Cape Cod Trip - Day 1

I'd been unable to travel during the Christmas holiday because of some maintenance my Subaru needed.  Once this work was completed, my dad suggested I take advantage of the additional time off for New Year's Eve and Day.  I agreed with this suggestion and left home today just after 0800.  Initially, I drove south on I-89 (listening to audiobooks) until I reached Hooksett.  As usual, I got on NH-3A but, instead of continuing all the way to I-93, took the cutoff (Main Street) and got on US-3.  This allowed me to stop at Shaw's for some free (reward) items (0910).  Next, I drove a short distance to Irving and got a gas fillup (0920).  After that, I continued south to I-93 and drove towards Massachusetts.  Surprisingly, there was very little traffic and I ended up having a great ride through Boston.  I was even more shocked that I got through the MA-3/I-93 junction with no slow downs at all!  The weather was great and I listened to more audiobooks on the way - it passed the time.  I arrived on Cape Cod just after 1100 and met my dad at his house.  We relaxed for only a short time, which was good because I was getting hungry...  At 1130, my dad drove me (and Ana, his black Lab) east on the Cape (MA-6A, back roads, US-6).  We used Station Avenue to get to get back on MA-6A and then drove over to take a look at our old home in Dennis.  From there, we continued into Brewster and went to the old Brewster Cemetery.  My dad showed me how he had moved my mom's stone (so it wasn't covered by a bush) - that made me happy (and saved me work because I'd been planning to do it myself).  Driving a short distance east, we took a walk on the brand new trail complex (Eddy Bay Trail).  It was well maintained and marked and had some great views of Cape Cod Bay.   My dad told me he'd been there when he was a kid but it had been private land until only just recently.  From there, we headed east on MA-6A again.  I thought we'd use it all the way to Orleans but my dad got back on US-6 just before we reached that town.  Instead, we drove to the Eastham Superette so we could get lunch.  My dad told me he'd been coming there for decades and always got the same thing (roast beef sandwich).  Before eating the food, we continued north towards the Cape Cod National Seashore Salt Pond Visitor Center.  After reaching it, we made stops at Coast Guard Beach (to eat lunch) and Nauset Light Beach (to walk down to the shore).  It was overcast and windy but not terribly cold - unfortunately we didn't see any wildlife...  Backtracking to Eastham, my dad then took me on a tour of Chatham.  Along the way, we barely missed getting trapped with traffic obstacles for the town's "First Night" event.  Escaping from that crowd, we drove through Harwich and Dennis.  In the latter town, we stopped to visit the site of my dad's old restaurant).  Continuing into Yarmouth, we checked out the new DY Middle School and then got back on US-6.  When we reached Sandwich, my dad showed me a brand new bike trail (which parallels the highway) inside the town.  Back at my dad's by 1530, I took a walk in town to get the rest of my 10,000 steps.  I had nearly finished when Eileen called - we talked for a while before I headed back to my dad's (I sat on his patio to finish our talk as it was getting dark.  Next (1700), I went inside and watched some TV news with Dad and Beth.  They had been cooking for a while and, when they finished the preparations, we sat down together for our meal.  My dad had made a delicious chicken breast "casserole" with stuffing.  We also had squash and mashed potatoes.  For dessert, we each had a piece of cake.  For the rest of the evening, we watched more news, some videos and did some talking.  At about 2045, I said goodnight and spent the rest of the evening reading in the guest room.  I went to sleep at 2200.  It was great to be able to visit my Dad and see some places on the Cape that were familiar from my youth.  More visiting and sight seeing tomorrow!

Woodstock, VT (USA)

[from very early, I teleworked - at 0930, I left my condo and made some donations at the LISTEN Center on the Miracle Mile - after that, I drove to Woodstock to volunteer (1020 to 1400) at Billings Farm - helped with candle making making again - met a New Zealand family on Holiday - got to have some hot chocolate during my break - when finished with my shift, I drove home (arrived by 1425) - resumed teleworking until dinner time]

Littleton, NH (USA)

Hoping to finish the Ammonoosuc Rail Trail (and, in the process, continue my pursuit of completing the Cross New Hampshire Adventure Trail), I made plans to hike today before I went to bed last night.  When I awoke, it was rainy and cool - but I wanted to go on a walk.  At 1000, I left my condo and drove (via I-91, VT/NH-25, River Road, NH-10, US-302) to Littleton this morning.  I located a trailhead that allowed me to connect to the point with where I’d turned around (with a flat tire) during an October bike ride.  There was a light powder coating on the ground.  At that point (1130), I thought I was only a hundred yards from the end of the bike trail.  However, I soon discovered (during a 1.5 mile walk) that the trail continued to the northeast.  At the old train depot (now a restaurant), I left the gravel surface and walked across the first of five different bridges (two paved, one covered, one suspension and one non-descript) that I subsequently used to explore the old town and cross/re-cross the frigid Ammonoosuc River.  Even though I’ve driven through the “Glad Town” many, many times this walking experience was unique and refreshing.  The overcast sky alternated between spitting rain and sleet but I never felt cold or wet. Best part of all, I logged almost three miles, despite my continued struggles with bursitis.  After getting done with my walk (1230), I drove (US-302 and NH-10) home immediately, arriving at my condo by 1400.  Great way to spend my Christmas Eve!

Enfield, NH (USA)

[at 0745, I left my condo and drove to White River Junction to swim at the UVAC - even though I only had 30 minutes reserved for a swim lane, I was able to get an extra 15 minutes (total of 45, 50 lengths) before finishing (0900) - I then drove to West Lebanon and did some shopping at the NH State Liquor Store - next, I drove to Enfield and arrived at Dragon's Gate Tattoo Studio about 30 minutes before my scheduled appointment - the proprietor (Scott) was glad to see me early and we got my two AT tattoos (one on each leg) done before noon - after finishing up, I took a walk on the Northern Rail Trail from the center of town back towards Mascoma Lake - headed home after that (arrived by 1300)]

Woodstock, VT (USA)

[from very early, I teleworked - at 1330, I drove to Woodstock to volunteer (1400 to 1600) at Billings Farm - candle making - got to try a mince pie - hot chocolate - when finished with my shift, I went across town to see inside the Woodstock Inn - there was a giant gingerbread house there - afterwards, I drove to Omer & Bob's to pick up my newly waxed skis - arrived home before 1700 - resumed teleworking until dinner time]

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworking from early in the morning - at 1500, I drove to White River Junction (UVAC) and went swimming for 45 minutes (52 lengths), sauna for 15 minutes, biking for 19 minutes (5 miles), rowing for 5 minutes (1 KM) and lifting weights - afterwards, I drove to Walmart and did some shopping - next, I took NH-12A and some backroads towards Meriden, looking for Christmas lights - I was not very lucky in this attempt but did see a few nice places - I arrived back at my condo by 1745]

Ottawa Trip - Day 2

I realized last night that this was my first time in Ottawa since (August) 1991.  Seems hard to believe my travels haven't brought me back since then...  Eileen and I slept quite late for each of us (0700) and took our time getting ready.  Steve and Heidi had suggested we meet for breakfast so there was enough time for me to take Mika for a walk, get Eileen some coffee and for us to talk some more.  At 0900, we all got together and ate a nice meal at the buffet.  We actually stayed in the dining area until after they closed (1000) and may have continued for several more hours.  However, Steve got a call about the luggage arriving at the airport.  This was a great piece of news and we drove over (short trip) to pick it up.  After returning to the hotel and sorting through the stuff that belonged to Steve/Heidi or Eileen, we ended up talking for another hour.  It was past noon before Eileen, Mika and I finally departed the hotel - what a nice visit!  All of us buoyed by the great conversation as we departed.  Eileen reminded me that we'd planned to take a walk before the expected rain arrived.  So, I again looked at my long list of planned events and realized we couldn't do any of them because there was not enough time before we had to be in Potsdam again.  Like yesterday, though, I found a "consolation prize": a complex of urban trails near Sawmill Creek.  To get there, we drove a short distance east down Hunt Club Road (ON-32) until we got on the Airport Parkway (ON-79).  Driving north, we eventually found a place where we could park (Kaladar Park) and access the trails - we started our "hike" at 1230.  The pathway followed the Sawmill Creek and was mostly next to a road, train track and bus road.  Despite the urban nature of the trail, however, there were some pretty things to see and Mika had a ball with the water, ubiquitous black squirrels and throwing sticks.  Eileen showed me some edible (Staghorn?) sumac.  I tried it and it was good (it has Vitamin C, I guess). There was some ice but the paved trail was mostly easy walking.  We turned around when we were "abeam" of a Home Depot (on the other side of the creek).  As we walked back towards the car, Mika and I played "tug of war" (fun).  By the time we were done (1330), Eileen and I were ready for some food.  She suggested that we get lunch at a place nearby that had been recommended by Steve and Heidi.  I agreed with this recommendation and, after a short drive, we arrived at the Shawarma Palace (1345).  While Eileen was parking the car and getting Mika situated, I managed to get some assistance from other patrons on ordering a plate of food.  Once it arrived, we laughed to see that the Mixed Plate was HUGE and we couldn't even finish it while working together.  The food was delicious, though!  We got done eating at around 1445 and got back on the road.  To get back to Potsdam, we essentially backtracked (via Hunt Club Road, ON-19, ON-32, ON-73 and ON-416) to the Saint Lawrence River.  Eileen and I had another great talk along the way - our conversation was light and fun after such a great weekend in Ottawa.  We both noted that there still had been no rain (we were lucky, I guess).  The border crossing wasn't stressful - line looked long but it was over 30 utility trucks that were waved through to a screening area.  The weather and views as we crossed the bridge were awesome.  Eileen's dad called as we made our way (via NY-812, NY-68 and US-11) back to Potsdam.  By the time we arrived at Eileen's house (1630), I was already tired.  To make matters worse, by then it had started to rain...  Eileen had some things to do and I still had over four hours of driving to do.  Reluctantly, I said goodbye (1640) and headed towards home.  I used NY-72, NY-11B, US-11, NY-190 and, finally, US-11 again to reach Rouses Point.  It was mostly dry and dark for most of this phase of the drive.  I actually got to talk to all three of my daughters for about 30 minutes each (what a treat!).  I encountered a line of about 20 Fire Trucks (decorated with colorful Christmas lights) that were waiting on a side road - guess I got lucky with missing a traffic jam...  When I reached Lake Champlain and got on US-2, it started raining.  From there until I got home, there was constant precipitation.  It wasn't cold, though, so I didn't worry about ice.  I listened to music and tried to stay alert.  For some reason, it seemed much later than it actually was.  In Albergh, VT I got on VT-78 and used it to reach I-89.  From there, I was able to keep up a good speed all the way home.  My dad called me and we made plans for later in the month.  I wanted to stop a few times for a bathroom break but I kept passing rest areas with hours that showed they were already closed.  I was also monitoring my gas gauge closely but I was able to make it all the way to Hanover without getting fuel.  Arrived at 2040 and unloaded in the driving rain.  Spent some time texting with Eileen before collapsing on to my couch - I went to bed about an hour after I arrived home.  This great trip reminded me that I don't have to drive too far away to find a fun weekend - it just requires friends, outdoor activities, food and creativity!

Ottawa Trip - Day 1

Eileen and I recently talked about going to Ottawa for the weekend together - she had some errands to run there.  Once we made plans, I was raring to go!  However, she had stuff to do in the morning so there was no rush for me to reach Potsdam.  I left my condo at around 0800 and made a stop at the Shaw's in West Lebanon so I could return some recalled food.  After that, I got on I-89 and headed into Vermont.  I listened to audiobooks on the way and tried to call all three of my daughters but they must have been sleeping...  In Williston, I stopped to visit a second Shaw's because I'd received an email about "free items" (an energy drink and box of hot chocolate packets).  As I was leaving, I noticed a place where I could "auto-recycle for credit" (will have to try that in the future).  Got back in my car and headed north on I-89.  Just after I got on the Interstate, I had a scare when I realized I'd forgotten to grab my passport.  Before panicking too much, however, I realized that I usually carry my passport card and found it in my wallet (whew!).  I got off the Interstate a the US-2 crossing and proceeded west towards the Champlain Ferry landing.  Since I still had some time, I passed that and continued towards the town of Hero spent some time exploring the islands in the northern end of Lake Champlain (South Hero Island, Grand Isle and North Hero Island).  I’ve been through the area (northwest corner of Vermont) before but usually haven’t had time to stop.  In fact, I don't think I've been exploring nearby since 1996.  With the cool, clear weather today, I enjoyed walks along the pretty lake shore at Knights Point (1020 to 1100) and Alburgh Dunes State Park (1115 to 1145).  Both had nice beaches and well marked trails.  There was practically no one else in either park and I appreciated the solitude.  I imagine it’s a whole different story during the Summer... Finished with my walks, I drove north along the west side of the Alburg(h) peninsula on VT-129 and West Shore Road.  I skipped a trip onto Isle La Motte because there was no way across to New York from there.  Instead, got back on US-2 and crossed Lake Champlain to Rouses Point/  I'd thought about another walk or to stop for a sit-down lunch.  However, it didn't appear that I had enough time left for that.  So, I intercepted US-11 and continued west.  At 1210, I stopped to pick up some food at McDonalds in Champlain, NY (near the I-87 crossing).  Driving west again, I ate my lunch in the car and then switched to NY-190 in Ellenburg.  I've gotten used to taking this route because it helps to cut off some of US-11 route.  After driving through Malone, I switched to NY-11B and followed it all the way to Potsdam.  I stopped at the Valero on the east side of town to re-pack and check on travel plans.  At 1415, I drove to Eileen's and we packed up her car.  With Mika onboard too, we got on the road by 1445.  Starting from Potsdam, we drove to Canton on US-11 and then switched to NY-68.  We used that road and NY-812 to reach the bridge at Ogdensburg that crossed into Canada.  The line at the border was kind of long and slow but we made it into the country OK.  It was already about 1530 by the time we officially entered Ontario so I realized I needed to look for a new place where we could go for a walk before the sun set (I'd had more elaborate plans before I realized how early it got dark so this was an audible).  As we drove north on ON-416, I located a wildlife preserve just west of the town of Spencerville and we headed in that direction.  Along the way, we saw an amazing "human face" outlined in clouds.  We had to use ON-21 to reach the Mill Run Conservation Area (town of Augusta) but found the trailhead without much difficulty.  We then took a walk on some short trails along the South Nation River.  It wasn't very cold but the sun was already dipping below the horizon.  Mika loved our walk (we stayed there from about 1600 to 1630) and was sad to get back in the car.  We next backtracked to ON-416 and continued north towards the hotel.  Along the way, we had a good talk (lack of life distractions made that easier).  We used ON-73 to reach the Rideau River, crossed on ON-32 and then drove up the east side of the river (on ON-19).  Our destination was in the vicinity of Ottawa Airport (on the southern outskirts of the city).  I'd made a reservation at the Homewood Suites on Hunt Club road (where Eileen's friends were going to be staying) and we checked into our room at about 1730.  After getting things settled, we took Mika for another walk and then went to dinner at the nearby Lone Star Texas Grill.  We shared an appetizer and a huge plate of fajitas (delicious), along with some awesome adult beverages (my giant margarita, "fuzzy peach" was delicious and Eileen had a whisky sour).  The atmosphere was great and we were able to relax and enjoy each other's company.  After finishing dinner at 1730, we went back to the hotel and spent about an hour relaxing and doing crossword puzzles.  When Eileen's friends finally arrived (2045), Eileen and I went down to the lobby to meet them.  From that point, we spent nearly three hours talking! Steve and Heidi split their time between southern Ontario and Nunavut and had kept some of Eileen's gear since she'd been in Pond Inlet in early July.  Since they were visiting family during the Christmas holidays, they were planning to return the gear.  However, the airline (Canadian North) had lost their luggage.  Undeterred, we had a fun time talking and visiting - before we realized it, it was already midnight (!).  Saying goodbye, we retired to our rooms and went to bed.  What a day!

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworking from early in the morning - at 0715, I drove to White River Junction (UVAC) and went swimming for 45 minutes (50 lengths), sauna for 10 minutes, biking for 21 minutes (5 miles), rowing for 5 minutes (1 KM) and lifting weights - I arrived back at my condo by 0930 and then continued teleworking for the rest of the afternoon]

Woodstock, VT (USA)

I stayed close to home this weekend and spent most of the daylight hours volunteering.  Yesterday, I helped sell Christmas Trees with my fellow Knights of Council 2656 (Lebanon, NH) and on Sunday I helped visitors to the Billings Farm (Woodstock, VT) make beeswax candles during the Wassail Weekend Celebration (1015 to 1400).  Each of these events was upbeat and rewarding - they also allowed me to interact with members of my local community.  Beyond the volunteer sessions, I spent quality time with friends from our Parish’s Men of Saint Joseph, tasted several excellent local beers at Ramunto’s Brick & Brews, attended Mass at Sacred Heart, went to a wonderful dinner (with more friends from church) at Peking Tokyo and squeezed in a good swim (0830 today; swam for 30 minutes, 34 lengths) at the UVAC,  Needless to say, when I got home this afternoon (1430) I felt VERY tired… Even with all the fun stuff I’ve mentioned, I only scratched the surface on socializing in my awesome little part of the Upper Valley - feel very lucky to be surrounded by such great people, places and things to do!

White River Junction, VT (USA)

[teleworking from early in the morning - at 0800, I drove to White River Junction (UVAC) and went swimming for 45 minutes (52 lengths), biking for 12 minutes (3 miles), rowing for 5 minutes (1 KM) and lifting weights - on the way home, I stopped by White River Subaru to make an appointment and then got some free stuff at Cumberland Farms in Wilder - I was back at my condo by 1030 - I then continued teleworking for the rest of the afternoon]

White River Junction, VT (USA)

This morning (as usual), I started teleworking very early.  Since it was the Holiday Season, I'd decided to sign up for several volunteer opportunities during the coming weeks.  For this reason, I departed my condo at 1330 and drove to Lebanon.  This allowed me to spend some time (one hour) helping a team from the LISTEN Center to assemble holiday baskets.  Our work space, the basement of the Lebanon Congregational Church, was absolutely filled with bags and bags of gifts. These items had been delivered by generous souls from all across the Upper Valley.  Actually, my only job was to validate that the bags contained the requested items - in almost every case, there was much more in the bags than the individual and family “wish lists”.  It looked like some parents had focused on warm winter clothes but the donators had added games and gift cards.  There was some great stuff and I can imagine some REALLY happy kids waking up on Christmas morning this year.  After getting done (1500), I drove to White River Junction so I could work out at UVAC.  I swam for 45 minutes (52 lengths), took in 15 minutes of sauna, biked for 28 minutes (6.9 miles), rowed for 5 minutes and lifted weights.  Once I was finished, I went home (arrived at 1730) and resumed teleworking.  Glad I could help out my community and get some exercise on a cool winter afternoon!

Boston Weekend - Day 3

After such a wonderful evening last night, it was hard to get motivated to leave my bed this morning.  I still woke up at 0600 and did some reading before packing up.  At 0800, I checked out of The Dagney and then walked (in some light rain) back to Two Financial Place so I could get my car out of the garage.  The checkout process ended up being really easy and I was on my way out of Boston by 0830.  It was quite rainy and wet as I drove north on I-93.  Since I had some coupons I wanted to use at the Mall of New Hampshire in Manchester, I stopped there on the way (0915). The Mall wasn't open yet so I ended up driving a short distance to visit the BJs (for gas fillup at 0930) and Walmart (for supplies at 1010).  Returning to the Mall, I walked around inside, waiting for everything to open (1100). Along the way, I got a lot of steps in and made up for my busted plans for a hike on the way home.   Once the Eastern Mountain Sports opened, I got some socks there and was finished shopping by 1115.  Driving across NH-28 (1130), I was able to enjoy a Veterans Day meal (I had the free voucher they gave me on November 11) at Texas Roadhouse.  Done eating at 1210, I drove north on I-293, I-93 and US-3 to reach Shaws in Hooksett, where I picked up a free reward item (1235).  Next, I continued on US-3 (and some back roads) and NH-3A until I reached I-89.  During all of this time, the weather had simply been wet - unfortunately, the temperature dropped significantly as I continued north and was completely snow (accumulating) by the time I reached Warner.  I actually encountered one person who had just careened off a steep cliff on the median - they somehow managed to get their car out of the mess (whew!).  For the rest of the journey, the driving was obviously much slower - I had to carefully make my way up a frosty, slippery, snowy I-89 to reach home (arrived at 1345).  The wintry conditions in northern New England were VERY different from the pleasant ones in the Bay State… Overall, though, this was an amazing weekend of fun, exercise, history, culture and camaraderie!

Boston Weekend - Day 2

There was a lot of street noise overnight so didn't sleep well.  I stayed in bed until about 0600 and then read and relaxed in my room until about 0845.  Next, I went down to breakfast at the Fin Point and tried their chocolate pancakes (very good).  I was done eating by 0915 and then left The Dagney for a stroll around Boston.  First, I crossed Atlantic Avenue and located the Boston Harbor Walk (just north of the Harbor Towers).  From there, I started a counterclockwise circuit of Boston Harbor.  I was able to stay close to the water and get views of Hull, East Boston and Charlestown.  Also watched departing Logan air traffic as it climbed into the overcast.  The temps were in the 40s and it was a little cloudy.  Still, I wasn't cold without my coat and never felt any raindrops.  I made my way through the Battery Wharf area of the North End and got views of the USS Constitution.  From there, I walked over towards TD Garden and arrived at the north end of the Big Dig zone (near the Zakim Bridge).  I had not spent much time in this area since the massive city project and wanted to see how they had converted the old I-93 corridor (above ground) green space.  Along the way, I walked a bit on the Freedom Trail.  I next checked out the inside of the TD Garden, looked around in North Station, walked through part of The Hub on Causeway and then started walking south in The Rose Kennedy Greenway.  There were a lot of street crossings so the going was slow.  I found lots of pretty gardens, got good views of Boston Landmarks up and down the west side of the Atlantic Avenue.  Passing by the Boston Harbor Islands National and State Park Visitor Center (closed for the season), I noticed some brochures about upcoming events - the one for New Year's Day looked interesting...  Eventually, I reached what looked like the end of the Greenway but then figured out there were parks all the way to Chinatown.  Since I wasn't yet ready to return to the hotel, I walked over there and saw a large number of Republic of China flags and a huge memorial to Tiananmen Square.  I next walked a bit further south to see the Big Dig "outflow" and then tracked east towards the water.  Along the way, I stopped at South Station and found the Dartmouth Coach boarding and unloading gates.  I then walked further (through a massive construction area) until I found the Amtrak section of South Station.  Crossing the bridge that has a historical reenactor building for the Boston Tea Party, I made my way into South Boston.  I picked up the Harbor Walk again but didn't follow it east.  Instead, I crossed back to the west side of the Bass River and resumed my walk to the north.  Coming full circle to the Harbor Towers, I realized I'd never checked my map all day for orientation or directions (thanks to the teacher from my High School Architectural Drafting class).  Near the hotel again, I ordered a sandwich from Panera and picked it up a few minutes later (1210).  I didn't eat immediately eat, though.  Instead, I explored the area around The Dagney (coffee shops, pubs, etc.).  Once I got back to my room, I rested my feet, ate lunch, did some more reading and got ready for an team building excursion that was planned for later in the afternoon.  At 1345, I headed down to the lobby to meet up with my colleagues.  Our boss (Chris D) had contracted one of the Old Town Trolleys to give us a two hour tour of Boston and Charlestown!  The weather was great!  As our guide, 25-year-old Ginger, took us to landmarks famous and obscure, we played a sort of Bingo / Road Rally game.  For most of my co-workers, this was their first visit to Beantown and they didn’t know what they were looking for - it was almost too easy to win... We ended up seeing most of the things I'd seen in the morning but also drove over to get a closer view of "Old Ironsides" and the Bunker Hill Monument.  We also drove deep into Back Bay and saw prominent landmarks on/near Beacon Hill, Fenway and Copley Plaza.  Our driver was definitely very knowledgeable about Boston and also had impressive driving skills.  Before getting back to our hotel, we drove through part of South Boston and, at the end, got our group photo taken at Harbor Place.  After we were out of the bus (1605), I walked about a block from our hotel to get a photo of my own at the Coogan's Pub.  Back in my room at The Dagney, I did some reading and prepped for our Company Holiday Party.  Once I was ready, I went down to meet everyone at around 1725.  Just then, Eileen called (as a result of the timing, we couldn't talk long).  Rejoining the group, I then followed Chris D on a walk across the Bass River to South Boston (to reach our restaurant).  The company party was held in a private room in the Davio's Northern Italian Steakhouse and (starting at 1800) we were were wined, dined and absolutely spoiled.  What a meal!  I had the rigatoni, Caesar salad and filet mignon - mmm.  Wine flowed freely and the conversations were great. Dessert was a sampler of chocolate treats.  At about 2200, things wrapped up and the walk back (via the Harborwalk again) was quite picturesque.  Bed was at around 2300.  Wonderful experience!  

Boston Weekend - Day 1

My new company recently decided to host their annual Holiday Party in Boston and I was excited to be able to attend in person.  I left my condo at 1415 and headed south on I-89.  The weather was pretty good and the traffic was light.  In Bow, I got off the Interstate and switched to NH-3A. I stopped once for a break but then got on I-93 and continued south.  The traffic picked up a bunch and, by the time I reached Boston, it started to rain.  I found my hotel (The Dagney) at about 1615 and, after quickly checking into my room, left my bags with the concierge.  Valet parking onsite was quite expensive so I'd researched alternatives nearby (using ParkMobile).  As a result, I was able to park in the basement of Two Financial Plaza for a reasonable daily rate (it was about five blocks away from the hotel).  I walked back (using my umbrella) to the hotel and checked out my room.  By this point, it was about 1645 and I wasn't planning to see other colleagues from my company until almost two hours later.  I then explored the hotel, checking out the gym and some stairwell access - I got trapped in one place but was "rescued" soon afterwards.  D'oh!  I thought about eating in the hotel restaurant but it looked quite busy.  Instead, I walked a short distance to a Panera I'd noticed and ordered some dinner there (1730).  I ate in the restaurant (food was good) and read some more.  Afterwards, I walked back to The Dagney.  By then (1900), everyone else in the company had convened in the hotel bar (Fin Point Oyster Bar and Grill).  My boss, Chris D, introduced me to the attendees (I had only met one of them before).  For the next several hours, we talked shop, got to know each other better and enjoyed some of the drinks.  Before long, I noticed that it was 2300 (!).  After saying goodbye, I headed to bed but wasn't actually asleep until after midnight.  Fun start to the weekend!