Day 11-12 drive to Maine

So, this was easily the scariest drive I've ever been behind the wheel for. All was cool until about 3:00 AM when the first Moose sign appeared. I slowed down and turned on the brights. This may have caused issues for other drivers, except I was literally the only car on the road.

After stopping at a rest stop and reading the Maine DOT's warnings and advice about driving and wildlife, I only became more concerned. Apparently, deer eyes are roughly at headlight level and so reflect well, but moose are too tall and you don't see them until you are slamming into them. When I returned to the road, I drove even slower and began to wish i'd invested in one of those deer whistles.

At around 4:00, I was exhausted after another long Moose Alert zone, so I pulled over for a nap. I woke up at 5:00 to the sun already high in the sky - love those northern summers.

Never saw a moose.

Day 11: New London

Brian, Bailey and I went to Devil's Hopyard SP this morning. The top attraction is certainly Chapman Falls. 

Today is Swab Day at the CGA, with 250 new cadets getting sworn in and 6 weeks of hell beginning once their parents drive off.  From all I could tell, there seemed to be a lot of yelling and chanting, but I left the festivities for a little touring of campus.

After some fantastic smoked meats (thanks Barret), I began the long drive northward to Bar Harbor.

Day 10: Connecticut coast

I started the day at the annual Sousa show at the USCGA. Brian's band performed well. Although I gather this is not their favorite collection of music, the audience ate it up.


After a short side trip, we headed to the beach at Westbrook and the fantastic New Deal Steakplace. It doesn't really matter what they served, with that name and pictures of FDR all around, I was gonna love it.

Later, we enjoyed cold Genesse Ice on the beach, July 2nd fireworks (because Connecticut knows when that paper was signed) and a trip to the summer only Dairy Queen. After returning to Oakdale, Brian and I had a pitcher at Mugsy's, a fine local establishment, where we learned about the upcoming pig roast and demolition derby - Sadly, I will be rafting that day...

Day 9: Connecticut

After a brief stay at a fading house party, Brian and I went up to
the Mohegan Sun Casino. I was definitely skeptical of Brian
enthusiasm, but WOW, what a place. We caught the encore of a TMBG
free show ("I Was Sad", "Istanbul" and a tune I couldn't place) and
walked around the facility. It struck me that there were many
similarities to the Atlantis in the non-gambling embellishments.

Incidentally, I think there is a commentary to be made about a WNBA
franchise that not only plays in a casino, but is named for it when
the league doesn't want to put a team in Vegas....I just don't know
what the commentary is....

Day 8-9 Wilkes-Barre

So, I think Mark and Rochelle now hold the record for earliest
evacuation in a new town at just 7 days (or 6?). You'd never know by
seeing their place: I must say that I'm impressed how together it
looks after just a week - my apartment doesn't flow that well and
i've been there for 2 years.

For all the ribbing Mark does, WB seems like a nice place, and
apparently there are some great laundromats just across the river.

Day 8: Gettysburg

These berries are growing all over on Little Round Top. I don't know
if they were here 143 years ago and I imagine that the men who
fought here weren't paying much notice.

This place is so serenely beautiful. As with any battlefield, it is
hard to envision the horror that touched these fields.

Day 7: Gettysburg

I cannot believe the amazing history of this battlefield: over 14,000 individual memorials and countless individual stories.

This photo is of the field where "Pickett's Charge" took place on July 3, 1863.