Monday, October 3, 2016

Trip highlights (sort of)

This is one of the many antique shops we visited in Wiscasset, ME. 

It's been more than a month since my last post. During that time, I spent two weeks on my trip east —half of it with Jordie and half of it with Kim. 

On the first half of the trip, Jordie and I drove to Chicago to sightsee and watch a Cubs game. Then we headed toward Baltimore to catch an Orioles game at Camden Yard, which is a super nice field. The game was fun, but it wasn't as awesome as Wrigley Field in Chicago, with all the crazy, screaming fans. 

After our Baltimore and Chicago (mis)adventures (driving in downtown areas pulling the trailer, I might add), we headed to Boston to do the touristy things. LOVED it! But I wish we had had more time.  I definitely want to go back.

Don't ask about our drive through New Jersey and New York City. HIDEOUSLY stressful. By the way, Gov. Christie is a thief. Those New Jersey toll fees are criminal. We paid $50 at one of them!! I don't know why, either, because the state's roads are terrible. Is all that money padding politicians' pockets, instead of going to road maintenance???

Kim and I sat at a little cafe for lunch in Townsend, MA. Lots and lots of little white churches in the Northeast.
Jordie and I had a great time at the awesome Wrigley Field. 

One of many fancy homes in Martha's Vineyard.

Jordie flew back to Amarillo from Boston, because school started in a couple of days for him, and Kim met up with me in Boston. Kim and I began the "girly" and antique portion of the trip with our Boston Harbor (Hahba) cruise and then our drive to West Townsend, MA. 

From Massachusetts, we headed up into Maine so I could shop at all the places I've only seen and heard about. I felt all giddy and like a kid in a candy store the whole time. Poor Kim. She's not into my kind of early American antiques. But she was a trooper anyway. 

This is the red-painted hutch table and yellow Samuel Gragg elastic back Windsor chairs I picked up in Massachusetts. 

We ate lobster rolls, and I don't even like lobster. These surprised me so much that I ate them at two different places. We saw so many beautiful homes and landscapes, I didn't want to come home. I wanted, instead, to tell Dorsey to pack up and move us to Maine. He would never, of course. 

I guess I'll just make another trip or two in my lifetime ...

After spending two nights in Portland, ME., which I really enjoyed and could have spent more time, Kim and I headed to Falmouth, MA., where we took the ferry across to Martha's Vineyard. We spent a day sightseeing MV,  and then it was time to head back home ... for two-and-a-half days.

The overall trip was great. I enjoyed everything we did, but I could have spent so much more time at each place. I felt disappointment at leaving each destination — except Baltimore. Baltimore scared the crap out of me. I learned, too, to avoid busy cities when pulling a trailer. Way too scary. I mean, really really scary. 

I also learned I need to learn to back up the trailer, even though I don't like it. To me, the best way to back up a trailer is to not have to. 

I found, too, that I can do just about anything scary (i.e., out of my comfort zone) I make myself ... I drove almost 5,000 miles. Just me. I didn't let Jordie or Kim help. (Audio books are the best.) 

Kim and I headed home by way of the southern states until we got to Flower Mound, where I dropped Kim off, spent the night and headed home. 

I missed my family and my zoo!  

Allie was so clingy when I got home. 

Max has sat in the water bowl since he was little. I don't think he realizes he's getting too big.

Emma's all snuggled up to Indy.

These three pups love one another.

It's been nice to be home — although I'm already thinking about the next trip east, next summer! It was that impressive to me.

I'll write a new post in a couple of days about what's been happening since that trip ... like painting projects and an antique show.  And Mama Kitty. 

More pics, too.