Monday, October 14 - It was 3:00am. My trip started badly and ended badly. Actually the entire trip was one problem after another. As I left the house to take the cab to PDX the garage door wouldn't lock properly. I caught the 5:05am Alaska Airline flight to Seattle. I caught the 7:00am flight to Boston however my suitcase did not make the flight. I was given 2,500 Miles for Bag Delay. I was told to go to the wrong area to catch a Lyft. Shear chaos! The first driver drove away. I waved my walking stick in the air. I finally got the second Lyft with the help of a man who used my IPhone to talk to the Lyft driver.
I
took the Lyft to the Hyatt Regency Boston. Someone had made a hotel
reservation for me for the previous day without my knowledge. So my
reservation was cancelled. Argh. I got it straightened
out. I found Road Scholar registration and then went to
Orientation. The Welcome dinner was at nearby Back
Deck. The deluge of messages from Alaska Airlines
began. The delivery driver finally called me at
3:00am I signed for the suitcase at 3:29am in the hotel
lobby. I got a couple hours sleep.
Tuesday,
October 15 - Following breakfast the Road Scholar group walked part way on the
fabled Freedom Trail with a local expert. Been there, done
that. So I took Lyft to the Paul Revere House (1680) where I got the
photo and the answers for a Virtual Geocache (GC7B7AZ). I went to
the restaurant way too early so I went to The Old North Church to get the photo and answers for a Virtual Geocache (GC7B8EN). I walked back to the restaurant
(Cantina Italian) to have lunch with the group. We toured the Old
North Church. I took a Lyft back to the Hyatt Regency
Boston. The hotel front desk staff gave me a Blue Bunny Vanilla Ice
Cream cup and a Blue Ribbon Chocolate Eclair Ice Cream Bar. I
enjoyed two bottles of complimentary water during my stay. We had dinner at The
Merchant.
Wednesday,
October 16 - Following breakfast, our luggage was collected and we checked out
of the Hyatt Regency Boston. We boarded the motorcoach and departed
Boston for Salem, Massachusetts. We drove past the historic Ropes
Mansion in Salem also known to "Hocus Pocus" fans as Allison's House.
We had lunch at Airfield Cafe. We explored the sights and landmarks
of Old York by motorcoach with a stop at scenic Nubble Lighthouse (Cape
Neddick). We then continued north to Ogunquit, Maine and checked
into the Colonial Inn (1886). We had dinner at
Jonathan's. I had clam chowder, salad, pasta primavera and
dessert. The television setup was a nightmare. I
caught the last ten minutes of "Survivor."
Thursday,
October 17 - We had breakfast at the Colonial Inn. We visited the
Ogunquit Museum of American Art and the Ogunquit Heritage Museum. I took a photo
of the framed "Rules for Teachers 1872." The one-hour boat
trip to learn about lobster fishing was cancelled. I had a peanut
butter sandwich for a light dinner.
Friday,
October 18 - Following breakfast, our bags were collected and we boarded the
motorcoach. I found the Portland Head Lighthouse (the oldest
lighthouse in Maine - 1791) Virtual (GCAJJPA) and A Piece of History (the
Berlin Wall) Virtual (GCAJK65). Last year I found The Director
Virtual (GC47EB). I had lunch with the group at
Old Port Sea Grill in Portland, Maine of Haddock Fish and Chips with coleslaw
and french fries. Mid afternoon we departed for the Grand Summit
Attitash Hotel in Bartlett, NH. We briefly visited N Conway where I
found a Virtual geocache (GCC9C0). We had dinner at the hotel. We had a lecture: The Ecology of the North
Woods.
Saturday, October 19 - Following breakfast, we departed on the motorcoach for Mount Washington Cog Railway. We rode the historic Cog Train to the Summit. I sat in Seat 14 on the left side - the last seat on the way up and the first seat on the way down. I took a photo for the Mount Washington Webcam (GCN32T). I was so absorbed in taking the webcam photo that I never looked up! I found The Rock Pile Earthcache (GC8E7ZH). A bit tricky walking on the snow and ice. Back down the mountain we departed for the Appalachian Mountain Club where we had lunch. After lunch, we headed to the Rocks Estate in Bethlehem, NH to learn how maple syrup is produced. I purchased a Maple Leaf refrigerator magnet. We had dinner at Abenaki Trail.
Sunday, October 20 - As we left the Grand Summit Attit6ash Hotel, we traveled the scenic Kancamagus Highway. We visited the White Mountain National Forest Covered Bridge (1858). We had lunch at Shiloh's restaurant. I had a delicious Rhuben sandwich. Crossing into Vermont, we headed to the mountains of the Mad River Valley. We went on a boat ride on the beautiful Lake Champlain. We checked into the Courtyard Burlington Harbor Hotel. We had dinner at Guild Tavern. I had New York Cheesecake for dessert.
Monday, October 21 - I watched a spectacular sunrise from my hotel room. After breakfast we departed for Shelburne Farms. We sampled several Cheddar cheeses. We had boxed lunch at the Farm Barn Courtyard at picnic tables. I had a delicious Ham, Dijon, Cabot Swiss cheese, pickles and greens sandwich. The box lunch came with kettle chips, apple and cookie with a soft drink. We returned to the hotel. I read "To Collect in Ernest - The Life and Work of Electra Havemeyer Webb" by lauren B. Hewes and published by Shelburne Museum Vermont. Fascinating book.
Tuesday,
October 22 - During breakfast our luggage was collected. We departed
Burlington at 10:00am. We traveled south on the motorcoach through
the stunning center of Vermont, taking in the rural autumn landscapes and tiny
villages along Route 100. We visited Cold Hollow Cider
Mill. We had a chaotic lunch at Doc's Tavern in a quaint Vermont
village. My burger with American cheese, lettuce and tomato with
hand cut fries was delicious. We checked into the Grafton Inn. I had
the Ulysses S. Grant room. Complimentary Carr's Table Water Crackers and a 4 oz. of 1 Year Aged Cheddar Cheese. We had dinner at the hotel. I
had tossed green salad and Greek veggie pasta.
Wednesday,
October 23 - Following breakfast at the Grafton Inn, the group took a walking
tour of Grafton. We departed at 10:45am for the Scott Farm in Dummerston,
Vermont. We learned as we tasted about organic heirloom apple
varieties. We had lunch at the Scott Farm with delicious apple pies
for dessert. Field Trip: The Stone Trust. We stopped
briefly at Dummerston Covered Bridge. I stayed on
motorcoach. Big mistake! I did not realize there was a geocache at the bridge
(GC667ZH).
As
we returned to the hotel, we got a great view of Naulakha (1892), also
known as The Rudyard Kipling House. It is a Shingle Style home where author
Rudyard Kipling wrote "Captains Courageous." Kipling also
wrote "The Jungle Books", "A Day's Work", and "The
Seven Seas", and did work on "Kim" and "The Just So
Stories" here. Kipling had named the house after the Naulakha
Pavilion, situated inside Lahore Fort. Next to the house was
Kipling's Carriage House (1895). Located on eleven acres off a town
road, at the edge of a forest above, the estate overlooks a meadow and valley
views.
We
had a Farewell Dinner at the Grafton Inn. I had Pan Seared Tuna
which I didn't eat. I don't eat raw seafood. I had a
complimentary glass of port.
The Inn music played so loud in my
room the second night of my stay that I couldn't sleep.
Thursday, October 24 - The baggage was collected at 7:00am. Breakfast buffet. We checked out at 8:00am. I was dropped off at Terminal B/Alaska at Boston Logan International Airport. I had to wait until almost 2:00pm to check in for my flight. After I checked in for my flight, I had lunch of Burger and Sweet Potato Fries sitting along the cafe railing so I could people watch. I missed my flight in Seattle to PDX so I was rebooked on the next flight. I arrived at PDX around midnight, retrieved my suitcase, caught a Lyft and was home about 1:30am. It was an interesting trip but I was glad to be home.
I found five Virtuals, a Webcam and an Earthcache. As usual they were one of my high points of my trip. During my 20 years of Geocaching I have seen things and done things that except for Geocaching I would not have seen or done.
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