Let's Play Two!

When someone mentions New York, it is easy to immediately think about the Big Apple and all that can be found in the state’s biggest population center. But when I drove into what is often referred to as upstate New York and traveled through mostly rural areas, I saw a part of the Empire State I had never seen before - rolling hills, wooded mountains, mesmerizing lakes, clear rivers, and those ever-changing leaves that become so prominent this time of the year.

At this point in the trip, I had begun to recognize that I only had a few days remaining before I had reached the end. But the great thing about this trip was that I had made every day a great one with lots of sites to visit - and today was going to start with the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

Walking through the hallowed halls, I was slightly surprised to see so many mentions of guys who have been prevented from being a Hall of Famer - Pete Rose, Alex Rodriguez, Barry Bonds, Roger Clemens, and others. While they haven’t yet been voted in and may never get voted in, they still have a presence throughout the museum. So, they will always have that!

Having spent the morning checking out this really cool place, I continued driving through the incredible scenery as I ventured to Syracuse for lunch. I didn’t stick around to check out much in Syracuse or make stops along the way at sites I thought would make for great pics. But I did make good time pulling into Buffalo.

The interesting part of arriving in Buffalo is that I had put on my list of photo stops the Peace Bridge. I drove to where the map in my rental car showed me to go to the Peace Bridge while not recognizing that I was actually entering an area that was considered outside of New York while not actually being in Canada. I got out of the car to get a few pics of the bridge, hopped back in and saw the “Welcome to New York” sign that started my confusion.

I quickly noticed that there was a border entry station in front of me and that I was going to need to be prepared to show some documentation. I had fortunately brought my recently-secured passport just in case I did have a chance to go to Canada, so I was able to show them everything I might need. There were a couple of minutes of tension for me as I waited on the guard to go through everything and ask questions as to what I was doing.

By the time it was over (a few minutes), it was determined that there was nothing all that unusual about someone driving to that spot and taking a photo and then coming back. So, I was let through and I went on to the hotel.

The staff was exceptionally nice when I arrived at my resting place for the next two nights, and one of them actually went outside to move her car so I could have a parking spot at the front. I was really impressed with their hospitality.

That night, I took the train northward to have dinner at the Anchor Bar, which is the original home of buffalo wings. I thought they were great and the bar itself was really cool. I definitely recommend!

Back to the room, I was ready to tackle the next day at one of America’s greatest natural sites - Niagara Falls.

The Day I Officially Became a Leafer

After spending most of the day before traveling the northeastern coast, it was hard to believe that I had an even better day planned for seeing nature at its finest as I prepared to drive away from the coast and into the heart of the New Hampshire/Vermont areas - but that is exactly how it turned out.

I took an extremely scenic route from Bangor to Conway, NH, and it was an array of rolling hills and trees with their multi-colored leaves all along the way. Once I made it to Conway, it was just a matter of time before I reached the Kancamagus Scenic Highway. There were so many stops with creeks, scenic views, and everywhere I was able to see the early “changing of the leaves” that this area of the country has gained so much fame for. I definitely picked a great time to be traveling through this part of the U.S.

Among the many stops I made on this highway were the Albany Covered Bridge, Lower Falls Scenic Area, Rocky Gorge Scenic Area, Sabbaday Falls Picnic Area, and Sugar Hill Scenic Overlook. I was definitely not disappointed!

I was encouraged by a friend back home to check out the Flume Gorge, so I headed there in the early afternoon. It was the highlight of the day with more amazing views, waterfalls, large rock formations and even another covered bridge. Having put in a great walk for the day, I hopped back into the car and headed toward the next state - Vermont.

As previously mentioned, I managed to check out numerous Ivy League schools on this trip and my last stop in New Hampshire included Hanover, the home of Dartmouth College. I saw rowers in action on the Connecticut River, which serves as the border between the two states. Driving through Vermont was relatively brief but beautiful as I traveled through the Green Mountains and checked out the Shires of Vermont.

Before I knew it, I was back in New York but in the upstate part that is generally used to describe most of the state outside of the New York City area. I had just enough daylight to capture a few sites in the state’s capital, Albany, before heading to nearby Schenectady and the casino that was hosting me that evening.

By the end of this day, I was feeling the effects of having driven around or walked for most of this day. And since my lunch had been a really early one, I was tired and hungry when I arrived at my room for the night. I had a great steak dinner in the casino and then went straight back to my room - I knew I had another busy day coming up but I at least knew the drive time would be significantly less as I continued west to Buffalo.

King of the World (or at least Maine)

Growing up as an inspired young writer, Stephen King was always the one whose work I was most drawn to. So, when I was planning ahead for this trip and I knew the easternmost part of my travels would be Maine, I knew I was going to have to make sure I attempted to get to King’s home.

Before I was able to make that happen, however, that day started exiting Boston (or Chelsea, to be more exact). My first stop was going to be Salem, which is home to the House of Seven Gables and the famed Salem Witch House. I was told by a bartender while in Boston that there were many myths about the witch trials and where they actually happened, but his words sounded more like a conspiracy theory and the truth is the trials happened in a nearby city (Danvers) that at the time had been known as Salem Village. So, maybe he was partly right.

Having read that the tours were overrated, I chose to just get pics of the house exteriors. The rush hour traffic I had to go through to get into and out of Salem was worse than I had prepared for, so time was already my foe on this day. As quickly as I was able on this early Monday morning, I drove to Kittery, Maine, with the intention of doing a little shopping. Little did I know that most of the shops were either closed for the day or hadn’t opened yet. So, it was off to Portsmouth (I’m not much of a shopper anyway), and a fantastic view of the Atlantic Ocean.

I finally took some time to walk around and allow all of my senses (minus taste, since lunch was scheduled for later) to take in all that Great Island Common had to offer on what turned out to be a really nice late September day. This was where I was able to view my first lighthouses of the day, but not my last.

Traveling up the coast in Maine offered up some incredible views and as I discovered, delicious lobster rolls. I checked out the Pemaquid Point Lighthouse and the Marshall Point Lighthouse (yeah, the one from “Forrest Gump”) before leaving the coast and heading inland to Bangor.

After checking out a couple of sites referenced in past King books (Paul Bunyan Statue, WKIT sign), I drove to the day’s primary destination. A fence that wasn’t particularly imposing surrounded the property, which was significantly smaller than one might have expected. A few items that aligned with what might expect from King were a part of the fence design, but his home otherwise gave off the appearance of any other home. I had been forewarned that King wasn’t particularly social with tourists seeking out his residence and that while pics were allowed, it would be wise to keep it at that.

Having taken my pics (the Paul Bunyan statue is really cool) in Bangor, I had a nice dinner that night before preparing for the next day of the trip - off to New Hampshire, Vermont and back into the Empire State as I continued to head south and west en route to the next stop.

"Shipping Up" to Boston

For all the history I experienced in Philadelphia, trekking around Boston brought about memories of a time when some of the most famous historical references in our nation’s history took place.

Pulling into Boston, it was a real-life Chelsea to Chelsea trip as I started the morning in Chelsea, New York and checked into my Boston-area hotel in Chelsea. After a quick change of clothes I was en route to my dinner reservation in the North End. I got to enjoy a dinner of lobster ravioli, a couple of drinks and another couple of shots with the bartender and a new friend I made at the bar. My new friend gave great advice on how to tackle the next day, especially in getting across Boston Harbor into the heart of Boston.

Waking up early the next morning (yes, I was feeling a little hazy), I began the historical part of my Boston journey at the Boston National Historical Park, which included the USS Constitution Museum, the Bunker Hill Monument, the Charlestown Navy Yard and an incredible view of Boston Harbor.

After taking a scenic view on a water taxi across the harbor, I traversed along the Freedom Trail and took in all of the historical sites I could handle - Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, Old North Church, Paul Revere House, Faneuil Hall, Boston Massacre Site, Old State House, Massachusett’s State House, and Boston Common.

The day didn’t end there. I also got to check out a place associated with one of my favorite memories of all time - the Cheers bar. Not only did I get a chance to sit at the bar, but I was able to drink a couple of beers and have some lunch. I also grabbed some Mike’s Pastry while I was out on the trail that afternoon.

With the day winding down but still more to do, I hopped in my rental car and headed to Cambridge to see Harvard University. How ‘bout ‘dem apples!

The day couldn’t be complete without heading to Fenway Park to catch one of America’s biggest baseball rivalries with the Yankees in town to play the Red Sox. And as luck would have it, Big Papi just happened to be there as part of a pre-game ceremony. The downside was that the seats weren’t exactly set up for guys my size and the guys around me apparently were on the same diet. I managed to stick around for five or six innings of a game that ultimately got exciting later in the game. But I was exhausted and needed to get my rest before I headed off to see the northeast coast on my way to Bangor, Maine.

My First Real-Life Introduction to New England

For anyone who knows me, the mention of “New England” makes me immediately think about cheating and underserved championships. But on this trip, I could not be more excited about the opportunity to see the New England states for the first time in my life. And I was not disappointed.

Leaving NYC, I very quickly was introduced to Connecticut and was pleasantly surprised at just how much traveling I was able to do in what I had thought to be a relatively small state. Of course, I had to start with New Haven and a trip to Yale, which was my third Ivy League school so far on this trip (Penn and Columbia). This was a decent oceanside city and I saw my first lighthouse of the trip while I was here (Five Mile Point Lighthouse).

After a quick lunch, I headed northward and, after a quick stop in Bristol to check out the ESPN campus, it was a visit to the basketball hall of fame in Springfield, Massachusetts. So, when I say I am enshrined permanently in the basketball hall of fame, I can assure you I left behind enough skin cells to always have a home in this illustrious site.

Back on the road in Connecticut, I headed back south and visited two places with a limited amount of fame and with mixed results. The Foxwoods Resort Casino wasn’t much more than any other casino I’ve been to, but at least now I can say I’ve been there. The oceanside city of Mystic, on the other hand, was quite impressive and definitely a place I’d like to return to on a future trip. It seemed like a great place to hang out for a few days and enjoy in a less hurried manner.

With Connecticut in the rearview mirror, I was off to the smallest state in our massive country and also the only one to have “island” in its name. I didn’t spend much time in Rhode Island but did take enough time to check out the capital city (Providence, or Quahog for us Family Guy fans). Providence didn’t offer up a whole lot to look at other than a couple of statues, but then again it wasn’t expected to be one of the highlights of the trip.

Having been on the road most of the day, it was time to pull into one of the trip’s definitely highlights - Boston.

Taking a bite out of the Big Apple

On a trip like this one, it can be hard to identify what the actual destination is. With so many states on the itinerary, every place I stop feels like a destination. But when I arrived in New York City in the early evening of my second day of the trip, I was relatively certain I was about to experience some of the more memorable highlights of the trip.

Getting to NYC wasn’t too bad either, as I left Philadelphia and drove into New Jersey, I wasn’t sure what to expect. But it was a much nicer-looking city than it had always been described, even if my brief time in Atlantic City wasn’t all that exciting. Once I rolled past Newark and drove into the Holland Tunnel, I knew I was on the verge of a great time.

My first night in town wasn’t all that productive as I took a few pics as I walked around and then focused on being on time to my dinner reservation to Harding’s and then off to check out the local bar scene in Chelsea. The night itself offered up little excitement but I did get to have a nice chat with a couple sitting next to me at the restaurant. That conversation broke up my people watching but only briefly. Once I was back out on the streets heading back to the hotel, I was taking in the sights and sounds (and smells) around me.

My second day in NYC was an adventurous one, starting with me taking longer than expected to learn the subway system. But once I learned how everything ran, I became enough of an expert that I was actually able to help a couple of tourists get on the right train to reach their destination. Theoretically.

I visited the Statue of Liberty, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, Central Park, and took in a Broadway play (Wicked) that night. It was definitely an exciting and memorable day! Alas, recognizing that I should have probably booked a couple of additional days in the Big Apple, I had to move on the morning of my third day and begin my trek to the next destination - off to my first time in Beantown.

The interesting thing about NYC is that this was my third time there and I still feel like I have so much I haven’t seen yet. Maybe next time!

The City of Brotherly Love?

Ah, Philadelphia - the City of Brotherly Love. Well, it took me a short amount of time to learn that wasn’t necessarily the case (see prior blogpost about the car rental business). If I didn’t already know from reading stories about Philly sports fans, it didn’t take long for me to find out that Pennsylvania’s most populated city (more than 1.3 million more people than Pittsburgh) has plenty of opinionated and somewhat disgruntled people. The good news, however, is that the historical nature and interesting sites of one of our nation’s most famous cities outshone the negativity that occasionally presented itself during my time in Philadelphia (basically half of my first day and the half of the second day).

On the historic side, there were plenty to see. Starting with the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, I was able to also see the Betsy Ross House and Penn’s Landing. Philadelphia was a major city in the early part of our nation’s history and these sites were evidence of the pride the city has shown in promoting that history.

An unexpected treat early on in my journey was walking up to a local drinking establishment called Paddy’s Pub. Having read and been told that there was no such bar as Paddy’s Pub in Philadelphia (the show is mostly filmed in California), I had to go inside. This was definitely not the same place - it was a fairly small dive bar - but they took full advantage of having the namesake of one of the best shows still going.

In addition to the history and the coolness factor that goes with Paddy’s Pub, Philadelphia is also well known as the home of Rocky Balboa. He is well represented outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art, and I added my name to the long list of those who ran the steps as they were run in the movie. I actually handled it relatively well, but I have to admit it was my first exercise of the day on my second day of the trip.

I was able to check out some other cool locations such as Penn University, the famed Dickens and Little Nell statue, Citizens Bank Park, and Love Park. But I also had to make sure I checked out what Philadelphia is most known for - for foodies, anyway - the Philly cheesesteak. I went to the corner where two of the more known cheesesteak locations are separated only by intersecting streets - Geno’s and Pat’s. I chose the former and while I thought it was good, I also learned that cheesesteaks in general are a little overrated.

With Philadelphia out of the way (until my final night of the trip), I was now focused on moving on to my next destination to close out day two - a drive through New Jersey (with a brief stop in Atlantic City) before arriving to the brights lights of the Big Apple!