Coast Life

North Carolina

8/4 – 8/8

Stress and planning. We were finally heading off on our first trip in the RV. My dad drove the Rv from Sanford, NC, to Wilson, NC. My mom and I will not be joining my dad until late at night. We had to stay behind because of my baseball practice. We’re not going straight to Maine because of an all-star baseball tournament. It’s a three-day event that was shortened to a one-day event. It rained and rained, and it got canceled. We fit in two games, and my hitting was outstanding. I was batting close to a thousand with three doubles and one triple. We spend the nights in the RV. It was our first time spending this long in the RV. After the weekend, we traveled for about 15 hrs to Maine. We stopped in Philadelphia and then continued up to Maine. My mom and dad drove it through D.C, and that was hilarious. The stress, not so much. My dad thought we almost were too high for a bridge, and the traffic was terrible. I really enjoyed going over the Washington bridge. This trek to the northeast was enjoyable, and I can’t wait to see what it has to offer.

Maine

(8/9)

My dad had just parked the RV at Bailey’s Campground and was already craving some fried clams. We ordered them at Ken’s Place (local restaurant), they were not the best because they had the bellies, making them taste fishy and weird. After our dinner, we rode around Scarborough and stopped by Old Orchard Beach (a very touristy spot). This place was packed; it is like Myrtle Beach but without the warm and sunny weather.

8/10

Today was about exploring; our first spot was L.L. Bean. L.L. Bean originated in Freeport, Maine, and has expanded to many areas in the U.S. L.L Bean sells outdoor apparel and gear. Since we were near the flagship store, we could not pass on the opportunity to visit. After walking, shopping, and exploring the many L.L Bean departments, we worked up an appetite, so we headed off to find the best lobster rolls in Maine! We stopped at Reds in Wiscasset; it supposedly has some of the best lobster rolls. Unfortunately, the line was 2 hrs long, so we left. While in line, the locals were telling us about a hidden gem called McLoons Lobster Shack in South Thomaston. We drove for about an hour north of Wiscasset. We had lobster rolls with a touch of mayo (The Mainer Way) and grilled clams. It was delicious. We stopped at a harbor called Boothbay, North East of Portland! We tried a famous blueberry pie with wild Maine blueberries! Maines blueberries are unique because of their size. They are tiny, tart, and have a lot of flavor in their skin. They contain twice the amount of antioxidants as regular blueberries and are full of water. The pie was served with vanilla ice cream, making it even more delicious.

8/11

We headed to Kennebunkport. It’s a small town that is about 20 minutes South of Portland. It’s a wealthy community, and there were many shops and restaurants to explore. Former President George W Bush has a compound in Kennebunkport named Walker’s Point Estate. It is beautiful, right along the Atlantic Ocean. The whole Bush family has spent their summers here since the early 1900s. The Bush Family is well known and respected around town. They still spend their summers there, but we didn’t see them, and their yacht wasn’t in the marina either. We drove by the compound and took pictures along the way home. The compound is genuinely a gorgeous lot right along the Atlantic Ocean

8/12

We booked a food tour in Portland, Maine. Our tour guide Jason was very nice. He told us about some of Portland’s history and also shared some funny jokes along the way. He told us that Maine passed a law that bans any fast-food chain from opening a store in the Portland peninsula area. This was put in effect so that tourists can experience all of Portland’s fantastic culinary options and not fast food. Jason talked about how Covid impacted Portland’s tourism. He also showed us how he broke his leg on an original cobblestone street. Next came the food; we started with a warm Blueberry. Then the seafood poloza started. We had a variety of seafood, Clam chowder, lobster rolls, smoked fish, and mussels, and to finish the day, we had some chocolates.

8/13

We visited one of the most famous lighthouses in the U.S, The Nubble Lighthouse. The Nubble Lighthouse was built in 1879 and is still standing today. It is still in use, but it’s automated, meaning no light housekeeper is needed. It’s in a small village called York. We had lunch at a Fox Lobster House. The clam chowder, fried shrimp, and lobster rolls were delicious. I decided to get my drone out and take a few pics of the lighthouse. I took some fantastic photos with my drone.

We walked to the rocky beach beside the Lighthouse with the dogs, and they became wet because they strolled in the water. After we dried them off, we headed back to the car. Our next stop was the Old York Goal or Jail. Goal was an old English word that is now known as Jail. The oldest part of the Jail was built in 1720 and is one of the oldest prison buildings in the U.S.A and the oldest public building in Maine. The oldest architecture is a stone block cell with 2 1/2 ft thick walls. We purchased some tickets, and since no one was here, the older woman inside gave us a guided tour throughout the Jail. She showed the jail cell, the jail keeper HQ, and the house of correction. I thought the building looked like it was on its last limb.

8/14

We explored Cape Elizabeth today with the dogs. Cape Elizabeth is directly East of Portland Intl Jetport and makes a great location to fly my drone and take some gorgeous pictures. After exploring Cape Elizabeth, We explored Fort Williams. Fort Williams was used in the military to protect Portland up until the 1960s. I got to see a few yachts and lobster boats cruising by the lighthouse while we explored the area. When we finished, it was about lunchtime, so we headed to Yosuka in Portland for a nice Japanese lunch. After our good sushi, we went plane spotting. I’ve wanted to plane spot since we got here, so we went to Portland Intl Jetport and saw a lot of A320s and Embraers. On Monday, my dad and I are going to Sanford, Maine, to do a discovery flight. We headed back for the RV, went for a nice swim, and then ate dinner. We watched Disney’s new movie called Jungle Cruise. It was funny, and the plot was great.

8/15

We visited My Grandmother’s cousin who lives in Yarmouth, Maine, not too far from Freeport. We had brunch with them at their house. They fixed us Lox and Bagels; they were super good. After brunch, we walked with our dogs and their dogs. They have two super cute and intelligent dogs. We visited with them for the rest of the afternoon, and they took us out to dinner. I’ve never met them, so they had many stories to share with us. It’s always weird to meet a new family member, in my opinion, especially when you didn’t even know they existed.

8/16

I decided to take my first flying lesson/discovery flight. A discovery flight gives you the ability to fly and see if you like flying before making any future decisions. My dad and I flew on the Cessna 172 SP. This plane is reliable, one of the most produced, and easiest to fly. My instructor let me taxi to the runway and then take off. The takeoff was unreal; it was crazy to be controlling the plane in the takeoff stage. After takeoff, we climbed to 2,600 ft and made some right and left banks before coming back for the landing. He landed the plane for us because it’s not safe since I’m not skilled at landing. After filling out some paperwork, I acquired my pilot logbook. Every time I pilot an aircraft, I must log my flight time into the pilot logbook so the FAA can approve them.
We went shopping at Dicks and then returned to the field behind the RV and did some baseball. After baseball, We hopped into the car and headed to Ogunquit. Ogunquit is a resort/boutique town that is very touristy and pretty. We walked the marginal way, a 1.25-mile trail with excellent views along Maine’s beautiful rocky coastline. After the walk, we headed for a pizzeria to enjoy a nice little dinner. This, by far, is my favorite day in Maine so far because I was able to fly a plane!

8/17

We booked a cooking class in Portland. We cooked some lobster ravioli. First, you make the dough and let it sit, crack the lobster, roll the dough, cut the dough into two thin sheets, apply dollops of ricotta + lobster, 2 inches apart from each other, then cut ravioli into the wanted amount of squares. Apply the other dough on top like a sandwich, then cut and boil! You have made lobster ravioli.

8/18

We booked a tour through Alice’s Wonderful Adventures. Alice is a professional tour guide and knows all about Malaga Island and Maine’s history. Malaga Island is about 40 minutes East of Brunswick, ME. Before we arrived, Alice recommended reading a book named Lizzie Bright and the Buckminster Boy. The book is about Turner, a minister’s son, and Lizzie, an African American girl who lives on this tiny island called Malaga. The book is about racism and friendship and how Lizzie’s family is forced off the island because they are black. It gave me some information about Malaga before we set out on our kayaks to paddle to the island. Malaga Island is a tiny historical island that is part of Maine’s history. Malaga Island was home to many indigenous people that were African American. The Mainers didn’t like how they were African Americans, especially the people next door. The other nearby island and towns wanted to become resort towns. Still, Malaga’s people prevented them from being that; the reason that Malaga’s people stopped that was that they were African Americans. Maine government became angry, so they decided to kick them off their island/home and put some of the Malaga’s people into a school for the feeble-minded. Most of the people died during their stay in the feeble-minded school. This tells us how Maine residents intensely disliked their neighbors. We had a nice little picnic on some rocks, and then we kayaked back to shore and enjoyed our evening. Malaga was very appealing due to all of its history and stories. There are descendants of the Malaga’s and indigenous people who live in Maine today! I found this very interesting. As I said, they put a lot of indigenous people into a feeble-minded school; we decided after our tour to discover the feeble-minded school and find the graves/memorial for the Malaga island’s people. The memorial/grave is located in Pineville, Maine. The feeble-minded school is not in use anymore, and the whole school complex was turned into a farm with a lovely market for the meat and produce products. This entire day was exciting because I had learned about the island before I went, which made me familiar with it. This allowed me to appreciate better what Alice was saying during the tour.

8/19

It rained the whole day, the weather was cold and awful, so we decided to watch space jam at a drive-in. The movie was average, but the overall drive-in experience was very different. It’s odd watching a movie out of a car instead of in the movie theatre.

Aug 20

We went to Fore Street! It’s one of the best restaurants in Maine. You have to book 60 days in advance to get a reservation. We didn’t book a reservation, but they say they accept walk-ins. We decided to line up at around 4 pm and got in the restaurant at 5 pm. The wait was definitely worth it; we had oysters, tomato tart, hanger steak, mussels, squid, and fish! The seafood and meat were flavorful and yummy. I’m not the biggest fan of oysters most of the time, but sometimes I like them more than other days, and today was one of those other days. The steak and octopus were yummy, and the dessert my mom got was good. Great restaurant!

8/21

We moved the RV 2 1/2 hours north of Portland to Bangor. My dad was rushing to get there because he had a Stephen King tour to catch. Stephen King was born in Bangor, Maine, and my dad loves his novels, so he was very fascinated. My mom and I decided not to go because we weren’t as interested in Stephen King, so we decided to get Chick-fil-A. There are only two Chick-Fil-A’s in Maine; one is in Bangor. I convinced my mom to eat there for lunch. After lunch, we went to dicks to do some shopping.

8/22

We had booked tickets to Acadia National Park in Bar Harbor. We had to wake up around 5:45 to be there at 8 am. We booked the Cadillac mountain. This mountain is part of Acadia. It allows you to take your car to the highest point in the park and experience the fantastic views Acadia has to offer. Well… we picked the best day to go. There were winds of 25 mph, and the fog was intense, making the visibility 100ft. The weather was terrific. We saw a ton of nothing and decided to try this again later in the week. This was a bust! We drove down the mountain to Bar Harbor for lunch before making our way back home

8/23

We went to a museum. The Cole Land transportation museum is only 10 minutes from our campground and has many vehicles to see. They have a train, old cars, Cole’s freight trucks, snowplows, and Fire trucks. The museum’s owner Galen Cole was a combat infantryman with the U.S. 5th Armored Division; He later became president of his division. He worked for Cole’s express as president for over 50 years. Cole gave his vehicles to his museum as a gift and honor to his community. Galen Cole died two years ago. Galen Cole really created something incredible. The cars, the snowplows, and the old fire trucks are in pristine condition, and some still work. I recommend this museum to anyone out there. Here is the link to the museum’s website (https://www.colemuseum.org).

8/24

We drove to Camden. Camden, ME, was recommended by one of our friends, so we visited. The little harbor in Camden is very lovely. You have some yachts, sailboats, and dingys. We decided to drive up to Mount Battie and get a better view of the surrounding area. After, We went to the Penobscot bridge, where an observatory tower is. The views were excellent. Fort Knox wasn’t too far away, so we decided to look at it. Fort Knox is on the Penobscot river as well as the observatory tower. Fort Knox was used to keep the British away from coming up the river. The fort never fired a cannon, and it never had a significant attack. One night, some Spaniards decided to attack but blew themselves up due to how drunk they were. This was the only time the fort was under attack. I learned that the fort was built using horse poop, granite, and water. I also learned about the soldiers’ ear protection to protect their ears. They would stuff their ears with raw sheep wool to “protect their ears from the cannon firing even though it doesn’t work. The natural sheep wool can give a horrible disease that only rabbits and humans can experience. This disease is called Tularemia and is very deadly.

8/25

We revisited Acadia National Park again. The weather was warm and sunny, which was better than last time. We drove up Cadillac mountain again, and we got to see the fantastic views we missed the first time we came. After we were finished with Cadillac mountain. We drove to Bar Harbor to eat lunch and pick up the electric bikes we rented. The park has trails known as the Carriage Roads. I recommend renting e-bikes because it makes the trails less strenuous, and you can experience and see more of the park.

AUG 26-30

We flew into Raleigh from Portland to play in my baseball tournament. We had a decent tournament and ended up losing in the championship game. It was nice to be home for a few days. We flew back from Raleigh to Portland. Our flight got delayed, which was annoying, but it happens. My dad was waiting for us at the airport to pick us up.

8/31

Strawberry Bank (spelled Strawbery) is a 10-acre lot in Portsmouth, NH, dedicated to bringing 300+ years of history to life. Indigenous or present-day history. You can tour historic houses on their original foundations and experience life in the 1700s, 1800s, and 1900s with their costume role players. We met a role player who is a Cooper. He makes barrels that only use wood that stores meat and gun powder. The museum is all about sharing the way older generations used to live.

9/1

My dad and I went for a 2.5-mile run. I smoked him, but he did alright. We caught up on some work that needed to be done. We had booked a whale watching tour the day before, so we drove to Kennen bunk port and got on the boat. Unfortunately, we didn’t see any whales, but we saw some puffins and seals having a good time. The weather was pretty cold, so it wasn’t the most pleasant experience.

9/3

We visited Salem, Massachusetts, also known as the witch town. This is where the famous witch trials of 1692 took place. The witch trials were a series of events where “witches” were accused of witchcraft. 200+ people were accused of witchcraft in the 1692-1693 era. Salem was a reasonably small town; nearly 2,000 people lived there. It’s now home to 40,000 residents, with vast amounts of tourists coming each year. A popular attraction in Salem is the walking tour. These walking tours take you through Salem and share Salem’s history with you, and this allows you to ask any questions you may have. A few things I learned is how The Salem port was connected with underground tunnels. The tunnels were used by the ship’s crew to transport the goods to the customs houses. The first thing that happened when a captain arrived with goods was transporting the goods to a customs house to pay taxes, so they get the right to sell the goods they collected overseas. Another fact I learned is how the witch trials began. The trials started after a group of young girls in Salem village were convinced that witches had used witchcraft on them and were possessed by the devil. This sparked the witchcraft trial, later going down as an infamous event in Salem, Massachusetts. This tour was a great learning experience, and Salem is a lovely town to this day. I recommend visiting if you are ever by the Boston area

Saturday 9/4 – Monday 9/6

We flew to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, for an all-star tournament. I was chosen to play; you have to be invited. You can’t just sign up like a regular tournament. We sucked; let’s put it in friendlier terms, my team wasn’t good. We lost four and won one. I pitched well but my team’s defense wasn’t good, so I had a few unearned hits and runs. It was single elimination after your 4 pool play games, and we blew it. We were up 7-3, and we gave up 5 runs in the last inning. It was pretty incredible that we managed to lose like that, but it is what it is. We caught a flight from Myrtle Beach to Portland and arrived at the RV around 11:30. This weekend was a wrap.

9/7

It was very gloomy today. So we decided today was a catch-up day. I did some note-taking for my blog and did my khan academy for the day. My mom and I have been working on my French, so I can become more fluent and be able to hold more conversations with my grandparents, who are from France, and get ahead in school. I did some baseball. I’m working on throwing around the spine to increase Velo and become a better overall pitcher. I also took some Batting practice (BP) with my dad. At the start of the session, I wasn’t hitting too well, but then my mom helped me realize that my bat barrel was pointed behind me instead of at the ground. This causes me to be slow and late to the ball instead of quick and smooth. My BP session quickly improved. Today was a very productive day!

New Hampshire

9/8

We left our campground in Wells Beach, Maine, and traveled to Meredith, NH. Our new campground is named Meredith Woods Four Seasons campground. The drive was very smooth because my dad’s a pro. I don’t know how he drives it like he does, but he’s just a natural. We arrived at our campground at 3:00pm. The sites are huge. They are the most oversized lots I’ve seen at a campsite yet. You have plenty of room to back the RV in, and you have a nice outdoor setup for when you want to watch a movie or just cook outside. We are near Lake Winnipesaukee, so we thought we should watch a film set in the area. We grilled some turkey burgers, ate outside, watched « what about Bob » with Billy Murray on our outdoor TV, and went to bed. That was a lovely night.

9/9

I found an old-school diner that serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. My dad and mom really enjoyed the atmosphere of the diner. After breakfast, we went kayaking around Lake Winnipesaukee. It was their first time on kayaks, and they did just fine. Whenever our golden retriever tried to reposition himself, my mom would get scared that the kayak would flip. It didn’t happen, but she felt unsafe until we arrived back at the dock. This lake is huge and has many boats and houses, unlike our lake. A small town near the lake where we stopped at a deli for some sandwiches. We stopped by Walmart to pick up an Oculus, a VR headset with games.

9/10 – 9/12

We flew back home because I was playing in a baseball tournament with my team. While we were down in NC, I got to see my grandma and brother. We went for dinner at our favorite sushi restaurant in Cary, and they both spent the night. My dad stayed behind and went to Moose Lake with the dogs. He did some exploring with the dogs, and it seems like he had a fun time.

9/13

We flew in really early from RDU. Waking up wasn’t a problem this morning because I’m always stoked to be on planes. Planes aren’t special, but the engineering behind one of these metal birds is mind-blowing. Being able to fly or fly one is incredible. Since we arrived pretty early in New Hampshire, we visited the Falls of Song. It’s a 40ft plunge waterfall, supposedly one of the best in New Hampshire. The fall is fed by many more minor falls to create the one big fall. We even met some friendly people that recommend the North Conways Mountainside train ride.

9/14

We booked a scenic train ride that takes you through North Conway’s mountainside. The train car was very clean, and the seats were somewhat comfortable. The overall experience wasn’t the best due to the lack of a PA system. It was broken for the whole 5hrs so we couldn’t get much information about our surroundings or what we were looking at. We were sitting under a Coppola, and we saw beautiful scenery, including Mount Washington at the horizon. The terminus of the train was Crawford’s, up in the mountain. The train took us back down after making it up the mountain; we headed to a local market. We got a Caprese crepe for dinner, and we also bought some locally grown veggies for home. The tomatoes and the basil were terrific!

9/15

Today was a very productive day. I did French with my mom, and my dad helped me with some math. We went to a local park and hit some bp. The cages were not nice, but they did the job. It started raining in the afternoon, so we watched a ted lasso and chilled.

Connecticut

9/16

We traveled from Meredith, NH, to East Lyme, CT. It was about a 4hr drive. We passed Vermont and Springfield, Massachusetts, on the way. We did our usual check-in with the RV when we arrived in CT. Mrs. Susan, my tutor, helped me with some tricky math equations. It’s challenging to do an online course, especially when you have no teacher to contact. We got settled in for the night and watched a ted lasso!

9/17

Mystic CT. Mystic is a small town located near the seaside. There are small shops to visit as well as restaurants to eat at. I got to see the mystic draw bridge in action. It opens every 40 minutes past the hour for 5 minutes. It stops the traffic through the downtown area. There at two 100 ton concrete blocks that help the drawbridge fold up and down. After, we headed to the Mystic seaport. This museum has an extensive collection of ships and boats. One of the main ships that they have is the Charles W. Morgan. This vessel was used for whaling. Whales were crucial in the 16th century because of the oil their blubber produced when cooked.
When the whale blubber is being cooked, it releases oil that fuels candles, lights, and other essential items that need oil. By far the most important was the use of lights. In big cities, the crime rate was too high, and they had no way of stopping the crime due to the lack of light. The oil had a significant impact on this. The oil allowed lights to be put in use, decreasing the crime rate in many big cities. Whaling was a tough job due to its intense days at sea, the pay, and family. At sea, The Charles W. Morgan could go on trips that lasted anywhere from a week to 4yrs. The crew and the captain had to be mentally prepared for death, struggle, and loneliness.
The process of whaling starts when the crow’s nest is occupied. A crew member would climb to the crow’s nest (Area at the top of the ship that’s ideal for spotting whales) and start looking for whales in the near distance. After he spotted a whale, they would launch a small boat. The captain, a harpoon master, and some crew would set off to try to kill the whale. They would paddle to the whale until they got close enough to harpoon him. Once, the harpoon had hit the whale. The whale would take off until he got tired. The crew would then paddle back to the vessel, and they would start carving the blubber that consists of all of these oils. The blubber would be cooked down into an oil used for lights, car tires, plastic, and candles. Whaling is now banned in the U.S due to whales’ near extinction, and we now have no use for them due to modern-day electricity and modern-day fuels. I also got to see a fire and rescue boat that was used during the 9/11 attacks. I didn’t even know they used boats on 9/11 for search and rescue. The seaport museum in Mystic, CT, is a great way to learn about whaling and vessels.

9/18

Mystic has a massive aquarium that is open to the public. In my opinion, the ocean is home to many beautiful and crazy-looking animals. The Blobfish is a blob with 2 eyes and a mouth. It’s a little more complex than how I’m describing it but take a look for yourself

I’ll stop with the Blob slander. I wish the aquarium had one of these odd animals. They did have some other amazing animals like the Beluga Whale, these Beluga Whales are all rescues, and matter of fact, all of the animals in their aquarium are rescued as well. The Beluga whales were beautiful and well trained. There was one at the window that was smiling for everyone’s camera. I also loved the penguin exhibit because we saw the same penguins when I visited Africa. Thats crazy; the aquarium had the same penguins from that same beach; pretty crazy, right. My favorite part was the seal show. They had about 5 seals who were made for this type of stuff. They did flips and all of these nifty tricks that they were taught. After the aquarium and the show, I had a baseball lesson with Dennis. He owns the Mystic Schooners baseball team. He is a great instructor, and he taught me a few things that will be helpful to me.
The Mohegan Sun is a casino 25 minutes from our campground. It’s one of the largest casinos in the U.S. Casinos usually are owned by Natives. In the U.S, Indians own most casinos to help develop the economy and have power and authority. This casino had an Indian twist on its structure. The wood was carved, and the interior looked like one of those old Indian tribes’ houses. We ate at this sushi restaurant in the casino. The food was excellent, especially the appetizers. We left the casino at around 10, and it was still packed in there. No wonder it’s one of the biggest in the country.

9/19

My mom wanted to go to Newhaven because that’s where Yale is located. Newhaven is also home to many Italian restaurants. We ate at Franks Pepe’s pizzeria, supposedly one of the best spots for pizza in the U.S. I learned that President Bush would order pizza from Franks and get it delivered for him and his cabinet. I thought the pizza was ordinary, but my mom and dad liked it. After, we drove to Yale and walked around with the dogs for a bit. We didn’t see much because you can’t go inside the buildings, but we saw the old buildings and they were very cool to see. Yale is an Ivy League. Ivy League is a group of 8 colleges that are all elite due to the academics, selectively, and social elitism they offer. Yale is a top-five school in the country, and with that being said, it’s insanely difficult to get into Yale. Of course, I had to see the baseball field; they have an all-turf field. Yale isn’t the best sports school, but they make up for it with their academics. After, we drove to Niantic to take some bp at the local park. Once I got my hitting done, we headed back to the RV for the night.

Massachusetts

9/20

Today was the day we went on the Mayflower II, a reproduction of the original, gifted and shipped by England to the U.S in 1957. The ship is surprisingly small when you consider being at sea for 66 days with 102 passengers (Men, Women, Children, their belongings, farm animals, and beer). The passengers were required to stay below deck for the entire trip. I learned that one of the most valuable cargoes on the ship was beer, which is quite funny when you think about puritans! These families have made various deals back in Europe, to be given a chance to escape England and its religion, to be given the right to move to the new continent and practice the religion they wanted to. The crossing came at a cost. The original deal was that the pilgrims would be free of any debt once the crossing was paid. But in reality, once the crossing was scheduled, at the very last moment, the captain of the Mayflower required each family to work 7 years to repay their debts. Half of the Pilgrims died of cold-related illnesses in the first winter in Plymouth. Next to the ship is Plymouth Rock. This Rock signifies where the Pilgrims disembarked in 1620. Interestingly enough, Plymouth Rock had no importance until 121 years after they arrived. The Rock first attracted public attention in 1741 when the residents of Plymouth began plans to build a wharf above the Rock that would bury the Rock. This was until a 94-year-old named Thomas Faunce spoke on this matter. He demanded one last time to see the Rock so he could worship it and say his goodbyes. Thomas Faunce was born while the pilgrims were still alive, and he remembered the story they told about how they stepped on this exact Rock from the boat to get on land. What you see today is only a third of the original. They are various pieces all over different museums around the country.

9/21

A man named Leo gave us a tour of the original pilgrim plantation in Plymouth, MA. He told us how the pilgrims used to live. He showed us significant locations in Plymouth. The Grist mill in Plymouth marked the beginning of the pilgrim’s success in the New World. The river’s fish helped fertilize the mill, which allowed the pilgrims to obtain food to survive. At one point, this river had almost 15 mills. The grist mill is the only mill on the river today. 250,000 herring migrate upriver every year, and they pass through the mill’s fish ladder. I got to see the Oldest wooden courthouse. It was built in 1749 by the Plymouth colony settlers and sits on the old pilgrim plantation

When the first pilgrims settled, they were using a Communist System. This system granted each member access to the same amount of food and land no matter how hard they worked. So person 1 could work 2x as hard as person 2, but they received the same share of food. This lasted for about 1yr until person 1 realized he could work less than person 2. Plymouth also has the oldest continuously inhabited street in the thirteen colonies of British North America. Its name is Leyden st. Leo had some amazing facts and history to share with us. Did you know that President Bush is a descendent of a passenger on the May Flower and That Any house that has a view to the ocean in Plymouth must pay a sea view tax (15k a year)! Our last stop was the oldest house in Plymouth (Built-in 1640).

All of Leo’s facts were so cool and very fascinating. Leo is the best tour guide we’ve had on our adventures so far. He made Plymouth’s history exciting. After, we headed to the Patuxet or the OLD Plymouth Plantation. I got to somewhat experience how the pilgrims lived life in a 17th century English village. We even got to pet some cows and goats.

9/22

Ever since I found out we were going to Boston, I’ve wanted to go to a Boston Red Sox game. Fenway Park, built-in 1912 is the oldest Major League Baseball stadium. My mom booked us a tour of Fenway Park before the game because there is plenty of history behind this ballpark. In the right-center outfield bleachers, all the chairs are green except 1 red chair. This red chair signifies the longest home run hit at Fenway. The home run traveled 502ft and was hit by Ted Williams. After the tour, we went to lunch and headed back into the stadium. I got a ball during BP, which was awesome. The Red Sox were playing the Mets tonight in their Boston strong jerseys. The Boston strong jerseys are a way for the Red Sox to honor their home city. They will continue to wear them until they lose. Tonight’s game was a blowout, 5-12 Boston. The Red Sox’s bats were on fire With Kyle’s two home runs and a double. The team accumulated 14 hits. This game was fun to watch; we left around the 8th innings because the game was basically over. Fenway Park is a fantastic stadium, and I recommend it to any baseball fan.

9/23

We left our Plymouth campground and headed to Salisbury, MA. This campground has little to do around it, but Boston is only 1hr from where were staying. We went to Applecrest Farm Orchard in Hampton Falls, NH. It’s considered the oldest and largest orchard in NH. They serve fresh apple cider and apple cider donuts. The orchard has about 124 acres of apple trees, and the trees were packed with apples.

9/24

We booked a tour on the Freedom Trail in Boston, MA. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile walk that leads to 16 historical sites. The Freedom Trail has been preserved and kept by the citizens of Boston since 1951. Over 4 million people visit annually to see this historic Walkthrough in Boston, MA. The Trail tells us the story of the American Revolution and how Boston was at the center of the Revolutionary War. We started at the Old State House, where the English Government was located before the war. The Old Statehouse has magnificent statues: a golden lion representing England and a gold unicorn representing Scotland. In front of the State House was the site of the Boston Massacre of 1770. We then made our way to the King’s Chapel. We passed the Old Corner Bookstore and spent a decent time at the Granary Burying ground. This cemetery is the 3rd oldest in Boston, which makes the gravestones impossible to read. This cemetery is home to many revolutionary patriots such as Samual Adams (Not the beer guy), Paul Revere, John Hancock, and Robert Trait Pane. We grabbed some dim sum in China town and did plane spotting at Boston Logan International.

9/25

This morning was a chaotic mess. My dad and I were supposed to fly back to Raleigh for baseball, but Jet Blue canceled our flight. Due to the cancellation, we missed my tournament. My mom had to come back and pick us up in Boston. In the afternoon, we decided to visit Harvard University. Harvard is just one of the 35 colleges in the Boston area. We had a student-led tour that told us about the history; I even got to see Conan O’Brien. By the way, Harvard was a man college only until 1946.

9/27

We moved the RV from Salisbury, MA, to Sturbridge, MA. The drive was short, allowing us to go to the Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield. The Basketball HOF had many excellent exhibits, such as the wingspan and hand sizes comparison. Did you know that basketball started in Springfield, Massachusetts? The man who invented basketball goes by the name of James Naismith. It started with two peach baskets, a soccer ball, 9 players on each team, and 13 basic rules. The first game was played on December 21, 1891. My favorite exhibit was the basketball court at the bottom with the different hoops like in the old days. They let you shoot and play basketball on the court. The Basketball HOF was a total blast, and I’m not even a basketball fan.

New York

9/28

Today we moved from Sturbridge, MA, to Cooperstown, NY. In the morning, we went to the New England Air Museum to look at some old military and fighter planes and transport helicopters. It’s fascinating to look at older planes’ cockpits due to the complex buttons and challenges. Fun fact, a military pilot would sign an agreement saying they would buy the aircraft if they crashed it. After, we came back to the RV and headed to Cooperstown. The drive through the valleys and mountains was pretty because of the color-changing leaves. When we arrived in NY. The weather was frigid (42 degrees). We had the heat going the whole night in the RV.

9/29

Howe’s Cave is one of New York’s top natural attractions. The Cave sits 156 ft below the surface. You can find rivers and beautiful structures created by Limestone and water. The best structures, in my opinion, were the stalactites and the stalagmites. They are made when calcite and water drip on the roof or the floor creating a rock. You get to take a quick boat ride through the Venus river and see the Cave on water. My favorite part was the Winding Way. It’s a narrow and curvy section of the Cave that was barely wide enough for us to fit through. This Cave is a must-see when you visit the Cooperstown, NY area. We drove into Cooperstown, got a slice of pizza, and visited Baseballism and some other shops before heading home and watching a show.

9/30

We started the day off by going to the Baseball Hall of Fame. I got to see many artifacts from the best players in all of baseball. They have a Babe Ruth section that has many things that belong to him. It has a Yankee jersey, game-used bat, signed ball, and cleats. The hall of Fame is a great place to visit if you love baseball cards, baseball legends, or the game itself. Being a Hall of Famer gives a player great honor and pride. I say this because A Hall of Famer isn’t only chosen on his ability to play the sport but how he acts with friends, coaches, and his community. After we left the Hall of Fame, We got the RV ready to go to our campground and head to the Finger Lakes in New York. The drive is about 3hrs, so I got some work done. The campground is very nice, and it’s close to Canadaguia. I had a bp session, and then we went for dinner at a French restaurant. We also made friends with the owner, and my mom even spoke french with him.

10/1

We left the RV at around 7:00 am to make it in time for my 9:00 am glass blowing experience at the Corning Museum in Corning, NY. You get to make a glass pumpkin. You chose the color of the pumpkin and the stem. I went with a red and black pumpkin and a white stem. You don’t get to blow into the pumpkin due to COVID, so the experience was ruined, but you still get a gorgeous pumpkin as a result. After, we went inside the museum. I saw the Boeing 747 glass cockpit, optic fiberglass, and Corning glass. The Corning companies first product was tempered glass. This glass would not break or lose shape due to drastic temperature changes. They were steps ahead in the glass industry. The tempered glass was used in lanterns for railroads at night. Some time went on until they realized that they could use the glass for cooking, so they created the Pyrex. The museum had some beautiful glass structures. We even got to see a Canadian Artist, famous for her animal glass sculptures. She was here today to create a beautiful glass chicken.
We watched a bit of her show and then left the museum; we had a bite to eat, and then we headed for Watkins Glen State Park. We walked the gorge trail through the waterfall. The hike was easy, but the views and the gorge were stunning. We then drove to our Airbnb. We decided to rent an Airbnb because of its location. Our campground was very far from the activities we had booked for the day, so staying at an Airbnb made the most sense. We settled into our Airbnb and headed off to Ithaca, and decided to see Cornell’s campus. It is Appalachian State on steroids. You have 10 gorges surrounding the campus that all have bridges so you can drive over them. You also have mountains in the background. The campus is beautiful, and it’s another IVY league school.

10/2

We started with Taughannock Falls State Park. The waterfall was very impressive, and the trail was rugged, making it a more enjoyable hike.

After the hike, we stopped at a cider house so my parents could do some cider tasting. There were tons of yellow jackets flying around our food during the tasting. I used a fork as a smashing device and killed a few. We then went to a winery with a gorgeous view, and they even had a dog park for our dogs. There is a White Deer park located in the Seneca Army Depot committed to keeping the population of white deer safe. Before the white deer, The Army used to have an active ammunition storage and disposal facility from 1941 until 1990. The Seneca Army Depot had many of these metal igloos. These igloos had vast amounts of ammunition, and some believe there was even a bit of nuclear weaponry inside. The land stretches just under 10,600 acres. The white deer now inhabit this area, along with a few turkeys. There used to be around 300 white deer, but now only 100 sit on the property. The two main reasons are the land started to see hunters, and no one stopped them, and the other is how white deers can have babies, but the baby could be brown. Genetics is the only reason, which is very rare, mainly when transmitted. The new owner has created roads to experience the white deer from your car. Unfortunately, we didn’t see them, but we did see a few turkeys and regular deer. This was a conclusion to our two day trip to Ithaca. We drove back to the RV and watched the NC State football game.

10/3

It was very gloomy today. The forecast showed rain for the whole day, and there wasn’t anything planned. We did some cleaning up, planning, and French. After, we drove into Rochester, NY, to see my dad’s old college campus. We went to a pub so my dad could show us where he used to go with his friends. We also got to see where my great-grandmother lived in Rochester. We came back home and watched Squid Games.

10/4

We drove into Rochester and saw Lake Ontario. Lake Ontario is one of the Great Lakes. It’s 7,300 square miles of water surrounded by Canada and the U.S. To be honest, if you had told me it was an ocean, I would’ve believed them due to its size and the waves it produces. We stopped at a breakfast diner because we were very hungry. We drove to the museum of play. They have tons of pinball, arcade, and video games that are playable. The museum is a fun way to experience popular and old video games. We stopped by the University of Rochester to look at the business school so my dad could refamiliarize himself with his old college. It was about lunchtime, so we grabbed some Greek food and headed home. Dad and I did some baseball, hitting, and pitching.

10/5

We moved to our campground in Niagara Falls. It was only about a 2 hr drive. This allowed me to do some school work. After we arrived, we grabbed lunch at the first Wegmans and drove back to the RV. We grilled out for dinner and even met some of our neighbors.

10/6

I had a hitting session this morning. The facility had really nice tunnels. The guy who ran the business was very nice and knew a lot about baseball. After, we drove back to the R.V. and headed for Niagara Falls. We booked a tour through a company named Over the Falls. Our tour guide was funny and very informative. I learned that the falls produce enough electricity to supply 3.8 million homes. I also learned that some Canadians would trick people using a cable car. The cable car would travel over a giant whirlpool. Across the whirlpool, there was a landing, and the Canadians put fake U.S. flags to make people think they were in the U.S. you can’t lie; that’s pretty smart. This was quickly shut down by the police because it was illegal. Our main 2 attractions Were the Maid of The Mist and the Cave of The Winds. The boat took you into the falls, and the Cave allowed you to walk a path into the fall and get wet and experience 80mph winds and strong gusts. The falls are huge and beautiful to look at, especially at night. We went to buffalo N.Y. to get the original chicken wings and then headed back to the falls. The falls are lit up every night with red, yellow, purple, blue, and pink light. It’s nice to see them during the day, but the falls lit up at night are a spectacular sight.

10/7

We’re going home today; hard to believe, but we are. We have about an 11hr drive ahead of us. We had to wake up at 5:45 am to leave around 7:00 am. It takes quite a bit of time to get packed up and ready to go. You have to unhook the electrical, water, and sewage. We usually dump our waste the morning of, so that takes some time. After unhooking, we put the jacks up; these help us stay level when parked. Our last step is to bring the slides in and plug our destination into the GPS. The slides are the things that make the RV bigger when parked. You must get them in or you will be too big for the road and could cause serious danger. We drove through Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Virginia before making it to North Carolina. The ride was very smooth, and we even got to see some cool things along the way. We drove on the New River Gorge Bridge, it’s the 3rd highest vehicular bridge in the U.S. we also got to see Notre Dames Truck that carries all of Notre Dames’s football gear to their games. It was about 8pm before we made it to the storage area for the RV. We grabbed a few things from the RV and drove home. Today was a lot of driving, but I’m glad to be home.