Welcome!

This past summer we were the beneficiaries of my brother Mike working in New York City. In July he scheduled a weekend up to Boston to visit our family. The excitement built as the kids counted the days until he would arrive. Finally, on July 9th, I raced into Boston to meet Mike at South Station. He had come on the BOLT bus, a four hour ride from Manhattan, which was well worth the $15 ticket. Mike and I headed to the North End, the heart of the Italian neighborhood, for dinner at LoConte's for plates of simmering Gnocchi. We stopped at Mike's Pastries for an assorted box of canolies, wedding cookies and marzipan to take home to the kids.

On Friday we spent the day in Lexington and Concord, visiting the Revolutionary War sites. We toured the Buckman Tavern on the Lexington Green where the Minutemen gathered in 1775 to await the Redcoats. The highlight of the house was the bullet holes still remaining from the fateful night of April 19th when the Patriots were attacked. We watched a multimedia presentation documenting the timeline leading up to the Revolutionary War and then rode our bikes along the battle road. We ended our day at Kimble Farms for "child sized" ice cream cones.

In the afternoon we met Steve for a trip up to Rockport for a night on the seashore. We watched the sailboats, photographed picturesque boat houses and lobster shacks, strolled along Bearskin Neck, a quaint street jutting out into the Atlantic lined with art galleries, and finally enjoyed cups of clam chowder under the screens of a Red Sox game in a local restaurant joint. Having Mike in town was a great way to celebrate my birthday!

The next day we made our way into Boston to see the tall ships. Every eight years a fleet of tall ships compete for the Atlantic Challenge Cup. Beginning in April, they sail the North Atlantic, from Spain, stopping in the Canary Island, Bermuda, the US, Canada and ending in Ireland in August, racing from port to port. We spent the day wandering around Boston, watching the street performers and even stopping at 7-11 for free Slurpee's the celebrate the date, 7/11.

The next day we attended church together and then wandered around the grounds of the Wayside Inn. We toured the grist mill, visited Mary's school house, and looked for just the right angles to photograph the chapel that Henry Ford built and the picturesque inn where Longfellow stayed. After Sunday dinner we returned Mike back to South Station so that he could catch the BOLT back to New York City.

In October Mike came for another visit over Columbus Day. Once again we could hardly contain our excitement over the visit. On Saturday Mike and I escaped with Mia and headed south. Our first goal for the day was to find cranberry bogs on Cape Cod. Columbus Day is the peak for the Autumn leaves, so we meandered along country roads enjoying each farmhouse tucked against a backdrop of golden foliage. After a certain amount of wandering, we surpassed our cranberry bog goal when we happened upon an entire cranberry festival. We took a short bus ride out to the bogs and watched as the cranberries were harvested, one bog at a time. We didn't leave until we ate cranberry cookies, drank cranberry juice and purchased a chocolate cranberry tart for the car ride, along with a bag of cranberries freshly harvested just a few hundred yards away.

We then continued south to Newport RI. Our time was limited so we headed straight to the Marble House for a tour through the Vanderbilts' mansions. We heard of parties from the roaring twenties where the tradition for the host and guests was to ride silver trays down the grand staircase, we toured one gilded room after another, walked the grounds looking over the Atlantic Ocean and got a glimpse into the Vanderbilt lifestyle by learning tid bits such as 24 dozen roses were delivered to the mansion each day!

We walked along the Cliff Walk, which hugs the back yards of historical and modern mansions with cliffs dropping in the Atlantic on the other side.

We drove along Ocean Drive and envied the modern mansions of today perched above the ocean with sweeping views of the water. We ended our time in Newport watching the sunset over the Atlantic at Brenton State Park.

As the light faded, we made our way up to Providence RI for Waterfire, an environmental art installation where 100 bonfires are lit on the three rivers that separate Providence. Classical and world music play throughout the downtown area and luminaries light the trees. By the time we returned home, we climbed in bed satisfied with our day.

On Sunday we enjoyed our traditional crepe breakfast, attended church and came home for Sunday dinner and Family Home Evening. We loved having Mike join us.

The next morning we headed out to apple pick, a New England tradition that each fall visitor must experience. We quickly located the Spencers, filled our bag and headed back to the car. Unfortunately this was the day to say our good-byes to Uncle Mike. I whisked Mike to the airport, ending a weekend to be remembered!