One important item on my cancer journey bucket list is
spending time with my family, so I recently visited my son, Jonathan, his wife,
Christine, and their two children, Austin (9) and Ashley (7) at their home in
Westford, Massachusetts. Since they live close to Boston, an area of
significant historical importance to our country, I was also able to visit a
few of these sites, as well.
Included on my tour (thanks to my daughter-in-law’s research
and scheduling services) were:
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| Austin, me and Ashley at North Bridge |
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The North Bridge at Concord, where the minutemen exchanged gunfire with the British Redcoats at the beginning of the Revolutionary War.
- The home in Concord where author, Louisa May Alcott, lived and wrote the book, Little Women, in 1868.
- Walden Pond in Concord, where Henry David Thoreau lived in a tiny cabin from 1845-1847, and recorded his experiences in the book, Walden.
- The U.S.S. Constitution, a 44-gun frigate, which was built in Boston and launched in 1797 as part of the Naval Armament Act signed into law by our first president, George Washington.
But my favorite destination was our trek to York, Maine.
Being a Food Network fan, I longed to try an authentic Maine lobster roll, and
I wasn’t disappointed. This quaint little town hugged the coastline, about an
hour away from Westford, MA. We happened upon a tiny, weathered-board building
called the Shore Road Restaurant, and as you can see in the photo above, I
was thrilled with my choice. From there, we moseyed on over to the Nubble
Lighthouse, built in 1879, high up on the cliffs at Cape Neddick.
When we pulled into the parking lot, I noticed several cars
parked with passengers sitting inside. How could they experience this beautiful
setting—the bright sunshine, gorgeous blue sky, seagulls gliding overhead, and
the sound of the rolling waves crashing against the rocky shore—from inside
their vehicles?
As soon as our car came to a halt, we all piled out—or tried
to. I couldn’t get my door open. Was it locked? Was it stuck? Turns out, it was
the gale force winds, pushing against the side of the vehicle. But we forged
ahead—in spite of the knowing smiles of those parked nearby.
What should have been a pleasant 60-degree, sunny day, plunged
the chill factor to 30 degrees instead. We leaned forward into the 45 mile per
hour wind to begin our ascent to the edge of the cliff for a better view of the
ocean and lighthouse above. My granddaughter, Ashley, lost her battle with the stiff
breeze, but her mother grabbed hold before she took flight. Winnie the Pooh and
Pigglet have nothing on her—this was a blustery day—and then some!
We quickly realized the folly of our adventure, took turns
on the park bench for a few snapshots before our fingers and toes froze, and then
headed back to the car. In the photo at right are Austin, Ashley, me and Christine at the Nubble Lighthouse. Below I'm on the bench with my son, Jonathan.
But, in spite of our battle with the winds of York, it was a fun day of family memories for me to treasure forever!
Thanks Hander Family for a Fun New England Vacation!
