Empire State Building

The Empire State Building...New York City...Manhattan it's all breathtaking!




This picture is right inside the front doors of the building.

Of course King Kong we were in the Empire State Building.

What a view!!! Can you believe all those sky scrappers.

Macy's on 34th street...the Empire State is on 34th...I think 5th and 34th.

My very own miracles on 34th street...see the street sign...34th and Broadway.

Our Madison on Madison Avenue. That is how she got her name. When I was 12, one of my youth church activities was watching the movie Splash. Remember when Tom Hanks asks Daryl Hannah the mermaid what her name was and she looked up at the street sign and read Madison...I have loved the name ever since.

You know my other 3 sports fanatics wanted to check out Madison Square Garden...there it is on the right.

Boston Red Sox

Oh yes we did! We were lucky to get tickets to a Boston Red Sox game at Fenway Park! Steve was so so excited. He was going to town over the facts of the stadium...built in 1920, Babe Ruth played there and how he was traded to the Yankees and about the curse of the bambino. Going to a game at Fenway is so neat, nothing like a modern stadium like say Turner Field we know so well. Everything is old and works just like it did way back when. When we were stationed at Scott AFB Steve did get to a game up in Chicago at Wrigley Field which is old like Fenway. So now he is thrilled to have had the experience of ballgames at these old parks...we all liked it!



Ben and Madi and that big GREEN MONSTER at Fenway.

There was a wedding at the game that took place just a few rows ahead of us...cool huh.

Fenway is a beautiful American landmark.

Every where we went in Boston we saw this fried dough for sale. We never saw it in New York or anywhere else so I guess it's a Boston thing.

So, at the ballpark when we were in need of a treat we decided to try that fried dough...YUMMY!

B & M like this funny green monster mascot.

After the Red Sox game I had to put a halt to all our fun for some laundry. I had seen a laundry mat while we were in Salem the first time so we went back to it. Steve took the kids across the street to play at a park by the water while I waited on a bench out front...there was a wonderful breeze and the temps in the 70's. While sitting there I noticed this newspaper stand....look at that slogan...love it.

After playing at the park you know the kids had to go to the bathroom so the guys in the VFW were kind enough to let us use their facilities...look at this sign...the witch city VFW.

Boston Harbor

Summer in New England! Boston is wonderful! There is so much to do...so many neat American sites to see. We took a boat ride in the inner and outer harbors of Boston.










We rode the train into downtown this morning so we started the day off in Boston Common. In Boston Common they have this Frog Park for the kids to play in. Ben and Madi needed some fun like this.

Madi skipping and running after we got off our cruise around the Harbor...look at that view! This is on Long Wharf....the place were the last British soldiers left.

Paul Revere's home.

See the Old North Church...Paul Revere went there to warn the country of the march of the British troops coming....most of us know that story. Both the kids have learned all this in Social Studies and may have known more about this stuff than Steve and I.

Paul Revere's home and the Old North Church are in Little Italy. If you want to visit Italy all you have to do is come to Boston...their little Italy is HUGE and has everything you could want.

Boston is the place to have a summer home that's for sure.

Salem, Massachusetts

We made it to Boston!!! We had fun driving through New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island and into Massachusetts. It feels New England and I love it! It's beautiful everywhere you look...especially by the water. We are using our rewards points from our credit card to get free hotel nights so we are at the north Boston Colonial Sheraton...it's really nice just not downtown but that's okay....we are 10 miles from Salem. If you know me at all I LOVE LOVE LOVE Halloween. And if you have heard about Salem you it's a real Halloween town from their witchy history. We went and what a neat place. I HAD to get a picture of my two pumpkins with the town sign...won't this be cool framed for Halloween. Witch Heights is the name of the elementary school there and the football team is The Witches. There is a celebration the whole month of October there....I want to go...can you imagine how pretty with those homes and trees in the fall.


I liked this sign too.








Here was a marina in Salem...Madi didn't like the extreme fishy smell.

Today is Steve's birthday. When we were planning this trip Boston was the #1 place he wanted to go...so for a birthday treat we planned to arrive in Boston on his birthday. Back in 1960, Dunkin Doughnuts was born in Boston. Today they are on every street corner. So we picked up a dozen to celebrate Steve's birthday...you gotta do what you gotta do when your on the go. It was funny, Ben and Madi could hardly sing they were laughing so hard. Tomorrow...Freedom Trail downtown Boston, Harvard and Boston College...do you have any suggestions of must do's here?

Statue of Liberty & Ellis Island

Today we enjoyed walking all over lower Manhattan. What a wonderful time we had viewing the Statue of Liberty...felt like we were living a dream with our kids.

At the entrance of Battery Park.

Waiting in line to get on our boat.

We rode on Miss Liberty.

Ellis Island was our stop after Liberty Island.

Look at the view of the southern tip of Manhattan as you head out into the harbor towards Lady Liberty.

Today we also enjoyed a few stops on the upper east side of Manhattan. See the kids and I in front of The Plaza....look at the Eloise flag right next to the American flag. Man we have been on the go in this city for two days...my legs! We have one more full day and then we head north east for a few days. When I get back home to Atlanta I will post ALL of our stops from Washington DC, New York, Boston and our ride home. I can say NYC is the BEST!!!

Philadelphia....WOW!

Yes we are in the City Of Brotherly Love. But first thank you to our family in Virginia and Maryland we just left, for all you did for us and the wonderful memories!


To see the best sights of the city we hitched a ride on the double decker bus tour.

Ben and Madi in front of Independence Hall...where the Declaration of Independence was signed. Isn't is beautiful.

The Liberty Bell!!! This was the best picture of the kids with the bell I could get...the place was PACKED...at least 200 people in line ahead of us to get in.

For me going to Betsy Ross's house was a highlight...she was the person who made (not designed) the first American flag.

Philadelphia Museum Of Art aka "the Rocky steps". It was so hot we did not run up them.

I am no art buff but I do know The Thinker. Here is Philly is the largest collection of Rodin outside of France...I didn't know that before today.

The streets of Philadelphia.

Yes for dinner we ate at Sonny's...'real' Philly cheese steaks. What is your favorite steak place here. We polled....Sonny's was recommended the most and then Jim's.

This is looking outside our hotel window. We are in the Marriott one block from that MASSIVE City Hall. Macy's is across the street on the 3 bottom floors. Did you ever see the movie Manican? That is the window down there from the movie.

Philadelphia I knew would be nice, that is why we slotted a stay here, but there is so much more to it than I ever knew! We could use more time here. We drove 95 from Baltimore to Philly and tomorrow we will get back on it heading north...I can't wait.

Washington DC

We made it to Washington DC. I LOVE this place. We enjoyed the evening outside...it was a fun, hot summer night. We have a few days here visiting family before heading north. Tomorrow we are going to Air and Space with our own personal tour guide...our Aunt Onalee...she works there!