Meet Niles

Posted on August 10, 2013August 10, 2013 by Dusty Roads

It was a nice day for a boat ride but everyone wanted to see whales so there was a lot of clock watching going on. Mumbles about how we’d been sailing for an hour and seen nothing and were we going to slow down to look etc.

I was just enjoying the sun and ride. It didn’t seem that long to me. One lady was here from Louisiana and she was bundled up to her eye brows. She thought it was really cold. She was following the temperatures in Louisiana on her phone. She showed me it was 93 there to our 80. She also talked about how crowded Boston was and expensive…$60 for 3 people to have dinner and the MBTA was twice what they pay for the subway. (I didn’t know they had a subway in Louisiana) I’m not sure what town she was from but she did say it was the northern part of the state and her husband and oldest son were both “in oil”. Oh yes she thought gas process here were insane. I have to agree with her on that point.

By now we were nearing the tip of Cape Cod. We could see the Pilgrim Tower in Provincetown off in the distance. This was just about where we were with Capt’n John.

And just as with Capt’n John we spotted some Minke whales first. Then the naturalist said she could see another whale near one of the other boats. She thought it was a finback. Just then right in front of us (12 o’clock as they say) we had a whale surface and blow!

The captain swung the boat left as she broke the surface again and this time I got a quick look. Humpback! Now it was time to wiggle my way to the rail trying not to throw any little ones overboard.

Humpbacks are identified by markings on their tail flukes and this whale was “fluking” regularly. I couldn’t see the side with the markings but the Naturalist on the bridge could and said it was a female named Niles. She has a squiggly white line on her flukes that someone thought looked like the Nile River so she was named Niles.

We hung out with Niles for the rest of the tour watching her dive and feed. At one point she went under the stern and popped up again right next to us pushing her big head out so we got a glimpse of her nose. The Naturalist said she was filter feeding and that action helps drain the water out of her mouth leaving the food behind.

More and more boats began to arrive so reluctantly we had to leave Niles behind. She was the only Humpback we saw and because we had to go so far to find her we didn’t look for any others. It was time to turn around and head back to Boston.

Going back we were heading into the wind so I was glad I brought a hoodie with me. Most of the folks who had been sitting and standing here in the bow with me retired to the enclosed seats now that they’d seen their whale.

As we entered the inner harbor a plane flew low over the boat and came in for a landing at Logan Airport. The runway they came in on ran parallel to us so for a few minutes we paced the huge plane until it turned away to it’s gate.

It’s hard to believe it’s 5:30. The time went really fast. With the Aquarium closed I’m going to head over the Faneuil Hall to kill some time and let the subway clear out a bit before I head home.

Spring is in the Air

Posted on April 11, 2013April 11, 2013 by Dusty Roads

Boy the last couple of days have been busy! As you probably figured out from my recent posts I made a trip to Newport for my “Mystery Monday” and then grabbed the “T” into Boston for one of our first really nice days which also happened to be OPENING DAY AT FENWAY.

Baseball is back in Boston! I also attended an all day seminar in resume writing and job hunting and applied for a position as a travel writer. Wouldn’t that be a nice gig?

Meanwhile back at Fenway I didn’t have tickets and wasn’t about to spend $50 for one of the “Cheap Seats” but it was fun to be a part of the excitement. Boston is a sports town where excitement always runs high but the Home Opener at Fenway Park is always something special.

Once most of the shouting mob was in Fenway I slipped into Uno’s in Kenmore Square for lunch and missed the best moment of the opening…the Fly Over! I’m not sure what kind of planes but as I was being seated I saw it on the big screen TV. What I wouldn’t have given to be outside to try to get a picture of that! It caught me completely by surprise!

But now I needed sustenance so over steak tips and salad I chatted with my waiter who hailed from South Africa. Must add a trip or two to that county to my bucket list.

From Uno’s I headed back to Park St.. The previously crammed subway cars were now empty making for a much easier ride if not as exciting.

I was now on my quest to see the “Duckling” statues. You remember the story Make Way for Ducklings? Well I had heard that someone had outfitted them with spring bonnets and I wanted to see this. Since rain was in the forecast I knew if I didn’t go right away they would be a wilted mess. Hard to believe that it was going to rain when I looked at the brilliant, cloudless blue sky.

I’ve seen the statues before but of course I couldn’t remember where in the public garden they were located.

Like most things that are lost, you find them in the last place you look.

In my case it was after I had walked all the way around the Boston Common.

But it was worth it.

Those little Spring Bonnets were just the cutest touch! 🙂

Wordless Wednesday

Posted on April 10, 2013April 10, 2013 by Dusty Roads

New England Aquarium

Posted on September 12, 2012September 12, 2012 by Dusty Roads

What a busy week that last week in August turned out to be! I had a wonderful day with Nancy, Alex and Dawn at the Roger Williams Park and Zoo. I told you all about that but then I was surprised by a visit from some of my New York relatives. They were taking their kids to the New England Aquarium in Boston and wanted to see if I wanted to meet them for the afternoon. Silly question. Of course I did!

I had a work commitment in the morning but it turned out that I finished at the perfect time. I got a Text from them letting me know they were about 90 minutes away and so was I! Could that have worked out any better if we’d planned it?

I headed into Boston but today I chose to drive in. I knew parking would be expensive and it was. $35.00! And the garage only took cash. Oh well what’s that saying, Admission $20.00, Imax $10.00, parking $35.00 , an afternoon with family…PRICELESS!!

George is my Nephew and his wife is Kelly and the two awesome kids are my (dare I say it) GREAT Niece Catherine and GREAT Nephew Patrick.

Of course they are GREAT but in this case I’m referring to the generational fact that I’m not just an aunt but a great aunt..WOW. I am getting old!

I haven’t been into the Aquarium in quite a while so it was fun to go again and to watch the kids get so excited about the great ocean tank. We even got to see the divers go in to feed the fish.

They’ve added a new Shark and Ray Touch Tank since I was there last too. Everyone enjoyed that, adults and children alike.

The sea lions aren’t on a separate boat anymore either. They have a beautiful enclosure where they are out for visitors to see all the time instead of just when the trainers come in to do a show.

Catherine slipped under the sea-lion statue for a photo moment.

Cute and she thought of it all on her own.

We also squeezed in an IMAX 3D show.

We were busy every moment.

The kids were great too. After that long drive they still held up the whole afternoon. I was very impressed. George and Kelly can be very proud.

Finally as it approached closing time we headed out.

The kids, and I bet the adults too, were getting hungry. George, Kelly and the kids headed over to Faneuil Hall to the food court and I headed back to the car. I had things I had to get done so I had to beg off from dinner but the time we had together was lots of fun.

Thanks guys for inviting me along! 🙂

It’s Always Cooler on The Water

Posted on August 10, 2012August 10, 2012 by Dusty Roads

With the heat and oppressive humidity in Boston Nancy and I made the decision to take a harbor cruise. It wasn’t much of a decision. The temps were so uncomfortable that it was really the only option.

We made a stop at Quincy Market where Nancy got a smoothie and I got a cup of watermelon then it was back to the wharf for the harbor cruise. What a difference. As soon as we pulled out of the slip we could feel the cooler air…natural air conditioning.

The sights were many…Nantucket Lightship, Fort Independence, Castle Island, Cod-zilla, Bunkerhill Monument, USS Constitution, The steeple of the Old North Church, Coast Guard Ships, Boston Fire Boat, Logan airport, the beautiful bridges around Boston The Zakim and the Mystic River Bridges and the list goes on.

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It was only a 90 minute cruise but it was just enough of a break before we had to fight the afternoon crowds back onto the “T” to head back to the “Burbs”.