Cheers and the Micro Brewery

 Day 8 - August 3, 2019 - Boston MA

Another day of sight seeing and finding different restaurants in the area.  Patrice takes us to The Shops at Station Landing, and we get choice seats at the Vino Bar in Regina's Pizzeria.   Yum!  Pizza is perhaps my favorite food -- or at least one of them.

Sounds like this trip is all about food, but not really.  A real thrill for me is to see where the TV series, 'Cheers' was filmed.  I shoot the photo from the car, so I get just a tiny bit of it.  Prominent is the Hampshire House, at 84 Beacon Street.  Just to the left of its canopy is the Cheers sign.  Other tourists are photographing, also.

Dinner is at the Mystic Brewery, a micro brewery, which is now closed due to COVID-19.  In addition to beverages, fast food was available.  Families were allowed to bring in small children, who were content to watch their parents play games.  The parents gave permission for the photos.

A very pleasant venue, Herb enjoyed the ball toss and got a few ringers.   I gave it a try, but wouldn't say I enjoyed it, as that was a sport where I never excelled.  I'm better at being just a spectator.

Willie of Sweet Caroline,

     and of Walldog and Willie

     August 3, 2019

It's Just a Walk in the Park -- Literally!

 Day 7 - August 2, 2019 - Boston MA

Finally, today is the day we get to see Neel's smiling face, and it will be later on this afternoon.  In the meantime, Patrice takes us on a walking tour of the city (knowing how much we love to walk), and we stop for lunch at JM Curley Restaurant.  While Herb is reading something on his phone, I notice the framed menu board for folks sitting at the bar.  It is entitled, "Law and Order."  How clever!

I point this out to Patrice, and we are both amused.

After lunch, we continue our walk and come upon a lovely park where Canadian geese are feeding in the lime green grass.  I could have zoomed in to get a closeup of them, but I enjoyed better framing the photo with the beautiful trees.

Looking around to the other side of the park, we see families sitting on the grass for a picnic, or to read a book, or are just catching some rays.  It is a very pleasant temperature for the month of August, here in Boston.

It gives me a great thrill to see something nautical -- a replica of a bollard!  Two bollards, actually, one on either side of the round platform.  Willie's Tug would tie to a cleat, but huge ships that come into the port of Boston need a huge structure to tie up to.  I would love to have seen this happen, but here we are in the park.

Patrice had said she had a surprise for us, so off we go. A must-see TV series for Roxie and Ed, Patrice and Neel, and Herb and myself was Downton Abbey.  We could not wait for the next episode to see where the story went.  So we find ourselves in Boston Common seeing banners advertising a traveling exhibition of Downton Abbey, where we would see recreations of the British historical period drama's elaborate sets and more than 50 of the show's iconic costumes.  It will be held in the Castle at Park Plaza.

Now it is 5 o'clock and Happy Hour, with dinner to follow.  Soon we will see Neel, who is manager of the Parish Cafe and Bar, a nice restaurant in the heart of Boston, offering indoor and outdoor seating.  There are many different beers, wines, and cocktails, and the varied menu makes it so hard to choose.  

The hostess seats us inside with a great view of the bar, where we see a sign just above the bartender that says, "Beware of Attack Waitress."  How cute!  When she brings our beverages, she does not attack any of us.

Finally we see Neel!  He has been around somewhere doing his managing things.  I love his smile.

From the menu I choose a Zuni Roll, which is turkey, bacon & cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla, served with cranberry chipotle; it pairs well with a chilled glass of white wine.  No photo of my food, but I do take a photo of the other three.

Willie of Sweet Caroline

     and of Walldog and Willie

     Friday, August 2, 2019

The Best Pizza Ever!

 Day 6 - August 1, 2019 - Long Island NY to Boston MA 

After picking up Patrice from her Long Island office around noon, we backtrack a bit, and go through the Bronx to find the shortest way to Connecticut.  She has the luxury of continuing some of her work -- reports maybe -- as we drive away.

She gets her laptop out of her briefcase and when I see her smiling, I think to myself that she is really 'enjoying her work.'

Interrupting her to ask for a recommendation for lunch, she says if we can wait a bit, we will soon come to one of her favorite restaurants, Frank Pepe's Pizza in New Haven CT.  At the thought of pizza, I feel even more hungry than I was.  We say, "Sure," as we trust her judgement.  After all, she travels the area quite often.  

As we get near the restaurant, we go through Little Italy, and my heart begins to beat more rapidly -- Italy has a special place in my heart.  She says there are two Frank Pepe restaurants in town, and she prefers the Original.  

                                The Original Frank Pepe Pizzeria Napoletana

I just love the menu cover, which tells us that Frank, a very handsome fellow, was passionate about pizza.  That's a great testimonial for me.

Turning to the inside, I like the selections even more. As we wait for our lunch to be served, we enjoy an adult beverage.  

From Connecticut, we soon come to Massachusetts, and when I see the highway sign for Framingham, I am beyond excited. I immediately think of Sheryl, Rudy, Patti, Nancy, Lee, John, LaDarla, Lisann, and Adrian, just a few of my former co-workers who have read the Framingham Study.  I worked for the best company ever!  

We have arrived!  To Boston!  And we pass Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox.  Since 1912, it has been the home of this baseball team, and the city's American League baseball team.  The stadium was built in 1912 and rebuilt in 1934.

 Willie of Sweet Caroline,

            and of Walldog and Willie

            Thursday, August 1, 2019

A Trip Through New York

Days 5 and 6 - July 31 and Aug 1 - Ramsey NJ to Long Island NY

Leaving Ramsey we see lots of scenery that excites me, and before I know it, we are in the state of New York. A Costco sign gets my attention.  Herb takes a photo of me to send to our Seattle friend, Craig, who is with Costco.

Somehow while photographing the scenery, I miss a highway sign that says, "Welcome to New York."  Or was there one?  Maybe we aren't there yet....

So it takes me by surprise when I began seeing yellow license plates.  On close examination, I see that the state is New York!   So we must be close.

Oh, great!  We will soon see Patrice and Neel.

We go through the town of West Nyack, and come to the Gov. Mario Cuomo bridge, which crosses the Hudson River.  

I love the name of another bridge, Throgs Neck Bridge, which crosses the East River and brings us through The Bronx and eventually to Long Island.  

Five days of road dust gets removed when we stop for a  carwash, so Patrice doesn't have to ride in a dirty car.  (Smiles)

Continuing on, I am fascinated by the apartment buildings that are built above a tunnel, and the next photo shows traffic in the tunnel.

At long last, we near Long Island, where we meet Patrice at her New York office.  She would have taken a plane home, but this lets us begin our visit sooner.

                                                                               Patrice, the Working Girl 

   

    Willie of Sweet Caroline,

            and of Walldog and Willie

            Thursday, August 1, 2019

            

A Big Rock in West Virginia

Day 4  - July 30, 2019 - Bristol TN to Ramsey NJ

From Bristol TN we continue on into Virginia, staying the night in Harrisonburg.  Morning gives us a cooler 74 degrees, which is not too bad for late July.  

Herb meets a man who makes bluebird houses and the two of them compare notes.  The guy is totally delighted to see on our Nest camera the bluebird house Herb made at Sweet Caroline's home in Avinger TX, and to be able to hear the baby birds tweeting in the nest.

Continuing on our journey, we take US Hwy. 81 into West Virginia, where we stop at the Welcome Center.  The landscaping is lovely with a large rock surrounded by low shrubbery.

Closer to the building are many varieties of flowers, but realizing that I should not take the time to photograph them all, I choose the red Tropical Hibiscus.

My GPS tells me we are at Bunker Hill-Mahwah.  

Then on to Maryland. Just as we leave the city of Hagerstown, I get excited to see the "Welcome to Pennsylvania" sign.  It invites us to "Pursue Your Happiness."

In this part of the country we go through many states in a day, while seeing signs of other states.  

When we get to New Jersey, I learn that its nickname is The Garden State.   I am not sure why it is has that nickname, but I found this on the Internet:  

The Garden State

This nickname seems to have originated at the Centennial Exhibition in Philadelphia on Jersey Day, August 24, 1876. Alfred M. Heston states in his 1926 work, Jersey Waggon Jaunts, that "The Garden State" was used by Abraham Browning, of Camden. "In his address Mr. Browning compared New Jersey to an immense barrel, filled with good things to eat and open at both ends, with Pennsylvanians grabbing from one end and the New Yorkers from the other. He called New Jersey the Garden State, and the name has clung to it ever since."

I would say it could be because it is so green.  We spend the night in Ramsey, where I take a photo of some of the flowers and trees on the grounds of our hotel.

,Willie of Sweet Caroline

and of Walldog and Willie

Tuesday, July 30, 2019

Herb's Choice of the Rocking Chairs

Days 2 and 3                                    Sunday, July 28, to Monday, July 29, 2019

We wake to a July temperature of 77 degrees, even though our hotel is on a hill and I would think it should be cooler.    Chattanooga is a picturesque city, nestled in a green valley of the Cumberland Plateau and along side the light blue waters of the winding Tennessee River.  It would be fun to hang around a while to walk some trails to Lookout Mountain and Signal Mountain, but Boston is still far ahead.

Lunchtime finds us hungry in Morristown TN at a conveniently located restaurant with a wide choice of entrees. While waiting for our food to be served,  Herb choses a rocking chair on the front porch to use his laptop, taking care of some business, he tells me, but I bet he checks his eMail and maybe Facebook (smiley face). 

There's plenty of decor to enjoy while we dine on down-home food; I think I had a pork chop with mustard greens and cornbread!  The waiter offered us lots of butter for the piping hot bread.

After lunch I spend a bit of time visiting with some children on the front porch, who are also  looking at the decor.  Herb meets their  grandfather, who is taking them to visit Mammoth Cave in Kentucky.  When he learns we are from Texas, he tells Herb he is from Elizabethon TN, as is Jason Witten, #82 playing for the Dallas Cowboys.  Yep, it can be a small world sometimes.

Soon back on the road we continue on through Tennessee to the town of Bristol, which is billed as The Birthplace of County Music.  A lovely city and the twin city  of Bristol VA.  The state line is right down the middle of its main street, appropriately named "State Line."    We stop for fuel and enjoy the travel brochures available in the store.  One poster catches Herb's attention -- it a reminder of when we rode his motorcycle on the "Back of the Dragon" road.         

Virginia Rte. 16 is a limited access, designated motorcycle route featuring a 32 mile strip with over 300 curves and crossing three mountain ranges.  It has switchbacks, slaloms, hairpins and awesome views.  We called it a 'twisty windey' road.  The driver leans into the curve, because at high speed you can't steer around the curve and the bike will find its groove.  The foot peg on that side may scrape the pavement.  Oh, and sometimes even the sole of your boot scrapes.  What a thrill.  Herb  points to the Back of the Dragon road on the poster.

                                                          Back of the Dragon road is the vertical line.

Willie of Sweet Caroline,

     and of Walldog, Willie and Hank

     Sunday, July 28 - Monday, July 29, 2019

To Boston -- I need to see Patrice and Neel!

(I have neglected for a year to keep up with my blog, but now am back to writing.)

Saturday, July 27, 2019

Day 1

Herb and I dearly love going to the Pacific Northwest every summer to spend time on our 31 foot boat, Willie's Tug, and to visit with special friends, but as I wrote previously, we tearfully sold her. We could charter a boat or rent a B&B in the Pacific Northwest,  but this year in 2019 we feel a need to see the smiling faces of daughter Patrice and our son-in-law, Neel, who live in Boston.  The distance from Houston prevents us from visiting often. 

I call Patrice and ask if she would be available sometime in August for a short visit, and she replies, "Absolutely!  I will definitely make time."  She takes a week of vacation from work to show us the sights.

My Pittman family reunion was set for July 27, at Vera's Place in Splendora TX.  Being curious, I ask my cousins Dorothy and Charlie, "Who is Vera and why is the gathering to be held at her house instead of a family member's home?"  They reply that Vera's Place is a venue for holding meetings, wedding receptions and what have you.

When our GPS leads us to the address, I think surely this is not where we should be, as the building looks like an old beer joint that I clearly would not be caught near.  So Herb drives past it on a dead end road, and we have no choice but to turn around and go back toward that building. Suddenly I see Charlie running out, waving us to stop.  We have arrived.  

The building is pretty cool inside, with a kitchen, dining area, and plenty of seating for visiting.  Oh, yeah!  Beer signs and other decor just like in a real bar!

Vera's Place

We have a great time catching up on the news with our cousins, and as soon as we pose for everyone to take photos, we head east on US Hwy 10, making it to Alabama by noon the next day. We like to stop at the Welcome Centers in each state to pick up brochures and learn about points of interest that we might visit. The volunteers love to talk about their state and always offer coffee or lemonade. 

I find this particular sign to have an interesting background, which is their building featuring a stone wall.

Continuing to drive through Alabama, when we come to Collinsville, we see evidence of our getting into the hills.  No longer the flat land of Houston.  Already I am enjoying the change of scenery.  

I'm also enjoying the car trip, rather than flying there, so we get to go through many cities, towns, and villages and a few states in which I have never been.

Like plotting a route for Willie's Tug, where Herb placed waypoints on the chart plotter for the auto pilot to follow,  he plots our car trip so we could make hotel reservations.   The first night on the road finds us in Chattanooga TN, with a nice view from our hotel window.

                                      Chattanooga - High on a Hill

Willie of Sweet Caroline,

  and of Walldog, Willie and Hank

  Saturday, July 27, 2019