East Coast Travel 2015

Well, it's only September 19^th and I haven’t updated the blog with our July and August trips!!  So I guess we will start with July here…

We got back from our June trip to TN and FL and finished out the month with DR appts, etc.

On July 14^th we flew (yes flew – left the truck and trailer in Plano) to Hartford, CT and rented a car there.  Drove to Larry & Jacky’s house in Belchertown, MA and spent the night).  They were gone on vacation to Cape Cod for the week.

The next morning we drove up to the Concord, NH area to visit with friends we had met back in 2012 when we were traveling on the East Coast and met them in Portland, ME.  They were at a square dance weekend and we had a good time with them.  We also met them earlier this year in Kerrville, TX at a Hitchhiker rally in April.

While there we got caught up on our and their travels and then went to a Shakers Village in Canterbury, NH and toured their village.  They were pioneers in their ideals of gender and racial equality and their survival and prosperity depended on the land and on environmental stewardship.  They were entrepreneurs. Their skill in business and practice of sustainable living brought them prosperity and allowed the community to survive for 200 years.

After the tour, we went had a great fish dinner and one of their favorite restaurants.  We then drove back to Larry & Jacky’s for another evening.

The next morning we drove down to Hightstown/East Windsor to visit friends and to attend an engagement party for Skip and Diane Cox’s daughter, Ashley on Saturday. 

Party on Saturday was in the Cox's backyard.  It was a beautiful day for it.

Had a fabulous spread:

The Cox family:

  Also had a great time visiting with the Diefenbach’s:

Celebrated Sabrina's 1st birthday:

And couldn't forget Asaiah:

On Sunday we attended our old church (St Paul Lutheran in East Windsor) and then left for CT to meet up with Larry, Jacky, and Hannah (and boyfriend, Cory) and Jacky’s parents, Mike and Nancy Canter in Old Saybrook, CT.  Had a great dinner on the beach:

And then took some pictures:

Hannah and Cory:

 Larry, Jacky, and Hannah:

Jacky's parents, Mike and Nancy:

And us:

 From there we headed up to Belchertown to be with Larry & Jacky for about 10 days.  Since they sold The Loose Goose Café in February, they were still job hunting so we were able to spend some quality time with them.

We met up with Mike and Nancy on another day and went to a restaurant in North Hampton for a great meal.  Beautiful day to be outdoors.

We walked around Amherst one day and went into a cemetery where Emily Dickinson's grave site is.

At one end of the cemetery is the back of the complex where Larry & Jacky's cafe was (The Loose Goose Cafe).  This mural extends all the way across.

We also went to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA.  In all the years we have gone up there, we have never visited this.  So it was about time!!

The basketball court had games going all day.

On the upper level there were pictures of many of the basketball stars.

At one point you could pretend you were on TV and announcing a game.  It was televised and then replayed once so you could watch it.
Here are Jacky and Cory:

And Larry and Hannah.

Hannah had to register at Belchertown High School so we went with them.

Very nice school.

The weather was so nice the entire time that we were there that we ate outside at The Pub in Amherst one day.

The time went by way too fast but when you are having a good time, that's too be expected!!

On Monday, the 28^th we flew back to TX.