Lunch Adventure: Where are we and what is Tim doing?

For our next Lunch Adventure, we headed West. In just 20ish minutes, you can find a steep gorge and a bridge that once held bragging rights for the second largest masonry arch in the United States. It also has a special feature. Know where this is? First person to come up with the right answer gets bragging rights to be the first person who got the answer right!

Lunch adventure: Seafood, planes and rain

Winter was long and hard in Boston. If you lived through it, you know what an understatement that is. If you're not local, the Weather Channel reports that Boston received a total of 110.6" of snow for the 2014-2015 season, with 64.8 of those inches falling in February alone. While we were trying to keep hope alive that there would be ever be a Spring again, Sasquatch was cozily hibernating under cover. We're more than excited to get the van back, tuned-up and on the road. We've made lists of things we need to do: ongoing maintenance items, things we'd like to have to make van life more fun, and then the dream items—like a total interior makeover or solar panels to serve much of our energy needs on the road.

Most of all, we're excited just to enjoy the van. To start our season, we've challenged ourselves to come up with very local excursions we're calling the Lunch Adventures. Pick a nearby neighborhood. Find a spot that's unknown to both of us. Head out with an eye towards discovery. And, we don't have to worry about waiting for a table! First up—Belle Isle Seafood in Winthrop. Lobster rolls accompanied by a great view of planes landing at Logan. Know of a spot? Feel free to share! We'll write it up if we go. Enjoy the Spring!

Transport Story #2: Homecoming

Somerville, MA

It was not without some excitement that Tim and I learned that Sasquatch was in Massachusetts and would be delivered tonight. There was some scrambling to get everything ready, but the communication with Tiffany at ProStar Auto Transport and the dispatcher at Transauto Logisitics made it go smoothly. Tim and I headed down to Assembly Row to await the driver's arrival. We had just wrapped up a quick meal when the phone rang. It was here. We headed over immediately and suddenly, there it was. Like seeing a friend that's lived far away for some time! We inspected the van. Given a tough trip East (the driver mentioned hail storms in Texas), Sasquatch looks in decent shape.  We are thrilled to have it back in our driveway. We hope it feels the same way!

Transport Story #2: Sasquatch come home!

Pasadena, CA and Somerville, MA

1933 Mack Auto Transport by Tootsie Toy (photo by Loopdeeloop)

We're excited and honestly, a tad nervous, as we embark on bringing Sasquatch home. Diran and crew at Strictly German have given our van a new heart, and everyone there has been super helpful as we begin the arrangements to have it picked up and put on an open carrier transport back East. As I mentioned in an earlier post, part of our trepidation comes from the fact that Sasquatch is originally a West Coast van. We hope it's recent demise isn't a wish to stay put there! Navigating the auto transport industry is daunting. There are many vendors out there making many claims and more horror stories than you can count. Tiffany at ProStar Auto has been a great resource and we hope to sing her praises as well as that of the carrier in a few weeks time. Pick-up is scheduled for the beginning of next week and we should be reunited with our Westfalia at the end of September.

The Wedding Road Trip: Home

Concord, MA

With our Westfalia being mended, we were determined to have a fun arrival,
and what better than a tow truck—an integral part of our journey!

Tim and I are a still aglow from all the love and good wishes that enveloped us on Saturday—our wedding, the final destination of our road trip! What a gift the weather gods gave us! How lovely it was for everyone to come and celebrate with us! We couldn't possibly have had a more wonderful day.

The Old Manse in Concord, MA was a beautiful setting for a wonderful day.

Travel and hiking are two of our favorite activities, perhaps in part because they are much like life. You plan your trip or your hike. Have a destination in mind. Prepare. And, then, start. But things can and do change along the way. You learn to adapt. You enjoy the great stuff. You deal with the bad, and try to never it overwhelm you. The beauty of both activities is you always have something ahead and yet, can simply turn around to see how far you come. All this to say, we feel we've got some good experience to navigate our marriage and whatever comes next. We're in the process of collecting photos from the day and will be sure to share them with you. With much love, T + C

The Wedding Road Trip: Classics

Finger Lakes Region, New York

When we heard the New York State Fair was close by, we knew we had to go. Tim and are are suckers for the Topsfield Fair in MA: the 4-H competitions (particularly the food contests-picture week old pieces of pie encased in plastic takeout containers and draped with 1st, 2nd or 3rd places ribbons), the bunny and bee houses, and the racing pigs. The NY fair has many of these classics, though not all. We got to enjoy the junior competitions for dog agility and draft horses. We didn't sample the array of things fried that are offered. We enjoyed watching farm families cheer their kids on during competition and the awkwardness and pride of the competitors themselves.

The Wedding Road Trip: Contrasts

Seneca Falls, New York

From Nebraska to Iowa, you rise to similar settings and drive through landscape that changes subtly. That's not to say it's boring. We saw plenty of interesting things along the way and would love to go back and explore these states. On other drives, you start out the morning in one environment, and end the day with something wholly new. Detroit to Niagra Falls is one such experience. Though in Detroit for just a short time, it's not hard to miss how in trouble the city is. It's a big city with enormously broad avenues, and yet so few people. We saw the abandoned buildings but we also saw people starting anew. A short walk from Corktown to downtown showed us many sides of the city—entrepreneurs trying to revive a neighborhood, sports love, places where people love to meet and have a good gnosh and a beer, gleaming casinos next to derelict hotels. 

And, then we were in Ontario at Niagra Falls! Tourists from every part of the world aiming smart phones and cameras at themselves, at each other, at strangers—all with the rushing falls as background. Niagra Falls is another natural phenomenon that's easy to dismiss. It IS touristy, but it's also spectacular. A place where you can see a rainbow almost always. We were awed by the power of the water. Getting into Canada was more work than we thought. Tim teased that with a name like Sirois, he was a shoe-in whereas I'd probably be taken to a back room for questioning. Turns out, a couple from Boston in a California rental raises enough suspicion that were were quickly directed to step out of the car while three agents searched it thoroughly. After spending time taking it all in, we decided to avoid the carnival atmosphere of the Canadian downtown and headed to the U. S. and onward to the Finger Lakes region. We feel the pull of home as we get closer and closer!