Boston (Day 2)

Rise and shine! It's only 5:00am and we are already getting ready to go out the door. Yep, 5:00am EST. Now, what would get us West Coast night owls up at this time of the morning? Only one thing other than food--live reenactment of the Battle of Lexington! The Battle of Lexington is reenacted each year on April 19 to commemorate the April 19, 1775, battle that started the American Revolutionary War. And, it starts on the dot at 6am. We called the Lexington City Hall beforehand and they advised us to arrive by at least 5:30am to find parking. So, we hit the road a little a bit after 5am.

We were a bit worried that we wouldn't know exactly where the reenactment would take place. But, we needn't have worried. We drove into town as the sun was coming up, and we saw herds of people making their way in the same direction to Lexington Green. We parked and joined the throng of people, many of whom were carrying ladders. We figured out what the ladders were for when we got to the green.

The area in which the reenactment would be performed was roped off. It was a path that ran from a street onto the green and through the houses that bordered the green. It was kinda hard to find a good spot to see (since we didn't bring a ladder) but we finally found a pretty good spot right in front of a house. Unbeknownst to us, this turned out to be the center of a key scene in the reenactment. Of course, I failed to video that part.

Several colonists were hanging out in front of the house. All of a sudden, a colonist rode up on horseback and asked for the lieutenant living in the house. The lieutenant was summoned from the house, and the colonist on horseback reported that the British were coming! (Okay, he didn't use those words but that was the gist of what he said.) The lieutenant instructed the surrounding colonists to assemble on the green. A drummer appeared from the side of the house, started drumming, and led the way to a spot farther away on the green and out of our line of vision:


Not long afterward, we heard the drumming of the British and we saw the redcoats come marching down the green. They were even pushing a couple of colonists who had been captured along their route:


The redcoats marched passed us and there wasn't anything we could see anymore, but we could hear gunshots, shouts, and sounds of scuffling. MP and I moved to another location and got a better view of the battle:


What community participation! There were so many people walking with us and who were already there before us. It was really neat to be a part of such a group and you could really feel the energy in the crowd. We had such a blast!

When the Lexington portion of the reenactment was over (there was a similar reenactment in Concord), it was about 7am, a perfect time for Dunkin' Donuts. We got some kwawfee and donuts and drove to Concord. We went to Walden Pond State Reservation and made our way toward Walden Pond. What a wonderful idea, don't you think? Lexington battle, followed by an early breakfast walking along the trails surrounding Walden Pond. Here is the map, but it is unfortunate that *someone* lost the map while we were deep into the woods. Nevertheless, we charged on--we don't call ourselves "Thelma and Louise" for nothing.

Anyhow, let's just focus on what we saw before and after the map disappearance. We found Walden Pond. It was very tranquil and there was someone fishing. Apparently, the tide was still high. Even though it was mid-April, Spring was only just beginning to show up at Walden Pond. There was some vegetation that reminded me of my goal to have hot pot in our hotel room. There was also some moss that I had never seen before. We also saw some ducks who were building a huge nest. Then, MP commented that, only in America would the state run electricity into the middle of a forest so that a small shack could partake in the utility. We also found the site of Henry David Thoreau's cabin where the chimney foundation was marked. Here was the view that Thoreau would have seen from his cabin. When we got back to the parking lot, we saw a replica of Thoreau's cabin (inside), and we took a group photo.

What happened next in Salem can only be described as "uncomfortable." MP felt that all three spots that I had chosen to visit sucked (pirate museum, witch museum with reenactment, and witch museum 2). I will admit that the pirate museum was a dud. However, witch museum with reenactment was great. These people reenacted a portion of the Witch Trials directly from the transcripts, and they really got into it. However, because these two points of non-interest were so dull, according to MP, that we decided not to visit the third, even though we had already paid for it in a combo tour purchase. Now, this is a big deal ("this" = MP not consuming what she has paid for). So, instead, we went to visit Nathaniel Hawthorne's house and also the house upon which he had based his novel, The House of Seven Gables.

MP was unimpressed. We drove to visit a lighthouse of her choosing, but even though we didn't get to see the lighthouse, we saw some falcons for the movie, The Proposal, which was being filmed near the lighthouse at the time. (Those falcons were so cute--they looked like they were wearing pants!) We didn't see any stars, though. MP was so unimpressed with my planning that she made sure to set the agenda for Day 3 before going to bed that night (only she and Hermie talked it over and excluded me).

...there's more to this story--click me!

Boston --- vacation of countless tours (all paid with money)

Day 1:

I picked up Nonnynu around 5 am. Went to Chinatown. The only thing that was open was two bakeries. We got two big pork steam bow...ate...went back to Hilton and napped until about noon.

We got introduced to Dunkin Doughnut. Boston should not be call Beantown. It should be called Dunkintown. In every corne, therer is at least two Dunkin Doughnuts...even in Chinatown!!! It really dwarfed the chicken feet that we ate for lunch.

Freed0m Trail was great. Thanks to my friend at work's recommendation. The tour was done through role-play. We had some sort of colonial guy who said "...taxation without representation...". We saw all kinds of colonial stuff and learned a lot of history. It was worth the price. He was really informative. Paul Revere didn't do all those stuff the poem says. We finished the rest of the unpaid tour on foot -- saw Bunker Hill and Old Ironside (I think). Interesting to know that there are still gaslights at certain really old part of Dunkintown.

When we were near the Boston Common, there was an unusual looking "bus shelter". It was a long hallway made of glass. Each pane of glass is about 4-5 foot wide and about 2 stories tall. There were six of these. It was actually in memory of the victims of the holocaust -- the New England Holocaust Memorial. (OK, I can't claim authorship to this really nice looking picture. Its way beyong the scope of practice of my cheapo camera). http://nehm.org/design/ to learn more about this memorial.

The numbers on the glass were the number (like a prisoner's number) of each of those died under Hitler's "maw jeung"...a very solem moment. "Maw Jeung"...Nonnynu, that could be your next Chinese idiom.

We ended the day with a Malaysia Dinner.

Day2:

That night..ok...we are still pre-Day2, Nonnynu told me to get up early so we can go to Patriot Day at Lexington. I shoot the route with Hermie (the name of my GPS). It was only 20 some miles from where we stay. Keep with the family tradition...I told her that if people actually get there by 4:30, I will chop my head down so she can sit on it. Needless to say, I owe her a stool in the form of my head.

The Patriot Day parade was great. The town people were really into it. They had muskets, horses, the British Redcoats. middle-age men with real beer-belly and everything. Between watching people's butt cracks, back of their necks, top of their hair, we saw some of the parades and got the idea how the war for America Independence got started...I'm proud to be an American...

Next year, instead of packing the hot plate, pack a ladder.

After that we went to Dunkin, got coffee and ate our stale Chinese cake from Day1.

We hiked Waldon pond. That was great. We over estimated the "pond" because someone lost the map while taking a pee-stop (I will respect that person and not put their name on this site for humiliation) and hiked to some sort of river. Whenever Hermie didn't come along, we got more than totally lost. Luckily, a kind mountaineer pointed us to the right direction. We hacked our way through nats and mosquito for another hour before getting back to our car.

The rest of the day was filled with fun-filled tours at Salem. It was so fun and authentic that I wonder why historians don't go those these people for help with their history books. Nonnynu even made a good suggestion to get the combination 3 - tours package....Kill me...We suffered through 2 of those tours. All the time, I was hoping for Samantha to wiggle her nose to beam me out.

The high-light of the afternoon was the trip up Cape Ann to eat fresh boiled shrimp and see how rich people live.

...there's more to this story--click me!

Boston (Synopsis)

I don't have time to give you full explanations of where we went, but here is a short listing of what MonkeyPig and I have been (and will be) up to. I'll probably do full entries on some of these places in the future.

Sunday
Boston, MA: Freedom Tour led by a James Otis impersonator.


Monday
Lexington, MA: Battle Green reenactment of The Shot Heard Around the World

Concord, MA: Waldon Pond


Salem, MA: witch history, House of Seven Gables, Hawthorne House


Tuesday
Providence, RI: Benefit Street


Portsmouth, RI: Green Animals Topiary Garden


Jamestown, RI: Beavertail Light House


Wednesday
Cape Cod, MA: Highland Light House


Hyannis, MA: Lobster dinner


Hyannisport, MA: Beach front properties


Thursday
Plymouth, MA: Fried clams from Lobster Hut


Plymouth, MA: Plimoth Plantation



Friday
Newport, RI: Mansions


Norwood, MA: Last Supper at a great Indian restaurant (Minerva)

...there's more to this story--click me!

Hiking APB... by sluggy (intrepid guest blogger)

Nonny Nu has declared herself unavailable for the next two weekends... are any local Friends of Nonny Nu interested in hiking either weekend? I offer bacon, and expert banana slug tracking skills, and promise to wince, point and holler "watch the crap" upon sighting horse poop. We shall lament the absence of Nonny Nu, declare it not nearly as much fun without her, and never speak of the hike again. But you will grin with the knowledge you lived "a day in the life of Nonny Nu."

...there's more to this story--click me!

Holy Crap it was a nice day for a hike! by Cl. "watch out for the road apples" Panic, guest blogger

Spring has sprung.

Which means that it was a perfect day for a hike. My good friend from Australia was in town and we decided to try out a new hiking spot at the Henry Cowell State Park. It was also good weather to take Tiburon out for a spin, so off we went. Until we stopped along with all of the other traffic on the freeway. Apparently it was also a great day for the beach, which meant that traffic on the 17 heading into Santa Cruz was backed up to San Jose since every resident of the Silicon Valley flocked to the ocean.†

Acting on a whim, we redirected ourselves to an old standby: the Phleger Estate. It's been nearly a year since my last visit to Phleger, but given the variety of trails and ample parking, it seemed like a safe bet, and avoided the need to deal with Santa Cruz traffic. And so we wound our way through the quaint village of Woodside and into the Huddart County Park. Trail map in hand and poorly identified trails ahead, we were off...

I don't remember the large amount of horse shit on my last trip to Phleger. I mean there was a ton of crap along most of the trails. No killer mountain bikers, just killer road apples.

The park was eerily quiet. Not many other hikers, but there was this one jogger guy that was way too in shape; he lapped us and was moving at the same fast clip whether going uphill or down. Bastard.

We saw a lot of squirrels and lizards. No banana slugs though. Come to think of it, I've never seen a banana slug on any of my hikes. Maybe they know that I carry salt in my back pocket?

I was able to capture a nice macro shot of a flower (a Redwood Sorrel, according to Prof. KIA), and also some strange web-nest-thing. Hey NN: does Professor Know it All have anything to say about the caterpillar orgy?

Did anyone notice that the moon was visible all day? And there were no clouds in the sky? I mean, it was absolutely beautiful out.

After the hike we decided me might try to sneak into Half Moon Bay via Highway 84. No such luck. Traffic was backed up all the way to the 280. Guess the beach will have to wait ...

† Presumably this did not include the Nus who were likely trapped in retail hell trying to solve Mr. Nonny Nu's crisis.

...there's more to this story--click me!

Vail Tripby MonkeyPig (guest blogger)

I promised NN that I'd post my Vail picture last week. But, work had been busy.

It was a really good trip. Travel tip, instead of staying in Vail where a cup of tap water will cost you 50$, there are several towns outside of Vail and within 10-20 minute's drive. The lodging is as good and much cheaper. I stayed in Avon. It was advertised as a 1 1/2 star "motel" on Expedia.com. I thought it'll be a dump. To my surprise, the room was good size, clean and there was a kitchenette - a must in any FOB style travel. To save on tips, I hung the do-not-disturb sign out for the entire stay.

We had class from 7-10am, break, and return to class again from 4-7pm.

I had a lot of fun and it was pennies (Vail pennies) a day. Rented snowshoes and hiked the national forests. Didn't see any critters. Saw a lot of their interesting tracks. . Some of the tracks were of two different prints -- one look like a deer (hoofed) and the other look like some kind of cats (lynx / bobcats) . You can see the cat tracks are circling around itself as it its sniffing out a scent. It was great! At time, its you and nature. .

I tried cross country skiing one day. I won another medal that day...I was falling every 5 minutes. I had the most fall and received the idiot award that day.

All-in-all, it was a great trip. I saw a side of Vail not many people see when they visit Vail.

Thanks to Wal-mart, I made about 40$ a day on the per diem.

...there's more to this story--click me!

Phleger Has Competition

Last Sunday, Stillman and I went on a new hike at Fall Creek. The Phleger Estate has been a long time favorite for Stillman, so I was very surprised when, halfway through this hike, she announced that Fall Creek might now be her favorite hike.

Fall Creek is in Santa Cruz County so we expected to see many of its mascots there. Unfortunately, we only saw three banana slugs. But, there was lots more to see at Fall Creek. Some wild flowers had started to bloom. And, the really fun thing about the hike was that it wasn't just walking. We had to go over and under a lot of trees and also cross little foot bridges over the creeks. It was more of a scramble than a hike.

We started off along the creek:


Along the way, there were lots of stumps with exposed roots, some of which were growing through rocks. We saw many examples burnt out old stumps surrounded by new growth. One example was interesting in that the burnt out stump had fallen over and was held back from falling into the creek by the new growth. Another example had the new growth growing straight out of the old stump!

The area was very wet and the water wasn't restricted to the creek. In some parts, trees were cut down and their stumps formed stepping stones across wetter portions of the trail. As we started to move away from the creek, we came upon the barrel mill area. Fall Creek used to be the location where trees were cut down to create barrels for the local limestone quarry. The barrel mill area had old equipment strewn throughout. ["Look at those jagged edges. That's a lawsuit waiting to happen." --Stillman]

After visiting the barrel mill area, Stillman and I sat down for a bit of lunch. Stillman had a meatloaf sammich and I had a hoagie. Unlike the time when she kept all the bacon to herself, she offered to share her sammich this time. She passed the test!

When lunch was over, we got on our way and started moving away from the creek. We encountered a drier trail with shady lanes and woodlands. Unlike the old fallen trees we saw along the creek, a newly fallen tree blocked our trail here. This resulted in a couple of horses turning back along the trail. We went around the tree and went into a sunny area with a manzanita grove. The soil there had a yellow tinge to it.

Towards the end of the hike, we started to head back towards the creek. We saw a screaming tree! ["ooooohhhhh...creeeeeepyyyyyyy..." --Nonny Nu] The creek was alternately rushing along and relaxed. At the very end, passed over a proper bridge.

...there's more to this story--click me!

Dog Canyonby MonkeyPig (guest blogger)

Today, Bays and I went to Dog Canyon. It was a beautify day...low 70's. You can't beat that. The only thing was the wind was mediumly (is that a word) strong. Its the desert here, so there is always wind.

I have to admit, we were a bit late. So, I didn't get a chance to see what type of mountain formed the Dog Canyon. I figure, if I say its some sort of tectonic plate movement / volcanic activies, I'd be almost right. There, that's how Dog Canyon was form 2.4 quadrillion years ago. There were lots of cactus. See how they change colors at various stage of ripening. There a were plenty of desert plants coming up from the ground that were taller than me.

The most interesting thing is this picture. We were standing in the Sacramento mountain range. When you look west, you see a patch of white...Yes.. that's the white sand dunes of the White Sand National Monument.

The entire trial takes 8-10 hours. We only hiked 1 hour in and came out because it was getting late. Next time, we'll forego the morning jog and just drive out to Dog Canyon in the morning to finish to hike. I read on the internet that its worth the hike when you get to the top.

...there's more to this story--click me!