Fall in New England

The kids and I just had one of the best trips in recent times. Last Thursday afternoon we took the ferry from Orient to New London. A very good friend moved to Connecticut and we made plans to spend a weekend with she and her family, and see their new house and barn for the first time.
The ferry ride was calm and on time, and the ride from the dock to their home was beautiful, albeit confusing. They are in a pretty remote area, in fact we had to drive a bit into Rhode Island and make a u-turn to get to their road! But the trees were ablaze with golds and reds and it was a breathtaking sight.

Friday morning, after a quick breakfast, we headed for Boston, about an hour's ride. We got there around 11 and our first stop was the New England Aquarium. This was the only disappointment of the whole trip. The kids had seen it all in 45 minutes, the only impressive part was the many, many different kinds of penguins.

We walked over to Quincy Market and sampled our way in one end and out the other as we made our way to The Union Oyster House, the oldest restaurant in America. http://www.unionoysterhouse.com/ This was a history lesson all by itself! The clam chowder was out of this world, but here is my tip: Once you have had crab cakes in Maryland, do not ever order them anywhere else :)

After lunch we took a water taxi over to the USS Constitution, "Old Ironsides". http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil/ Because our friend is an active naval chief, we were able to get a private tour. I didn't think the kids were even remotely paying attention to the Airman that gave us our tour, but once we got home it was all they talked to Daddy about! There is a lot of copper in the underbelly of the ship (not a correct term, I am sure) and the kids were fascinated to learn that it was all crafted by Paul Revere! It was also interesting to see that all of the cannons were named. All in all, it was a truly humbling and unforgettable experience.

After the ship we went back to Quincy Market to have dessert. I had an amazing pumpkin cheesecake, absolutely perfect. The kids had ice cream, pudding and a muffin.
We had intended to do the Science Museum also, but by this time the kids were really fried and there was still work to be done back at our host's house. So after a long nap on the ride home, the kids made short work of feeding 7 horses, 5 dogs and a rabbit.

Saturday was spent working, grooming and riding, 4 wheeling and other outdoor fun. The weather was again perfect and we were outside from breakfast to dinner.
Sunday we packed up and came home, exhausted, but happy.

There is no greater way to teach the kids history than to let them see it, feel it and live it. I am certain this is a trip they will not soon forget.