Mt. Washington Toll Road

Not a great day for views atop Mt. Washington, and an even worse one for driving the ever narrow toll road. There are places that are clearly only designed for one car to be on the road at a time. We followed one moron up who chose the narrowest section of the road to back down - as if he got nervous about the ride up. I will say that it is probably a good thing I did not have good visibility or I might have wanted to turn around too.

The Cog Railway was running, but not worth the price with the lousy view.

Westward to New Hampshire

Next Stop, Mt. Washington Hotel. We had several hours to drive on Hwy 2 across Maine and part of NH to get to Mt. Washington. We were staying at the Inn at Mt. Washington Resort (http://www.mountwashingtonresort.com/) and would drive the Mt. Washington road in the morning. The Inn, Hotel, and entire resort for that matter are incredible. However, it is another location that is geared more towards adults than kids / young families.

ACADIA NATIONAL PARK

Acadia is home to Cadillac Mountain, the first place in the United States to see the sun rise. I got up around 4am to witness this event. The park is 5 minutes from Bar Harbor and the top of Cadillac is not far from there. Unfortunately, the clouds would not cooperate on this day. There was quite a crowd of disappointed sun worshipers, though.

Maine-bound - A 'Maine-iac' for a Week

Our destination was Bar Harbor, ME and Acadia National Park (http://www.nps.gov/acad/). It is an easy drive, but not a particularly exciting one. After a day of driving through the northern Boston area (Concord) and visiting family & friends, we spent the night in Portland, ME. We would leave early and try to be at the park for lunch. Looking at a map, it is Portland to Bangor, ME and make a right; stop when you get to the ocean.

We did stop at the Trenton Bridge Lobster Pound for lunch. This was one of the best meals I have EVER had. The lobster is boiled outside in sea water. Accompanied with steamers, corn - basically, the ultimate New England Clambake!

We headed to Acadia to stretch our legs and get a lay of the land. We arrived on a cool cloudy / drizzly day - less than ideal for landscape touring.

We were staying at the Bar Harbor Inn (http://www.barharborinn.com/) for a couple of days. Nice place. Water view and plenty of room. Private balcony overlooking the water. But, not real "kid-friendly". The whole Bar Harbor area seems dependent on the tourist, but want the ones without kids.

CONCORD & Minute Man Nat'l Historical Park

New England is a relatively small geographical area (especially if you buy into my theory that NY, CT, and RI don't count). From Boston, you can be in New Hampshire in less than an hour (on the beach no less) and in Maine in another 20 or 30 minutes.

We made a minor detour on our way out of Boston to Concord, MA and the site of the first rifle shot of the American Revolution. The Minute Man National Historical Park is well preserved and just outside a typical New England town. It is not a large area and can easily be taken in over a couple hours.

We headed out of Concord and visited some family and friends for an afternoon cook out and then took off for Maine. We spent the night in Portland - the only large city in Maine and probably does not really fit the true "Mainer" profile.

BACK TO BOSTON

Plymouth Plantation is on the south side of Boston along the shoreline. We wanted to be able to say the kids had visited Connecticut and Rhode Island so we went southwest into both states and back to Boston. We probably added less than an hour to our return trip by doing this as CT is close and RI is very small. No big deal, but we did get to add the two states to the list.

Plymouth Plantation

Excuse me, "Plimoth Plantation" - seems we have been spelling it wrong for 200+ years including in the teaching of our children. What is that? Their own personal tatoo to say "I'm different" or their loss of humility and that somehow they are better than the rest of us. Albeit, they (or their minions) roam around a wooden fort with thatched roofs as if it were still 1620 and the "indians are at the gates" .... but I digress....this is an educational trip.

The kids enjoyed the trip through time, weaving into and out of huts, mini forts, climbing on canons, and watching the carving of canoes - what a back-breaking job that would be. We've since had a about 15 generations of getting weaker to the point where our kids say it is "too hot" to go outside, let alone work. And, the work thing is not happening until there is something in it for them - like a car, cell phone, etc.

This is an interesting stop, but don't over do it. Furthermore, save your money. It rivals the ticket prices at DisneyWorld. I guess those people in the frumpy uniforms have formed a union and extracted some pretty hefty wages to be put on stage.

Plymouth Rock

Has a greater joke ever been played on Americans? A random rock in the middle of a beach is surrounded by an over-sized jail cell and labeled '1620'. I understand the symbolism and all, but countless people trek here each year. I have had the dubious honor of making the trek twice - once as a grade-schooler, and a second time taking my own grade school aged kids. I guess I did not want them to miss out on the fun.

Behind the rock, bobbing in the surf, is a replica of the Mayflower - that ship that hauled the first settlers to this new land that was to become America. Today, if you shed all traces of humility, you could try to join The Mayflower Society honoring the original Pilgrims if you can prove that you are a descendent of one of these fine folks - I will spare you the link to their site.

I confess, we toured the ship nonetheless as we were there and despite my tone of sarcasm, it was an educational trip for the kids.

Paul Revere's House, The Constitution, and Bunker Hill Monument

The Freedom trail covers part of Boston's Financial district, the area around Faneuil Hall, the North End (the Italian neighborhoods and incredible restaurants) and then Charlestown. It was a bit warm out today and we had difficulty keeping the kids focused, but they did walk the entire Trail without too much whining. AND, I did not have to carry my daughter too much either.

We chose not to wait in line at the Constitution ("Old Ironsides") (http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org/) and hopped one of the water taxis across Boston Harbor to the hotel on the wharf we stayed at. All in all, a good day.

The Freedom Trail

We got a room at long wharf so we had access to all the downtown sights and sounds. Day 1 started with breakfast and a walk over to the Nat'l Park Service HQ on Devonshire. This is the home to the Boston National Historic Park (www.nps.gov/BOST). The Freedom Trail is about a 2.5 mile walk through the immediate area of the Park Service, Faneuil Hall, and the old North End. We were not looking forward to the response from the kids (as young as 6). They were troopers and did the entire walk without so much as a whimper.

We got shut out at The Constitution - actually, we could have gotten in, but the line was a bit longer than we had the stomach for. Bunker Hill monument was under-going renovation, but still worth the trip. The kids were able to relate the most to the cemetaries, Paul Revere's house and statue, and the Old North Church. Who hasn't heard the story of "One if by land, two if by sea..." and the ride of Paul Revere?

(In a few days, we will be visiting the site of those first shots and the objective of Mr. Revere on that fateful night many years ago......

Tonight, we visited with some childhood friends that came to meet us at Fanuiel Hall. Dinner at Durgen Park was entertaining as always. Following dinner, we walked around the market area where my son was an attraction himself with his NY Yankees hat. He was pulled into a photo with some strangers in a scavenger hunt seeking someone wearing a Yankees emblem like him.

New England Uncorked

In May 2006, we took the kids back to our roots. Massachusetts, Maine, Vermont, and New Hampshire. Just for explanation, New York is NOT New England. AND, while we did pass through Connecticut and Rhode Island just so the kids could say they have been there, neither of those states are New England either. Massachusetts is a bit of a stretch at that.

The following gives insight into our short, but fun exposure to northern New England.