The Long Journey Home

Days 30 - 32 

June 26 – June 28, 2014
Binghamton, NY/Tysons Corner, VA/Raleigh, NC/Columbia, SC /Home

First off, my apologies for dropping the ball on the final entries of my road trip blog.  The last days of the road trip were LONG ones and I was wiped out.  I hit four major traffic jams and it wasn’t fun.

On Friday the 26^th, we left Binghamton, New York at a reasonable hour, only to get stuck in central Pennsylvania, somewhere around Hazelton, for an hour and a half.  Consequently, we didn’t roll into the DC area until almost 4 p.m.  Once I got out of the car I was enveloped into the heat and humidity of the Mid-Atlantic region.  Hello summer!  Honestly, it was kind of nice, especially considering I’d been freezing for the previous two weeks.

After I took the kids swimming, we met one of my blogger friends for dinner at PF Changs.  Kristi Campbell (A.K.A. Finding Ninee), is a friend I met on line and we really connected.  Kristi’s been very supportive and we have a lot in common, so when I told her I’d be passing through the area, we decided to meet “for real.”  She brought her five year old son Tucker.  I must say they are both good sports, because you never know what you’re going to get with our crew!  The good news is that my kids were exceptionally well behaved (granted, with the help of technologyJ) and they loved hanging out with Tucker.  Kristi and I got to know each a little better and talk shop, which I loved!  I just wish we’d had more time!  Hopefully our paths with cross again soon at a blogging conference.

Kristi & I

The next day I was not in a rush to leave, knowing that DC rush hour traffic is a nightmare.  We departed about 9:30 for Raleigh.  I was hoping to get in at a decent hour so we could tour the capitol and I had there was a book signing I wanted to attend.  It should have been a four hour drive, but no such luck.  South of DC, we were at a standstill for almost an hour!  Then, after we crossed the North Carolina border, I saw signs warning drivers of congested traffic ahead, with a suggested alternate route.  Thank you, North Carolina – for sending me on a detour into a road construction hornets’ nest that cost me yet another hour.  Grrrr.

 

We arrived so late that I had to scratch the book event I had planned to attend.  In the end, this turned out to be a blessing, because we got to spend more time visiting the Kaufman family.  Deb was my best friend at CNN when I worked there – a life time ago.  She and her husband Marc moved to Raleigh around the time Rich I moved to DC.  We visited Raleigh on our first road trip, but it’s been a while since we’ve seen them.  Fortunately, whenever we do get together, it’s as if no time has passed.  Don’t you love friends like that?  An added bonus – our kids love hanging out, too!

 

Deb & I

We woke up on Saturday, ready for our last journey.  I was ready to go home, but honesty, I always have a heavy heart on our last day.  It’s similar to that feeling you get on December 26^th.  I don’t do endings well.

The capitol building in Raleigh.

 

We drove home through Columbia South Carolina, so we could see the capitol – our 36th capital city and capitol building!  Yes, we are kind of dorky about this.  Don’t ask me why – because I do not know.  After that, we were westbound and down on I 20, heading to Atlanta.  But the traffic Gods were not done with me yet!  We ran into a wall about 30 east of the city.  I am not kidding.

 

The capitol building in Columbia.

 

But eventually, we did make it home! 

Our many bags of dirty laundry!

 

On our first day back, I did seventeen loads of laundry!  I think that’s a record.  On Monday, the Lewis Family arrived from Florida for a visit and then, suddenly, it was the Fourth of July.  Time is flying.  The summer is more than half over and in two days we leave for Michigan.  I won’t document that trip daily, but I will pop by with a summary, as we do plan to explore some more of the Wolverine State.  I’ll also do my annual summer travel stats and favorites as a wrap upJ!

Visiting the Villages of Upstate New York

Day 29 – June 25, 2014

Lake Placid, NY/Lake George, NY/Saratoga Springs, NY/Cooperstown, NY/Binghamton

318 miles/I lost count on the hours.

Today did not go as planned – at all.  Our biggest impediment was Mother Nature!  What a crappy, rainy day!  We woke up to such grey skies, it looked like winter.  I loaded my car in a down pour, and then very carefully began our journey down the mountain.

Last summer, when we were in Santa Fe, we visited the Georgia O’Keefe museum and I became enchanted with one of her landscapes of Lake George.  After some research, I learned that once upon a time, it was a big summer destination of many New York City artist in the beginning of the 20^th century.  Coincidentally, in the past year a number of my friends mentioned Lake George and how much they loved the area.  Lake George won a slot on our road trip itinerary.

Due to time constraints and hotel options, I planned to explore Lake George and Saratoga Springs on the same day, staying in Saratoga Springs.  When we got to Lake George, the weather had not changed.  The kids were freaking out, because I promised them that we’d play miniature golf in Lake George.  They had to settle for Fort William Henry.  Fortunately, they loved it (there were a number of artillery demonstrations).  Strolling around the lake was not an option – as it was pouring. 

We decided to try our luck a little further south and moseyed on to Saratoga Springs – where it was also raining.  Oh, the moaning and bitching from the back seat, all about mini-golf.  Momma had a back-up plan – the National Museum of Dance.  And yes, it was about as boring as it sounds.

Main Street in Saratoga is bustling and calling my name.  Oh Amy, you were so right about all the restaurants and shops!  I was itching to explore and do some damage, but it was raining cats and dogs.  I was also already thinking ahead to tomorrow, which involves a nine hour journey, with a stop in Cooperstown.  According to my calculations we’d be arriving in the Washington D.C. area around 6 p.m. - guaranteed to be a traffic nightmare.  So, I pitched a change-in-plans to the children, with mixed reactions.  I decided to exercise my preemptory executive powers and do what I wanted to do, which would cut down on driving time to following day.

So off to Cooperstown we headed.  At this point the rain was torrential! 

Cooperstown was another pleasant surprise.  Yet again we found ourselves in an adorable village on a lake!  Who knew there was such idyllic summer vacation bounty in the state of New York?  I’m thinking house rental on a lake next summer.  But I digress…  The Baseball Hall of Fame is all that it promises to be and more.  I really enjoyed it – the kids, not so much.  Oh well.

After the Hall of Fame, we embarked on the last leg of our journey for the day – to Binghamton, NY.  There are no words.  Rain, hotel by the interstate, dinner at Applebee’s.  You do the math.

I Swam in the Gulf of St. Lawrence!

Day 24 – June 21, 2014

Moncton, NB/Cavendish, PE/Amherst, NS

200 miles/3 ½ hours

It was chilly went we departed the hotel this morning.  Chilly.  It was an hour and a half drive to Prince Edward Island, but it was a pretty drive.  My excitement as we crossed the miles long bridge to the island was tempered, because of the anxiety I felt about the cold water.  You see, I had promised R. that as a first I’d join him in his polar bear plunge into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  Whenever we travel to a frigid destination, R. has to swim in the water.  Don’t ask me why.  In a weak moment, I consented (“I Dare Allie”) – and he was like a dog with a bone.  There was no way he was going let me back out.

So, we drove to the Prince Edward Island National Park, which encompassed their National Seashore, on the Gulf of St. Lawrence.  Damn, it was so cold.  And it was gross.  The ocean’s surface was crunchy and slimy, like gooey mud.  My feet just sunk right in, with every step.  I walked in to my mid-thigh and got nervous about really sinking in.  I had no intention of putting my head under – brain freeze.  R. suggested I drop to my knees.  I did.  The water went up to mid-boob.  Done.

 

Freaking freezing!

The kids loved the cool beach (we were the only ones there – in JUNE!), but after my “swim,” I couldn’t handle the harsh breezes.  Time to move on.

Next stop, the Anne of Green Gables House.  It was not an easy find.  There are a number of “Anne” sights and even with my thorough recon, I couldn’t nail down an address for the house.  Eventually we were pointed in the right direction, but when we finally got there, no one would go with me (the rain had started).  So I explored Green Gables on my own, while the rest of my family sat in the car watching Home Alone 2.

Then, I drove to Nova Scotia.  It was pouring and freezing.  I feel so sorry for the people who live here.  I just couldn’t do it.  Anyway, our main purpose for the Nova Scotia jaunt was just to say we’d been.  I traveled to Nova Scotia many, many years ago with my family.  My maternal Great Grandmother was from Halifax.  I wanted to take the ferry over, but the journey was too long and too expensive, and time constraints prevented us from driving to Halifax or Yarmouth.  Amherst, just over the border, would have to do.  It was a drive-by!

Back at the hotel, I was still cold – chilled to the bone.  Yet I had one more promise to fulfill.  I had to go down the water slide, which meant back into the swimsuit and more cold water.  One trip down the slide and I was back in the room for a hot shower.  And some wine.

We ordered pizza and tried to find something to watch on Canadian television.  I went to bed at 9 p.m.  I’m looking forward to returning to the motherland tomorrow.  Barbie, if you’re reading this, I swear that wasn’t a bash.  I had a much better Canadian experience this trip, just too cold!

Bar Harbor is Da Bomb!

Day 22 – June 18, 2014

Bar Harbor, ME

Oh Lordy, there was a wicked thunderstorm last night that woke me at 4 in the morning.  The rain was unreal and filled me with anxiety about our day to come – in Acadia National Park.  When we awoke for real the rain had stopped, but it was grey and cold.  No matter, we had a park to explore.

There were so many amazing vistas that I am humbled to even attempt to describe them.  By the time we got to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, the skies had cleared and we were lucky enough to really experience the majesty of the area.  Below are just a few of the hundreds of pictures that we took.

Sand Beach

Thunder Hole

The actual hole.

The summit of Cadillac Mountain.

I will share with you a very embarrassing blonde moment that I experienced – the blonde being meL.  When we got to Thunder Hole, which is a lookout point in the park that takes you out over some rocks where the ocean crashes in and travels into a hole in the rock, which makes a very loud sound – like thunder.  At this point in the day, the grey skies were starting to break up, but it still looked very stormy over the open sea.  Audrey, Hunter and Rich were climbing out over the rocks and I made the comment that they may want to come in soon, because I heard thunder and I didn’t think we should hang out for too long.  It only took a few seconds for me to process what I said, but by then it was too late.   People were staring at me and Audrey and her dad were all over it.  I will not live this one down for a long time.

Our public humiliation was not limited to me.  Bear decided once again to urinate at the beach.  I froze, in complete shock.   What the hell is up with this?  Thank goodness for Hunter - who came to the rescue and got him to face the woods and stood behind him, before we publicly flogged.

After the park, we headed to the boat dock for a tour of the bay.  It was cool to see Bar Harbor and all the boats from the vantage point of being in the water.  Our guide filled us in on the history of the town that is rich with Rockefellers, Vanderbilts, Pulitzers and Astors.  There was a horrible fire in 1947 that basically wiped out the town.  Many of the families who couldn’t rebuild with the same opulence they had before the Great Depression and WWII donated their land to Acadia National Park.  The boat took us around the coast to see the new homes that have been built since that time, many of them owned by today’s titans of Wall Street and Hollywood celebrities.  Oh, and he told quite a story about Martha Stewart, who is not loved by locals.  It was a good one, too!  She’s not nice.

We ventured out to Egg Rock and saw a bald eagle try to snap a baby seagull from its mother and all seagull hell broke loose.  Oh momma, don’t be messing with their babies.  We also saw many seals, which the kids loved.  We had so much fun on the boat – all of us.  I snapped many great family pictures.

A bald eagle.

Egg Rock

They loved watching the seals!

We weren’t done yet.  We returned to Bar Harbor to eat on the water for the last time of our road trip (unless we find something in Canada).  Another great dinner followed by a quick stroll through the local bookstore to look for a good book on the history of this town.  I’m smitten.

After that we had ice cream and played miniature golf.  It was an awesome day – one for the memory book, for sure.

I’m going off the grid for a couple days, as we explore the Atlantic provinces of Canada.  The phone will be off, with means no Instagram posts.  I think I’ll still be able to use the internet at the hotel, without taking out a second mortgage, so updates should continue.

I’m missing my friends!  I feel very out of touch with everyone.  It’s been hard to even make phone calls, because of the kids.  Some of them have developed big ears and no phone call – whether it be in the car or the hotel room, is private.  I’ve also been bad about email – because honestly, I’m wiped out at the end of the day and can barely muster the effort for my travel log and downloading pictures.  Still, you are all on my mind and I can’t wait to catch up on what’s happening in all your lives.  I hope everyone is having a good summer. 

---

 [rs1]