Bwoston--Ain't It A Wicked Pissah?!

September 14, 2007 -- This morning began in a grump, and not by choice. At about 9:30 PM the night prior, a band of Gypsys in the form of a women’s’ softball team loudly rolled in, along with their male companions, and set up camp almost directly across from us. Hoping for the best (they might go to bed to rest up for their game the next day) and expecting the worst (they would party until the cows came home), the latter won out. They were loud, obnoxious, profane, rude, drunken, and disrespectful (did I miss any applicable adjectives?) as they partied and played horseshoes, until the last ones finally crashed at nearly 2:00 AM. Dag went over to the group at about 12:30 and politely asked that they call it a night; “Oh, yeah, man, sorry—we’re going to bed right now. We have to be up really early for a game tomorrow, eh?” Yeah, right—not likely, and most of the hung-over campsite was still baggin’ Z’s at 8:00 AM the next morning… Dag went down to the office, explained why we were not “happy campers” and politely, yet firmly, demanded a refund for the night’s stay, and same was given without protest. We think we would rather have paid for a good night’s sleep, rather than salt away a few bucks for the misery of that night, especially ahead of our 290-something mile drive to Cooperstown, NY… It was an all-day affair, while taking a secondary highway through scenic Upstate New York, and trying to cheap out on paying for the toll road Interstate. Toll roads—hope they don’t become popular in California…

We stopped in Victor, NY for a few hours and took in the Iroquois Nations Confederation First Peoples exhibit, known as Ganondagon. This was a very informative program, put on by the members of the Seneca tribe. A walking trail with points-of-interest stations told the history of the early civilization of the Iroquois Nations, and their conflicts with the French and later settlers. It culminated in a visit to a reproduction “Long House” that was typical of the early Iroquois First Peoples. It was filled with actual and repro artifacts, and a program was given by two very knowledgeable tribal interpreters. After listening to the presentation, we were impressed with how culturally advanced the Iroquois tribes actually were, and it left us to wonder how the European settlers presumed to claim the cultural and moral high ground against the “savages.” From an advanced technology standpoint, perhaps, but little more…

While one of the main purposes of this trip was to be a rolling classroom for the kids, Malia and I have come to gain a significant amount of new knowledge about Native Americans while crossing the country. It is amazing how little we were taught about the Native Americans while in school, and how much that we did learn back then was slanted toward the “paleface” view. Hollywood did us no favors in shaping perspectives and attitudes toward Indian peoples while growing up…

Up and rolling again, we found our campsite south of Cooperstown in the dark, and were awakened to the sound of rain shortly after sacking out.

September 15, 2007 -- The rain kept up all night, and we awoke to a blustery day, that was interspersed with rain showers. We journeyed into Cooperstown, the home of the Baseball Hall of Fame. What a classy place! Even if you are not a baseball fan, you might find the place interesting. It was a trip down memory lane, recalling all the names of the Major League players that were household words while growing up, but have faded from memory as the new wave of overpaid, steroid-pumped prima donnas make an expensive Sport of Kings from what used to be the common man’s sport (whoops, sorry, let me climb down off my soapbox before I fall off and hurt myself…). Dag, ever on the lookout for a bargain, traded a double-dip blood donation for a ticket to the BHoF—such a deal! (They were having a very good response to the blood drive that was going on at the time). This place, like many others we have seen, is a must-see if you find yourself in NY. Cooperstown itself is very scenic, and hosts some very well-preserved historic homes. We drove around a bit and enjoyed the scenery; on a whim, we stopped at an ancient cemetery, where we read grave markers dating back to 1794! The small-town charm and the well kept old properties were delightful, and the Lake Otsego, next to which Cooperstown sits, just begs to be sailed and fished… I told Malia that if I had to live in NY, Cooperstown would make the short list!

The nightcap on this day’s adventure was trip down the road to Oneonta, NY, which is the home of Brooks’ House of Barbecue, a place that came onto the radar from the Rachel Ray Food Network show. Ooooh, my… if you like your ‘cue, this place is to die for! Between barbecued chicken and racks of pork ribs, and all the other stuff that comes with it, we could barely leave under our own power. A destination worth the investment, to be sure!

September 16, 2007 -- A long road trip day to the Boston area. We ended up stuck in Boston commute traffic—I’m not sure I have a negative word in my vocabulary that is negative enough to describe this un-delightful experience. As veterans of Los Angeles commuting, we are experienced in heavy traffic, but not like this… I am sure that there will be a special place in Hell for the design team that created the Interstate 93 outbound commute corridor from Boston—no, not any hotter; they will just have to drive in their creation, all day, every day, in an endless loop for eternity… a just punishment for those who created so much misery… just picture eight lanes being bottlenecked down to two lanes as it goes into the Ted Williams Tunnel, being driven by a sea of tired, grumpy, and poor-driving-skill motorists on cell phones, then being forced to pay $4.50 for this torment before going into the tunnel—stress level needle off the end of the meter…

September 17, 2007 -- We made the inbound commuter train to Boston, literally by seconds, after some really bad directions on how to get to the station. We got aboard, and the kindly conductor helped us figure out the “T” system of trains and subways to get to our destination. We got off the subway at the Boston Commons (central park) and started our walk up the “Freedom Trail” which showcases a number of sites that were the tinderbox upon which the first sparks of the American Revolution were struck, which of course resulted in a free and independent America which we today enjoy after the courageous Colonists’ hard-fought victory over Great Britain. Boston is an interesting place, with suited professionals briskly walking among the casual tourists, street vendors and the homeless; tall buildings commingling among buildings that were built nearly 300 years ago, and brutal traffic, not for the faint-of-heart. Ever heard of Dunkin’ Doughnuts? A chain doughnut-and-coffee establishment, it is a cultural icon throughout Massachusetts, as plentiful as Starbucks on the left coast. If DD went belly-up (not likely here), I think the MA economy would fold right behind it…

September 18, 2007 -- Day trip up to the scenic Kittery, Maine, and then down through New Hampshire, and ending in Salem, Massachusetts, before returning to camp. Kittery is the east coast factory outlet destination, with a number of them competing for your $$. Kittery is home to The Trading Post, a sporting goods store that blows Cabela’s and Bass Pro Shop right off the pond! Right next door, for your splurging pleasure, is Bob’s Clam House, with mouth-watering clam and lobster rolls—oh, yeah, baby…

We drove back through the back roads of New Hampshire, and found Exeter, NH, a quaint little town with the namesake of our old stomping grounds.

The final stop was in Salem, MA., ground zero of the New England witch hunt that remains an indelible stain on our history from the late 1600s. This tragic story unfolds as the folly of several young girls who feign being under the spell of witches, and point fingers at numerous women (and men) in the community. The superstition, ignorance, and self-righteous religious zeal of misguided judges in this Puritan community resulted in 20 innocents being executed, as well as many more incarcerated, for the allegation of practicing witchcraft. The story “The Crucible” is among many that detail the tragedy. We went to the Salem Witch Museum, which details the story, and separates fact from fiction. A final stop at the Salem Maritime Heritage Park capped the day before driving back to the campground.

September 19, 2007 -- A relaxed day, as we caught up the home-schooling, the banking, and car maintenance. Dag took the car in for an oil change, and engaged a conversation with a Massachusetts lass with as thick an accent as he could understand, and learned the definition of a "wicked pissah." It's not what one might think, and several things do come to mind; rather, it is an exclaimation that declares the extreme excellence of the item, person, or entity that the expression is aimed at--I might suggest, however, that you not aim this adjective at your significant other, regardless of how wonderful you think they might be... In the afternoon, we drove into Plymouth, the site where the Pilgrims came ashore from the Mayflower. We went aboard the “Mayflower II”, an exact replica of the famous vessel. Several period character-actors gave us the story of life aboard the Mayflower—no Carnival Cruise on this boat! It is hard to imagine life in those times, especially in the tight belly of a cold, wet, dark wooden vessel, in close quarters with their farm animals, for 66 days, while en route to a non-settled destination, in the teeth of the winter—hoowee! We then saw “THE Rock” (not the actor) upon which is supposed to have been the first steps of the Pilgrims in the New World. We were perhaps expecting something perhaps a bit bigger?...