This vacation had been long over due, ever since I had my Costa Rica adventure in 2009. Sure I've taken a few weekend trips here and there (Chicago, Michigan, Camping) in the past three years, yet nothing quite as cultural as I would have liked. This has mostly been due to work and finances. Well now I finally had a secure plan to enjoy a full week in a far-off land. That land was the northeastern part of the country, known as New England, one of the few regions in America I had not yet seen. I planned it with my family, to rent a car, stay at a motel, and take a weeks' tour through this beautiful landscape. It was a successful and very memorable experience.
Day 1
I got to Fort Wayne early that Thursday evening, and was very excited to pack up the car rental and get things moving. We had a 12 hour drive ahead of us to Hartford, Connecticut to visit our uncle Larry. My dad wanted to drive through the night, across the hilly and windy Appalachians, and get there early Friday morning. Once we finally had the van loaded up with bikes on the back, it was a tight fight. There were 6 of us; my dad, my mom, Andres, Gabriel, his girlfriend Rachel, and myself. We also brought our pet chihuahua, Stella, who always makes things all the more interesting. Nonetheless we said our prayer and set off by around 8:30pm.
Day 2
The Road Trip was of course part of the experience, and we all knew going into it, that we would be driving a lot. Everyone brought loads of entertainment, and our van had a DVD player in the back. We began the first few hours of the trip watching the funny movie, Bridesmaids. By around 12:30am, we made our first food stop to get some late night Taco Bell and Wendys. It was somewhere in Ohio where we ate outside in the parking lot. I then began the 2nd shift of driving through the night. As it got later and later into the night, my dad and I had to switch on-and-off about every hour to get some shut-eye.
By sunrise, we had reached the beautiful mountain ranges of Pennsylvania. These roads were no easy task, very hilly and curvy, and all the more distracting was the incredible landscape that surrounded. However we pressed on, especially in search for our first sit-down breakfast. We spent some time trying to find the perfect local restaurant and after several attempts we came upon the small town of Milford, PA at a cafe called Water Wheel. It was the perfect location, full of cultural history along a creek. We sat outside, and enjoyed a good breakfast at a very fair price.
We finally reached Uncle Larry's house in Hartford, CT by late afternoon,a little behind our schedule Everyone was very happy to finally get out of the car, take a shower, and relax. I played some soccer and baseball with Andres, then went on a good bike ride around the neighborhood. We later enjoyed the evening watching the Olympics, and catching up with Larry and Janet. They cooked us an incredible dinner of hamburgers, brats, and salads. Janet had some very interesting stories about the area, the history, and her experience with ghosts. We had a few drinks then went to bed quite exhausted by around 10pm.
Day 3
That morning we had a nice simple breakfast of fruit, cinnamon rolls, and orange juice at Larry and Janet's table. We discussed politics, Olympics, and our plans for the day. By around 8am we once again had the van packed up, and we're ready for the next phase of our trip; Boston! We agreed on parking on the outskirts of the city and taking the subway in. This has always been our plan of attack for major cities, such as New York or Chicago. The anticipation was quite high when we climbed up the subway stairs and into the heart of Boston for my first time ever.
I was able to use my telephone navigation to get us onto the Historic Freedom Trail. This 2 mile trail would take us along many of the historic sights of the American Revolution. I was immediately in love with the historic culture of the city. Since it was Saturday the city was booming with activity; tourists, scavenger hunts, historic re-enactors, street performers, the works. We first visited the Granary Burying Ground, one of the oldest cemeteries in Boston. It was specifically built to honor patriotic heroes of the American Revolution, and holds notable names such as Paul Revere and the victims of the Boston Massacre. We also visited old churches, houses, and meeting places where the patriots would gather. We had Subway for lunch in a small plaza, then continued on.
We then saw the site of the Boston Massacre, a circular stone in the ground. It was very surreal to stand on the exact sight where 5 civilians were murdered that would later inspire a revolution. I could of spent the entire week in awe of the historical significance of the city, however everyone else wanted to keep moving. We went of course for a while to visit an Italian street festivals and bought some smoothies. We then walked along the Paul Revere trail as well as his house. The final stop on the trail, was on-board the USS Constitution, the first and oldest US naval vessel afloat. We did not visit the actual site of Bunker Hill, however were able to see it from afar. By the end of the day I was in love with the city of Boston, and although we did not return during the vacation, I hope to visit again sometime for a longer duration.
We were then able to navigate back to the subway and out of the city. My mom had reserved us a motel in a southern city of Waterville, Maine. We however stopped along the way, in Kittery Maine, for our first official seafood dinner. My dad, Andres, and myself ordered lobsters, which are quite affordable in Maine. It was my first time with this delicacy, and after cracking through the shells and dipping the meat into butter, I understood why it was so expensive. This was the steak of seafood! We spent a good 2 hours at this restaurant, and didn't get to our small motel room till late at night. It was a very tight fit for 6 people, however we were all exhausted and fell right asleep.
Day 4
That morning my dad woke up very early to take a bike ride around town in search of church. He came back into the room at around 7am, with a wild story of riding up and down hills for a good 3 miles. Andres and myself decided to accompany him to the 8:30 mass. It's always interesting seeing different parishes in different locations. After mass we had Dunkin Donuts for breakfast, packed up, and drove to Bangor, Maine. We got there by 1pm and swam in the pool for a while, until the rooms were ready. My mom got us two bedrooms, which was a very nice change from the previous uncomfortable night.
We didn't stay at the hotel for a long, and quickly unpacked everything into the rooms, and then set off again. We had some China Buffet for lunch, which had a nice giant screen for the Olympics, then set off for Bar Harbor, Maine. It was about an hour drive from Bangor, to this beautiful coastal harbor town. We easily found parking, and began to explore the harbor. The view was quite heavenly; the calm ocean, a rocky shoreline, islands in the distance, and several docked boats. There was also a grassy hill where people would sit and relax looking out into the sea. The entire area was so relaxing, and everyone seemed to be in a state of peaceful bliss.
We stayed there for most the evening, walking around the docks, the shorelines, climbing the rocks, shopping at the souvenir stores, and sitting on the grass. My dad and I had some wine, and we all just relaxed on the grass. It felt like heaven. That night we ordered a big bucket of KFC for dinner, then went back to the rooms and watched the Olympics.
Day 5
We woke up and once again hit the road by around 8ish this Monday morning. This time our destination was Booth Bay Harbor, Maine with an intent to go whale watching. My parents had been to this site, many years ago and were quite fond of it. We finally got there around 10ish, and bought tickets on board the Harbor Princess, a Whale Watching Tourist Boat. I believe this would be my first time out on the ocean, or even on a big boat (I do remember taking a quick cruise ship for our class trip in DC along a river, but that doesn't count).
We sat on the upper level, and the Captain took us out to the sea. The view was amazing as we pushed out of the harbor, and into the open waters. Along the way, a naturalist would inform us on animals, fishes, and interesting facts of the ocean. We saw porpoises, minke whales, seals, and eventually the giant humpback whales. Each time our guide would spot a whale in the distance, we would speed to come up on it as close as possible. This was quite exhilarating, and for a while I rode in the Front Bow with Andres, bouncing up and down the waves. This would of course later make my stomach a little queasy, however I didn't get as sick as most tourists on the boat did. The trip was a total success, and we were on there for a good 4 hours and saw lots of stuff.
Afterwards we had a nice lunch at a restaurant along the harbor. I ordered a clam roll and some clam chowder. Stella wasn't allowed in the restaurant and we had to take shifts watching her outside. After lunch we explored the tourist shops and bought some souvenirs. We left by around 3ish, and made a few stops at some rocky viewpoints. At Bangor, Maine we had some Mexican cuisine for dinner, then called it an early night and watched the Olympics in the hotel room.
Day 6
That Tuesday we decided to get some nature in, and visit the National Park of Acadia. We got there by early afternoon, parked the cars, hiked down a trail, and set up our chairs on a packed beach. It was a very hot day, and I knew I had to submerge myself into the Atlantic Ocean. Andres and myself made a mad dash into the water, and I fully plunged in and without a moment's hesitation I sprinted back out. The water was freezing!! My dad was also able to take the plunge, and withstand it a little longer than I. Andres however blew us all away, and stayed in the water for several hours. He always has been a cold-blooded fish.
My dad and I were then able to go on a very exciting hike, along the rocky shorelines. We decided to venture for about 30 minutes along the coast, then turn around. This became in an exhilarating rock-climbing experience, along the coast. Several times we had to scale upwards and downwards, carefully watching our footing. I grew a greater appreciation for the sport of rock-climbing and mountain-climbing. It was a great hike!
For lunch we drove back to Bar Harbor, and ordered some carry out food. I got myself a Reuben sandwich and we had a picnic on the soft grass. We then spent the afternoon, relaxing on the grassy hill, taking naps, and practicing hand-stands. My mom, Rachel, and Gabriel went shopping and my dad and I went on a bike ride around town. This was another exhilarating experience. We stayed there for a while longer, but then headed back to the hotel. We stopped a few outlet stores so the girls could do their shopping. We then ordered Papa John's pizza for dinner and watched the Olympics in our rooms.
Day 7
It was the final day of our vacation, and we wanted to make the most of it. Of course by this point there was tension with our family and everyone wanted to do different things; horseback riding, Bar Harbor, sailing, Boston, a lobster museum, shopping, bowling, etc. We had breakfast at a restaurant called Governors, and the friendly waitress gave us all kinds of ideas for the day. We decided to once again head to Bar Harbor and make stops along the way. The first stop was at an Oceanarium; a sea museum. Here we learned mostly about lobsters; from the traps, the trade, to the species itself.
We then drove to a lighthouse, and did some very good hiking in the woods. I once again ventured out to the rocky coastline, to do some rock climbing. We did this for a good hour or so, then saw the lighthouse. It was a very beautiful area. We then found a great place for lunch at a harbor restaurant called Thurston's in Bernard, Maine. Of course everyone wanted to eat lobster after our information session at the Oceanrium. I ordered a lobster roll, and Gabriel and Rachel had their first full lobsters. It was a very nice spot, in the midst of the sea-trades. We were in the midst of the the lobster action; the harbor, the fishermen, lobster traps, the works. It felt like a true local experience. We took pictures of the area then loaded up the van.
Our final stop that day was of course our favorite place; Bar Harbor. We stayed there for just a while, in the usual grassy hill, relaxing and enjoying the view. I once again had a cup of wine, enjoying every second of the blissful experience. I thought of the site as an interface for heaven and joked around with the others. I would have liked to watch the sunset there, yet there was still one final event to happen; bowling for Andres.
For some peculiar reason, Andres was very persistent from the beginning of the trip, that we all go on a bowling trip in Bangor, Maine. This was because he had done some research on Bangor, and also wanted to relive a memory he had in San Diego. Of course none of us wanted to go bowling, especially on vacation in New England, however we finally decided to compromise and give-in to Andres' wish. I hadn't gone bowling in several years, yet it was all-in-all a very fun time. We ordered some drinks, some greasy food, listened to good music, and bowled two games. It was the perfect bonding and end to our family vacation. We finished the night in the hotel room watching the Olympics as usual.
Day 8
We got up quite early that morning, and prepared for the very long 16 hour drive home. My dad took the first shift for several hours and we eventually stopped at BK for breakfast. I then took the next shift and got us to a small town in Connecticut where we had a Mexican lunch. Driving through hilly Pennsylvania was the bulk of the trip, which was especially challenging with rainy weather. We picked up a very late dinner in Ohio, at Taco Bell and McDonald's. We finally got home at around 4:30am. We were quite thankful that the long trip was over, however also sad that the vacation was over. It would take several days after for me to let go of the New England state of mind, and get back into the swing of reality. I was very satisfied with the vacation and the family experience and especially gained a new found admiration for the seacoast.
Day 1
Day 2
The Road Trip was of course part of the experience, and we all knew going into it, that we would be driving a lot. Everyone brought loads of entertainment, and our van had a DVD player in the back. We began the first few hours of the trip watching the funny movie, Bridesmaids. By around 12:30am, we made our first food stop to get some late night Taco Bell and Wendys. It was somewhere in Ohio where we ate outside in the parking lot. I then began the 2nd shift of driving through the night. As it got later and later into the night, my dad and I had to switch on-and-off about every hour to get some shut-eye.
We finally reached Uncle Larry's house in Hartford, CT by late afternoon,a little behind our schedule Everyone was very happy to finally get out of the car, take a shower, and relax. I played some soccer and baseball with Andres, then went on a good bike ride around the neighborhood. We later enjoyed the evening watching the Olympics, and catching up with Larry and Janet. They cooked us an incredible dinner of hamburgers, brats, and salads. Janet had some very interesting stories about the area, the history, and her experience with ghosts. We had a few drinks then went to bed quite exhausted by around 10pm.
Day 3
I was able to use my telephone navigation to get us onto the Historic Freedom Trail. This 2 mile trail would take us along many of the historic sights of the American Revolution. I was immediately in love with the historic culture of the city. Since it was Saturday the city was booming with activity; tourists, scavenger hunts, historic re-enactors, street performers, the works. We first visited the Granary Burying Ground, one of the oldest cemeteries in Boston. It was specifically built to honor patriotic heroes of the American Revolution, and holds notable names such as Paul Revere and the victims of the Boston Massacre. We also visited old churches, houses, and meeting places where the patriots would gather. We had Subway for lunch in a small plaza, then continued on.
We were then able to navigate back to the subway and out of the city. My mom had reserved us a motel in a southern city of Waterville, Maine. We however stopped along the way, in Kittery Maine, for our first official seafood dinner. My dad, Andres, and myself ordered lobsters, which are quite affordable in Maine. It was my first time with this delicacy, and after cracking through the shells and dipping the meat into butter, I understood why it was so expensive. This was the steak of seafood! We spent a good 2 hours at this restaurant, and didn't get to our small motel room till late at night. It was a very tight fit for 6 people, however we were all exhausted and fell right asleep.
Day 4
That morning my dad woke up very early to take a bike ride around town in search of church. He came back into the room at around 7am, with a wild story of riding up and down hills for a good 3 miles. Andres and myself decided to accompany him to the 8:30 mass. It's always interesting seeing different parishes in different locations. After mass we had Dunkin Donuts for breakfast, packed up, and drove to Bangor, Maine. We got there by 1pm and swam in the pool for a while, until the rooms were ready. My mom got us two bedrooms, which was a very nice change from the previous uncomfortable night.
We stayed there for most the evening, walking around the docks, the shorelines, climbing the rocks, shopping at the souvenir stores, and sitting on the grass. My dad and I had some wine, and we all just relaxed on the grass. It felt like heaven. That night we ordered a big bucket of KFC for dinner, then went back to the rooms and watched the Olympics.
Day 5
We woke up and once again hit the road by around 8ish this Monday morning. This time our destination was Booth Bay Harbor, Maine with an intent to go whale watching. My parents had been to this site, many years ago and were quite fond of it. We finally got there around 10ish, and bought tickets on board the Harbor Princess, a Whale Watching Tourist Boat. I believe this would be my first time out on the ocean, or even on a big boat (I do remember taking a quick cruise ship for our class trip in DC along a river, but that doesn't count).
We sat on the upper level, and the Captain took us out to the sea. The view was amazing as we pushed out of the harbor, and into the open waters. Along the way, a naturalist would inform us on animals, fishes, and interesting facts of the ocean. We saw porpoises, minke whales, seals, and eventually the giant humpback whales. Each time our guide would spot a whale in the distance, we would speed to come up on it as close as possible. This was quite exhilarating, and for a while I rode in the Front Bow with Andres, bouncing up and down the waves. This would of course later make my stomach a little queasy, however I didn't get as sick as most tourists on the boat did. The trip was a total success, and we were on there for a good 4 hours and saw lots of stuff. Afterwards we had a nice lunch at a restaurant along the harbor. I ordered a clam roll and some clam chowder. Stella wasn't allowed in the restaurant and we had to take shifts watching her outside. After lunch we explored the tourist shops and bought some souvenirs. We left by around 3ish, and made a few stops at some rocky viewpoints. At Bangor, Maine we had some Mexican cuisine for dinner, then called it an early night and watched the Olympics in the hotel room.
Day 6
That Tuesday we decided to get some nature in, and visit the National Park of Acadia. We got there by early afternoon, parked the cars, hiked down a trail, and set up our chairs on a packed beach. It was a very hot day, and I knew I had to submerge myself into the Atlantic Ocean. Andres and myself made a mad dash into the water, and I fully plunged in and without a moment's hesitation I sprinted back out. The water was freezing!! My dad was also able to take the plunge, and withstand it a little longer than I. Andres however blew us all away, and stayed in the water for several hours. He always has been a cold-blooded fish.
For lunch we drove back to Bar Harbor, and ordered some carry out food. I got myself a Reuben sandwich and we had a picnic on the soft grass. We then spent the afternoon, relaxing on the grassy hill, taking naps, and practicing hand-stands. My mom, Rachel, and Gabriel went shopping and my dad and I went on a bike ride around town. This was another exhilarating experience. We stayed there for a while longer, but then headed back to the hotel. We stopped a few outlet stores so the girls could do their shopping. We then ordered Papa John's pizza for dinner and watched the Olympics in our rooms.
Day 7
It was the final day of our vacation, and we wanted to make the most of it. Of course by this point there was tension with our family and everyone wanted to do different things; horseback riding, Bar Harbor, sailing, Boston, a lobster museum, shopping, bowling, etc. We had breakfast at a restaurant called Governors, and the friendly waitress gave us all kinds of ideas for the day. We decided to once again head to Bar Harbor and make stops along the way. The first stop was at an Oceanarium; a sea museum. Here we learned mostly about lobsters; from the traps, the trade, to the species itself. We then drove to a lighthouse, and did some very good hiking in the woods. I once again ventured out to the rocky coastline, to do some rock climbing. We did this for a good hour or so, then saw the lighthouse. It was a very beautiful area. We then found a great place for lunch at a harbor restaurant called Thurston's in Bernard, Maine. Of course everyone wanted to eat lobster after our information session at the Oceanrium. I ordered a lobster roll, and Gabriel and Rachel had their first full lobsters. It was a very nice spot, in the midst of the sea-trades. We were in the midst of the the lobster action; the harbor, the fishermen, lobster traps, the works. It felt like a true local experience. We took pictures of the area then loaded up the van.
For some peculiar reason, Andres was very persistent from the beginning of the trip, that we all go on a bowling trip in Bangor, Maine. This was because he had done some research on Bangor, and also wanted to relive a memory he had in San Diego. Of course none of us wanted to go bowling, especially on vacation in New England, however we finally decided to compromise and give-in to Andres' wish. I hadn't gone bowling in several years, yet it was all-in-all a very fun time. We ordered some drinks, some greasy food, listened to good music, and bowled two games. It was the perfect bonding and end to our family vacation. We finished the night in the hotel room watching the Olympics as usual.
Day 8We got up quite early that morning, and prepared for the very long 16 hour drive home. My dad took the first shift for several hours and we eventually stopped at BK for breakfast. I then took the next shift and got us to a small town in Connecticut where we had a Mexican lunch. Driving through hilly Pennsylvania was the bulk of the trip, which was especially challenging with rainy weather. We picked up a very late dinner in Ohio, at Taco Bell and McDonald's. We finally got home at around 4:30am. We were quite thankful that the long trip was over, however also sad that the vacation was over. It would take several days after for me to let go of the New England state of mind, and get back into the swing of reality. I was very satisfied with the vacation and the family experience and especially gained a new found admiration for the seacoast.
