August 31, 2009
We left NJ this morning, heading for Springfield, MA. I got the directions from a website. I had no idea they would take me over the George Washington Bridge and through a part of Manhattan. It was not fun. There were far too many cars piloted by aggressive drivers. I am sure that they have to be that way in order to survive out there, but it was highly stressful for me. At one point, Bill thought he'd gone the wrong way and there were no signs on the road telling us where we were, so we had to ask at the tollbooth. We were on the right road. Phew! It was crazy! I was so glad to be out of that mess. Then once we got beyond Stamford, CT, things eased up and we were out of the urban insanity. Bill told me that Springfield is the second largest city in Massachusetts. I did not know that. In any case, it was a pleasant afternoon. Bill lived here decades ago, but of course it all looked unfamiliar.
September 1, 2009
We're in Vermont!! YIPPEE!! It is beautiful here. Green everywhere. As heather pointed out, the very name of the state means “green mountain” and that is what we're surrounded by. OK, so they aren't exactly mountains by Alaska or even Oregon standards. But they are green, with just a hint of yellow and red starting. Soon the color will explode, I guess.
We stopped at a welcome center that was really nice—we got lots of information and there was some great art to look at—including a textured woven rug and a knitted baby sweater.
We got to White River Junction at midday. Bill lived here in the 70s and he was able to recognize some things. We will stay here until Thursday so he has a chance to explore his old stomping grounds and then we will move along to Burlington on the last leg of our trip. We are about 90 miles away now.
