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Author Archives: Sparky

Hershey Chocolate World

Milton Hershey did much more than create a chocolate bar in 1900 – he created an entire community. And it is now a destination with something for everyone – an amusement park, a private boarding school, a botanical garden, several hotels and resorts and Hershey Chocolate World – a place where one can learn how … Continue reading »

Categories: Adventures, Food, PA, TS_10 | Leave a comment

TS_10 Hop 3: Schenectady NY to Harrisburg PA

361 miles via NY 7, I-88, I-81, PA 347, I-380, I-81 (again), PA 309, US 202, PA 772, US 30, PA 283, I-283, I-81 (yet again) and US 22. Cumulative route miles: 776. Auto miles: 373. Cumulative auto miles: 808. The 12 non-route miles were the trip to the casino. This hop included several stops. … Continue reading »

Categories: Historical Markers, NY, PA, Routes, TS_10 | Leave a comment

TS_10 Hop 2: Plattsburgh NY to Schenectady NY

185 miles via I-87, NY 9N, I-87 again, NY 50 and I-87 (yet again). Cumulative route miles: 415. Auto miles: 185. Cumulative auto miles: 435. This hop was mostly on I-87. I have never driven I-87 north of Albany so this was a new road for me. It was beautiful! Soft mountains and deep valleys. … Continue reading »

Categories: Hotels, NY, Routes, TS_10 | Leave a comment

TS_10 Hop 1: New Salem MA to Plattsburgh NY

230 miles via US 202, MA 122, MA 2, MA 10, I-91, I-89, US 2 and US 9. Cumulative route miles: 230. Total auto miles: 250. Cumulative auto miles: 250. The extra auto miles were due to a shopping trip before leaving the cabin. This was a trip made on a beautiful but cool Sunday … Continue reading »

Categories: Food, MA, NY, TS_10, VT | Leave a comment

A day trip to the Clark Art Institute

I visited the Clark Art Institute in Williamstown MA once before, back in 2018. I did it again, this time with Marlene accompanying me, during our 9-day stay at the cabin. I like the museum but I also enjoy the ride through the Berkshires. This time I also got to explore Williamstown a bit. And … Continue reading »

Categories: Adventures, MA, VT | Leave a comment

9 days in New Salem MA

New Salem MA is a town that is large in area and small in population – less than 1,000 in the 2020 census. It borders the Quabbin Reservoir that provides drinking water to the Boston area. It is remote and beautiful. Bucolic. A good place to rest and relax. We spent 9 days there, in … Continue reading »

Categories: Adventures, Family, MA | Leave a comment

“No Second Chance” by Harlan Coben

Copyright 2003 by Harlan Coben. Published by New American Library, a division of Penguin Group Inc., New York. Harlan Coben is one of my favorite mystery authors. His plots are intricate, and his characters are fully formed. He keeps the reader guessing and usually ends with a shocking surprise. That is all true in No … Continue reading »

Categories: Books | Leave a comment

A week in Worcester MA

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 … Continue reading »

Categories: Family, MA | Leave a comment

TN_10 wrapup

This was a quick trip north with just one night in a hotel. The weather was good but there were some very long travel days. And a bit of car trouble. It was unique in that the entire CV2 Carnival Vista cruise occurred between Hops 1 and 2. By the numbers: Highlights: Lowlights: Planned and … Continue reading »

Categories: Family, Hotels, Routes, TN_10 | Leave a comment

CV2 wrapup

I have lost track of how many cruises I have taken. Must be approaching 20. The CV2 cruise, on the Carnival Vista, is in the running for the worst. Certainly bottom 3. But there were some good things about the cruise. Let’s get those out of the way first. Highlights: Lowlights: The casino wasn’t kind … Continue reading »

Categories: Caribbean, Cruise, CV2, Family | Leave a comment