27. Massachuetts

   We were later getting to Boston then expected but nevertheless we were determined to see a few things. Some things to note about Boston. First, if you don’t have to drive, don’t. It is chaotic. The streets will just all of a sudden change names. Second, parking is at a premium. There aren’t many places to park. We did manage to find some underground parking beneath The Boston Commons. Wear some good shoes and walk everywhere. Third, restrooms are few and far between. Buy a drink at Burger King and they’ll let you use theirs.

 

    Boston is full of history and if you’re a history buff then walk the Freedom Trail. We spent a couple of hours walking and didn’t even see half of it. It was getting dark and we needed to find our restaurant and I had only an address and a small map with very little detail. After driving around we finally found the area the restaurant was in, but where to park; that was going to be a challenge. We drove up and thankfully they had valet. I started to get out and the attendant asked which restaurant we were going to. We told him and he said, “You’re here for the special event?” I was like no; we just wanted to have dinner. He informed us they were closed for a private function. Now, mind you, this is a Saturday night. It would have to be a real special event to close a restaurant down for a private party. We asked for suggestions, but nothing interested us. I got out my trusty little book and searched for another option. Found one. Hmmm… I think we passed that street a while back. Off we go again to find the perfect restaurant. We find it but the sign has a different name. I call the number and it’s not the same restaurant and I’m not too sure about this one so maybe the third option will be the one. Did I mention we saw the Cheers bar on our adventure in trying to find a restaurant? Had there been a parking spot we probably would have gone there. 
     Onward to the North End of Boston. We finally find this little street with absolutely no parking in what we deemed “Little Italy”. Boy, did it smell good, if only we could find a parking spot. We drive around the block a couple of times and this takes about 30 minutes each time because of the traffic. We pass this one place, Mike’s Pastry, and I’m not sure what he’s selling but there is a line out the door. I’m ready to give up and come back to Boston another day. I’m tired and hungry and that does not make for a good combination with me. Dennis, the wonderful husband he is, doesn’t give up and locates a parking garage. My feet hurt so much, I’m not sure I can walk but he urges me on. We finally arrive at Ernesto’s on Salem St. Ernesto’s is a great place to get a slice of pizza. It’s small but the variety is unbelievable. We share a slice of pepperoni. I know, with all those options, we went for the plain pepperoni. It had just come out of the oven and we couldn’t resist. We ordered a chicken parmesan calzone to share and sat down to enjoy

the pizza while we waited for the calzone. The pizza reminded of us Tony’s pizza in Arlington which we always enjoy. My back was to the street and all of a sudden Dennis says, “Oh no.”  It had begun to rain. We had carried the umbrella with us while walking around Boston because it looked like rain but never did and I had left the umbrella in the car that was parked in the garage a few blocks away. We hoped it wouldn’t rain for long. The calzone came and we cut into the perfectly browned crust to reveal an abundance of melted cheese and chicken. Yum, Yum. There was so much it was impossible for us to eat it all.  The rain finally slowed and we were full so we decided to try to make it back to the car without getting soaked. About Mike’s? We’ll have to try the cannoli another time but from what I hear (from those walking with boxes) it’s worth the wait.

Leg 10
     4 days
     2 flights
     $9.00 tolls
     841 miles driven
     and 1 new tire
           = 5 states visited
23 states to go!

http://thefreedomtrail.org/

http://www.ernestosnorthend.com/

26. Rhode Island

     We originally had planned on just going to Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, and Massachusetts but when we realized that Providence, Rhode Island was only 50 miles from Boston we couldn’t resist adding another state to this leg of our journey. We arrived into Warwick, Rhode Island with enough time to plan out our next day and get a good night’s sleep.

     We drove into Narragansett to check out the sights. First on our list was the Point

Judith Lighthouse. Despite the fence and “No Trespassing by order of Homeland Security” signs we were still able to view this wonderful lighthouse that was erected in 1857. The lighthouse is still in operation and maintained by the US Coast Guard. Our drive continued along Ocean Road where we passed Scarborough State Beach. It was a cloudy Saturday morning so there weren’t very many beachgoers. Stingy that we are sometimes, we decided to forego the admission price to the beach and go a little farther to Black Point which is a fishing area and has free parking. We walked along the wooded dirt path to the shore and then headed towards Scarborough State Beach. We had seen some stone ruins from the road and I wanted to get a closer look. The path took us directly there. It’s not marked, but some research I’ve seen says it is ruins from a stone carriage house.

     What a wonderful view this house would have had of the beach and ocean. It’s obvious that it is now a favorite setting for beach partygoers. I was able to climb down the rocks to the beach and write Rhode Island in the sand while Dennis walked back to the car and met me on the side of the road.

     All this walking worked up an appetite and we were ready to locate Champlin’s Seafood Market and Restaurant to sample their clam bake complete with whole lobster. We began with some of their white chowder while we watched the boats coming into the bay. It wasn’t long before our clam bake was ready. Oh my, what a lot of food there was! Clams, mussels and a lobster, what more could we ask for? We weren’t sure what the liquid in the styrofoam container was or what it was for so I went up an asked. I thought they might laugh at these ridiculous Texans, but they didn’t. They were kind enough to explain that it was a wash for the clams. She also asked if I knew to remove the skin from the neck. Who knew a clam had a neck? Obviously I didn’t. She took control and gave Dennis and me a lesson on how to open the clam, remove the skin, wash it in the “clam broth”, dunk it in the drawn butter, and enjoy. Dennis preferred the mussels while I picked up the knack of eating clams. I was saving the best for last. Now it was time for the lobster. Another lesson was given on how to properly break open the lobster tail. WOW! The wait was worth it. This was some of the best lobster I’ve ever eaten. The moral here – if you want good lobster, go to New England where it is fresh.  There was an ice cream parlor adjacent to the market on the street level so of course Dennis had to check it out. Little did he know, I had plans for dessert already and it wasn’t ice cream. He picked up a cinnamon roll and piece of red velvet cake to go for later. These actually made it back to Arlington with us for us to enjoy at a later time. We strolled into the market where you could see all the  freshly caught seafood and actually pick out your lobster and have them steam it upstairs.

     I had seen Iggy’s Doughboys and Chowder House while driving Ocean Road and was determined to see if their doughboys were as good as the beignets at Café Du Monde. (I know Stacy, this is a no no but I couldn't resist.) They came as an order of 6 for $3.99 and I had mine served with powdered sugar. They were warm and tasty and I had the feeling I was back home in Louisiana. Doughboys are to Rhode Island as beignets are to New Orleans. Plenty to save for breakfast tomorrow.

    Now the fun really began. The indicator light for low air in the rear tire came on.  We stopped and put air in the tire but no one knew of a tire store so we decided to head north towards Providence. As we reached Warwick the light came on again. We exited and put air in the tire again. There was an auto parts store next door so surely they would know of a tire store. As we exited that parking lot the light came on again. We were losing air fast. Luckily the tire store was only a couple of blocks away. Whew, we made it. The tire was completely flat and you should have seen what they pulled out of the tire. It was a 5” shank. I’m surprised we made it as far as we did. I think the guys at Town Fair Tire were also a little surprised. They asked if we wanted the shank but we decided that TSA wouldn’t let us board a plane with it so we gave it to them. With a new tire we headed into Providence to see the State House. Boston, here we come.

http://www.champlins.com/why.html

http://www.iggysdoughboys.com/

http://www.townfair.com/

25. New Hampshire

     Just before crossing the Piscataqua River into Maine is the small historic town of Portsmouth. I was amazed at how lively and bustling the downtown area was. It’s nice to see a downtown area so alive. The landscape in New Hampshire is just as beautiful as Vermont’s. It is a state busting with lakes. These are lakes nestled amongst the woods. They remind me of scenes from the movie On Golden Pond. Okay, maybe you’re not old enough to remember that movie. We drove into Concord, the capital, for dinner. Across from the state house is TheBarley House Restaurant and Tavern.

      We managed to arrive during their annual burgerfest benefitting Children’s Hospital at Dartmouth (CHaD). We were greeted with pretzel sticks and hummus while we made our decision. It was unfortunate we were only in town for one meal because the diverse burger menu had so many good options. I decided on the Dublin with its peppercorn charred all Angus beef patty topped with a whiskey gravy, creamy blue cheese and thin crispy onions. The fries are served in a silver tankard and are best with the chipotle ketchup. Dennis opted for the Pepperoni Pizza Burger. We weren’t quite sure how this would be served but a very interesting looking dish was set before him. It looked like a thick individual pepperoni pizza complete with marinara sauce and a 4 cheese blend but the surprise came when you cut into it. The beef patty

 was actually stuffed into the crust. Both were delicious and we were on our way to Rhode Island.

www.thebarleyhouse.com

24. Vermont

    The drive through Vermont was absolutely picturesque. I felt like I was driving through the clouds. The amber glow on the mountains from the sun setting was so peaceful and tranquil. I can only imagine how beautiful it is during the changing of the colors. The one thing we noticed about Vermont and New Hampshire was the lack of billboards. There were no billboards to take way from the natural beauty of these two states. Once dark had set in we continued our drive. There were moose, deer, and bear crossing / caution signs. I’m not quite sure what I would have done if I had seen a bear. I would have liked to have seen a moose but only in the daylight and not along a dark highway. Fortunately none crossed our paths. With no billboards, it is a little difficult to know where the gas stations are. We decided to try the Montpelier exit. Montpelier is the capital of Vermont so we knew we would find something. The Vermont State House was lit up and gave us a perfect photo opportunity. We decided to drive on to Burlington since it borders Lake Champlain and I wanted to see another Great Lake. No visit to Vermont would be complete without waffles and Vermont maple syrup for breakfast. After a filling breakfast we checked out and began a fun-filled day.

      The Burlington waterfront still showed signs of the recent flooding but was gradually beginning to show some life. Unfortunately there was not a place for me to put my feet in the lake. North Beach, right pass the high school, was closed. Can you imagine having a beach so close to your high school? I wonder what the absentee rate is on a sunny day? Hopefully they play their baseball games during the daytime since if a batter hit a homerun, it would probably end up in the cemetery that borders the baseball field. I’m not going after that ball at nighttime.

     Driving back towards New Hampshire we had a few stops to make. Waterbury, between Burlington and Montpelier, is home to the famous Ben and Jerry’s ice cream factory and we had to make a pit spot. We toured the factory and were offered a sample of the flavor of the day, Americone Dream. It would have been rude for us to turn down the sample so of course we graciously accepted and enjoyed the refreshing snack. A walk up the hill brought us to the flavor graveyard where we could pay our last respects to flavors that are no longer with us.

     Our adventure continued and we traveled through one of Vermont’s covered bridges to our next stop, Sugarbush Maple and Cheese Farm. This is a working farm and we were greeted with the friendliness that you would expect when entering a close friend’s home. During the summer the work room is busy wrapping and waxing different varieties of cheeses. The ladies are more than happy to have you sample the different cheeses and choose your favorite. We had many favorites but the sharp cheddars were at the top. We also sampled the four grades of maple syrup. We toured the sugarhouse and watched a video on how they tap 6000 maple trees and make maple syrup. Do you know how many gallons of sap it takes to make one gallon of maple syrup?
    We walked along the trail to observe examples of tapped maple trees. We made friends with the farm animals and enjoyed the fantastic view. Let me not forget about the gift shop with more samples to enjoy. While we shopped they even allowed us to plug in our camera battery for a much needed charge.

    Before we left Vermont we made a quick stop at Queche Gorge, Vermont’s own version of a Grand Canyon. The gorge was formed over 13,000

years ago and we couldn’t miss the opportunity to cross the bridge and look down at this natural beauty.  It also gave us the opportunity to partake of some of the snacks we had just purchased.

Vermont is a beautiful state and one I would like to visit again.

http://www.benandjerrys.com/

http://www.sugarbushfarm.com/default.aspx

The answer: 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup

23. Maine

      The drive along Route 1 is a mecca for antique shoppers. There are antique shops after antique shops. The other thing we noticed about Maine was how much they demonstrate their patriotism. There are flags everywhere. We can usually spot a Post Office by the flying flag however in Maine just about everyone including businesses fly the American flag. How nice to see such patriotism.

     We stopped in Wells for lunch at the Maine Diner. I had read about their lobster rolls and lobster pie so knew right away what we were ordering. The lobster pie was served with carrots, mashed potatoes, and a corn muffin. The corn muffin was large and sweet which is my favorite. Lobster pie is a casserole of large chunks of lobster meat mixed with crumbled Ritz crackers, butter and then baked. As if there wasn't enough butter already, it is served with drawn butter that you pour over the casserole. Talk about good. I'm going to have to try this recipe with crabmeat or shrimp. The lobster roll was full of succulent lobster meat served in a bun. Not a small amount, each roll has at least 5oz of fresh picked meat. We had ours heated which meant it was served with drawn butter that you can either pour over the meat or use to dunk the roll in. If you pour too much then the bun will be hard to handle so I poured just a little, enough just to flavor the meat. Both dishes were scrumptious. Indian pudding is a New England dish and was on the menu so of course we had to try it. Indian pudding is made with corn meal, molasses, light cream, butter, brown sugar, ginger and cinnamon. It is served warm with vanilla ice cream. The cornmeal gives it a gritty texture and the ice cream actually helps to cut down on the sweetness and grittiness. The ice cream is a must.
     Not far from the diner is Kennebunk and Kennebunkport. There are fantastic Oceanside cottages all along the shore. It would be a treat to stay in one of them, but that’ll be another time. We were able to get to the beach and I was able to stand in the Atlantic Ocean before a storm blew in. The storm, with its 60 mph winds, was quick and fierce. Luckily we were at the southern end of the storm since I was determined to view one of Maine's many lighthouses, the Cape Neddick Light Station near York. It is also known as the Nubble light and was built in 1879. Supposedly it is one of the most photographed lighthouses in Maine and I can understand why.

22. North Dakota

     The view from the airplane window as we flew into Fargo, North Dakota was like looking at a quilt made from green, brown, and tan material. The land is flat, not a hill in sight. The cities of Fargo and Moorhead are divided by the Red River of the North and the Veteran’s Memorial Bridge is one of three bridges that cross it. While not easy to find a place to park and access, the information on the bridge was a great way to read about some of the history of the Red River Valley. It also gave me an opportunity to stand in two states at the same and considering the river acts as a border, this was something fun to do.  

     It had been a long day and we were tired so we headed to our hotel. Trying to find something to eat that night was just as hard as it had been for lunch since most places close at 9pm. We decided to try the Spitfire Bar & Grill. We weren’t sure what the offerings would be, but at least there were other cars in the parking lot. It was well worth the chance we took. We started with the Walleye Fingers. Walleye is a freshwater fish found mostly in the northern states and Canada. The dish was served with an aioli sauce and was a great beginning for our meal. We split “The Boss”. “The Boss” was a juicy burger topped with a raspberry sauce, hickory bacon, melted

 provolone cheese, and fried onion straws. We selected the garlic mashed potatoes as our side. Since our flight was early the next morning Dennis decided to gas up the car that night. I really think that decision was made due to the fact the gas station was adjacent to a Dairy Queen. It seemed like there was a Dairy Queen on almost every corner. I’ve never seen that many Dairy Queens in one town. The chocolate dipped cone was the perfect ending to a great day.

 Leg 9

     2 days

     4 flights

     81 miles driven

       = 2 states visited

28 states to go!

We're off to the New England States so don't forget to send us any eating recommendations.

http://www.spitfirebarandgrillfargo.com/

 

21. Minnesota

     We took a really early morning flight, 5:45am, to Chicago and then caught a connection to Fargo, North Dakota. Most of you know I’m not a morning person so the fact that I made a flight this early is phenomenal.  We crossed the Red River of the North, which is not the same Red River that divides Texas and Oklahoma, and entered Moorhead, Minnesota. We visited the cultural center where we saw the Hjemkomst.

     The Hjemkomst (pronounced Yem-komst) is a replica of an ancient Viking ship that was built in Minnesota and then sailed to Norway in 1982. It took years to build and its story is one of dedication, perseverance, inspiration, and that fact that dreams can and do come true. The cultural center is also home to a full-scale replica of the Hopperstad Church located in Norway. This Norwegian Stave church is built using 18 27ft. pine columns (staves) and the roof is made of 24,000 cedar shingles. The carvings are intricate and the smell of the wood is heavenly.

    By this point we were starving. It wasn’t an easy task to find someplace to eat. My goal of visiting all 50 states was not to eat at a chain restaurant and I really didn’t think the pizza was going to give me the local flavor that I wanted. We were about to give up and eat at Dairy Queen as this did seem like the only happening place in town when we came across the Fryn’ Pan Family Restaurant. Think of IHOP, only without the pancakes. I had their fried chicken dinner made with their special recipe and Dennis had their open-faced turkey complete with gravy and mashed potatoes, his favorite. Both were good and hit the spot. I had heard about sour cream raisin pie and wanted to try a slice. Luckily, there was still a slice

or two in the back. It was definitely different. You really have to like sour cream to like this pie. The meringue was light and airy.

    Back across the Red River of the North and we were in North Dakota.

http://frynpan.net/

http://www.hcscconline.org/

20. Ohio

     The drive from Wheeling to Columbus was very nice, especially for me, since I was able to take a nap while Dennis drove. Poor Dennis. As we drove into Columbus, I navigated us to German Village where we would find Schmidt's Restaurant and Sausage Haus.

     We opted for the buffet so we could have a nice sampling of their sausages along with some authentic German sides. The Bahama Mama is a spicy beef and pork hickory-smoked sausage. It was my favorite. The milder version was still spicy just not as much. The bratwurst was delicious especially with a touch of spicy mustard. The sausage stew was more like sausage and noodles soaked and served in a spicy barbecue sauce. It was good just not what I expected. More like a dish that would be served back home in Texas. Because I was always told you should try everything at least once, I tried the red cabbage and apples. I thought the apples might help the taste of cabbage, but it didn't. I then tried the sauerkraut. It wasn't as bad as I thought it was going to be, however, still not one of my favorite side dishes. The German potato salad was good. I still prefer my mother's mustard based potato salad. The table next to us ordered the dark beer sampler which looked inviting but 

Dennis was driving and we had a plane to catch later. Looks like another trip to Columbus might be in order.

     When you first walk in the door you are greeted with a glass case full of wonderfully looking desserts including their famous jumbo cream puffs.

  There were chocolate, chocolate and peanut butter, coconut, and vanilla cream puffs. Our appetites weren't big enough to each have one, so we shared a vanilla cream puff. It was soooooo good! I can just imagine what the others would taste like. I know they ship their sausages, I just wish there was a way to ship the cream puffs. We strolled down the brick street to their fudge store to see if we would luck out and be able to see them making fudge. We weren't so lucky but all the fudge looked delicious. There were even Buckeyes, their version of chocolate covered peanut butter balls.
     Since I had to work the next day, we headed to the airport to see how we could get back to Dallas. Dennis returned the car, I flight listed us, checked us in, we quickly changed shoes and/or clothes, went through security, and received our boarding passes all in under an hour. Talk about close, but it was fun.
      It was a great trip, good food, beautiful scenery, and we learned a little history to boot. I now have a new bonus question for 4th grade's Civil War Jeopardy game. Until our next journey... (which will be in two days)

Leg 8

    2 days

    4 flights

    417 miles driven

      = 3 states visited

   30 states to go!

http://www.schmidthaus.com/

19. West Virginia

     After a good night's sleep we decided to drive to Wheeling, W. Virginia for the first half of the day and would return later to Columbus. I'm not sure if we were anxious or just tired but as we entered on the interstate I realized we had forgotten to stop by the lobby and check out. I quickly located their number and called. All is well.
     A two hour drive brought us into Wheeling, WV. How do you know you've left Ohio and entered West Virginia? The terrain is a definite sign. Ohio has a rolling landscape perfect for farming while W. Virginia has tree covered mountains. As we crossed the Ohio River we entered downtown Wheeling. Downtown is full of old buildings from a bygone era. We toured Independence Hall, the birthplace of West Virginia. West Virginia's statehood is the only territorial change as a result of the Civil War.
     DiCarlo's Pizza was our stop for lunch. For over 60 years DiCarlo's has been

baking pizza in a brick oven using their own unique style. The crust and sauce are baked and then once removed from the oven are when the cold creamy provolone cheese and pepperoni are added. We each ordered a slice, mine original and Dennis's with sausage. West Virginia is known for pepperoni rolls so we each tried one. They were large enough to share. Pepperoni and cheese are rolled and baked in a dough that is topped with more provolone and then served with sauce. If at home, I would have heated the sauce. After a delicious lunch we headed back to Columbus, Ohio.

http://www.dicarlospizza.com/

18. Wisconsin

     An early morning flight took us to Milwaukee, WI. After renting the car we headed to our first destination, The Elegant Farmer. The Elegant Farmer is located south of Milwaukee and is known for their apple pie baked in a brown bag. Yes, that's right, a brown paper bag. You enter the market/deli through a silo. We strolled around the market absorbing the wide array of country fresh goods. I knew we should have brought an extra suitcase just for shopping. We stopped at the deli and ordered our lunch. I had the grilled 3 cheese and tomato sandwich made with Baby Swiss, Gile’s Mild Colby and Muenster cheeses grilled with hot house tomatoes on homemade garlic parmesan bread while Dennis ate the cheddar and pepper brat.

We sat at a table in the country store and devoured our wonderful lunch. Dessert? Of course. We shared a heated slice of their brown bag apple pie. The crust was flaky with a hint of cinnamon; the apples were baked just right, not soggy. We thought about bringing a small 4" one home but felt security at the airport might confiscate it. It's a good thing The Elegant Farmer ships. We did a little shopping before exiting through the silo. The English Toffee Caramel Corn is a perfect snack for a drive in the country.      The drive through the Wisconsin countryside was beautiful. So green; spotted with silos and lots of barns. My favorite barn was the one with the face on the side of it. Our next stop was at the Jelly Belly warehouse. We took the Jelly Belly Express train for a tour around the warehouse watching mini videos on the history and how they're made. The best part, the free samples at the end of the tour. A person could get sick trying all the different kinds. My favorite, watermelon of course. Dennis tried the Dr. Pepper but wasn't real thrilled. His favorite, crushed pineapple. I couldn't bring myself to sample the one named booger. Yuck! More shopping done and then we headed north towards Milwaukee.

     The airport is very close to Lake Michigan so we headed to Grant Park to check out the beach and the lake. I prefer an all sand beach; this one was a little rocky. In fact, there was about a 4ft. section of all rock where the sand and lake met.  However, this did not prevent me from

 putting my feet in the lake. The water was cold but I can now say I have been in one of the Great Lakes. Hmmm, maybe a tour of the Great Lakes could be our next adventure.
After a fun-filled day in Wisconsin, we caught our flight to our overnight destination, Ohio.

http://www.elegantfarmer.com/

http://www.jellybelly.com/