It was a hot one. Like seven inches from the midday sun.

Yesterday was quite the day to walk Salem and go see the Lexington and Concord battlefields. Nothing wrong with traveling on foot uphill in a breezeless sauna, mind, but it was admittedly a challenge at times. Still, it didn’t dampen our spirits too much (but the Thriller’s t-shirt…that’s another story).

After breakfast, we — wait, I have to tell you this. It is a blue-eyed wonder that not every person in New England weighs 500 lbs., because there is a Dunkin’ Donuts store on every corner. I mean every corner. There are Dunkin’ Donutses across the street from one another. There are Dunkin’ Donuts satellite stores inside gas station convenience stores.

Dunkin’ Donuts is everywhere. It’s bizarre. Ubiquitously bizarre.

Another brief diversion here for some unfinished business. We had a fantastic time with our nephew Jeremy the day we left Mystic, CT. Fun! We even got him to pose for a photo or two before we parted ways. It was wonderful to see him, and we know his mama Mavis misses him terribly, too. 

But on to the House of the Seven Gables. What a fascinating place. After breakfast, we took the official tour, and loved it. One strict rule is that they do not allow photography of the interior of the home. But as anyone who can access Google Images will tell you, there are always exceptions, so I’m providing some here to give you an idea of how wonderful this place is. (Truly, I wish they would allow photography; I think it would encourage people to visit way more than it would spoil any mystery.) So not all of this photography is mine.

The house is actually a mansion of the day. With the main part of the structure built in 1668, it’s also the oldest surviving wooden mansion in North America. Perhaps the most interesting aspect of the tour was seeing how “rich” people lived in the late 17th century.

Some of the furniture is original, which is really impressive. A piece of the original 1668 wooden front door is mounted behind Plexiglass. The walls and floors have been painstakingly replicated to preserve the feel and appeal of the house’s history.

Of course, the big draw at the house is what has become known as the “secret staircase.” For many years, researchers  believed that the staircase was a “keep,” similar to what a certain Witch Trial survivor built in case prosecutors changed their minds after he was allowed back in Salem. Later, it was thought that slaves were protected on the Underground Railroad by way of the hidden staircase in the house.

In 2006, documents were unearthed and the truth was revealed: the “secret staircase” wasn’t secret at all, but rather built in 1910 when original plans for it were discovered. So, while not quite as intriguing, it was still fun to go up. The steps are reeeeeally narrow, though. Everyone had to move sideways to get around the corner turn. And it’s definitely not for the claustrophobic; a few skeeved-out tourists chose to take the regular staircase.

Yesterday was not only the 4th of July, it was Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthday, so they made a big deal of it at the Seven Gables house. We missed the birthday cake celebration, though. We did, however, get to tour the house in which he was born.

After we finished with the tour and some shopping and sightseeing in the historic district, it was time to schlep it to the Lexington and Concord battlefields.

Truth be told, after Gettysburg, it was a bit of a letdown. Not near as much interaction. Of course, the Revolutionary War took place a hundred years before Gettysburg, so there are far, far fewer extant relics, but I guess at that point, we weren’t much in the mood for walking the 5-mile trail and using our imaginations. So instead, we hit the major parts of the trail and walked historic Concord. We tried to go to Walden Pond to live deliberately for a while, but it was temporarily closed. Boo.

By the time we got back to the hotel, we were just about wrung out. So we cleaned up and rested, went out to dinner, and stopped at Ben & Jerry’s in Salem for dessert. When we returned to the room, the Thriller turned on the television and found, to his utter delight, that the White Sox were playing the Rangers on ESPN (and they won, too, which makes my world a happier place, to be sure). How about that? His night was made, and I got on the computer awhile, then read my Nook. A good end to a crazy day.

Today, we’re rested and ready to take off for Maine. We should arrive in Bangor by noon. Off we go! Hope you all had a great holiday and managed to stay cool.

I can see why people want to live here, even though it’s quite expensive to do so.

We traveled yesterday along Route 1, parallel to the interstate, on Connecticut’s coastline. What gorgeous scenery! Pulling into a fishing pier (illegally, as it’s supposed to be for locals only — sticker required), I ran out on the dock and shot some breathtaking views, like the one here.

We *almost* went into the PEZ factory store in nearby Orange, but they charged admission for the express purpose of letting you in to buy stuff. So we declined, on principle.

After sightseeing, we descended into absolute Nowheresville, near the Rhode Island border. Nothing but trees, trees, and a million more trees on a narrow road outside Ledyard. A clearing revealed a stop sign, and once we turned left, we beheld the behemoth:

And this isn’t even the whole of it. Foxwoods was not only a disappointment financially (we spent our egg of gambling fun money in amazingly short order), we were borderline ashamed of the absolute Baroque-ish excess of it all. Cavernous casinos (we counted four, but there could be others), parking garages that I’m sure rival anything Disney has to offer, and ceilings in every room that had to be 30 feet high.

It’s so huge (largest in North America, and 5th largest in the world), it never looked crowded. And the Pequot tribal council laughs allll the way to the bank. Way to turn the tables on the white man, eh? Maybe it’s about time.

Still, it was an adventure, and we were thrilled with everything else about Connecticut. This morning, we’re having coffee in Mystic with our handsome nephew Jeremy, then it’s off to Massachusetts to see what kind of trouble we can get into.

Have a great…um…I have no idea what day it is. (Good, ja??)

Fink, Pequot slave girl

PS — Happy happy birfday to our daughter-in-law Hannah, mother of the Js and talented teacher!

After the craziness of Hershey and Gettysburg, it was good to arrive in New England for a bit of a change of pace. We certainly had it yesterday in Stamford, Connecticut.

The town is beautiful, really. We drove a great deal of it, and saw very little of what you might call a “seedy” or “dangerous” part of town. The downtown area is fantastic, and we stopped at the famous Remo’s Brick Oven and had some great Italian food.

After lunch, we explored. Dyke and Kosciuszko Park was where we ended up: a peaceful experience. I was expecting a sort of “beach,” but instead there was a delightful view of sailboats and yachts (unsurprising, since there’s a yacht marina close by).

We took a leisurely walk on a paved path all around the small peninsula that juts out into Long Island Sound. Nice views, quiet area. Just what we needed.

What we didn’t need was the rather silly evening activity of going to see Abraham Lincoln: Vampire Hunter. Ha. But hey, it was a fun diversion.

Speaking of diversions, today is a 2-hour trip east to the Bellissimo Grande Hotel, for some gawdy gawking at the 5th largest casino in the world — Foxwoods. Fun. 

Flip side, fiends!

Same word, two definitions.

What’s awesome about the Gettysburg battlefield? The sheer size and scope.

On this day in 1863, General Robert E. Lee led what eventually became 75,000 Confederate soldiers in an attack on this Pennsylvania town and its environs, driving back Maj. General George Mead’s Union Army, reinforced to 88,000 men.

It’s difficult to take in the size of the battlefield. We stood on the upper viewing deck of the Pennsylvania Monument at the battlefield and surveyed the entire area on all sides. You can’t even imagine it until you see it. The two photographs here represent two quadrant views of what amounts to 10,000 acres of killing ground.

People were quiet, introspective, respectful. This is a place where 7,000 men and 3,000 horses died. There’s scope for you. It’s a sobering thought. Although we’ve had many wars in our nation’s comparatively brief existence, none in my opinion were more terrible than the one that set American against American.

But so it went, for three solid days, in the heat and the mud and the blood. We saw several homes that were used as military hospitals; one can only imagine the horror of what passed for triage. Those lucky enough to live to tell the tales likely never wanted to share.

This battle was awesome, in that it inspires awe; it almost defies description. As Lee’s defeated troops made their retreat back to Virginia, the line of wounded stretched for fourteen miles.

Gettysburg is coming up on its 150th anniversary next year, and the preparations have been underway for quite some time. The historic downtown area is delightful; we enjoyed walking the main street up and down, taking in our favorite aspect: the architecture. What were once private homes — some used as military offices — are now restaurants, gift shops, apartments and ice cream shops. And that’s where the second “awesome” definition comes in.

We had lunch at Hunt’s Battlefield Fries and Café, in the heart of historic Gettysburg (we did this before going to the battlefield, actually). We’d read that the french fries were “worth fighting over,” and they were right on target. I had a fantastic grilled ham and cheese sandwich, and the Thriller had the best Philly cheese steak ever.

The place seats only 18 people. There are exactly six tables in what was surely the front room of the early 1800s dwelling in which the restaurant resides. We were lucky enough to walk in at the right time, when one table was available. But that wasn’t the awesome part. THIS was the awesome part:

We met up with my cousin Susie and her husband Larry, whom I hadn’t seen for at least 35 years. What a delight! We fell right back into conversation with no effort, as if we’d just seen each other last week at Grandma’s.

So, what a day, eh? By the time we got back to the hotel, we were both rag dolls.

Today is a driving day. We’re off to Stamford, CT, where we’ll likely bypass sandwiches from the cooler and go out for dinner and a walk on the beach — maybe take in a movie. Whatever…we’re on vacation.

And it’s Sumday — enjoy your day! I hope the weather is calming down where you are.

Greetings and salutations from sweltering Pennsylvania, which I imagine goes along with sweltering Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Texas, Florida, Missouri and the Netherlands.

Yesterday, they arrived in Hershey, and they chocolated. Selah. Chocolate World embodies everything you ever dreamed about chocolate. Wonka’s factory might come close, but if your choco-fantasies take the form of milky, wonderful, delicious Hershey’s ambrosia, Milton’s empire wins, sticky hands down.

We took a faux tour of their plant (everything was simulated, but looked totally real) in these little Tilt-a-Whirl looking cars that moved slowly through an enclosed exhibit.  Think of the “It’s a Small World” ride at Disney and you’ll be close. After exiting the ride, we crossed a balcony walk and saw the teeming millions below, searching out their chocolate treasures. We descended into the milieu.

Boy howdy.

Black Forest Cake and Frozen Cocoa

Of course, we had to sample the wares. Ai ai ai. The Black Forest Cake from The Bake Shop was stupendous. We were a bit skeptical at first, because, like a certain huge coffee retailer who shall not be named (but its initials are S, T, A, R, B, U, C, K and S), sometimes baked confections look delicious but taste like a pizza box. Not so with this stuff, Jim. As we chowed down, the Thriller mused, “Well, this is Hershey’s place, and it’s their reputation. I’m sure they want to get it right.” Agreed.

The Frozen Cocoa was out of this world! Imagine your favorite hot chocolate, mixed with shaved ice and run through a blender. Fantastic. We shared both items halvsies, which was good, because on a 99-degree day, the Thriller would have been less than Thrilled to have to take me back to the hotel for a long, sugar-induced nap.

We had a delightful afternoon of shopping, walking, touring (and of course, eating) everything chocolate. It’s an amazing place.

Having the evening capped off with a dead battery in the parking lot wasn’t fabulous, but it didn’t take long to get a jump, and we were back in business in no time.

Today is Gettysburg (yay) and lunch with my cousin Sue (yippy!). I think it’s been 35 years since I’ve seen her. Fun!

Happy Saturday, fiends. Until tomorrow, stay cool.