The End of Our Vacation

This weekend was the end of our vacation in Indiana. We had to cut it a day short in order to get our home ready for Hurricane Irene and to avoid driving through the storm. As it was we drove through some of the outermost rain bands on Saturday afternoon and ran into a traffic jam on Interstate 95 around Boston because all but one lane of the highway had been closed by flooding. That was the worst of the storm for us. We got home before the wind arrived and I was able to bring in the trash cans and lawn furniture before they blew away. Most of our town lost power during the storm but not us. I’m glad we left Indiana early. Crossing Upstate New York on Sunday would have been a dangerous nightmare and we probably would have stayed away until the roads were safe.

Our final days in Indiana were some of the best but they were not busy days. We spent them at my parents’ weekend home on Lake Monroe, near Bloomington, Indiana. We had time to relax, read, nap in the hammock and talk. Maura’s grandfather took her fishing and she caught a catfish. We saw a deer cross the back yard and watched hummingbirds buzz around the hummingbird feeders like a swarm of feathered bees.

Maura’s grandparents took her back to Zionsville on Thursday and let Jennifer and I have the lake house to ourselves for another day to celebrate our wedding anniversary (it was actually on Sunday). While Maura spent one last day with her grandparents we spent a wonderful day without her. We spent the morning exploring the shops and galleries of Nashville, Indiana, and had lunch at the Big Woods Brewery (the Pale Ale was wonderful and the food wasn’t bad either). Afterwards we hiked in nearby Brown County State Park. The terrain was rugged, green and beautiful and the hike felt great after a week with not enough exercise. We saw toads and a snake sunning itself on the trail but very few people, though the park is popular and much busier on weekends.

On Friday morning we drove back to Zionsville, picked up Maura and hit the highway. It was a long trip and we took two days. Maura was good in the car. She had plenty to read and is happy with her nose in a book. We aren’t fans of the New York State Thruway so we took the southern route across New York--Interstate 86 to Binghamton and 88 to Albany before picking up 90 to Boston and home. We had one disappointment on the way. On Sunday morning we’d planned to have our breakfast at the Unadilla Diner.  Jennifer and I had often stopped when we were on the road during our college days. We wanted to take Maura there because the last time we’d passed that way she was too young to remember it. We found that it had closed and it was for sale. It was a small note of sadness in what was a very happy trip.

Vacation in Indiana

This week Jennifer, Maura and I are in Indiana, visiting my parents. Jennifer and I arrived on Thursday evening, after a very long day in the car. Maura travelled with her grandparents a week ago. We’ve been staying in Zionsville, just to the north of Indianapolis and within its metropolitan area. Much of our time has been spent enjoying the company of our family but we’ve found the time to explore two of Indianapolis’s excellent museums.

On Friday we visited the Eiteljorg Museum, which showcases extensive collections of Western and Native American art. The western collection includes many works by artists who worked at the Taos artist colony and also sculpture and paintings by Frederick Remington and C. M. Russell. The Native American collection includes traditional pieces arranged by tribe and region but also contemporary works by Native American artists, some of which are far from traditional. In the museum’s lower level is an interactive children’s exhibit. It focuses on the history of the western United States and engaged Maura for hours. Maura might have enjoyed having some other children around but for the adults in the group it was nice that the exhibit was nearly deserted. Unlike in Massachusetts, schools are now in session in Indiana but it is too early in the school year for field trips.

The lack of most school age children worked to our benefit on Monday when we visited the Indianapolis Children’s Museum. The Indianapolis Children’s Museum is without a doubt one of the premier children’s museums in the world. When we visited it was not crowded but it is a fun day even when it is. They have a wide variety of exhibits on four floors with topics ranging from science to toys, centered around a three story high tower of Dale Chihuly glass forms. The exhibits include a wide range of interactive elements to appeal to children of all ages but they are also very adult friendly, so much so that the Children’s Museum is worth a visit even for adults unaccompanied by children. Anyone visiting Indianapolis with youngsters should make a point of visiting. Highlights of this trip’s visit include our visit to the Dinosphere, which displays dinosaur fossils, the new National Geographic Treasures of the Earth exhibit which covers archaeology, Take Me There: Egypt, exploring modern Egypt and the restored carousel which once stood in an Indianapolis park but now delights museum goers. Maura also greatly enjoyed the temporary Barbie exhibit which spotlights the history of Barbie dolls and the fashions that have inspired and been inspired by her wardrobe. We visit the Children’s Museum every time we come to Indianapolis with Maura and it’s always a fun and educational day.

Strawbery Banke

Last Thursday Maura and I drove to Portsmouth, New Hampshire to visit the Strawbery Banke Museum, a collection of historic houses in the preserved Puddle Dock neighborhood. Maura and I met my parents, on their way back to our house from a short trip to Maine, and we explored the museum together.

Unlike similar historical attractions that recreate a village or a neighborhood at a specific time in the past, Strawbery Banke shows the whole history of the area from the first European settlement in the 17^th century up until the mid-20^th century. A few old buildings have been moved to Strawbery Banke from other places but most of the buildings are original and have been restored to an earlier appearance and configuration. Some house exhibits devoted to such topics as construction methods and local handicraft industries. Other houses have recreated rooms showing how they would have looked when they lived in at specific times in the past. Each house has been recreated as it looked in a different time. We didn’t visit every open building in Strawbery Banke but we did see houses recreated as they would have looked in the 18^th, 19^th and 20^th centuries. There are also recreated gardens and outbuildings with some of the houses.

We all had a wonderful time on our visit to Strawbery Banke. Maura and I both enjoy history, an interest we share with my parents, so I was not surprised. What made our trip extra special was the friendly and knowledgeable museum staff, both the docents on duty in some buildings and the costumed re-enactors in others. The staff members who were not re-enactors all seemed eager to pass on their knowledge and enthusiasm for the past. The historic re-enactors were just as knowledgeable and enthusiastic but also kept in character as they portrayed people who once lived in the houses where they were stationed. I was particularly impressed with Mrs. Shapiro, the woman of the house in an early 20^th century Ukrainian Jewish immigrant family.

I enjoyed the 20^th century exhibits most. I think that is because I’ve seen many house museums restored to their 18^th or 19^th century appearance but few homes furnished as they were at any time in the 20^th century. Both the Shapiro House, restored to the nineteen-teens and the World War II era Mardon-Abbot store were really fascinating. Both were staffed with costumed re-enactors but I think I would have still found them fascinating if they had not been.

During our trip Maura took advantage of a kids’ program, a scavenger hunt intended to highlight some of the open buildings. Stuffed cats were hidden in a number of the buildings for the kids to find. If they found them all they could win a prize. Maura found all of them and took home a Frisbee from the museum store. I’m happy to say that while the scavenger hunt determined what buildings we visited Maura is interested enough in history that she paid attention to things other than the cats.

After our visit we grabbed a late lunch at Geno’s, a chowder house on the waterfront a few blocks from Strawbery Banke. It was suggested to us by the museum’s parking lot attendant. We were not disappointed. The food was simple but delicious, the service was great and the deck overlooking the water was pleasant. My lobster stew was very good and I heard no complaints from anyone else. We all had strawberry rhubarb pie for desert and we all agreed it was the best we’d ever had in a restaurant.

For me the only problems with the day were in getting there and getting home. I ran into unexpected traffic on the way there and then got lost when I was leaving. It took me a while to find Interstate 95 and get headed back towards home so I reached Boston right at rush hour and spent far too long in the Central Artery Tunnel and on the Southeast Expressway. A GPS unit would have helped with this and I should have asked for directions. On a future trip I may plan on eating dinner in New Hampshire and coming back late.

Blessed Union, Big Party

Last Saturday the Ellett family traveled to Nashoba Valley Winery. We have been there many times but this trip was special. We attended the wedding of our close friends Rebecca Tatum and Mike Long. I was privileged to be one of Mike’s groomsmen and all of us were honored to be guests.

The ceremony was beautiful. It was well thought out, simple, and went off without a significant hitch. The bride and groom made “the happy couple” more than a euphemism. The joy that showed on their faces illuminated the event even better than the bright summer sunshine.

The reception that followed the ceremony was a grand success. There was a fine meal. Wine and beer flowed freely without anyone seeming to be obnoxiously drunk. The many children amused themselves without ever becoming much of a nuisance. The guests danced, chatted, and danced some more. Only the most determined to be depressed failed to have a wonderful time.

It was Maura’s first formal party with adults present. She got to wear a new dress and her mother painted her nails with sparkly pink polish. She got to dance with her father and she behaved like a perfect lady, even when I accidentally stepped on her toe. That little incident aside I think she enjoyed herself as much as I did.

I love weddings. I wish I had the opportunity to attend more of them. Being present as other people celebrate their love for each other reminds me of how much I love Jennifer and Maura. Every time I’m at a wedding I feel like I am renewing and strengthening my own wedding vows. I wish Mike and Becca and all other newly married couples the joy and contentment I receive every day from my own family.

WeyRec

Last weekend was a busy weekend for me but I had my fun without Maura. During the week Maura is having adventures without me. This week she is spending her afternoons going tubing on the Weymouth Back River as part of Weymouth Recreation summer activity program. She has been exploring the waters of the Weymouth Back River while floating in an inner tube. It is great fun for her on warm summer days. I think I’d enjoy it, too.

Tubing is only one of the many options that the Weymouth Recreation program offers. Two weeks ago Maura took a rock climbing class. Her group was bussed every day to the Quincy Quarries where old granite working faces make popular climbing routes. Maura also took swimming lessons at Lane Beach this year, as she has in previous years. She’s learned to swim in the tidal waters of the Fore River.  In past years Maura has explored the woods and salt marshes of Great Esker Park, along the Back River. She got to come home wet and muddy every day. She’s always enjoyed her summer activities.

Maura’s summer activities are only a small fraction of what the Weymouth Recreation program offers. The programs are offered to all children, not just residents of Weymouth, though Weymouth residents like us do pay lower fees and get to start registration earlier than non-residents.  Early registration gives Weymouth residents a better chance to get into the most popular programs which have limited spaces available and can fill up quickly.