Boston

Bwo-ston, where they eat "lobstah" and "chowda'" (and they even spell it that way!)...  LOVE IT!!

We girls took the train (Amtrak's Downeaster) to Boston on Thursday.  THAT is a fun way to travel.  No gas.  No parking (parking is very expensive and inconvenient and hard to find in Maine and Massachusetts).  LOTS of great views.  Blueberry soda.  Plenty of self-imposed entertainment...

We hopped of at the North Station, and walked down the cute little streets to Boston Commons.

Boston Commons:

Downtown:

(Georgetown Cupcakes!)

We took a Duck Tour, which packed in all sorts of fun and LOTS of important Boston sites, including many Freedom Trail sites.

Jen's awesome reaction when our "bus" entered The Charles (river):

 Her cousin even got to steer the boat!

After trying a little of just about every food in Boston (and taking the leftovers with us for the ride), we took the subway back to the train.  The conductor laughed at us about 2/3-way home, saying "You guys have been eating since we left Boston!"  That's how we did it-we had to try everything!  :)

The Trip, Part 2 (Maine)

We flew through Newark to Portland on Tuesday night.  (Flying into Newark, alongside Manhattan, just as the sun was going down and the lights were coming up, was breathtaking!  We saw all the sites, including famous buildings and the Statue of Liberty, just as we were about to land.  Incredible!)

Portland Highlights:

This is a park (with a boat dock just off of it) which is literally a block away from Care's house.  Her backyard looks out onto the water, and the neighborhood is ALL about boating, lobster, and the ocean.  So refreshing!

One funny thing--we were there just at the tail end of winter, so there were covered boats in everyone's yards, buoys pulled out of the water and left on empty lots, lobster cages in parking areas just waiting to be taken out for spring...  Care said in just a couple of weeks, the docks will be extended, tourists will return (cruise ships pour into downtown Portland a couple times a day, bringing thousands), and the harbors will be full again of hundreds of little boats.  Such a fun place!

We took the kids out of school for lunch and went to this awesome hamburger joint where we tried new "local fare":  hamburgers with "red relish" and grilled onions, and fries topped with celery salt and vinegar!  Yum!

Girls' afternoon out:  the cousins made "nail supply dishes" at Color Me Mine, while the moms got to relax!

We had a special chance Wednesday evening to visit the kids' school for a wonderful 4th grade arts night, then we headed home to prepare for a big day Thursday...

Pics from Palmyra-Palmyra Temple and Joseph Smith Farm

Pics from Palmyra-Grandin Press/Cumorah

Pics from Niagra Falls and Buffalo

Key: Detroit Airport, Niagra Falls, The Chocolate Bar in Buffalo (my favorite restaurant!)

The Trip, part 1

Mike took Jen and I to the airport in the wee hours of the morning on Easter Sunday. We flew through Detroit to Rochester, then drove into Palmyra, where we got to stay for a couple of days. We were able to see almost all the cool historic church sites there, as well as take a day trip to Niagra Falls!

Monday morning, we headed up to the American side of the falls. They were incredible! (An interesting note: the area under the falls was still packed with snow and ice chunks!) That evening, we returned to Palmyra and toured the Grandin Press, where the Book of Mormon was first published. We also went to the Hill Cumorah, where the plates were buried.

Tuesday morning, we spent time looking around the Palmyra Temple, the Joseph Smith Farm, and all the sites and buildings there.

My favorite spot was the Sacred Grove. Jen liked the Printing Press.

We are now at the airport waiting for our flights to Maine. We can't wait to get there!

Maine Trip with Jen

Hooray! Jen and I are on a trip to Maine to see Care! We always wondered if we'd be able to visit, but it really didn't seem possible. Mike surprised us a couple of months ago with a "sample itinerary" for "if we ever might be able to". Then the trip seemed a possibility, however remote. But a week and a half ago, it all pulled together. The flights we found were at decent prices and times, and we found we could time it to coincide with Spring Break. The other kids were kind enough to accept alternative plans for the vacation, and we were on our way! THANK YOU, MIKE!!!