' (
I replied, "what have I done now my dear?") The victory of the Union army- the good guys- over the Confederate army and stinky General Robert E Lee- the bad guys- was the most crucial battle in the American Civil War. It is a must thing to do if you are out this way.
So, having driven a ridiculous number of miles over the last nine days we are exhausted again! Our next adventure begins on Tuesday 22nd May as we start a 460 mile drive of the Blue Ridge Parkway, across the spine of the Blue Ridge Mountains from Waynesboro in Virginia to Cherokee in North Carolina. We are going to take 5 days to cover this... largely because the speed limit is 45 mph!
56 days gone, 28 days left. Feeling blessed.
