Monday, July 28th
Before heading out to our next game, we decided to take a brief trip to downtown Albany and visit the New York Statehouse. Great experience, and even linked up with a tour. The place is very different from many other statehouses based on the non-traditional design. Doesn't take away from the majestic quality however. We even spoke to the Sergeant-at-Arms of the House too - and started to experience true northeasterners and their accents.
We hit the road and traveled to our next stop in Portland, Maine. Very nice drive thru Massachusetts and New Hampshire on our way there. Very interested in seeing government-run liquor and lottery ticket stops off the turnpike in NH. Guess they are the "Drink Free or Die" state too ;)
We checked into our hotel then beat feet down to the stadium for the Portland Sea Dogs. Great place, and the outfield has a green monster wall just like Fenway - which makes sense since this is their AA affiliate. A rainstorm came through and interrupted us for over an hour, but they did get the game in. We stuck around since the Sea Dog's pitchers only faced a minimum of 27 batters - a pretty rare feat. After the game we drove around downtown a bit, then headed back.
Tuesday, July 29th
Alright, big day ahead of us since that night we were to visit Fenway Park. Ahead of that we started out on a bit of sightseeing in Portland along their amazing waterfront. The downtown sits on a peninsula and the waterfront is pretty much all public access. The views were simply stunning as well, and we took some time to walk an adjacent trail and trek across the rock outcroppings...gingerly. From there we headed south to Kennebunkport and checked out the fantastic beach scene there. The weather was clear and cool for a summer's day, but this didn't stop hoards from visiting the coast. We just stuck around to take in the beauty and move on. Oh yeah, amazing homes there as well - very upper crust.
Our travels continued down past Boston to a town called Attleboro, where our hotel was. From there we took a commuter train to the ballgame. I was more than a bit taken back by the cost - $39 round trip for both of us. Ugh. I was hoping to save money, so instead of linking up by subway, we got off at Back Bay Station and walked it about a mile to the ballpark. Along the way we encountered the finish line for the Boston Marathon, and the site of the 2013 bombings. Sad stuff.
Fenway didn't disappoint. It is certainly a cozy experience, made all the more by the cramped wooden seating we were in, and of course the lovely locals yelling in our ears. Wasn't that bad however, and I was impressed by the attitude of the fans - very much into the game. The Blue Jays ended up winning, but we left in the 8th to get back to the station in time. We arrived back in the wee hours, but still Jonesing for ice cream...which Mickey D's helped out with.
Wednesday, July 30th
Boston day. We left our hotel at about 10 am to find parking at a subway stop. Wasn't going to pay that crazy commuter rail fare again. Well - wasn't easy. The first three lots we stopped at were sold out, but we did find a bunch at a quaint station in the SE area. So quaint that they still rely on trolleys for the first few stops.
When we arrived in Boston, the place was buzzing. Of course getting there by noon assured us of a lunch crowd, but there were protests, and all types of activity in the Boston Common. We wound ourselves down to the Freedom Trail start and proceeded to walk this amazing system. The trail is about 2.5 miles long, and connects 16 significant locations to the Revolution. The entire route is connected by a brick banding in the pavement so you don't get lost either.
The experience was perfect for us since we were only going to spend a day there. We managed to take in the entire trail, and even climbed the 290+ stairs up the Bunker Hill Monument. I was literally a pile of sweat once I got on the top, but caught my breath and was able to take in and enjoy the phenomenal views afforded by the tower. Maybe I will return someday and do the tours, but with Sam being a teen, moving about was my best option.
We headed back to our station and proceeded south to catch a New England Revolution game at Gillette Stadium. What an impressive facility - and with a brand new mall adjacent to it as well. It was there where we grabbed a quick bite and then caught the game. It was won by NE 3-0 which provided plenty of excitement.
After leaving we then got back and took showers to clean off all the grime accumulated from the day.
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