A Short Trip to Washington...August 9-13

We were able to see Nicholas out in Walla Walla! It was a fun combination of seeing him and sightseeing in the area.  Our highlight was on the morning after we arrived.  We were slated to see Nicholas after he was done at work.  We were sitting outside having a hearty breakfast at one of the several great breakfast place when guess who walked by on his way to work?!  We were all amazed and it was a fun meeting!  It's a good example of how small Walla Walla really is.  

Our second highlight was that the hotel we stayed at, the Finch, had free bikes we could borrow!  How fun is that!  We biked around campus one day and made our way further out to the surrounding neighborhoods and to Pioneer Park (very old, very tall trees here) on another day.   Walla Walla is well-known for their wineries. We did a tasting a L' Ecole but we both agreed the complexities were mostly lost on us.  Our drive out to the countryside outside Walla Walla was eye-opening.  It was very arid and sparsely populated with farms miles from one another.  It was also very hot while we were there (105) and we were surprised to learn the peak of the heat was around 5pm.  Nicholas brought us to many different restaurants in the evenings. We also were introduced to Andy's Market. It was great to spend time with him!

New England Adventures...July 25-29

Camping at Lake Pawtuckaway in NH!  We tried a new campground this year.  We stayed on Horse Island at Pawtuckaway State Park.  The days were marked with the number of mosquito bites one could rack up!  Unfortunately, that seemed a direct result of the rainy days from earlier in the month.  Two different groups tried two different hikes and came back with their own bug stories (and bites/welts).  A trip to the grocery store was even needed to purchase calamine lotion!

That being said, this was an interesting campground.  It was a long drive in from the entrance through conserved land.  Our area was in the middle of the island, but the campsites were large and water views were a stroll away.  Lake Pawtuckaway was actually two smaller ponds that were merged for mill purposes.  It is unusual in that it has small islands and plenty of submerged rocks.  A first for us was seeing cairns on a lake to denote rocky spots!

In the end, the reviews for this campground were mixed.  There is definitely some nostalgia and a desire to return to White Lake, but on the other hand, this lake had plenty of interesting spots to kayak.

New England Adventures...June 18 -28

Happy anniversary on the lake!  The end of Michele and Adelaide's school year brought us to a two week stay on Highland Lake in Maine.  We frolicked on the lake with friends, kayaks, canoes, paddleboats, and paddleboards!  When not on the lake, the lakeside hammock beckoned for a leisurely read or an afternoon nap.  The challenging 1000 puzzle supplied by the house kept us entertained.  Carol is the master jigsaw puzzler!

John hiked one day. Later when we ordered pizza from an OLD menu, we found the Old Speck pizza--the very mountain he climbed.  Although it was not a current option, there was an old timer who could recreate it for us.  We also went adventuring for some craft breweries. One day we wandered all over without success until we found the Bunker Brewing Company in Portland.  They had outdoor seating which is always a plus during covid. The place itself was in a converted auto repair building.  The laugh was really on us after that afternoon of meandering though. For what did we find right down the street from the the local grocery store near us?  An industrial park with 4 craft breweries:  Foundation, Battery Steele, Austin St, and Allagash!  Too many for us to explore, but we tried one and took home from another.

The view from the master bedroom was amazing! John and Michele awoke one morning at 4 am to see the spectacular sunrise over the lake.  The house itself had everything you could want.  It had a finished basement which was great for the teens.  The adults forayed in occasionally for a game of ping pong.  The hot tub was put to use and we had many a meal on the deck.

What a way to kick off summer!