Thursday, May 22 – Sunday, May 25
Thursday morning we started our adventure by first heading to Jefferson, GA, to spend time with our old youth group and for Frank to sing in a friend's wedding in Atlanta. States traveled: Kentucky, Tennessee, and Georgia. During this leg, we experienced one of Georgia's crowning glories (its food), and we were able to reconnect with some incredibly cool kids in our youth group. Most importantly, we were able to celebrate the marriage of two of our good friends: Josh and Jen Woods. Their
rehearsal dinner was truly amazing, but I was a mess during all the speeches…there was so much emotion in that room because of the perseverance and hardship that the two families had endured. The next day was not my best day either - I almost caused smoke damage in an apartment of this fantastic couple whom I just met when I burned chocolate. I seem to have serious issues with fire and kitchens. But, the wedding was beautiful, and Frank's song was fantastic. And the friends - superb. Thanks for letting us be part of it Josh and Jen!Monday, May 26 – Tuesday, May 27
On the road again for another long leg of our trip – this time to Washington,D.C. States covered: Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. Well, and the District of Columbia if you count that. We stopped in S.C. at Abbot Farms to pick up some southern delicacies as house gifts. I definitely advise stopping at a place like this…chow chow, peach cider, peach pecan jam, peach sasa…and it’s all free samples! Oh, and we counted 23 cop cars on Memorial Day watching for speeding. Once we arrived at Adam’s house in D.C., which is on Capital Hill, by the way, 2 blocks from the capital, we were in for a couple of days of good
food and good company. Adam gave us a tour of the capital and took us for a ride on the Disney shuttle that connects the Senate offices to the Capital – an underground electronic subway type system that keeps hard workers off their feet. The rest of our time in Washington was spent walking, walking, walking; trying raw oysters (still don't like them, sorry Adam), becoming emotional at the Holocaust museum, enjoying the view of the Potomac from Georgetown, and pondering whether or not it's appropriate for Buddhists to pray 
while drinking Sprite. Unfortunately, Frank was disappointed there were no protestors while we were there…only one guy in front of the White House protesting for peace since 1986. As you can see, he's making a remarkable difference.
Wednesday, May 28 - Friday, May 30
Out of D.C. and into New England! Monday was a big state day: Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. After leaving D.C., we were surprised with how green Maryland was. It was beautiful. We stopped in Philadelphia to see the Liberty Bell, and then Frank decided to ask a security officer where he could get a god Philly Steak and cheese…the officer proceeded for about 15 minutes to tell us 5 times where to go. YOU SEE, WHAT YOU DO IS…YOU GET ON THE #27 BUS AND TAKE IT TO WASHINGTON STREET. PAT’S IS AT WASHINGTON AND 14TH. NOW, GET ON BUS 27. DON’T FORGET IT’S #27. Thank you sir, for being the most adamant direction-giver in Philly. Upon talking to a cook, we learned that it’s not a Philly steak & cheese. People in Philadelphia know where they are. It’s just a cheeseteak. We also saw Betsy Ross’s house and Ben Franklin everything. His post office, his cemetery, the road to his home, his first toothbrush, etc.
On to CT, through New York. We skipped Manhattan and all the traffic (by going around), and hit up Yale in New Haven, CT, for the afternoon. I felt like I was Hermoine in Hogwarts because the buildings are all that Old Gothic stone. We tried to fit in by having some intellectual discussions. We stayed with a friend of mine from grad school and left early the next morn for Vermont. While CT is beautiful, the real estate is astronomical. Residents live there because it's a short commute to NYC or Boston. Sadly,
we tried to see the ESPN offices, but they were closed. Sad day for Frank. Once we got to Vermont, we stopped at the VT Welcome Center off I-91. Definitely a must-stop! It wins the Welcome Center of the Year award – they have a plethora of information about Vermont, travel and weather information via computer, internet access, a Vermont farming park, and there was a bake sale going on. A little caveat about the Vermont interstate system: because VT is rural, there are very few stops, and they are about 11 miles apart. And Vermont does not count the exits by miles. So, Exit #11 could be 60 miles from the state line. But, the drive through Vermont is amazing. The state went from about 30% forested in the late 1800’s to 80% currently. The shades of green in this small state ranges from deep forest to Kelly to lime…no wonder it’s the green state. As one woman said, “We were green before being green was cool.” In Vermont, we did some hiking and camping at Quechee State Forest in Quechee, VT. We also visited Stowe, VT, which is the home of the Von Trapp family and an awesome ski town. A 
must stop for travelers. There’s
the Mountain Resort area that has gondolas to take people up to the top of the mountain, numerous hiking/biking paths (biking is BIG in Vermont), and the Van Trapp family lodge and its privately owned surrounding villas are a sight to see. Gosh, it’s beautiful. We also saw Maria’s chapel made out of stone. It’s quite an uphill hike from the Von Trapp Lodge…Frank thinks that the Von Trapp boys thought their mom was fat so they built her a chapel in the mountain to help her lose weight.
I know, he’s strange. The Stowe/Waterbury area is also an antique shopper’s heaven, as well as an ice cream lover's paradise: The home of Ben & Jerry's! Our last stop in VT was Burlington,where we spent the night and enjoyed the Celebrate Jazz Festival over a nice romantic dinner. We were able to mingle with the band, and we really were able to get a good understanding of life in Vermont: very rural, natural, small-town supportive, and trusting. Most businesses work off the honor system when dealing with their client's finances. Frank & I wish that we had more time in Burlington
because we would have loved to travel across Lake Champlain into New York. If you didn’t have money to pay at the moment, just come back later and pay. I think Frank would agree - Vermont was our favorite state.
Saturday, May 31 - Monday, June 2
The first rainy day of our trek. And, the day we decided to hike Mt. Washington. On our drive over to New Hampshire, We were reminded once again that Vermont is a
very rural state. We got to go through Montepelier and pass by the capital – a gold dome that just jumps out from a background of trees. Pretty cool. The Capital city is very small, though, so don’t expect much. New Hampshire is definitely more settled than Vermont, but still very beautiful. Lots of lakes and antique stores.
We started hiking up Mt. Washington, and we made it about halfway up before it started raining. What a hard hike! It was more like rock climbing. Unfortunately, we weren't able to finish because of the weather. On the way down, we met an interesting man who is a retired schoolteacher/dean/ principal and who now works as an educational consultant. Apparently, in the spring, the hard core skiers hike up Mt Washington (8.4 miles), carrying their skis, and ski down. Cross country style. Frank and I were tired after hiking halfway up and down…I couldn’t imagine skiing! And these men/women are over twice our age! After finding our way to Portland, ME, viaold country roads, we enjoyed the next two days being stationary. We enjoyed a city festival in Portland with tons of bands, food, small private crafts booths, and more. We walked around the old cobblestone for a few hours, sampled fish chowder and tasted homemade root beer.
We also ate delicious lobster (and gotourselves filthy) at this shack of a place that was right on the water. Before we drove to Boston, we were able to go sailing in
Kennebunkport, ME, where our captain educated us on the irony of expensive beach homes and fancy lobster dinners. Back when coastal Maine towns were being settled, the rich residents wanted homes inland for protection against the wind and water. The poorest people
had to build their homes on the beach. Also, no one, even the commoners, wanted to eat lobster because it is a bottom dweller. If they did have to eat lobster, they did it in private because it embarrassed them. Yet, today, beach homes are very expensive, and lobster is considered a delicacy. Interesting, huh?
Tuesday, June 3 - Thursday, June 5
In Boston, we stayed with some friends from the Salvation Army: Captain Bill and Sue.
Their home is a mansion located in Dorchester, MA, along the only safe street where, surprisingly, there are several other mansions. They bought the home to be able to minister to the urban poor. They also partner with Gordon College. Gordon sends its
students into Dorchester, and they live and eat at the Salvation Army home, take classes at a satellite campus, and work in Boston in order to grasp urban ministry. You could definitely feel a unique sense of community in the house between the family, the college students, Bill’s cousin, and Ann, a woman who lives there off the street. They do ministry out of the home (church, education, free food, programs, etc.), but the
college students mainly experience what it’s like to live in an in-depth community of people. They cooked several meals for us and invited us into their lives for the few short days we were there. Another random piece of information about our room in this mansion – it was actually the room of Jonathan Knight from New Kids on the Block! The Salvation Army purchased the home from the Knight family; it was their childhood/teenage home! The influence of 80’s money was everywhere, from the waterfall sinks to full wall-sized mirrors. It was wicked awesome dude. We spent three days in Boston, and we loved every minute of it! We took the freedom trail tour where we saw the home of the Boston Tea Party, Central Station (like Union Station), the financial district, Chinatown, the theatre district, Boston Gardens, Old North Church (where Paul Revere hung the lanterns), the gravesite of all the old historical folk, and much more. Neither of us realized the role that Boston played in
the freedom of slaves, and it was interesting to see all the historic buildings capture in the heart of downtown Boston. We also enjoyed delicious Italian food (authentic!) and pastries in the North End of Boston. Let's see what else...oh, I slept in Starbucks, Frank met Chris Bosch, I celebrated my 26th birthday, we saw the Boston bar that was the muse of the TV show, Cheers (sadly, once it became famous it destroyed the small town ambiance that made it a favorite local bar and the TV show's theme), toured Harvard and learned that its central statue is one big lie, which is ironic since its logo is truth. I have a whole lot of stories about Harvard, but I don't want this to be a book. And, OF COURSE, we went to a Red Sox game! I have to admit, Fenway Park was pretty awesome. And when Frank saw it, he was as excited as a kid on Christmas morning. The ballpark definitely has a character all of its own. It was so small (seats were tiny!), but that’s what gives it charm. We actually entered the “ballpark” on the street outside
the stadium because of its size. Inside the stadium, there were about 3 concession stands; there was more food outside the stadium, but in the “ballpark.” We chose a good game to watch because, not only did the Sox win, but we also saw a streaker. He actually made it across the entire field before being caught in the stadium! Thursday, June 5 - Friday, June 6
On to Rhode Island! Brutal weather – cold and windy! But, we still tried to experience Newport as much as possible. We walked along the port, cobblestone streets, drank
coffee at a local coffee shop (where I had the worst Chai ever), and saw the oldest Jewish synagogue and public library in America. We then went for walk along the cliff walk (a MUST) and looked at all the old mansions. Some of them have been converted into museums – they were originally built by rich, international dignitaries as vacation homes for 6 weeks out of the year. Then, they were abandoned, and a group went on a hunt for original furnishings of the mansions and restored a lot of them. We didn’t go on a tour (it was $16.50!), and I had a really hard time paying money to support a big structure that people had invested billions of their dollars into...especially when there is so much poverty in this word. So, we just looked at the outside. After dinner, a good night's rest, and breakfast at Duncan Donuts to symbolize the end of our trip
(America may not run on Duncan, but New England certainly does!), we spent the first two hours of our trip trying to GET OUT of Rhode Island. Hard to believe, I know, but Rhode Island really loves its small town and just wants all drivers who enter to spend some time in the small towns. After a 17 hour drive through RI, CT, NY, NJ, PA, WV, and KY, and stopping at Cracker Barrel (a Haynes' family tradition on road trips), we finally arrived back at home in Wilmore, KY!
1 comment:
I haven't been able to read the whole entry yet, but I just wanted to say that I'm afraid you won't be able to cook in my kitchen! I now know of two kitchens in two countries and two continents you have almost burned down!! ;) We miss y'all!
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