Day 12 - JUNE 9, 2012

Day 12 – June 9, 2012

Dennis Port, MA

Okay - wasn’t kidding about the group beneath us partying all night long.  At midnight, I called the front desk (am I getting old or what?).  I tried to be cool about it…told the night manager that I understood there was a wedding, etc…but I had four kids trying to sleep (for the record, all four kid & Rich were sleeping, but I couldn’tL).   He assured me he’d take care of it.  Well…within 5 minutes, they did move inside, which I’m sure helped all the other guests in the courtyard (the motel is u-shaped with a pool and nice big yard, facing the beach).    But then…they partied inside till 3a.m., right below us.  It was bad.

So I woke up tired, grumpy & with a headache.  Bear was woken up at some point, too…so we headed to Dunkin Donuts at 6a.m….COFFEE! & we brought back breakfast.  BTW, first Dunkin Donuts I’d been to in 10 years that was run by…well, to be blunt…ah, how to say this…they were born and raised on the Cape.  Time warp.

Scrambled to get everyone up and ready and to the ferry dock by 8.  We were in Nantucket by 9.  The day was so pretty.  The ferry ride was great.  The kids loved it (& no one -me- got seasickJ).  The kids weren’t interested in the Whaling Museum, so we walked all around town.  Some very cool shops – it was good that the kids were there, or I would have gotten into serious trouble.  We had lunch and hopped the ferry back to the Cape.

We played miniature golf…and then a very, very quick trip to the beach.  Water was warmer today – Hunter and Audrey got in, Bear still wouldn’t do it.

We drove back to Hyannis and had dinner with Karen & Leslie, at a great restaurant on the harbor.  It was so nice and I loved catching up with them.  We walked the docks for a little bit after dinner, before saying yet another goodbye (which I hate doing).

Back at the hotel, one more swim.

Side bar:  I’ve been driving Rich c.r.a.z.y talking on a Baw-ston accent…I can’t help myself, it comes right back, but he thinks I sound bad...wicked fun messin with him.

Go Celtics!!!

Bye-Bye Hyannis Port

Bear loves a boat

Hello Nantucket

A rare moment for frick & frack

Our ferry

Dinner with Karen & Leslie

Hayannis Port

Last swim of the day

Day 11 - June 8, 2012

Day 11 – June 8, 2012

Boston, MA/Dennis Port, MA

8o miles/1 hour, 45 minutes

We picked Rich up at Logan about 10:30…the kids were besides themselvesJ.  We drove straight to Plymouth, MA and it was gorgeous…both the town and weather!  We parked along the harbor and walked to Plymouth Rock and the Mayflower.  We also had an excellent lunch on the bay.  Honestly – it was so pretty , weather was (finally) perfect.

We ended up skipping Plimouth Plantation, because the cost was very (surprisingly) high and we all (mom & dad) wanted to get to the cape.

We crossed the Sagamore Bridge with such excitement…the day was so glorious, it was so cool.  Then, I swear, ten minutes late…a blanket of FOG.

Anyway…we checked in, and we gave daddy time to unwind.  I took the kids to the pool.  I was in jeans and a sweatshirt, so I have no clue how they all swam, but they did!

We basically chilled out for most of the afternoon and then had dinner down the street.  The food was fabulous, but the company was even better.   The kids were quizzing Rich on Brady Bunch episodes (they’ve been watching the old episodes on DVD, while on the road trip).  Well…it just turned out to be gooffy laugh fest, and fortunately, we were the only ones in the dining room!

Great day! We are all soooooooooooooooo hapy daddy is here!

Only “story “ I have for today, involves Bear, Rich & the ocean.    Rich has to swim in the ocean of any city we visit – no matter what.  Bear LOVES water!  SO Rich was soooo excited to swim in the ocean with him.  Well, it’s cold up here (not to beat a dead horse).  Rich is like, “Bear, do you want to swim at the beach?”  “Yes!” he answered enthusiastically.  Not so much…once he was on the shore, Bear was like, no thank you!  For the record…Rich still swam. 

Another side bar…old Cape Cod Hotel…we were very nervous about the kids disturbing our neighbors ((particularly since we’re on the 2^nd floor and they like to JUMP/DANCE).  Presently, it’s almost 11 and, MY gang is fast asleep and the two rooms beneath us…MAJOR PARY! 

Awwww…shit…

Daddy in the house!

Plimouth Rock

Bear missed his daddy!

Posing with William Bradford 

The Mayflower

Bear ain't goignin the ocean! 

Daddy is!

Audie..teasing, but no way.

                                                           FUN NIGHT!

Day 10 - June 10, 2012

Day 10 – June 7, 2012

Boston, MA       

I decided to go easy on the kids today, given their epic, historical journeys of yesterday.  We slept in till 7 a.m. and hit the road at 8 a.m….in search of a Laundromat.  We found one rather quickly and I dragged the kids in.  While I did our laundry, they read, played with the phone or got in knock-down-drag-out fights over the doodle pad (Bear & Cammy). 

After laundry (never fun, but it was kind of nice getting three loads done in just over an hourJ), we headed north to Lowell, so I could do a drive by of my mom’s childhood home and put flowers on my grandparent’s graves. 

Then we went back to Lexington and did the Minutemen National Park.  They had a very cool, 30 minute, interactive presentation about the events of April 19, 1775, along the battle road. 

Somehow we timed it perfectly and met Uncle Louie and Aunt Mary right on time.  I was a little nervous about my children, given the last time we dined with Louie & Mary - they were out of control.  I’m happy & relieved to report that all went well.

We went to Barnes and Noble for well over an hour, because the skies opened up and it was easier to hang out.  Then we meandered our way back to the hotel and I was looking out the window and what did my wandering eyes see???  Oh, just the birthplaces’ of John Adams and John Quincy Adams, right there, 10 feet from the side of the road, literally, at a busy intersection in Quincy.  I did a quick pull over and then met a Park Ranger who gave me the skinny.  We missed the last tour, so we’re going to go back on Monday, after the Cape.  Rich is definitely going to the Cape with us (yay!), he’ll love to see that!

We got a pizza for the room and watched Mirror Mirror, which was really good.  And now we’re tuned into the Celtics, which so far, ain’t lookin’ too good.  Cape Cod tomorrow!!!  Home sweet homeJ!

Bear & Aud passing time at the laundromat

Camden was fascinated by the high speed dryers, with see-thru windows!

Minutemen Museum

Lunch with Uncle Louie & Aunt Mary

My accidental discovery.

John Adams' birthplace (1735)

Birth place of John Quincy Adams (1767)

Aud & Hunter, never missing a photo op!

Day 9 - June 6, 2012

Day 9 – June 6, 2012

Boston, MA

What a busy day we had.  I think we set a sightseeing record!  And the weather has finally improved, it got as high as 69 degrees today and we saw the sun more than the rain! 

The kids really deserve a medal for today…they did great .  That is, until we got stuck in traffic at the end of the day, on 95 South, and Barrett went Off. The.  Rails.  I made a detour & found a Fridays, where we made a pit stop for dinner.  That helped some…but when we got back to the hotel, he finally went to the bathroom….so I think we’re all good for a few daysJ!

After yet another DISGUSTING breakfast at Dunkin Donuts, we headed into Boston…encountering traffic and rain on the way.   We got to Fenway and it was surrounded by school buses…which made me fearful that we’d be out of luck.  Fortunately, not the case, we got our tour.  Very cool.  I’d been there before, but it was cool to see it through the kids eyes.

Next we drove to Cambridge, through Harvard University (where the traffic was crazy and no parking).  Then we drove along the Charles River and found our way to Brookline and JFK’s childhood home, which was also where he was born.  It was really neat.  Very small house (this was before old Joe made his millions on liquor/Wall Street/and Hollywood).  You can’t help but be awed when you see the room and bed where he actually came into this world.

The Park Rangers who run the place, are awesome.  After the tour, they tested  Audrey (who passed, apparently) and then made her a Junior Park Ranger, with a swearing-in ceremony.

Next, we headed to Concord.  We a beautiful town!!!!  I could totally spend a (adult) weekend there.  We toured the Concord Museum, the homes of Thoreau and Louisa May Alcott, the Sleepy Hollow Cemetery (where many famous New England Authors are buried (Thoreau, Hawthorne, Alcott & Emerson)), downtown historic Concord, Walden Pond (yes the Walden Pond) & the North Bridge, where the first battle of the Revolutionary War took place, “the shot heard round the world.”

How’s that for a full day?  Kids are watching the Red Sox game and I am soon off to bed!

Yawkey Way

Inside Fenway

View from the Green Monster (behind Fisk Pole:))

Fenway Mickey Mouse

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JFK's Birthplace, his childhood home

Concord Museum

Home of Ralph Waldo Emerson

Home of Louisa May Alcott, Little Women

At the North Bridge, in frontof the Momument to the Minutemen

Running to the North Bridge

Long day for Bear

Walden Pond

Day 8 - June 5, 2012

************UPDATE!  Hunter and I stayed up and watched the second half of the Celtics game wooohoooo!  Game 6 - in Bean Town & we'll be here:)!

Day 8 – June 5, 2012

Norwich, CT/Boston, MA

1 hour, 45 minutes/94 miles

Okay - day 8 and Barrett finally flipped his lid.  And he did it in grand style!  Oh boy…

Still cold, rainy, and very grey…this may be contributing to Bear’s crazy behaviors (please let it be only weather induced).  We hit Dunkin Donuts after loading the cars and headed north, to Gillette Stadium.  All the while Bear was singing, screaming laughing…driving us all crazy.  When we asked (begged) him to stop…he just laughed.

We got to Gillette Stadium and I have to tell you….my heart swelled with pride when the kids started screaming (with Joy, any haters reading this).  The boys ran to the opening of the stadium.  Oh, it was so cold and windy!  Can’t even imagine what it’s like in November, December & January.

We skipped Patriots Hall, as we saw it last time, and there’s no new Super Bowl trophyL (Save it!).  I really wanted to go to the Pro Shop and stock up on new shirts.  All kids were willing, as they were chilled to the bone.  Lucky us…we were the only ones in the store.  That’s when Bear gave me the slip, when I was reprimanding the other three (who were behaving like JA’s running through the store screaming about the Pats).   I couldn’t believe Bear dogged me, he’d been so good!  I sent Hunter to check out the bathrooms (he’s not happy unless he christens every establishment we visit).  No Bear.

I wasn’t panicked, for real, because I could HEAR him.  The guys who worked there marveled at how calm I was,  lol!  Not my first time at the rodeo boys!  Anyway…I’ll skip the boring details…but I found him upstairs admiring the Patriots artifacts…apparently, he was not pleased that I’d told them “no go” on the Hall.  So Bear got a free museum tour.

Next stop, JFK Library.  (Did I mention it was cold & dreary?!?!?)  It was kind of depressing, driving up to the building.  Last time I was there was 15 years ago, with Marcie and her mom.  It was COLD then (Mid-April), but bright & sunny, not a cloud in the sky.  But, I digress.  The guy selling the tickets (about $60 dollars CHEAPER than Clinton’s Library, last summer!!!!) loved us!  So much nicer than Mark Twain guy.  I told him about how Hunter did his JFK research paper/speech and he put together a folder with extras for us.

First stop…the theater for an introductory film.  My M.O. for these situations has been to hand my phone to Bear and let him “YouTube it”, with the volume off, of course.  We’re about 10 minutes into a 17 minute movie and I’m totally relaxed and very optimistic about our chances of enjoying the museum, after the movie, when I hear a very large crash.  Holy **** Barrett (out of frustration at bad internet connection in the theater…I’m assuming) hurled my phone forward, towards the screen.  It flew four aisles and narrowly (inches!) missed hitting a woman in the head.  The crash was the phone hitting the back of her chair.  I. About. Died.  Wow!  This was a new one.  Every eye in the theater looked back at us (we were in the last row, in case we needed a fast exit, in the event of a temper tantrum…this I did not prepare for).  I profusely apologized, and with head down, went to retrieve my phone. 

Tenacious bunch that we are….we soldiered on and totally toured the museum and saw another movie (Cuban Missile Crisis).  Oh yeah!

Checked in at the hotel, explored Quincy a little…dinner…at Cheesecake Factory and binging on TNT (again…what a guilty pleasure!)  I’m exhausted.

Pouring, kids wouldn't get out of the car.

Smith Boys, running.

Hunter "sitting" at Robert Kennedy's desk

Boston,from accross the harbor

Lookin' like Southies