Soggy Bottoms in Beantown

I'll have more photos of Bar Harbor. First, however, I thought I'd back up and start at the beginning of our trip.

After very little sleep, we headed for Hartsfield at 5:15am. After the drive and getting through the line for security we barely made our flight. It was the first flight we'd made as a family of four.

A BIG BIG BIG thanks to Airtran and Wendy's for their flight promotion. We got enough cups to give us all free flights to Boston and from Philly back to ATL!! Thanks to all who donated to the cause: Danny, David and Laura, Jana, Sherri and anyone else I might have neglected to mention. I hope my daughter found the trip enjoyable enough to overcome her embarassment of Daddy "diving" for cups.

We made it to Boston, picked up the Sirrus and headed to see the USS Constitution. It was out sailing; a very rare occurance. So we drove around the area, going safely through parts of the Big Dig (It was two weeks later that part of it came crashing down onto traffic) and had lunch at 99's. Great "local" place. Turns out, it's a chain in the area.

After lunch, we headed back to "Old Ironsides". We missed her under sail. She'd already docked and we had to wait for all the rigging and sails to be stowed so we toured the museum. We got in line just as the clouds began to really darken. We waited too long to make it back to the car before the rain hit. Unprepared, we were drenched while we began the "wait in the security line" that would become an almost daily ritual for the trip. The security is tight here because the Constitution is still a Navy vessel. In fact, it is the world's oldest warship still in service. It is manned by a U.S. Navy crew.

Because of the downpour, the normal afternoon tours were stopped and they just let us wander the ship. We spent about 45 minutes ducking through the lower levels and taking photos up top. Then we headed back to the parking garage and changed clothes in the basement. Then it was off to New Hampshire while the kids slept in the back seat.

I'd like to go back to Boston some day. It was a neat place to visit. I'd like to see Bunker Hill and walk around the Charlestown area (even if, per capita, there are supposedly more criminals there than any other US city).

Bec and the kids with the "wet look".