Walt Disney World: A Round Up of My Thoughts

Several years ago, I did a countdown to a Disney trip I was taking by writing something about the park each day for like 100 days. It was massive and I think I had to backdate a few posts but I did it!

However, it was several years ago and Walt Disney World has made a lot of changes since then.

I recently got back from Walt Disney World and I thought I would discuss my thoughts on some of the latest changes and additions to the parks.

Here we go!

74 Days to Go: Downtown Disney

Are you a shopaholic? Do you have a long list of people to buy souvenirs for and don't want to visit every park to get something for them? Well, there's a solution: Downtown Disney.

Downtown Disney is home to the World of Disney, a store with every souvenir for everyone on your list. Many things that are sold in the various stores throughout the parks are also sold here. If you have a AAA card, you can also get a discount on your purchases. If you need Christmas souvenirs, like how my family buys a yearly Disney Christmas ornament for our tree, Disney's Days of Christmas store is your destination. Legoworld and Ghirardelli's Chocolates are also located in this part of the World.

If you are a collector of the Disney Trading Pins, and I mean you have books of these things like my cousins, then you will love the Disney Pin Trading Hut. If you are new to the world of Disney pins, this also a good place to begin your collection, even if it ends up being a dozen or so pins on a few different lanyards like mine.

Downtown Disney was also the site of Pleasure Island, which was several night clubs with various themes. However, they closed last September. Disney plans to put in more stores and restaurants in their place.

The West End of Downtown Disney hosts La Nouba, a show presented by Cirque de Soleil. There is also an AMC movie theater--but who honestly goes to Disney to go to the movies? A giant Virgin Megastore also is located in the West End. The big attraction here, though, is Disney Quest--a five floor building which hosts many interactive games children can play. Admission, like most of these, is separate from your Disney ticket (though admission to Disney Quest is on the premium annual pass). A favorite of mine in Disney Quest is the Cyber Space Mountain, which allows you to not only make your own roller coaster but ride it as well courtesy of a hydraulic chamber.

Downtown Disney is also good for dining options, but I'd recommend the Earl of Sandwich. It serves delicious sandwiches and salads. A warning--this place is very popular and has limited seating. My father usually leaves his order with one of us and then goes to stake out a table.

So I would definitely plan a day to go to Downtown Disney. And stay tuned for Disney Secret #2 (coming soon--I don't know how often I want to give these out) for a way to make shopping easier.

Colonial Christmas

I know Christmas was over a month away but allow me to turn back the clock for a bit. The date will now be December 26, 2008 and you are coming with me on my Christmas vacation in Williamsburg, VA.

Cue the colonial music.

Some of you may remember my blog posts about our trip to Boston. In them, I described a game we played on our way up, guessing how many license plates we would see.  We settled in my mom’s mini-van and got ready to play the game. However, we got a bit sidetracked. My mom commented on how one never really sees car shells anymore and how much room ours gave us on family vacations. Not five minutes after this conversation we counted three cars with car shells on the opposite side in almost a row. After that, we started counting car shells—and they had to be shells, not boxes/bags tied to the roof—on the way down.

By the time we got to Williamsburg at nearly 6:30 PM, we counted over 150 car shells.

We checked into the Quality Inn Colony near the Visitor’s Center and whoever was in there before us was very cold. Our two rooms were sweltering hot and we had to lower the heat. We left the rooms to cool down, rushing over to Williamsburg as we had tickets for the 7:30 PM performance of “Carols at the Courthouse.” The courthouse was awash in candlelight as the quintet sang some of the popular Christmas carols of the 18^th century. One of the singers filled the times not spent singing with historical information about how Colonial Americans would’ve celebrated Christmas.

Christmas wasn’t a big day for revelry—the people usually went to church and then stayed home with family for a large meal. The following twelve days were a time of parties, merry-making and gifts, usually on Boxing Day. This day, following Christmas, got its name from the tradition of the master of a household bequeathing boxes of gold coins to his servants for a year of good work. The last night, the famous Twelfth Night, was the biggest night for revelry and unlike previous nights, the children were allowed to stay up late and join the festivities.

After the singing was finished, we returned to our hotel. Unfortunately, it had not cooled down enough and both my father and I were in for a night of sweating, tossing and turning.

After the rough night (and a quick stop at a local K-Mart for new sneakers and some snacks, among other things), we returned to Colonial Williamsburg in time to see the famous fife and drum core come up the Duke of Gloucester Street. We just had time to see them before hurrying to the Lumber House for our 1:30 PM tour of Williamsburg’s Christmas decorations.

While our guide explained outside decorations such as we do now were not tradition in the 18^th century, a compromise had to be reached with the residents who still resided in some of the historical houses during the early years of the operation. They decorated their houses with items that would be found in the 18^th century—fruit, evergreen, etc. Houses deemed the best are given awards. While the tour started out well enough, it soon got boring seeing fruit over and over. Our tour guide also did not do a good job holding our attention either and by the time we got to the other end of the Duke of Gloucester Street, we noticed our group was considerably smaller than the one that gathered on the Palace Green.

We departed the tour and went to get a snack at the Raleigh Bakery, located just behind the Raleigh Tavern. The line is worth the wait to the goodies sold inside. I prefer a chocolate chip cookie and a bottle of ginger ale. My sister usually gets an apple and a bottle of root beer while my mother absolutely loves their corn bread. I’ve also heard a few compliments of their apple pasties as well. It’s good for a mid-afternoon snack and won’t hurt your wallet as a mid-afternoon snack in Disney would.

As we munched on our treats, we sat back to watch a performance of “Revolutionary City.” Crazy Annie provided commentary between speeches by Lord Dunmore, Patrick Henry, John and Peyton Randolph. They discussed the dissolution of the House of Burgesses as well as the Battle of Lexington and Concord. As Crazy Annie brought everyone to view a copy of Lord Dunmore’s announcement to slaves, we continued on to the visitor’s center for our viewing of Williamsburg: A Patriot’s Tale, the longest running movie in motion picture history. If you go to Williamsburg, see this movie at least once. It’ll give you a great understanding of the city’s importance and let little kids feel excited when they recognize the buildings.

After a dinner at Cracker Barrel, Official Eating Place of the Brims on Vacation, we returned to the historic area for our evening programs. My sister wanted to see “Crime and Punishment” and we got tickets for the 7:15 tour. We met three different people who were involved in the Williamsburg legal scene. The first was of Jack Scratch, a rather overzealous undersheriff who liked his job a bit too much. Today, he would probably fail the psychological test. He talked about some punishments criminals might have been given, like having their ear nicked while in the stocks. After we left him, we saw another creepy fellow—an indentured servant working for the sheriff. He spoke about the courts giving people a second chance but branding their crimes into their palm—“T” for thief or “M” for murder. He showed us his brand, telling us he was accused of stealing though he protested his innocence. We left him and went to the actual gaol to visit a deranged woman who told us her tale of woe. She had been an orphan of England, accused of stealing and sent to America. There, she worked as an indentured servant and caught the eye of her master. In the classic story, he led her to believe they could be together if his wife was out of the picture. So, she killed her and was hanged for it. She kept calling out for her young daughter until she remembered she was dead. However, I’m surprised they picked an older woman to portray the ghost as the woman was most likely considerably younger.

After the tour was over, we hurried across the historic area for our 8:45 PM tour—Christmastide at Home. Our tour started on the Palace Green, heading toward a kitchen attached to the Governor’s Palace. Two servants from the 1760s discussed Christmas traditions such as Boxing Day and the Lord of Misrule (a servant appointed as lord over the twelve night festivities). We moved to a stable to see two soldiers discussing Christmas 1776, including their frustrations over how the war was going (Of course, history buffs know George Washington would make his famous attack on the British that night). They discussed their own traditions at Christmas before firing off shots to welcome the holiday.  As the shots rang out, we next saw a scene from the early 1800s depicting the first Christmas tree. We finished in 1944, where a mother explained to her daughter the reason for Williamsburg’s tradition. It was a lovely tour and very informative.

Just a side note: While the Williamsburg people will tell you the Tucker-St. George house was the location of the first Christmas tree, there is proof the tree was in America before the 19^th century. The Pennsylvania Dutch brought the tradition with them as they settled here and there are accounts of the Hessian soldiers decorating trees during the American Revolution.

Sunday was a free day—we have relatives in the area and thought we might visit them that day. Unfortunately, they didn’t return our messages and we were unable to reach them in person, so we went to church with the day wide open. But when we left Mass, we were dismayed to find one of our tires had gone flat. Unable to leave the parking lot, my mother called AAA. Since we belong to the New York branch, that’s the number we called but they helpfully transferred us to the Virginia branch. A tow truck came and after a bit of a search, the donut was put on our car. He gave us the name of a place where we could get our tire fixed which ended up being located right across from our hotel! So, thanks to the tow truck man and AAA. Fortunately, the temps that day hit a high of 75 degrees, so we weren’t so upset about sitting in our car with the windows down.

We stopped for a late lunch at Pizza Uno’s, served by the cheerful Dr. Bill who answered our questions about his education. We decided to go to the Colonial Williamsburg Visitor’s Center and do our souvenir shopping. The gift store is split in two. On one side is the store full of the little odds and ends—T-shirts, dolls, drums, etc—and the other side has the book store, complete with music and video items. I picked up a book on ghosts in Williamsburg while my mother picked up the colonial caroler’s CD and the orientation movie on DVD. We sent my sister to check the programs for that night and we decided to go wait for the illuminations of the taverns.

We chose a spot right next to the stage outside Raleigh’s Tavern, where some scenes of “Revolutionary City” are performed. After helping a family move the benches around so they could view the Duke of Gloucester Street better, we were dismayed to suddenly feel rain. We decided to stick it out though and I’m glad we did. The event started with the fife and drum corps parading down until they reached the first tavern. A narrator came on over the PA system to explain the history of each tavern. A small band of militia fired guns as each lamp was lit. The fife and drum corps would start up again and march to the next tavern. We soon found we picked a great spot as we had front row seats for the last performance of the corps and had our own personal heater when they lit the lamps outside the Raleigh. We were dry before we ever returned to our car.

The entire trip, my sister was craving chocolate covered strawberries from Wyeth candy shop. We finally got into the store on Monday—the map said the store was open from 9 to 9, but when we went at 8 PM Saturday night, the store was closed. Unfortunately, strawberries were not in season. So she settled on a chocolate covered apple while I downed another ginger ale (I love the brand they serve in Williamsburg!). I enjoyed my drink; she didn’t particularly care for her apple. She chucked it and we headed back to the main historic area.

We sat down outside the Mary Stith house, where the program I wanted to see would happen. Due to the crowds, you had to get to a program at least an hour in advance. So, what else is there to do? Chat up the people standing there with you! Particularly as Monday was not as balmy as Sunday, we needed body heat. We met a nice family from Florida and the hour flew by.

The program was called “Theater and the Road to Revolution.” The history of theater in the American colonies was explained. An excerpt from a popular colonial play was performed and we were requested to act like a colonial audience: if we liked something, cheer. If we hated something, boo. And if we wanted to see something again, yell “Encore!” The performers graciously obliged us to do-overs of some demanding scenes. Next an excerpt of George Washington’s favorite play, Cato, was performed. Washington himself ordered the play performed at Valley Forge. Congress, having outlawed theater in a show of support with New England and a measure against frivolity, ordered him to never do that again. The program ended with a stroll down memory lane for me. An excerpt from “The Contrast” by Royall Tyler, the first truly American play, was read. It was the first play I read in my American Drama class.

By the way, Congress’ law outlawing theater was never repealed.

We needed to pick up our new tire so we grabbed a quick lunch of McDonald’s before returning to the hotel. After some resting, we returned to Cracker Barrel for a light dinner—this time, I just had a tossed salad. We paid for our favorite nighttime activity—a ghost tour—this night but had about an hour and a half to kill. We settled outside the King’s Arm Inn, though sadly there wasn’t a fire burning behind us like the night before at the Raleigh. We saw a few tours go ahead of us and heard the story of Irma, a manager at the King’s Arm who also lived in an upstairs room. She died there but still demands respect. So, employees say “Good morning, Irma” and “Good night, Irma” so as not to invoke her wrath. We figured we sat there so long that when we went to check in, we said good night to Irma as well.

Kelly led our tour, where she started with the ghost of former tavern owner who still haunts his tavern. He has even messed with her—unlocking the bathroom door. Next she moved onto two ghosts most people don’t expect to see in Williamsburg—Civil War era ones. Williamsburg was the site of a battle during the war and has its share of 19^th century ghosts. We continued on—there was a ghost a tour guide told his group to ignore, creepy sounds in the Capitol, etc. I’d go more into the ghost stories, but if I did, why would you go on it? I suggest you do. The guides are Williamsburg employees who have had encounters and share entertaining stories.

Sadly, all good things must come to an end. We cleaned out the rooms and went back to the historic area for one more go-round, like our Walt Disney World last call. We went back to the courthouse for a final program: Order in the Court. We sat in on the recreation of an actual trial, which was about a Baptist minister accused of disturbing the peace and preaching in a non-sanctioned place.  After the program ended, we made one last stop at the Raleigh Bakery to load up for the ride home. This time though we tried the tavern rolls (AKA unsalted pretzels) and my sister and I agreed next time, we’re bringing something to dip them in. So with one final sip of ginger ale and a quick stop at the ladies room, we left.

So it was back to reality via 301, which my grandparents used to drive to South Carolina. And as the temperature on my mother’s car dropped from 60s to 30s, we returned to New Year to ring in 2009!

Memories...

Last week, as we were cleaning out the basement in order to put in our new TV, we came across some old pictures. One was from almost ten years ago. It was of my family and some friends on Splash Mountain in Walt Disney World. The girls in the front (my sister and her friends) are screaming their heads off, my dad and I have our arms up in the air and our friend Jack looks like he's asleep in the back row.

I've admitted my love for Disney before but this discovery came at an interesting time--exactly one year since our last Disney trip. My family and I have been there so many times, we have everything down to a science. Allow me to share.

Hotels. There are two options: staying on property or staying off. If you want the full Disney experience, stay on property. Each resort has it's own unique theme and charm, providing a good fit for whatever suits your family. We have our favorite resorts to stay--lately, it's been Pop Century since it's an economy class. We book two rooms--one for my parents, one for my sister and I. It allows us to do that and stay for a long period of time. Each section is devoted to a decade from the last century (50's, 60's, 70's, 80's, 90's) and decorated to match. For example, when we stayed in the 80's, our staircases were inside Rubik's Cubes. Pacman and the ghosts decorated the railings as well as sayings like "Radical!" There are three pools and a main center with a gift shop and cafeteria (complete with a grocery section).

Though I wouldn't mind a return to Fort Wilderness, a cabin setting. It's easy to fit a family or party of eight in there (a queen sized bed, bunk beds, a large Murphy bed, and the couch). It also has a kitchen, so you are not confined to park eating. While I'm not much of an outdoors girl, there's just something about the setting that I love. Even if you are walking around in the dark coming back from the pool trying to find which cabin is yours, illuminating the numbers with a small flashlight.

Dining: Walt Disney World has a dining plan. My family doesn't use it and usually get annoyed at the people who do when they are holding up the line. For a better idea, go to this website. However, it does require everyone (whether on the plan or not) to make reservations if there is a sit-down restaurant you want to eat at. Some of our favorites to reserve are: Chef Mickey's (a buffet complete with characters in the Contemporary Hotel), the Liberty Tree Tavern and Trail's End. The Liberty Tree Tavern is located in Liberty Square with a preset menu: delicious biscuits, a salad, chicken, ham and roast beef, mashed potatoes and vegetables with apple cobbler for dessert. Until next year, there are also characters. Trail's End is a buffet at Fort Wilderness. My family loves it for the ribs. I love it for the fried chicken and rice.

The window service options at Disney aren't bad either--I'd suggest Geppetto's in the Magic Kingdom, the Electric Umbrella in Epcot, the Backlot in Hollywoodland and the Earl of Sandwich in Downtown Disney. Each service area has the fallback of hamburgers (or cheeseburgers without the cheese), but the menus vary. You and your party can easily find whatever you want.

Transportation. If you stay on property, Disney provides transportation around the resort. Buses run from each hotel to the parks as well as Blizzard Beach and Typhoon Lagoon. If you want to go to a different hotel for food, you'll have to either go to a park or Downtown Disney (and after the parks close, only Downtown Disney until 3 AM. I don't know if this will continue once Pleasure Island closes). You can also take the monorails to the Magic Kingdom and Epcot from the Ticket and Transportation Center. If you stay at the Polynesian Resort, the Contemporary or the Grand Floridian, a monorail runs through those hotels. There are also ferry services available as well. Of course, you can also bring a car and drive everywhere. Saves time at the end of the day when everyone rushes the buses/ferries/monorails.

The Parks. For these, each family is different. My family always goes to the Magic Kingdom first, fastpass Buzz Lightyear and go on the Wed-way People Mover. A relaxing start and allows you to scope out the wait times in Tomorrowland. If you go to Epcot, I suggest going to the World Showcase once it opens. It opens an hour after Future World, so everyone is online or waiting on fastpasses for those rides. There are no lines in the Showcase. Once you are finished going around the world in 80 minutes, everyone is heading toward the Showcase while you are going to the much shorter lines in Future World. Note though: Fastpass Soarin' immediately. It has a three-hour stand-by wait and the fastpasses are usually for 4 PM if you show up at 11 AM. Animal Kingdom is generally a half-day thing, so plan for a trip to Hollywoodland or the Magic Kingdom for the second half. Also, avoid the Magic Kingdom on the weekends. It's usually the most crowded then.

Miscellanous. My family loves a good game of mini-golf. Last year, we went to the Fantasia golf course. It's a great time and allows you to meet some nice families in the back-up for the holes. Never underestimate the importance of just relaxing and using the hotel pool. If you have a car, don't be afraid of leaving the property for dinner one night. There's a Sizzler and an Olive Garden nearby. If you are Catholic, there is a church just outside the property called the Shrine of Our Lady of the Universe. It's just tourists and masses are packed. Don't be afraid to explore.

If you have any more Disney related questions, don't be afraid to ask!

On the Trail

Another day in Boston! We didn't drive in since that would be suicidal, but drove over to the Wellington station to take the orange line in. A nice woman gave us a TIP that I'm going to give to you: If you go in by train (which may be your best option), then buy the Charlie card. You can put the amount you need for everyone that day and it's $1.75 compared to the $2.00 of regular tickets. I know this doesn't seem much, but if you're a family of four like us, you save a whole regular ticket price for a round trip.

We got off at State Street, which put us near the Old South Church. Nearby is the Visitor Center, where you can pick up a 90-minute tour given by a park ranger. It's free and full of good information. Our guide took us to five different locations. First, we went back to the Old South Church where she talked about the Boston Tea Party. It was from this meeting house that Sam Adams gave the signal for the other Sons of Liberty to board the ship and throw it over board. We next went to the site of the Boston Massace and heard the story. A good visual is the start of HBO's John Adams miniseries. From there, we walked over to Fanueil Hall. Our ranger guide talked about how it was an important meeting hall, but I'll admit I was distracted. There was a performance artist pretending to be a statue as tourists stopped to watch her. Unfortunately, none of them freaked out when she moved like I had seen in Disney and Stratford-Upon-Avon. Now that's funny. As security moved the artist, I returned my attention to the guide, who explained Fanueil Hall was still an important meeting place even with City Hall across the street. We walked from Fanueil Hall to Paul Revere's house, which is the only wood house amongst a bunch of brick ones. And now located in the heart of Boston's Little Italy. Afterwards, we ended at the back of the Old North Church by a statue of Paul Revere. He faces St. Stephen's Church, which was once Puritan and his place of worship. Now, it's Catholic and the Kennedy's.

After we finished with the Old North Church, we crossed a bridge to the Charleston Navy Yard to revisit the USS Constitution. Though first we needed to find something to eat--and lo and behold, there is a place to eat at the Yard. I had a BLT (without tomatoes) and it was pretty good. Maybe not the best I've ever eaten, but filling then. We finished and past through security to visit the ship. There were two options: a thirty-minute guided tour or a ten-minute self-guided tour. If you want to go below decks and hear the history of the ship, go on the guided tour. If not, if you just want to go on the ship, then take the self-guided tour. Either way, it's free. There is a new visitor's center, which traces the ship's history through the 19th and 20th Centuries. We finished off at the museum, going through all of the War of 1812 exhibit. A must-see there is a short video where they recreate the USS Constitution's most famous victory, against the British ship the Guerriere, using the words of the sailors present on both sides.

After our visit to the Constitution, we went back over the bridge where now people had gathered to go fishing in the Charles River. As I walked past, one guy was looking for a measuring tape to measure the striped bass he had caught. And trust me, it was pretty big. We returned to Fanueil Hall so my sister could get some shirts she had seen the day before while my dad got some more ice cream. I got a book about the ghosts of Boston because I couldn't go on a haunted tour.

And then it rained. So we hung out with everyone in the marketplace under the awnings as a thunderstorm rolled through. Three little kids next to us were enjoying themselves, using the storm as a giant sprinkler. As the rain died down, they started chanting, "We want rain!" over and over.

Once the storm passed, we went to two of Boston's cemetaries. The second one, Granary Burying Ground, is a must see for the people buried there. The tomb for Benjamin Franklin's parents sits prominently in the middle of the cemetary so you can't miss that. My dad and I couldn't find Mother Goose's (yes, the Mother Goose) grave, but we found Paul Revere's. He has a big headstone though next to it is a weather-worn, small stone which reads "Revere's Tomb." What it means, I don't know. Hancock's grave is in it's own nook and the second tallest after the Franklin tomb. It is also surrounded by some grave's which read "Servant of Hancock." We found the grave stone for the five victims of the Boston Massacre, including a child whose death started to fan the flames that lead to the night of March 5, 1770. Right next door is Sam Adams' grave. It is surrounded by American flags, marks him as a signer of the Declaration of Independence as well as a Son of Liberty. And sitting on top of his tomb--a bottle of Sam Adams beer. TRIVIA (courtesy of Neil from the tour yesterday): The picture on Sam Adams bottles isn't of Samuel Adams. It's Paul Revere!

We returned to our hotel and boy was that train CROWDED! We were packed in, reminding me of my days on the London tube. Now, we're just sore and resting up.

Tomorrow: Salem, Massacusetts! And my camera's dead, so I need to change the batteries to upload the pictures I took. Also, I need to send the pictures I took on my phone to myself as well. I may post them tomorrow or do a whole post of just pictures. We'll see.

All Aboard

So, we're in Boston! And I'm writing this post in red in honor of the Boston Red Sox (though I walked around in an FDNY shirt and a Staten Island Yankees cap). For anyone going to Boston, I would pay attention to what we did today and really consider it.

We made reservations yesterday to go on a bus tour of Boston. The bus picked us up right outside of our hotel at 9:10 AM. There is a bus that goes to different hotels located in the same area and that makes up your group. Our driver, Neil, took us into the city so he had to navigate the traffic. We started at Breed's Hill, where the Battle of Bunker Hill was fought because the American army official thought Breed's Hill would be a better choice. There is a monument there where you can climb to the top--warning, it is 294 steps and no elevator. The last time I saw a sign warning me there were 294 steps, it was the London Tube telling us the stairs were for "Emergency Use Only" and to take the lift. My family climbed to the top, my fear of heights kicked in and then our legs were like jelly for the next two hours.

We piled back into the bus after most of us climbed the monument and headed over to the Navy Yard. Docked there is the USS Constitution, built in 1793 and still in service, manned by members of the Navy. My family did the museum there, which has a 19 minute movie about what the USS Constitution means to America as well as the history of the ship. The upstairs has an exhibit dedicated to just the War of 1812. After our time in the Navy Yard was up, we continued on a bus tour around Boston. We saw where the Boston Massacre occurred, the Massachusetts State House, City Hall, Beacon Hill (also home to the location that inspired the show "Cheers"), and then, we made a quick stop at Fenway. I'm not much of a baseball fan but even I had to get off to see this legendary park.

After Fenway Park, we went on a college tour over in Cambridge. We visited MIT and Neil told us about some of the pranks seniors have played using the Dome of Knowledge, like when they turned it into R2-D2. After MIT, we drove further into Cambridge until we came into Harvard University. There were many students walking around and I couldn't tell if they were college tours or orientations. Neil told us there is a statue in Harvard with three lies written on it. It is of John Harvard, except it is actually the artist's friend pretending to be Harvard. It says he is a founder, but he just donated his money and books to the school. And the statue says it was founded in 1638, but was really opened in 1636. Harvard just died in '38 and they named the school after him due to his post-homous donation. Our last stop in Cambridge was to the Longfellow House, where Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lived.

After Cambridge, we returned to Boston to Fanueil Hall. It is a market place comprised of the original Fanueil Hall as well as three new halls: Quincy Market, South Market and North Market. Both South and North have stores as well as food places while Quincy is just all food. There are also other stores located in the market place and I saw a Wagamama's. It's a noodle place I ate at in London, which I loved. If they are expanding into North America, I am excited. It is cafeteria style dining and the food is delicious. We ate at Sam's Cafe/Cheers--a replica of the famous bar. I had a BLT sandwich with Italian dressing--very good though the bacon tasted off to me. We finished off with ice cream and returned to the bus.

Our last stop was to Copp's Hill and the Old North Church. Now, throughout the day, Neil has been telling us how Paul Revere's role was greatly exaggerated. While he did make the ride to Lexington, he was one of a few riders and he was the one who told his friend to hang two lanterns. He wasn't riding to warn the countryside moreso to warn John Hancock and Samuel Adams, who the British were coming to capture. And he didn't do that--the British got him as he entered town. Fellow rider William Dawes, Jr. got the message through. At Copp's Hill, we saw the gravestone of Robert Newman, the man who lit the lanterns and hung them in the Old North Church. Because of a curfew, the British troops came to arrest him but had to release him due to lack of evidence (thanks to that same curfew). We saw the Old North Church, but since the famous bellfry is 14 stories up and our legs are still angry at us for Breed's Hill, we just viewed the Church and listened to a quick information session.

And that was the end of our day. We returned to the hotel, relaxed our sore legs and then went across the street to Bickford's for dinner. I had one of the best grilled chicken clubs of my life followed by a hot, delicious apple crisp I shared with my mom.

As for the bus tour, I would definitely recommend it for newcomers to Boston. If you like to do things at your own pace, though, you may want to skip this. We were given time limits on how long we spent at each place--Breed's Hill was 20 minutes while the Navy Yard was about an hour, for example. But as a way to get a great tour of the city without walking or fighting traffic, it's a definite. It's also a good way to acquainted with some of the sites you may want to see while in Boston. So if you are staying a few days in the city, definitely do this first.

We're going back to do the Freedom Trail tomorrow, so I'm going to hold off the pictures until then.

On the Road...Part I

Well, my family and I are here in Mystic, Connecticut. It's almost midnight and my sister is asleep, so I'll try to make this as quick as possible. We're in a Best Western just off Exit 90 on I-95, about a five minute drive from the Aquarium and the Sea Port. It's a nice place, pretty quiet, much like most Best Westerns across the United States. It's also pretty full since it's tourist season, so if you travel to Mystic, I would advise either reserving a room beforehand or making sure checking in is your top priority when you arrive here in Mystic.

We left Staten Island around 11 this morning, under cloudy skies. The roads were mostly clear until the inevitable back up at the George Washington Bridge. We inched along and my mother decided to play a game--a good tip for anyone of any age stuck in traffic in a car. We kept a list of the different license plates we saw, each taking a guess at how many states we would see. I lost out pretty quickly with my guess of 12. We kept track until we stopped in Connecticut for lunch. My dad eventually won with a guess of 20--our final total was 19 states (plus 2 Canadian provinces). After a rather delicious Subway's lunch at a truck stop, we got back on the road. The traffic on I-95 wasn't as bad as it was when we were driving through the main part of Connecticut (past Stamford, Hartford, etc), so it was good we were still playing that game.

So five hours after we left Staten Island, we pulled into Mystic and had checked in. Unfortunately, most attractions here in Mystic close at 5, so we didn't have much to do. This boggled my sister's mind, but I'm pretty used to it. The attractions closed at 5 when we were in Williamsburg, VA. And while I was in Stratford-Upon-Avon, England, it seemed the entire city shut down at 5 PM! The only things that remained open were the theater and McDonald's, though the pubs did seem to reopen by 7 PM. It seems bar-crawling is the great English pasttime. Fortunately, we didn't have to do that here (especially since my sister is underaged) as old Mystic Village is opened past 5. It is a series of different stores, something for everyone. My parents went into the Grey Goose Cookery while my sister and I hit Irish Eyes. There was something for the Irish-Italians (Irish Temper and Italian Attitude--Paging Staten Island) and Irish-Germans, but nothing for us Irish-Greeks!

After I showed the store to my parents, we met up with my rather impatient sister in the Christmas shoppe. There were ornaments off all kinds--traditional, Family Guy, Simpsons, M&Ms, Hershey chocolate, etc. We hit the general store, which smelled like popcorn, and browsed for a bit. Afterwards, we got pulled into the chocolate store and showed great self-discipline by not buying anything, no matter how GOOD that fudge looked. For you shopaholics or those who love quaint specialty shops, this place is for you! TIP: Go to the Tourist Information center in the village. You can check out different hotels, look at menus from Mystic's restaurants, pick up guide books, and buy discount tickets for the aquarium and seaport. Also, you will get a piece of paper that will save you 10% on any purchases in the shops in the village. In some stores, it allows for a free gift. And who doesn't like free gifts?

After chilling for some time in the hotel room (where you do not want to watch TV with my sister. You'll never know what happens on a show because you end up watching three at once!), we went to eat dinner in the Ground Round attached to our hotel. We used to have a Ground Round by us, but it's long gone so it was a trip down memory lane that crashed. It was more of a sports bar than the family restaurant we remembered, the one that played movies and gave you popcorn. However, the food was delicious and they gave generous portions. I had chicken tenderloins, though the baked potato fell flat. The mozzarella sticks were also delicious as well. Now, I'm never a member of the clean plate club--my appetite is a third of what they give you at restaurants--but even my father and sister couldn't finish theirs!

We spent the rest of the night watching TV and chilling out in the hotel room. Tomorrow: the Aquarium and arrival in Boston! Hopefully, I'll have pictures to show! And then I'll really have to figure out how the pictures on this thing work!