07/12/10

Have you missed me?

Oh, you didn't realize I was gone?

Good. That was my plan. :)

I wanted you to still have something to come to even if I was not physically here.

We have been in New England for the past 10 days. We stopped in Newport, Rhode Island for a day then went on to Boston, Massachusetts for July the fourth (and a few days) and then up to Bar Harbor, Maine for the rest of the trip.

My first official picture of the trip.... the George Washington Bridge in New York City.

It was a great trip and one from which I learned many things.

Would you like to see my list?

Thought so.

Here goes:

1. There are A LOT of toll roads on I-95... A LOT. You can sit in line in toll road sections for a while. You better have your cash handy... and lots of it.


2. Houses are very close together in the cities up north. They seem more close together than ours down here. CLOSE.

3. It is not normally hot as blue blazes up in New England, but this year when we went, it was. We heard comments like "It hasn't been THIS hot in a long time!" "We just can't stand this 80 and 90 degree weather!" and others of the same type. Yeah, it was hot. We brought it with us. NICE.
BUT... they haven't felt heat till they have been in the hot with 100% humidity like we have in NC. Then we'll talk about complaining.

4. I do not like the Jersey Turnpike. At all.

5. It is a state law that you cannot pump your own gas in New Jersey. I haven't seen a "Full Service" gas station in forever!! It was kind of nice getting our window washed. (That was probably the ONLY thing I liked about the Jersey Turnpike!)

6. Streets in major cities can confuse a GPS. You wouldn't believe how many times we heard "Re-calculating" and "make a Hu-Turn" (U-turn with a strange accent....) while heading in the direction it took us.

7. It is very difficult to capture city skylines when you are speeding down the road at 75 mph. This is what I got of the New York City skyline. Not so good, but it was the closest I was able to get!


8. People drive crazy in New York City.

9. I am thankful I do not live in New York City.

10. I am not a city girl.

11. While in Boston we noticed there is literally a Dunkin' Donuts on EVERY corner. We ate there a couple of days. Wasn't hard to find.

12. The Subway in Boston was actually quite nice.... easier to understand than when we went to DC five years ago. Or, maybe it was that experience in DC that helped me grasp Boston. Who knows.

13. Boston at the Fourth of July is awesome. The fireworks... oh, the fireworks.

14. Street and Road signs are not clearly marked in many areas in Massachusetts.... and other areas up north. That can lead to getting lost. As we did. A few times.

15. McDonald's large Frappe's became a hit while on our road treks. I was also probably the only person who wrapped up in a blanket and wore a hoodie sweatshirt while the outside temp of the vehicle was in the 90's.

16. Maine is beyond words beautiful.

17. I got to actually READ and finished 2 1/2 books!!! I usually fall asleep quickly while reading. Maybe it was those Frappes!!

18. I got to experience lobster the MAINE way.

19. It is a LONG DRIVE from Maine to North Carolina.

20. I love visiting other places and learning more... and taking over 1,000 pictures.

21. There is no place like home!