New England Fall 2023

Well, this is a Top 5 +1
15 Days
8 States + A Night In Canada
16 Events
1 Trip to the Emergency Room
2 Trips Down Memory Lane
1000s of photos – (Posted 604 photos)
3590 Miles
65 Hours Driving
0 Moose
And I added a New Song to My Favorites List.

So what was the best and what was … not so much?

We had a great trip. Every day was wonderful. Every day was a different adventure, even the drive days. We had great weather. The temperature stayed in the 60’s and 70’s. Not once were we hot, and not once were we cold. We had a little wetness one day but not enough to call it rain. The sun was shining when the smoke from Canada didn’t get in the way.

So let’s get on with it.

The lows.

There were no lows. We had a trip to the ER at the very beginning of the trip. But all was good. No broken bones!

But we had one thing that did not warrant the time. Polly’s Pancakes. The pancakes were fine, but they were pancakes. I only mention it because we had to wait a bit. Not long. And I am not complaining, but in retrospect, I would have flipped my own and used that time elsewhere.

Honorable Mention – The Plus one.

The trip to Jamestown (Amy’s Home Town) did not make the top 5. But it was special. Meeting Aunt Linda was great. Watching Amy hug on her was awesome. We went to Pace’s Pizza (which was great) and Amy showed me around the sites of the small town and the things she did, where she grew up. But it was Sunday and several places we closed, and others were closed for the season, and that was a little bit disappointing and one of the reasons why Jamestown didn’t make the top 5.

Okay. I can’t count. 5+2 Because I have to mention another.

I have to mention the Franconia Notch too. Fabulous, Fabulous, Fabulous. Just go. Do it. You won’t be disappointed.

Drum Roll Please!!!!

#5. Dingman Falls – Delaware Water Gap.
This is all about emotion and feeling. Seeing Amy’s face when she saw that the house (which she thought was gone) that she summered in while working for the National Park Service was still there. Letting her share a piece of her life with me as she walked me to the falls was special.

#4. Virginia Creeper Trail Bike Ride
The VCT was great. Awesome views. A full day of fun. Pictures and video galore. Seeing families be families. People walking their dogs. Young and old living life. It made us feel vibrant and blessed. We took in the scenery and we enjoyed a hot dog. We had a full day and we outran the rain.

#3. Acadia National Park – Carriage Road Bike Ride
Acadia National Park is one of the highest rated National Parks and with good reason. The ride in Acadia was more serene than the bike ride on the VCT. The trails are wide, and things were easy. The most awesome views were of the lakes, streams, and ponds. But the trees and the leaves were beautiful too. We picnicked next to a still lake and spoke in hushed tones. The water in the lakes is so clear, you can see the bottom at 45-foot depth.

#2. Cannon Mountain Tram
This one is again all about emotion. Seeing the joy leap out of Amy when she walked out of the evergreens and onto that rock face was priceless. That one moment paid for all the driving. It captured the entire trip – not the view (which was spectacular) but Amy. When she gasped, I felt it. The tram ride the walk (you can’t call it a hike) up to the top was beautiful. This stop was only a couple of hours but it was packed with WOW!!!

#1. Togetherness
We spent 14 nights in a camper and 65 hours driving, and we loved it. Amy and I share a lot together, but most of what we share is work, chores, or responsibilities. In these 2 weeks, we shared togetherness, faith, and love in an environment which for some could be challenging, and for us, the love grew.

During one of the drives, we listened to our bible study podcast on ‘Marriage as a Commitment’. After that, we commonly substituted the word ‘love’ with the words ‘committed’ or ‘commitment’. It was silly, and it was fun, but it emphasized how much we tell each other and show each other with our actions, how much we love and are committed to each other.

We had the trip to the ER, and then we headed out to have fun. We had the sunrise that didn't happen. And we had the 'sunrose.'

We listened to music as we drove. From faith-based music to country, to our beloved 70’s music, to instrumental. Amy would queue up Tim McGraw’s My Best Friend (our song), just to see me smile (I know it wasn’t to hear me sing).

The new song on my favorites list is also a Tim McGraw song.

Don’t Take The Girl

***Bonus***
I have to mention this. Amy concurred with this list. But while I was writing, Amy pointed out that Niagara Falls didn’t make the Top 5. I paused and looked at the list again, and that is correct. After re-examining the list, Niagara Falls doesn’t make the list. The falls and the day that we went to the falls were fun. And I am so glad we didn’t miss the Falls. Obviously, if you have a chance to go – go. But this is our list and all the rest was better for us.もっと詳しく