Alaska~ Land of the Midnight Sun

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I finally made the first call to start the process for our 2012 trip to Alaska. I don’t think it went too well.

Let me back up. My sister and I have been talking about going to Alaska for a couple of years now. Part of the delay has been the cost. Sis wants 2-3 nights in Denali along with a cruise. That adds up to a lot of money. While we were in Sedona we talked about it some more and basically made a decision to just go for it. If we keep waiting we won’t get there…or by the time we do the glaciers will be melted, the mountains eroded and the polar bears will have moved some place colder. 🙂

The other stumbling block is which cruise line do we want to go on. We had been looking at Holland America but then Sis heard from a neighbor that they weren’t very good. That’s surprising because Holland America has tons of Alaska cruises. Seems to me if they weren’t any good that they wouldn’t be able to have so many choices.

I suggested Royal Caribbean. They have a big, fairly new ship doing the Alaska Route, Radiance of the Seas. I have only been on 1 other cruise and it was a short one from Port Canaveral to Nassau, Bahamas. That was on Royal Caribbean and we had a very nice time.

I know people who have taken an Alaska Cruise and they raved about it. We also met some folks  at the Grand Canyon that flew into Alaska, rented an RV and toured that way which would have been fine by me too. I just want to see the country and the animals. Cruise, drive, train…any of them are fine with me.

But back to my first call. I blissfully called Royal Caribbean with the mistaken idea that they would willingly offer any available discounts. That was what I was told by the Holland America rep at the AAA Travel Marketplace this spring. Well, I even mentioned AAA and Senior discounts and as far as I can tell got nada. I pointed out that the price I was being quoted was higher than their published price in their brochure and was told that was “just the starting point.”

The only good part is that you can book your cruise for a very small deposit. I told them I would have to get back to them. Within 24 hours I had both a phone call and an email trying to “close the deal.” That’s kind of putting me off right there.

I emailed Sis and got back an email that seemed to have the hair standing on end! How much ..for how long etc , etc.  So I have mailed the cruise info so Sis can go to her travel agent and see if they can do better.

I can see this is going to be a bit trickier than I expected. I am not a fan of travel agents. Most of my experiences with travel agents have been disappointing but in this case, if they can get a better deal, I’m all for it.

I will keep you all updated as this saga unfolds.

Wine Trail New England

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I don’t know about you but when I think about wine country I think of France or Germany or domestically, California. I know a lot of other places are getting into the wine making business. I’ve enjoyed wine from Australia and South America but I just didn’t think of New England for wine.

Maybe I should just say that I didn’t think because we had grape vines  that were always covered with big purple grapes each summer where I grew up in the Adirondacks and my neighbor made his own wine from them. When I visited Peace Field House in Quincy there was a grape arbor so the signs that grapes grow here are all around me. Of course I have no idea if these grapes make good wine.

I enjoy a glass of wine occasionally with meals or with cheese and crackers. When I vacation with my sister that is one of our rituals, kicking back with a glass of wine after a long day of sight-seeing but I would never pretend to be an expert. I read descriptions about a note of this, a hint of that. Fruity vs dry, and I don’t know what it means. I just know what I like. The wine must be light (if white) and smooth and not too sweet. If a red it can be heavier but again, not too sweet.

So imagine my surprise when my friend Jay told me about the Wine Country in my backyard…literally!

I headed for the internet and there was the Wine Trail which winds through southern New England from the tip of Cape Cod through southern Rhode Island to Connecticut. 9 Vineyards make up the stops on the Wine Trail promoting Coastal wines of New England. Like the Passport program for the National Parks, these Vineyards promote the Coastal Wines of New England with a Passport Program of their own. For more information head to www.CoastalWineTrail.com

 The common thread that ties these 9 Vineyards is the Atlantic ocean. With the southeast facing coastline, warm gulf stream in summer and fall, a cool grape growing climate results in a section of fine wines, mostly of the white and sparkling variety with a few reds sprinkled in.

Since I was heading to Dartmouth anyway I thought I’d try to see one of the wineries. I’m not sure what I expected. I’ve never been to a wine tasting nor have I ever set foot in a winery. When we were in Sedona we thought about a wine tour but there were so many other things to do that we never got to that. I guess I imagined driving through the vineyard with rows of grapes rolling by until I reached the winery. With that vision in mind I headed off to find one of the Dartmouth wineries.

There are 2 located in the Dartmouth area, Sakonnet Vineyards and Running Brook Vineyards. The Web page for Sakonnet said they were open Friday, Saturday and Sunday so that eliminated them. Running Brook gave their hours as daily Noon- 5pm. so that’s where I headed.

Running Brook Vineyards is located at 335 Old Fall River Road, North Dartmouth. Their web page is www.runningbrookwine.com.

I left The Buttonwood Park Zoo and headed off to  find Old Fall River Road. It took me all of 10 minutes to get to Running Brook from the zoo! That was a little mind-boggling …from Urban Zoo to rural Winery in 10 minutes. The Winery is clearly marked with an attractive sign.

I took a right through the open gate onto a dirt track and drove slowly up to a large building.

 There was a tent set up outside with tables.

 I didn’t see any grape vines. The “road” continued on around the building but I thought it might be better to stop here first. A car had just driven off around the building and another man in work clothes was just getting into a truck. I stuck my head out of the car window and asked if I was in the right place for Running Brook.

The gentleman got back out of his truck and asked me if I’d seen the sign at the gate. I said yes. His response was , “Well you’re here.”

I pulled into a spot next to the tent and got out of the car. My host wasn’t the most talkative so I tried to think of questions to ask. Since I had nothing to compare  this experience with I’m sure he thought I was asking really stupid questions. I think he took pity on me because after a few minutes of my babbling he asked me if I wanted a tasting. It was afternoon so , why not? I said yes.

He told me to follow him and we went into the big building. A rough wooden counter  separated customers from the rows of big, wooden barrels. Almost immediately I noticed the aroma. It smells sooo good! Getting my nose back inline I noticed labels on the barrels indicating the type of wines apparently aging or fermenting or whatever wines do in each of the big casks.

 As I was looking around my host was setting out a row of wine bottles , a package of oyster crackers, a wine glass and a ceramic pitcher.

I confessed that I didn’t know what to do. Was I supposed to hold it in my mouth and then spit it out or  could I drink it. That finally got a smile. He explained that it was personal preference but that he’d suggest drinking  it. Now I was laughing and beginning to relax. I told him as long as I could walk out after the tasting then drink it I would. I was looking at the line of bottles he’s set out and wondered if I would be walking by the end of this experiment! 🙂

We started with the whites. The bouquet was wonderful. The wines varied from mellow and smooth to one that made me say ” it was having a party in my mouth. ” It wasn’t a sparkling wine yet it made my tongue tingle like a sparkling wine. I even tried a white Merlot. I’m not a fan of white Merlot and this was no exception but that’s just me. If you like white Merlot you would probably like this wine.

I tried the red Merlot and that was pretty good. We finished the tasting with a sweet dessert wine that was a little too sweet for my taste but that I am sure would hit the spot if you like that kind of wine.

I bought a bottle of the Pinot Gris to take home with me, picked up my passport  brochure and collected my stamp.

The tasting was well worth the $7.00. The wines ranged in price starting at around $15.00.

Running Brook Wines are not available in stores. You need to stop by the winery to pick them up. You can also buy them by the case. I never got to see the Vineyard but my host pointed out a lovely picture in the brochure of green grapes, not purple, on the vines. He said those were the Running Brook grapes.

There was a sign at the entrance that said wine tours and events on Sundays 1 pm but the winery itself is open 1-5 daily so stop in, have a tasting, buy a bottle ( or 2) and spread the word!

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Now I’ve only 8 more Vineyards to visit to complete the Coastal Wine Trail!

Buttonwood Park and Zoo, New Bedford

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Well what do you know? I’m back in New Bedford, Ma.! When I decided to stop at the zoo today I didn’t even think about its location in New Bedford. I was going to Dartmouth to meet up with a friend and just thought I’d do some exploring before we met up. Since I put zoos on my list for the summer I headed to Buttonwood to get started on my zoo list.

Buttonwood Zoo is easy to get to. You hop on Route 140 and just head south. At the end of RT 140 it becomes Brownell Ave. Brownell Ave will take you past Buttonwood Park, a lovely little park with a lake and fountain. There are benches and a path and loads of ducks and geese. In early spring it’s a great place to see baby birds, goslings and ducklings but today it looked like the babies were well on their way to adulthood.

At the intersection of Brownell and Hawthorn St you will want to take a left and you’ll see the Zoo on your left.

I was lucky enough to find a parking spot under a tree so I could leave the car in a little shade. The lot was quite full so I suspected the zoo was busy. That’s not surprising as it is an almost perfect day. The sun is out, there’s a breeze , the temps are probably around 80 and as they say in Arizona…”It’s a dry heat”. It’s not too often we can say that here.  Massachusetts gets lots of hot, humid days but this one wasn’t..it was really pleasant.

As I walked  toward the entrance I spotted the Animal Carousel in full spin. That wasn’t there on my last visit. I really love carousels. 

As I was buying my ticket (only $6.00 for adults) I started chatting with the clerk. Turns out the policy for seniors is age 60. Wow I qualify! So I only had to pay $4.50 to get in. I’m lovin’ it.

The gift shop was packed and noisy so I skipped that and headed into the zoo proper.

The first thing you see is an adorable carved bear statue. I love the face! 🙂

Right behind it is a large open habitat that contains, ducks, geese, turkeys, deer and buffalo. This is where I got the “photo of the day” of a beautiful buck, antlers in velvet, taking a snooze in the shade.

I moved on down the path to my right to the carousel. It was busy but not packed.

 I stood for a while watching and taking pictures. I remember when I was little I only wanted to ride the horses on the carousel. There didn’t seem to be any preference today. The kids were on the lions and hummingbirds, giraffes and seals as well as the horses.

Time to move on down the path. Flowers were blooming everywhere. The zoo considers the flowers part of their exhibits so  picking is not allowed. That’s ok with me. I just wanted pictures anyway. Pictures last longer.

There are wonderful statues throughout the zoo.  Besides the cute bear at the entrance  there a bronze bear statue along the first path leading to the black bear exhibit. There’s also a bronze sow  at the Buttonwood Farm, a double sculpture of 2 elephants at the elephant exhibit.

 2 Cranes grace a patch of grass and reeds near the Aquatic Center.

I explored the Bald Eagle enclosure, visited the Coyote and snuck a peek at a sleeping cougar. The Lynx was hiding and I didn’t see it or the River otters but the seals were getting check-ups where all could watch.

Everyone was friendly. There was interaction among the guests at every display as we searched out the animals.

The little train around the zoo seemed to be doing a brisk business as it was running regularly.

 I met it again as I crossed the covered bridge to the Buttonwood Farm. Horses, ponies, goats, cows, pigs and chickens…lots of domestic animals.

By now it was about 12:30, lunch time so I headed to the “Bear’s Den Cafe”. $7.00 got me a  (square) fish filet sandwich and small fires and a 16 oz drink. Not bad. Grabbing a seat at a table outside I could watch the deer and buffalo as I tried to keep my fries from the birds and squirrels. Actually it was fun sharing with the little critters.

After lunch I started to head out when I heard some music that I hadn’t picked up on before. Following the sound led me back to the elephant’s enclosure.

Across from the enclosure is a large field and there were some performers entertaining a crowd of children. It was the Toe Jam Puppet band. The show was filled with just plain silliness and the kids loved it. From following one of the performers around while he carried a bubble machine to playing “lindy” where the Lindy bar was always held high there were shrieks and giggles galore. My favorite skit was when they told a story with lots of silly characters.

For each character someone was chosen from the audience..all small children except one! There was a “bear”, a “Spider”, a “Worker Bee with honey, a butterfly and I think a worm..oh I’m sure I’ve forgotten some but each character was dressed in a costume and had to clap or jump or some such thing when their part in the story came up. Cute isn’t giving enough credit. Lots of fun.

 The Toe Jam Puppet band is at the Zoo on Mondays only so I was lucky to have run across them! It was good  clean fun for all! Especially with the help of the “bubble machine”.

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Now it was really time to start moving on to my second stop. It’s only 6 miles away but I will have crossed a town line and arrived in North Dartmouth.

Let’s get our summer bucket list going

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Officially summer begins on June 21. As far as I am concerned it begins when attractions start to open, Memorial day and sometimes before depending on the weather. That said, I have been in “summer mode” for a while. As I recall I started a Summer to-do list back in the spring. Now that summer has officially started I thought it might  be a good idea to update the bucket list.

I already know that there will be way more on my list than I will ever have room for! But first things first. I need to get in touch with my friends from Lally Laggy Farm in Lydon. I promised I would come back out and actually visit the farm, see their beautiful creme draft horses and feature the farm for them. So to that end an email is winging  its way through cyberspace requesting a visit.

At the same time that I met the folks from Lally Laggy I mentioned Fruitlands but only in passing. I think I should make an effort to return there and share my new experience with all of you.

I was trying to fill the New England National Parks Passport by Dec. 31 so I could get the 25th Anniversary Passport as a gift. Well, I had to buy one because I ran out of room in my other Passport so I’m not working on a deadline anymore. I still intend to collect all of the stamps, I just can relax a little.

So here is a new list of things I want to do or accomplish over the summer.

  • Lally Laggy Farm, Lydon, Ma
  • Fruitlands
  • Boston African-American Historical Site, Boston, Ma
  • Boston Harbor Islands National recreation Area (Harbor Cruise!)
  • Boston National Historical Park, Charlestown Navy Yard
  • A water shuttle to Salem, Ma including a visit to theEssex National Heritage area and the Peabody-Essex Museum
  • The Coastal Wine Trail of New England (My research suggests a minimum of 3 days to complete)
  • Lovely Historic Newport RI…Cliff Walk again?
  • Gillette Castle Cruise, Connecticut River
  • Cruise from Plymouth Ma to Provincetown
  • Climb the Mount Hope Bridge for scenic pictures.
  • Find and visit the Audubon society Of RI
  • Rent a Bicycle and bike the Cape Cod canel
  • Check out the various Glass Blowing locations from Newport to Cape Cod. After Chihuly it will be that much more interesting.
  • Climb the tower in Provincetown for spectacular photo ops.
  • Take a Whale Watch trip
  • Zoos! Southwick, Franklin Park, Buttonwood, Capron, Roger Williams, a huge list of Zoos and I can bring Nancy and her kids to these! Fun!
  • Museums and Aquariums…great indoor exploring on a rainy day!
  • Check out the Antique Carousel at Newport’s Easton Beach Rotunda
  • Work on my collection of New England Lighthouse photos
  • Green Briar Jam Kitchen and Thorton Burgess Society, Sandwich Ma
  • Walk the Freedom Trail
  • Take a Trolley ride through Boston
  • Take A Duck Boat Ride in Boston
  • Visit Boston Public Garden , The Swan Boats and The top of the Hancock Tower
  • Let’s not forget Fenway Park! How much are the “cheap seats” for a Red Sox game???
  • And lets not forget I have 7 days in July in New Hampshire! Cog Railway, Scenic Tram, Scenic Trains and Moose tours.
  • Moose tours and train reminded me… it’s inexpensive and easy to take the “Downeaster” to Portland, enjoy lunch and an afternoon of exploring before grabbing the train back to Boston…sounds like a nice day adventure.
  • Ghost tour, Boston has them, Plymouth has them and I bet Newport has them and I don’t even have to wait til October!
  • Helicopter Ride over the Newport Mansions? maybe
  • Garden in the Woods, Framingham

I think that’s it for now but of course it’s all subject to change. I know it’s way more than I will ever get to in one summer. Is there anything I missed that someone wants to hear about? Now’s the time! 🙂

Back to the Herrring Run

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WARNING THE CONTENT OF THIS POST MAY BE UNCOMFORATBLE FOR THE SQUEEMISH OR REPTILE CHALLENGED.

If any of you have been following my flickr photostream you know there have been a bunch of pictures of a great blue heron recently. That heron or its twin, has been hanging around the Herring Run off Rt 44 for almost 3 weeks now. In rain and sun, morning and dusk that bird is in the same place each day.

I’ve been trying different approaches to see if I can get a really good picture. You know the kind. Not just a good snapshot but the kind of picture where anyone who looks at it sits up and takes notice, the kind that has a “WOW” factor. I can’t understand what I’m missing because this silly bird has been patient and cooperative. It even lets me walk right up to the river edge and all it does is turn it’s head to look at me!

Well I thought it would be a good day today to go back and try again. I had some ideas that I wanted to try. We’d had rain in the morning and most of the day had been gray but now, around 4:30 the sun was breaking out. The light was soft. I thought it might be just the trick I needed.

When I pulled in to the parking lot I looked where the bird usually stands and it was…EMPTY! Oh no! There were a lot of red wing blackbirds dive bombing the picnickers for bread crumbs from their sandwiches but no Heron.

 I decided I’d take a walk around. Maybe it was around the bend in the river. So camera in hand I started along the river bank and sure enough. There was a Heron, this time on the big rock in the middle of the river. 

 That put him a bit farther away than normal but I figured I give it a try anyway.

As I was setting up the shot I happened to look down, to be sure I wasn’t about to step off the rocks into the river, and realized I was straddling a big snake. Now unlike Indiana Jones I don’t mind snakes but I don’t go out of my way to have a “close encounter” either. Especially when I don’t know what kind it is. This one’s eyes looked opaque so I wondered if it was blind or vision impaired. I’ve never seen a “blue -eyed” snake before either.

 I carefully stepped back away from the snake and looked around at the rocks I was standing on. There was another smaller snake maybe 6 inches away to my left.

Hmmmm I’ve never seen snakes here before but it does make sense. The reeds and grasses in the river are really tall and thick right now. And lots of rocks and old stone foundations give them plenty of hidey holes. Both of these snakes seemed to be sluggish. Since the sun had just come out a little while ago I surmised they were on the rocks to warm up in the sun. Comfortable that I wasn’t going to accidentally hurt them or they me, I turned back to my Heron but in my moment of inattention he’d taken off.

I wandered around a bit more now interested in the snakes. I crossed the little bridge over the fish ladder and gazed over the sea of reeds and tall grass. A line of rock foundation jutted into the center of the river  dividing the foliage and those rocks were loaded with snakes too. I found myself wondering if this is what it’s like to explore in the jungle.

I went back to my original location and both snakes were still there.

I hung around a bit more hoping the heron would return but after about an hour I was still just staring at the snakes so I packed it in for the day. I don’t know what kind of snakes they are but I suspect something like a black racer? Or maybe some kind of water snake? With the small heads I am pretty sure they weren’t venomous. Even so next time I think I’ll wear boots.