East Coast Sampler

If you haven't spent much time on the East Coast, like me, what kind of vacation could be better than an East Coast Sampler? And not only did we visit fabulous cities, but we had fabulous travel companions. No, no. Not Max. That lucky guy got to stay in Arizona with Nanny, Grandpa and all his cousins. Our travel companions were Blythe and Vaughn. They put up with Blake so well that we'll definitely be traveling with them again. We spent about two days in each of our three locations, so our vacation went a little something like this--

First Stop: Boston, MA--Where Everybody Knows Your Name!Wednesday, August 29: After an all-day flight and quick layover in Chicago for some Nuts on Clark, we arrived in Boston, MA and headed straight downtown to check things out. We ended up at Faneuil Hall Marketplace for some Boston Clam Chowda. After walking around getting oriented with the city we watched a laser show that would have been super cool in 1991 and some very talented street performers. I wonder if they ever have street performer competitions between cities. We thought these guys were excellent.


Thursday, August 30: While Blake and Vaughn were checking out schools around Boston, Blythe and I headed over to the JFK Presidential Library. We learned so much about his short term as President and gawked over Jackie's beautiful wardrobe. Then, as we headed back into the city to pick up Vaughn and Blake, we learned the warning "driving not recommended for new comers" was actually very accurate. Poor Vaughn actually found us faster by walking to us than we did trying to drive to him. After the gang was back together we stopped by Cheers, ate lunch, and headed to some historical sites along the Freedom Trail. We stopped by Paul Revere's house, the Old North Church, and Bunker Hill. On our way out of the city we stopped by the Boston Temple and headed to our next stop--New York.



Second Stop: NYC, NY--The Big AppleFriday, August 31: Blake had meetings all day Friday, so it was up to me, Blythe and Vaughn to do some serious exploring. We started at Time Square, then to Ground Zero, and shopping all over. By the time we were done we were basically subway pros. Even the part where you have to put your head in your shoulder and smell your own shirt so you don't pass out from the B.O. We met Blake at the Empire State Building then went to check out Madison Square Garden. Then, after a much needed nap, we got all dressed up, went to an excellent dinner at the Brooklyn Diner, and headed over to see Mary Poppins the Musical. It was Supercali...whatever. And if that wasn't enough, we headed over to Serendipity for a 12:30 am dessert. But don't mention that to Blake. He's still upset he paid $13.50 for some chocolate cake and ice cream.


Saturday, September 1: Blake decided that he was going to be our driving tour guide today. I was so nervous about parking and especially Blake trying to be a NY cab driver, but I was actually pleasantly surprised. He started by taking us to the Statue of Liberty. We opted for the Staten Island Ferry rather than waiting 3+ hours for the real deal. Then we stopped by Wall Street and headed to China Town for some delicious lunch. Before we headed for our next destination we stopped by Central Park and the amazing Manhattan Temple. The actual temple was closed for construction, but we were able to look around the church that was in the same building. We couldn't believe that it looked like a regular church--basketball court and all. So, only one parking ticket later, Blake had yet another day as a successful tour guide.

Last Stop: Baltimore, MD--Home of the Precious Zoie, and Washing D.C.--Our Nation's Capitol
Sunday, September 2: Actually, our day in Baltimore started late,late Saturday night with a trip to meet that precious little Zoie. We couldn't resist stopping to meet our newest little niece. She is such a good girl--she stayed awake the entire time we were visiting and never once cried, only hiccuped. On Sunday morning we woke up and headed into D.C. Of course we stopped by the temple first--if you haven't noticed, temples are one of Blake's signature tour stops. Once we reached the city we went to the Washington Monument, Lincoln Monument, WWII Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, Jefferson Monument, FDR Memorial, White House, and Capitol Building. And the only thing we ate the entire day was a couple donuts from Dunkin' Donuts that morning. We were just too busy to stop and eat. On our way home we had to stop by and see Baby Zoie, of course, and ended up eating a fabulous dinner prepared by Matt and Beth around 11:30 pm.

Monday, September 3: We started out our last day with more of Baby Zoie. She was still the cutest little thing ever, still wide awake, and still hiccuping.

Our plans for the rest of the day were to eat (first things first after a day of no eating) and touring Baltimore. The boys wanted some Baltimore crab and Blake knew the exact place from his visit last October. Unfortunately, when we finally found it, it was closed for Labor Day. So, we found the second best thing and ate, and ate, and ate. When we finished and looked at the clock, it was time to head to the airport. It was the perfect vacation!


We started planning this trip with Blythe and Vaughn in June while we were at Lake Powell. Everyone was given an assignment--Blake was in charge of scheduling (hotels, rental cars, etc.), I was in charge of buying tickets to a Broadway show, Blythe was in charge of travel treats and activities, and Vaughn...well, Vaughn was in charge of going to law school wherever the BAMs live next year. So far Blythe, Blake, and I totally came through. Hopefully Vaughn can do the same thing!