When I was offered a press trip to Essex Massachusetts, I jumped at the chance. I brought along my friend Cindy since we would be poking in the antique stores and we headed off to have a great three days.Essex is an attractive town located…Read More

When I was offered a press trip to Essex Massachusetts, I jumped at the chance. I brought along my friend Cindy since we would be poking in the antique stores and we headed off to have a great three days.

Essex is an attractive town located on the coast of Massachusetts. It is one of the towns on Cape Anne about 45 minutes north of Boston. In the past it was one of the premier shipbuilding cities in the United States but today, there is only one shipyard remaining. People flock to the area to enjoy the amazing seafood and of course the ocean front location.

Antiquing is one of the big attractions as well and the main drag is lined with one antique shop after another. There really is something here for everyone with some really high end shops sells pieces for thousands of dollars to others where you can buy used books for a buck or two. Cindy and I did our share of poking, chatting up the owners and both made several purchases.

For a real feel of the area, a river boat cruise is the perfect way to appreciate not only the marsh and the people birds but the amazing homes that line the area. You will sale by historic homes as well as ultra-modern new construction. You will garner tidbits of local history and lore from your guide and it is a relaxing way to really soak up the atmosphere. Essex River Cruises is the premier operator in the area. http://www.essexcruises.com/ Be sure to bring along a sweater or light jacket and you can bring along lunch as well if you want.

If you are interested in shipbuilding or even if you are not the Essex Shipbuilding Museum http://www.essexshipbuildingmuseum.org/ is a great place to spend an hour or so. Much of this museum is actually outside so you get to walk around and see how ships are made and there are even some hands on experiences for the kids. There are guided tours offered and the amount of information offered is truly eye opening.

If like me, you enjoy visiting a historic house; Cogswell Grant is a perfect place to spend some time. While it is located in Essex it is not in the downtown area. There is plenty of parking at the house and the visit is on a guided tour. Cogswell Grant http://www.historicnewengland.org/historic-properties/homes/cogswells-grant/cogswells-grant is closed during the winter but is open June through October. One of the Historic New England Properties, it is amazing.

When staying in a historic area like Essex, MA it seems natural to want to choose a historic accommodation. The George Fuller Inn is the perfect choice. Located right on Main Street in Essex you literally can park your car at the inn and walk just about everywhere you want to go. It certainly is surrounded by great restaurants and antique shops. http://www.cape-ann.com/fuller-house/ We actually changed our room since it was a quiet time and our original room was on the second floor and was challenging for my knees.

There are many great restaurants in Essex but one that draws people from far and wide is Woodman’s. This restaurant has the distinction of inventing the fried clam and in 2013 they will be 99 years old. The clams really are delicious here as is the chowder. They can also accommodate visitors who are gluten-intolerant which is a wonderful thing these days. http://www.woodmans.com/restaurants/ They however don’t offer the view that you get at Periwinkles or Shea’s.

With the smell of the sea in our noses, mixing with the tantalizing scents of great food, it was a very enjoyable three days.
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For me, coming to Cape Ann was a journey of discovery. I have early New England ancestors who were residents in the area at about the time of the infamous Salem witch trials. That of course made me very curious. I had one ancestor who…Read More

For me, coming to Cape Ann was a journey of discovery. I have early New England ancestors who were residents in the area at about the time of the infamous Salem witch trials. That of course made me very curious. I had one ancestor who had died in Gloucester in 1728 but I had no idea where he was buried.

The Cape Anne Museum, as well as some wonderful exhibits has a genealogy library that is the ideal place to start any research into ancestors in the area. I checked in on Friday morning and began my quest to find out where Michael Webber was buried.

There is staff available to send you in the right direction and let you know what is available. There were a lot of people searching on the morning so it took me a while to get the help I needed. I was given the cemetery registers for all of the cemeteries in Gloucester. It was a painstaking search that yielded nothing. I was quite defeated. The death record was no help as it only said that he died not where he was buried.

I was looking through a book about the area when I came across a section about my Michael’s son of the same name and his wife. A minister was named who had visited their home. I mentioned it to one of the librarian and she immediately said "he is the minister from the First Parish". It seems inadvertently I had stumbled upon the information that I needed. As members of First Parish, they would have been buried in the First Parish Cemetery. Since they were not listed in that cemetery, they are unlikely to have a stone.

I immediately asked about the location of the cemetery and got a rather vague answer. Later that day, at the Sargent House Museum, the director looked it up for me and printed a map that showed me where it was. Even with that information I was not able to find it on my first attempt.

I refused to leave town without finding it so returned to the street, driving very slowly and there it was. It is off the road, there is a small sign but the cemetery is completely overgrown. A few gravestones standing in a field of hay. Too bad because this is a very historic place and many of the early settlers of Gloucester are no doubt buried here.
Another piece of information I acquired at the Cape Anne Museum was the location of my ancestor's land. It seems he was quite well off and had a large holding in an area that is quite amazing today.

As I visited the Fisherman’s Memorial on the waterfront, I realized that I had a relative on the memorial. Michael Webber's grandson lost his life and is memorialized here. I really loved my visit to Gloucester and I feel very connected to the area.
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As I have grown older, I have become to realize there are all kinds of people in this world. Some you wonder if they are really who they say they are, and others you applaud for their stance in life. All of them you…Read More

As I have grown older, I have become to realize there are all kinds of people in this world. Some you wonder if they are really who they say they are, and others you applaud for their stance in life. All of them you accept for who they are. I had one of those experiences one morning in Salem, MA. We had gotten to the small, historic center early in the morning before anything was really opened. I guess we were excited to start our vacation. So we started walking the streets observing and taking lots of pictures. Since nothing was open yet, I did a lot of window shopping. What I found was a menagerie of stores selling things to do with magic. Not the rabbit in the hat kind, but the real Wiccan kind. There was books containing spells, herbs and things to make the spells and lots of glitter to make things pretty. I just kept wondering how much of this was just for show, I mean this was Salem, MA and Salem is known for its history of witches. I just wasn’t convinced.

As we continued our tour around town, the stores began to open and we decided to visit a few. I found some of them were filled with trinkets "selling" the town, while others seemed more sinister in their purpose. I remember walking through this store where every isle was packed with books, skulls, clear large glass balls, wands, and lots of things to do with Satan. Now I was brought up a Christian and was taught at an early age to pray for safety. I had done that before we ever left the motel that morning, but I will tell you I felt a dark presence that day in that store. I felt as if something was following me and breathing down my neck and it was not a peaceful feeling. We got out of there as quickly as possible without stopping or breathing more than we could. Luckily I didn’t feel that way again all day in Salem.

On our tour we found the vintage photo shop, the Salem Witch Museum, the town square with its historical stories etched into every turn. Not all of it is witch related; there is a lovely statue of Nathaniel Hawthorne in the town square. He was the author of dark romanticism inspired by Puritan New England and wrote The House of Seven Gables and The Scarlet Letter. Did you know that one of his ancestors was a judge at the Salem witch trials? I’m sure that had something to do with his statue being in front of the witch museum.

Salem overall is a cute and whimsical town. You will see a lot of Wiccan and psychic shops but you will also find a variety of seafaring fun. We found a crowded and rustic shop that sold handmade, wooden statues for your garden. We wanted the lobster fisherman but couldn’t figure out how to get him back to Oklahoma. Maybe someday we will return and buy one. We ended our town tour with a stop at the water’s edge. As I sat there I wondered how many people had sat on the same rock looking out on the water and thought about the magic of the town.

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Lexington is a small town not 30 minutes from Boston's downtown center, which is reached through the Route 2. It is near the small town to an affluent suburb of Boston, in the course of the war for independence gained a great importance for the…Read More

Lexington is a small town not 30 minutes from Boston's downtown center, which is reached through the Route 2. It is near the small town to an affluent suburb of Boston, in the course of the war for independence gained a great importance for the United States. On 19 April 1775 in Lexington were the first shots fired of the Revolutionary War. This battle was won on the same day in another Boston suburb, namely Concord.

After we had reached Lexington at noon there were problems with parking on this day. We were also happens to be right in the center of town, where there is also the main attraction, the Battle Green, the place where the shooting took place. The Battle Green is nothing more than a large, well-maintained green area with a plaque that provides information on the historical events.

At the other end of the Battle Green is a statue The Minute Man, Captain Parker is shown with his sleeves rolled up waiting to go into battle. Above the Battle Green and is the statue is the huge Stars and Stripes. Also, most houses in the town have their own stars and stripes. Around the Battle Green you can see many lovely old colonial houses. In many houses there are signs that inform you of who has lived in the house and it is also noted the role played in one war.

Another attraction is the Buckman Tavern built in 1709, the Minutemen, the injured were treated. The bullet hole in one of the doors will come from an English ricochet. In the center of the town you see many people walking around dressed in the style of the colonists, as well as the Minutemen. One can there also be guided by a "contemporary", but what we did not. For the overall picture there is of course nice that from old houses and now and then someone comes along who is still dressed as 200 years ago. Across from the Battle Green Visitors Center is also located there.

In the vicinity of the Battle Green is a narrow way to the Old Cemetery, which is definitely worth seeing. Here is a gray stone lined graves and the inscriptions show that there were a few families who apparently had many members, because one always reads back the same last name. Especially in the autumn when the leaves are colourful, they form a nice contrast to the gray of the cemetery. Like all attractions in Lexington and the cemetery is signposted, so you can not miss it. On the other side of the Battle Green is a path leading to a hillock on which a bell tower, but which was not originally in Lexington, but is originally from Boston.

Finally there is the Hancock-Clarke House. You can visit this house from the inside, but what we did not. Leaving the area of the Battle Green, one goes on a normal road through town. Here there are shops, cafes, restaurants, etc. We bought a coffee shop a few hot drinks to take home. Along the road there are many benches where you can relax.

Lexington is a town that you can look at least once. If you are interested in the history of America or the old colonial houses look like, then you are exactly right. The area around the Battle Green, with the statue, however, is quickly explored, as are the other attractions, so you will not necessarily stay here long. I can recommend a visit to Lexington.Close

Williamstown is located at the foot of Mount Greylock which is a small college town in the northwestern corner of Massachusetts. West of the State of New York adjacent to the site, just north of Vermont. With only 9000 inhabitants it is a small town.…Read More

Williamstown is located at the foot of Mount Greylock which is a small college town in the northwestern corner of Massachusetts. West of the State of New York adjacent to the site, just north of Vermont. With only 9000 inhabitants it is a small town. Many residents of Williamstown are students or here for the art. For here, the Williams College and the Sterling Francine Clark Art Institute, located at. The latter is a world-renowned art gallery.

After we reached Williamstown at noon was immediately clear why we had not found a free hotel anymore, because it is truly a small town. But a very pretty, how could we find the same. The building in Williamstown are well maintained and especially nice to see. Solely to college are more than 50 buildings in Georgian and Federal style, which look really smart.
We parked the car on a visitor parking lot of the colleges and within 5 minutes we were back on the main road leading through town. There are many beautiful buildings, including a very pretty church, of which I've uploaded a photo. That the city dedicated to art shows itself everywhere. In particular, but a sculpture on the main road catches the eye: a mountain of eyeballs, which looks very bizarre but quite interesting.

Since we planned not to visit the art gallery we made our way into Spring Street. The pretty street is not very long, but is home to numerous shops, restaurants and cafes. Here, however, showed very clearly that we were at the wrong time of day on site, as everything was totally empty and almost extinct. The students were probably just in college here and so it was anything but lively - but this evening will be different.

The shops in this street but look very nice, and not all were open at noon. Especially recommended is a curio shop at the end of the road on the left side. Here you can buy funny and unusual things. When we tried a number of crazy sunglasses, we were immediately interviewed by a journalist from the local paper. Whether the article was published, I do not know him because we were on the website, you should see where he can not.

The Café and restaurants were just as empty as the street, so we again after about an hour on the way to our car and took off again. If you want to visit the art gallery, you will naturally bring a little more time.

My report today is a little shorter than usual, but that's because it's just not much more to say about this small town. It is not that you'd miss something if you look at Williamstown, but a trip to the pretty - very sleepy during the day - college town is nothing to regret what you need. If you are interested in art, it is certainly the right place and then you should also visit the gallery. Otherwise, a nice stroll through the city, with the Spring Street and its shops is certainly still the most interesting part. While there is basically nothing negative to report about the village, but it's just my opinion, not a highlight, so I can make a recommendation for all who are interested in either art or love with a pretty little town and walk a little stroll.
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Figuring out how to get yourself to the island can take a lot of planning. There are many options, from regular ferries to high speed ferries, car ferries and planes. In summer the one and only car ferry books out months in advance for peak…Read More

Figuring out how to get yourself to the island can take a lot of planning. There are many options, from regular ferries to high speed ferries, car ferries and planes. In summer the one and only car ferry books out months in advance for peak days, so think carefully about taking your wheels over. We umm-ed and aahh-ed about it, and in the end left the car behind but didn't regret it. For a stays longer than a few days and for families it would make getting around much easier, but be warned, there can be traffic.

So decision made to go car-free we were left then to pick from the various boat options, as the last minute airfares were on the extra high side. There are high speed ferries available all the way up the coast from Manhattan, depending on your travel dates. In the end we went for the tried and true Steamship Authority, the only year-round and government run ferry, for a 45-minute cruise over to Vineyard Haven. The tickets were 1/10th the cost of the higher-speed options, and we enjoyed the drive to Woods Hole. Parking was easy, we were at a lot a few minutes drive from the ferry itself - keep your eyes out for parking signs along the drive in to town. It was super easy and we were completely happy with our decision. Highly recommended. Close

Ioka Farm is not too far from Wyndham Bentley Brooke and a great place if you have younger children. We were a little perturbed to find that the most expensive admission was for kids at $7.50 and when we said our grandson was 2 years…Read More

Ioka Farm is not too far from Wyndham Bentley Brooke and a great place if you have younger children. We were a little perturbed to find that the most expensive admission was for kids at $7.50 and when we said our grandson was 2 years old, he was charged that price . . . nowhere did it say what age a kid had to be. As seniors we paid $6 and our daughter was charged the adult price of $7. The old lady who was at the admissions desk seemed annoyed we were trying to get a discounted price; she made a calculation error and rather then give us a refund, handed us a cup of animal food.

There were a number of other kids and they were riding these wiggle carts. Our grandson got on one and found he could ride quite nicely. He took it down the hall where the same old lady told him and us in no uncertain terms that these carts are to stay on the wooden floor and there was a sign. I said he did not read at two and she said it was our job to pay attention. Our daughter agreed with her but said she did not need to be rude. The woman responded that she had seen too many kids running amuck and wrecking the wheels. We certainly understand that one must respect property, however there is a nice way to impart that information.

Once we got outside the old lady’s turf, we were able to relax a bit and enjoy our visit. There were adorable sheep and goats . . .the babies were absolutely delightful. There were pigs, turkeys, chickens, big black Angus bulls, llamas and rabbits. One could feed most of the animals. There were play structures and toys in sand type pits, which were filled with a sand/fine stone mix which was kind of dirty. There were little tractors to ride and some other carts to drive on a track. One of the staff took a little train of wagons around. It was a very enjoyable visit.
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It is hard to explain the feeling that comes over Boston every time the fourth of July comes around. There is an energy in the air that is fed by the thousands of tourists and historical re-enactments and displays that pepper the town. Nowhere is…Read More

It is hard to explain the feeling that comes over Boston every time the fourth of July comes around. There is an energy in the air that is fed by the thousands of tourists and historical re-enactments and displays that pepper the town. Nowhere is this feeling more evident than the Charlestown Navy Yard, where the USS Constitution is docked. Not only is the USS Constitution decked out with flags and patriotic decorations, but there are also typically several other Navy ships that visit the yard for the weekend.

The Navy Yard is accessible through many of the bus tours that circle Boston and also through the ferry with service from Rowes Wharf (close to Faneuil Hall). A footbridge and harbor-side walking path can be found that connect North Station with the Navy Yard area, if you know where to look for them (behind North Station--- over the canal locks that separate the Charles River from Boston Harbor).

In 2010, the World War II Destroyer USS Cassin Young was docked in the Navy Yard for the Fourth of July festivities. Another Navy ship was also docked in the yard, but the USS Cassin Young was the only one that was open to public tours. It was interesting to walk around the deck of the Destroyer and view the gun turrets and torpedo launchers. It was also interesting to see the very small dining and sick-bay facilities which make one wonder how anyone could've survived their stay on the vessel back in the day. The main deck was the only one open for public viewing, but I saw several park rangers give guided tours of the lower boiler rooms and quarters to a few people upon request.

The USS Constitution was very crowded on the weekend of the Fourth. Navy personnel keep the line moving smoothly to get aboard the ship, but it probably took a half-an-hour more than usual to get through the line. Boarding the USS Constitution is difficult to do on July 4th itself, since it is engaged in its annual "turnaround cruise" for the better part of the day. But seeing the ship sailing in the harbor is still a sight to see in itself; best viewed from another boat. As always, all the attractions in the Navy Yard including the Constitution and the USS Cassin Young were free to partake in.

I would highly recommend visiting the Navy Yard in Charlestown if you are looking for a truly patriotic experience on the Fourth of July. Few places offer this kind of spirit and historical experience in the same package. The flags and patriotic decorations are typically only on display during this time of year, so make for the perfect photo opportunity to remember your summer Boston travels.
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I love shopping in Boston and Cambridge is no exception. Especially in the area around Harvard Square, there are some unique and very interested places to poke around in.Tis-Tik54 Church StreetI fell in love with this store as soon as I saw it. It is…Read More

I love shopping in Boston and Cambridge is no exception. Especially in the area around Harvard Square, there are some unique and very interested places to poke around in.

Tis-Tik
54 Church Street

I fell in love with this store as soon as I saw it. It is filled with items from third world countries made by artisans and if you are looking for something different that will make a unique gift this is the perfect place to shop. I bought Kasey a gorgeous silver necklace with pink stones and matching pink earring. As it turned out the artist was in the store and had just placed her work there that day. It was a very nice experience to get to meet her and tell her how much I loved her work. If you can’t get to Cambridge they do have a very nice website and many items are for sale online.

Globe Corner Bookstore
90 Mt Auburn Street

This is my favorite travel bookstore in the world. That is their specialty and they have a great selection of books about almost anywhere in the world you might want to visit. While you will find all the major guides you will also find lots of unexpected things. I Was able to find some of the guides to the counties of England that I usually can only find overseas. Cindy and I spend over an hour in here just browsing around.

Beadworks
23 Church Street

If you are into beads you will be in heaven. There was a class going on when we stopped in and there were a table full of people stringing beads to make a necklace. It was like walking into a bead rainbow, there were beads of every color and many different shapes. I have to say I did stop and look at a couple Murano beads that were selling for almost nothing and wonder if maybe I could put them on my Pandora Bracelet. I opted not too because they aren’t sterling and I really put a beating on my bracelet.

Harvard Coop
1400 Massachusetts’s Ave

This store wasn’t exactly what I expected. It certainly does have everything Harvard that you might possibly want to buy, sweatshirts, lanyards, mugs and travel cups, really the works but it also had a nice selection of chocolate and some great Vera Bradley items. I was surprised at all that they had to offer.

MIT Coop
Kendall Square

Barnes and Noble runs this coop and it has a great selection of books for every member of the family in addition to all the MIT gear you might want. The staff here was great, they helped me find a couple of books for the grand kids and if you have a Barnes and Noble discount card be sure to use it and get your 10% off.

These are just a few of the places I like to shop when I am in Cambridge. There are many more. There is nothing quite like enjoy a historic college town and doing some Christmas shopping at the same time.
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Friday, July 24, 2009Every year tens of thousands of youth soccer players participate at their State Championships with one goal in mind . . . to represent their state at one of four regional championships that will lead them to competing in July at the…Read More

Friday, July 24, 2009

Every year tens of thousands of youth soccer players participate at their State Championships with one goal in mind . . . to represent their state at one of four regional championships that will lead them to competing in July at the US Youth Soccer National Championships Series and the possibility of being NATIONAL CHAMPIONS!

Unfortunately Wisconsin is not one of the national powerhouse states, like some of the larger states like Texas, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California, but our teams generally hold their own at the regional level. It's been a couple of years since we've had a national finalist team, but we still enjoy attending the championship event and watching these amazing athletes compete at the highest levels.

Teams from across the United States came to Lancaster, Massachusetts this year in hopes of winning the Championships. Each of the four regions will send a boys and girls team at each of six age groups. Additional teams qualify through the US Youth Soccer Nat'l Leagues.

I spent an afternoon out at the fields during the group play. During this phase of the tournament, each of the teams play the other three in their age group bracket with the top two advancing for the championship match on Saturday or Sunday.

Because we had a lot of rain overnight, the tournament schedule had to be modified slightly to include moving games from grass fields to turf (artificial grass) . . . still located at the same complex.

A little about the complex. The Citizen Bank Fields at Progin Park are well kept and manicured fields. It was unfortunate to have the heavy rains, but the good news was that it wasn't sweltering in terms of heat, although the humidity has been high. It is a small complex, one that might surprise folks to be hosting a national level championship especially since there are no lighted fields and relatively limited seating provided for spectators (tri-level bleachers were at all fields in use for this event).

The complex does have a nice snack bar concession stand complete with bathrooms (vs. the "blue rooms" you see at so many parks and facilities). Parking was somewhat limited, but tournament organizers minimized the inconvenience of the downhill (or uphill for your return trip to your car) by provided golf cart shuttle service. HURRAY for that!

I watched the entire U15B game between Casa Mia Bays 94 (Baltimore, MD) and SCSA 92 Gold (Charlotte, NC). In the end it was a 1-0 win for the bracket leader Casa Mia. Attached to this story is a photo of the lone goal scored in the 9th minute of the game on a penalty kick. NOTE: For the soccer novice, U15B means "Under 15 (age) Boys". These kids were all 15 now (or within the next week) as the cutoff date for birthdays for this year’s event would have been 8/1/08.

NOTE: On Saturday, July 25th the U15B Casa Mia Bays 94's won the National Championships and in doing so, accomplished the "double" as they had earlier this summer won the US Youth Soccer National League for their age group.


Sunday, July 26, 2009

Today I caught the last of the U18 girls championship match of Ohio Elite (OH/S) vs. FC Bucks (E/PA). While Ohio South held tough after an early second half goal by PA/E's team, that was enough for FC Bucks to get by them. (See photo of the great save late in the game, made by the Ohio keeper.)

The second game that I watched was the U19B and another Casa Mia Bays team from Baltimore. Their opponent was NASA 08 Elite of Georgia, the top team in the USA as of the 7/24/09 rankings. At this age group, many of the players are already playing college level soccer and in this particular game most were playing at D1 schools.

It was a very exciting game, with the Baltimore team winning their second National Championship this year for their club. With a goal in each of the halves, the game seemed much closer than the final 2-0 score.

For those who may actually be interested in youth soccer and the US Youth Soccer National Championships, check out the championships’ page at: http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org/index.asp.
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