For a city, I think Boston was my favorite.  Admittedly it wasn't as easy to get to and we ended up having to drive into the city instead of staying outside and taking the public transportation but we were able to park at a garage right at the starting point of the Freedom Trail. Since we were in Boston in the middle of December, it was decorated for the season. It seemed as though every business, every house and every lamppost had wreaths and swags and ribbons adorning it. I loved it and have it on my bucket list to see Boston again around Christmas time but this time I want to wander little Italy and eat my way through that part of town.
We started the Freedom trail at the park with a stop at the visitor center where we purchased a small brochure that listed each stop on the trail.  It was a bit chilly and we bundled up, but could have worn even warmer clothes. The squirrels at Boston Common were brazen and forward.  In fact, they would run right up to your feet begging for food.  I leaned down and the squirrel turned its back on me since I didn't have anything in my hand so I reached out and petted it's tail.  That thing shot straight up in the air and did a 180.  It glared at me and scampered up the tree.  From the commons we walked up to the Massachusetts State House which we ended up viewing from every angle.  We came around the backside of it on our way back to the commons.


We looked for John Hancock's tomb as well as Paul Revere and Samuel Adams but many of the names were so worn that we decided to continue on our way.

Faneuil Hall is also marked as a nuclear fallout shelter.  I thought that was interesting.  I'm not sure that I've seen buildings here in the PNW that are marked as fallout shelters.  Maybe there are and I haven't paid attention to them.


Paul Revere's house is a little wooden house tucked behind a large brick wall with large brick apartment buildings stacked next to it.  It was open for tours but since we were walking and had much of the tour left we opted to snap a couple of photos and be on our way.  I wish we would have waited though until this area of town to grab a bite to eat.  It was like being in Italy with all the names of the restaurants and canoli being advertised.  We instead ate at a typical Irish restaurant earlier.  20/20 hindsight. After Cop's Hill bBurying Ground, we crossed the Charles River and made our way over to Charlestown.  It was here that we climbed to the top of the monument at Bunker Hill and was able to get a view of Boston.  At the museum we went inside and met a super nice park ranger.  He noticed John's Coast Guard Dad hat and asked who was in the coast guard and then shook Job's hand and thanked him for his service.  It touched my heart.







The USS Constitution was our very last thing we saw and we arrived just as they were lowering the colors for the day.  A couple of cannon shots, and the bugle signaled the time.  Job just smiled and said since he wasn't in uniform he didn't have to stand at attention. and then it was a trek back to the car in the dark, trying to find short cuts so we could make our way out of the city and onto our next destination - Maine.

We made our way towards Battery Park but once we reached South Cove Park, we realized that we weren't going to get a good view of the Statue of Liberty.  She was barely viewable through the fog but the buildings of across the water was moody and dark. There were other things we had wanted to see and so decided to make our way towards Times Square and Rockerfeller Center by walking.  Hind sight, we should have purchased a map of manhattan, gone to a cafe and circled all the stops we wanted to make and then just rode the subway to each stop.  Now there has to be a next time.  We walked and walked and walked.  We walked down Wall Street for Isaac.  Looking back we should have stopped at the Charging Bull for a photo. We walked past Trinity Church which was so impressive in the middle of the modern buildings. You could spend an hour here easily searching for Alexander Hamilton and other notable historical figures.  It was a sharp contrast to modern Manhattan.  We continued walking down Broadway. I wanted to pass by the Flatiron building and the Empire State Building but when we reached White Street I gave up and begged to take the subway to Time Square.  Time Square was overwhelming with people, with screens, with activity.  It was too much.  You could feel the energy and for some I could see the appeal it had but for me, I felt my energy draining. It took a few blocks and I realized that I needed to find my way to Rockafeller Center and leave the crazy. And yet Rockafeller Center was just as crazy as Time Square. Granted it was a Saturday and during the Christmas season. We arrived just on the outskirts of the center. There were so many people that we didn't see the ice rink.  When we saw the tree I was underwhelmed.  I thought it would have been larger but now realize that we were a ways away and it would have looked larger if we had gotten closer.  It was past lunch time and I wanted street food from New York.  I choose  Gyros and the guys choose hot dogs.  I think I got the better deal. Then we made our way back to the hotel and onto Maine. If we did ever go back I would probably stay at the same hotel: the Element in Harrison New Jersey since it was so convenient and nice and it was relatively inexpensive.  Also I think spring would be a good time.  Bucket List I guess.

We arrived in Harrison New Jersey just outside of New York City with the intention of continuing on the next morning towards Maine. However, after spending an evening listening to live music in the hotel lounge, we started talking to a couple from Texas and they convinced us to check out the city the next day. It was so easy. The Path station was right around the corner from the hotel and we could leave our car in the parking garage since we had paid for 24 hours of parking. The net morning after breakfast, we donned our jackets and walked to the station to catch the train into the city. We arrived at the Oculus World Trade Center station and as we made our way up to street level we were overwhelmed and amazed at the center. It was white and gleaming. The center had been decorated with Christmas trees and pop-up kiosks. Stores were lit and the whole thing had a "clean/sterile/wealthy" feel to it.  Once on street level, we were greeted with amazing architecture. We made our way to the 9/11 memorial. I remember the day it happened.  I was at home watching the boys play in our back room where the TV was. We had had our breakfast, when John called me telling me to turn on the TV. Isaac was playing with his toys and Job was running around on his wobbly little legs. Every channe1, every news station was tuned into this horrific event unfolding in my nation 3200 miles away. I sat stunned watching in horror and disbelief. Could this really be happening? Both Isaac and Job were born in a pre-9/11 world but will never know it. Lona was born into a post 9/11 world. To them this event is part of history but to me it is apart of my life.This was an event that changed our nation and us as people. There are certain events in every generation that produces some kind of change.  Pearl Harbor being one, the Space Shuttle Challenger,and  9/11 are others. A generation remembers and a new generation comes along and sees that event as history. Another event, another generation. Each event has the potential to teach us something or to create bitterness, distrust and anger. How can we learn and grow and honor those in the past without the anger?  We are Americans and we remember and we rebuild to show our strength, our determination and our resiliency. The pool is perfectly level with water cascading evenly into the abyss, with the One World Trade Center standing watch over the whole center plaza. Names were engraved all along the outside edge. I expected hushed voices and a quiet area but it was the exact opposite. The court yard was filled with voices and life as if to say "we are New Yorkers, we live on." It wasn't until we had walked away and around a building and started down West Street that we noticed a dramatic decrease in the noise. I had expected the opposite since we started down a fairly busy and main road.

We made our way to the base on a chilly Friday morning. We only knew a few things: breakfast was at 8:30, we could go to the exchange, there would be a presentation at 10 and graduation at 11. We had no prior experience on a coast guard base. We could hear yelling from recruits in other companies. There were guards stationed at no-go zones and there was a talk about a fly-by. We followed the other parents, some knowing what to expect, others like ourselves, a little lost. We listened to the presentation and filed out to watch the company march by in formation. We lined the sidewalk in front of the gymnasium and hoped we were on the side our recruit would pass by. The cadence started around the corner and grew louder as they approached, marching instep with their heads held high. Our first view in 8 or more weeks. The emotions and excitement were coursing through the audience and cheers erupted as fingers were pointed towards recruits, phones and cameras captured it all.  As they marched out of view, everyone started filing into the gymnasium trying to pick a side so they could watch their recruit receive their certificate and finally be able to put their arms around their recruit. And then it was time to tour the base and load up.