Road Trip, On the Way Home

 

We enjoyed a sweet day after the wedding with my brother and new sister-in-law.

They introduced us to a little bit of Maine's beauty before we hit the road again.

When we planned this big 3200 mile road trip, we knew we wanted to front load the trip with people and places because after the wedding we would be ready to get home.

But even while traveling, one still has to stop and find "facilities" and walk around a little bit.  So even with the push to get many miles packed into each day, we planned our pit stops for some fun.  Like Lock 17 on the Erie Canal.

Niagara Falls, because we were too close not to let Aaron and Katherine see it for the first time.  

We also continued our tour of presidential homes at James Garfield's absolutely beautiful home and enjoyed an incredibly long and detailed private tour because the weather was so bad.

Sunset on the stormy Lake Erie made us squeal and run back to the van, thankful for the warmth of the heater.

But mostly, we just drove, worked, and schooled as we pushed toward home.

And after three weeks on the road, it was so very good to be home again.

Road Trip to Maine, Wedding Day

 

I have never attended a more thoughtful wedding.

Every detail, from the bride's wedding Arkansas Razorbacks rehearsal attire 

and the groom signing the last line of his vows to honor his wife's calling as a sign language interpreter,

to the reception held at a bowling alley so that everyone involved could find an activity or a food that fit each need and personality.

Road Trip to Maine, Part 6

 We finally arrived at our destination..Portland, Maine.

All of the siblings don't gather very often.  We're spread out from Minnesota to the Solomon Islands to Maine to Arkansas.

So it was a special treat to play Dutch Blitz and enjoy catching up...just the six of us.

Our big kids couldn't make the long trip, but anytime we travel, my family picture comes with me.  This time, it sat in the kitchen of our cute little third floor Air BnB.

Meeting my new sister-in-law was a joy.  She even invited me to join her and my brother at their gyms on several different days.

Portland has beautiful trails, and Aaron and I enjoyed the Back Cove trail for a morning jog.  Fall was just peaking during our trip, and this girl who loves seasons soaked up every minute.

Our family enjoys PBS and the variety of shows they provide.  When we watched "A Few Good Pie Places" a few months ago, we were delighted to discover Two Fat Cats Bakery in Portland.

So we tried it out and agreed that their pie is delicious!

Road Trip to Maine, Part 5

 We met the Castros, friends from college, in Boston to enjoy the Freedom Trail as well as a tour of food in this historic city.

Not on the Freedom Trail, but something I found fascinating, the "Make Way for the Ducklings" statues waddling through the park from one of our favorite picture books.

The last time we saw David, we were in Honiara.

Katherine really hit it off with their youngest,

and we had a blast exploring the history of the city with these friends who shared our music training years in Florida.

Sites like the Old South Meeting House and the Granary Burying Ground gave us peeks into places and events we had only read about in school.

Val and David introduced us to Mike's Pastry, famous for its cannelloni.

It did not disappoint.

We ate them outside of Paul Revere's house.

We love to adventure eat, so after our friends drove back home, 

we finished the day at The Daily Catch and tried their squid ink pasta with ground calimari.  The perfect way to end a beautiful day!

Road Trip to Maine, Part 4

The last time we connected with the Brigglers, they visited Arkansas where Greg grew up with Aaron and me.

This time we visited them in New York City, where we explored some history (the Seward statue in the background).

 

Unfortunately Teddy Roosevelt's birthplace was closed.  We still posed for pics (my hubby makes me laugh even after all these years)!

 We tried cheese curds for the first time, too.  Beecher's Handmade Cheese was such a fun place to stop and look around.   I hadn't been to the Big Apple since I came with the children's choir in 2013. Katherine and Aaron had never been.  The Brigglers are kindred spirits, and time with them is always refreshing.

Road Trip to Maine, Part 3

 

We continued our tour of presidential homes with a quick stop at Mt. Vernon.

Unbeknownst to us, the day we chose coincided with a homeschool day,

as well as an ongoing archaeological dig.

Then we were back on the road...Katherine doing van school, Aaron working in the passenger's seat, and Mama driving.

Road Trip to Maine, Part 2

 

Hotel stays across from a beautiful old church

with a wild evening of Dutch Blitz and chocolate for CelloTrio.

And an early hotel morning with a family picture, Jesus, and coffee.

And we were on the road again to visit Jefferson's Monticello.  

I restrained myself from buying one of these hilarious travel mugs.

Katherine and Aaron had never been to Jefferson's home, and I hadn't visited in more than thirty years.