We balanced our MA weekend with history and adventure. The adventure part was a trip to Six Flags New England, which boasts having the largest, fastest steel roller coaster (anywhere?). The kids talked Barry and I into a 90 minute wait and a 90 second thrill on the Bizarro roller coaster. It was probably my last roller coaster ride EVER. People over the age of 40 should not be allowed on Bizarro. It's too dangerous for our straining hearts. This particular theme park includes a pretty big water park as well. So while Barry and I found two perfect lounge chairs for napping, the girls went water sliding. It was a great day but absolutely exhausting.
The history part of the trip was an excursion to Deefield, MA. This is where Barry's ancestors settled when they first came to America in the 1680's. It's a beautifully preserved town which really gives you a good idea of how the early pioneers survived. Right there on Main Street, was the museum home of the Sheldon family! How cool to actually walk through the home of your ancestors and consider all the risk and hard work they endured to survive as pioneers seeking a better life and new opportunities for their family. It was so humbling. We saw the original Sheldon family bible and many other artifacts that had been traced back to the original Sheldon family. We will no doubt be making numerous visits to Deerfield with other Sheldon family members in toe, so we are annual pass holders to the Deerfield Historical Society. Much to the dismay of the kids, we are not annual pass holders to Six Flags New England.
Siena has a friend she met in Hawaii this summer who lives near the MA boarder who invited her to the John Mayer concert while we were up north. It worked out perfectly and she had a blast! We stayed in Springfield, MA--home to the Basketball Hall of Fame. This town is obsessed with basketball! There is currently a public art exhibit which consists of elaborately painted 5-foot high sneakers on display throughout the city. Everywhere you turned there were very tall people bouncing basketballs. Apparently the annual inductee ceremony is this weekend, and includes Scotty Pippen and the US Olympic Dream Team from 1992. How cool to know we could actually drive up for the day if we wanted to!
On our way home we dropped Alexa off at the boarding school where her soccer camp is being held. I don't know if she was nervous, but I was nervous for her. I had butterflies as we pulled into the turnabout surrounded by ivy covered gothic buildings. Here's my girl, never been to MA until yesterday, never met a single one of these kids (there are about 200 attending the camp and 40+ are from her high school!), hasn't touched a soccer ball since I don't know when...Lump in throat, I waved good bye and sent a prayer up that at least one girl at the camp will see Alexa for the sweet person she is.
Our next road trip will probably be Rhode Island, more specifically; beaches with waves! For now, the brown boxes are calling me.
No comments:
Post a Comment