Salem, Cape May, Gloucester & Rockport....

Spent two days roaming the steets of

Salem ...

Where we hunted down many of
the cool places I've read about in
literature, including the
Charter Street Cemetery (the second
oldest cemetery in the United States.)

Rockport...

twhere I we the best clam
chowd"ah" we  have ever had.

(Note to Self:  hunt down a good
recipe and make some of that
myseof this winter.)

 Cape May ...

where we rambled for hours through
gallery after gallery and studio after studio
until  FINALLY pulling the trigger and buying
a spectacular painting from the artist who works in
this studio (more on that later,)
and a few other things to grace the walls
of the castle.

and  finally Gloucester...
(the oldest seaport in the U.S.)

where I got to visit
 the Goucester Fish Stick Man
(as I affectionately refer to him,)
and  remember him well from
those Friday nights after girl scout meetings
when my mom (the leader) was too tired
to cook so we had fish sticks and macaroni
and cheese (also because she was also Catholic)
every single Friday night.

(ughhh, come to find out that this
guy is NOT the fish stick
man after all - and I read that many people make
that mistake.)

He is beautiful anyway,
amd does in fact stand as a touching memorial to those who've died
at sea.

We did not spend NEARLY enough time in Salem, or anywhere else in New England for that matter, and did not get to go to Nantucket, Cape Cod, Harvard or Providence, RI.  AND to add insult to injury - we are just going to MISS - the fall color.

Unfortunately, it's time to start heading home as there are appointments to keep,  acres of landscaping to be attended to before it gets cold, and the new season (two episodes - squeeeeee!!) of Sons of Anarchy to catch up on.  (I'm coming home Jax!)

I am sad the journey is coming to a close.  But isn't that great, really?  After spending two weeks in such close quarters with my husband and two corgis and I'm sad to be returning home.
I take that as a good sign of things to come.

Today... onward 'ho -  through Rhode Island, through Connecticut (so sorry not to stay a few days here), through New Jersey (HI! Bon Jovi - I'll see you November 6th!!) through to Pennsylvania - where we will visit family.  Then tomorrow through D.C. (YUCK!), through Maryland, back again through Virginia (oh how I do love Virginia) and finally - North Carolina....

...where I think any of us will  be sorry to drive up that long driveway - and open up the door
to the rest of our lives.

Happy Friday!!