At the airport just after we were called to board the plane, I got a phone call from my mom. Ben was having seizures and the paramedics were there. We had about 5 minutes to decide what to do. Not a good way to start a trip. My mom urged us to go ahead with the trip. Finally, we decided to get on the plane. We'd call during the layover and if he were any worse, we'd get on a plane and return home. Certainly, we never would have gone if we hadn't been through the whole seizure thing before. We knew the worst was most likely over and it would now be a matter of keeping his fever under control. Still, we were sick with worry the whole flight. When we arrived in Ohio for our layover, my mom said he was doing well. They had taken him to the hospital and checked him out. The fever must have been viral, because they couldn't find anything wrong. My parents were awesome, for the next 3 days they kept his fever down by giving him medication every 3 hours, even through the night.
Weston was a bit hard to handle on the flight, but not too terrible. We flew into NY at about 10pm, then headed to the vacation home in Richmond MA.
The picture above shows the vacation home from the back. Looking up from the tennis courts, there's a swimming pool and then the house in the distance. It's beautiful country, a lot of green rolling hills.
We there for the next 3 days. While there, we visited the shaker village that was just a few miles away. This may have been Jason's favorite part of the trip. He loved seeing how they did all the woodworking, as well as the style of the things they made.
Shakers don't live here anymore. They left in 1959. There is only one shaker community still in existence. Not surprising, considering they're celibate.
In the right hand corner of the picture above, those are adult cradles (click on the picture for a larger view). They would rock their sick and elderly in them.
We left for Boston on Tuesday. On the way, we visited the Plymouth Plantation and Plymouth
Rock.
The two pictures above are at Plymouth Plantation. It was a neat place. All of the people that work there are role players. They each represent a certain person who actually lived during that time. They have studied up on their lives and would talk to you as if they were actually that person.
Unfortunately, we happened to come on a day when there tons of school children on field trips. I was a bit annoyed, actually. After paying $26 a piece to get in, we could hardly hear or see a thing because of all the kids everywhere. Looking back I wish I would have asked for a refund. There ought to be some kind of warning when that many kids are swarming the place.
Here's the Mayflower, which was thankfully less crowded than the plantation. Below are some pictures from inside the boat. There were role players here as well. There's also a picture of Plymouth rock, which evidently, there's no evidence that it was really the disembarking spot of the Mayflower, but still, we can pretend.
Next we headed for Boston. We stayed at Matt's aunts house there (pictured below). Most the homes in the area are over 100 years old. Of course they've been beautifully updated. Jason thought her house was probably the coolest house he'd ever been in. We loved it.
We stayed on the top floor in what probably used to be an attic, but was fixed up really nice. I wish I'd have gotten pictures of the inside of the house.
Matt's aunt, Margaret, was great. She made dinner for us twice while we were there, and took us out to eat at an Indian Restaurant on another night. She also babysat the kids while we went out on the town. The first night we went to the Boston Pops Orchestra. John Williams (famous for the music in Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Superman, ET, Harry Potter...just to name a few) was making a guest appearance for the week and conducting while the orchestra played his most popular numbers. It was awesome!
This was the only picture we took that night, even though you can't really tell where we are.
After the performance, we came outside and noticed what we figured must be John Williams' car. There were body guards standing around, as well as a small group of people. I decided to take the opportunity to get it on video. After waiting around a good 20 or 30 minutes, he came out. I was standing right on the other side of the car getting some awesome shots of him. He waved right at the camera as he was getting in his car. As he drove away, I checked my recording only to realize I had never pushed record! My only shot at recording someone famous and I blew it. Not that he's someone I would have ever recognized on the street, but still...
The next day Margaret watched the kids again while we did the Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail is actually a paved red brick trail that goes through the city of Boston, stopping at different historical sites. We were so glad not to have the kids with us, as the whole trail took about 8 hours to complete. I didn't get a lot of pictures because Jason took mostly video, and I won't give too much details because there's just too much.
Paul Revere's house and grave below. We also sat in his pew at the church. Back then they either purchased or rented their own pews and that were totally closed in. Personally, I think it's a great idea. I'd love to be able to close my kids in a pew in church.
I really enjoyed the whole day. It was so neat to see where so many great and important things happened in the fight for our country's independence. It inspired me to want to learn more about our country's history.
The next day we headed back to the vacation home for a few days before coming home. It was a great trip. I don't think the boys even missed us. In fact they were probably sad to see us. My mom and dad kept them busy all week going to the zoo, Lagoon, the movies, and the dinosaur museum, among other fun things.
So thanks to Mom and Dad, Matt and Trisha, and Margaret and her family for making this trip great!
The two pictures above are at Plymouth Plantation. It was a neat place. All of the people that work there are role players. They each represent a certain person who actually lived during that time. They have studied up on their lives and would talk to you as if they were actually that person.
Unfortunately, we happened to come on a day when there tons of school children on field trips. I was a bit annoyed, actually. After paying $26 a piece to get in, we could hardly hear or see a thing because of all the kids everywhere. Looking back I wish I would have asked for a refund. There ought to be some kind of warning when that many kids are swarming the place.
Here's the Mayflower, which was thankfully less crowded than the plantation. Below are some pictures from inside the boat. There were role players here as well. There's also a picture of Plymouth rock, which evidently, there's no evidence that it was really the disembarking spot of the Mayflower, but still, we can pretend.
Next we headed for Boston. We stayed at Matt's aunts house there (pictured below). Most the homes in the area are over 100 years old. Of course they've been beautifully updated. Jason thought her house was probably the coolest house he'd ever been in. We loved it.
We stayed on the top floor in what probably used to be an attic, but was fixed up really nice. I wish I'd have gotten pictures of the inside of the house.
Matt's aunt, Margaret, was great. She made dinner for us twice while we were there, and took us out to eat at an Indian Restaurant on another night. She also babysat the kids while we went out on the town. The first night we went to the Boston Pops Orchestra. John Williams (famous for the music in Indiana Jones, Star Wars, Superman, ET, Harry Potter...just to name a few) was making a guest appearance for the week and conducting while the orchestra played his most popular numbers. It was awesome!
This was the only picture we took that night, even though you can't really tell where we are.
After the performance, we came outside and noticed what we figured must be John Williams' car. There were body guards standing around, as well as a small group of people. I decided to take the opportunity to get it on video. After waiting around a good 20 or 30 minutes, he came out. I was standing right on the other side of the car getting some awesome shots of him. He waved right at the camera as he was getting in his car. As he drove away, I checked my recording only to realize I had never pushed record! My only shot at recording someone famous and I blew it. Not that he's someone I would have ever recognized on the street, but still...
The next day Margaret watched the kids again while we did the Freedom Trail. The Freedom Trail is actually a paved red brick trail that goes through the city of Boston, stopping at different historical sites. We were so glad not to have the kids with us, as the whole trail took about 8 hours to complete. I didn't get a lot of pictures because Jason took mostly video, and I won't give too much details because there's just too much.
Paul Revere's house and grave below. We also sat in his pew at the church. Back then they either purchased or rented their own pews and that were totally closed in. Personally, I think it's a great idea. I'd love to be able to close my kids in a pew in church.
I really enjoyed the whole day. It was so neat to see where so many great and important things happened in the fight for our country's independence. It inspired me to want to learn more about our country's history.
The next day we headed back to the vacation home for a few days before coming home. It was a great trip. I don't think the boys even missed us. In fact they were probably sad to see us. My mom and dad kept them busy all week going to the zoo, Lagoon, the movies, and the dinosaur museum, among other fun things.
So thanks to Mom and Dad, Matt and Trisha, and Margaret and her family for making this trip great!
