A Mid Summers' Night Dream

So here we are...amidst the blazing hot days of the Summers:  no alarm clocks,  no concept of what day of the week it is...  It is pretty great.  However, we do a pretty good job of filling our time.  Sam has a garden to tend to and other things of the outside ilk.  I am taking two summer classes which keeps me pretty engrossed in books and reading as well as tethered to a computer.  I was going to take three classes, but upon reading a more detailed description of one of my classes, The Science of Hearing, I discovered it was math and science intensive (a.k.a. physics), and I knew that it would take a lot of my time as I do not think with that part of my brain very often.  I am getting along in that class, though.  The other class is Language Acquisition, and it is more up my alley...read words instead of math problems and actually understand the content. 

As I said, I have to keep a pretty close proximity to a computer because my classes meet online.  Consequently, we had a short window open at the beginning of the summer for a road trip.  We traveled up north up the east coast and did a "tour of brothers."  We set out at 3:45 am and commenced our 14 hour trek up to Connecticut.  It was a rather brutal drive, but being up that far, we had the bulk of the journey behind us; the trip back would be more segmented.  We visited my oldest brother, Scott, and his family, who live in Granby.  While there, we went for a 12 mi. bike ride (which was painful to the once a year bike riders), got to see a soccer game, and visited Mark Twain's House in Hartford.  From there we journeyed to Boston, MA.  I will let Sam take this part of the trip.  He is the history buff and can better tell of the sights we saw there.

So here we go.  Hang on to your breeches!

First up is Mark Twain's Hartford, Connecticut bungalow.  I believe it cost a pretty penny at the time.  To give you an idea of how much, it would be today's equivalent of twenty or so MILLION dollars.  Very neat house.

 While there, I was able to obtain photographic proof that I am, indeed, Uncle Sam:

 

 Next up, was Boston.  It all started with the Boston Tea Party.  Not on the Liberty Trail.  Had to hike a long way to get there.  Here's why it's not on the Trail, there's nothing there except a marker.  They should have had something cool like a "Throw your own box of tea in the sea" activity.

 Here I am on the Trail of Liberty...

 One of the most interesting stops on the Trail was the Grainery Burial Ground.  Resting place of Paul Revere, Sam Adams, victims of the Boston Massacre, and believe it or not, the real MOTHER GOOSE!

 Here's Kellie talking to a donkey.  Telling him how much fun she's having.

 This is the old Corner Bookstore.  I believe the oldest building in Boston, but I may be wrong.  Now a Chipotle Restaurant.  So lame. 

 This is the site of the Boston Massacre.

 Inside was a sweet museum with a vial of tea from the Boston Tea Party!

 Also a cool musket found at Bunker Hill.

 We got a little hungry so we stopped for Lobster Mac and Cheese!

 We then needed dessert so while on that quest we ran into the "Connah Store".  Oh those Bostonians and their accents!  Hilarious.

 We waded through the tourists at the famous Mike's Pastry and got a sweet cannoli.

 Then I went to see if Paul Revere was home so I could tell him the British were coming...and they don't like pastries!

 But I sure do!

 I found Paul Revere!

 This is the Old North Church where the "one if by land, two if by sea" phrase really took place!

 Here I am firing cannon at the British tyrants!

 The real "captain" of our voyage.  And by voyage, I mean marriage.

 Bunker Hill, where the Americans were defeated only because they ran out of ammunition.  Oh, and while this is where the battle took place, it's not really called Bunker Hill.  The action took place on Breed's Hill, the mis-naming was because Bunker Hill was the original objective, but I believed the Patriots found the defenses on Breed's Hill more preferable.

 Smoochin'!

 Havin' some New England clam chowdah!

 Where everybody knows your name...

 Hey Norm!  Cheers!

 What a pretty little lady.

 Garden roofs?  What?

 No words needed...

 The next day we drove to Harvard, where Kellie "pahked the cah on Havad Yahd!"  Oh those Bostonians and their accents.

 Where Kellie's really gettin' her education...

 Let's have a picnic on Harvard Square.

 Let's go to the Sam Adam's Brewing tour.

 Let's stop by Baltimore on our way to Washington D.C.  What's going on in the Inner Harbor?  Tall Ships?  War of 1812 Bicentennial?  Yes Please.

 We were so hungry for crab cakes....

 The wife obliged me to a stop at Manassas Battle Ground on our way to D.C.  Here I am with Stonewall Jackson.  Look at me standing like a stonewall.

 Me and the Confederate cannon line.

 Wonder what she's thinking?

 Check out this bayonet that was found on the battlefield, growing into a root many years after the battle.

 Ahhhh....

 In D.C. we went to the American History Museum.  Saw one of Abe Lincoln's guns.  It was appropriate because I was reading "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Killer" at the time, which was a great read.

One of Sam Houston's rifles.  It was awesome because it had a cartridge that held five bullets.  Remember the Alamo!

 Above is Kellie and the real Kermit the Frog.  I think it's mean that they keep him in a glass box.

Here she is with Dorothy's Red Slippers!

At the Washington Monument.  Thumbs up.

 Thumbs up for me too!

 Went to the Hershhorn Art Museum.  Actually pretty cool.  Interactive art!

 Check out our original art in an elevator!

 And they we returned home.  To one wall of a new bathroom.  I've been learning a good deal about construction.  It now was four walls, a roof, and looks way different.  More to come...

...and continue Kellie....
From Boston, we drove to Kennett Square, P.A., to visit my next to the oldest brother and his family.  We played with the three nieces, visited a potato chip factory, and went kayaking.  From there, we made our way to Baltimore where we were lucky enough to be there during a Centennial Celebration in which they had big ships from around the world and the Blue Angels in the harbor.  It was pretty neato.  We grabbed ourselves a crab cake and then drove down to Mannassas to behold the battlefield (for Sam).  And finally, we arrived in Arlington, V.A., to visit the 3rd and youngest brother.  While in Arlington, we visited some Smithsonian museums, went to a big market, visited 2 cupcake shops (one was DC Cupcakes in Georgetown, check out their show) and 3 vineyards.  We had a fun time for sure.  We finally made our way back down to the North Cack on day 11.  The next day my classes began and returned home to a 2nd bathroom being built onto our house. 

Between everything mentioned above, we find some time for other activities which include but are not limited to (since we are so unpredictable): celebrating our 3 year anniversary, cooking (I'm trying to keep up with what is coming out of the garden!), creating a wine bottle border for the herb garden (if you would like to contribute, drink some wine!) softball, yard games, viewing an outdoor rendition of A Midsummer Night's Dream, DDR, reading, petting/brushing cats, whitewater rafting, and hiking...who knows what the rest of the summer will bring! 

Keep it cool, ya'll.  The AC is flowin' full blast!  If you are looking for fun indoor activities, we suggest a mustache dance-off!