End of the Road

After 15 days and 4,033 miles we pulled into Boston about 4:30 PM today. Our hotel for tonight is a block from Fenway Park. The Red Sox game was letting out as we arrived: they were beaten by the Mariners!

The big July 4th fireworks are launched over the Charles River just a few blocks from our hotel. So we killed time (and kept the girls awake) by going to a movie (Ice Age 3). Audrey held out and got to see her first live fireworks show. Charlotte fell asleep in Carol's arms about 10 minutes before the fireworks started (it didn't start until 10:40). Carol and I will have sore backs tomorrow from carrying both girls all the way back to the hotel.

We had a fantastic trip. The Yellowstone challenges seem like a distant memory. We had a lot of fun together and the girls got to see a lot of interesting sights. Seeing my relatives in Chicago and Detroit was a real highlight for me. The girls fared better in the van than we could ever have expected. They got pretty accustomed to driving for hours every day.

Once we got the CV joint fixed in Montana, Ruby brought us through with flying colors. She ran like a dream. We had fun camping in her about a third of the nights on the trip. We look forward to exploring New England and beyond in her.

One thing I keep meaning to report is just how much road construction we saw along the way. At least a couple hundred miles of I-90 are being resurfaced. We went through one 26-mile section in South Dakota where one half of the dual roadway was completely removed down to the soil and was being reconstructed. From Montana onward we passed through many, many long construction zones. And there are many bridges being rebuilt or repaired. Some of the projects are signed as being part of stimulus programs. A lot more of them probably are but aren't signed as such.

Now we move on to getting settled. Tomorrow we'll find a place to do some laundry. Monday I report to my new office. Tuesday we close the purchase of the new house. Wednesday the movers arrive with our stuff and the TV and internet services get installed. Then we get unpacked and start living a normal life again.

Carol and I love a good road trip. We're looking forward to having a home again and to reestablishing the girls' routines, but we'll also miss being vagabonds. Thanks for following along!

New York and Pennsylvania

After Niagara Falls we spent Tuesday night in a hotel in Batavia, NY. It was a tired Holiday Inn but it had a decent restaurant and a pool right outside our room. And a crappy Internet connection so I didn't have the patience to post from there.

Niagara Falls Photos (Click)

On Wednesday we took side roads for a few hours to Watkin's Glen, NY. If you're an auto racing fan you're familiar with the Glen - it is home to a famous road racing circuit. It turns out the KOA campground there is about a mile from the track. We took a drive by it. It is hosting an Indy car race this weekend and the annual Nascar event on August 9th.

The town of Watkin's Glen is at the south end of Seneca Lake, one of the Finger Lakes in central New York. The highlight of our visit was the gorge at Watkin's Glen State Park.

Today we drove down from Watkin's Glen to the Delaware Water Gap on the Pennsylvania - New Jersey border. It's where the Delaware River cuts through a ridge of the Appalachians. We're staying at another KOA here but sleeping in the van. This is our 4th KOA of the trip. They cost more then a state park, but they have hot water in the bathrooms and showers and they almost all have pools and playgrounds. Well worth the extra few bucks.

Watkins Glen Photos (Click)

One reason we came here was to get closer to New York City. We'll go there tomorrow and spend the day with my friend Bill and his kids Cole and Tate.

Canadian Bypass

We left Aunt Charlotte's in Livonia, MI this morning about 10:00
headed for Niagara Falls. I thought we would go through the Windsor
Tunnel out of downtown Detroit, but Tomtom said it was faster to go
north to Port Huron, MI and cross to Canada that way.

We loved traversing north of Lake Erie via Ontario instead of the
south shore via Ohio. Almost no traffic and much, much better roads.
Man, we saw some really terrible road surface in Illinois, Indiana and
Michigan.

The weather changed yesterday in Michigan and eastward with much lower
temperature and occasional rain. We drove through a very heavy squall
near Brantford, ON. It was so heavy that all traffic on the freeway
slowed to about 20mph and many people turned on their emergency
flashers. It lasted about 5 minutes and then the sun came out again.

In mid-afternoon we pulled into Niagara Falls. I think the Canadian
side might be the most touristy place I have ever seen. It was like
the Las Vegas strip compressed into a few blocks. We found a good
parking place near the Skylon with a very convenient path down to the
overlook.

Fortunately the sun was out and we had a leisurely walk from American
Falls down to Horseshoe Falls and back. Then we hopped back in the
car, crossed the Rainbow Bridge back into the US and headed east to
Batavia, NY where we are staying the night.

We decided not to go to Toronto and Montreal. We think we're going to
make out way slowly across New York, visiting the Finger Lakes and
maybe touch the Adirondacks. We're playing it by ear at the moment.

We've put about 3,300 miles on Ruby since leaving Seattle.

Motor City

Yesterday we drove from Chicago to the Detroit area. We went to the
home of my cousin Renee and her husband Andy and their kids Andrea and
Alex in Canton, MI. They were hosting a gathering in our honor. Also
there were my Aunt Charlotte and my cousin Andre and his wife Jill and
kids Nichole, Marcel, Royale, Pierre and Maurice.

I last saw Charlotte, Andre, Jill and Renee in 1978. It was wonderful
to see them again and to meet their families.

Renee and her family have a pool. Audrey got in shortly after we
arrived and spent the next four hours in the water with me, Nichole or
Andrea.

Today we relaxed at Aunt Charlotte's house. The photo is at the
elementary school across the road. Audrey spent most of the day
playing with Aunt Charlotte's new kitten Tascha. Our Charlotte spent
the day being inexplicably terrified of the kitten.

This afternoon we met Renee and her family for dinner and they
surprised me by inviting my Uncle Ed. During our brief visit to
Detroit we got to see all of my family here. What a treat.

Tomorrow we'll head east again. We're going to take the Canadian route
to Niagara Falls. We haven't decided where we'll go from there. Maybe
northeast to Toronto and Montreal then down through Vermont and New
Hampshire or maybe just straight across New York to Boston.

And Now For Something Completely Different

When I told Uncle Gary and Aunt Kathy our planned visit dates they
told me they were performing in a classical chorale program and would
have tickets for us and babysitting arranged. I filed it away in my
brain as one of many details of the trip.

Well, it turned out to be a real treat. They are members of the chorus
of the West Suburban Symphony Orchestra. Tonight the symphony
performed three Beethoven works: the "Egmont Overture", "Ah Perfido",
and the 9th Symphony with the "Ode to Joy" chorale movement. Carol and
I enjoyed it very much. It was especially wonderful juxtaposed with
our current 24/7 life with the girls in the van.

While here we got to meet my cousins Eileen, Dan, Ken and Melissa for
the first time. Melissa has children almost the same age as ours and
they had fun playing together for a couple of hours.

In the morning we depart for Canton, MI where we'll visit with my Aunt
Charlotte and my cousins Andre and Renee and their families. I think I
haven't seen them since 1979.

When we leave Detroit on Tuesday we're considering changing our plan
and travelling through Canada from Detroit at least to Niagara Falls
and possibly through Montreal and down through Vermont. Stayed tuned!

Thanks to Uncle Gary and Aunt Kathy for a great (if brief) visit.