Smith's Away

We got up early so we'd get an early start on the roads. Traffic slow due to rush hour and road works but faithful TomTom got us to the car rental place in plenty of time. Caught the rail train to JFK airport. Checked in to our flight and Alaskan have now taken over Virgin America so we had to pay for luggage, not impressed and no lounge!! Squashed in to LA and then a wait to re check our luggage in then up to Qantas club, ahhh. Lovely food, a shower and then ready for flight home. Full plane this time so Brian and I separated. Finally home, and Rutts kindly picked us up. Home to my garden looking glorious in its spring colours. And so we come to then end of pur amazing trip. Brian did a great job planning and driving and everything went extremely well and to his plan. I think Gary would have been impressed with our travels.

A very wet night and cooler this morning. Nothing left so headed to a lovely place for breaky. Then on the road again. Still wet and misty as we wove our way around the coast past lighthouses, over bridges and into Rhode Is and where we won the Americas Cup. Really didnt look that much. On then into Connecticut and our final nights accomodation at a motel. Just over from Walmart tho, so we went over and got something for tea. I fancied mac and cheese and Brian had a cooked chook. Seatled in early for the night as tomorrow we drive into New York to give the car back, head to Alaskan airlines for our flight to LA, then wait there for our flight to Melbourne......

I'm sitting here writing this while Brian cooks his fish for dinner!!! Interesting Youth Hostel last night which I actuslly booked through booking.com. All old farts and some weird ones at that, not like the good old days when only young ones!!! A lovely muesli was available though and a pot of tea. Still very dismal day, rain and mist but humid. Even Brian has had enough so only a few places to drive to, the Cape Code Canal and rail and road bridges. Up Main St in Hyannis for browsing, much cheaper than Nantucket!! We were hoping to get into our airb&b early but communication not good so we had hot choco and shared a muffin, then drove, lunch at Friendlys restaurant, then finally we could head to our accomodation. However despite numerous requests no way of getting in. After an hour and a half we we just leaving to book into somewhere else when they arrived. Very comfy and we spent time repacking and Brian sorting through his pins. He has 300+ !!!!! Tomorrow Last stop befor...

Left our delightful seaside abode after waffles for breaky and headed straight to Hyannis. Not far away so Brian got a fishing charter, only him and 2 others and I got the ferry to Nantucket. Unfortunately, lots of mist and fears that Hurricane Jose might create high winds, so I booked for an early morning ferry. Got to Nantucket after a fast trip, under an hour and had lovely chats with 'washeruppers' new to Nantucket. But very misty and lots of uncertainty about the weather. Easy walk to my hotel and up 2 flights of stairs again. Left my bag there and did a wander. Decided against a bike ride as cobble stones and very misty so walked around. Nantucket was the whaling capital of the world then when it all stopped it basically slept, so has the most houses from the 1800 of anywhere in the US. However roads are clogged with cars, I reckon they should be banned. I was a bit disappointed in the town, as Id built up my expectations built on all rhe Nantucket authors Ive read, but t...

An early start as Brian had a tour at 8.30am, so we got our stuff down all the stairs and drove yo the hotel for the pick up. I got a suttle to the station and then walked miles to the JFK museum. A very long walk and misty again. Finally got there to discover there was another shuttle bus I could have taken!! Well this museum was very moving, I guess because so much of what JFK said is so relevant today. Equality, freedom, peace and a politician who wanted to work for all of this with integrity and honesty and boy was he intelligent. I got 2 shuttles back to the hotel and Brian arrived after his big tour around Boston. Then we drove down to Plymouth, a short drive and Brian dis another great job. Room faces the sea, Im writing outside now with the waves slapping and the band playing. Ive had a lobster roll, sangria and all just delightful. We head to Hyanis tomorrow and I go over on the ferry to Nantucket!!!

Woke up to the mist still hanging around, in fact quite thick. Brian had chosen a lovely drive along the coast but unfortunately it was too misty to even see the sea! Beautiful houses though, right on the sea and delightful towns to drive through. Drove on visiting some monuments to sailors and adventurers who names parts of the coast, John Smith was one. By about 1pm the sun had burnt the mist off and we drove into Salem, we even drove past the school I visited in 2002!! On into Boston with very hairy navigation in tunnels under the Boston harbour. Fortunately lots of cars so very slow moving!! Found our airb&b, a beautiful old house with many floors and yep where are on the top. Lovely accomodation and views of the harbour. Just finished dinner and organising our day tomorrow. Brian has a tour and I'm heading to JFKs library, museum.