Wed Apr 27 – Travel day: flight from Boise to Newark/NYC

Flew from Boise to Newark via Chicago OHare. Had Chicago pizza, and wine at the wine bar at ORD. Got to Newark hotel at 11pm after taking a much-delayed AirTrain; Tommy the shuttle driver drove us, coming back to get us late in his shift, so gave him a $7 tip. Got to our very comfortable room at the Doubletree Hilton Penn Station, right next to and overlooking the main Newark train station. Good room with poor plumbing. Slept well after a long day of traveling. 

Thurs Apr 28 – Newark/NYC

Spent most of the day in NYC, taking the NJ Transit train from Newark Penn Station to NYC Penn Station, then getting on the connecting subway. First stop was Harlem, walking through the neighborhood and then for lunch at Red Rooster, owned by Marcus Samuelson, celebrity and former White House chef for Obama, having catfish with black eyed peas, collard greens, fried chicken, and cornbread (all delicious, especially the fish and beans), then saw the famous Apollo Theater and got a couple things from the gift shop; back on the subway to see a bit of Central Park (very north side), then to the WTC memorial and its reflecting pools, with lots of domestic and foreign tourists about; then to Greenwich Village, stopping for a happy hour glass of wine at Baker & Co (Italian), then dinner just across the street at John's Pizza of Bleecker St, having the Sasso pizza. Walked around Greenwich Village a bit, then finally, went to 232 Bleecker for some more wine and an excellent mushroom dish in anchovy and red pepper sauce, and the sticky carrot cake, before boarding the NJ Transit train back to our Newark hotel. 

Fri Apr 29 – Travel day: to Canton/Canton

Drove from Newark to Canton, about 6 hours through NY and parts of PA, checking into the Fairfield Inn in Canton, exercising a bit, then meeting Nico at his place on campus and talking to Cam, Nassir, and Hunter for a few minutes. Then went to dinner with Nico at the Cactus Cantina in Potsdam. 

Sat Apr 30 – SLU/Canton

Greg walked on the path around the cemetery and golf course near the hotel. Went to Walmart to get fruit and food to bring to senior day.  We got lunch at Nature’s Storehouse in Canton, getting recommendations on hikes and waterfalls around the area from staff at the store. Senior Day at the SLU outdoor courts. Nico wins doubles with his doubles partner for this year, first-year JG, then wins an exciting and close singles match in a second set tie-breaker to clinch the overall match and sending SLU to the Liberty League post-season tournament at Cornell. After picking up Nico and Cam on campus, had dinner with the Pankaus (David and Jennifer) and Turtledoves (Robert and Stacey and Nathan, SLU junior) at Jakes on the Water. Where David Pankau graciously treated the whole group to dinner over protests of others at the table.

Sun May 1 – Travel day: to Burlington. VT/Burlington

After meeting Nico to get his stuff to store in Portland for him, drove from Canton to Burlington, approximately 4 hours. Lunch en route at Adirondack Ale at Elf Farm for lunch and a taster of cider, excellent. Took the ferry across Lake Champlain from the dock in NY with our rental car. Greg rented a bike at Ski Rack and rode to the Air BnB. Arrived at Air BnB 165 N Champlain St in Burlington’s old North End. Unpacked, then went shopping at the Onion/City Market, kind of like the Boise Coop or maybe Whole Fools, then dinner at home. 

Mon May 2 – Burlington. VT

Cecil the cat came through the cat door to visit us. He would do this a few times a day, staying for maybe 10 to 15 minutes each time, then heading back to Genevieve’s side of the house. Greg biked the Colchester Causeway to the end, where bike ferry picks up, but not running yet as it’s a bit early in the year. Came back, rode down to waterfront and went to Foam Brewers, having a couple excellent Foam Brewers 6th anniversary IPAs. Busy class and client day for Lucia, but after she was done for the day, we took a nice walk along the lake, the went for a dinner of pho and bun at Saigon Vietnamese near our place, just a block away. 

Tues May 3 – Burlington. VT

Drove to Mt Philo and did hike to top and back, about two hours total. Then went back to the house, and Lucia had school work and zooms. 

While Lucia was busy with classwork, Greg went biking around to Burlington brewpubs: Zero Gravity, Burlington Beer Company, then Gryphon(bar), drank too much beer all in all. We had Air BnB owner Genevieve (a therapist) over for happy hour; after she left we walked to dinner at Pascolo on Church St, a ped only street in the heart of downtown Burlington, having the mushrooms with pappardelle in light cream sauce, with green beans. 

Wed May 4 – Burlington. VT

Rainy day, rained pretty much all day.  

Went on walk starting at Starr Dog Park, north towards Colchester Bridge.  Later that day, Lucia had class and Greg biked around town a bit, then went to Vermont Pub and Brewery; met Charlie and Alisa, from FL and NH, they met in AZ, now live in neighboring Winooski; he works at Dominican restaurant Cafe Mamawana, she in early childhood education. When he got back, we went shopping at City Market and then mand an excellent dinner at home of local beef, steelhead, and veggies, with an appetizer of local Vermont goat cheese. 

Thu May 5 – Burlington. VT

Ride in morning, 1 hr (Greg). We then drove to Stowe, VT: walked around downtown, went to Idletyme brewery. Drove to Waterbury and ate at Prohibition Pig. Drove back to Burlington, walked downtown for dinner to Church St (pedestrian zone). Ate at Honey Road at the far end of Church St. , serving Mediterranean/middle eastern mezze, sat at bar, had excellent tahini hummus, labneh, lamb, and asparagus. Decided it was better hummus than mine. Met Samantha, math/stat major at UV, now 30ish and managing a grocery store. 

Fri May 6 – Burlington. VT

Went on hike at Audubon Society of Vermont, doing the Hires and Warbler trails. After we got back home, Greg biked out to Winooski, went on Four Quarters Brewing, then to Speeder and Earl’s to get coffee, then Switchback Brewing in the south part of Burlington, rode back on Island Line trail mostly. Greg met family Julian, Molly and toddler Max at Four Quarters, and then at Switchback met George and Lynn, a couple our age, just moved from DC about 5 weeks ago. We walked to Church St for dinner at American Flatbread, with dessert at Leunig’s Bistro (fancy French place), where a number of couples and families were dining for a “special” evening. 

Sat May 7 – Burlington. VT

Rode Colchester Causeway again in the morning then dropped off rental bike at Ski Rack (G). Went on walk down to the waterfront then up through town to Church St, getting a shirt at the Vermont Flannel Company. Lucia had dinner with classmate Kate at Starry Night Cafe in Ferrisburgh (roasted asparagus, bed of creamed white beans, fried flatbread, mushroom lentil risotto - we need to go back here!); Lucia dropped Greg off in Vergennes, where Greg went to Hired Hand Brewery/Antidote in Vergennes, meeting Eric and Christian who work there, the brewer (Ian?) and Tim, sitting at bar, who developed software for NASDAQ and lives a few miles away. Talked about lots of trust fund money coming in, rising home prices, but about laws preventing new development. 

Sun May 8 – Travel day: Burlington to Portland, ME

Left Burlington in the morning and drove the ~ 4.5 hours, mostly on back roads, to Portland. Stopped along the way at One Love Brewery and Restaurant in Lincoln, NH for some food and beer tasters, sitting outside on the deck. Got to the Residence Inn Downtown Portland around 4pm. Went to dinner at Honey Paw, a short walk away, and had excellent ramen dishes and a Maine blueberry wine and a Riesling from the Finger Lakes region of NY. Dessert of caramelized honey ice cream. 

Mon May 9 – Portland, ME

Went for walk along waterfront to Fort Allen Park and beyond. Drove to Nico’s new apartment to drop off his stuff, meeting Mike Olsen, the building maintenance manager. Saw his place (unit 213). Drove around a bit and then walked around Commerce St in the neighborhood. For dinner, walked to Maine Mead Works for a drink, then to Eventide for seafood that included oysters, tuna tartare, black cod, mushrooms, and lobster roll. All very good. But the oysters, a selection of various Maine oysters, were particularly great. After dinner drink at the hotel, talked to Greg the bartender, who recommended J’s Oysters for seafood. 

Tues May 10 – Portland, ME

Walked around the waterfront and to Portland Food Coop. Greg biked to brewpubs, including Bissell (excellent, on the outskirts of Portland), Senago, Austin St, Oxbow, Goodfire, and Lone Pine Brewing. Dinner at J’s Oysters: Lobster Scampi and Boullibase, and oysters, good but not nearly as good as at Eventide. After dinner drink at the hotel lounge, with Greg the bartender again tending bar. 

Wed May 11 – Travel day: Portland to North Conway, NH

Drove from Portland, ME to North Conway, NH. Lunch at the Met cafe on the main strip in North Conway. Went to the Red Elephant BnB where we had booked a stay. After seeing the disorganized and disheveled state of the place, not to mention the breath of the innkeeper, we made a run for it out the door. Booked a two night stay at the North Conway NH Residence Inn instead, which was a big improvement, although we had been looking forward to staying at a traditional New England B&B. Hiked at the Albany Covered Bridge area, with dinner of steak, salmon, veggies, salad at the hotel. 

Thurs May 12 – North Conway, NH

Left mid-morning for the Mt. Washington Cog Railway, operating since 1869. Took the noon departure for the approx. 3 hour round trip to the top of Mt. Washington. Mostly clear day with light winds, very mild compared to usual conditions. Walked around the grounds, saw the weather observation buildings, saw multiple ski areas in the distance, and met a few fellow travelers: young couple from Mass celebrating her 27th birthday; couple from NJ who were staying at the Mt. Washington Resort.  Stopped by the Resort on the way back, looked at some of the historic rooms, including a room where the Bretton Woods Accord was signed. Drove back, stopping at a few waterfalls and did a bit of hiking. Had dinner at Sea Dog Brewery, where Lucia had a whole lobster :) Shared some very good Deep Stowage IPA. Went back to the Albany Covered Bridge Park for an after-dinner walk. Greg removed tick from below waist in the middle of the night, which fortunately came out whole. 

Fri May 13 – Travel day: North Conway, NH to Portsmouth, NH

After shopping at the LL Bean outlet in North Conway, drove ~1.5 hours to Portsmouth. Walked around town, including the Market Street area, stopping for lunch at Durbar Square, a Nepalese place, for goat chili and wild boar ribs. Unique and spicy. Walked around Prescott Park on the river, and then around town some more. Then to Martindale Wharf for drinks and a light dinner (this place was recommended by the family Greg met a Four Quarters Brewery in Winooski/Burlington), sitting on the back patio with a great view of the Piscataqua River and passing boats. Dessert of a Paris-Brest pastry at La Maison Navarre (MN). 

Sat May 14 – Portsmouth, NH

Went to the Strawbery Banke historical neighborhood/museum, spending a couple hours touring the buildings and grounds, listening to a few great historical role players, including a governor’s wife, a tavern owner, and a WW2 era shop owner. Very interesting.  It was the hottest and most humid day of the trip, otherwise we might have stayed there even longer. Went for lunch at the River House, going first back to Martindale Wharf for a drink since there was a 50-minute wait at River House. After lunch stopped by the Lett (?) house, a historic monument, then back to the hotel to rest. Dinner at Portsmouth Brewery, which been there since 1991.  (Greg visited this place around 1993, when Mike was living in Concord, NH.  The logo/sign is different now bu the location is the same). Then an after dinner walk across a bridge to nearby Four Tree Island, back to the Market Street area for dessert, including a Kir drink, again at MN (La Maison Navarre). 

Sun May 15 – Travel day: Portsmouth, NH to Lake George, NY

Drove in the morning from Portsmouth, NH to Lake George, NY, approximately 4 hours, going through Woodstock and Killington, VT before stopping to get lunch food from the food coop in Rutland, VT. Made it into Lake George around 3pm, then went to the Adirondack Winery tasting room, the Adirondack Pub and Brewery for a snack, and finally, the 163 Taproom, which had a great bison chili and a long list of local beers, including some from Brooklyn, and some local whiskies, of which we partook. Removed black widow from balcony. Wonderful view of Lake George from our balcony.

Mon May 16 – Lake George, NY

Planned to go to the chariot horse racing in Saratoga springs, but there was a severe weather warning so did not end up traveling there for the horse races. Greg drove there to get a shot glass from Skidmore, and made a stop at Walmart for water. Instead had fun in the room. Dinner was Giuseppes pizza next to the hotel, the margarita with mushrooms, along with a bottle of Adirondack Cab Franc (picked up from the tasting room down the street), and ate on the balcony of our scenic 6th floor room overlooking Lake George. 

Tues May 17 – Lake George, NY

Greg went on a great bike ride up the Prospect Mountain Highway to the top of Prospect Mtn. The road was closed to cars so was very peaceful. 1,830 ft climbing total. About 2 hour round trip with stops. Got back to hotel and had coffee. Then we left to get tickets for a noon lake cruise on the Mohican, operated by the Lake George Steamboat Company. Walked around Lake George a bit, then boarded at 1130am. Nice cruise to Bolton Landing and back, seeing some lakeside homes of the very rich on the lake’s west side (Millionaire’s Row). Including the owner of the Boston Red Sox, Andy Rooney, etc. After the cruise, headed to Saratoga Springs, where Greg soaked in a mineral bath at the Roosevelt Bath and Spa, while Lucia spent time in the Relaxation Room. Had a beer and snacks at Druthers Brewery in the old downtown area of Saratoga Springs. Back to the hotel, with a dinner of filet mignon after some wine and snacks on the balcony. 

Wed May 18 – Travel day: Lake George, NY to Potsdam, NY

Our last morning here.  Greg did bike ride from Lake George on the Warren County Bikeway, about 10 miles out to Glens Falls, then back, dropping off the bike at the rental shop and then walking back to the hotel. Departed Lake George around 10 am for Potsdam, NY after a stop for lunch at Long Lake, with the regular and veggie burgers good but the waitress a bit grumpy and surly. Got to the Raquette River Air BnB to meet Bob, the host, at around 230pm. Did some shopping at Chip’s for salmon and then in town at the Potsdam Food Coop for dinner then back home. Greg kayaked on the river a bit, then we had wine and apps, followed by a nice dinner of salmon and broccoli. 

Thurs May 19 – Potsdam, NY

First full day at River Cottage in Potsdam. Started raining in the morning and kept raining most of the day. Also, this was the day Greg realized he needed to submit one important retirement form, so spend much of the day dealing with printers, etc. Submitted form as a pdf.  Picked up Porter at the local airport (Ogdensburg), then picked up Nico and we went to Jake’s on the Water for dinner, very nice, splitting their excellent wood-fired pizza and beet salads, with the boys having a special drink concocted for the SLU graduation. Dropped Nico back off at his place on campus.

Fri May 20 – Potsdam, NY

Greg went kayaking across the Raquette River to Jake’s, then when Porter got up, went again together across the river. We all went on a walk around the SUNY Potsdam campus in warm and slightly humid conditions. Picked up food for dinner at the Potsdam Food Coop, then back home. Picked up Nico from campus at 330pm and we all went back to the cottage. Porter made dinner of tofu and rice noodles, then we dropped them both back at campus, since Porter was spending on the night on campus (where they ended up going out to the local bars with friends). After dropping them off, we went back to Jake’s for an after-dinner drink (a local Hudson Whisky) and dessert. 

Sat May 21 – Potsdam, NY

Day before SLU graduation. After coffee outside, kayaking again on the river. Walked around the Coney Island neighborhood of Hannawa Falls where our place is.  Departed after noon to Nico’s townhouse, arriving around 1pm for pizza, beer.  Stayed for a couple hours, met Hunter’s parents Scott and Jen, Joe’s girlfriend Gaby’s mom and sisters, saw the Pankau’s, Cam’s girlfriend Vivian. Went back to the Air BnB to hang out for a while, then back to Nico’s around 9pm to hang out. Met Joe’s parents Dave and Val, and brother Daniel, as well as Gaby’s dad.  Watched all the college students do shots in the kitchen! After watching that we drove back home. 

Sun May 22 – Potsdam, NY

Nico’s graduation day! Left for SLU around 845am to get to the ceremony a bit early. Got there by 930am and sat pretty close to the front.  Long ceremony with many speeches, finished around 1pm. Met Nico outside with friends, Cam, Eve, Nasair, Vivian, others. Coach Neil Caniga showed up to see Nico, Cam, and Quinn graduate. Walked back to the townhouse to hang out for a bit. Cam’s parents Jennifer and David there, and they gave Nico a large bag of David’s business clothes for Nico to use at work (David recently retired as Blue Cross SC CEO). Left to go back to river place, stopping by for lunch at Cactus Grill, but they were still closed, so we picked up food at the Potsdam Food Coop. Hung out at the place for the rest of the day, which turned rainy in the early afternoon. Watched Warriors game 3 of NBA Conference Finals against Dallas, which they won to go up 3-0 in series. 

Mon May 23 – Potsdam, NY

Early morning kayaking on river with Lucia. Hiked at Saddlemire and Basford Falls near Tooley Pond Rd. Went to Canton Nature’s Storehouse to get lunch to go and ate it outside. Then to the SLU Brewer bookstore, and walked around campus one last time. Went back to our river place, then kayaked on the Raquette again. Dinner with Porter at the Cactus Grill Mexican restaurant in Potsdam (where G dropped his credit card after 2 margaritas and had to call the next day to ask them to cut it up :) 

Tues May 24 – Travel day: Potsdam, NY to Boston, MA

Greg had coffee and breakfast down at the waterfront, sitting at the end of our boat dock. We left our river cottage at around 9am to drop Porter off at the Syracuse airport. From there, it was an additional five hours drive to our hotel in Boston. Actually Dedham, the Dedham Corporate Center Hilton. Went out and got dinner at the Temezcal Tequila restaurant nearby, a 15-minute walk away. Watched part of the Warriors game and then went to bed…they got off to a bad start and ended up losing to Dallas to make it a 3-1 Warriors series at that point in the Conference Finals. 

Wed May 25 – Boston, MA

Had breakfast at the hotel, quite mediocre despite it being a Hilton, then we boarded the 848am commuter rail train from the Dedham station in to South Station in Boston. Bought our 7-day subway passes (aka Charlie Card) then got on the subway at South Station and went around Boston, starting at Harvard, where they were setting up for graduation at the Harvard Yard. Went to MIT where Greg got a shot glass, then back on the subway (the “T”), got off at Park Street and meandered on the Freedom Trail through the government center on our way to Neptune’s oyster bar, where we had an incredible lunch suggested by Katrina; spent a lot of money but it was great…we had the pasta with clams and Bottarga, the sardine salad, oysters and the clam chowder which was great although it didn’t actually have many clams in it. Did you know it’s against the law in Boston to add tomato to clam chowder? Got a pistachio cannolo at Mike’s bakery (cash only as are a number of old-time places in Boston). Pretty tired at this point…walked back to Park Street station, with a stop at the Beantown pub. Made our way back to the hotel, where we rested for about an hour, then drove to Lexington to meet up with Katrina and Harry at their house on Muzzy St. for dinner at The Inn at Hastings Park’s Town Meeting Bistro, a 15-minute walk from their place. Quite good but nothing incredible.  Very comfortable dining room, though, and the martinis were good.  Walked back to their house for dessert. Met their son Sevak who was recovering from Covid. Drove back home and went right to sleep. 

Thurs May 26 – Boston, MA

After breakfast at the hotel we departed around 930am for a short walk to catch the 948am train into South Station. Took the subway to Park/Boston Common and then walked around the Beacon Hill area, ending up on the Black History trail. Beacon Hill is a wealthy part of Boston, with lots of old cobbled streets. On the advice of a Boston policeman, saw Acorn St., paved with the original stones. Made our way to the Bowdoin subway station, and went to the Aquarium stop. After having lunch outside at the Bean and Leaf Café, boarded the 1pm Duckboat for a tour of about 80 min. From our funny tour guide: did you know that the Bostonians did all the work while Philadelphia just filed the paperwork? LOL Got off the boat at 2:30, headed straight to Bunker Hill. Saw Nico’s place where he lived on Bunker Hill Rd with Cam during a semester when SLU was remote due to covid. Went to the Warren Street Pub, which is been there since 1780, and the only Bunker Hill building that didn’t burn during a huge fire in the area. Had dinner at the Antica Forno a Legno restaurant in North End for our 25th Anniversary dinner. Great wood-fired pizza. Then went back to South Station where we missed our train and ended up at Biddy Early’s bar a few blocks away. Sat for a bit, had a Jamieson’s, and then we took the train from South Station back to the hotel in Dedham. Watched the Warriors clinch a spot in the NBA Finals, beating Dallas 4-1. Total walking for the day, about 20,000 steps. 

Fri May 27  – Boston, MA

After a poor night’s sleep, Lucia work up feeling run down from all the activity of the prior day. While she stayed and rested at the hotel, Greg went to get her more Pellegrino, then took the 1048am commuter rail back to South Station, then the T Green Line out to see Fenway Park, stopping in for a drink at the Bleacher Bar, famous for its Green Monster outfield wall cutout, where you can sit and see the field from an approximate 10x20 foot viewing portal. There is even a viewing window directly above the urinals in the men’s room. After Fenway, took the T to Haymarket and had lunch at the Boston Public Market and got some MA honey before wandering through the Boston Common and Public Garden, seeing the Memorial Day flag display, then heading to South Station to meet Lucia, who took the 148pm commuter train into town. We took the T to the Andrew Square stop, then walked about a half mile to Sophie and Dylan’s place on Dorchester St.  We met Dylan, then went down with Sophie to Broadway and had drinks at Lincoln. Sophie talked about her family, especially Annie’s string of problem boyfriends. Didn’t hang out too long, as Sophie and Dylan were headed to the airport that evening for a long weekend trip to Iceland, only about 5 hours away from Boston (shorter than our flight to SF). Back to the T, headed to Barcelona Wine Bar near on Tremont St., not far from the Back Bay T stop. Getting late at this point so took a Lyft back to the hotel and packed for the morning’s departure. 

Sat May 28 – Travel day: Boston, MA to San Francisco, CA (overnight layover)

Last full day of our trip! But at this point we are both ready to be back home in Boise. It’s been a great trip, close to 5 weeks, with Nico having a magical Senior Day on the tennis court and graduating a few weeks later, and having Porter with us too. And we saw a lot of New England and the Northeast. In order: Newark/NYC, Canton NY/SLU (Senior Day), Burlington VT, Portland ME, White Mountains - North Conway NH, Portsmouth NH, Lake George NY, Potsdam NY (SLU graduation), and Boston MA. 9 stops in all…10 if you count SF! 

Lessons learned for next time: try and stay at an Air BnB (or at least a Residence Inn) for anything over 2 nights…we seem to prefer having a kitchen and doing at least breakfast and lunch with our own cooking. When it’s all restaurants all the time, we don’t eat as healthy, Greg drinks too much, and we spend a lot more money (although most of the restaurants we’ve been to on this trip have certainly been worth it). Get lots of exercise, as we mostly did, with Lucia sleeping in and having focus time in the morning while Greg goes out. Rent a bike wherever possible. Keep a travelog. 

As far as the day, got up before 5am, packed up and headed to the Boston Logan Airport, dropping off the rental car and schlepping our bags to the Alaska Air counter to check in, paying an extra $70 since our duffel bag was 10 lbs overweight from all the stuff we’ve picked up on the trip. Boarded an 8am flight for a smooth 6-hour trip to SFO. Checked into the Grand Hyatt SFO (Room 1240, top floor, runway view). Then took BART to Powell St station and walked to Union Square. Sad to see so many places boarded up. Lots of homeless folks wandering around. Went to the bar where Hotel Monaco used to be, now called The Marker, and the old bar area had been modified so no luck getting a drink and bite there. Went across the street for a bite at the Bota Tapas Bar, then up Taylor St to the 707 Sutter Korean restaurant. Both places had edible food but neither particularly good or memorable. The “bar” for restaurant quality on this trip was very high and these places ranked at the bottom unfortunately. Picked up an excellent bottle of wine on the way back to BART at the Napa Valley Winery Exchange on Taylor St. (2013 The Owl and the Oak, M-G Vineyards), owner super knowledgeable about wine regions, even knew all about the Finger Lakes in NY. Went back to the hotel to watch the action at the airport, drink wine, and rest. Our room is directly across from SFO’s International Terminal, so saw large AirFrance, China Air, and other international carriers come and go. 

Sun May 29 – Travel day: San Francisco, CA to Boise, ID

Got up at 4am to have coffee and relax a bit before packing up and leaving the hotel. Had several espressos with the Nespresso machine in our room, then headed to the AirTrain to T2 and boarded our 8am flight back to BOI. Our neighbor Mark picked us up from the airport and 15 minutes later we were back home.

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