Caravan Tours of New England
Dottie and I had a meeting of the Chandler Family Association in Boston and decided to make this bus tour of New England with Caravan Tours. We had not experienced a Caravan Tour previously and were most impressed. We knew that our time would most likely miss the Fall Colors, and we did. Regardless is was still a fantastic journey.
This was our transportation, an almost new luxury Prevost Coach. How about this for traveling in style, and it was driven by the most excellent Joel Prive. Traveling in a Prevost Coach is a first class ride. I haven't any idea what the number 95 might stands for, but seeing the number made me think of the TV show of yesteryear. "Car 54, Where are you"?
This trip was a new experience for us, as our previous touring has been in our RV or 5th wheel. But time changes things, so we tried this way of seeing the country. Seven days on a Bus with the normal "luggage out at 7:00am" and arrival at a one next night stop around 5:30, made for a full day. But we were impressed and thoroughly enjoyed this experience.
There were 48 guests on this tour, and Joel and Tom Schoenewald our Tour Guide and history teacher. Many of our group were seasoned veterans having been on several Caravan Tours. We first noticed the Caravan Company in an advertisement on an 9 day tour of Costa Rica, and this quirked our interest. Our meeting in Boston for and the schedule for the Tour happened to mesh; so why not. We are so pleased to have made this decision. Over the last 15 years we have RV toured all of these states. But Man Oh Man did Tom find new and interesting things for us to see and we learned.
Say hello to Tom, as he is directing us through the countryside, the cities, history and numerous other tidbits.
The Freedom Trail
Let us start with the Man, himself, Brother Paul Revere. Brother, yes, Paul Revere was a Mason and served as Grand Master of the Grand Lodge of Massachusetts from 1794 to 1797. I’m a 5th generation Master Mason and have been a member of the craft for 63 years and so indulge me for this reference.
Douglas Rodgers paying his respect at the Wall of Dog Tags honoring Boston's fallen in WWII.
I love the view through the old leaded glass panes in this window and the magnificence of the spiral staircase.
It is a must for every visitor to Boston to make the Quincy Market; regardless if one buys or not, it is a totally Boston experience.
If satire might be your thing and you are an NFL fan, then you'll know my friend, Bill Belichick.
To understand Boston one must comprehend this map. The 11 shaded areas are reclaimed land. The process of reclaiming land began in the 1800's and through the years over 3,400 acres have been added to Boston proper. This is why the landscape in downtown Boston is ever changing. Even Logan Airport #8 is on reclaimed land.
The night we all met to get ready for this tour, we were at the Embassy Suites near Logan Airfield. In taking our walk we found this beautifully landscaped area. After reading this plaque we understood why, and we too, thank the Mothers of Maverick Street.
Downtown Boston in the reclaimed area #6.
Here’s to another reclaiming project that Dottie has been working on for the last 63 years.
We toured Boston viewing numerous famous areas, but with the traffic and our schedule there was not the opportunity to stop and visit. "Cheers" the Boston Commons, Old Granery Burying Ground, Boston Public Gardens, Hancock and Prudential Buildings and of course Fenway Park. I am not a success at taking pictures through a bus window, but Dottie and her trusty iPhone are marvelous as with this photo of the Old State House.
On to Lexington, where the Revolutionary War began with the Minute Men attacking or being attacked by the British Forces. This distinction is now given to Concord, where the Minute Man statue and the Old North Bridge are located.
Miss Dottie and her iPhone, and her photos which I have learned not to knock, at the Old North Bridge.
Then as pilgrims, we stopped at Plymouth Rock to honor the brave who founded this Nation of ours. They sailed from England, a voyage of 64 days. The hundred and three landed on a cold wintry day in November of 1620. There was no family to warm or greet them, they had no shelter, they were short of supplies, and their survival was to brace the coming New England winter. Our Ancestors were a tough and determined people.
Brothers, Sisters, In-laws and Out-laws all enjoying the Pilgrim shell.
The National Monument honoring our Forefathers of Plymouth. The sun was not cooperating, but the back lighting of our Forefathers is very complementary.
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Memorial Wall to John Fitzgerald Kennedy, the 35th President of the United States of America.
The beautiful garden and monument to the Pilgrim Mother!
OH! My Gosh, it's Raining.
No Problem - we'll go shopping
Barnacles, what barnacles?
The Ginger Bread Houses at Martha's Vineyard.
Any photographer can capture amazing photographs, when he has a Professional Model.
We're only wearing this gear, as the dew was a little heavy.
The homes on Cape Cod.
It is Cranberry Harvest time on Cape Cod.
Homes are not the only thing on Cape Cod and this is Cranberry Country. Phil Daly a photographer friend from Cape Cod posted the following photographs of the Wet Cranberry Harvest on the Cape.
Cranberries can be harvested by mechanical 'dry' methods or by the much more interesting 'wet' method. With the wet harvest, the cranberry bogs are flooded with a couple of feet of water. A ride-on beater knocks the berries off the bushes. The berries will float to the surface a couple of days later. If conditions are right, the wind will blow all the berries into a convenient corner of the bog where they are sucked up into a separator and the berries discharge into trucks. The harvesters scoop the berries toward he pump with long booms that create some great artistic leading lines.
The berries from the 'Wet Harvest' are used in making of jucies and jams. Berries from the 'Dry harvest' are those you buy for all the delicious dishes we make at Thanksgiving and Christmas. My favorite is cranking homemade cranberry ice cream. Thank you Friend on Cape Cod for allowing us to use your fantastic photographs of the Cranberry Harvest!
We close the day giving thanks for the beauty of the red cranberry and our taking the time to smell the flowers. 
If You've had a good time touring the Massachusetts coast with us, stay hitched up and we'll head on down the coast to Rhode Island and Connecticut to Mystic Bay.
And now as we do in New Mexico, when we pass .......................... we wave.
ADIOUS ~ Amigos
Remember to wisely use your QTR!
QTR - Quality Time Remaining
Come on Willie sing us another verse, and we’ll move on down the road.
