Earl and Roxie's Excellent Adventure!

 Welcome to the travel journal of Earl and Roxie Brechlin as they embark on a grand, excellent adventure around the USA aboard Amtrak's storied passenger trains!

Stay tuned for photos, maps and details on all the people places and adventures they encounter.

 BOSTON, MA  September 21, 2021

Day One is done

    The day started in Bar Harbor at zero dark thirty (5 a.m.) but we were awake for an hour before the alarm went off. Quite the flurry of last minute packing and making sure the house was pristine for house/cat sitter Gaelen. The Reed Transit shuttle, both pilot Dana and co-pilot Ponzie, arrived right on time at 8:30 and we headed for the Concord Bus Station in Bangor. COVID has brought many changes to the transportation industry and I have to say I've never seen a cleaner bus station or bus. The ride to South Station in Boston through that gauntlet of unbridled and unrepentant chain store commercialism that is Route 1 through the Saugus area, was uneventful.

South Station bus terminal in Boston

    It has been a while since Roxie and I have been in Beantown and it hasn't changed that much. Near gridlock traffic, even with the Big Dig's improvements. One major observation was the amazingly high number of construction cranes looming over the blossoming high rises downtown. Like Cracker Jack toys lost on an uncut lawn, the city's marvelous historic structures will soon seem even smaller and less significant.

    Roxie white-knuckled it a few times on the taxi ride to the hotel. Hey, when in Rome. Every time I take a taxi here it seems they drag out the trip by going via Storrow Drive and cutting cross town instead of taking the most obvious shorter route on cross streets. 

    Of course we might still be in traffic if we did that.

Tonight's choice for supper.

    No restaurant in the hotel so we walked a few blocks to a hole-in-the-wall Chinese place that only does takeout or delivery and only takes cash. The two booths inside were blocked off with a tilted 2x4 and I swear there was a bullet hole in the window. A soiled paper sign in the window announces this establishment has been given a grad "A" by the city of Boston for cleanliness.  Hate to see what poor but passing would look like. Sketchy by Bar Harbor standards but par for the course here.

    The food was very tasty.

    Across the street was a CVS with a mobile police video surveillance tower with a flashing light on top. Looked for Robocop but he was nowhere in sight. Probably because while waiting for the food outside on the sidewalk we saw at least half a dozen cop cars or emergency vehicles go screaming by.

    Back to South Station tomorrow to board Amtrak's Lake Shore Limited to Chicago. Keeping my fingers crossed there's wifi on the train as we pass through Toledo so I can post again tomorrow.

 See all the posts at https://ebandrbexcellentadventure.blogspot.com/

 

 

BAR HARBOR -- September 19, 2021

After weeks of gathering and planning, trip preparation continues apace today. In addition to figuring out how to pack, and what to bring on a five-week trip, there's also the house to get ready for the house/cat sitter (Gaelen Hall from COA is the man!) and things to do such as suspend the newspaper and stop mail until we get back.

Of course, especially where the first frost of the year comes around Columbus Day we've got to make sure the fall yard work is done, seasonal water lines turned off and drained, and that what plants aren't expected to make it are cleaned up. I've also got a plan for the vehicle which will be sitting in the garage for five weeks. Both will be hooked up to battery maintainers but a number of anti-mouse measures also need to be put in place. 

We'll be back a few days before Halloween so Roxie wanted all the holiday decorations and lights to be out early. Like the outdoor lights, I've rigged them all on timers adjusted with the realization that by the end of the trip the sun will be setting an hour earlier. Roxie has been cleaning like a fiend and the place is looking great.  Two more days until Zero hour.

The first leg will be via our friends the Reeds to the Bangor Concord Station, then bus to Boston, overnight there and off via Amtrak to our next destination.  Stay tuned!

See all the posts at https://ebandrbexcellentadventure.blogspot.com/

 

 

Comments

  1. Knit a stich in NMSeptember 19, 2021 at 9:53 AM

    Very exciting!

    ReplyDelete
  2. UnknownSeptember 19, 2021 at 12:19 PM

    Wow that's a lot of preparation. Can't wait to see you guys on the west coast. Love you.

    ReplyDelete
  3. RCBSeptember 20, 2021 at 10:53 AM

    Can't wait to see more entries. love this blog!

    ReplyDelete
  4. Knit a stich in NMSeptember 21, 2021 at 10:23 PM

    One day closer! Keeping an eye on the extended forecast, looks to be near perfect.

    ReplyDelete
  5. martywmeSeptember 22, 2021 at 9:55 AM

    Looking forward to a vicarious train and travel trip.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Barb FernaldSeptember 22, 2021 at 2:51 PM

    Fun blog!

    ReplyDelete
  7. Earl and Roxie BrechlinSeptember 22, 2021 at 8:13 PM

    latest link https://ebandrbexcellentadventure.blogspot.com/

    ReplyDelete
  8. Nan LincolnSeptember 25, 2021 at 8:54 AM

    I discovered this blog a few days late, but ooh what fun. I have been getting an extreme vicarious pleasure seeing Tom Hindman's gorgeous photo journals of his travels with his wife, and now this! I never have to go anywhere.

    ReplyDelete

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