We're back...

What a fantastic interesting trip. Hard to condense all into a short version. And it is going to take a while to sort through the several hundred photos to make my usual online slideshow. I'll send out an announcement when I have the photos on my website. Thanks to all our hosts: Martin, Jim & Cindy, Ben & Alicia, Will & Jen, and Martha. Everything started with a long drive Wednesday to the Bronx. Left late to make sure Hans was okay. Martin took us to Times Square for a very late evening dinner at a Olive Garden and a midnight stroll among the vendors and oddities and lights. Made it back to his apartment by 2:00 AM. Up next morning leaving at 8:00 AM for the drive to Laura's. Did a little shopping, did a little checking out her condo, and then did a long slow drive to Peaks Island. Got to Portland in time to see the little kids eating pizza, grab a quick supper ourselves, and then get the car on the ferry to Peaks Island.

We stayed Thursday and Friday nights in the log-cabin lodge in the woods along with the Ben & Alicia & Will & Jen families. Nice bunch of people. Friday was spent mostly at the beach. Then Laura's Mike arrived while we had dinner with Martha. Almost everyone else went out that evening to a SeaDogs game in Portland. Word went out that evening that the car ferry was again broken which would make Saturday very very interesting especially since most of our groups needed to be off the island and on the road.

Ben & Will were up very early Saturday to get their cars in line for the alternative ferry (smaller, more barge-like, and used a more awkward loading method). They used my vehicle to shuttle their luggage for the packing. And they were on the first load at 9:30 AM. Jim and Cindy ran that morning in a 5-mile race that came right past our lodge. After we packed we met Martha and put both of our cars in the line (numbers 59 & 60) and started the hourly move of our cars up 8 spaces - a fairly well organized and congenial process. Managed a good lunch overlooking the water watching the ferry going back and forth. Finally were loaded around 4:00 PM. Drove up to Freeport.

Did some shopping at LLBean and an excellent Italian dinner next door. Mike & Laura had joined us and with Martha stayed at the Kendall Tavern B&B. Sunday we did a little more shopping in Freeport and then did the 520 mile drive to Rochester - my car in front, Nicki and Martha in her car following. Nice to have cellphones to feel like we were together. Found a few storms to drive through. Mike & Laura stayed a little longer in Freeport and then returned to Hartford.

Monday we did breakfast out with Martha, stops at both kayak stores to get the right rack parts I wanted, and then straight back to Ohio via Hans' hospital. The total trip was only 1,750 miles. This should be our last long trip of the summer. Now to get serious about my tech workshops and getting prepped for the new school year.