Author Archives: Sparky
Three nights in New Salem MA
We finished our brief MA vacation with three nights in New Salem MA, at the rustic cabin of Ray and Kim, Jett’s brother and sister-in-law. If you want quiet, have Kim and Ray invite you to their cabin. The first night, though, was not so quiet. At 5:30am I was wakened by Becky roaming about … Continue reading
Two nights in Maine
We took a 2-night vacation from our Massachusetts vacation to travel to Maine. There were several reasons for this: (1) see if I could find my brother again, (2) visit Acadia National Park for the second time in my life and (3) show Marlene what coastal Maine looks like. We successfully found my brother. Communication … Continue reading
A week in Worcester MA
We started our brief stay in MA with a week with Jett’s brother Ray and sister-in-law Kim in Worcester MA. They provided us with a comfortable bedroom with a TV and a nice bathroom. But, more importantly, they provided friendship. And some terrific meals. Kim is a wonderful cook. Maybe “chef” is a more apt … Continue reading
“The Last Juror” by John Grisham
Copyright 2004 by Belfry Holdings Inc. Published by Bantam Dell, a division of Random House Dell, New York. Grisham is noted for his legal thrillers. Usually the protagonist is a lawyer, a judge or some other officer of the court. This one is a bit different – the protagonist is a small-town newspaper editor. The … Continue reading
TN_11 wrapup
This trip north started with a trip to Texas to see friends, which made it an exceptionally long trip north. It also included our dog, Becky, which dictated where we could stay and what we could do. But I think we found activities and places that were dog-friendly and, overall, it was a successful, trouble-free … Continue reading
TN_11 Hop 7: Elmira NY to Worcester MA
354 miles via I-86, I-88, US 20, MA 9, MA 116, I-290 and MA 122A with a morning trip breakfast at Bob Evans and a visit to the Corning Glass Museum and a shopping/bio break in Northampton MA. Auto miles: 354. Cumulative route miles: 3209. Cumulative auto miles: 3424. We decided to start the final … Continue reading
TN_11 Hop 6: Twinsburg OH to Elmira NY
338 miles via OH 82, OH 8, OH 303, I-480, I-271, I-90 and I-86 with several sightseeing stops in the Cuyahoga Valley National Park and a visit to the Seneca Allegheny Casino in Salamanca NY. Auto miles: 347. Cumulative route miles: 2855. Cumulative auto miles: 3051. This was a hop that wasn’t planned. It became … Continue reading
TN_11 Hop 5: Alcoa TN to Twinsburg OH
503 miles via US 129, I-40, I-275 (around Knoxville), I-75, KY 491, US 25, KY 14, KY 17, KY 16, I-275 (around Cincinnati), I-471, I-71, I-271 (west of Akron), OH 8 and OH 82 with a refueling/bio stop and a lunch break. Auto miles: 646. Cumulative route miles: 2517. Cumulative auto miles: 2704. The additional … Continue reading
TN_11 Hop 4: Hot Springs AR to Alcoa TN
586 miles via US 70, I-30, I-40, I-55, US 51, I-240, I-40 again, I-440 around Nashville, I-40 again, I-140 and US 129 with a refueling stop in Memphis, a brief bio break and a stop at the Buc-ees in Crossville TN to purchase a souvenir T-shirt. We also did a drive-by of Graceland, Elvis Presley’s … Continue reading
TN_11 Hop 3: Beaumont TX to Hot Springs AR
396 miles via US-96, US-59, US-79, I-20, I-220 (around Shreveport), I-49, I-30 and US-270 with several shopping stops in Beaumont and a refueling stop at Walmart in Center TX. Auto miles: 399 (3 extra miles to get ice). Cumulative route miles: 1428. Cumulative auto miles: 1431. This was the “easy” hop – just 6 hours. … Continue reading