Hey there, sorry for the delay today. Even at the beautiful Woodward’s Resort, we had spotty connectivity, if at all. It confuses me, actually — all of these businesses run on the internet. From reservation systems to running their websites, it’s all online.

And yet “free high speed Internet,” while free, doesn’t approach anything resembling high speed. Unfortunately, the cell phone reception is equally bad (for Verizon slaves, anyway), so tethering didn’t work, either.

But!! Here we are on the interstate, so now I can talk to you. We’ve seen some gorgeous little towns in NH and VT today — it’s been a blast so far.

So the highlight of yesterday (besides Woodward’s) was the Café Lafayette Dinner Train. While it wasn’t the absolute be-all, end-all experience of our lives, we did enjoy it immensely.

The service and food were impeccable. No complaints at all there (but hyssop added to the butter, seriously? Not pretentious in the least). Rather, it was the actual train ride that kind of disappointed.

It was an up-and-back ride, which was fine. It definitely gave you the “dinner car” feel. The furniture was very comfortable, and the table settings were beyond classy. But the ride…

We pulled out of the station slowly, and we thought here we go! Only there never was any real get up and go. We glided along at a top speed of about 15 MPH. It was more of a crawl than a glide. And the scenery, while likely fabulous during the autumn months, was less than awe-inspiring, in spite of what their website describes as “spectacular views of the Pemigewasset River.” What we did see was some dry creekbeds, parking lots and construction sites, advertisements posted on trees facing the train, and a lot of trees.

There were some really pretty sights, though. Overall, it was a beautiful experience, and I’d recommend it to anyone (although fall might be a better time to go).

If you left hungry, it was your own fault. Great evening. The Thriller and I were discussing the last time we’d each been on a train. For me, it was 1976 (Swiss Alps), and he rode with his aunt on a train to Chicago in 1958! So it had been awhile for both of us.

Today is a long drive day. As I write this, we’re in a traffic jam outside of Albany, NY. We’re en route to Perry, NY to stay at the rustic Park Lake Motel and visit Letchworth State Park, home of the “Grand Canyon of the East.” I had never heard of it until recently. What the world??

And then, fiends, it’s over. Odyssey 2012 comes to a close. We might take advantage of the Thiller’s offer for a free overnight stay in Cleveland, and we might not. But after tonight, we’re done.

It’s been like wow — and I’m delighted you shared it with us!