Vacation 08!

We're baaack! We had a great trip to the Northeast and New England. It was one of the best, if not THE best vacation we've ever had. While planning it I basically had 4 options:

1. Do more, see more - but this may have been too much
2. Do less, see less - it wouldn't be too much but maybe not enough
3. Scrap the whole NE/New England plan altother
4. Split the difference between 1 & 2

Now that I know what I know and all the info. is in, I'm more convinced than ever that #4 is the best!

Here's how it played out:

On the way to Philly we went to Gettysburg and Valley Forge. In Philly we saw the Liberty Bell, Independance Hall, toured the US Mint, walked thru Chinatown, and bunch of misc. stuff. It was all walking distance from our hotel.

In NYC we went to Ellis Island (very emotional) and the Statue of Liberty. We got on the Today Show (twice), went to Chinatown, Little Italy, Ground Zero, Radio City Music Hall, and Central Park (mine and Molly's favorite!). We walked all the famous streets and part of the Brooklyn Bridge, saw Times Square at night, went to Giants Stadium, and 100 other things! NYC was everyone's favorite!

We swung thru Rhode Island on our way to Boston where we walked most of the Freedom Trail, went on a whale-watching cruise, and were in downtown for the pregame festivities of game 2 for the NBA finals versus the hated Lakers! For a long-time Celtics fan like me this was big!

When we left Boston we went to a lighthouse on the Maine coast , put our feet in the Atlantic (chilllly) and, then we drove thru beautiful New Hampshire and Vermont. On the way home we went to Dorney Park in Allentown, PA. (Be sure to watch the water ride video on full screen mode with your speakers up...and a towel!)

There were some late nights and early mornings; there were some late mornings followed by later nights. Fast food, good food, bad food, and late night ice cream. A lot of laughs and a few tears. Light moments and poignant ones. I got to run in downtown Philly (tricky), Central Park (a runner's paradise!), and Boston Common and Garden (you could feel the history of this park est. in 1634 and used by men like Franklin and Adams!)

I was reminded of what a great country we have, what an incredible creation God has made, what a good family I have, and how great it is to drive barefoot!

I learned that stereotypes are usually wrong, that GPS is wonderful, and that a golf ball on the floorboard gives a pretty good foot massage!

2211 miles, 11 states, 10 days, 5 individuals, 1 fortunate family!

Other things have and are happening this month so another update will come soon, but for now enjoy the web album (upper right) of our vacation (unless you don't want to!)

Love,
Keith, Kim, Molly, Kyle, and Blake