Travel Tuesday: New England, September 6-9, 2024

To quote the adorable Jonathan Richman, "Oh, New England"....

Finishing my 50 States Challenge was a long-erm goal -- and for states 48 and 49 we needed to go all the way across the country to Vermont and Maine. Wil and I made it an extra long weekend, had some fun, but in the end were very happy to go home to our kittens. 

We flew into Boston, picked up a rental car, and then drove to the outskirts of town and stayed in a nondescript hotel in a tech office park. How nondescript? Wehave no photos or any memories apart from a late night visit to a food courts / self-pour place where we had decent pizza and enjoyed playing with the pour-your-own machines.

Next morning we drove to Vermont, stopping off at Skyline Drive, a private toll road to the top of Mount Equinox. It seemed just silly enough to do, so we paid the toll and drove up. 

The road climbs 3,848 feet over 5.2 miles, but driving up didn't seem very steep, or even very long. We got to the top and got out to stretch our legs and enjoy the views. 

Their season runs from Memorial Day to the end of October -- with the prices highest in October. Why? Leaf peeping. I bet there is a lot of autumnal glory on display at that time of year!

When you buy your token to go up, they hand you a little "Driver Safety Checklist". It notes that for the descent, you should put your car in the lowest year, stay under 20 mph, pump your brakes, and stop at the rest areas.

they were NOT lying

Not gonna lie, it was a little scary going down -- because we could smell the engine and brakes getting hot. But we made a lot of stops, luckily didn't have a lot of other drivers, and made it to the bottom safely. 

Then to Manchester, Vermont -- a super cute town. But we really just picked up some provisions and went to our gorgeous little hotel, the Manchester View. With views like this from the balcony, why would we wander around town? 

The next morning I struggled through the Maple Leaf Half Marathon - ugh - and then we headed on to Maine. Of course we had to stop at the Vermont Country Store -- in part because we were a little surprised it existed. It was huge and sprawling and of course we bought some cheese straws...

... some mac and cheese ...

and had a photo op at the Kissing Bridge.

Soon we arrived in Ogunguit, Maine, which is a delightful seaside town. We stayed two nights at the Ocean Acres Ogunquit Motel, and loved it. The rooms were clean and comfy, and they had TWO pools -- one indoor, one outdoor, and both had HUGE INFLATABLE FLOATIES. My main goal for the day was to relax and refuel, so we pretty much hung out at the pool (why, yes, I would like to sit on the inflatable unicorn thank you) and went down to Billy's Chowder House for a very delicious dinner. I think we got the best table in the house -- a corner in the bar area, surrounded by windows. 

Billy's Chowder House

perfect spot for the sunset!

Next morning we headed out early to run the Pumpkinman Half Marathon -- a much much nicer experience, which left us on a bit of a high. 

We came back to the hotel, cleaned up, and then rode the Ogunquit Trolley all around town. We went all the way out to Perkins Cove so we could stop at Barnacle Billy's for their famous rum punch.  

this is stronger than you might think...

Now, maybe it's because it has been a couple of years, or maybe it's because of the rum punch after running a half marathon... but I don't remember anything else about this meal. I assume we ate? Maybe? Or maybe we just had the drinks? But we wandered around the very cute shops of Perkins Cove for a while and then caught the trolley back to our hotel. 

Later we walked the 7 minutes to the footbridge and relaxed on the beach. 

I bet it would be PACKED in sunner! 

Next morning we headed slowly back to Boston. You know I always say the journey IS the destination, and I love looking at maps for oddly named points of interest. We stopped in York so we could cross the Wiggly Bridge: 

it is, indeed, Wiggly

We also stopped in Salem and visited the surprisingly moving Salem Witch Trials Memorial (as well as a kitchy gift shop...). 

We got to Logan airport, enjoyed the Sapphire Lounge (oh how we wish we had one in Seattle...), and even got upgraded on our flight home. 

note that I'm wearing my 50 States jacket!

For a trip designed for completion, this was perfect: nice independent hotels, cute side quests, and STATES 48 & 49!!!