made it to mass... hello jen andy... and damon!

with a full campground our noisy neighbors with restless children miraculously kept them quiet so we slept in. we got on the road to south boston &didn't get lost. andy &damon met us &we headed out for an intense woodland frisbee golf match. i paired with andy bc i suck, but our teams ended up pretty evenly matched. there was hilarity as frisbees dinged off trees, got stuck in the brush, &were lost behind bushes, rockwalls, &brambles. we somehow ended in a tie, all had our own great saves& big messups, &good times were had by all. jen met us at home for dinner &then we set off for candlepin bowling. aaron, the league bowler, was not the best and jen, who set a goal of 50pins wasn't the worst. you had to punch your own score, clear your own pins, &remember to bowl 2frames of 3pins at a time. if we had an alley near us, i would be there all the time. i won, damon won, andy won, but the
order changed considerably, &no one broke 100pins. it was awesome!

forgot a pic today, but

forgot a pic today, but mt lafayette was a great 8.4mi hike. the summit was 3 peaks &saw waterfalls & forests. sunburned tho :(

hiking in the heat - white mountains continued

so we considered driving down to western mass to hike it's highest peak, but decided to stay here. we went to talk to the ranger this morning simply bc there are so many trails in the white mtn area. she told us they were all great, but suggested some that were less crowded. we set off after getting some sandwich supplies. it was pretty warm but got warmer as the day& hike progressed. once we got above the tree line on bald face it was difficult to follow the trail on the very slanted rocks& quite a bit warmer. i got over heated& the clouds looked threatening so we took a different path than we intended down to shorten the hike, but still hiked 8.4miles (instead of 9.8). it didn't rain on us, but did in other places. we stopped for cold drinks& chips& change &headed home for the showers. $2 for 6.5min= heaven. once clean we found moat mountain brewery& i am working my way thru the
sampler. tmw is supposed to be cooler... hopefully i'll make it &then down to boston!

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mt washington 6377ft

yesterday we hiked mt. washington. we got an early start bc of this northeastern heat wave &to hopefully avoid the crowds. we saw few people on the trail& were suprised at how easy the trail was. there was next to no vertical rock scrambling& reasonable paths. we reached the summit& the crowds a little before noon. besides hiking you can drive up or take the cog railway so many people see the top of mt. w. the weather is proclaimed worst in the world. we were lucky with sunny skies, 59*& 25mph gusts. we poked around the visitor ctr, had coffee &sent postcards before hiking back down. this mtn is not nearly as isolated even tho it is taller. once below the treeline the hike back to the car was pretty quick. we could have taken harder, longer or steeper trails, but those 2 were recomended. the worst part of our whole trip was finding out there was no quarter maker at the campground so we
could have change for the showers. we drove back &the 1 store was an icecream shop. dessert & change!

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hello (again) new hampshire

waking up next to a waterfall makes getting up imperative. we went back to rosie's for breakfast &we were not dissapointed. yum. we took the scenic route back to new hampshire & there is no mistaking vermont is beautiful. we talked to a white mountain's ranger &got info for hiking mt washington &weather wise tmw is the day. we drove along the kancamagus (?), a scenic byway through the southern white mountains &a bull moose ran across the highway! i've been trying hard to see one the whole trip but they are most active when the mosquitos are. we set up the tent for what felt like the millionth time, ate a sandwich, read the map &got back on the road. our afternoon destination was franconia notch state park's flume gorge- a narrow canyon with a stream cutting thru and an even skinnier boardwalk. very scenic. we did one more waterfall hike (ho-hum - this photo)& then headed to woodstock
inn brewery for beer &dinner. both were excellent & we should rest well for tmw's hike.

around & about vermont

last night it rumbled& rained. we cleared out of the campground just before the next showers began. our first stop was the old red mill to view a snowflake exhibit from the pioneer of taking micrographs of fresh flakes. his name escapes me. as we headed south we decided spontaneously to take the vermont teddy bear factory tour on whim. we didn't need any teddybears but the tour was punny& amusing. we stopped at a wildflower farm that could use some better designing & secured a campsite next to a mini waterfall. vermont's marble museum had lots of info, historic photos, sculptures, &samples from around the world. we poked around there admiring every color of marble. every building in that town has marble blocks or facades- even the bridge. thunderstorms continue to roll in so we are at a local eatery playing cribbage &drinking coffee until bedtime. tmw-NH here we come!
if you are curious about these short posts- internet has been very limited &i have been texting them in (1000 limit).

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mt mansfield highest peak in vermont

this is me at the top of the "chin" of mt mansfield. from far away the profile of this mountain looks like a face& there is a forehead, nose, chin, & adam's apple. plus there are funny trails there like profanity pass & hellbrook. we hiked up the long trail, a trail that spans the green mountains of vermont that was built in the early 1900s &was the inspiration for the appalachian trail. the trail looked like many in shenandoah until we reached the top& had to rock climb. the hike down the nose dive (you guessed it right down the nose of the mountain) &hasselbeck were a real hassle &more typical of northeastern trails- lots of cobbles, intermittent streams, &steep. the top was very breezy& a little anticlimatic as there was no sign &only a rock cairn. plus people could really shorten the trip by driving most of the way or riding a gondola. cheaters! i was looking forward to a cold
drink, but there must not've been a snackshop which surprises me. it was a decent summit hike, but hot.

greetings from stowe vermont

katahdin was awesome but it killed us. it was more rock climbing than hiking &although not overly difficult was long & very tiring. we slept 12solid hours. with little info about the rest of maine we decided to move on, &with sore muscles-straight to VT. we slept poorly in a hotel, but got laundry done &pics uploaded. rock of ages, a granite quarry, was our 1st stop. we saw the open pit &learned the process, viewed finished memorials & works in progress, sandblasted a stone, &tried a granite bowling lane. next we learned about green mountain coffee at a pseudotour &headed to ben&jerry's. the tour was just as i remembered from our epic 3hour drive when i was young &the ice cream is still delicious. we stopped at a cider mill for samples &found our campsite. then we napped in the shade. the shed had decent food &good brews for dinner (that's my ski sampler). i challenged aaron to
puttputt, beat him& was 4+par. we're hiking vt's highest peak tmw &it might take all day bc we are so sore.

Photos have arrived!

check them out HERE. Enjoy :)

arriving in baxter

today was again too cloudy to see the sunrise & we changed our plans completely. instead of heading straight north we headed northwest directly to baxter state park & mt katahdin, the highest peak in maine about a mile high. i called ahead for a campsite &we scored a leanto next to a rushing brook. after talking to the rangers we made our gameplan. today we hiked about 8miles around some prime moose spotting areas (no luck) to the big and little niagaras. not nearly big enough for the namesake, but certainly plenty of water was gushing through. the mostly pine forested trails figure8ed around small ponds and the walk was pleasant with beautiful views. there are lots of mosquitos here but thankfully few in the campground. we are hiking to the peak tomorrow and must gain about 4000 feet... it'll be steep but all downhill coming home. then we might be headed over to NH.

swamps and fog and hiking... oh my!

this morning when the alarm went off 4am it was raining so we rolled back over and slept til 830. no sunrise today. it was foggy& still dripping. we hit a local diner & sat with earl& wife at a communal table. we went to eastport to walk downtown& sample ray's stoneground mustard (only 1 in US to still do so- 25 flavors). we happened upon shackleford point & hiked a few coastal miles with few views bc of the fog. we saw our 2nd reversing falls (caused by tides so go both in& out) &were able to hike right to the rapids. we drove round to lubec- the easternmost point in the US to see the candy-striped lighthouse &hike the coastal trail. much of it sucked bc it was swampy, mucky, &so foggy there was nothing to see. nice, but similar to what we've seen here already just with a foghorn. for dinner- real food @uncle kippy's &maybe we'll see the sunrise tmw (forecast unlikely). we're close
enough to spit at canada which unfortunately means we are roaming onto their cell towers.

monday : coastal driving

our 1st stop was ruth&wimpy's home of wilbur the 20ft lobster. i ate my first lobster roll & it was delicious. (like tuna salad for lobsta!) we saw a reversing fall as the tide was going out& drove for miles east (north) along rt 1. we tried to see a sardine history museum but its closed mondays. we scored a sweet camping site on the bay & headed to the coast to squeeze in a few hikes. we loved boot cove trail for its northwest like feel, rocky foggy coastal views & the pitcher plants in the bog. everything is lush green& moss covered. boardwalks are your friend when hiking through peat bogs even if some of them see saw &splash tannin laden water. with a little daylight left we made a bag dinner and boogied down the 1.5 mile cutler coast trail, similar to the other just longer& a bit more level. we savored chili mac while the waves crashed onto the cliffs. it would've been nice to
explore the other trails, but we didn't have time. we made it back to the car just as daylight was fading.

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puffins & lobsters

yesterday was a relaxing day. we spent the morning basking in our campsite writing postvards in the sunshine. we went to belfast to the coop for breakfast, to check out arts in the park &walk around town. we hiked mt battie to see the views even tho the murcans could drive up. then we drove way down one of maine's many peninsulas to go on a puffin tour. we were early so we enjoyed a geary's summer ale before boarding. the seas were running about 4ft as we made our way to egg rock. puffins were almost extinct in maine, but audubon has reestablished them on several islands. egg rock has 125 breeding pairs as well as cormorants, laughing gulls, eiders, guillemots &maybe some others. the island was squawking with activity but the puffins were harder to pick out despite their rbight bills &lumbering flight. we saw a few &overall had a nice trip. this morning we woke up late (probably bc
there were no kids around) &visited the penobscot bridge observatory, 460ft &ruth& wimpy's for lunch(pic)

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lobster boats and railroads

last night we laughed at our new campground neighbors as they noisily tried to rig tarps over their tents in the dark, but it did rain and it was raining when we got up, packed, and left. we took the foggy coastal route and couldnt see the peaks above us. we were off to searsport for the lobsterboat races and if they had started when we were told they would have been a lot more fun. despite a 2hour delay it was interesting to see so-called lobster boats decked out with multiple engines or ones that ran on jet fuel. i rooted for the captain that cracked open a colt45 tallboy at the dock. we watched a few classes race & one re-race before seeking out our campsite eden by the sea. once the tent was set up to dry, we headed south to explore- lunch &brews at the marina &a quick intro to puffin biology &their reintroduction. we are riding the maine eastern railroad to brunswick and back just
to enjoy the scenery and the historic train. so far its lovely ;)

FWD:signs warning of death indicate signs of a good hike

this morning aaron and i hiked the precipice trail which is often closed this time of year because of nesting peregrine falcons (they nested but no chicks). this is a 'strenuous ladder' hike with two signs at the bottom warning us we needed to be fit and properly equipped & that people have died on this trail. the hype is true. in many places there are big boulders to pull yourself over & iron rungs to climb otherwise unscaleable rock faces & iron bars in places with scary precarious footing or nothing to hold on to. aaron thought it was awesome & i thought it was kind of scary. i am so glad there is another way down. none of it was dangerous if you were careful & paid attention, but still heart-stopping. after leisurely coming down champlain south we drove the shore road to beehive- basically a mini version of precipice, but a bit tamer. we finished with a loop down to a pond called
the bowl. in town for internet, reservations, & lunch and a easy peasy afternoon hike is planned.

hiking acadia

we don't have service in the park! & i forget my phone for photos oops!
this morning aaron nailed the coffee which we sipped as we began our epic hiking adventure. we started next to a stream thru basalm fir, smelling heavenly. our first peak was the triad a leisurely uphill stroll followed by more strenuous climbing to reach the peak of pemetic. (this was my favorite part). from p. we picked our way across exposed bedrock, then down, &then scrambled up the west face of cadillac mtn, the highest in the park. it was brutal with lots of throw-you-leg-up climbing. we stopped to eat before we reached the peak bc i couldnt wait any longer. i joked about the snack shop at the top & there was! ice cold gatorade has never tasted so good despite the millions of milling 'murcans that drove up. aaron decided we needed to bag 2 more peaks so we picked our way .7mi down cadillac & legged-up door mtn. then mentally i was done, but the trail home continued down door, up
bed of feathers, &1.9 back hom

FWD:acadia national park

after a pic with the giant boot at LLBean (and a no go with the desert & whoopie pie outlet) we headed north on rt 1. our first stop was at the bath maritime museum which has the complete history of sailing ships & how to build them. the best part was the trolley tour of the bath iron works next door where we got to see them building a navy war ship and a finished one. we got to see all aspects of the ship building and painting... massive ship and very interesting. we stopped at the maine prison woodshop to see their wares and tried to visit a bridge overlook, but the elevator was out of comission so we will try when we go back by. we arrived in acadia around dinner time, set up our tent, and talked trails with a ranger. we decided to walk part of the oceanside trail and ate our beef stew looking over the water. we saw a seal on the rocks and thunder hole was booming as the waves
crashed into the cave trapping air and reverberating. we snuck under a wussy locked gate to get closer.

Good Times with Good Friends

In the morning, Aaron and I decided we were going to walk around Simmons Mill Pond a little nature preserve near Sandra and Greg's house. I guess its not little because the information I just looked up says it 400 acres with a 37 acre pond! We invited Sandra to go so she led the way and told us we should walk there.

It's a pretty place with nice wide paths. We tried to make a loop of the trails (successfully) and walked by two or three ponds or saw the same pond from a couple of different angles or something. I am really not sure. It was wooded and shady and we had a nice stroll.

Upon returning Greg called Sandra and asked if we had contacted Bill & Bunny so Sandra told me to call them and I invited them over for hamburgers and hanging out. Bill asked me questions which I asked Sandra and then I relayed the answers. Bill called back and said what about Jen and Andy so I asked Sandra who told me yes so I told Bill and Bunny to invite them. So I invited Bill & Bunny over and they invited Jen & Andy over. Fun.

Well Bill & Bunny said they'd be here in an hour so we left Aaron to work on his final paper and Sandra and I headed to the nearest grocery store. Tons of people live around Greg and Sandra, but its kind of like Louisa in that the real stores are not that close. Lee's Market was awesome (I would like to have this grocery store near me) and we picked up the things we needed. Upon returning we put Aaron in charge of making the hamburgers and Sandra and I got other things going.

Bill getting the fire going

People arrived and the laughter began. We sat around the unlit fire pit talking in circles. It's funny the dynamics of people criss-cross talking across and around the circle as different conversations are going on. A funny incident was discovering that the propane was out. OOPS. Random firewood collection around the yard began and Andy & Bill got a good fire going in the firepit while Jen and Sandra went down the street to Greg's parents to get another tank just in case.  

Ladderball

Greg and Andy were playing ladder ball (known as rope-a-dope where I come from) and were complaining about having to walk back and forth so Aaron and I joined them. Aaron and I suck so I think Greg and Andy were better off without us. Andy seemed like the sure winner, but Greg has a wicked overhand toss that is pretty good (plus its his game - he probably practices). Aaron was trying to toss the same way he does when bowling (over extending and kicking his leg out - I am not sure he even knows this is happening) and some how nailed himself in the nads with his own hand. We're still not sure how this happened, but a self-inflicted ball injury is a laughing matter. 

the injury

It started to rain a little so the girls went in to play UNO. (The boys were unconcerned and stayed outside.) We played by my proclaimed "Jancaitis house rules" because even though its the same game everyone plays a little differently. Everyone complains of course, but at least there are no questions. Except when I accidentally said "when you have two cards left be sure to say uno." Oops. The game got intense, players switched in and out, but good times were had.

Eventually most of the food was eaten and everyone went home. I have been charged with inviting everyone to Jen & Andy's when we get there at the end of the month, and again to Bill & Bunny's when we get there too. I of course invited them all to Virginia, but will see them sooner in Pennsylvania for Josh & Bri's wedding. 

Waterfire

For dinner, Greg brought home some fresh caught lobsters and Sandra had some shark steaks for us to try. YUM. Greg walked me through pulling the lobster apart step by step because it was only the second time I have had one - the first time was at his wedding! Dinner was so delicious and messy.

pyres and waiting people

We headed to Providence for the evening to check out WaterFire an installation on the rivers in downtown Providence that is lit a couple times over the summer. We didn't know much about it and Greg and Sandra had never been - but it was in all 4 of my travel books for Rhode Island - you know the like four pages in each book devoted to this tiny state.

We found it easily enough and parked at the top a steep hill and walked down. There were people milling around and we could see the braziers in the river chock full of wood. I guess I was expecting gas or propane, but they looked like they might be impressive. We grabbed some coffees and found a good spot along a bridge and waited. And waited. And waited. People dressed in all black in flat black boats kept cruising along. They had one torch per boat but they didn't do anything with it. There were also two gondolas that kept going back and forth carrying passengers - but who would want the gondola ride when the fires weren't lit?

they tried to entertain the masses with one fire twirler

Finally - 45 minutes after the time we read it was supposed to be lit, they came and lit the fires. We were doing a pretty good job of entertaining ourselves and there is always people watching. Greg and I kept climbing the railing to crane our necks to see if anyone was lighting fires. Then of course we joked about falling in the river canal. We joked about how to get the thing started by throwing fireworks into the wood piles, or matches, or shooting a flaming arrow. We also made fun of the music which alternated between smooth jazz, opera, and mystical new age.

At first the fire platforms looked puny and lame, but once the fires got going they were pretty impressive. Course by then a million more people showed up. We fought through the crowds to see the rest of the display down the river, crossed over, and came back. It stretches for a mile or so and includes over 100 braziers loaded with wood and burning bright.

It was really pretty and cool looking - but I just kept thinking it would be better if you could enjoy it in peace with ten times less people.

Newport, RI

 aaron and i are at our first brewery for this road trip - coddington in middletown. i of course am checking the sampler including blueberry, watermelon, and some normal-er ones. aaron's got a hefe. i think my favorite is the watermelon ale (in the middle with the bit o watermelon slice).

we went to newport this morning and did the 3.5mile cliffwalk to enjoy the sea and megamillion dollar mansions. some of the walk is paved, some is blocked, and some rock scrambling. we even saw greg's boat out lobstering off the point.

it was a nice stroll and the coolest home was the chinese pagoda with the tunnel under their lawn. walking back on bellevue was a parade past more grandiose homes- some of them museums or open to the public. all in all about 8 miles and a nice walk. :) gonna drink some brews and see what the afternoon brings!

I am not cut out to be a fisher-woman

The sun is just about to rise... and several

lines of traps have already been hauled up and emptied, rebaited, and reset

This morning i got up before dawn to join greg conching (conking). i just watched and asked a million questions. i am not cut out to be a fisherman.

the conch pots (wooden cages) weigh like 65lbs and are baited with horseshoe crab parts and skate bits that smell very pungent. the traps are strung together 10 or so at a time and Greg has 15 lines of them.

he trapped a lot of conch (really channeled whelks) and some super big ones. small ones, sea stars, sea bass got thrown back- crabs got smashed as extra bait.

Greg took a photo of me during one of my naps :)

at 630am i was starving (just as Greg predicted) and over the entirety of the trip i ate every snack in my bag including some very old pretzels from previous hiking trips. i also took a few naps bc i am not up to snuff. greg took a photo of me in my spot on the cooler that i'll post soon.

The funniest thing was the giant fish Greg hooked. It was swimming upside down on the surface and Greg said it had air in its belly. Turned out it was choking on a giant fish it had tried to eat. Sorry sucker! Because now you are dinner for us!

totally zoom in on the lighthouse
to see the outhouse perched
outside of it :)

I learned a lot and enjoyed a day on the water... but it wore me out (that and staying up late to work on papers). i napped like a champ for 4 hours this afternoon.

While I was gone Aaron cracked the whip and worked on several assignments that he needed to finish up for his summer class. I am sure he enjoyed time with me out of his hair so he could get some quality work finished. 

going through the shallows trying to beat Greg's uncle in

Sandra and Greg took us out for pierogis at Patti's Pierogis nearby in Massachusetts. We met a whole crowd of their friends and basically took over the whole right side of the restaurant. Aaron ordered polish plate #1 that came with all these odd but tasty things that I have never heard of that he has fond childhood memories for. He got a cheese, a potato, and a cabbage pierogi. Greg, Sandra, and I ordered off the interesting part of the menu and it was a tough choice. I ordered the Bada Bing (pierogis stuffed with italian sausage and peppers); Greg ordered the Buffalogies (spicy chicken and blue cheese); and Sandra ordered something with a funny name that I cannot exactly remember with Hoggies in it because hers were stuffed with BBQ pork. They were all good and many more were on the menu. They even had a whole list of dessert pierogis that none of tried because we were all stuffed.

Afterwards we headed to a bar with a hilarious name that escapes me - the Slippery Seagull maybe? The atmosphere was good and the quality of the band decreased as time passed. People watching was excellent however so Aaron and I were amused.

After a late night drive thru stop for a vanilla milkshake and some greasy snacks it was bedtime for everyone.