The Doors of the Berkshire

Historic Boston

After logging several hours in the car, we finally arrived in Boston, the historical landmark of our nation's freedom. What an amazing time we had walking the Freedom Trail, riding the T-rail, eating in the North End, and visiting the New England Aquarium. We packed so many things into two and a half short days, but the memories we made will last a lifetime! Here is a list of some of our favorites:

• Riding the T-rail with hundreds of Red Sox fans into Boston from our hotel near Riverside
  
• Walking through the Boston Public Gardens and envisioning Mr. and Mrs. Duck and their happy, quacky family from the book, Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McClosky
• Winding along the Freedom Trail in the middle of downtown Boston to the Granary Burial Grounds where lie such great American patriots as Paul Revere, Crispus Attucks, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock
• Remembering a key moment of our nation's history below the balcony where first was read the Declaration of Independence
• Standing on the very ground of the Boston Massacre and contemplating its significance to the Revolutionary War
• Watching a street magician perform outside Faneuil Hall before crowds of curious people
  
• Listening to the children recite Paul Revere's Ride by the doors of the Old North Church
• Devouring mouth watering Pesto Alfredo at Little Italy's La Famiglia Giorgio's in Boston's North End followed by authentic pistachio gelato at a small quiet cafe across the street
  
• Touring USS Constitution or "Old Ironsides" and USS Cassin Young before heading to Bunker Hill Monument
• Dining at Warren's Tavern, the old pub where George Washington used to take his ale
  
• Gazing at sharks and other sea creatures at the New England Aquarium
• Waiting in a long line for world renowned cannoli from Mike's Pastry.....yum!!!!
• Collapsing into bed at the end of a very long walking day only to be awoken at 2:00am by the fire alarm at the hotel
  

We had a marvelous time exploring the wonders of Boston together as a family, yet the short days spent there didn't do justice to the historic city. Maybe some day we will return to once again haunt the streets of Little Italy in the Old North End, and take in all of it's aroma of garlic and fresh baked bread before exploring the vast treasures of the great, historic landmark we have not yet discovered......

....but until then, we say good-bye, farewell, we hope to see you sometime again fair city of Boston!

The Winding Road

With school days lurking just around the corner, I thought I would take the next few posts to share the adventures of my summer with you.

It all began just a few short days after school dismissed with packing, planning, and organizing all of the details needed to spend one month away from home, seventy hours in the van, 4,500 miles round trip with four busy children. With many anticipated adventures before me, I embarked on this journey fully equipped with games found here, stories on CD, activity pages found here, music, and DVDs in hopes of safe and peaceful travel.

Although there were moments of whining and back seat rivalries, sweet bonding took place through laughing at silly jokes, singing crazy songs, discussing deep subjects, listening to great stories, and playing creative car games as the van wound its way through Colorado, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Massachusetts, Canada, Michigan, and then back home again.

It was an amazing journey, and one I would take again. The memories that were made were worth all of the exhaustion, hard work, and trouble it took to go.


(Each child decorated their own binder of car games and activities and journaled their trip adventures in notebooks that I put together for them. They had a lot of fun with these, especially filling in all of the states on a US map of the liscense plates they saw.)