Road Trip, Volume 4

It's been over 2 weeks and 3,000 miles and it's not over yet!

We had a lovely time in Massachusetts with The Big Guy's sister. Whenever we weren't doing something else The May Queen would grab one or more of us to play Uno with her. She also was rather taken with the dogs, although I'm not sure the feeling was entirely mutual. Picking blackberries in her Aunt's backyard was also a treat.

We took a few day trips - one up to York Beach in Maine where we went to a fun amusement park/zoo combo where we rode an elephant and a paddle boat, eyed the beach from the ferris wheel and enjoyed other carnival rides and animal viewing (the animals were really active, with lots of babies, so it was quite fun!)

Afterwards we ducked over to the beach so The May Queen could get into the Atlantic for the first time. It was so cold it was like icicles were stabbing us in the feet! She loved to stand still and "shrink" as the waves in and out pulled the sand out from under our feet and we sank lower and lower. We also built a sandcastle, a new home for a hermit crab we found, before heading back.

The next day we went into Vermont and canoed the Connecticut River. Alas, no pictures, but it was a nice morning in the Green Mountain State. We enjoyed our lunch in town, where it seemed every other store was a bookstore, but I missed my chance to go into the store that was named "Save the Corporations from Themselves" due to stopping to watch a little excitement with firetrucks.

We went into New Hampshire several times to visit with an old friend of The Big Guy's from when he lived and worked there. As we drove to the restaurant where they drank many a sangria together in times past MQ asked where we were going. "Down memory lane," I replied. I received a sideways glare. But I spoke the truth.

On the way out of Massachusetts we stopped at the Eric Carle Museum of Picture Book Art, which was fun, and MQ enjoyed making her own tissue paper art. This may be the only picture I have ever taken in a public bathroom, but we loved all the animal tiles and enjoyed remembering which book they were from.

We stopped in Philly to visit again with friends there before heading south to drop The Big Guy off at camp with a group from church tomorrow. We girls will continue on to visit with more family in South Carolina. In some ways it's hard being so spread out from our family and friends, but it sure makes for fun vacations!

A few of the states we've visited since my last update:

Road Trip Volume 3

It's been a while since my last Road Trip update, but we've been busy having a great time. Last Wed we travelled north.Although we weren't able to keep up our state picture streak (oddly enough they don't have a welcome area in Maryland as you exit Washington DC) we did get this great picture of The Big Guy (for all of you who doubted he was really with us!):

When we pulled into this Wendy's for lunch The May Queen had just fallen asleep (the ONLY sleep she's done in the car to date) and I had tried to gently wake her up with a "time for lunch," to which she opened her eyes and went back to sleep. But when we stopped she opened her eyes and exclaimed," Cool! I want a frosty." Now we know what it takes to wake her up!

We continued on to Philadelphia, where we stayed with my college roomie, her husband and their little boy (19 months old). It was so wonderful to hang out with them again - we spent a lot of time together when we all lived in Philly for the 3 years after we graduated. And it's wonderful to see what great parents they are now. The May Queen was very sweet with their boy. We had a very relaxed time there, enjoying trips to the park and a local orchard where we fed deer and other animals. The May Queen also went across the monkey bars all by herself for the very first time. Mom and Dad and their backs are breathing a big sigh of relief.

Abby also got her first taste of a Philly Cheesesteak.

Yum.

On Saturday I headed up to NYC with another friend for a girls night, and that is a whole other post...

While I was up there The Big Guy and MQ took in a few historical Philly sites.

The next morning I took a train out to New Jersey where I met up with my family and had brunch with an old friend and his family (again, fun to see how great a dad he is to his adorable children).

We then continued on to Rhode Island (again, no welcome center in Connecticut as you exit NYC!), where we stopped for an early dinner with a family who moved away from Louisiana earlier this year, and then continued on to Massachusetts, where we are now staying with my sister in law.

Whew.

(even without the photos, The May Queen is enjoying adding the states to her magnetic map as we add them to the list! Right now she has been to 24 states - no all on this trip, of course!)

Road Trip Volume 2

double double toil and trouble

We've been teaching the May Queen some magic potions on this road trip. OK, she's really learning about clouds at this GREAT science museum (The Museum of Life and Science) in Raleigh, NC that my Aunt and Uncle took us to. We spent nearly 6 hours there, and could have spent more. It was very hands on, and very diverse. We've been having a great time here. The May Queen adored my cousins (high school aged), and they were excellent at entertaining her (Uno, Wii, coloring, a secret clubhouse, playing with the dogs...). Getting here we were able to bring The May Queen into two new states.

It also just so happens that a friend of mine from high school JUST MOVED HERE (the moving van was arriving TODAY) so last night we were able to go out for drinks and catch up, which was a lovely addition to the trip.

Tomorrow we have another long day of driving to bring us to Philly, but fortunately The May Queen has been a stoic little traveler. And I still have a bag of tricks.