What a wonderful vacation

Welcome to my blog about our wonderful vacation to New England and Canada. We left Cape Liberty in Bayonne, NJ on September 30,2010. The 9-day cruises went to ports in Portland, ME, Bar Harbor, ME, Saint John, NB, Halifax, NS and Boston, MA.

We had great weather!

We went with 2 other couples from our church and had a wonderful time. What a blessing it was to enjoy vacation time with brothers and sisters in the LORD.

As with most blogs, these entries are in latest first order, so you may either wish to go the first entry, Leaving Home and work your way up or read it the way it is understanding that you are going backwards.

Sue and I want to thank Frank and Ruth and Dick and Ann for a great time and having so much fun together. Where are we going next?

We also want to thank our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for His grace and mercy throughout the trip.

Enjoy!

Paradoxical Christianity

We are in the world but not of the world.

We are separated, called out, but yet, we are united in Christ.

Someone once said,

That to be low is to be high That the broken heart is the healed heart That the contrite spirit is the rejoicing spirit That the repenting soul is the victorious soul That to have nothing is to possess all That to bear the cross is to wear the crown That to give is to receive That the valley is the place of vision

Let me find Your light in my darkness Your life in my death Your joy in my sorrow Your grace in my sin Your riches in my poverty Your glory in my valley Thank you, LORD, for granting me so great a salvation.

The paradox, between having or belonging to a religion and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, is the fact that salvation, the reconciliation between you and God, is not earned but given. Jesus offers the gift of salvation. He doesn’t say you can earn it.

Jesus replies to Nicodemus in John 3:3 when he asked Jesus about eternal life this way, “Truly, truly I say to you, unless one is born from above, or, born again, he cannot enter the kingdom of heaven.

What is He saying to Nicodemus? “Nicodemus, you’re working really hard to get into the Kingdom of God. But I want to tell you something. You don’t get in there from here, it comes from above. If you’re going to be regenerated, it has to come down from above. You can’t achieve it.”

This is a divine miracle that comes down from heaven. This is not something you can generate. This is not something you can produce. This is not something you can manufacture. This is a spiritual thing, a work of the Holy Spirit and the Holy Spirit comes to whom He will when He wills. That’s such a powerful answer. You’re talking about a divine miracle that comes down from above.

Has that miracle happened to you? Are you born again? It’s the only way to heaven. Not my words but Jesus’ words.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, “The righteous shall live by faith.”
(Romans 1:16,17 ESV)

The righteousness from God and not from man is revealed in the gospel. Salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone in Christ alone. You can NEVER earn your way to heaven. The bible describes our works as filthy rags. Nothing “good” that we do earns us any points. Salvation is a gift to all who believe.

It’s as simple as ABC:

• A  - Admit to God that you’re sinner and repent and turn away from your sins.
• B  - Believe that Jesus is the Son of God and accept His gift of forgiveness.
• C -  Confess your faith in Jesus as your Savior and your Lord forevermore.

Read the Gospel of John!

Towel Origami

The name of our stateroom attendant was Alvin, as in the chipmunk. He was a really nice quiet kid probably no older than 20 or 21 years old from South America, I think.

One of the things these Royal Caribbean stateroom attendant do for fun is something Sue called Towel Origami. They would take towels and fold them into animals. Apparently, it’s a trademark of Royal Caribbean.

Here are his animals:

Elephant
Rabbit
Dinosaur
Sting Ray
Monkey
Bat
My own feeble attempt at a lobster. (Originally, it was supposed to a butterfly but everyone said it looked like a lobster so, I went with it.

Towel Origami is not difficult to learn, although the results often seem very elaborate. One of the most challenging aspects of towel origami is that you can't achieve crisp and even folds when you're working with a washcloth or bath towel. You must be a bit flexible in your approach, applying forceful manipulation and occasionally reinforcing the design with rubber bands or other accessories. Or, you can just throw the towels together in a heap, sprinkle some ketchup on it and call it road kill.

In researching towel origami, I discovered that Royal Caribbean is not the only cruise line that does this. Here’s a how-to video from Carnival.

We enjoyed coming back from dinner and seeing what animal awaited us on the bed. There was a towel-folding demonstration in one of the lounges on the last day.

If you get adapt at folding towels into animal, just think of the fun you can have scaring your neighbors.

“Honey, there’s a white monkey hanging from the tree on the front lawn!”

Boston, MA – Leaving the Harbor

These modern ships are unbelievably maneuverable. Our ship was in dock facing toward the city and we had another cruise ship right behind us and a container ship across the pier.

We had to push away from the dock, back out between the two ships, and then turn around in the Charles River. And we did it and they didn’t need Frank’s help at all. As we passed the other ship. the Aida, Frank asked for bananas because our ship was out of them. Unfortunately, so was theirs.

Here are all the pictures from Day 8, a day in Boston, including pictures of us backing out in the river between 2 ships.

Boston, MA – The Dog Tag Memorial

“One if by land; Two if by sea”

Famous words from the Midnight Ride of Paul Revere. The lanterns were placed atop the Old North Church.

Today, in the gardens of the Old North Church which is still an active church, there is an eerie memorial of dog tags to the soldiers who have lost their lives in America’s never ending quest for freedom in the Wars of Iraq and Afghanistan.

The dog tags are unmarked but each represents as of this writing, the 5710 men and women who have lost their lives for the cause of freedom. These freedoms which America holds so dear began on this very site on April 18, 1775.

The sound the dog tags make when the wind whips through them is a solemn and chilling reminder that freedom is not free. May God bless the families of these brave men and women. May we be always grateful for their supreme sacrifice.

For a full panoramic view of the memorial, click here.

Boston, MA – The Freedom Trail (Historical)

 

Boston Commons

The starting point of the Freedom Trail, Boston Common is the oldest park in the country. The park is almost 50 acres in size.

Today, Boston Common is the anchor for the Emerald Necklace, a system of connected parks that winds through many of Boston's neighborhoods.

The "Common" has been used for many different purposes throughout its long history. Until 1830, cattle grazed the Common, and until 1817, public hangings took place here. British troops camped on Boston Common prior to the Revolution and left from here to face colonial resistance at Lexington and Concord in April, 1775.

King’s Chapel and Burying Grounds

King's Chapel, designed by Peter Harrison, was constructed on land taken from the burying ground. To insure the presence of the Church of England in America, King James II ordered an Anglican parish to be built in Boston. Since none of the colonists were interested in selling suitable land for the Church, the King ordered Governor Andros to seize a corner of the burying ground for the Church of England.

King's Chapel Burying Ground is the oldest burying place in Boston proper. The burying ground is the final resting place for many colonists, including John Winthrop, the Colony's 12 term governor; Hezekiah Usher, the colony's first printer; Mary Chilton, the first woman to step off the Mayflower.

Faneuil Hall

Faneuil Hall has served as a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. Funding was provided by a wealthy merchant, Peter Faneuil, for the construction and local artisan to create the grasshopper weather vane that still perches on the building's cupola. Inspirational speeches by Samuel Adams and other patriots were given at Faneuil Hall. These oratories became the footstool for America's desire to obtain independence from the British.

Faneuil Hall was expanded in 1806 by Charles Bulfinch. When Boston became a city the use of Faneuil Hall as a government meeting place came to an end, but it was still regularly used. Today, the first floor is still used as a lively marketplace and the second floor is a meeting hall where many Boston City debates are held. The fourth floor is maintained by the Ancient and Honorable Artillery Company.

Paul Revere House

Built around 1680, this house is the oldest building in downtown Boston. It served as the home of silversmith Paul Revere and his family from 1770 to 1800. Paul Revere is famous for his "midnight ride" to Lexington, Massachusetts informing Samuel Adams and John Hancock that the British were coming to arrest them.

In the 19th century, hundreds of Irish, Italian, and Jewish immigrants to the North End lived in the Paul Revere House and in the 20th century, the house was restored and converted to a museum. The site is owned and operated by The Paul Revere Memorial Association.

 

Old North Church

Known as "Christ Church in the City of Boston", this Episcopal church was built in 1723 and is Boston's oldest Church building.

On the steeple of this church, Robert Newman signaled with lanterns the approach of the British regulars; "One if by land, and two, if by sea".

The steeple is 191 feet tall, making it the tallest steeple in Boston. The bells within the steeple were the first bells ever brought to America. Paul Revere was one of the neighborhood bell ringers. The interior high box pews and brass chandeliers, as well as the Church's first clock are all original.

For more information about the Freedom Trail in Boston click here: The Freedom Trail Foundation

Boston, MA – The $2 Bus Driver

One of the drawbacks of cruising is the high prices of the excursion trip offered by Cruise Line. It certainly is easier to take one booking through them but you can do very well if you make some of your own arrangements. One case in point was our “excursion” to the Boston Commons. The ship was offering a shuttle bus to the Commons from the pier at $16 a person round trip. However, 2 blocks from the pier is the Boston MTA which takes you to downtown Boston (and I guess just about anywhere in Boston) for we think is $4 round trip. And as it turns out, you can get it even cheaper. More on that later.

So, the six of us leave the ship and head the 2 blocks towards the MTA stop. This line to the pier is relatively new and they use buses but at some point they go underground and ride in tunnels only accessed by the same buses with no other traffic.

Initially, we had no idea how much the fare was or whether we needed “exact change”.  So, when the bus stopped, we asked about the fare. The MTA Bus Driver, fresh from her breakfast of nasty pills, said “Two Dollars!”

I asked nicely, “Is it exact change?”

She replied, “Two Dollars!”

Thinking that maybe she would be more comfortable with the soothing voice of a woman, Sue asked, “Exact Change?”

She replied, “Two Dollars!”

A third time she was asked about exact change but now she was growing increasingly hostile. “TWO DOLLARS!!”, she sneered.

The MTA Bus Driver had lost what little cool she had and took a different tactic, “I’m late, either get on or wait for the next bus!”

We got on. Amazingly, I put 2 fives and 2 ones in the slot for the fare. Unbelievable. Who could have guessed? The fare was two dollars. Luckily, I had exact change.

 

When we finally reached Park Street which is our exit for the Boston Common, we bought a return ticket and as it turns out it was only $10.20 for 6 rides. This time we were helped by an MTA employee who was very nice. I guess we can conclude that half the MTA workers are nice. I think.

The Happenings

I’ll be alone each and every night While you’re away don’t forget to write Bye-Bye so long farewell Bye-Bye so long See you in September

Now, on stage wearing Depends, it’s the Happening!

From left to right:  Bob Kulik  ~  Bob Miranda  ~ George Rizzi 

That was our entertainment for the evening. A group from the 60’s who sounded just as good tonight as they did 43 years ago.

They were very entertaining and almost everyone in the audience related to them. And why not? We were all about the same age.

I was amazed that you can have moderate success in the 60’s with a few hits and make a career out of it. Well, good for them!

The passengers loved them and they were visible throughout the rest of the cruise.

It’s Yummy-Yummy Time

Our dinner table was located in the Colombus Dining Room. We were assigned table number 532. Our waiter was Wayne and the assistant waiter was Limin.

Limin was from Beijing, China. He had a bubbly personality and was always there whenever we needed him. They would serve plenty of fresh rolls. One roll was shaped in a small triangle with poppy seed. They were very tasty. Limin was such a pleasure.

Wayne was from Jamaica. He was aloof at first and we were disappointed in him. But, then, Frank worked on him and he warmed to us. His got much better as the week went on once he found out that Frank was a personal friend of the Captain and the Hotel Manager and that Frank had steered the ship.

 

Every night after we finished with the main course, Wayne would come with the dessert menu after Limin had delivered our coffees. Wayne would say, “it’s Yummy Yummy Time!”

From now on, it’s not longer dessert time in our homes. Nope. It will always be henceforth known as “Yummy Yummy Time”.

The Wave Ryder Cup

The condition at the Royal Caribbean Masters was cold, damp and windy. The course which is 12 decks above sea level played hard today and the contestants were primed and ready for a chance to take home the Wave Ryder Cup.

Dick, Frank and Gene made up the Husbands team. Ann, Ruth and Sue completed the Wives team. At stake was the coveted Wave Ryder Cup, an empty jar of hair gel of Cruise Director, Chris Northey.

The teams were set, the players were ready and the winds were howling out of the NE at Force 4.

As the wonderful gentlemen that they are, the Husbands let the Wives start first. The Wives had a 4-stroke lead after one hole and they were never behind and easily beat the Husbands by 3 strokes.

We should have cheated!

Water-Boarding by Showerhead

As you can see from the following photos, the shower in cabin’s bathroom is quite small. In fact, it was so small, I barely fit in it. If you dropped the soap, you either had to be double-jointed or skilled in using your toes to pick up the soap.

You’ll notice that the showerhead is on a rail that adjusts its height. Well, I didn’t know that until Wednesday. I would always shower after Sue did and she left it at a certain height. That height was in line with my face and the shower was very forceful. In the close quarters of the confined shower, every time I showered, I felt like I was being water-boarded. By Monday, I was willing to tell the Captain anything. Imagine my embarrassment and relief when I found out it was an adjusting showerhead. Stupid is as stupid does.

Halifax, NS – Susie’s Shortbreads

This was a great sign. We stopped to take a picture:

Halifax, NS – The Public Gardens

The Halifax Public Gardens are Victorian era public gardens formally established in 1867, the year of Canadian Confederation. The gardens are located in the Halifax Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia on the Halifax Peninsula near the popular shopping district of Spring Garden Road. The gardens are a national historic site.

The Public Gardens are bounded by Spring Garden Road, South Park Street, Summer Street and Sackville Street. They are open annually from approximately May 1 until November 1. The landscaping style is Victorian formal and provides a popular setting for wedding and prom photos. The gardens also feature a bandstand that is used for free public concerts on Sunday afternoons during the summer.

Many people enjoy feeding the ducks who make the gardens their home, although it is prohibited.

The Public Gardens were badly damaged by Hurricane Juan in 2003. Many trees were destroyed, necessitating the early closure of the gardens and some redesign. The gardens reopened on Canada Day, 2004 after a restoration aided in part by $1 million which was raised during a radio telethon.

Horton Hears a Yahoo

Watching hockey on the NHL Network sometimes has games from the CBC and one of the sponsors is Tim Horton’s. Tim was a former NHL player would invested in a chain of coffee shops. Like Dunkin Donuts in the States, Tim Horton’s serves coffee, donuts and a small menu of breakfast and lunch items.

In Saint John, NB on Monday, I finally got to drink a Tim Horton’s coffee. Tastes just like Dunkin Donuts. I paid in American dollars and got back Canadian money in change.

When we were in Halifax the next day, I got another coffee but this time in a travel mug. I may be the only person on Long Island with a Tim Horton’s travel mug. Whoopee!

 

Thanks to Al and Ro for giving us Canadian money to spend in Canada. I used up the money they gave us to buy the mug. It was a great deal. Eh!

Halifax, NS – The Hill and the Citadel

From the Museum, we ventured inland to visit the Citadel. On a map it’s a nice straight line. In reality, it’s a nice straight line with a 30 degree incline. Boy, am I grossly out of shape. I could only take one block at a time and needed a rest at each corner. Sue had no problems.

We finally reached the base of the Citadel and found some interesting sights along the way. A nightclub called the Toothy Moose. The mascot was an Elvis-haired Moose with buck teeth.

 

We also found the Halifax Sport (notice not Sports) Hall of Fame. And I didn’t find out until we got home that admission to the Nova Scotia Sport Hall of Fame was free, as in free, no cost.

 

Sue went on to the top of the Citadel while I stayed below. She got some nice pictures from up there.

Halifax, NS – The Titanic Museum

We decided to forego any excursion trips in Halifax and opted to visit the city by foot. As with most city seaports, Halifax has built an attractive waterfront boardwalk with many shops, museums and restaurants.

We left the ship and walked along this modern but yet quaint waterfront filled with history. Halifax is one of the oldest ports in North America. In December, 1917, Halifax, Nova Scotia, was the hub of the Dominion of Canada. World War I had brought activity and prosperity to the port.

At 7.30 a.m. on December 6, the French ship Mont-Blanc left her anchorage outside the mouth of the harbor to join a convoy gathering in Bedford Basin. She was loaded with 2,300 tons of wet and dry picric acid, 200 tons of TNT, 10 tons of gun cotton and 35 tons of benzol: a highly explosive mixture. At the same time the Norwegian vessel Imo, in ballast, set off from the Basin bound for New York to pick up a cargo of relief supplies for Belgium. At the entrance to the Narrows, after a series of ill-judged maneuvers, the Imo struck the Mont-Blanc on the bow. Although the collision was not severe, fire immediately broke out on board the Mont-Blanc.

Just before 9.05 a.m., the Mont-Blanc exploded. Not one piece of her remained beside the dock where she had finished her voyage. Fragments rained on the surrounding area, crashing through buildings with enough force to embed them where they landed.

1,630 homes were completely destroyed, many by fires that quickly spread following the explosion; 12,000 houses were damaged; 6,000 people were left without shelter. Hardly a pane of glass in Halifax was left intact. The death toll rose to just over 1,900.

At 9 a.m. on December 6, every year, a service is held there in memory of the victims of the Explosion. The bells ring out and can be heard across the Narrows in north Dartmouth, all around Fort Needham, and in the areas devastated by the Halifax Explosion of 1917.

 

We went to the Halifax Maritime Museum which has a tribute Halifax Explosion of 1917 as well as the Titanic.  Halifax was the largest and closest port to the spot where Titanic went down on April 14-15, 1912. It had a profound effect on the people of Halifax. Almost 200 victims are buried there, many of them unidentified. The saddest was the body of a 2 year old boy, one of the first victims found.

The entire museum was nice with displays concerning the ship, St. Louis, which was carrying Jewish refugees looking for a safe place to stay in 1939 as they fled from Nazi Germany. They were turned down by Cuba, the USA and Canada and eventually returned to Germany where many if not all died in concentration camps.

It was very interesting.

Saint John, NB – Reversing Falls

The phenomenon of the Reversing Falls is caused by the tremendous rise and fall of the tides of the Bay of Fundy, which are the highest in the world. The natural southward-facing opening of the Bay of Fundy receives the on rushing ocean tides directly like a funnel. The tidewater is normal when it enters the bay at its widest point. But the farther up the bay it travels the more it changes. It is, in effect, squeezed by the ever-narrowing sides and the constant shallowing of the bottom forcing the water higher up the shores. The low tide running out of the bay collides with the new, incoming high tide, combining forces to make a higher wave coming in. The combination of wave forces is called resonance.

   The Bay of Fundy tides are a result of the tidal action originating in the Southern Indian Ocean sweeping around the Cape of Good Hope and then northward into the Bay of Fundy. They are also affected by the distance of the moon from the earth at this longitude. Here in Saint John, the bay tides rise 28 ½ feet. When the tide is low, the St. John River, 450 miles long, empties into the bay. Between Fallsview Park and the Pulp Mill, the full flow of the river thunders through a narrow gorge. An underwater ledge, 36 feet below the surface causes the water in the river to tumble downward into a 175-200 foot deep pool. Below the mill and under the bridge. The water then boils in a series of rapids and whirlpools.

   As the bay tides begin to rise, they slow the course of the river and finally stop the river's flow completely. This short period of complete calm is called slack tide. It is only at this time that boats are able to navigate the Falls. Shortly after this slack tide the bay tides become higher than the river level and slowly, at first, the river begins to flow upstream. As the bay tides continue to rise, the reverse flow gradually increases and the rapids begin to form, reaching their peak at high tide. The effect of this reversal is felt upstream as far as Fredericton, more than 80 miles inland. At this point the tidal waters are actually 14 ½ feet higher than the river.

   After high tide the bay tides begin to fall and the upstream flow of the river gradually lowers until the bay tides fall to the level of the river - once again resulting in another slack tide. The river then resumes its normal course and begins to flow back out of the bay. The bay tides continue to fall below the level of the river until at low tide the rapids are again at their peak, flowing down stream. At this point the tidal waters are 14 ½ feet lower than the river level.

   The tide rises and falls once about every 12 and a half hours.

Saint John, NB – The Caffeine Cabbie on Steroids

We landed in Saint John, New Brunswick on Monday and only had a short stay planned in port. We needed to see the sights and be back on board by 3:30. Probably the most interesting sight in Saint John is the Reversing Falls. It’s where the Bay of Fundy meets the Saint John River. The difference between low and high tides in Saint John is 40 feet. That’s a lot of water. Our Captain had said that if we didn’t leave on time, we would not get out of the harbor and be late for Halifax.

Where the bay meets the river an interesting phenomenon takes place. At high tide, the rapids go upstream since the bay water is higher than the river water. In low tide, it reverses hence Reversing Falls. We found out when we were welcomed into Saint John with a rose for Sue and a pin for me, that a cab ride to the Falls cost $7 for the first passenger and $1 for each additional passenger. That’s $10 for 2 couples. Dick, Ann, Sue and I decided it was worth the cab ride so we asked the cab drivers who were waiting at the entrance to the dock to take us there making sure it was only $10. One guy jumped at the chance.

We got into his messy van and gave him the 10 bucks. He started talking and never stopped. When he took a breath, our hearing was able to catch up to what he just said. He was all agog about having this fare and telling us that he would not only take us there but be our guide along the way. He put down his coffee. It must have been his 25th cup of the day. He was like a little kid who found a chest full of candy and couldn’t wait to tell everyone about it. He gave us the $50 tour. Showed us things that weren’t on the map like the farmer with 7 daughters who built a house for each of them.

When we got to the falls, he took us right by the point where the reversals happen. Every time a harbor seal lifted his head above the water, he would clap his hands and loudly yell to everyone there, “look! that’s a harbor seal, Oh! Boy! Eh!” He was not only giving us the heads up as to what was happening but he was letting everyone else know, too. He drove us back to the Market on the top of the hill. Dick and I gave him another $20. He was thrilled. It was the highlight of the day.

I never got a picture of him or his name but I’ll always fondly remember him. I’ll just call him the Caffeine Cabbie Eh!

David Morgan and Chuckie The Duck

 

For Day 4’s entertainment, we saw David Morgan and his puppet, Chuckie the Duck. He made no pretense that he was a ventriloquist because his mouth was always moving when Chuckie was speaking. Chuckie’s lips didn’t move as he spoke. Maybe Chuckie was the ventriloquist. Hmmm! We’ll never know.

They did a skit with audience participation of Old MacDonald had a Farm. Boy, did they people screw it up. Very Funny, though!

Here’s me with David and Chuckie.

While I was standing next to Chuckie, I thought he was quacking but I think he was letting out some swamp gas.

When a Safe is not safe

When is a safe not a safe. When it’s it Frank’s room.

Each stateroom cabin has a safe where you can keep your valuable as you stay on the ship. The only thing you really need on board is your Sea Pass which serves as a room key and a ship credit card. You don’t need to carry cash or other items. Therefore, you keep it in the safe which is located in the closet.

There is only one problem; the safe opens the wrong way. It’s hard to see where the items in the safe are. You end up feeling your way around the safe. We joked about it and it really wasn’t a big deal but when you have access to the Captain and the Hotel Manager like Frank, you might want to tell them how you really feel.

At the Captain’s reception for returning Royal Caribbean customers, Frank had an opportunity to voice his opinions about the safe opening the wrong way and about the bathroom light switch being on the outside unreachable from the inside. Frank was very good friends with the captain. Here’s Frank manning the bridge while the Captain sees to private business.

It pays to know someone! The next day, Frank had a new safe put in his room, one that opens the right way and also, he had a remote control bathroom light switch installed so he can turn the bathroom light on from anywhere on the ship and 2 miles inside port. Royal Caribbean is installing this new technology into it’s next generation of Sea Passes. It’ll be called the “Head-light” switch. Also, the new Curtachio safes will be ordered for all cabins in the fleet. These safes open downward and can be mounted on any wall in any closet.

Bar Harbor, ME – Wet Water

As we strolled around Bar Harbor, we took a walk on the Shore Path.

I was looking to get a picture of our ship, Explorer of the Seas, sitting in the water in the Bay. But. the ship was behind the outcrop of trees and rocks to the left so, we never could see it.

I was noticing that the tides in Bar Harbor seemed to be about 20 feet because it looked like low tide. To express myself so succinctly, I said, “Look how wet the water is!” Duh! I meant the sand!

At least, someone was kind enough to take a nice picture of us!

Bar Harbor, ME – The Town

It’s a very small town only about 3 blocks long and 3 blocks wide by the water. It reminds us very much of Port Jefferson.

There was another boat in port, the Maasdam, a Holland American Lines ship. It looked older and was much smaller than our ship, Explorer of the Seas. The town was waiting for the cruise ships and all businesses were bustling with activity. We made their day.

I finally got to eat a lobster roll, which only cost $7.95.

We bought some ice cream, too.

We picked up a sweatshirt and a cheap travel mug for me and a top for Sue.

It was a nice day.