Boston Vacation, Day 3

Technically Day 2 of sightseeing in Boston. We maneuvered the hotel shuttle and the train again...we are getting pretty good at that train thing.  We even are figuring out the transfers.  The most confusing part at this point, which only means we have to think it through a little longer, is whether we need to get on an incoming or an outgoing train...so that depends on which side of the train tracks we need to be on. If you have ever ridden public transportation trains before you know that this normally means a long walk up a bunch of stairs, across the way, and then down a whole bunch more stairs! :)

We rode the train to an exit by the Boston Public Library, which is what is in this picture.  It's HUGE!  We probably should have gone inside, they say it's beautiful, but just enjoyed from the outside.  We boarded our tour bus for the second day of our seeing the sights from this location. 

Allison and I thought this "Tortoise and Hare" statues were pretty neat.

This picture was taken for my BIL...it is one of the Boston Fire Department buildings, and it is the oldest fire department in the United States.

One of the sights on this leg of the tour is Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.  

 Part of the package with our tour bus / trolley was to take a choice of one of four "bonus" activities, one of which was a Harbor Tour.  I'm so glad we did.  The weather was gorgeous and we got a different viewpoint of the Boston cityline.

I liked this view, you can see a sailboat and a Nantucket boat, which has a story behind it, which I can't remember the whole thing, but basically it's like the last one surviving, and it was sold to some lady for like $1 as it was going to be trashed.  Now I guess it has been found out that the wood used in the boat is some special wood that is very special and very expensive, so she is trying to refurbish and fix up this boat.

 Another part of our sightseeing tour was to see the Navy Yard where the USS Constitution, or "Old Ironsides" is docked.   It is a part of history that I actually remember seeing in the History books, and it is a pretty special story and has a special place in our American History.  It is approximately   214 years old I believe.  It goes go out every 4th of July and does a 21 gun salute from it, and then goes back into dock for another year. (We went back later in the afternoon and actually went on the ship and had a tour of it).

I just thought this was a cool photo...I like sailboats.

 I wondered, so, what do they do? ... take a boat out to get to their boat?

 Ask my mom...I'm a sucker for birds....turns out, so is Allison.  She had a blast 'playing' and feeding and chasing the birds while we ate our lunch, feeding them little parts of her bun.  I think the birds had more of her $5 hot dog than she did.   I laid a  piece of my bread on the bench right next to me to see if someone would hop up and find it. Sure enough did...in no time at all.

 

 My camera battery was nearly dead, so lucky for all of us that I don't have a whole bunch more of aquarium pictures like I sometimes do when I visit places like this.  Allison and I visited the New England Aquarium, while Bruce did a National Parks Service walking tour again.  It was a good aquarium, and there were some unusual species of different aquatic life, and we enjoyed ourselves, but there were SO MANY people there! wow! and it just didn't have an inviting atmosphere like some of the aquariums we visited before. I think I still really like the Atlanta one the best.  

They did have a lot of different varieties of jelly fish which I like to see. I couldn't get a picture (because of the glare) of these really cool white ones that looked like they had lace and tatting on them...very cool.

 Penguins are probably their biggest draw. This is only one picture, but they had lots and lots of penguins. Their main floor has a huge open air display/habitat with different segments with different types of penguins.  It's pretty cool, and it was one of the feeding times when we got there and it was fun watching that.

We finished off our evening with dinner at an Irish pub...it was tasty, but ironic that an Irish pub was playing country music! :)

BTW....While we were on the tour, we drove by a theater in Boston, and flashing across the screen was a promotion for the group "Gaelic Storm" which I've seen in Manhattan and Lincoln before with my friend Carrie.  Let me tell you, it gave me a thrill to say the least.  They were at the theater in Boston on Thursday night, THIS NIGHT!  I looked up to see whether there were tickets available, and it looked like there were. Bruce said I could order the tickets, but I decided against it...because I'm a wuss....I hated getting out of there at like 11:00 or 1200 at night, and then having to walk to who knows where to find a train station, ride to our stop and then call the airport shuttle, with 6 year old in tow, etc.  I didn't think it would end well in the long run.  But, here's to the memory! :)

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Boston Vacation Day 2

Day 2 of our vacation officially I suppose, but Day 1 of actually SEEING something.  Our hotel is not very far from the airport I guess (I can't quite get acclimated to this city yet, for some reason).  So, in order to get to the downtown area of Boston, which is where the "interesting" stuff is located, you have to drive, taxi, or take the train/subway into the area.  So, our hotel shuttled us to the "Wonderland" stop of the public transportation subway system for us to ride.  You know, I could get used to riding this to work or something if I needed to.  Other than having to sometimes wait for a train, although they come fairly often during the daytime hours, it is pretty quick and efficient.  

 When we got off of the train in the downtown area, we were right across the street from a National Park Service Visitor's Bureau, so it seemed like as good as place as any to start our adventures of looking around Boston.  We were a little over a half an hour away from taking the "Freedom Trail Walking Tour" which was scheduled to be about 1 1/2 hours, and we were going to walk the mile and a half portion of the Freedom Trail. There is something like 14 (or more) historic places on the Freedom Trail.

 The South Meeting Hall was the first stop on the walking tour.  This is where the discontent started prior to the Revolutionary War, where the citizens decided they did not like the taxation without representation, etc., and were getting ready for a 'little tea party."

 This is where the first Governor of Massachusetts is buried, John Winthrop.

 This is the old like city hall building.

 Quincy Market...I don't know if there is any significance about this place, other than it is a huge food court/shopping area...lots and lots of different choices, and lots and lots of different people.  I don't know why there were all these people standing out here in front of this building this afternoon.  It looked like something special must've been going on; there was a news van to the left of this picture, but we didn't learn anything.

 Below is Paul Revere's house....he had two wives, and 16 children; 8 with his first wife who died at the age of 37 from complications in childbirth.

 A statue of Paul Revere.

 North Church.

 This is the bridge leading into the tunnel of "The Big Dig" that made national news a few years ago because it was so over budget and it was a tunnel leading to no where.

 The stadium where the Boston Bruins hockey team plays....they won the Stanley Cup a couple of weeks ago.

 I just though this was cute...a teapot that actually steamed hanging outside of a Starbucks.

 I loved this area...it is the Central Park of Boston:  The Boston Commons and the Boston Garden...a really pretty, relaxing, well taken care of park in the city.

 A view of the Boston skyline from our bus tour crossing the Charles River I believe.

 When in Boston, one of a certain age and generation must visit "Cheers"...We went inside, but it really didn't look like the set did on TV.

 My absolutely favorite part of the day!!!!  Riding the Swan Boats......

 ...which are featured also in the classic Children's book "Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert McCloskey, which was written in 1941, and won the Caldecott Award.   I have always loved this book, so it was very special to come to Boston, travel to Boston Commons, see the Swan Boats, and then run across this (below) statue(s) of mama duck and baby ducklings from the book.  Just WONDERFUL!

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"Turn off your book, please" (Boston - Day 1)

The trip that should have been uneventful flying to Boston turned out to be minorly eventful :)  Nothing serious or too bad, thank goodness, but frustrating when it happens to you. 


We had a later than usual for us flight out of Kansas City -- 3:00 p.m.   We arrived at the airport around 2:00, which is early enough for KC...caught a quick tram to the Delta terminal, used the kiosk to print our boarding passes because we packed in small enough suitcases this trip so that we could carry on the luggage and not pay the additional fee for checked luggage this time.  Everything is going hunky dory.   


We get through security, I think just fine, but no....because we are carrying on luggage this time, the security folks have to screen our bags, checking them real thoroughly for banned items etc.  Honestly, I haven't carried on luggage in like forever, if ever.  I know the rules, I am not a stupid person who was born yesterday.  I have traveled many times since post-9/11, and I am usually very cognizant about what I can and cannot take.  Not this time obviously.  I completely zoned out the fact about the size of the liquids that are allowed to be carried on. I had to surrender Allison's hair detangling spray, my hair mousse, and my Crest gel toothpaste!!!!   Allison had gel toothpaste in her bag, but it didn't get caught. I basically gave Security my items. 


The real KICKER!!?!?!?!?:  Bruce had an almost full bottle of contact lens solution in his suitcase, which did show up in security and the security guard did check it, but he got to KEEP that! ...and it was an almost brand new 12 oz. bottle!!!!!!!  Ugh!!!!


It's a little thing, and I'm not really mad about it, but it's just humorously ironic that he got to keep the actual liquid product, while my foaming mousse and gel toothpaste did not pass....hmmmmm


Now, we are still in good time, it's probably 2:30 or so, and the plane is supposed to be starting to board, but it hasn't yet.  Okay...we have a seat. We are sitting there a little bit, and the gate agent makes an announcement stating that they have just received word that the Boston airport has issued a "ground stoppage"...????...and we are now scheduled to leave at 4:50.  Okay...what is "ground stoppage"?  Thank goodness I'm pretty patient, and Allison was still in an excitement mode, but poor Bruce was pretty antsy to get out of town.  We were supposed to start boarding at 4:20....but started about 4:45, so it was well after 5:00 before we actually took off.  The flight was pretty uneventful other than Bruce's bag would not fit in the overhead storage bins. We had to put it under the seat in front of Allison. It worked out, but the flight attendant was a little snarly at first, but got over it.  I don't feel a bit bad about it after I read/heard recently that airlines made a HUGE profit last year on the baggage fees alone. It's just WRONG to charge for luggage when traveling ... don't people take clothes!?!?!?!


Anyway...the title of this post :  Will you please turn off your book? just struck me as funny.    We were getting ready to land in Boston, and you know how they come over and tell you to turn off all electronic devices, etc etc etc...  You honestly hardly ever see an actual paper book on a plane anymore.  Everyone has a Kindle or a Nook or some type of eReader OR an iPad or some other type of device.  The lady next to me just kept reading her, and the flight attendant made sweep down the aisle, stops at our seats, and says to the lady, "Turn off your book, please"....and I'm thinking "whoever thought they would ever hear those words????" :)


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Stray Dog

This pretty girl decided to show up at the radio station on Saturday.  Bruce came home and said there was a stray dog up there.  I didn't go up there because I figured that it would leave just like it came.  However, come Sunday, the dog was still there.  I don't know if you can really tell from the pictures of her, but it was obvious in real life that she had had puppies not too long ago, as it appeared that she had been nursing recently.  Unfortunately, there were no puppies with her.  Of course I didn't have any dog food, so I went to the house and brought her back a couple of hot dogs.  Bruce had put out a jug of water for her on Saturday because of course this was during that 100+ weather run, and it was H-O-T!

Well, of course, my sentimental animal lover was starting to come out in me at this point, and I was feeling so sorry for her. I took these pictures of her, and posted them on several local Facebook group pages, as well as my personal one and the radio station Facebook page.  I got one call indicating interest in her, but not that they had owned her in the past.  Otherwise nothing....

The dog would not let me pet her; I would be by one door of the station, and she would trot to the other door and lie down. On Monday morning I went to the store and bought her some dog food, as it appeared she wasn't going anywhere, and she had to be hungry. She seemed very appreciative of the food, but still wanted nothing to do with me. 

What to do? I contacted a friend who is the director of our local public library, and a dog lover. I knew that she fosters dogs for folks, so I asked her what to do.  She came over Monday evening. It took nothing more than to bend over and offer the dog a dog biscuit, and "J" had a leash around the dog.  The dog knew that "J" is a dog person, and you could see immediate trust and love in the dog's eyes.  "J" took "Sadie" home with her, and the dog is currently enjoying a happy, comfortable life with "J" until she can either be adopted out to a good family, or "J" finds room for Sadie in a local Doberman Rescue group.  

There is a Doberman Rescue group in Nebraska, but they wouldn't take the dog because we are in Kansas (even if it is only 12 miles) - they were full anyway.  I believe there is also one in Kansas City.  I haven't heard if they are willing to take her or help out or not.  I do think that Sadie has found a comfortable home at "J's" and I know that "J" would keep her if she could. :)

  

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It's August

Ahhhh...a week of relative freedom......sorta....    Most of my tutoring kids are done for the summer now except for my 'regulars', and Vacation Bible School is over (yea).   I need to be cleaning house, and I got the laundry done, but  that's about it so far. I should be vacuuming and cleaning the cat box right now, but I am procrastinating.


It's really, really hot outside. I think that I just read that the temps in Topeka were topping out around 112 degrees.  It said it was 96 here at 2:50; I'm not sure if we were accurate or not. It seems like a big discrepancy even for the distance.  It just feels hot that's for sure. 


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