Part Two

Vacation began at 3:20 Saturday morning after half a night of sleep. We pulled out of our driveway in the green glow of our dash with the boys questioning our sanity and the reasoning behind leaving when it was still so obviously nighttime. We watched the sun rise over the lush Pennsylvania hills, made a brief pass through Maryland and were in DC by lunchtime.
Our nation's capitol is packed full of things to do. It's also packed full of people. The main attraction for us, however, had little to do with the Captiol or its plethora of offerings. We had come to see our friends, the Chaffees. If they were the only sight we saw, we would have been completely satisfied, as would our boys because they loved the Chaffees' children. In addition to spending a couple days and nights in the company of cherished friends, we did visit some sights in and around DC.

(National Zoo)

(Washington Temple)

(Fairfax, VA)

Monday afternoon, the adventure headed north along the Atlantic coast. We raced past Baltimore and Philadelphia, hoping to make it well beyond New York by sundown. The day began in Virginia, made its way around DC, dipped into parts of Maryland,Delware,Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and landed itself in Connecticut. We witnessed the last shred of light with still another forty minutes before crossing the George Washington Bridge and driving through the heart of the Bronx. Not wanting to stop anywhere near the city, we kept pushing through the dark until we found ourselves, exhausted, part way through Connecticut and very near the witching hour. The man at the front desk of the cheapest hotel we could locate had a very thick accent. Inadequate communication landed us in a room with only one king size bed. We were too tired to complain. As it turned out, cramming our whole family into one bed was a highlight of the boys' vacation.
Tuesday morning led us cheerfully through the remainder of Connecticut, along the coast of Rhode Island, and into Massachussetts, where we would spend the following couple of days. The majority of our time was spent exploring the beaches of Cape Cod where I hoped to teach my sons to love the ocean like I do.

(Plymouth Rock)

(The boys' crab, Sandy Neck Beach)

The last day of our travels was, coincidentally, spent traveling. We made our unhurried way across the westward expanse of Massachusetts and through the first half of New York back to our home. Stops along the way included Adams National Historic Park in Quincy and a quaint Western Mass. town called Shelburne, where at no cost, you can observe glacial potholes, walk over a bridge completely covered in vegetation, and watch glass blowing. And then we were back to the dark, quiet country where our journey began.

(John Adams' home, "Peacefield")

(the trolley ride between the two Adams properties)

(Gerret swinging around a pole in the trolley)

(John Adams' Birthplace)