A Month in Massachusetts (7/12/25)

 I grew up in Massachusetts, and spent much of my adult life there. It’s where Paul and I met, and where my kids grew up. All of my siblings are still here, and most of my childhood friends.

These days when we visit, its usually for a week or so, and many times I fly in on my own. Although our daughter lives in L.A., our son still lives here in MA. We booked a month in an RV park near him with several thoughts in mind, mostly some leisurely visits with family, and also the opportunity to see more people than we usually have time to see. We succeeded on both fronts.

Basically our time there can be divided into two: visits with friends and family, and outings with Stephen, our son. The highlights from some of our more notable outings-

Our first day trip was to the historic town of New Bedford MA, an old coastal fishing town. By the mid 1800s, New Bedford was considered to be one of the richest cities in the country, in large part due to the whaling industry.

Two types of whales were hunted the most frequently on the east coast- the Right Whale and the Sperm whale. In fact the Right whale got its name because it was the “right” whale to hunt. It moved slowly and floated after it was killed.  Interestingly, species such as Humpbacks were not sought after because when they died, they sank, making it virtually impossible to harvest them. By the late 1800s, the Right Whale had been hunted almost to extinction. Now the biggest threat to the Right Whale is entanglement in fishing gear. Estimates say that 83% of all Right Whales have been entangled at least once.

The Blue Whale is the largest mammal on the planet and can grow to be 100 feet long. Their tongue weighs as much as an elephant.

In keeping with our whale theme, another of our outings was a whale watch that we took from Boston.  Any excuse to be on the ocean is probably what went through our minds. Stellwagen Bank is a marine sanctuary off the coast of Massachusetts.

Paul and I made several trips there many years ago, on our own boat  and were enthralled with the whales. We had a family of 3 circling around our boat for a short while, actually rolling to look at us. The thought “we need a bigger boat” went through our minds.

This trip was not a disappointment either, with plenty of opportunity to enjoy the humpback whales.

In and amongst our trips to the beach, shopping, etc. we took another day trip up to the town of Lowell, where the Lowell National Historic Park is located.

Lowell was a planned industrial city, which made use of a canal system to generate power for the mills. We booked a tour of the Pawtucket Canal by boat, getting a different take on the whole system.

The canal system diverts some of  the water from the Merrimac River to the Pawtucket Canal and into the town of Lowell.

One of the problems with re-routing a river to come through town via canals is that when there is a serious flood-the town will be what floods.

 

Until 1850 there was no flood protection for the town, but that year, an engineer named James Francis built a massive flood gate. Many townspeople thought he was crazy, and they called it Francis’s Folly.  The wooden gate was 25’ x 27’ and at least a foot thick.

It was held up by a shackle. Well, on April 22, 1852, the call went out to drop the gate. the only way to drop it was to take a hammer and chisel to the shackle- which they did, and the gate worked exactly as it was supposed to, holding back the flood waters.

Thereafter it was called the Great Gate.

The rest of our time was spent visiting family and friends, although we did find a lighting store that was going out of business and we bought some light fixtures and fans for the new house. Our rig is packed to the gills.

So…

We saw my brothers and sisters several times..

We met up with Rich, one of Paul’s fraternity brothers….

We had dinner with long time boating friends Peter and Susan, on their boat…

And we saw our good friend Maryellen a couple of times- once with her daughter and her family. Maryellen was our next door neighbor for years… “Best neighbor Evah”.

We actually saw quite a few more people but I am terrible at taking pictures when I am with friends and family. Guess I am having too much fun to think of it!

The house is now starting to look like a house:

New England- PATRIOTS (09-09-19)

Our stay in Boston was short, but exciting (for me, anyway).  Our first day or so was spent unwinding, and unpacking back into the truck camper, while it was at my brother's house.  Two days later we moved it to a campground.

We had lunch with my brothers and sisters and spent as much time as possible with our son Stephen, who is quite camera shy.

A couple of months ago I realized that we would be in Boston for the New England Patriots season opener. I looked for tickets- they are sold out-so all tickets are re-sale ones.  After gasping at the price, I put the idea of attending on the back burner.  For a week or so.  Then I decided that it was a once in a lifetime opportunity for me to see the Pats, and Tom Brady, in person. So I closed my eyes and bought the tickets- 3 of them because when I asked Stephen if he wanted to go, "Hell Yeah" was the response.

Having never been to a professional football game, I didn't know when we should get there and what to expect, so I reached out to a cousin who has season tickets.  He put me in touch with his brother, who would be attending the game, and who happens to have a parking spot within walking distance of the stadium. People who live near there rent out their lawns for parking.  That made such a huge difference- close parking and someone who knew the ropes!

I realized after I got the tickets that they would be revealing the 2018 Super Bowl banner before the game, so it made it even more special.

The Reveal included live music accompanied by a synchronized light show from bracelets worn by the audience. Past players were brought onto the field, including Rob Gronkowski, who retired last year.

Our seats were exceptional, as we were able to watch the players on the sidelines.

We could see the entire field, although we had to stand most of the night because everyone in front of us was standing.

I really enjoy watching the game on TV and was nervous that being at a game in person might be a let down, but I worried for nothing.

Many times the action was right in front of us, and we could hear the players yelling (when the crowd wasn't going nuts).  The game sounds completely different in person than on the TV.

To say I thoroughly enjoyed myself would be a gross understatement.  I had so much fun, it went from "Once in a lifetime" to "When can we go again?".

The icing on the cake was that The Patriots beat the Steelers 33-3.

Being in Boston for such a short time, we didn't have much time to visit, but we did squeeze in a pot luck dinner with my childhood friends. We have known each other since we were 2-3 years old, and we all grew up in the same neighborhood.

The only one of us not in this picture is Sharon, probably because as she likes to point out nowadays, she is the youngest of us!

A Family Visit (02-27-15)

With an unceasing bombardment of snow, ice, and sub freezing temperatures in Boston, I guess it’s not a surprise that my brother Ray and his wife Dawn elected to fly out and visit us here in sunny Arizona.

The weather here wasn’t very cooperative either, but still, high 60s beats –10 any day, I guess.

 

After a day or so to unwind we started venturing out a bit. Shopping is always on the agenda so we visited the Shoppes at London Bridge.  We were highly entertained by the salesman in the hat shop, who insisted that we would buy the hat that he was demonstrating.  He said he didn’t know when we would buy, but eventually we would.  Well, he was right- my brother was sold on it and two days later he went back to buy it.






Soon enough we were all ready for a field trip.  We headed up historic Rte 66 to the old mining town of Oatman, Arizona. Oatman has been restored to feel like an old west town, right down to the wild burros roaming the streets. 

The wooden sidewalks were lined with restaurants, stores and the occasional musical cowboy.

Twice a day the streets erupt in gunfire as a (pretty cheesy) bank robbery takes place.  Afterwards, a donation hat is passed and the proceeds go to the Shriner’s, so that made it worth watching.















   

Lunch was at the Oatman Hotel.  The walls are lined with money, the food is just ok, and the live music was actually pretty good.

After lunch it was time to head down a gorgeous stretch of Rte 66 to the town of Kingman.

There are several small museums in Kingman.  The museum of Mohave history has an interesting display of Fulgurite.  Fulgurite is created when lightning, at a temperature above 3100*, strikes sand, fusing the grains of sand together.  The end result is a hollow glass tube.

The weather got better as the week went on so we looked for a way to spend some time on the water.  We still haven’t put the boat together, so we decided to take the ferry across the lake to the casino.

We weren't interested in gambling so we headed to the restaurant for a pretty decent lunch.  And what a view from the window!

It was definitely a gorgeous afternoon for a ride.  It costs $2 for a round trip ferry ride to the casino, and the ride is about 15 minutes each way. Just long enough to enjoy without getting bored.

Way too soon it was time to make the trek back up to Las Vegas to drop them off for their flight home.

A Little Taste of Arizona (02-28-14)

When my brother Ray and sister-in-law Dawn arrived from Boston, they wasted no time shedding their heavy winter clothing and donning their summer attire.  And they were soon sipping on summer-time adult beverages.

Our week was pretty much divided into two themes- Fun in the RV Park, and Day Trips.

RV Park Fun

It would be hard to get bored at this place- there are so many activities, you could be busy all day, every day.

With great weather, we spent a fair amount of time outside enjoying the sunshine.  We tested out the bocce ball court and even played a game of Pickle Ball.  Ok, well, we didn't really play a game, we just tried to hit the ball back and forth to each other.  It was still a great work out!

When it was time for some relaxing, we played Rummikub or headed poolside for the live music every afternoon at Happy Hour.












There’s just something about the scooter that attracts guys.  Ray found many opportunities to go for a spin.

Day Trips

  Our first venture out was to hike the Blevins Trail. This is a 4 mile hike without too much elevation gain, so those in our group who have been housebound by sub freezing temperatures and constant snow storms weren't overwhelmed.  The trail was a great one for showing off the Sonoran Desert.

Although Sedona is 2 hours away, we decided it was worth the drive and hit the road early in the morning. On the way we stopped briefly at Montezuma’s Castle. There are actually numerous dwellings here that were occupied from about 1100 to 1400 A.D.

Although the structure itself is impressive, they don’t allow tours anymore so this is as close as we could get.  A little disappointing.

Sedona itself is beautiful, of course, and the weather was perfect for checking out all the rock formations. We checked out a few stores too, but sticker shock sent us out the door pretty quickly. After a great lunch and a few hours of looking at rocks with names like Coffeepot, Bell Rock, and Cathedral Rock, we started the trek home.

Having spent the previous day driving all day, the shorter trip down the Apache Trail was next on our agenda. Completely different, looks wise,from Sedona, the view from the Apache Trail is just as impressive in its own way.

   

Apache Trail is a mostly dirt road that meanders through the Tonto National Forest.  You can see the road in the picture above.  If it looks as though the road is cut into the side of a mountain, that would be an accurate assessment.

The trip all the way around is a very long one, and one that requires nerves of steel.  We elected to go only as far as Tortilla Flat, an old stagecoach stop that now houses a saloon, a small museum, and of course, a store. Soon thereafter we turned around and headed back to town.

Friday night, their last night here, was dance night at the RV Park.  Every Friday night they have a live band.  I like these dances because they start at 7 pm and end at 10- a reasonable time for us old folks. This particular week the music was mostly country, with some rock and roll. We all spent a lot of time on the dance floor.

Before we knew it, it was time for Ray and Dawn to head back to the cold.  Actually, they got out in the nick of time.



  The day they left we had torrential downpours all day long, causing such flooding that the water went up over the hoods of cars. The next day it was confirmed that a small tornado formed down the street from where we are staying.