One Last Venture...
Sandra and I took one more vacation that involved transportation other than our Class B Motorhome - The New England Fall Colors Tour through Trafalgar Travel. The trip started in Boston (Pronounced "Bah-ston"), so we had to fly to get there - no more Amtrak 2 or 3 day stints. Naturally, we got in late because of something going on in BOS, so we missed orientation... again... Regardless, we became part of a 50-member tour group that went out the following morning to see a little of Bahston... (This became steadily worse as we toured...). From that point, we spent the better part of ten days and nights riding our coach through the somewhat confusing series of New England highways and country roads, At first, we were a bit apprehensive about the Fall Colors because New England had some warm-to-hot weather. They said that NE was in a 'drought' - Hah! If they wanted drought, they should tour California!
However, the further out we went, the more color we found in the trees of birch, maple, sycamore and ash. Swaths of pine and fir trees would accent the hills with dark shades of green while the deciduous trees brightened the slopes. Periodically, we would stop at a place of interest, such as a scenic overlook, or a place like the Vermont Country Store (see www.VermontCountryStore.com). Our coach driver and tour guide seemed to understand where the highways went, so we trusted to their judgement. Latitude seemed to be the factor when it came to the leaves turning yellow, orange and red. A surprise came to us as we spied wild turkey in the fields. And the homes! Most of the homes were of the Colonial style and had a lot of room around the building - mowed flat and fine as fairway grass. We also stopped for lunch at places along the way. When dinnertime came around, we would stop at inns and resorts. One time, Sandy and I were given a suite because of my handicap needs. Even after a day of sitting in a coach, a sit-down shower feels good... The mattresses were soft - sometimes too soft... When we got to Maine, we were treated to an actual lobstah (yes, it went on here too) dinner, so Sandy now has tasted Maine crustacean.
The driver and guide were were very good about getting out and putting away my "Red Racer". At every stop, my walker was waiting for me when I got out, and was stowed away in the storage bin when I got back on. Very little rain fell while we were in NE - Cloudy overcast and slight drizzle, yes... but no rain. Once more, we lucked out on weather. All-in-all, this part of the trip went well... Thank you, Mark & Richard....
The side trip to New York City did not fare too well... Boston to La Guardia was a jet shuttle, and it went okay. We were put on the 13th Floor... (Isn't there a ban on that floor?), and arrived with a rave going on next door. Our Travel Agent found that the cheapest rooms were in the Financial District. Not too bad, but far from Central Park and the Theatre District. Guess what? Manhattan and the MTA does not have many accesses for handicapped patrons. Thus, I could not access the subway! The quintessential way to get around Manhattan!!! We found our city tour near the Park, but rain chased us back to the room. Because of the weather, we did not bother to stop and see Central Park, The Tavern on the Green, Balto's statue or several other places. And, NO.. I did not get to see CATS....
And the people? I was short-changed by a b**** when I had to pause at a restroom. (Customer Use only) Compared to her, Most New Yorkers were saints. Traffic was ungodly and we did not think that this side tour was on COLUMBUS DAY weekend!!! That little tidbit just mad things worse. And the street orientation and constant construction almost caused us to get lost. Perseverance paid off, however, and we finally found our Holiday Inn again. We did see the Battery and the Statue of Liberty, Grant's Tomb in passing, and Times Square. The Brooklyn Bridge was for the trip back to La Guardia. I thought sure we would see the UN building, but the projects hid it from the FDR expresssway.
Thank God for the airport transportation staff!!! I would have never made the transfer at Dallas-Fort Worth airport...
Home never felt so good....
gb
However, the further out we went, the more color we found in the trees of birch, maple, sycamore and ash. Swaths of pine and fir trees would accent the hills with dark shades of green while the deciduous trees brightened the slopes. Periodically, we would stop at a place of interest, such as a scenic overlook, or a place like the Vermont Country Store (see www.VermontCountryStore.com). Our coach driver and tour guide seemed to understand where the highways went, so we trusted to their judgement. Latitude seemed to be the factor when it came to the leaves turning yellow, orange and red. A surprise came to us as we spied wild turkey in the fields. And the homes! Most of the homes were of the Colonial style and had a lot of room around the building - mowed flat and fine as fairway grass. We also stopped for lunch at places along the way. When dinnertime came around, we would stop at inns and resorts. One time, Sandy and I were given a suite because of my handicap needs. Even after a day of sitting in a coach, a sit-down shower feels good... The mattresses were soft - sometimes too soft... When we got to Maine, we were treated to an actual lobstah (yes, it went on here too) dinner, so Sandy now has tasted Maine crustacean.
The driver and guide were were very good about getting out and putting away my "Red Racer". At every stop, my walker was waiting for me when I got out, and was stowed away in the storage bin when I got back on. Very little rain fell while we were in NE - Cloudy overcast and slight drizzle, yes... but no rain. Once more, we lucked out on weather. All-in-all, this part of the trip went well... Thank you, Mark & Richard....
The side trip to New York City did not fare too well... Boston to La Guardia was a jet shuttle, and it went okay. We were put on the 13th Floor... (Isn't there a ban on that floor?), and arrived with a rave going on next door. Our Travel Agent found that the cheapest rooms were in the Financial District. Not too bad, but far from Central Park and the Theatre District. Guess what? Manhattan and the MTA does not have many accesses for handicapped patrons. Thus, I could not access the subway! The quintessential way to get around Manhattan!!! We found our city tour near the Park, but rain chased us back to the room. Because of the weather, we did not bother to stop and see Central Park, The Tavern on the Green, Balto's statue or several other places. And, NO.. I did not get to see CATS....
And the people? I was short-changed by a b**** when I had to pause at a restroom. (Customer Use only) Compared to her, Most New Yorkers were saints. Traffic was ungodly and we did not think that this side tour was on COLUMBUS DAY weekend!!! That little tidbit just mad things worse. And the street orientation and constant construction almost caused us to get lost. Perseverance paid off, however, and we finally found our Holiday Inn again. We did see the Battery and the Statue of Liberty, Grant's Tomb in passing, and Times Square. The Brooklyn Bridge was for the trip back to La Guardia. I thought sure we would see the UN building, but the projects hid it from the FDR expresssway.
Thank God for the airport transportation staff!!! I would have never made the transfer at Dallas-Fort Worth airport...
Home never felt so good....
gb