We ended the trip north (TN_10) late Wednesday. Thursday was a “get rested and get organized” day. We stayed in the home of Jett’s brother and his wife, alone while they were in their cabin in New Salem MA so we had the run of their beautiful 3-bedroom house in Worcester. But we traveled to New Salem on Friday for dinner and an overnight stay. A pleasant evening.
The main event on Saturday was the HUGE yard sale in Belchertown MA. We went to this event last year and Marlene got a very nice backpack for $5 that we have used well on our cruises. This year I found a large Tommy Hilfiger suitcase that is an exact match for the little carry-on piece that I have had for years. The price was $15 but Marlene talked them down to $10. This set will be used on our long cruises in 2025.
On my way out to get sandwiches for dinner I encountered a large group of wild turkeys. This is not something one sees in Florida, so I had to get a photo.
We went back to Worcester Saturday night because we had a full day planned in and around Boston. The main Sunday event was a memorial service for one of my fraternity brothers. There were 14 of us in the pledge class in 1967 and now 3 are gone. Not too bad, I think, considering that we are all over 74. It was a nice event and 9 of the surviving members of the pledge class attended.
On our way to the service we stopped at the Mt Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge MA. I like cemeteries in general and this is one of my favorites – huge, beautifully maintained and a de facto arboretum as all of the trees are labeled. It is a great place to watch birds too. A number of famous people, including Mary Baker Eddy, the founder of Christian Science and Robert Gould Shaw, Civil War hero, are buried there. It has some nice crypts and chapels too. If you are ever looking for a nice cemetery to visit, try this one.
After the service we met up with my son Frank for dinner. We exchanged gifts and had a nice meal. Or at least Frank did – Marlene and I were still full from the meal at the memorial service.
Against my better judgement we finished the day at the Wynn Encore casino in Everett MA, near Boston. This is a beautiful casino with a breathtaking lobby. The slot machines are pretty good too – Marlene won about $300 and I broke even.
We got back to Worcester around 2am.
Monday was a catch-up-on-rest day. On Tuesday the main event was a tour of local thrift shops. Marlene found some nice stuff at the Salvation Army. On Wednesday we roamed about Worcester, found some activities downtown then drove out to a mall for more shopping. So not a lot of activity Monday to Wednesday.
But Thursday we went to Kimball Farm, an ice cream place which also has a great seafood grill, a tap room, a gift shop, bumper cars, an arcade, a driving range, a pitch-and-putt golf course, a batting cage, a zip line and a stage for musical performances. A group called Word of Mouth. They were very good. We danced. We also did the zip line. A fun evening.
We headed out to New Salem Friday morning and will be there until we start the trip south (TS_10).