Category Archives: Travel

Riding the Old Town Trolley

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Old Town Trolley Tours

The rain stopped. There’s a big golden ball in the sky! I think the call it the sun. Its not real warm only in the 50’s but at least it’s dry. I’m heading into Boston to ride the Old Town Trolley.

Old Town Trolleys Then

Old Town Trolley! The Best Trolley in Boston

The orange and green trolleys have been in Boston for a long, long time. I became most familiar with them when my friend Joe spent some time driving for the  company. He started in Boston but eventually began driving for them in Florida in Key West. The trolleys they were using then were “Molly” Trolleys. They had wooden benches and were just 1 story or level. I’m not sure what to call it.

Old Town Trolleys Now

Today’s trolleys look like double decker buses but they aren’t. When you get on there are a few stairs that take you to an elevated seating section. The seats are cushioned seats like you find on a modern bus. Today most of the windows had clear plastic “storm” windows to keep the cold at bay. They reminded me of the window covers used on yachts. The windows in the rear of the trolley were open. The plastic was rolled up.

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The Package

I bought my ticket at the Atlantic Ave ticket booth which is also Stop #1, the New England Aquarium and the Rose Kennedy Rose Garden. I haven’t ridden the trolley in a long time so I was in for a sticker shock. Senior discount and all it came to $39.85! It includes a harbor boat trip, a value of  $21.00. The only problem with that is I didn’t want a harbor cruise. There’s no way to purchase just a trolley tour. The cruise, however, can be used another day.

The Hop on Hop Off Tour

Another perk that I couldn’t take advantage of is the Free 2nd day on the Trolley. If I’d gone into town on Saturday I could have come back and ridden for free today. Next time I’ll know. There are 16 stops to explore and if you were to get off at every one you would need 2 days. According to the map, there’s also an option for 4 additional stops on what they call the Seaport Loop.

The Long and Short of it.

I had wandered into Boston after lunch and I got there by MBTA. In other words I started my excursion late; about 1:30. A bruins Game at the Garden had traffic snarled which made the trolley late to the #3 stop, The USS Constitution. I got off here to see the amazing ship in dry dock. By the time I finished that stop it was almost 3 pm! Time flies so I just road the rest of the time. I’ll start earlier for the hop on hop off part next time.

If you go

To take full advantage of the hop on hop off perk, go early. Make sure you have 2 days in a row so you can use the free 2nd day if you need it. Check on line for discounts especially Groupon. In my book, it’s still the number 1 tour company even if it’s gotten a bit pricey!

Please come to Boston

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Please come to Boston for the Springtime

That’s the first line of a Dave Loggins song. I can’t help but think that its a fitting intro to today post. I want to tell you about Boston in the springtime. My visit to Boston last Saturday  was to celebrate the opening day of the Swan Boats. We’ve had such horrible weather lately but  Saturday shook it off  and was a perfect spring day.

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Swan Boats in the Public Gardens

After taking my time wandering down from the Park St T station I arrived at the Public Garden Lagoon. The Swan Boats were doing a brisk business. I sat down near the loading dock to watch the activity and for the first time I noticed a sign that read Swan Boats since 1877. That’s a pretty extraordinary track record. But that wasn’t the only big achievement.

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It’s a Man’s World

One year after the Boston Swan Boats are founded by Robert Paget in 1877, he passes away.  Robert was only 42 at the time of his death and he left his young widow, Julia, and four children. Julia must have been a very determined woman because business women were  very rare in those days. So rare in fact that for many years she had to collect signatures from local business men attesting to her ability to run her business.

Two Swan Boats 2017

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In 1914 Julia’s youngest son John assumed the helm of the business.

The Paget Legacy

John introduced the larger boats that cruise the lagoon today. Each boat has 5 benches allowing more passengers than the smaller 3 bench boats. The current fleet consists of six boats, the oldest of which was built under John in 1910. In 1952 John  passed the reins to his son Paul.

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Paul ran the company through the 50’s – 90’s. Today a 4th generation of Pagets  preserve this beloved Boston Tradition.

Through the Years

There have been many events to mark the storied history of the Swan Boats.

  •  1977 marked the 100th anniversary.
  • 2002 First ever Swan Boat crew reunion hosted for employees from the 1950’s through 2002.
  • 2008 Paul Paget drives a Swan Boat at age 86
  • 2011 Designated Boston landmark

Today the future looks bright if the crowds lining up is any indication. Somehow I can’t imagine the Public Garden Lagoon without the Swan Boats circling duck island on a beautiful, spring day.

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2017 Season
Saturday, April 15 to Sunday, September 17, 2017

 

 

 

Let’s go Maple Sugaring!

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Let’s go  Maple Sugaring!

After breakfast at Raff’s Cafe in Haverhill, we headed out to see how many  Maple Sugar houses we could visit in one day. Joe had downloaded a map with all of the places taking part in the Maple Sugar Festival. We decided to start with the southern-most farms first and work our way north if we had time. The closes farm looked to be the Robb Family Farm in Brattleboro, VT. We plugged the address of 827 Ames Hill Rd. Brattleboro Vt. into my On Star and were given an drive time of 2 hours , 6 minutes.

Getting there.

As we pulled out of the parking lot we noticed the overcast sky. Driving to Haverhill I’d passed through bands of rain, like squalls. It would be raining then dry then rain again. Joe checked the weather app but it did not give any indication of storms, just gray, cold and overcast so off we went!

Turns out the route wasn’t very direct. The old Maine phrase “Can’t get there from here” kept running through my mind as we backtracked south on RT 495 until we reached RT 2. Soon we were traveling along the scenic Mohawk Trail. A nice trip to make when spring finally gets here.

We picked up RT 91 north and pulled off at the first exit in Vermont. It had started to snow or maybe rain. It was hard to tell. I guess the weather term is “wintry mix”. The views from the visitor center were scenic but we didn’t linger for pictures because of the weather.

Something to do on another trip.

Vermont Arrival

It didn’t take long to reach Brattleboro. On Star led us through the village and onto a little dirt road. The road was snow covered by now and starting to get muddy in places. Fun! First time going “mudding” in my Equiniox!

We could see the plastic tubing running along the trees by the side of the road so we knew we were headed in the right direction. Plastic tubing  replaced the traditional buckets for commercial production in the late 1950’s.

Topping a small rise in the road we saw a large farm house on the right. The sugar shack was on the left with clouds of steam billowing from the opening in the roof. This was a traditional Sugar Maple Scene right out of Currier and Ives!

There were plenty of cars parked along the road. It made me wonder what kind of traffic there would have been on a nice day? Time to get the car parked and go inside. Let’s see what this Maple Sugar Festival is all about.

Raff’s Cafe, Haverhill

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Fresh Start

Back at home I put the unpleasant airline experience behind me making plans with Joe to go Maple Sugaring. Vermont was holding it annual Maple Sugar Festival. On that weekend sugar houses, craft stores, Inns and Restaurants across the state celebrate all things  Maple by opening their businesses to truckloads of tourists. Maple is King this weekend from pancake breakfasts to crocheted maple leaves! I was interested in the sugar houses with their boiling, bubbling sap but it would be quite a drive to get there so Joe suggested meeting at his sister’s restaurant, Raff’s Cafe,  for breakfast before we headed to Vermont.

Raff’s Cafe

Raff’s cafe  is located at 620 Primrose St, Haverhill right off RT 495. It’s in a little strip mall. The restaurant serves breakfast and lunch, open from 6 AM and closing at 2 pm.

When I walked in around 9 am it was completely full. I made a detour to the “powder room” to wash off the hour + drive.  When I came back out a small table had opened up. I introduced myself and experienced a flashback from Cheers…where everybody knows your name!

I’ve been friends with Joe for more than 30 years but had not met his sister. Still when you’ve been friends for so long the family hears your name and they made me feel like they had known me forever. The dynamics of the staff and the customers also made me think of Cheers. Lots of banter and no one seemed to be a stranger. Clearly this was a popular local breakfast spot.

While I waited for Joe I was offered coffee, tea, hot chocolate a soft drink, water…something, anything…even my breakfast! Joe’s sister, Bobbie-Jo suggested I have my breakfast and they’d leave an empty plate for Joe telling him he’d already finished his (joke). I finally caved and accepted a hot chocolate with loads of whipped cream. (Yummy) I’d just finished it when Joe arrived.

Bobbie-Jo and Chuck, Co-Owners

We ordered breakfast which came cooked to perfection by Chuck, the co-owner. Our table was near the kitchen and I was entertained by the oldies that drifted out the half door.

Menu

I was amazed at the prices. The menu was comprehensive with all the old favorites and all very reasonably priced! (see page 1 below) In fact I’d have said they were priced below average. I love bacon but am very fussy about how its cooked. The bacon here came out of the kitchen cooked to perfection! I also had French Toast, another win!

Conclusion

You can’t beat this little gem for price, quality or friendliness. If you are in the area, stop in. I am sure you won’t be disappointed!

Photos by Joe St. Jean, Take Pride Photography

(This endorsement is totally unsolicited. They didn’t even know I was writing about them)

 

Frustration At American Airlines

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Frustration Overwhelms!

As I reached the end of the jet way my coat slid out of my arms again as I lifted the carry on over the connection between the plane and the jet way. To my surprise a Flight Attendant caught it for me , asking if I would like some help with my bag. Her kindness after the debacle at the gate caught me so off guard that I started to tear up! She asked what happened and I let her have it! All my frustration with the stupidity at the gate came flying out. The other passengers were staring at me. I felt like an idiot but I couldn’t shut up.

I travel quite a lot. I certainly consider myself a seasoned traveler and usually I handle these things better than this but the whole experience had been one frustration after another. From wandering the airport first for non help at customer service to looking for a working Kiosk…The last straw  was that all they had to do was take my coat out of  the bag for it to fit.  Of course if they did that they wouldn’t have had the chance to go through all of my belongings. I think I felt violated.

This Flight Attendant

I wish I had gotten this attendant’s name because she was wonderful. She let me vent, helped me to my seat, stowed my luggage and offered to get me something to drink!  She checked on me throughout the flight making sure I had the snack they passed out, that I was comfortable and so on. She really went out of her way. It made up for quite a lot. She deserves a commendation!

Concerns

I do have one concern. Before we took off, one of the gate attendants came on the plane. He came right to my seat and asked my name. He wrote it down on a little pad. I asked him if I could now put my coat in the overhead. He just mumbled “of course”, took my jacket and stuffed it over my suitcase.

It wasn’t until later that I began to wonder about that little seat side visit. I wonder what kind of welcome I’ll get next time I fly American. Have I been blacklisted? I don’t mean to sound paranoid but why else would  he come back to the plane before take off and just single me out?

Home at Last

Once I was home I told my story to my friend Joe. He was as outraged as I was . So he grabbed my cell phone, marched me to the porch and piled me high with the contents of my suitcase to show how ridiculous the gate attendants demands had been. Here’s what it looks like.

And to think this was what they did to a senior citizen using a cane. ( Sometimes I forget I’m a senior citizen but that just makes the whole incident worse in my mind!)

American Airlines leads the pack in complaints

It was another busy month for complaints. Readers filed 337 grievances, just a few cases shy of our record 342 complaints received last August.

American Airlines continued its winning streak in the complaints department, claiming almost 11 percent of our formal grievances.

Read more here: http://elliott.org/blog/march-complaints-approach-record-as-american-airlines-extends-lead/?utm_source=sendy&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=elliottsemail