New Hampshire

On Monday, 7/24, we left Massachusetts and drove in rain almost the whole way to Cheshire, NH to visit with Ray and Karen Cowan (formerly Hitchhiker owners) whom we have known for about 5 years.  We also spent a few days with them back in Feb in Mesa, AZ.

Monday night we had fish at a local restaurant, and, on Tuesday, drove up to Franklin, NH to go thru Tarbin Gardens.

It advertises itself as: "New Hampshire's destination for nature lovers, bird and butterfly watchers, photographers, artists, and garden enthusiasts.  It features a collection of nearly a thousand different plants in gardens from sun to shade, formal to woodland with a large variety of lilies, hostas, astilbes (?), flowering trees and shrubs."  

It's all of that and more!  We talked with the owner and he took us around a portion of the area - talk about a true botanist!!!

This may be overload, but here are 'some' pictures that Judy took.

This parrot talked and would say:  "Whose the baby?"

This one didn't have much to say.

From there we found the birthplace of Daniel Webster.

That evening we found a brewery in Concord and had dinner and a beer.  Good stuff.

On Wednesday we left and made our way to Bar Harbor, ME.

Massachusetts

We left NJ on Monday, the 17th, and drove to Massachusetts.  We drove around the Western outskirts of NJ/NY.

And came to the Tappan Zee Bridge that crosses the Hudson River north of NYC.

New bridge going up and huge cranes necessary to handle the beams.

We found our way into MA and to our campground, Sunset Farms Camping Area, in Monson, MA.
We had to do laundry and found "The Lost Sock Laundry."  One of the signs in the place.

Monson has several churches and majestic homes.

Larry is now working at a new job in Southern CT so one evening we met him halfway and had dinner with him at this restaurant:  Chuck's Steak and Margarita Restaurant.  It was a nice evening so we had dinner on the deck outside.

This is the Mohegan Sun Casino in Southern CT.  Larry is training to be a GM/DM of Pasta Vita stores (see below).  The stores are owned by the Mohegan Sun Holding Company.  Huge (HUGE) casino.

Judy took pictures of these on the walls.

In the casino building itself are many, many other venues, including Pasta Vita.

Their website has this to say:  Looking for a fast and delicious Gourmet-to-Go meal?  Pasta Vita is the premier place to go with over 100 entrees, including salads, soups, breads and desserts.
You can purchase prepared food from the refrigerators or the freezers.  Just take them home and bake them in the oven.  We have tried them and they are delicious.

After we left the casino, we drove down to Old Saybrook, CT. that is on the coast of Long Island Sound to spend a night with Jacky's parents, Mike and Nancy.
They are just blocks from the water so we walked down and Judy took a picture of one of the lighthouses and the shoreline.

They have a nice swimming area and picnic tables along the beach.

Mike and Nancy.

 
Not sure where this was, but Judy got a picture!

On Friday Larry, Jacky, and Hannah came down to the campground and we did some swimming in the pond.

Totem pole by the pond.

Later we sat out and had dinner and then had s'mores by the fire.

On Saturday Hannah was involved in a horse show.

This is her on her horse.

The first competition, which wasn't even on the program, was to ride in "pairs" around the ring.  Hannah and her friend did a very nice job of staying together, and, they were both awarded a first place tie.

Hannah also competed in two other events and won first place in both.

It was a nice day - not too sunny or warm.

We had a great time with them and found it hard to leave on Monday.