Leaving Ocean City and Highway 50 behind, we headed north along the Delaware coast (which reminded us of the western Florida coast), then along the Delaware Bay and River. After holding up for a rain day in Wilmington, we skirted around Philadelphia and New York City to the banks of the Hudson River. Following the river north, we ran in to West Point (yes, THE West Point - who knew?).

Not being allowed to follow the river through the Academy, we went around and finally got a view from above the river before crossing over it into Poughkeepsie and turning east to Connecticut.

We stopped to visit Jym's niece Megan and her kids and had a good time with them, showing photos, playing computer games and coloring pictures with the kids.

Hanging out for another rain day, we enjoyed more games with the kids and watched as they got ready for their first day of school.

We also got them to pose for a 'totem pole' picture.

Leaving Megan's, we made our way to the Rocky Hill area (by a cirquitous route) to nail down accommodations for the October reunion. We also went down to Middletown to visit the Godfrey Memorial Library, a genealogical research library that we have belonged to for a few years.

For a few hours, we searched through numerous volumes, gleaning new bits of information about Jym's ancestors from Maine, Rhode Island, and Nova Scotia. We photographed everything we found so that we could study it detail at a later time.

While we were in the area, we visited with Jym's nephew Donny while he was hard at work on the second of a double shift for the day. It had been 19 years since we last saw him - they do grow up, don't they.

We left Connecticut to visit with friends in Massachusetts that Ann used to work for .... years ago. Bill and Linda are excellent tour guides and hosts, and we started with a visit to Shelburne Falls and "The Bridge of Flowers", an old trolley bridge that was converted to a horticultural attraction by a dedicated group of visionaries and volunteers.

Just below the dam beyond the bridge are more than 50 'glacial potholes' ranging in size from 6 inches to over 30 feet. They are formed from the agitation of trapped stones in the cracks of the underlying rock as the glaciers retreated at the end of the last ice age.

Next, we went to a spot on the banks of the Connecticut River where dinosaurs left their footprints in the mud about 190 million years ago. Over 125 prints have been identified in 28 separate tracks made by three different types of beasties, ranging from 5 to 15 feet tall.

Another of the local attractions that we visited was the Magic Wings Butterfly Conservatory & Gardens. Despite it's long name, it is a fun place if you like flowers and pretty winged insects. With more than a few thousand free-flying butterflies, your neck (and camera) will get a workout trying to track them.

Of all the varieties, our favorite was Greta oto (or Glasswing to us non-lepidopterist types). It was also fun to see which species was hitchhiking on whom, and watching people walking around gingerly hoping their new buddies wouldn't leave before someone took a picture of them.

On our last excursion with Bill & Linda, we took a boat ride on the Connecticut River. The river is considerably cleaner than when Jym was living near it's banks in Connecticut during the mid-sixties.

Leaving Massachusetts behind, we headed north into New Hampshire to visit Jym's sister Wendy. We took the scenic route around the eastern shore of Lake Winnipesaukee.

While we were in NH, we took a ride out to Gorham, Maine to hook up with Joe & Jo, friends from Tacoma, Washington. They are on an extended trip, traveling by motorhome and motorcycles. It might be a bit extreme to ride across the country to visit friends, but we all did it, and it was definitely worthwhile.

At Wendy & Ben's, we visited Ben's greenhouse at his Wayside Farm (if you like flowers, be sure to check out his website - it's very good and informative). After tearing ourselves away, we again set off for Maine - states are so much closer here.

In Newfield, Maine, we visited the Willowbrook Museum. It houses a collection of over 10,000 artifacts from the 1800s and early 1900s, including a completely restored traveling Armitage Herschell Co. carousel from 1896 which operated around New England for 26 years.

In one of the buildings of the museum is a 'Roadable Airplane'. The idea behind this one of a kind machine was that the plane shouldn't be any wider than a road so that one could take off and land close to one's house. Unfortunately, it was way too heavy for the available lifting surface area (or, too under-powered to get enough speed for that area).

Back in New Hampshire, Wendy showed us the Squam Lakes Natural Science Center, where she works part time. Although there are many educational activities for school children, we most enjoyed the nature trail with natural enclosures for rescued animals and raptors.

Afterwards, we went for a little hike above Squam Lake (think 'On Golden Pond') on Rattlesnake Trail up to the rocks that overlook the area. After the view, we got absorbed by the lichen on the granite.