July 14 = Day 18

Synopsis:  183.9 miles driven; 3.5 hours on the road; Ellwood City, NY; Visited Great Grandma and Grandpa Kroll's family farm, PNC Park, Heinz Field, Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe, Butler Cemetery and Locus Grove Cemetery

Aunt Shirley and Uncle Tony cooked us breakfast this morning (eggs, bacon, sausage, cereal, etc.) before we hit the road around 7:40 am. We started with a stop at the old Kroll homestead - the house my grandfather Kroll built and in which my dad grew up. The people living there allowed us (I had contacted them before the trip) to take a walk around the property and tell some stories of the past.

We then went into Pittsburgh and got there early enough to go down to the Riverwalk and walk up to PNC Park and to visit the beautiful home of the woeful Pirates. By 9:45 am, we were back at Heinz Field to take the official tour of the place. We visited the regular stands, the better seats and even sat in a luxury box. We visited the Press room, the field and the locker room. We got to walk around and see the Steelers Hall of Fame as well as the six Lombardi trophies.

After some souvenir shopping, we left Pittsburgh and headed for the Brighton Hot Dog Shoppe. Now, there are many locations but we have to go to the Chippewa location (actually in Beaver Falls) because that is where my Grandfather Piper always took us in the couple of years before he died. We feasted on chili dogs and loaded french fries. After lunch, we took at quick run down Blackhawk Road (about 8 miles) to go into Ohio - yeah, another state!

We spent our afternoon going to a couple of cemeteries - the cemetery in Butler where my grandpa Kroll and my cousin Bryan are buried and the cemetery in Ellwood where my grandmother and grandfather Piper are buried. We finished our day with a short stop by the church where my grandpa Kroll pastored for 33 years and then dinner at Aunt Shirley and Uncle Tony's house with Aunt Kathy and her three girls (my cousins).

Hotel Deal of the Day: One night at Aunt Shirley and Uncle Tony's for $0 including home cooked Italian meals!

July 13 = Day 17

Synopsis:  292.4 miles driven; 6 hours on the road; Niagara Falls, ON to Ellwood City, NY; Visited Niagara Falls, Lisa's childhood home, Aunt Shirley and Uncle Tony

While others slept in a little this morning, I got up early to go get in line for tickets for the Maid of the Mist at Niagara Falls. The first boat is at 9:00 am. Now, here are some things they don't tell you. They start selling tickets at 8:30 am. The line that is there at 8:30 am is usually through by 8:35 am. The tour buses start to show up and drop people off around 8:40 am. The tickets are for no set time...so once you have a ticket, the time it takes to get through the line after the ticket booth is when you will get on a boat. Lisa and the kids got to the stand at 8:50 am (after getting ready and loading the van while I was in line).

We got on the first boat of the morning for the 9:00 am cruise (BTW - cruises last about 30 minutes). The cruise gets very close to the Falls (both American and Canadian) and you definitely get wet (whether upper or lower deck). The kids loved it and loved getting wet - really wet. We were on the starboard side of the boat which is the side opposite of the American Falls but close up to the Canadian Falls. That's how I would choose it if you could.

After the Falls, we got a little breakfast and some souvenir shopping done before returning to the US (across the Rainbow bridge) and heading for Lisa's hometown - Sandusky, NY. We stopped at John & Mary's in Arcade NY - try the A-bomb sandwich and the Chicken Club wrap (they are great). We then got to Sandusky and saw the elementary, middle and high school Lisa went to there. We also got to see the home she grew up in and the church her dad pastored all the years she lived there.

We then headed to Ellwood City, PA and Aunt Shirley and Uncle Tony's house. We caught them up on some of our travels and then had supper with them (delicious). After dinner we ran out to J & T's Drive In for some ice cream (yum).

Hotel Deal of the Day: One night at Aunt Shirley and Uncle Tony's for $0 including home cooked Italian meals!

July 12 = Day 16

Synopsis:  293.9 miles driven; 5.5 hours on the road; Cobleskill, NY to Niagara Falls, ON; Visited Niagara Falls

We slept in for our second day in a row and had a leisurely type morning around Grandma and Grandpa Friend's and Aunt Loey and Uncle Terri's house. We ate lunch there before setting out on the road for Niagara Falls. Grandma and Grandpa Friend (based on their many years of experience driving school buses into Niagara Falls) recommended that we cross into Canada through the Peace bridge rather than the Rainbow bridge and then take the scenic Niagara Parkway or Niagara Boulevard. We did and it was a smooth crossing and a wonderful drive. Again, we were looking for a moose along the way but this is as close as we got.

Once in Niagara Falls, we wandered around the Falls area - our hotel is a half mile from the Falls and on the River Road running along the Falls (we can see the American Falls and Rainbow Bridge from our hotel room balcony). We stayed out late to see the illumination of the Falls so it is late and thus my blog will be short for tonight. In one week, we will be home.

Hotel Deal of the Day: One night at Michael's Inn for $0 by using Delta frequent flyer miles that Lisa had earned.

July 11 = Day 15

Synopsis:  23.3 miles driven; 0.5 hours on the road; Cobleskill, NY; Attended First Baptist Church in Cobleskill, NY; Celebrated Grandma Friend's birthday

We started the day by sleeping in - at least compared to our days on the road. We are staying at Grandma and Grandpa Friend's and Aunt Loey and Uncle Terri's house (they share one house). We left their house and went to Cousin Jerry and Alicia's house (BTW - all family relations are from the kids point of view) for breakfast. What a spread!

From there we headed into town (Cobleskill) and went to the First Baptist Church for Sunday services. It was a special morning for our family as we got to be there when the kids' first cousin once removed, Andrew Hughes, was being dedicated by Jerry and Alicia. He was great for the dedication while his sister, Danielle, was a little more enthusiastic!

After church, we returned home and surprised Grandma with a surprise birthday party (you'll have to ask her how old she is). She thought everyone was there to see us and celebrate Andrew's dedication but those things just lined up with our coming together for her birthday. Her two sons couldn't be there but all 5 of her daughters were. (Starting in the upper left and going clockwise: Linda, Lois, Louise, Lucy, Mother and Lisa)

After lunch, the kids enjoyed riding on cousin Jerry's ATV. They think we should get one for our yard...yeah right! A leisure day to regenerate us for returning to the road tomorrow.

Hotel Deal of the Day: One night at Grandma and Grandpa Friend's house  for $0 including time with cousins!

July 10 = Day 14

Synopsis:  120.2 miles driven; 2 hours on the road; Binghamton, NY to Cobleskill, NY; Visited Kirkwood River Park (25th High School Reunion) and Cobleskill (Grandma and Grandpa Friend)

First things first...today is Jedi's birthday and he turns 9 years old - Happy Birthday Jedi! Now all of our kids are odd...no, not like that! They are all odd ages - 9, 11, 13, 15 and 17.

We slept in this morning and took our time getting ready and out on the road from Uncle Scott and Aunt Weezie's house. They fixed us a GREAT breakfast and we watched Kung Fu Panda with them and their kids. We then left for Kirkwood, NY. This is where our class (CBCA Class of 1985) was having their family picnic as part of our reunion but before going to the park, we stopped by some of the houses on Main Street.

We found and got to see the church where Lisa's mom and dad were married, their first house (see picture), and the school that Lisa's dad went to when he was younger. After taking some pictures, we headed to the Kirkwood River Park for our class reunion picnic. Lisa and Kathleen were finishing the setup and most of our classmates arrived shortly after 11:00 am.

What a joy to spend some time with those that we had spent so much time with 25-30 years ago. As an added bonus, Mr. and Mrs. Ainsworth (our former principal) and Mrs. (Forrester) Maxwell (our former English and French teacher)  were able to join us for the picnic. All told there 13 of us (plus spouses and children) that were there for the picnic. What a great class (apology to Cindy and Ann not visible in my picture) and what a great time we were able to share together.

After the picnic, we took the 90-100 minute drive north to Cobleskill to visit with Grandma and Grandpa Friend. We got to share some our adventure so far, the pictures we took earlier in the day and just spent some time riding an ATV with cousins. What a good day!

Hotel Deal of the Day: One night at Grandma and Grandpa Friend's house  for $0 including time with cousins!

July 9 = Day 13

Synopsis:  397.5 miles driven; 6 hours on the road; Middleboro, MA to Binghamton, NY; Visited Plymouth Rock, Mayflower II

OK, if you don't know it, Holiday Inn Express has these great cinnamon rolls for breakfast. I'm not sure how many we ate altogether (besides the eggs, bacon, biscuits and danishes)! We headed out for Plymouth (about a 30 minute drive). We got there early so we could see Plymouth Rock and some of the displays and monuments around the area. Go early and take time for these things - there is some great information to learn.

At 9:00 am, we entered the area for going onto the Mayflower II. Again, while they are merely displays, take the time to read them to be better educated on the Mayflower and the Mayflower II. It's quite amazing to learn of the history of both ships - I guess I forgot that no one knows what happened to the original Mayflower.

We got on board the Mayflower II, which has several guides and several people playing the parts of the Pilgrims. You can visit below deck and see where the 102 Pilgrims stayed for the 9 week voyage. It's not only incredible that they spend most of their time there (only several were allowed on deck at a time when they were allowed on deck), but that they also had their livestock there as well as the smaller boat that would be left with them (it was in pieces). While it isn't the original, it really gives you a great understanding of what the original was like.

After leaving the ship, we looked around the area at some of the statues and monuments including one to all those that died during that first winter in America. Some quick souvenir shopping and then we got on the road for Uncle Scott and Aunt Weezie's house in Binghamton, NY. This evening the kids stayed with family while Lisa and I got together with my high school graduating class (Central Baptist Christian Academy - Class of 1985). It was so good to see friends from long ago - to see how we all have changed and how we haven't. We have a really good class! We're getting together on Saturday for a "family" picnic including all our kids (there are 3 or 4 of us who have 5 kids and 3 or 4 who have 4 kids so there should be a lot of kids.

Hotel Deal of the Day: One night at Uncle Scott and Aunt Weezie's for $0 including time with cousins and free child care!

July 8 = Day 12

Synopsis:  132.2 miles driven; 3.75 hours on the road; Woburn, MA to Middleboro, MA; Visited Old North Bridge, Concord, Lexington Battle Green, Bunker Hill, USS Constitution, Old North Church, Paul Revere House, Faneuil Hall, Old South Meeting Hall, Boston Massacre Site, Bull & Finch Pub, Roger Williams' House

Not only a hot breakfast at the hotel (Marriott) this morning, but a GREAT hot breakfast including eggs, sausage, home fries, bagels, oatmeal, muffins and more. Breakfast makes the rest of the day go better on a vacation like our's. It gives strength for the morning and allows us to move lunch to a little later. Also, because it is at the hotel, we save time from having to find and stop some other place. And, we already paid for it with the hotel (if we had paid).

We drove from the hotel to a place that not many seem to be aware of and very few visit - the Old North Bridge. We arrived there around 8:00 am. Now the Visitor Center doesn't open until 9:00 am but if your not going to the Visitor Center, go early and no one is there. We walked the .25 mile down to the bridge and monuments around or near it. What an amazing thought that "regular" people came out to protect their community.

From the Old North Bridge we went to the Minute Man Visitor Center. It is one of the main places to get a review of the events of the first conflict of the Revolutionary War. Unfortunately for us, we got there around 8:30 am and it doesn't open until 9:00 am. We had other things to do and since there is it is not a historical site, so we got back on the road. We next stopped at the Lexington Battle Green, the site of the first conflict of the Revolutionary War. Walk around the Green and you will find some houses that were there when the battle was engaged - cool.

We then headed into to Boston, actually Charlestown. That's when we ran into Boston traffic - the worst of our trip (worse than DC or NYC or Philadelphia). With a GPS, we jumped off the planned route when it was at a standstill and allowed it to direct us another way. We finally got to Bunker Hill and found a place around the corner to park for free. The Monument was closed (normally you can go into it and climb the stairs to the top), but the Ranger station was open and we could appreciate the monument from the outside.

From there, we walked on the Freedom Trail down to the USS Constitution. It is a free adventure but there are 2 options: one is a speed tour on your own and only on the top deck, the second is a guided tour that goes to the three decks below. We were going to go on the guided tour but we couldn't get on the first tour, it was full, and so we would have to take the second tour. That would mean waiting 25 minutes for it to begin, taking 30 minutes to be on the tour, and being below decks with 40-50 other people. We "jumped ship" as it were and went on the speed tour - partly because we knew that we would visit the Mayflower II tomorrow.

After getting back to the van and driving it over into Boston and finding a parking garage to put it in, we headed out again on the Freedom Trail. I can't say enough what the Freedom Trail does and provides for tourists. You really don't need maps (although I would still take one) and you can get to all the places you want by following the bricks or red line on the sidewalks. Our first stop was the Old North Church. Jedi loved the "family" pew boxes. The kids sat in the Revere Pew.

We then went to Paul Revere's house (one of the few places to charge an admission fee but it is very reasonable). An added bonus on our day to visit, during this Heat Wave, is that the house is air-conditioned. It was cool to get to know him a little better and his house is the only 17th century house in downtown Boston. You might consider skipping it, I wouldn't.

We then walked to Faneuil Hall (Boston's original marketplace - that still serves as a marketplace), the Old South Meeting Hall and the Boston Massacre site. We then broke away from the Colonial times and walked across Boston Common to the Bull & Finch Pub (made famous in the TV show Cheers). BTW - along the way Beacon street was closed off with firetrucks, paramedics and police because of a house fire (we saw no flames but plenty of smoke and plenty of ladder trucks). We had lunch at the Bull & Finch. If you go to Boston, eat there. The food was great. My only suggestion would be to share dishes as they are large portions (and a bit pricier fro a family of 7). We got and loved the Norm Burger (see picture of Lisa) and Coach's Power Club Sandwich.

We then walked back the entire Freedom Trail, did some souvenir shopping (loved the little lobster but decided not to get him), got to the van, and tried to get out of town but got stuck in Boston traffic again with the "Low Fuel" light and bell going off. I'm sure I upset some Bostonians (Florida driver) as I cut through or in front of them to get off and to a gas station before running out of gas.

Finally, we got to Providence, RI and stopped in to see the Roger Williams' House. The House itself is not much but we felt it was an important visit for three reasons. One, to fully appreciate the US Constitution and our freedoms in this country you need to know the origins of some of our critical beliefs that come from Williams. Second, as believers there is a lot we felt we could learn from Williams' life and teachings. Third, I was born in Providence and it gave a good reason to visit my hometown.

Finally made it to our hotel for the night in Middleboro, MA - a town I spent some time growing up in as a baby/toddler. Tomorrow is Plymouth and then driving to Uncle Scott and Aunt Weezie's house.

Hotel Deal of the Day: One night at a Holiday Inn Express for $11.50 by using points accrued through previous stays and buying additional points to get to the amount needed for the stay.