Gatlinburg

Posted on May 17, 2014May 17, 2014 by Dusty Roads

I woke up bright and early. The sun was shining. It looks like it’s going to be a nice day. Yesterday it was 88 degrees when I drove into town. I bet it gets there again today. Love it!

Over night my subconscious had apparently arranged my day for me. I’d do what I normally do in a new place, I’d take a trolley ride. For $2.00 you can ride around all day on the Gatlinburg trolley.

I drove through Pigeon Forge on my way to Gatlinburg and my first impression was of one long, giant midway or arcade. Even in the car I had the impression of a carnival atmosphere. One of the trolley lines runs to Dollywood so when the time comes that’s how I’ll travel. I’ll leave the car at the Welcome Center but today I’ll explore Gatlinburg.

The Purple line picks up at the Welcome Center where the parking is free and drops you off at the Aquarium. Here you can wait for a different trolley or walk. I decided to walk.

I crossed a little bridge in front of the Aquarium to reach street level and crossed to the main drag.

I found myself standing a the base of a long hill. The street climbed straight up it and looked like a miniature version of Pigeon Forge.

There were candy shops and old time photo shops on every block.

There were arcades and restaurants and even a Dunkin’ Donuts!

The Skylift on the right and a bit farther on the left, the Space Needle marked the top of the hill. I dug out the camera and started up.

The street was lined with benches so I took my time, stopping to rest and chat with who ever happened to be sitting there. I met folks from Chattanooga up for the weekend and a gentleman from California. Another couple were from Idaho and had come out for their honeymoon.

As I neared my destination of the space needle I spotted Ole Smoky Moonshine. I’d tried to get a tasting in Sugarlands but I was ignored at each tasting station so I left. Maybe I could get a taste here.

Better have lunch before I start downing white lightening!

Saved The Best

Posted on February 1, 2014February 1, 2014 by Dusty Roads

I saved the best for last. If I were on vacation in San Diego the first thing I would do is locate the Old Town Trolley. This is not an advertisement or a “plug”. This has been my experience in my travels. Almost every place I’ve been from Key West to Sedona has had a trolley company offering tours. Some are hop on – hop off and others are just tours but they always help me get oriented.

San Diego has a branch of the Old Town Trolley company that I’m familiar with from Boston.

Everyone told me about “Old Town”, it is the oldest settled area in San Diego and is the site of the first European settlement in present-day California. It contains Old Town San Diego Historic Park and Presidio Park , both of which are listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Old Town Trolley has a tour there.

Ole Town Trolley also has the “Seal Tours” which are like Boston’s Duck Tours. You can make a real splash on these tours.

There’s tons of stuff to see a each stop. Too much for me to write here without having experienced it yet. Check out the link for all the details. http://www.trolleytours.com/san-diego/old-town.asp

So what do you think? Should a return to San Diego be my 2014 vacation?

Boston on a Hot Hot Day

Posted on August 8, 2012August 8, 2012 by Dusty Roads

A couple of weeks ago my friend Nancy and I made plans to meet in Boston for the day. She is a college professor and she only had morning classes. I wanted to get some pictures of Boston landmarks for my photo cards. I figured I’d go into town early, grab as many shots as I could then meet Nancy for the afternoon.

Well, let me just say that going into Boston is never an easy jaunt. In fact it annoys me so much it’s hard to believe people do it daily for work. Trying to be frugal I decided to take the “T”. I timed my departure (I thought I was being so smart) for 9:30 am to miss the rush hour traffic on Rts 24 and 93. Well that part worked . Traffic was heavy but moving and I found a parking spot on the 5th level of the Quincy Adams Parking garage…inside…so the sun would not be turning the car into an oven. So far, so good.

10:00 am I’m in front of the Charlie Card machine and I hear a train pull into the station. I grabbed my ticket and ran for the platform…too late it had loaded and was just pulling out. Boy that was quick! No problem though. Trains run about every 10-15 minutes at that time of day. Sure enough it wasn’t long before another train pulled into the station. It was pretty empty and I got a seat right away. Only 10:15. I expected to be in town by 10:45 which would give me an hour to shoot pics before meeting Nancy.

But here’s where things began to fall apart. We seemed to be waiting longer and longer at each stop. Finally just before we got into Boston proper we stopped completely between stations. Now we got an announcement that there were “switching” problems at Park St. As soon as they got the train in front of us out of the way we’d be on our way. Tick Tock Tick Tock…I could hear the clock ticking in my mind.

Finally moving again we made it to Boylston but then we sat again. By now it was after 11:00 am So much for a free hour for my photo shoot.

Originally I was going to get off at Park St. Take pictures of the Boston Gardens and then walk over to the Aquarium taking pictures as I went. Now pulling into Park it was almost 11:15 and it was HOT…a record setter and HUMID. I decided I might as well take the train to Government Center and switch to the Blue line to get to the waterfront where I was meeting Nancy.

I’m not sure how I messed up. Probably faulty memory since there were no maps posted in the T car I was in but somehow I got twisted around and ended up over by The Rehab Hospital and the old Jail, the Science Museum and Esplanade on the Green Line. I got off and changed platforms to back track.

Finally on the Blue Line I made it to the Aquarium Station. Stepping onto the street was like walking into a solid wall of humid heat.

It was so extreme it took my breath away.

The various trolley companies all have ticket booths right there so I stopped by the Olde Town Trolley booth for a short chat.

JR used to work for them once upon a time so I have a soft spot for them. But aside from personal prejudice I do feel they do the best job for the money.

Ghosts and Gravestones is Olde Town’s Ghostly tour. Love their promos! Halloween all year ’round! But I imagine the young lady was pretty warm in those volumes of skirts.

Leaving the trolleys behind I noticed that Boston has continued to move into the eco-friendly realm with bicycle rentals. A very nice idea.

By now I was soaked with perspiration and feeling very uncomfortable. I found a nice outdoor bar on the wharf and plunked myself there to wait.

My icy cold club soda arrived at the same time Nancy stepped out of the T station. As I went to meet her the waiter reminded me to “stay hydrated”. Got it! I sure will.

It was time to put our heads together and make a game plan to survive the heat.

Short Takes

Posted on November 9, 2011November 9, 2011 by Dusty Roads

Yesterday was a beautiful day. I’m pretty sure we hit 70 degrees. Amazing for November in New England and even more amazing when you think we had a snow storm only a week ago.

I wish I could say I was outside enjoying the unseasonably warm weather and gaining experiences to share but unfortunately I spent the whole day inside catching up on housework and laundry. I couldn’t put it off for a day(although I was tempted) because I already agreed to work an extra shift and then it will be back to my own schedule…no other day to take care of the chores.

As I sit here writing this I have the TV on watching Operation Wild. I really enjoy this show. I guess you’d call it a reality show along the lines of Cops but it focused on the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC). The officers they feature are very personable and a lot of the stories are laced with humor. I also like the show because it’s set in Florida. It’s not Miami Vice it’s more about the animals and the Everglades or the Florida Keys.

I am planning to go to Orlando in January but I don’t know if I’ll get anywhere near the Everglades. I think it’s at least a 4 hour drive from Orlando to the Everglades but there are other parks and recreation areas to explore this trip.

The things I’ve learned while writing this blog occasionally come in handy. Tonight I got a call from the marketing department of my time share. They were promoting a new Resort in Orlando and offering a discounted 3 day trip. I explained that I wasn’t interested this time but the rep went on to ask where I lived in Ma. Seems he was coming out to Cambridge for a few days and wondered what he should see. I immediately encouraged him to take the time to spend a day in Boston. I recommended he take the Old Town Trolley tour because he will be able to get on and off as well as enjoy a narrated tour.

I told him about the Old North Church, The Freedom Trail, Faneuil Hall and the Boston Gardens! And it all just poured out without a thought! I’m so glad he called. I was getting in a rut for material but after answering his questions I realized that what I take for granted because it’s right here in my back yard is interesting to folks that don’t live here!

And my last bit to share is that Costa Rica is giving away hundreds of trips. It’s called Costa Rica’s Million Dollar Gift of Happiness. To enter go to: www.facebook.com/visitcostarica

Let’s get our summer bucket list going

Posted on June 23, 2011June 23, 2011 by Dusty Roads

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! 🙂