Looks like I forgot to post what Sharon and I did on May 26th!!! We went into Manhattan for a performance of "Phantom of the Opera". We say in the first row!!! We also visited the United Nations and shopped at "Daffy's" clothes store.

June 10th. Drove home through the Piney Woods in NJ. Saw Carranzo's Monument and a cemetery where a Civil War soldier is buried at the site of an old African Church from the early 1800's

June 9th--Drove around the mall in DC -- early in the morning. Walked up to Arlington House. Then Sharon and I drove to Mt Vernon and Washington's tomb. Then over to Wolf's Den for a performance of "Jesus Christ Superstar" with Ted Neeley. We also stopped at the Great Falls waterfall area. Drove out Route 50--over the scary Chesapeake Bay Bridge--and stayed in Delaware.

June 8--Drove to Washington DC. Went first to Frederick Douglas' home. We could see it up on the hill but we arrived too late to tour it. We drove into Old Town Alexandria and took the walking tour. Saw places where George Washington and General Robert E. Lee frequented. We also drove around the huge Masonic Monument to George Washington

5-20-07 Today, Sharon and I made it up to the Weston/Ridgefield area to visit the Weir Farm Historic Site. It was a great spring day, so the walk to the pond was nice. We didn't wait for the tour, but just looked through the windows into the artists' old studios. Even better was our next stop--the Keeler Tavern. Great to go inside a place where it is reported that Patriots (including George Washington) met to discuss plans during the Revolutionary War. During the skirmish that took place in Ridgefield with the British, a cannonball lodged in the outside wall and it's still there

5-19-07 Brought Jesse to a totally hands-on museum for the preschooler-set today. Called "The Children's Place", it's in New Haven, and it's the coolest place!! We went over to eat afterwards at Atticus Book Store.

On April 22nd, Sharon and I took the train into Manhattan (Grand Central Station). We walked all the way down Park, and then Lexington down to the Lower East Side. We had a fascinating tour of the Tenement Museum which is a well-preserved actual look at what life was like for immigrants who lived there from 1863 - 1935. It was where the garment district began. We walked over to Little Italy for a great lunch, then back to the train by way of Lafayette St, past Union Square and up Park again. We happened across the armory where the 69th New York regiment had their base during the Civil War.

On April 19th, Sharon and I took Dylan, Jesse, Nick and Julia to the Barnum Museum in Bridgeport, CT. There were interesting items there related to the original circus, but most interesting were the personal items that once belonged to Tom Thumb including the carriage he rode around town in and his bed, chair, boots, hat and cane. Later, Jesse and I drove through Seaside Park to see the statue of PT Barnum.

On April 18th, Sharon and I enjoyed a walk on the boardwalk at Silver Sands State Park in Milford, CT

On April 16, Sharon and I drove through Milford CT to see the extent of the flooding from the Nor'easter. There wasn't as much as I expected. Some flooding around Gulf Beach area (with one stranded motorist who tried to drive through) and some more flooding around the duck pond in the center of town.

Today, 4/14/07, Sharon and I took Jesse to Fort Griswald in Groton, Ct--the site where Benedict Arnold and British soldiers came ashore and killed the soldiers stationed in the fort in 1781 (they also burned 150 buildings in New London). We also drove past both casinos (Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun) and through both the Pequot and Mohegan Reservations. We stopped at a Native American burial ground and at Yantic Falls--the site where one group of warriors was chased off the cliff to their deaths by another tribe.

Just got back home from a 3-day weekend in Stowe, VT. Laura and I stayed at the Green Mountain Inn which is on the Register of National Historic Places. Visited Mt. Mansfield ski area, watched a cross-country ski competition, took a horse-drawn sleigh ride at the Trapp Family Lodge (family from the movie "Sound of Music"), and took a snowshoe hike around the back of Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream factory. LOTS of snow and icicles everywhere. VERY cold. Ate at the New England Culinary Institute in Montpelier. Also drove through Deerfield Village, Mass. (site of the 1704 Deerfield Massacre) on the way up. Drove past Vermont's State House, where in 1777, their constitution was drawn up.

1/24/07 I attended an event held at New Haven Public Library. In attendance were descendents from the 29th Connecticut Colored Regiment who spoke about their efforts to raise money for a monument to, hopefully, be unveiled Sept. 2007. There was also a man who portrayed Pvt. James Webb of the 29th. It was quite an inspiring portrayal.

Last night, 1/15/07, I attended a Milford Historical Society meeting to hear a talk given by Pulitzer Prize winning author Edwin G. Burrows (his book "Gotham" won the award). He spoke about his upcoming book called "Prisoners of New York" about the prisoners taken by the British during the Revolutionary War, many of whom were housed on prison ships, and some of whom contracted smallpox and were dumped on the beach in my town (Milford CT). Most of them died shortly afterwards, including Capt. Stephen Stowe who doctored them, and are buried in a mass grave in town.

This weekend, 1/14/07, stopped at Boothe Park in Stratford CT. One of the Boothe family members fought in the Civil War and died at Barlow's Knoll in Gettysburg. The family eventually donated the land for the park as well as a few very interesting buildings on the property. One is a lighthouse. One houses quite a few interesting collections of items including a collection of Civil War artifacts. The old toll booth from the Merritt Parkway was moved to the park and actually looks pretty there.