Quick Trip

We've been wanting to go to Canada since we've moved here. Montreal is only about 2.5 hours away from here and we've never been! Every time we get a good time or think about going, it's Winter, and we opt out because Vermont is cold enough. "Do we really want to go 2.5 hours North?" Not really. So we took a couple days off for a long weekend to set out for Montreal in early June. The problem was, that when we started to look for a hotel to book (already got time off from work) everything in and anywhere near Montreal was booked, aside from the penthouse suites and such. Turns out, the one weekend we decided to go was a big race at the Speedway just outside Montreal. Just our luck!

So we had time off, what are we to do??? We compiled an assortment of things to do and see. We headed off to Boston. We've been there before, but there's always something to do in Boston, and it's only about 3.5 hours away!

It was a really pretty drive that morning. Lots of fog on the mountains. I had a hard time getting a good pic showing the beauty. This one doesn't do it justice.

For lunch we went to the Barking Crab. You may have seen it on the Food Network Channel....Man VS Food. We didn't do the ridiculous challenge that they showed, of course, but it all tasted great and soooo fresh!

Here's Greg's seafood challenge. A little bit of everything, almost. Nice variety.

Ohhh so good!

Funny shirt the staff wore.
After lunch we went to see the Blue Man Group.

A lot of you may be surprised to hear us say it but........disapointment. We don't recommend it. We paid the extra money to sit in the very front, you know, where you wear the ponchos, got the whole experience. They did some different things with percussion/rhythym, but a whole lot of the time they spent just looking at the crowd, then looking at themselves like they just landed on Earth and were trying to figure out where they were. A lot of dead time. Then they ate different foods (to a rythym) and spit it out all over the place. Gross. We went expecting to get dirty. We didn't wear anything we really cared about on purpose. We thought we'd get some colored paint on us or something like that. They did a 'bit' where they were trying to figure out how to get into the Twinkies baggies. They finally got it open and ate them. Shortly after, mashed up banana sprayed out of the metal bolt-like hole in their chest! It got all over us; in our hair, on our face, disgusting! It didn't take long to turn brown and stink! We had to stop by the nearest bathroom to wash ourselves off after and even then didn't get it all. Not a very fun time!

We didn't do much that evening. Wanted to get cleaned up/showered and relax. We had to eat at the Chick-fil-a in the mall nearby. We've definitely missed Chick-fil-a! Soooo good!

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The next day we headed over to Salem, Mass. We had plans to go on a harbor cruise, see the lighthouses, old ships, etc, but it got cancelled because visibility was limited due to fog/haze.

We stopped at The House of the Seven Gables 1st and took a tour through it. A really old house which inspired Nathaniel Hawthorne's book, The House of the Seven Gables. Interestingly enough, the house didn't have 7 Gables (peaks) when Haythorne's cousin lived in it. I think they said it only had 5 at that time, but over the years of different owners and remodeling, it did, eventually, have 7 Gables They didn't allow pictures to be taken inside the house, so the outside is all we can show ya.

At some point, they were going to tear down the home that Nathanial Hawthorne was born in. Someone notified someone in the tourist/historical society and they decided, instead, to move the house from it's original location in town, to right next to the House of 7 Gables. Better for tourism.

We took a tour through the Witch History Museum. They took you through the history of the Salem Witch Trials, how it started, etc. with lifesize dioramas to illustrate their story.

And here's the witches themselves.....they look like they're up to no good, don't they?

Not really sure who this guy is or what he's about. Took a picture anyway.

After doing the whole witch thing, we walked around Fisherman's Wharf and went into all the shops.

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The next day, we headed back to Vermont and stopped by Quechee Gorge in Southern Vermont. There's a hike up and down the gorge and pond at one end.

Looks cool, how you can see all the roots above ground.

Mill Pond at 1 end of the gorge.

I've seen lily pads in a pond before, but I've never actually seen Lily's on the pads before. So pretty!

From up above, on the bridge.

Cute little goose family on the side of Mill Pond.

That was about the end of our long weekend. We head back to Burlington to rest that evening and get ready for the work week to start again. We still need to head North to Canada at some time, but we got to do and see things we never had before, so all in all a fun quick trip.