Sunday, October 5, 2008 - Nobody trip

Sunday, October 5, 2008
Nobody # 742

Nobody Asked Me But:

As is my custom (and after a five-month absence) I return to my keyboard to tell you about our trip to New England and New York. I will use the following categories – beautiful, interesting, delicious, and fun.

(This is us coming home Tuesday. I don't know who the kid is.)

BEAUTIFUL

Five years ago, to celebrate Barb’s retirement we took our fall foliage trip and loved it. So we were not concerned that by going in September rather than October this time, we would miss it. However, Mother Nature decided that once was not enough, and by the time we arrived in Vermont, she was on full display. Words cannot describe the incredible beauty of the multi-colored hills and small town trees turned golden or red, so I will post pictures instead.

Also beautiful were the Berkshires. This was our first visit to these hills in Western Massachusetts that are the home to glorious summer music (Tanglewood) and picture book villages such as Stockbridge where we stayed two nights. What a wonderful small town. This is where Norman Rockwell lived and worked. His famous picture of Main Street was a Saturday Evening Post cover and adorns posters and greeting cards.

The coastlines of Maine and New Hampshire have their own special beauty. Camden, Maine is one of America’s treasures. We didn’t stay there this time but stopped both going to and coming from Bar Harbor to eat ice cream and browse in its four bookstores.

As I have written before, Saratoga Springs, New York is one of my favorite places. The pony parade, by itself, makes it worth the trip. (Wonderfully painted ponies advertise many of the town’s businesses.) But that’s not all. The Starbuck’s is one of the great spots in America to read the Sunday NY Times.

Aside: If you would like to know more about Saratoga Springs, you might want to read E. L. Doctorow’s award winning novel, “Billy Bathgate.”

INTERESTING

One of my favorite trip experiences was visiting the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge. Seeing his artwork, which spanned six decades, from Saturday Evening Post covers to stand-alones was fascinating/ wonderful/incredible – all of the above. I have never been a Rockwell fan but I am now!

While we were in Bar Harbor, a parade of cruise ships anchored not far off the balcony of our room. On our last day, one looked larger than had the others. While walked along a path above the beach we encountered an English couple and asked them about their ship. It turns out that it was the Queen Elizabeth II on her last cruise before being turned over to the Arab sheik who bought it.

Just outside of Saratoga Springs are three interesting places: First is the Saratoga battlefield, where the American victory in 1778 turned the tide in the Revolutionary War. Second and close by is the monument celebrating that victory. For third, there is either Rachael Ray’s home in nearby Glen Falls or great black raspberry soft swirl ice cream on the road back to SS. More about the ice cream later.

Since we love the sport, the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA. was a neat, if too short, stop. Lots of Bruin and Laker stuff and an interesting Arizona Wildcat exhibit tucked away in a small closet in the rear.

DELICIOUS

As always delicious begins with ice cream. In the months before we left, Road Food listed the best of New England ice cream. At the top was Shaw’s Ridge, a 20-mile detour off the interstate in Southern Maine. Believe me, it was worth the drive. They make their coffee ice cream with the freshly brewed beverage and two scoops topped with their equally great hot fudge and whipped cream was gourmet heaven.

Almost as good was Mother Myrick’s in Manchester, VT. The last time we were there we shared a MM hot fudge sundae, and Barb never forgave me for eating my half. So you can imagine our fear when we drove by and saw that it was gone. But it had only moved. We could breathe again. To make sure that my wife would stop crying, we EACH had one every day – one and one-half the last day.

Round Table in Camden had delicious black raspberry and Barb and Tom loved the ice cream shop in Bar Harbor where, to keep a promise to Elizabeth, I sampled their lobster ice cream. Ugly stuff!!

I have never been a big fan of soft serve but the black raspberry near Saratoga changed my mind. You can give me a cone of that every day, and I will not complain.

Moving away from ice cream, (regrettably) here are other great tastes in the Northeast. This was our third trip to the Standard Baking Company in Portland, and it was just as good as before. In fact, Barb thought the financier (pecan and shaved chocolate) she bought on the morning we left was one of her all-time favorite tastes.

It was our second trip to two other great places. At Hatties in SS, my gumbo was out of this world, and The Flat Bread Pizza in Portland was so good that Barb and I went back a second time after Tom left to catch his plane.

Discoveries – We had a terrible dinner our first night in Portsmouth (waterfront fish place, the kind that is usually wonderful) but followed it with an excellent Italian dinner the second night. Barb still shivers with pleasure at the memory of her eggplant Parmesan.

Hot dog heaven – times two.

Both Barb and Tom had read about a place in Southern Maine called Flo’s that served sized-challenged dogs with their special sauce. Tom tried them the day before we did and praised these 2/3-sized franks. He was right on! They were among the best ever.

Two days later, in Manchester, VT at a roadside stand we had two that were (almost) equally good. My hot Italian with onions and peppers was so good I would love one right now.

The price is right.

Another Barb discovery was Marci’s in Portland. This popular breakfast hole-in-the-wall served me bacon, two eggs, potatoes and toast, all very good, for the magnificent sum of $4.25.

And lest I forget, the burritos we had across from Dartmouth College, the popovers at Jordan Pond in Arcadia National park and the mocha malt driving back from a meeting with an artist in Warren, VT were not shabby either.

FUN

Spending five days in Maine with Tom. Our total time together was great fun. We cracked and ate fresh lobster and explored on foot and by car. It was especially enjoyable to show this “good” Republican the Bush compound in Kennebunkport.

If you check out the famous Rockwell painting (mentioned above) of the snow-covered single block Main street of Stockbridge, you will notice a fire station at the far left. Now converted, it is the room in which we stayed. It was strange but wonderful. It had a sitting area, kitchen and dining table to seat 12 downstairs, and, up a steep flight of stairs, our bedroom a large bath and two doors leading to a deck. Way cool!

Going back to DeLorme to see Eartha, their three-story globe.

Driving the foliage highway (100) to Northern Vermont (Warren) to visit a photo-artist and select two for our house.

Reading the NY Times every day.

The Orvis Flagship Store in Manchester. It (almost) makes me want to be a fisherman.

Revisiting three of my favorite Starbucks – Portland, certainly in my top 10, Saratoga Springs and Portsmouth.

IN SUMMARY

We had a super vacation and, as always, it is good to be home.