KILLINGTON BREWFEST

Since 1995, craft beer lovers have been flocking to the Green Mountains of Vermont to sample the finest brews in New England during the pinnacle of fall foliage. The event features over 40 breweries pouring more than 125 craft beer styles, a vendor village and live music.
We joined the Dremels for a fun filled weekend of consuming brewed beverages and enjoying what nature has to offer!

BOSTON, MASS

Day Two of our journey thru New England during Memorial Day weekend, Boston was full of energy and excitement. We enjoyed a meal at the Union Oyster House, a National Historic Landmark, located on the Freedom Trail, near Faneuil Hall. It enjoys the unique distinction of being America's oldest restaurant. This Boston fixture, housed in a building dating back to Pre-Revolutionary days, started serving food in 1826 and has continued ever since with the stalls and oyster bar, where Daniel Webster was a constant customer, in their original positions.

Founded in 1630, Boston is one of the oldest cities in the U.S. The key role it played in the American Revolution is highlighted on the Freedom Trail, a 2.5-mile walking route of historic sites that tells the story of the nation's founding. One stop, former meeting house Faneuil Hall, is a popular marketplace.

The evening was spent at the Holiday Inn, Brookline, MA.

PHILADELPHIA, PA

Using the bike sharing app 'Indego', we made our way easily around 'Philly' to see all the sights with no parking problems. Staying at the Philadelphia 201 Hotel at the corner of Race & N. 17th, we made our way east to the Delaware River, south to Wharton Street and west to the Schuylkill River.

We had an 'itch' to try two competing cheese steak joints to see which was better, Gino's Steak's and Pat's King of Steaks. Gino's is our favorite! This was an unorganized but fun trip.

FREEPORT, BS

Freeport is the main city on Grand Bahama, an island in the northwest Bahamas off the Florida coast. It's best known for the oceanfront Lucaya district, with beaches, resorts and shopping. Nearby, Deadman's Reef is popular for snorkeling, and the surrounding offshore waters host many dive sites. Up the coast, Lucayan National Park features extensive underwater caves, plus kayaking and nature trails.

We traveled by cab to Lucaya to enjoy a local brew and do some shopping.

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND

The large island off of the northern coasts of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia is marked by red-sand beaches, lighthouses, and fertile farmland, and is renowned for seafood like lobster and mussels. Charlottetown, the capital, is home to Victorian government buildings & the modern Confederation Centre of the Arts, with a theatre and art gallery.

We traveled the eastern side of the island, but ran out of time to see the west...maybe another trip!

BALTIMORE, MD

The land that is now Baltimore was used as hunting ground by Paleo-Indians. In the early 1600s, the Susquehannock began to hunt there. People from the Province of Maryland established the Port of Baltimore in 1706 to support the tobacco trade with Europe, and established the Town of Baltimore in 1729.

During the American Revolutionary War, the Second Continental Congress, fleeing Philadelphia prior to the city's fall to British troops, moved their deliberations to Henry Fite House on West Baltimore Street from December 20, 1776, to February 27, 1777, permitting Baltimore to serve briefly as the nation's capital before the capital returned to Independence Hall in Philadelphia on March 5, 1777. In the mid-18th century, the first printing press and newspapers were introduced to Baltimore by Nicholas Hasselbach and William Goddard.

The Battle of Baltimore was a pivotal engagement during the War of 1812, culminating in the failed British bombardment of Fort McHenry, during which Francis Scott Key wrote a poem that would become "The Star-Spangled Banner", which was eventually designated as the American national anthem in 1931. During the Pratt Street Riot of 1861, the city was the site of some of the earliest violence associated with the American Civil War.

Saguenay, QB

Saguenay is a city in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region of Quebec, Canada, on the Saguenay River, about 200 kilometres (120 mi) north of Quebec City by overland route. It is about 126 kilometres (78 mi) upriver and northwest of Tadoussac, located at the confluence with the St. Lawrence River. It was formed in 2002 by merging the cities of Chicoutimi and Jonquière and the town of La Baie. Chicoutimi was founded by French colonists in 1676.

The city of Saguenay constitutes a territory equivalent to a regional county municipality. Together with the regional county municipality of Le Fjord-du-Saguenay, it forms the census division (CD) of Le Saguenay-et-son-Fjord. Prior to its use as the name of the city, the term "the Saguenay" or (less commonly) "Saguenay Valley" had already been used for the whole Saguenay River region (see Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean). Saguenay is the seat of the judicial district of Chicoutimi.

The city is divided into three boroughs: Chicoutimi (which includes the former city of Chicoutimi, as well as Laterrière and Tremblay township), Jonquière (which includes the former city of Jonquière, Lac-Kénogami, and Shipshaw) and La Baie (which corresponds to the former city of La Baie).

The name Saguenay is possibly derived from the Innu word "Saki-nip", which means "where water flows out".

NIAGARA FALLS, ONT

Niagara Falls, Ontario, at the famous waterfalls of the same name, is linked with the U.S. by the Rainbow Bridge. Its site on the Niagara River's western shore overlooks the Horseshoe Falls, the cascades' most expansive section. Elevators take visitors to a lower, wetter vantage point behind the falls. A cliffside park features a promenade alongside 520-ft.-high Skylon Tower with an observation deck.

The first evening was spent at the DoubleTree Fallsview Resort & Spa on Stanley Avenue. A beautiful room at a newly remodeled hotel. The second night at Holiday Inn Niagara Falls - by the Falls, our usual spot. We walked to Fallsview Casino and Clifton Hill for some exercise and entertainment.

MYSTIC, CONN

Fulfilling a 'bucket list' desire, we traveled to Mystic Seaport as Day One of our journey thru the New England states during Memorial Day weekend. In particular, a necessary stop to Mystic Pizza. Mystic Pizza was the focus and setting for a movie of the lives and loves of three young waitresses. The movie was filmed on location in Mystic and neighboring towns. "Mystic Pizza" was released in 1988 and was a hit, starring Annabeth Gish, Julia Roberts and Lili Taylor

Mystic was a leading seaport of the area, and the story of Mystic's nautical connection is told at Mystic Seaport, the nation's largest maritime museum which has preserved a number of sailing ships, most notably the whaler Charles W. Morgan. The village is located on the Mystic River, which flows into Long Island Sound, providing access to the sea. The Mystic River Bascule Bridge crosses the river in the center of the village. According to the Mystic River Historical Society, the name "Mystic" is derived from the Pequot term "missi-tuk", describing a large river whose waters are driven into waves by tides or wind.

NORTH CONWAY, NH

On the fourth day of our New England trip, we traveled to North Conway, NH. North Conway and its surrounding towns offer hiking in the White Mountain National Forest. The area is a major rock climbing destination in the northeastern United States, particularly Cathedral Ledge in Echo Lake State Park. The 500-foot (150 m) cliff overlooks Echo Lake and North Conway from the west. Unlike nearby White Horse Ledge, another rock climbing site, Cathedral Ledge has an automobile road to the summit, which provides fine views of the Saco River Valley.

Zeb's General Store, in North Conway embodies the nostalgia and quality offered by the general stores of yesteryear with a decidedly whimsical flair. From the old-fashioned candy counter that lures children off the street to the impressively grand collection of New England made specialty foods, those in search of a wide range of hard-to-find and nostalgic items will relive childhood memories while browsing the store and over 5,000 unique products, all presented in an incredible display of antique store fixtures.

BANGOR, ME

This was the start of a week long journey to the Canadian Maritimes. We traveled to Farmington, CT (Hartford) on the first day. The next day, on to Kittery Trading Post in Kittery, Maine for some shopping. Then on to Portland, Maine. We had hoped to visit with our niece Brynn, but she was not home.

We hung around Portland, visiting our favorite places...Waterfront, Porthole Restaurant, Duckfat Frite Shop and Oxbow Blending & Bottling. Then to L.L. Bean in Freeport and finally ending up in Bangor for a well deserved nights rest.

NASSAU, BS

Nassau is the capital of the Bahamas. It lies on the island of New Providence, with neighboring Paradise Island accessible via Nassau Harbor bridges. A popular cruise-ship stop, the city has a hilly landscape and is known for beaches as well as its offshore coral reefs, popular for diving and snorkeling. It retains many of its typical pastel-colored British colonial buildings, like the pink-hued Government House.

We walked on the Waterfront, visiting restaurants and shoppes.

HALIFAX, NS

Halifax is the provincial capital of Nova Scotia. A major business center, it’s also known for its maritime history. The city’s dominated by the hilltop Citadel, a fort completed in the 1850s. Old Waterfront warehouses recall Halifax’s days as a trading hub for privateers, notably during the War of 1812.

We had a lot of fun and exercise as we walked on the boardwalk of the Waterfront, visiting museums, restaurants and shoppes.

Lunenburg, NS

Lunenburg is a port town on the South Shore of Nova Scotia, Canada. Founded in 1753, the town was one of the first British attempts to settle Protestants in Nova Scotia.

The economy was traditionally based on the offshore fishery and today Lunenburg is the site of Canada's largest secondary fish-processing plant. The town flourished in the late 1800s, and much of the historic architecture dates from that period.

In 1995, UNESCO designated it a World Heritage Site. UNESCO considers the site the best example of planned British colonial settlement in North America, as it retains its original layout and appearance of the 1800s, including local wooden vernacular architecture. UNESCO considers the town in need of protection because the future of its traditional economic underpinnings, the Atlantic fishery, is now very uncertain. The historic core of the town is also a National Historic Site of Canada.

Sydney, NS

Sydney was founded in 1785 by the British, was incorporated as a city in 1904, and dissolved on 1 August 1995, when it was amalgamated into the regional municipality.

Sydney served as the Cape Breton Island's colonial capital, until 1820, when the colony merged with Nova Scotia and the capital moved to Halifax.

A rapid population expansion occurred just after the turn of the 20th century, when Sydney became home to one of North America's main steel mills. During both the First and Second World Wars, it was a major staging area for England-bound convoys. The post-war period witnessed a major decline in the number of people employed at the Dominion Steel and Coal Corporation steel mill, and the Nova Scotia and Canadian governments had to nationalize it in 1967 to save the region's biggest employer, forming the new crown corporation called the Sydney Steel Corporation. The city's population has steadily decreased since the early 1970s due to the plant's fortunes, and SYSCO was finally closed in 2001. Today, the main industries are in customer support call centres and tourism.

AUSTIN, TX

Austin is the state capital of Texas, an inland city bordering the Hill Country region. Home to the University of Texas flagship campus, Austin is known for its eclectic live-music scene centered around country, blues and rock. Its many parks and lakes are popular for hiking, biking, swimming and boating. South of the city, Formula One's Circuit of the Americas raceway has hosted the United States Grand Prix.

SCOOTERING

With a desire for inexpensive travel while vacationing in Florida, a purchase of a scooter was in order.

Wanting to ride a retro classic scooter, we chose the Lance Havana Classic 125. It's the perfect inner-city commuter with elegant lines, comfortable spacious seating, impressive handling and an affordable substitute to the more expensive 'Italian' models.

PORTLAND, ME

On the third leg of our trip thru New England during Memorial Day weekend, we spent some time in Portland, Maine. We shopped at Kittery Outlets, L.L. Bean, and other merchants in Freeport. On Commercial Street at the Old Seaport, we enjoyed the cool seabreeze while listening to live music at The Porthole Restaurant & Pub and drinking a local beverage. Supper at Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que.

Portland is set on a peninsula extending into Casco Bay. The Old Port waterfront features working fishing wharves and converted warehouses with restaurants and shops. Nearby, the Western Promenade is a public park atop a bluff, offering river and mountain views. Its surrounding district, the West End, is full of Victorian-era homes, including the Victoria Mansion museum.

DEARBORN, MI

Fulfilling a bucket list item and our first trip of the year, we traveled to Michigan. On the way, we stopped in Hubbard, Ohio to visit a college friend, Janet Oglesby.

In Dearborn we visited the Henry Ford Museum, Greenfield Village and The Ford Motor Company Rouge Assembly Plant.

SAINT JOHN, NB

Saint John is a city on the Bay of Fundy, in New Brunswick, Canada. It’s known for the Reversing Rapids, a phenomenon caused by bay tides colliding with the Saint John River. We visited the City Market where Food and craft stalls fill a circa 1876 building.

It is Canada's third largest port by tonnage moved including freight containers and cruise ships.

PEGGYS COVE, NS

Peggy's Cove is a small rural community located on the eastern shore of St. Margarets Bay in Nova Scotia, site of Peggys Point Lighthouse.

Many artists and photographers flock to Peggy's Cove due to the beauty of the landscape, fishing village and the sea.

Marthas Vineyard, MA

A Massachusetts island, sits in the Atlantic Ocean just south of Cape Cod. It is renown for its stunning scenery - with rolling hills, wildflower fields, and miles of pristine coastline. Vineyard Haven, on the eastern end, is a ferry port and the island's commercial center. Oak Bluffs has Carpenter Gothic cottages and an iconic carousel.

Bar Harbor, ME

Bar Harbor is a port town on Mount Desert Island (Hancock Co., Maine). Bar Harbor is best known for Acadia National Park. Having a world-renowned ambiance that blends seashore community, down east character and the famous Maine Lobster

Charlottetown, PEI

Charlottetown is the capital and largest city of the Canadian province of Prince Edward Island, and the county seat of Queens County. Named after Queen Charlotte, Charlottetown was an unincorporated town until it was incorporated as a city in 1855.

It was the site of the famous Charlottetown Conference in 1864, the first gathering of Canadian and Maritime statesmen to discuss the proposed Maritime Union. This conference led, instead, to the union of British North American colonies in 1867, which was the beginning of the Canadian confederation. Prince Edward Island, however, did not join Confederation until 1873. From this, the city adopted as its motto Cunabula Foederis, "Birthplace of Confederation".

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