Home Again....

Home is where the heart is! We pulled in to the driveway at 2:30pm this afternoon, and by 5:30 we were unpacked.  My Dad brought our dog back, Harley back and I don’t know who was happier to see whom.  Hailey and Maddie are now eagerly awaiting the arrival of our kitten Ellie, from my best friend.

Now it’s back to reality as I figure out what to make for dinner, when to go back to school shopping, and figure out when to go to the grocery store.  I look forward to the next 2 weeks before I need to go back to work.  Hopefully I will be able to get the scrapbook of this vacation done before we start planning for next years!

Thank you for reading my blog, I hope you enjoyed it as much as I did writing it. 

This is all that we have left for our goal:

Philadelphia

After a few years of nagging, I finally got to see the Liberty Bell.  We had a great day in Philadelphia.  We toured the visitor center and Liberty Bell, before having lunch. Doug and Hailey gorged on Philly cheese steaks while Maddie and I had lighter fare.  Then we walked to Ben Franklin’s grave site and the US Mint. All of us enjoyed seeing where they make coins and learning about the process.  I was raining, I mean pouring when we left the Mint, and we had to be at Independence Hall for our 4:15 tour.  We walked four blocks getting completely soaked, but we made it in time.

Independence Hall was pretty fascinating; it was neat seeing where such important parts of American History took place.  It made me actually wish that I paid more attention in History class.  Hailey and Maddie were not as enthusiastic as Doug and I were; I think that they are finished with learning about History and ready to go home. 

On our way home we stopped in Phoenixville and visited the various wine and cheese shops.  We found some very good treats for ourselves and for those who helped us out at home while we were gone.   Doug and I liked the town a lot and hope to visit again, without the girls (maybe this fall?).  

We got back to the camper and ended our evening by watching the movie “Overboard” with the girls. 

Tomorrow we head home J.

Thomas Edison National Historical Park

Doug was in Geek Heaven today as we visited the Thomas Edison National Historical Park in West Orange New Jersey.  We spent a good 4 hours there and I know that he feels like he missed something.  We got to see Edison’s library, drafting room, machine shops, chemistry lab, fabricating lab, workshops, etc…  Doug was completely in awe of the amount of ideas and inventions that happened exactly where we stood.  I have to admit that it was very cool, especially seeing his desk that was preserved exactly as it was, when he died.  I learned a lot about his inventions as well, I was particularly interested in his opinion of failure.  He was evidentially someone who learned from mistakes and did not let failure keep him down.  The girls thought his invention of the first talking doll was interesting, as well as the improvements that he made to some devices used today, like the waffle iron.

We were lucky enough to see a demonstration of his phonograph as well as the Black Maria (where he shot the first movies ever).  We also went to a talk about his involvement with electric trains (Double Geek out time for Doug!)

After that we have a 3 hour drive to French Creek National Park, where we are settled for the next two nights.  The girls just went to the bath house, and we are enjoying 15 minutes of child-free quiet. 

Rhode Island

We can now say we have officially been to Rhode Island.  We did a lot more today than simply drove through the state.  We went to the Cliff Walk in New Port and had some beach time at Easton Beach.  It was a great way to spend an afternoon.  We had originally planned to go to Mystic Seaport in Connecticut, but we have been to that state twice before.  Hailey was determined to do something in Rhode Island, so we did.

The Cliff Walk was very nice.  The views were beautiful and the walk was not bad at all.  Even though it was warm out, the breeze from the water cooled us off.  Someone on the rocks caught a small shark while we were there.  We got frozen lemonade on our walk back which was a yummy way to cool off.

 After that we went to the beach that was right next to the Cliff Walk entrance.  The beach was very nice; it had a maroon/purple coloring to it from the lichen that is in it.  We were able to watch part of the lifeguard relay that was part of the invitational games that were going on.  By 5pm, it started to thunder so we went back to the camper and took showers and had a bite to eat before hitting the road again.

Now we are at a truck stop in Connecticut for the evening.  We just finished eating Chinese food, and the girls are being slap happy.  Doug and I plan to go to bed soon.  We have about a two hour drive to tomorrows destination. It’s sad to think that we are nearing the end of this year’s epic adventure. 

Plymouth Plantation and Mayflower II

We went back in time today at the Plymouth Plantation museum.  It was a very cool experience and we all learned a lot that we did not know about the Pilgrims and the Early Settlements in New England.  We learn about the Pilgrims and Native Americans in school, we have seen movies, and documentaries, but until you see firsthand and are able to talk to the people that live there you really do not know.   The tour guides are “in character” and speak to you as though it is 1620.  The Native American Village had traditional artisans creating a canoe, weaving, and cooking all dressed in authentic tribal attire.  We were able to go inside their homes and see how they used to live.  They had gardens set up growing the same foods that were planted in the 1600’s.  It was very cool!  The Pilgrim Plantation was awesome too.  We saw actual people, homes, and farms that would have existed then.  There were chickens wondering around everywhere.  The people spoke the same way they would have and told us about live on the plantation. We watched them thatch wood, prepare meals, sew, and garden.

After lunch we drive into town and toured the Mayflower II, which is a replica of the original Mayflower that brought the Pilgrims to America.  I was amazed at how a small ship it was that brought over 130 people and crew.  The living conditions had to of been horrible.  No light, little food, livestock, and seasickness.  It really gives you a respect for what the Pilgrims went through.  Combine that with the months of preparing homesteads once they arrived, it was not something I would have wanted to do. 

After we toured the ship, we walked to see “Plymouth Rock” and leaned about the many changes it has seen over the years. 

We stopped at a pub on the way back to the car for dinner.  It was not that bad, and Doug and I just wanted to unwind with a drink after last night’s craziness and today’s activities, it was just what the doctor ordered!

Mad at WalMart

Today we did more driving…. Ok Doug did more driving as Maddie and I read and Hailey played her video games.  We made it back to New Hampshire, where we met up with Doug's relatives for a nice dinner and catching up session. They live in Boscaween, we at a local diner called Allan’s.   It was very nice and we all enjoyed it, sadly Hailey got a migraine  and was unable to enjoy herself. The evening ended too quickly and we had to get back on the road and put in a few more hours until we call it a night.

I am MAD at the Wal-Mart in Plymouth!  I called them this afternoon and asked if we could overnight park, their response was “I cannot say yes or no to that question”.  I took that as a yes, but we do not encourage it. Well we got there and there were signs posted that said “NO OVERNIGHT PARKING!”  Seriously, the woman on the end of the phone couldn’t you just say that when I called, so I could have made other arrangements?   So here it is, midnight and we had to find a place to park for the night!  We found a pull off parking area right on the highway and that is where we camped for the night, listening to cars pass us at 70 mph down the highway.  Never a dull moment in our family!

Acadia and Bar Harbor

Acadia is one of the most beautiful places on the planet.  I was in awe almost everywhere I looked.  We started the day with a three hour bus tour through the National Park.  We went to the Natural Garden, Thunder Hole, and Cadillac Mountain (which was covered with fog once again- Thanks Doug). Our tour guide Roger was very knowledgeable about Maine and Acadia.  He was also very funny and taught us how to speak like they do there in “Bah Habah”.   We got to pick and taste wild blue berries, wild cranberries and taste wile rose as well.   It was a nice tour and the three hours flew by so fast. 

After that we ate lunch at Tessta’s Restaurant in Bar Harbor, and walked on to the bar just as the tide was coming in.  Maddie, being the explorer that she is, actually got wet coming back from wading in the water because the tide came in so quickly. Hailey and Doug enjoyed skipping stones into the water.

We stopped at CJ’s for homemade ice cream and enjoyed relaxing in the sun, although it never really got warm the entire time we were there.

After that we drove back to Acadia to explore the points that we did not stop to see on the tour and to try and see Cadillac Mountain at sunset.  It was so amazing!  We went to sand beach where the sand is pink from the shells that are crushed up from the waves.  Maddie and I waded into the water, the freezing cold 54 degree water.It was so beautiful the way the mountains and the water all came together. (I’ll post pictures once I have better service, words cannot express what I saw).

We also went to Jordan Pond, which was nice and had a lovely view of the mountains.  We stopped at a few other look outs along the way to the top.  When we got to Cadillac Mountain this time the fog had lifted and we had full visibility.  It was so incredible.

After that we went back to the campground. Doug and I walked to the amphitheater for the Evening Ranger Presentation on Birds of Acadia, which was very informative.  The girls were so tired that they stayed behind to unwind. 

Doilies Are Funny!

Today we drove, and drove, and drove!  We made it to Bar Harbor Maine and are spending the next 2 days at Blackwoods  Campground in Acadia National Park. As we got in to the park it started to rain so we took the girls to a restaurant that we passed on our way in.  It was called the Lighthouse.

The food was pretty good, and we all were happy to be out of the car!  Towards the end of dinner, we all had the giggles and were a little slap happy.  That is when Hailey started going on and on about the doilies that were on the plates and that they were not useful; and a waste. Doug tucked one into his wallet without her looking.  When we got home he put it on her pillow which caused us all to laugh when she crawled into bed.  It was so funny. 

I can not get over how cold it is here in July.  I have worn a sweatshirt all day.  I was worried about staying in a campground without electricity, that it would be too hot.  Defiantly NOT a concern it's 41 degrees out!

Tomorrow is a busy day, we have a lot planned. 

Mt. Washington Cog Railroad

Today we went to the Mt. Washington Cog Railroad in New Hampshire.  We booked this tour back in February to ensure that we got the coal powered steam engine, which they only use once a day.  That meant we had to get up early to be at the station by 8:30 for the 9:15 train.  It was worth it!  This cog railroad is one of two in the entire US.  We did Pikes Peak last year so we had to do this one!

This one pretty insane, we were on a 37 degree incline as we accented to the top of Mt. Washington, which is the highest peak east of the Mississippi.  Sadly, we had the same luck as last year when we went to Pikes Peak; it was cloudy L so visibility was not good.  We did climb to the summit and got our photo op, but was cold and windy, definitely not the pleasantest part of the trip.

We did stop for hot coca in the shop to warm up; it was some really good hot cocoa too!  We went to the museum that details the history of the mountain.  The highest wind speed measured on Earth was clocked at the top of the mountain.  Doug thought that was really cool.  We were able to see the equipment that was used to measure it.   Hailey was excited to find a hat that had the elevation on it to match her Pikes Peak hat.

On our decent from the mountain, the fog lifted a bit so I could get some pictures on the way down.  Us girls have decided that since every time Doug has been to the top of a large mountain (Pikes peak as a child, and last year and today)there has been bad fog,  he is to blame for it– LOL!  

Once back at the base we toured the museum there as well and Doug and Maddie walked down to get a few more pictures of the steam engine before we left. The engineer invited them to come and sit behind the cab of the locomotive. Doug was in total train geek heaven- LOL!

We then had lunch before we went to our next stop, The Dolly Cop Campground, where we hiked a little and enjoyed another campfire.