Raising Travelers, not Tourists

 Wild Blueberry Land was closed

The carful of kids drove over 7,000 miles this past summer to get to the eastern edge of North America. Along the way we lost a SUV and nearly all of our electronic devices but we didn't lose our sense of adventure or our will to continue.

Years ago, I vowed to drive my kids through the lower 48 to experience the vastness of our country in a way you can't experience by popping into places. So far the carful of kids have driven to 43 states and four Canadian provinces.

I am a traveler and I have been a traveler for years; I have a packed bag sitting in the corner of our room just waiting for the next trip. Because I value the time I spend with my kids on the road exploring and seeing new things, I spend weeks planning and organizing our trips.

We spend the summer passively learning without any pressure and that is fun--Really. The carful of kids spend less time bickering and complaining when we are on the road and that is music to a mother's ears.

The traveling we do has been great for all my kids but especially for my struggling student. Reading and writing is a constant battle with him but now he's coming into his own with social studies and science because I can relate those subjects to our travels.

This trip was our most ambitious to date and was full of great moments. I especially liked stopping at the Maid of the Mist in Niagara, the Bay of Fundy, Acadia National Park and the Statue of Liberty--those were epic moments for me.

If I had the trip to do over again, I would spend one less day in Cavendish, Prince Edward Island, and  visit Halifax, Nova Scotia, instead. I would have entered the Cape Breton Highlands National Park from the south entrance and explored that area and not driven the whole park.

Due to the hurricane, our whale watching trip on the tall ship was cancelled, which was disappointing. I wanted to see some puffins in the wild and we really tried to get to Newfoundland Island and Labrador--maybe another trip.

I would have skipped Montreal and visited Quebec City instead, the obvious reason is they stole my car. Besides that, Quebec City has more to offer in the way of history and it's the North American city that feels most like a European city.

So as I wrap up my recap of the carful of kids' travels, I'm looking forward to our next trip. It is in the final stages of planning and I getting that giddy feeling from excitement.

If you are looking for ideas for your own road trips, reach out, I love researching and exploring new places. I encourage all families to travel to places that excite them.

Note on replacing our stolen stuff. Thanks to our insurance and more importantly our replacement insurance, we have replaced all of the stolen items. We have even upgraded the merchandise too. Of course, I think we might have a flag on our policy now.

Until next time, safe travels.

Lady Liberty for Lunch

The carful of kids are in the shadow of the New York City Skyline waiting for the ferry to arrive so we can meet Lady Liberty after spending a day walking the Freedom Trail in Boston. We are finishing up a three-week road trip that took us from Central Texas to Quebec, the Canadian Maritimes and along the eastern seaboard.

We are skipping New York City because we only have one day and it's a stand-alone trip. That and my boys, aged six and ten, are a tad too young to enjoy it. I am definitely not ready to do what it would take to keep my boys from wandering off.

I lived in NYC for two years when I was a flight attendant and I am not comfortable using public transportation to get my carful of kids in and around the city--which is necessary to get the full NY experience. So we will come back another time and explore it for a week, there is so much to see and I can't wait to share it with them.

Though I lived in NYC, I have never visited the Statue of Liberty myself, so I am just as excited as the kids. We are departing from Liberty State Park in New Jersey, because of the convenience. There is ample parking and it is easier to get to from the interstate and the New Jersey Turnpike.

We spent the night in New Haven, Connecticut, after driving in from Boston and used the Tappen Zee Bridge to cross the Hudson River to get to New Jersey. NYC traffic is a bear so the carful of kids skirt the city, driving north to avoid the majority of it. It seems to have worked, we are almost on-time for our 1 p.m. ferry reservation.

The carful of kids are mesmerized by the Manhattan skyline as we wait for the ferry. It is amazing to see for the first time. My 11 year-old daughter looks over to lower Manhattan with a look I know. She is dying to get there; she will love the city when she gets to the city--just like me.

The ferry that departs Liberty State Park in New Jersey stops at Ellis Island first and doesn't stop on the way back from the Statue of Liberty. We don't have time for the Ellis Island tour so we will have to come back another time, it will give us a chance to visit the other national parks of NYC like Governors Island.

Me and my girl on the ferry

The carful of kids fight the bash, brazen New Jersey crowd and jockey our way onto the top level of the ferry. We didn't drive all this way to sit down below without a view. The Statue of Liberty does not disappoint, she is magnificent and the crowd can't get enough pictures of her.

The Statue of Liberty is a national park and therefore the carful of kids will be earning a Junior Ranger Badge. We check in at the Information Center to get our booklets after we arrive on Liberty Island.

I was able to secure tickets to the pedestal when I realized we had time in our itinerary to visit the Statue of Liberty ($18/adults, $9/kids 4 to 12, ferry included). Visiting the Statue of Liberty and Ellis Island is an all-day activity, it's a very popular destination and even with advance tickets you will have to wait in long lines for security and the ferry.

If you secure tickets to the pedestal or crown level you will have to pass through an additional security checkpoint. You will not be allowed to bring ANYTHING with you, except a small camera and medication. I rent a locker for $2 for the backpack, purse and everything in my husband's pockets--keys and pens are prohibited too.

After clearing the additional security checkpoint, the carful of kids head to the elevators but there is a line so we take the stairs instead. After 215 steps, we arrive at the top of the pedestal for an epic view.

Along the way, we see the framework and giant nuts and screws that Gustave Eiffel was hired to design. The carful of kids take a few minutes to absorb the view before heading back downstairs to the Liberty Island Museum for a history lesson.

The Statue of Liberty is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and an enduring symbol of freedom worldwide. In 1865 Edouard de Laboulage first proposed it as a gift from France to the US for its Centennial.

Artist Frederic Bartholdi was commissioned to sculpt the Statue of Liberty; Laboulage and Bartholdi both agreed that Bedloe's Island was to be the home of the statue. Bedloe's Island had a long history as quarantine station and in 1814, it became Fort Wood--complete with 12 pointed-star shaped building.

In 1876, the Statue's hand holding the torch was displayed in Philadelphia for the Centennial Exposition. Fundraising continued in both countries to complete the project.

In 1879, Alexandre-Gustave Eiffel was hired as the engineer after the first engineer died. He designed a structure to hold the weight and height of the statue and to withstand the winds of the New York Harbor.

In 1881, Richard Morris Hunt(architect of the Biltmore Estate) was commissioned to design the pedestal. Morris designed a pedestal that is half the height of the statue with poured 20-foot thick concrete walls and a granite block facade.

Also in 1881, the first copper plate was riveted and the statue started to take shape in Paris. The Statue of Liberty was completed and gifted to the US on July 4, 1884, in Paris. In 1886, she was reconstructed and placed on her pedestal with her dedication on October 28 of that year.

During the 1980s after a hundred years of standing tall, the Statue of Liberty underwent a major restoration and her torch was replaced with a gold-leaf one. The original is on display in the museum.

Getting our Junior Ranger Badges

The carful of kids walk through the museum learning as much as possible while on vacation. The boys even look up her nose for boogers--sorry Lady Liberty.

The carful of kids explore the entire complex, filling out the Junior Ranger booklets before we are ready to call it a day. We take our oath, grab our badges before jumping on the ferry back to New Jersey.

We still want to stop by Rutgers University's RU Hungry? food trailer, famous for their fat sandwich, as featured on the Travel Channel. And we have to drive 400 miles to get to Virginia; the carful of kids need to get home.

Know before you go. Tickets purchased ahead of time are a must for the Statue of Liberty experience.  The carful of kids wanted to make it to the crown but those tickets need to be reserved six months in advance for busy weekends and school vacations.

Up next: Road Trip Wrap-Up

Boston's Freedom Trail in One Day

The carful of kids are in Boston for one day and we intend to make the most of it by walking the Freedom Trail. Boston is steeped in US history that school-aged kids will actually remember and use during the year--we're snapping kid selfies for school projects along the way because teachers love them.

The carful of kids were most recently in Bar Harbor, Maine, at Acadia National Park for a postcard perfect day that ended with lobster--can't get any better than that. We drove into the night and walked into our hotel in Boston's Back Bay at 1 a.m--powered by Dunkin' Donut's coffee and Mom.

I had sticker shock when I saw the Boston hotel rates so I waited and scored a room in a great location within walking distance of all the sights a couple of days before we arrived with a hotel consolidator. When you are road tripping through a major city, you have a car that needs to be parked and that's not cheap.

But when our car was stolen from a paid parking lot in Montreal, Canada, you can't be too careful. Our hotel has an attached garage with a 24-hour self-park rate so we could check out of our room and leave the car to walk the Freedom Trail and take public transportation back. It's expensive but beats trying to find a spot on the street in Boston.

After a Sorry, No to the carful of kids when they beg for room service, we load up the SUV, grab some donuts and head to the Boston Common, where our trek begins. The Freedom Trail is two and a half miles long, a pleasant walk for adults but a little harder for our six-year-old, but there are plenty of places to rest and eat along the way.

The Swan Boats

On our way to the park we stop at Trinity Church, designed by Henry Richardson, it was finished in 1877. It is a National Historic Landmark and one of the ten most significant buildings in the US by the AIA (American Institute of Architects).

Moving along, our next stop is the Public Garden for the Swan Boats, a Boston tradition since 1877 when Robert Paget launched his first swan boat. This is a must for any visitor and the carful of kids get in line for the first boat at 10 a.m. ($3.00 adults/$2.00 kids 2-15).

Across the street from the Swan Boats is the Boston Common, the oldest park in the US that dates back to 1634. Originally used as a cow pasture until 1830, then as a British Army camp during the Revolutionary War--today it is the official start of the Boston Freedom Trail.

There are several tour companies offering guided tours but we are winging it with the official Freedom Trail app. It is also a National Park and the NPS arranges guided tours too. The carful of kids will be earning a Junior Ranger Badge, the booklets are available at the visitors center on the first floor of Faneuil Hall (open year round from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.).

The carful of kids find the red line in the sidewalk that will guide us through Downtown Boston and start walking; our first official stop is the Massachusetts State House. Finished in 1798 but it didn't get its distinctive gold dome until many years later, it is still the home to the Massachusetts Commonwealth government and tours can be scheduled in advance Monday through Friday.

After walking past the Park Street Church, we find our first graveyard, Granary Burying Ground, where Paul Revere and John Hancock are buried. It was established in 1660 and has 2,300 gravestones including some with a soul effigy, a creepy little skull with wings. The kids love it--who knew.

The King's Chapel and the King's Chapel Burying Ground are the next stops before the carful of kids check out the Boston Latin School. Founded in 1635, it is the oldest public school in the US and Benjamin Franklin is its most notable dropout.

Ben Franklin at the Boston Latin School

The carful of kids walk past the Old Corner Bookstore, the oldest commercial building in Boston, that was built in 1718 before finding our next stop.

The Old South Meeting House was built in 1729 and was the largest building in Colonial Boston. The carful of kids walk in ($6/adults $1/kids 6 to 18, open 9:30 to 5:00, spring to fall) to get an in-depth history lesson of the Boston Tea Party.

Writing with a quill at Old State House

The Old State House was built in 1713 to house the Colonial government and is the site for several important events in Colonial history. The Declaration of Independence was read from its balcony for the first time in 1776. Today, it houses a great interactive tour for kids ($10/adults, free/kids under 18, open 9:30 to 5:15, spring to fall).

Outside the steps of the Old State House is the site of the Boston Massacre. Where on March 5, 1770, five Colonists were killed by British soldiers after a confrontation.

Getting crepes outside Faneuil Hall

Faneuil Hall is the next important site on the Freedom Trail, it has been a busy marketplace since 1741. It has been named the "cradle of liberty" and there are historical talks every 30 minutes from 9:30 to 4:30. This is where Colonists protested against the Sugar and the Stamp Acts. It is operated by the NPS, there's a visitors center and it's free to enter.

Paul Revere Statute outside Old North Church

The Faneuil Hall Marketplace is behind Faneuil Hall and it's packed with tourists, street performers and food carts. It's hard to pull the carful of kids away and get back on the red line walking towards our next stop.

The Paul Revere House ($3.50/adults, $1/kids, open 9:30 to 5:15, spring to fall) was built in 1680, but purchased by Paul Revere in 1770 and this is where he lived at the time of his fabled ride. He shared this house with his mother, his wife and nine of his 16 children--eight from each of his two wives. The Paul Revere House is an interesting look into the domestic life of Colonial Boston and is a must for school-age kids.

The Old North Church opened its door in 1723 but was immortalized when two Sons of Liberty put a couple of lanterns in the steeple on April 18, 1775, signaling the advancement of the British Redcoats. It is open 9 to 6 from spring to fall.

The carful of kids are tired but we still want to see a couple of sights. It is a mile to the USS Constitution so we catch a cab and drive by the Copp's Hill Burying Ground.

The USS Constitution, Old Ironsides, was commissioned in
1797 and earned its nickname during the War of 1812. It is still an active warship with the US Navy and the tours are lead by sailors.

The USS Constitution is to enter dry dock in April 2015 for a three-year restoration project but will be open for tours. The carful of kids enjoy the tour and love the hammocks and cannons on deck.

Below deck

Know before you go--security is tight at the USS Constitution, be prepared for long lines to get through the airport style checkpoint. You will be required to show identification too. It requires a couple of hours to clear security and tour the boat on a busy day.

The carful of kids turn in their booklets at the USS Constitution for our Boston National Historical Park Junior Ranger Badges. It is has been a full day of history for the carful of kids and a great refresher for me.

Harvard

The carful of kids are famished but we want to visit Harvard so we grab a cab and head over to Cambridge. We have dinner plans with our old babysitter, now college student, to sample some pizza.

The carful of kids walk through the Harvard campus on our way to Pinocchio's Pizza, one of Mark Zuckerberg's haunts in his college days. We grab some plates of square pizza and head to Winthrop Square.

After a pizza picnic, the carful of kids stroll through MIT on our way to our first subway experience together. It is after hours so the T won't be crowded but I'm still a little nervous herding my carful of small-town kids onto a train.

After a good look at the T map, I find the station closest to our car, get a CharlieCard for each one of us at the self-serve kiosk, swipe all the cards and get the kids through the turnstile; then we wait for the train. Once inside, I have to remind the kids to hold on, just to be ignored. I hide my smile when the kids trip over each other looking to grab onto something when the train lurches forward.

We get off at our stop and I have to admit, I'm a little relieved--we did it. Sure it would have been easier, faster and a little cheaper to take a cab but now the carful of kids have been on a subway and that is a valuable experience for later in life.

It's late and the sun has set as the carful of kids straggle up to our SUV, two seconds and they're asleep but I still have to drive to Connecticut. Coffee?

Up next: The Statue of Liberty.