abc's of travel

A - We tried to find an art supply store. We typed one into the GPS and it erroneously took us to an Fine Arts and Frame store. We went in and told an employee what we needed asked where we might buy some art supplies. He could not come up with anything nearby and he actually said in all seriousness, "You could try New Hampshire . . ." Really? in all the whole state of Massachusetts we wouldn't be able to find some paper and chalk? ok then, we'll try New Hampshire! The funny thing was that we drove about 10 miles down the road and found a Michael's Craft store. . . in New Hampshire.
B - This photo is indicative of our life as business owners. No matter what we are doing, we still have clients to attend to. Dave is dusting off a 300 year old gravestone of his ancestor in Massachusetts while talking to a client in Arizona about a fire alarm system.
C -We followed our GPS directions to this address in New York City. Can you see a church here? We couldn't either until we saw a man in a white shirt and tie walking down the sidewalk. We followed him until we found the front door to the church. We walked in and had to take an elevator up to the chapel on the 4th floor. Cool!
D - Boston seems to be the Dunkin Donuts Capital of the World! We had a pact to not eat at any chain restaurants while on this trip. But we caved in and stopped to get a Donut before we left Boston. They were EVERYWHERE!
E - An Electrical Storm kept us in Boston for an extra two hours on our return flight home. Which makes perfect sense since we risked life and limb driving through an intense electrical storm to get to the airport on time. During our crazy drive to the airport we received a text from the airline assuring us the flight was still leaving on time.
F - Five States, Seven people, Eight days - Massachusetts, Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York and New Hampshire. We counted up all the states we had ever been in. We counted Connecticut even though we just drove through the corner of the state on this trip. We didn't stay there, make a purchase of any kind, or even stop to go to the bathroom. What are the rules for counting states? I don't count a state if it's just a layover on an airline flight, but we did actually see Connecticut out the window of the car. Does that count? I'm counting it. In Melanie's 16 years, she has visited 27 states. I have been in 32 states and Dave has been in 44 states. I think he needs to get to 50, but I don't know when he will ever get to Delaware or North Dakota.
G - There is a paint color named "Nantucket Grey". Benjamin Moore must make a killing on this island with that color. Madeline saw the best saying on a T-shirt: "Turn at the grey house with the white trim". haha

H - I've heard of Hyannis, the playground of the rich and summer home of the Kennedys. Now I've been there.
I - "You don't eat cows when you are on an island! You eat fish! Do you order Chinese food when you are in Mexico? No! What's wrong with you people?" Madeline tried so hard to convert the Hale clan over to a seafood diet. Dave ate fish, Melanie tried a couple of bites, I told her I would when we got to Nantucket, but in the end I disappointed her and ate chicken.

J - John Alden, an ancestor of mine 12 generations or so back, came to America on the Mayflower. He was made famous by Longfellow's poem "The Courtship of Miles Standish" (which I thought was factual history my whole life but sadly later found out the story was a bit fictionalized), but the most awesome thing about him? His claim to fame is now a gift shop that is open and thriving across the street from the Mayflower Ship.
K - "KaKah! KaKaaah!" The international call for lost people in a crowd.
L - Licking the Statue of Liberty. Why? I cannot answer that. There was also a high five to Miss Liberty.
M - The Mayflower - I thought it would be bigger. It was pretty small to be carrying so many people. All I could think of was the potential stink of 102 passengers, 25 crew members and 66 days. Brave, brave people indeed.N - What could be better than a day in Nantucket - the Whale museum, exploring, shopping, swimming at the beach, great restaurants, and a little more shopping.
O - We walked part of Boston's Freedom Trail and toured the Old North Church, "One if by Land and Two if by Sea". Dave has memorized the whole poem "Paul Revere's Ride". It's pretty long so that is an amazing feat. I also recently found out that this poem has been generally accepted as factual history, but that darned Longfellow somewhat fictionalized this story too.
P - Photographotical
Pho-to-gra-pho-ti-cal [Fo-tah'-gra-fah'-ti-cul] -adjective
1. the act of successfully pointing a camera
2. being the successful subject of said camera
3. camera skillz
This was one of many comical words used traveling with three funny teenage girls.

Q - (Surprisingly I have 2 entries for the letter Q!)

"At some point, cobblestone streets are not so quaint anymore"- Madeline, after awkwardly and sometimes painfully walking over the uneven rocky paths all day in Nantucket.

Quincy Market, downtown Boston- a seemingly mile long food court. We ate there three times.

R - "Recalculating" - Seriously, this word spoken over and over and over, gives me anxiety. I feel like eventually the voice on the GPS will start yelling at us to just follow the directions she gave us already!
S - Suburban - Joe had some mad driving skills to take a big full size Suburban through downtown New York City, Brooklyn and Boston. He was doing U-turns in parking garages, parallel parking, and zipping through traffic like a native New Yorker! Awesome.

T - Trolleys, Tolls and Tickets (fortunately just event tickets, not traffic tickets). I didn't carry much cash on this trip, and was wiped out quickly by the never ending toll booths. I should have remembered this. It was the one unexpected expense on our last road trip together years ago that dwindled our cash supply then too.
U - USS Constitution - Didn't tour it, but we saw it. A big wooden ship from the war of 1812 in the Boston Harbor.

V - Vanishing Dave - A little impatient with group planning decisions, we would often find Dave missing. He'd just walk ahead and move on with his day while we were deciding where to go or what to eat. Making decisions with 7 people is not easy. This was not our most organized or pre-planned vacation.

W - The Nantucket Whaling Museum. We made the girls get some history/culture before they were excused to head toward shopping or the beach. We sat through a presentation on the chase, capture, killing and eventual processing of whales in years past. Gory, yet kind of fascinating. As we listened we sat beneath a 46 foot whale skeleton.
X - (I am impressed that I have two entries for the letter X, too!) Our flight out was later than we originally thought so we had a couple of hours to spare. We stopped at a theater near the airport and hoped something of interest would be playing at exactly 2:45 pm. It was X-Men. Not my favorite genre of movies, but seemed to be enjoyed by the rest of the group. Then we dashed to the airport. Dave and I carefully packed our carry-on bag that morning with airport security in mind. Then both of us slipped in a full 16 ounce drink at some point during the day and both of us forgot about them. Both our bags got pulled off the conveyor belt for inspection. Oops. I got through security easily. Dave had to be X-rayed, but Melanie won the jackpot. She got a pat-down on her hiney. Yay!

Y - Yarmouth - I've never heard of this town, but it is down the street from the ferry to Nantucket and has a very nice hotel called the Ambassador Inn. Highly recommend.

Z - Zzzzzz's - I am kind of amazed at how many places teenage girls could sleep. On the trolley, in the museum, in a suburban, on the beach, and surprisingly a little bit at the hotel at night. I was worried about lack of sleep the first night when we could hear them in the room next door laughing together long into the night hours.