Driving 370 miles

Aloha Everyone,

J.J. and I left Boston Minutemen Campground at 9:00 am and for the next 9 hours we were on the road. We crossed Connecticut and New York before entering Pennsylvania.

Lunch stop was at a Cracker Barrel Restaurant in Fishkill. The two of us have pretty much memorized their menu so it was a pleasant surprise to be given their Campfire Meals offering either beef or chicken. J.J.'s hot and hearty meal plus my healthy lunch inclusive of state, local taxes and tip came out to $24. Excellent value meal! No wonder Cracker Barrel locations are usually packed.

One hour nap in the parking stall designated for RVs and busses before Honu was back on the road.  

Tonight Honu's home is Nittany Mountain KOA Campground in New Columbia, Pennsylvania. Non-circulating pond water on the property is a perfect place for mosquitoes to breed. J.J. and I had to shorten our evening walk as insects began attacking us.

Aloha -- Cathi

Lunch at Longfellow's Wayside Inn with Greg & Kristin

Aloha Everyone,

Our lunch today was a double treat. Seeing Greg for the first time since J.J. and I embarked on our RV adventure in Honu and meeting his wife, Kristin. It turned out to be a joyful and memorable occasion.  

The lunch venue was at the historic Longfellow's Wayside Inn in Sudbury, Massachusetts. Reputed to be the oldest operating Inn in the United States, the establishment traces its beginning to Howe's Tavern in 1716. Wayside Inn was a place where travelers stopped for the night. Their horses were fed and given a stable stall for the night while their owners enjoyed a good home cooked meal and had a clean bed to sleep.  

Longfellow is famous for his poems including  "Paul Revere's Ride," "Song of Hiawatha," and "Evangeline." The book called "Wayside In" is a collection of the stories Longfellow heard from travelers. Please click on the link to learn more about this National Historic Site.

https://m.poemhunter.com/poem/tales-of-a-wayside-inn-part-1-interlude-i/

Taking advantages of good weather and our beautiful campground, I did my walking meditation practice appreciating the natural beauty of our surroundings.

Aloha -- Cathi

Happy Memorial Day - Nanotechnology in Biology

Aloha Everyone,

We are back in Massachusetts staying at Boston Minutemen Campground. This is a beautiful forested area with great WiFi! Steady and unexpectedly cold rain adds to the ambience and to help us ponder the meaning of our Memorial Day holiday.

During our visit with Vita and Len in New York, Vita invited me to attend the monthly get together of EBWA (Evening Branch of the Women's Alliance of the Universalist Society of Schenectady). Guest presenter for the evening were Sara Brenner, Associate Professor of Nanobioscience; Assistant Vice President for NanoHealth Initiative of SUNY Polytechnic Institute and her research colleague, Nicole M Neu-Baker.

Dr. Brenner's presentation on Nanotechnology in Biology focused on "Understanding Future Ethical Dilemmas from Past Technologies," was fascinating and captivating. Their study regarding ethics and nanotechnology was explained in a manner wherein someone with an untrained mind for this particular science discipline could still appreciate and comprehend.

As they graciously posed for me for our blog, I mentioned that the evening was far more interesting and that I enjoyed the presentation much more than I had expected! To read more about this fascinating study, please go to:

http://www.sunycnse.com/AboutUs/FacultyStaff/Faculty/SaraBrenner.aspx

The Unitarian Universalist Society of Schenectady, used as the venue for EBWA meeting was designed by Edward Durrell Stone. The central focal point of the Great Hall is a circular step down amphitheater under the 60-foot dome. Vita also pointed out the beautifully manicured gardens with a view of a rushing stream nearby. My favorite part was the water ponds in the front, a perfect place to do yoga poses.

Aloha -- Cathi

Congratulations to Mikaela

Aloha Everyone,

Today we attended a party in New Haven, CT given in honor of J.J.'s grandniece Mikaela, who graduated from Wesleyan University.

Mikaela, the eldest daughter of J.J.'s nephew Freddie, was a recipient of the Freeman Foundation Scholarship which is offered to one scholar per Asian country per year. Mikaela now has a 3 months grant before working for a venture capital firm in San Francisco who funded Uber. This is an exciting time for her. With a solid education in Economics & Technology, Mikaela will have a wonderful future with many opportunities and options to choose from.

The party was hosted by Mikaela's relatives who graciously included J.J. and me and made us feel immediately like a part of the family.

If we did not have to navigate Honu back to the mountainous road crossing the swing bridge and the river, we would have prolonged our very interesting conversations with the hosts and their guests.

Prior to our goodbyes, some accompanied us to visit Honu and marvel at the tight space where the two of us happily live and call our home sweet home.

Aloha -- Cathi

Day Trip to Rhode Island Completing Honu's Visit to All 48 Contiguous States

Aloha Everyone,

The rain has finally abated and we are enjoying intermittent sunshine today.

Our target of visiting all forty-eight contiguous states in Honu was fulfilled today. We took the scenic route 1A from the seaside town of Mystic, Connecticut to Westerly, Rhode Island.

Mystic Seaport was beautiful. Just as I had imagined it. One day driving tour does not allow us to linger and visit The Museum of America and the Sea, the largest maritime museum in the United States. However, J.J.'s slow paced drive through the recreated 19th century seafaring village gave us sufficient time to appreciate this unique historic place.

When we saw a restaurant with "Mystic Pizza" signage, the two of us recalled the 1988 coming of age movie starring Julia Roberts.

Rhode Island is the smallest state in terms of size in the United States. It has an area of 1,214 square miles. From North to South, the distance is 48 miles and East to West, it is 37 miles.

East Haddam is located in the Connecticut River Valley. There are a number of iconic landmarks including the oldest swing bridge in America which we have to cross to get to and from our campground. Gillette Castle State Park, Nathan Hale School House are all located in this enchanting hamlet. We attempted to go to Gillette Castle State Park earlier this afternoon but the access was blocked by local yard sale activities.

Aloha -- Cathi