Bostonia!

Over the weekend, I headed to Cape Cod and Boston to explore.  A brief list of highlights, in roughly chronological order:

• Getting to see Elsa and Jim, and meet baby Kate.  I stayed with them on Friday night.
• Poking around Woods Hole, where Jim works, in the afternoon fog.  I had fish and chips at Captain Kidd and got to see some of the ocean research vessels that are based out of Woods Hole.
• The beach! On Saturday we drove/walked to Black Beach, including wading through some pools in the street left over after the previous night's rain.  Beach!  Dead fish! Shells! Rocks! Starfish!
• Successfully finding Lyn and the Riverside T station.  Lyn is my friend David's girlfriend's mom, and she was a great companion for exploring Boston.  And we got to ride the public transportation!
• Freedom Trail.  I gotta say, I think that the Freedom Trail is a great concept, and that other cities should create their own "preferred pathway" through their city's high points.  I mean, the thing about Boston is, it's a big city with loads of cool shit.  And that's great, but for someone like me--someone who's underprepared and easily overwhelmed--it's easy to feel adrift.  So the Freedom Trail creates a cool way for a visitor to see the major points, not get lost, and get oriented for further exploration.
• After walking the Freedom Trail, Lyn and I went back to the Bell in Hand Tavern for dinner.  I had the hot lobster roll, so now I feel that I've completed the Northeastern seafood tour as well (lobster, crab, clam chowder, haddock, mussels.  Is there something I should add to the list?)
• Beacon Hill.  After staying with Lyn and her husband Dean near Wuster (spelled Worcestershire), I headed back into Boston on Sunday to look around a bit more.  While I think the Freedom Trail's a great idea, it was also nice to discover that getting two blocks off the trail was a chance to see a resident's view of the city.
• Chinatown.  Pho for lunch.  Yes please.
• Cambridge.  At Elsa's suggestion, I hunted down Burdick Chocolate after a quick look around Harvard.  Cool town, good chocolate.

Pictures coming soon!

Canadia!

Today I headed to the Northeast Kingdom, to ride a rail-trail along Lake Memphramagog.  The guide book said the trail ended at the border, but I took along my passport in case there was more trail on the other side.  Turns out, there was!  So, I rode about five miles, crossed the border, then rode another the miles on the other side.  The border patrol on both sides were friendly, and the ride was beautiful (even in spite of the rain--which started to fall just as I was getting ready to turn around and continued long enough to get me really soaked.  I rode down to a lake access point when I got back, though, to rinse out my socks, shoes, gloves, and shirt.)

Here's my turn-around spot, near Tomifobia, Quebec.

And here's a view of the lake on my way back--between storms.

On the drive home, I stopped off at a roadside syrup store, operated by the parents of one of my sister's colleagues, and learned a bit about syrup making.  Fascinating!  Now I just wish the maple tree I planted two years ago was a little bit bigger....

sunset's long shadow

Here are some pics from my short ride yesterday (~5 miles), around the neighborhood.  The first is Cox Brooks, just west of town.  The second is at West Berlin Cemetery is along the route I drive every time I head into Montpelier--one of bunches of cemeteries out here.  There's one across the street from me, too.  Most are relatively small, but well-tended and peaceful.  I guess that could feel creepy, but it doesn't--it fits in, feels natural.