Lazy week

Suzanne is at Harvard and it's really hot here. We're either inside, or in the pool. This is the life... We do get a bug infestation at one point, but that's usually followed by a seagull food fest.

Day 9: Going back home...

HBS to Home: 507 kms

Today's the day Suzanne goes to Harvard, and we go back home. We had breakfast at the Dunkin Donut in the mall (not great but why pay $30 for bagels). Next we went back to the Science Museum (note that it was 5 minutes walking distance from our hotel) to catch a show at the planeterium and to see more exhibits. The one on nano technology is quite fascinating.

That one was real. 11:16am 

I kept asking the kids to find fossils on the beaches of Gaspé 11:18am

Most exhibits are interactive and interesting even if you're just starting to read. 11:40am

After our visit we checked out of our hotel and went to have lunch at an excellent Italian restaurant in the mall ( relatively inexpensive and good ). Then it was time to drop Suzanne at Harvard. I unfortunately don't have any pictures because it happens so quickly.

The kids and I drove back home. We stopped in Burlington (near Boston) for a few things, then our next stop was in Burlington Vermont to have dinner at McDonald's.

McDonald's  6:51pm

Going through the border was interesting, the kids were questioned more then I was, to make sure that I was the real father and that I wasn't trying to kidnap them. Some would get offended, I personally appreciate the level of security my kids got. We came back home to an oven. The good news was that our fish had survived the hot week.

Seven fish alive. 8:21pm

Suzanne sent a few pictures of her room after her first day of studying.  Small but nice.

Day 8: Boston Museum of Science

We woke up relatively late and went to have breakfast at the hotel's restaurant. The food tasted nice, for a change. After that it was time to go to our main destination, the Boston Museum of Science to renew our membership and do some visiting.

No need to cross the street -- Suzanne's secret passage, 8:55am

We got tickets to go see an iMax show but beforehand went through some of the exhibits.

Real size capsule. 9:09am

One of the halls. 9:20am

I want a globe like that but a bit smaller. 9:47am

Ditto for that moon. 11:58am

Next we went to see the excellent Dead Sea Scrolls exhibit, with real artifacts and scrolls we couldn't unfortunately photograph. Still quite cool. Mathieu got bored quickly so I went to try a simulator with him while the girls continued in the exhibit.

Really Cool. 10:01am

Artefacts 10:15am 

I just love this tub. 10:20am

Afterwards we went to see the excellent Rocky Mountain Express iMax film depicted the story on how Canada was precariously built by linking British Columbia to the other provinces with a train line. What these men accomplished was nothing short of Herculean.

Great movie. 11:53pm

We went through a few exhibits afterwards before going for lunch...

Boston's famous Duck Tours. 10:45am 

Smile for the flash.. 12:01pm 

Wouldn't like to meet this puppy in the forest... 12:18pm

Then it was time for lunch which we did at the mall that's connected to our hotel. Then it was time for some good ole shopping.

Eating some good Mexican food. Sabrina studying our next event... 1:07pm

The nice thing about having the mall beside us is that we didn't have to drive an hour to go to an outlet. After the shopping it was time to prepare for our meal at Anthony's Pier 4. We walked around downtown before our meal.

The Institute of Comtemporary Art. 4:51pm 

Need a boat to go home... 5:08pm

Boston  5:12pm

Legal Sea Food -- Used to be the best fish restaurant but has been McDonaldlized  5:26pm

The food was ok to good, but the experience interesting as this is one very old restaurant where you can see 100s of pictures of stars with the owner. Some sort of landmark. We had a real nice time.

Anthony's  6:34pm

Anthony's  6:34

Day 7: Boston

Bar Harbor to Boston: 451 kms

After a great night sleep we went to have breakfast at the Inn's restaurant, supposedly the highest restaurant on the island. We were all a bit tired. While the food was expensive and okay (that's a usual on this trip), the views were quite impressive.

Bluenose Inn Looking Glass Restaurant. 8:23

Bluenose Inn Looking Glass Restaurant. 9:01

We left the restaurant to climb (by car) Cadillac Mountain. Interestingly, Mount Desert Island was given to a frenchman named Cadillac in the 1600s thus the name of the highest peak on the Eastern coast, about 1530 feet (Tremblant is 3000 feet hight). Cadillac also went on to create the city of Detroit, hence the name of the famous car for the simili-rich. Even if only half as high as Tremblant it does feel quite high.

Cadillac Mountain. 10:09am

Cadillac Mountain. 10:21

Cadillac Mountain

Cadillac Mountain

Wow picture on Cadillac Mountain. 10:25am

We did have a few zen moments...

Zen... 10:24am

GZT (Girl Zen Time) 10:58am 

GZT disruptor... 11:00am

Not too many though cause Mathieu was getting antsy. We went back down and drove around a bit until we reached the park's entrance (Trip Advisor says that Acadia National Park is the 2nd most visited park in the U.S. and I know why). It's an amazing place to visit and we will come back.

Who's this handsome 24 year old visiting Acadia National Park in '87 with mom and sister?

We came back to town to have lunch at an Italian restaurant named Testa's. There used to be this excellent restaurant named Miguel's but it's moved to Bangor, unfortunately. I went there with a girlfriend once and sitting behind me was my cousin Robert. He used to love that place too. The food at Testa's was actually good.

Cool as a Moose. For my sister. 11:44am

Testa's... 12:12am

Gotta have at least one Sam Adams in New England. Gotta!

Time to go to Boston. There was however one stop we needed to do on Mount Desert Island as highly requested by the kids, and thoroughly researched by Sabrina using her iPod on the motel's wi-fi: Pirate Cove Mini gulf.

New form of parenting. 1:35pm

I won, but Mathieu had the only hole in one.... 2:10pm

Finally back on the road. We finally pass the main bridge at 7:43pm, out of traffic time you'd think?

Well we hit some construction and it took us about 45 minutes to drive the last 500 meters to our hotel, the Marlowe. But what a great hotel it is. It's from the same chain of hotels Suzanne and I slept in when we were in New York City. It's decided, if there's a Kimpton Boutique hotel where we're going, that's where we're staying. What a great place.

Out of the car in a great hotel! 8:29pm

Kids get a pet at the Marlowe, Paul (renamed Paulysporin by Mathieu)  8:57pm

Passed out! Time for wine and a short raid of the mini-bar :)  10:08pm