Get ready – this quite lengthy – as it is 3 days worth!!!
Day 3
Time to check out of hotel, leave Boston, and pick up the rental car. To accomplish this, first we had to convince the hotel shuttle driver that yes the 4 of us, all our luggage which consist of 4 suitcases, one huge rolling duffel, car seat bag, one violin, one flute, 4 carry ons, camera bag, and a laptop & case (we are not what you would call “light travelers”) plus 2 other passengers would fit in the mini van they are calling the hotel shuttle. The driver and T were thinking it would not fit – B stepped in, helped organize the situation and we were able to proceed to the airport to pick up the rental car.
Luck was left somewhere between the hotel and rental car place as when we arrived at Budget – there was a line stretching out the door. While T waited in the line, B set up the girls with a spot to sit on the sidewalk. K began reading her book, and A began opening and closing the umbrella. There was a lady 2 people in front of us on the phone with the hospital and trying to get to see her mother – no one in front would offer to let her go before them. It was pretty sad that these people could not show any compassion and help this lady and let her go first. This made the hour wait for us seem insignificant we were in no hurry. So first we get this pretty cool looking Dodge Nitro – start cramming our luggage in it. The entire time K is saying “can someone help me get my seat belt hooked.” Both T & B keep saying “just wait until we get the car loaded, then we will help you.” We get everything in the car (only 2 times shuffling bags around and cramming suitcases) - and begin to help K – and you guessed it – the seat belt was broken. We had 2 choices – have K move to middle seat and sit right next to A for the next 14 days, or go in and see if they have different car. Obviously it was worth trying for another car. They offered a Ford Edge – yeah right, then offered a Ford Expedition – for only $20 more per day times 14 days– NOT!!! Then they offered us a Nissan XTerra with a roof rack– so YES . We unloaded all the bags out of the Nitro and into the XTerra and are now touring about in an urban assault vehicle that is basicly a tin can on wheels. But it fits the four of us with our luggage and we do look pretty cool in it!!
Everything is now loaded into the Xterra and we head out. Three lefts and a right later we are headed to the Sumner tunnel where the toll hasn’t been a dollah for twenty years. Get to the Sumnah tunnel and get behind a cabbie who is paying his $5.50 to use the tunnel. The guy at the toll booth apologizes for it taking so long to clear the cab. We pay our $3.50 for the toll. We head off west towards Gardner. The drive along Storrow drive goes uneventfully and we make our way to Fresh Pond Parkway. T forgets who has the right of way on the rotary but no big deal cuz the Xterra has New York plates on it and one would expect a New Yahker to cut them off in a rotary. After a 45 minute drive we arrive in Gahdnuh and head over to Smith St to see Auntie J and cousin E. They are both around in back by the pool. Since we were denied the pool at the hotel, we ask if we can jump in. The girls go right in. Even though E is shivering and her lower lip is quivering into the pool she goes. T goes to the Xterra to get his cell phone charger and manages to lock the keys in the vehicle. Good thing Aunt J has AAA they send out one of their authorized AAA trucks to unlock the vehicle. Amazing the guy got into the theft proof new vehicle in like a minute or less. Sound advice is to buy the Club. Maybe that will slow down a thief.
We go out to dinner at Friendly’s with one of T’s Uncles and Aunts. K&A thoroughly enjoy their meal and A is coated in Ice Cream after dinner.
We then head to T’s parents house for the night. J & E come by to visit then Uncle C comes by on his way home from work in Worcester. We hang out for a while do a couple of loads of wash and get the girls to bed. T needs to go up and lay with them to get them to quiet down. They finally fall asleep. T figures out how to share his Dad’s internet connection from the Mac upstairs so that our Macbook can be on the web at the same time.
Day Four
The plan is to travel from Gardner to St. John, New Brunswick, CANADA. Stay the night in St John, then continue to the cottages at the Argyle Shore on Prince Edward Island on day 5. Day begins with us going to breakfast with Aunt J, Uncle C & E. We finally get out of the house and head over about an hour later than we had planned. No big deal we are on VACATION. Breakfast is great save for the tears that A has when she realizes she has left her Lobster on the bedpost at the house. We go and collect the lobster. T takes the back way and tests the four wheel drive ability of our Xterra. We decide to top off the gas tank – then while leaving the gas station, the attendant changes the price from $3.69 to $3.67 (we paid the $3.69). We finally hit the road and B decides to try out the new Sony noise canceling headphones and the iPod and is in heaven. We end up in what is known at “beach” gridlock and not fast moving gridlock by any account. We finally get to New Hampshire and pay a toll. Live Free or Die State? Toll? Yes indeed. So much for the EZ Pass saving time as the whole road is stopped. A is very confused by the idea of paying a toll – B tries to explain it, although it is right up there with explaining why the sky in blue or why some states charge sales tax and some don’t. Eventually we get through the beach traffic and get moving up the road at the speed it was made for. Next thing you know we are out of New Hampshire and into Maine. We hit the Maine turnpike where they collect .60 tolls. We of course thought we were so smart to have a bag full of quarters for the tolls and are scrambling for a dime. A says “I have 2 nickels – I will trade you for a quarter!” and makes some quick money. Of course the next Maine toll is also .60, so A makes some more money – how many nickels does that kid have? I think she is understanding the toll thing pretty well!! K states that she is going to get dimes for the return trip so she can cash in on the easy money.
We stop in Freeport, Maine to check out LL Bean flagship and outlet store as well as the other “outlet” stores. While shopping, we get call from T’s parents (remember our plan is to cross the border and stay overnight in St John NB CA. The next day will be a short drive. The best of plans . . .) T’s parents are letting us know that the cottage is ready now – even though it is not supposed to be ready until Sunday (tomorrow). It is 4:15PM – we are at least 7 hours from the cottage and have not yet eaten lunch/dinner. At any rate – T is excited to get to the cottage and to see his mom and dad – so we cancel the hotel in St. John, call his parents to say we are headed to the cottages. We get some dinner and head out for the long ride. Again – B utilizes the noise cancelling headphones – these things are great!! You can only hear the really high pitched whining – and even then, just a little!!
So at 2AM local time (PEI is an hour later than EST) we pull into Jewell’s Cottages having survived the crossing into Canada in Calais, Maine where the Border Guard is very concerned as to whether we have pepper spray or mace or whether we routinely use the stuff – we of course do not – but whatever. B says to A as we head up the road – “If you look across the river there – that is the land of the Free – USA.” A says in a very concerned tone – “Who is in charge of us while we are in Canada?” B says “Hmmm I guess you could say Papa is in charge of us now!” To which A exclaims “YAHHH no more George Bush!!” As we passed through St John at 10:30PM – we saw the Holiday Inn we were supposed to stay at – big sigh by B!! We also survived a near miss with a raccoon, saw a coyote, and some really cool fog that hung just above us. Also discovered the XTerra is not equipped with fog lights!
Memere (French for grandma) and Papa were awake and helped us to get settled into our cottage – which totally rocks!
Day 5
This is most likely the last blog for about a week – there is no internet and no cell phone coverage here at the cottages. Actually kind of nice!
We sleep late and get up and spend a leisurely day – tide is out so kids can look for sea glass, swim, and we can relax. Just as B is settling down to relax, A comes up from the beach crying and whimpering. Seems she might have some sort of reaction to salt water. The scratches on her legs and arms plus her scars from the chicken pox are all red and inflamed. We get her in the shower, rinse her off, douse her with Benadryl cream and immediately the red inflammation goes away. We have a couple different ideas to try so she can enjoy the water – involves coating her skin with Vaseline and perhaps some benadryl. Luckily there is a water park on the island and plenty of things to do at the cottages. She ends up playing Sorry with Uncle M and Aunt T and is content for today with no water. Actually I am not sure even with the preventive measures she is going to be willing to try the water again. We’ll see.
During the cocktail hour– K brought out her flute and played some music for our enjoyment. For dinner there was a lobster feast – T’s family style – this means that there was tons of food, gigantic lobsters, and tons of mussels. At the end A played her violin by the seashore. Evening was spent visiting. A with cousin M looking for fuzzy wuzzy caterpillars using a book light so they could see. To bed exhausted!
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