2008 Fall Trip “UP NORTH”

Tuesday, September 2, 2008 – The trip begins

We had a relatively normal day but. We spent some time getting the house shipshape – ready for a hurricane should one visit Leesburg while we’re away.  We dropped Duncan off with Frank at about 3:15 PM. Duncan wasn’t happy. An easy drive down to the LaQuinta Inn and Suites at the airport. We checked in and they gave us room 116. But – the water in the tub wouldn’t stop running – so they moved us across the hall to 117. Got all moved in and all’s well. Next it was time for dinner. Not far to Tony Roma’s. Excellent meal.

Back to the room to R&R for the evening.

Wednesday, September 3, 2008 – Flying North

I woke at 4 AM. Tip toed around while making coffee, etc. Linda woke at 5:30. We packed things back up and then went to the continental breakfast. Caught the 6:30 shuttle the Jet Blue – plenty of time for a 9:30 AM flight. Time went by and we had a nice flight on an A320 up the east coast to Logan Airport in Boston. Took a while to get the luggage and then a Budget Car.

Found our way to the Residence Inn in Danvers. Nice, though old'ish, hotel made for extended stays.  Large with a full kitchen and a studio like room.  Checked in for the next four nights – all paid for with Marriott points left over from my working days.

Next – off to Denise’s for her 37th birthday and a spaghetti dinner. We had a great visit and planned to see them again Saturday. Great to visit with them.

Back to The Residence Inn, room 1023, our home for the next few days.

Thursday, September 4, 2008 – GE Outing

We both went to sleep early and therefore woke up at 4 AM. So we had plenty of time to start our day. I’m really liking the access to the internet from every room. Mostly I can keep up with the news and e-mail. There is a continental breakfast a 6. We'll see what continental breakfast means.

This room is intended for a lengthy stay with a small kitchen – well it’s kind of like a studio apartment. We picked it because we got it using my leftover Marriott points. These points were accumulated during all my nights at the Rockford, Illinois Courtyard. Good deal.

The Budget rental is not a good deal. First is my fault – it’s an “SUV” and the tires are very noisy. Four snow tires I guess. Second – it has Rhode Island plates, 30000 miles and is dirty. I washed the windshield myself. Not good. I have a coupon saying I’d get a 2 level upgrade, but when I tried to use it, the bad mood lady behind the counter pointed out that it only applies if I reserved a compact car. UGH. Time for a letter to Budget.

Next – to the breakfast. Excellent buffet, comparatively speaking that is. We enjoyed it.

We relaxed and read the papers and then headed off to Dawn’s. Took a little detour and got some groceries and then cruised past 71 Thurlow St. It was interesting to see the old house.

Dawn and Linda went off to do some shopping and I went to Cedardale to a GE outing. It was mobbed and after 1/2 hour roaming around I never saw anyone I recognized (after all, it's been 8 years). I left. Went to a submarine shop and got a steak bomb. Brought it back to Dawn’s. I relaxed and watched TV until the Ladies got home. Soon Jake and Sam got home from school and. Visited for a bit and then headed to Lynn.

Got to John and Ruth's about 3:45. Hugs and kisses and then we chatted for a long time. Linda suggested The Cheesecake Factory for dinner and we all agreed. Off we went. The meal was great and traffic not bad. Back to John and Ruth’s and visited a bit more before we headed for home – room 1023.

Just got settled in the room and Bob called. He had just landed and he and Barry were headed for The Clam Box in Ipswich from Manchester airport. We tried to get a mutually acceptable time to get together but couldn’t get it together. We agreed to talk tomorrow morning for a better weather report and then rethink some of our decisions.

We settled in for the evening. R&R, TV and to sleep.

Friday September 5, 2008 – More Visiting

I woke and got up about 4:30. Made coffee and read the news on line. Linda woke and was up and at’em at 7. Talked to Bob, they were just getting ready to head out onto Joppa flats. We’re trying to arrange a time to get together.  

We went down the breakfast area. Very nice buffet breakfast. Back and getting ready to head off for the day at 8. First to the cemetery to find Alice. Found her easily and sent a little time there. Then, went to Lynn and found Dad and Mom’s place. Spent some time there and then just headed back to room 1023. After a while we went down to Putman Pantry for lunch. Ice cream sundaes did it. Back to the room and watched Days of Our Lives. Next – off to Dawn’s.

Visited there for a bit. Saw Jake and Sam come home from school and then they headed off to a birthday party. Dave had gone to NAS Brunswick for an air show and wasn’t expected home until late. Linda, Dawn and I went to Olivia’s for dinner. It was excellent and we had a good visit. Next – back here. I’m in touch with Bob and we planned to meet for breakfast up in Salisbury.

R&R, TV and to bed.

Saturday September 6, 2008 – More Visiting

I woke at 4 and got up and at’em. Puttered around until 5:30. Woke Linda and said see’ya. Headed north in a driving rain to Pat’s Diner in Salisbury. Bob, Barry and I pulled into the parking lot at the same time. Good to see them. We had breakfast and chatted for 1 ½ hours and then I headed south on route 1, Scotland Road to 95. Now we need to revise plans – rain is predicted all day, especially when the remnants of Hanna arrive late today.

Well, the rain quit with even a hint of sun now and then. We went off to the Liberty Tree Mall and bought a painting for me to work on when we get home.

Next – off the The Sea Witch for lunch. Linda had salmon and I had steamers. Then – off to Manchester-by-the-Sea to visit with Denise and kids. Went to watch some soccer ball. First was Bailey’s team. Good game. Next was Brad’s and about ¾ way through the rains came back. Linda and I headed back to Denise’s

Soon, everyone was there and having a party. There was us, Denise and the four children and the two other kids that tagged along. We had Chinese delivered and everyone eat as much as they wanted. Very good.

Time for us to head home to 1023 – raining pretty hard – remnants of Hannah. We settled in for our last night here – tomorrow we move to Cornish.  Me.

Sunday, September 7, 2008 – Moving Day

I woke at 4 and got out of bed at 4:30. Hannah has mostly moved out and we’ll have a good day to travel to Maine. Linda woke about 7 and we got ready and headed down for breakfast. Very good and they had the Boston Globe. . Back to 1023 and we read and watched TV until about 11:45. Then headed for a rendezvous with Mary and Bob Costello at The Striper in Salisbury. We had a great lunch and a good visit.

Headed for Cornish, Maine. We arrived about at the Midway-Country Lodging at about 3:45. This is the thrid year we've stayed here.  It's a very nice place to stay. The rooms are individually decorated and neat and clean. It's about 5 miles from Dianna and Tim's. Unpacked and R&R’d for a few minutes then to Dianna’s.

Everyone was home and we had a greeting session for a few minutes – then we settled down. Here's "The Girls." Meagan, Brittany, Abby, Elizabeth, Emily, and Danny.

We, the adults, went down the road to The Bay Haven for a seafood dinner. Linda had lobster and clams, Dianna had fried clams, Tim had scallops, and I had steamed clams. Great meal. Back to D&T’s for a while and then back to The Midway, room 11.

R&R, TV and to sleep.

Monday, September 8, 2008 – Visit favorite places

Linda was up first and I followed right after – 6:30 AM. Sunny and cool with a great day in the forecast. My camera is acting up and I’m not able to connect to the wireless Midway network. I hope it’s not one of those days when everything I touch turns to s---.

We headed out and went down the road to a place we normally have breakfast – it is closed Mondays. So, we wandered around and found a pizza place that serves breakfast and then got over to Dianna’s.

Today is the day we do our tour. That is, we went to Center Harbor and Keepsake Quilts, next to Meredith’s Anna Lee, Hart’s Turkey Farm, and the Christmas Loft. Next – headed home.

Linda went with Dianna to a Yarn Shop and then to Dianna’s to visit and do some laundry. I went back to room 11 for a little nap.

I got my act together and headed back to Dianna’s about 4. We visited with the kids, had some great home-made chili and corn bread for dinner and headed back here to 11.

R&R, TV and to bed.

Tuesday, September 9, 2008 – More shopping

I woke early, around 4, and tip-toed around. Linda was up at 6:20 and we started our day. First we headed east on 25 to Kitchen Wonders, our favorite breakfast spot. Next – off to Dianna’s. The girls were all gone to school and Tim to work. We piled into the Budget Ford and headed off to North Conway. It started raining and was pouring before we got very far. We spent the morning going to various stores ending with lunch at The 99. Back to Dianna’s in time to watch “Days. ”

Linda and I came back here to #11 for a little R&R and a nap.

The rain cancelled Meagan and Brittany’s field hockey game – so we all met at the pizza parlor and had several different kinds of pizza. Tim didn’t make it – he’s up in Mexico and won’t make it home until late.

Back to Dianna’s for a few minutes, stopped by the ice cream stand for dessert on the way home and here we are. R&R, TV and to sleep.

September 10, 2008 – We split up

Up and at’em at 5. Puttered with e-mail and Linda was up soon after. We went up the street to breakfast and then headed for Diana’s. Linda and Dianna went off for the day and I headed north.

I plotted a course from Cornish to Weld and Weld to Cornish using a different route. I went to Weld to look over the area where we used to deer hunt. Dad started going there in 1955 and all of us sons went as we came of age. Just under 100 miles up – took about 3 hours. Essentially the same coming back on a different route. The area has changed some, there are three houses in the area where our camp used to be but the woods still looked the same. I didn’t go far in the woods – just a short ways to an area we called The Point. I walked up and down the road watched the soft shoulder. Noted only one deer track and one moose track. Considering the heavy rain yesterday, these signs were fairly new.

I arrived back home about 2. Linda and Dianna arrived about the same time. We left Dianna to run her household. Three of the girls are home – the other three are at field hockey practice. Back again for an American Chop Suey dinner. Visited with the girls for a while and then left them to do their homework – back to room 11.

R&R, TV and to bed.

Thursday, September 11, 2008, Moving again.

Up and at’em at 5. Linda soon after. Got our act together and went to the Pizza joint for breakfast. Back to room 11 and packed up. Got everything down the stairs and into the rental SUV. Over to Dianna’s. Tim was off to work but the girls were still home – thanks to a late start time today. We saw them off to school, visited with Dianna for a bit and then headed out. Followed route 5 east south east to route 1 in Biddeford, then route 1 to Ogunquit. Next we found Perkins Cove and the Oarweed Restaurant. Chowder, steamers, lobsters and strawberry shortcake. All that and a beautiful view of Oarweed Cove made for a great lunch. Headed down the road.

Arrived at The Comfort Inn on route 1 in Danvers about 3. Moved in to our room (205) and settled in for a rest. The room has been refurbished since we were here last year. Very nice.

A little R&R and then headed north to Dawn’s. We visited for a bit, had a great spaghetti, meatballs and sausage dinner. There were a couple of guys working on their new deck and Dave was helping and the kids were busy so we headed back to 205 for the evening.

Friday, September 12, 2008, Quiet day

Both up by 7 and ready to go to the lobby continental breakfast. Not much but convienient. We hung around here until lunch and then went south a ways to Kelly’s Roast Beef. Still as good as ever.

Back here in time to watch Days of Our Lives and then headed back to Dawn’s. Dawn was ready to go to work – and we were to watch Jake and Sam until Dave got home. The boys were great and it was soon 6’ish and Dave arrived. We headed back south with a stop for me to get another steak bomb for later. I dropped Linda at Calitri’s to meet her friend Diane. I went back to 205 and ate my steak bomb for dinner.

Linda came home a little later and we R&R'd and TV for the rest of the evening.

Saturday, September 13, 2008, Last visiting day

We both slept late – 6 AM. Up and at’em and headed down to the lobby for a continental breakfast. Still overcast with the threat of showers al day. Linda is packing us so we won’t have to bring but 1 bag into Dawn’s for the night.  

No plan to go anywhere until 11 when we go to John’s so we hung around and watched Hurricane Ike hit Texas.

Arrived at Ruth and John’s about 11. Had a nice visit. John got remembering and gave us a 45 minute history of himself. Lots of background info. We said good-by and headed north to Dawn’s. Stopped and gassed up the rental car along the way.

Had a good boiled dinner and then watched the Sox pull out the second game of a double header. I went up to Jakes room where I slept at about 9.

Sunday September 14, 2008 – Going home

I woke about 3, tossed and turned until 4 – got up.   Linda was up soon after and we found our way to Logan and the Budget lot.   Light rain all the way but no traffic and we were here at 5 for an 8:30 flight.

The flight was not troubled by the rain and we were off on time.  Got home with no delays and gathered up Duncan and the mail.

The End of another Great Trip