Vacation 2011: 8 days, 14 States, and 2,855 Miles

Well folks here it is the long awaited blog of our journey to the East Coast and into the New England States. This is quite a lengthy post so I have broken it down into each day of the trip. So, grab a drink, get comfy and enjoy all the times, trials, and tribulations of our long, exciting, fun adventure!

Let's start with a little bit of background information on the vacation (although most of you probably already know most of it). I have a goal to visit all 50 states before I die, and after last years vacation to Iowa and Wisconsin, I started to think of all the places I wanted to head to next. Keep in mind due to Brad's type of work and a little bit of mine we are limited to the times that we are able to vacation. So, that always plays a role in where we go. I had an old co-worker of mine that visited the New England states and came back with lots of stories to tell of it, which sparked my interest in visiting the area. So, I thought it was a perfect opportunity to knock out a bunch of states on one vacation. So the planning went into effect. I originally wanted to visit in the Fall to see all the beautiful colors of Fall! But unfortunately it just didn't work out that way for us, so I re-examined the calendar and decided that August was a good time for both of us to be gone, so that was it I had the who (us), the what (vacation), the when (August), the where (East Coast/New England), I was well on my way to planning our vacation! The exact places were all dependent on an attraction that I came across on the web as I googled New England, the Mt. Washington Cog Railway. It popped up and I knew it was something that we had to do, so mapped out for our house to it's location in New Hampshire, and as I did that I picked places along the way in each state that we were going to stop with an attraction that would interest us. It took about a month of planning not something that I normally do, I normally would choose a place and we would just find things to do when we got there. This was not possible with this vacation. So I planned and thought out a lot of factors with this trip. I also had to figure out how far we could drive and what all we could get into a day and figure out where we were going to stay each night. I then used hotels.com and booked rooms for each night. I was really excited that I was able to get most of the rooms for $50-$65. Some days my planning was better than others! As I searched out each area I realized that there was no way that we could afford to take our truck on this trip so I made the decision to rent a car. What a great decision that was! Our trip includes 14 states, including Indiana and Kentucky.

My vacation technically started on Friday, so I spent the day cleaning the house, doing all the laundry, and getting everything packed up so that we could leave on Saturday morning. After Brad got home from work we went to Jasper to Enterprise and picked up our rental. We were hoping for a Ford Focus or Fusion, but we were given a Dodge Avenger instead. It was a cute little car, and a pretty nice ride. We named her Josie, so when I refer to Josie you know that I am talking about our little car. We loaded her up and got some rest before we headed out.

Our rental for the week, Josie!

Day 1: Indiana, Kentucky, West Virginia

We got up around 7:30 on Saturday and got ready and loaded up all the final things and were headed out by 8:30. We hit the road and stopped at Corydon for breakfast and a little shopping (I needed a few items that were essential for the trip, lol). Then we continued through Kentucky, toward the mountainous region of West Virginia, I think I remember seeing the highest point we were at one time was over 2,000 feet! There were a few times that we didn't know if our little Josie was going to make it. It was up, up, up; then down, down, down; all the while going around crazy curves and turns! We headed to Charleston, West Virginia to see the New River Gorge Bridge. What a beauty! It's 875 feet above the bottom of the New River Gorge! We stopped at a State Park and walked down a bunch of steps and got some great photos (see below). Then we drove down the the bottom, what an adventure! A very steep, winding road lead us to the bottom. But I am so glad that we went down. It was very worth the adventure! We then made the trip back to the top, and got to drive over the bridge.



After we left the bridge we headed to Morgantown, West Virginia. We went to the Morgantown Brewing Company. They brew the beers they offer on site. They offer eight craft brews and several seasonal brews and small-batch special brews are released every week. We looked at where they brew that beer, although they weren't brewing any at the time we were there. We enjoyed our meal and headed to our hotel for the night.



Where they brew their own beer.

We drove about 20 miles to Hazelton, it was about 9:30 p.m. when we arrived, at Microtel Inn. We walked in and told them we needed to check in and the guy immediately apologized, and said they had had a lot of mix ups. I was a little worried but thought well whatever just give me my room. Well, as it turned out our room had been given to someone else! The guy told us that he could give us a room, but it would be a smoking room, or he could get us a room at another hotel, and he would give us a full refund and pay for our room at the other hotel. I was NOT about to sleep in a smoking room when I had paid for a non-smoking one. Not to mention the smell, yucky! So, I said find us a new hotel. He was able to get us a business suite at a Super 8 back in Morgantown, yep that's right 20 miles in the wrong direction. But, hey it was a free room. So we went with it. By the time we made it there we were exhausted! So we got settled in were out as soon as our heads hit the pillow.


Day 2: Maryland and Pennsylvania


We headed to Cumberland, Maryland to the C&O Canal, Paw Paw Tunnel. The Paw Paw Tunnel was blasted through a mountain in the 19th century so that the C&O Canal could take a more direct route. We arrived at the State Park where you could hike to the tunnel and got mixed up and misunderstood each other and opted out of the walk to the tunnel. Oops! After driving around and seeing a few other areas of the canal we headed north to Hershey, Pennsylvania.

We arrived at Chocolate World around 4:30 and headed inside to see all there was to see. We decided to take a trolley tour around town to see all the different sites of Hershey. We boarded trolley number 6 where Nick and Wilbur (yes, another Wilbur) guided us around town. They were so funny! Wilbur jumped off the trolley and would run back to the back and change clothes and come back on every so often as someone new, from the Milton Hershey family. It was a very neat, informative, and funny trip around town. When we arrived back at Chocolate world we went on a ride to see the making of a chocolate bar. This was also a very neat experience. A car took us around showing us the process, what an amazing process it is! We then made our very own chocolate bar! We got to choose from Milk, Dark, or White chocolate; what ingredients we wanted in the bar, and if we wanted sprinkles on it. We then got to watch it be made! After it was made we got to create our own wrappers for them. Definitely an experience of a lifetime! After we were done with that we shopped around the HUGE shopping area, where there was so much chocolate and other items, it was unbelievable. We made our purchases and headed out to get a bite to eat before heading to our hotel.

Chocolate World!!

Getting ready to Create Our Own Candy Bar

We headed toward Morgantown, PA along Jack's (our GPS) route, only to find out that there were road closures! So we had to detour, once we finally got on the right track we took the Penna Turnpike. We trucked right along, this was our first time on a turnpike. No one was at the toll booths when we got on so we thought we got lucky and didn't have to pay the fee. When we got off on our exit the tool booth had a worker and when I asked him how much the tool was he said I need your ticket. Uhhhhh.....what ticket?!?! He then informed us that when you come up to a turnpike/toll we had to stop and take a ticket, without the ticket we would have to pay the full amount!! Oops, so now we learned a lesson and were out $22!


We arrived at our Motel, I went to check in only to find out that they didn't have us written down to be checking in! Now I was furious, day 2 and the same thing keeps happening. The guy ruffled through some papers and find my reservation, so he made a phone call and got us into a different room. Okay, so we got a room, no big deal. Well went went to the room, and the "neighbor" lived in the room next door, he had his crap all in the way and his cat, yes he had a cat living with him too! A little creepy but whatever I just wanted to shower and get some sleep. We walked in and it just got worse! It was smelly, old, and nasty. But I was too tired to care. So we made do with what we had. Although, I didn't get a lot of sleep it was enough to help get me through the next day.


Day 3: Delaware and New Jersey
We woke rather early on Monday, but with the horrible hotel we were in we weren't surprised. So we got up, got ready, and headed out! We headed to Wilmington, Delaware. We arrived at the Riverfront and if was not at all what I was expecting. We walked down and checked out the river and then we walked that shopping area up to the Russel W. Peterson Urban Wildlife Refuge. There were some good photo ops, but that was about it. After we walked back we got in the car and decided to head out to New Jersey.


Tax free shopping, and I didn't even get the chance to shop!!



We arrived to Jersey City Park, and walked around and saw the Statue of Liberty! Well, it was a far away and side view but it was her, in all her glory! We took a few pictures and then went in to the information area and found out that we had just enough time to catch a ferry over to the statue! We were all for it. So we got the tickets and loaded the ferry. We ferried to Ellis Island and then to the Statue of Liberty! Once we got there we got off the Ferry and went to the gift shop and got a few souvenirs, and then loaded on the ferry again. While we were on the ferry I was able to get much better pictures of her. Needless to say it was well worth it to ferry over to the statue, which wasn't originally in the plan!



On the Ferry to the Statue of Liberty!



We then travelled on to our hotel in Connecticut. In order to get there we had to go through New York City (actually around the outside). It was a little crazy, and the traffic was very hectic! Not my favorite place to drive but we, along with Josie made. Thank goodness for Jack! We arrived at the Super 8 with the hopes of them having us on file. We walked in and told them we needed to check in and gave our name and the guy pulled us up right away and had a room for us! Yay! I was so glad to know that we didn't have to go through what we did the past two nights! We had arrived early enough that we checked in and then found a place to eat and then were able to just relax and watch some TV.

Day 4: Connecticut

We were spending the day in Connecticut so from our hotel in Danbury we headed East to Milford. As I planned this vacation I joked with the girls I work with that since I was going to Connecticut I was going to check out the Subway World Headquarters. As I planned I realized that we would be going right near Milford, so I thought what the heck I am going to go and check it out. So we arrived at the Subway World Headquarters and pulled up to the gatehouse, yes it had a gatehouse. The man asked how he could help us and I asked if we could go up to the building or tour it or anything like that, we looked at me a little funny and said, No sorry we had a change in policy and I can’t allow you to do that. L Oh well, it wasn’t really a big deal so we turned around and pulled out and got back on the road and headed to New Haven.

We arrived in New Haven and went to the Knights of Columbus Museum.  I am not really sure what I was expecting from the museum, but after we went in I realized that it wasn’t what I thought it was going to be. We went in and I was of course snapping pictures of the outside and Brad walked up to the info counter and told the man that he was a member of a council in our area in Indiana. The man then explained a little about the museum and gave us a map of it and a map of the area where we could go to see St. Mary’s Church and the World Headquarters. We then walked around the museum and looked at the various photos, paintings, and artifacts about the council and how it came about. After we saw the museum we drove to the church to get a photo and then we tried to find a place to eat but the town was crazy busy with people and there wasn’t parking anywhere close by. Not to mention that every time we found parking we couldn’t park there because of construction! So we just decided to head out toward Mystic and find somewhere to eat along the way. We found a nice diner down the way and stopped in for a bite to eat.

The Knights of Columbus Headquarters

St. Mary's Church, where the Knights of Columbus was founded

We then continued on to Mystic. We arrived and headed to the Mystic Seaport. When I researched this online I saw a lighthouse and I LOVE lighthouses, so I wanted to go. We got there and looked around and got a little info. We were informed that we would have to pay to see the lighthouse, so we went to get tickets and questioned this girl a little more and she said that it wasn’t a real lighthouse. It was instead a replica of one. So therefore we decided that it wasn’t worth the $24 to see it. So we looked at what we could see without tickets and then headed to our hotel. We arrived and checked in, and yes they had us on file and a room for us!! Yay night two of my reservation actually working out! We then decided to go out and grab a bite to eat. We searched a book in the room and found Mystic Pizza. I remembered a movie called that and read a little more to find out that indeed it was the place the movie was recorded. So we headed out there and enjoyed the famous Mystic Pizza. I will say the pizza was good but it just wasn’t a Homestead pizza! We then headed back to the hotel to just relax.

Day 5: Rhode Island and Massachusetts

We headed out of Connecticut and into Rhode Island, in hopes of finally getting so see a lighthouse. Well, I was hoping for a few lighthouses; but I was going to settle for one. We arrived in Jamestown and walked around and then got some info on where to go to see the lighthouse(s). We got tickets for a ferry and boarded, we set out across the water to Rose Island, which contained a lighthouse. this was not a typical lighthouse it was a bit smalled but was still cute. We decided that we didn't have the time to get off the ferry and explore since we were going to head into Boston yet the same day so we settle for seeing it from the ferry and I did get a few good photos of it! We then ferried over to Fort Adams, and a few wharfs before heading back to Jamestown. We didn't exit the ferry, just road along. It was a nice ride and we got to see some beautiful sights from the ferry, and got to see some really big and really expensive yachts! There was one that was for sale, one of the smaller ones and they were asking over $600,000 for it! We also were able to see the House on the Rocks. Yes, a privately-owned Jamestown house is atop a rock in Narragansett Bay, it was very neat to see. Once we were back to Jamestown we went into a little diner and got some lunch and then headed out for Boston.

The Rose Island Lighthouse



Fort Adams State Park




Tea Time, yep this baby is for sale, only $600,000



We arrived to Boston at what we are assuming was rush hour, although I am sure that anytime you're in Boston it would feel like rush hour to us. We learned that Boston along with any other large city is not our thing. We couldn't ever live in a bigger city! I have always heard that Boston is a walking city, and there were lots of people walking around but there were even more people driving! We got a little mixed up thanks to Jack and it took a little while for us to find the "Ducks" that we were planning on taking to tour the area. We found them and parked in a parking garage. We rushed over to the ducks since they were loading, we found out where to get tickets and rushed to get tickets and then rushed back to the ducks. We loaded and were greeted by Ace Bandage our tour guide. He was quite the character, and had lots of funny, and informative facts to give us about the town. My favorite thing that he says was that Boston drivers were some of the friendliest drivers. They are always honking, waving, and telling everyone that they are number one! Was this ever so true! And yes we were honked at a time or two while we were driving around too! We were on an 80 minute cruise, we saw all the major points of Boston and then we drove into the Charles River and got to see Boston from there. It was a neat ride and we had a great time, but just wasn't good for photo opts. I got a few photos but nothing great! After we got off the duck we decided to head out of town and go to our hotel.

We arrived at the hotel and noticed a restaurant next door and decided to try it out. Boy, was that not a good idea. We walked in and were seated, all eyes were on us. We then noticed that we were VERY under dressed! As we looked over the menu we were shocked by the cost of things. We decided to have the $26 chicken and just split it between the two of us and if we were still hungry we would have some snacks at the hotel. When the chicken came out we were surprised at how much food it was! It was enough for the 2 of us and it was delicious. We enjoyed it, and used the best and most formal manners that we had (thank god I took a class in college that taught me how to eat properly! lol), and paid our check and got the hell out of there! We definitely chalked that up for another experience!


Day 6: Maine and New Hampshire

We headed out for Portland, Maine where we were planning on taking a cruise to see the lighthouses in the area. We arrived in another crazy busy town, and saw that they cruises were due to leave in 10 minutes and we couldn't fine any parking. So we decided to not do them and instead we went down the street to the visitor center to find out what other things there were to do. We found a map of the area and it had some attractions on it, and we found a lighthouse that we could drive to! So we got in the car and drove the 10 minutes to it. We arrived at the Portland Head Lighthouse, and walked up to it and it was breathtaking! The ocean was gorgeous and the lighthouse was so wonderful! I think I could have spent the entire day there just looking at the ocean and listening to the waves, but I knew that we had to go on to get to the next state and on to our next adventure! So we checked out the gift shop and then headed out to New Hampshire.

Sorry I can't get any other photos from here to upload!

We travelled through the mountainous regions to the Mt. Washington Cog Railway. We arrived just in time to get tickets and board the Cog. The railway was going to take us to the top of Mt. Washington, the elevation was over 6,000 feet. The trip to the top took 40 minutes and it was amazing. There were some great views along the way. Although the train didn't make it easy to get good photos, and with the constant change in weather at that elevation once we got to the top it was very cold and foggy and we couldn't get any good pictures. :( So we waited in the building for the next train and take us back down. We got to the bottom and headed out for our hotel. We arrived at the hotel and found a little restaurant and went to get a bite to eat. After we ate I started to work on the plans for the next day and realized that I had made a major error in planning and that in order to get to Ohio were our next hotel was we were going to be driving for quite some time. So went went to bed in hopes of when we put in the address the next day that we would be closer then I had thought.



When we made it to the top, it was 44 degrees, windy and very foggy!



But on the way down the views were beautiful!



Day 7: Vermont, New York, Ohio

So we woke and got packed and loaded and put the address in Jack and realized that indeed we were going to be on the road for 15 plus hours. So we jetted out across the states. Vermont was a pretty state with lots of countryside to see. Although that was all we got to see in Vermont was countryside and creeks, rivers, lakes, and much beauty! Once we made it across Vermont we headed into New York. What a long, boring, and seemingly never ending state! We drove lots of highways until we made it to the New York Thruway. It was the longest car ride of my lifetime! There was nothing but trees, trees, and more trees! It was never so exciting to get out out New York and into Pennsylvania. Although we were only in PA for a few miles before we finally hit the Ohio state line. We drove for 17 hours before we made it to Dayton, Ohio at 3:00 a.m. We got to our hotel and checked in and climbed into bed! What a day of driving it was. Even though we didn't get to do what we had planed in each state, we were just glad to be closer to home.

Day 8: Ohio and Indiana

We slept in a little and then headed out in search of the Wright Brothers Memorial. It took a little time to find but once we did it was worth it. We saw the memorial and went in to the museum. It had a lot of information on the Wright Brothers and their adventures with the aircraft.

We then started to head for home. We found an outlet mall along the way and had to stop. After all what is a vacation without a little bit of shopping involved! We went to the Nike store first and I found the pair of shoes that I had been looking for and they were on sale! I was so excited, we looked around a little more and then got in the ever so long line. The store manager walked up and told us that we would be through the check out line in 6 minutes. I didn't think there was anyway possible. But sure enough we got to the checkout in 6 minutes but didn't get checked out for 7 minutes. So he gave us a 10% discount! I wasn't expecting that at all, but was willing to take it! We walked around a little more and then hit the road to head back home. We stopped to get something to eat and made it back home around 8:30. We unpacked the car and started the laundry.

All in all it was a great vacation. We saw a lot of interesting sights, did a lot of fun things, and knocked out 14 more states!!

****I tried to upload more photos but for some reason, I haven't been able to! Bet you can check them out on my facebook page!*****