Tag Archives | Christmas

2010 – FINALLY a year that didn’t suck flaming hogballs

For as long as I can remember, every time a year came to an end I would curse it, spit at it, then kick it in the groin and declare good riddance as I eagerly awaited for the ball to drop to finally put that crap year out of its misery.

But for the first time that I can remember, I’m actually sad to see the year go. Where the Zeros continuously served up one tall glass after another of FAIL, 2010 instead turned out to be a refreshing bowl of WIN, topped off with a sugary dose of AWESOME.

So what made this year so special? Well…

  • It began with my first ever trip to Boston last February. I had so much fun that I was effectively bitten by the travel bug, and I knew my life would never be the same again. My blog would also complete its metamorphosis from a blog where I whined about my failure of a life, to a blog about traveling and geocaching. Although I still whine every now and then, just to a slightly lesser degree. :-D
  • After that trip, I invested in completely upgrading my desktop for the first time in 8 years. I now have a powerhorse that can not only play all the latest games but also makes it SO much easier for me to work on my many blogging projects.
  • By this time (after purchasing my new computer) I was breaking records with the income I was generating from my blog. 2010 would prove to be the most lucrative year I’ve ever had in terms of sponsorships, revenues and giveaways I received as a direct result of blogging.
  • Then came the long awaited GPS cradle for the iPod Touch that I had been pining to get my hands on for months. This was one of the most CRUCIAL purchases I have ever made. It not only made it feasible to use my iPod for geocaching, but it also powered all my geolocation apps from Whrrl to Navigon. It allowed me to do everything I ever wanted to do with an actual iPhone, at least until it finally becomes available on the Verizon network (hopefully next month!)
  • And then came… the MACBOOK. If 2010 had been nothing but a pit of death and destruction, my MacBook’s arrival alone would have ensured that 2010 would still go down as the GREATEST year in history.
  • Although not as important or exciting, It’s still worth noting that this was the year my car received its 60,000 mile service. It’s one of the most extensive (and expensive) service jobs to ever have done for your car, but once it was out of the way I was confident I could rely on my beautiful ride for another 60,000 miles, as well as for the future road trips I was planning.
  • 2010 also marked the first time I ever went to a Drive-In movie theater. The movie sucked, but the food was teh awesum.
  • I would finally, at long last, transform my wardrobe from Walmart drags to Banana Republic/Gap awesomeness. Let it be known that from now on if a girl rejects me, I will at least have the consolation of knowing it wasn’t because I was donning a $5 sweatshirt from Wally World.
  • I also joined Collective Bias, a marketing agency that opened doors for new sponsorships, new possibilities for generating revenue for my blog, as well as a trip to Las Vegas to attend BlogWorld.
  • In October I began my first ever road trip, traveling over 4,000 miles to at least 14 different states. and at least 20 different cities. The experience will stay with me forever.
  • I experienced my first ever car accident too, just outside of Columbus, Ohio.
  • I hadn’t flown on an airplane since I was 14, but that streak was finally broken when I flew to Vegas to attend BlogWorld with my friend Casey. It was also the first time I have ever gone on a flight on my own.
  • And of course, VEGAS! Easily one of the noisiest, busiest and most unbearable cities I have ever been to. Not even the buffets could lure me back there again. The trip to Vegas also marked the first time I’ve ever attended a major conference like BlogWorld as well.
  • After 7 or more years, I would finally meet one of my closest friends, Casey, who discovered my previous blog circa 2003, and has been a thorn on my side ever since. :-D While in Arkansas I had the pleasure of meeting his wife, kids and parents, and in a unusual twist of fate we met up again only a few weeks later, this time on my home turf in New York. For you Psych enthusiasts, I am the Shawn to his Gus, and occasionally vice versa, although we don’t know what started first. It’s like the chicken or the egg, minus the chicken. And possibly the egg.
  • While in Las Vegas I could honestly say the biggest highlight of my trip was meeting Bailey of MakeoverMomma.com. To meet such a beautiful woman who was also hearing impaired like me, but so fiercely determined not to let that keep her down was inspiring. Meeting her family was also a treat and gives me a reason now to visit Virginia in the future. I am so blessed to have her as a friend as well.
  • And finally, I would close the year out with a trip to New Hampshire for an early Christmas getaway, where I took an unbelievable driving tour of the gorgeous White Mountains and feasted on the bestest nachos and pancakes evahs!!11!1 The trip also gave me the occasion to meet yet another Internet friend, who by now I’m sure regrets that decision. LOL, I keed, I keed… I hope.

After all that, it makes me wonder how 2011 will stack up in comparison. Can the new year continue to carry the torch of awesomeness just as 2010 did? There’s certainly a lot expected to happen for 2011 that makes me hopeful. For one, it will mark the arrival of the iPhone on Verizon. YES, YES, THANK YOU GOD, YES.

Not only that but I will probably purchase my first iPad too when the second generation comes out, completing my trifecta of owning an iPhone, MacBook and iPad. I will be an unstoppable force of ubergeekness then.

I also have a few trips and meetups planned already, beginning with a meetup with Bailey in the city in January, then again in February when she comes to attend the fashion show. I trust by then she can sneak me in so I can ensconce myself in a sea of the world’s hottest models, where any one of them could be looking for a downtown man like me. Just like Billy Joel says, so it must be true! :-D

After that I would immediately flee New York (on Valentine’s Day no less) for a trip to Portland, Maine (and possibly beyond), a return to New Hampshire for a day or two, and finally a four day stay at Boston, where everybody knows my name, and they’re always glad I came.

March will be even crazier with a flight to Texas(!!!), where I meet up with Casey again at SXSW for a few days of Texan BBQ, funsies, and possible new networking contacts (read: people who can save me from my current dead-end job.) After SXSW I might rent a car and take a drive from Austin to Dallas for a few extra days of sightseeing around the state before returning home.

In April or May I’m planning another trip to Tennessee for a week long stay in the Smokies, hoping this time around I’ll have a chance to explore Knoxville and some of the surrounding areas before vegging out once again in a gorgeous luxury log cabin. Tee hee. It will also give me a chance to stay in Virginia for a night and meet Bailey and her family again (at which point I have to think that they’re all going to get sick of me by then, lolz.)

After that things get a little fuzzy. There’s a travel blog conference taking place in Vancouver in June and as much as I want to visit the city, I’m not sure it might be worth the investment then. There’s also the tornado chasing expedition I want to join in late June or July in Colorado, something I need to keep hush hush because my mother would be very upset if she knew what I was up to.

I do know it’s a given I’m going to be in either Colorado or somewhere in the Rockies for my 35th birthday in August, because there is absolutely no way in HELL that I am going to be celebrating that here in stinky New York.

2011 could also possibly be the year I travel abroad for the first time. My friend Casey will be traveling to Germany sometime in the fall and I may (permission pending) tag along for the ride, presuming there’s enough room in the trunk to hold me.

The only downside I’m seeing for 2011 has to do with my blog. Despite the record breaking year I had in generating income from it, my traffic level actually went DOWN by 10 percent for the year, and Google reduced my ranking from a PageRank of a studly 5 to a paltry 3, effectively setting all my efforts to bring in traffic back 2 years. Thanks Google! Motherf—- but anyhow, something will have to give in 2011, otherwise my blogging income will eventually evaporate, along with my dreams of becoming a full-time and self-employed blogger AND my ability to travel on a semi-regular basis.

For 2011, it’s make or break time. Bring it, baby.

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Continuing a Christmas Tradition

This Christmas might be one of the rare occasions where I’m actually looking more forward to seeing others open the presents I gave them rather than the presents that were given me. I think the little boy inside me is finally growing up a little.

One of the things I had planned to do for this Christmas this year was watch It’s A Wonderful Life, ending my boycott of the film which had become something of a tradition for me over the years. I avoided watching the movie because it was my hope that if I ever met the girl of my dreams, I could watch the movie for the first time ever with her. I no longer believe that there’s a girl out there for me though, but still, this year just didn’t feel right. I wanted to watch it in New Hampshire during my getaway, but the condo at the resort I stayed at was so sparse and void of any Christmas decorations that it felt sacrilegious to watch it under those circumstances. Besides, my dear friend Bailey thought the idea was truly romantic and that I should hold on for just a little while longer.

So, my tradition of boycotting the film gets a one year reprieve. If there really is anyone out there for me, she’s got one year left to make the magic happen.

Curiously enough, I may end up staying at the Christmas Farm Inn in New Hampshire this February for a night or two just to see if it might be worth staying at for another potential holiday getaway in the White Mountains next year. Either that or the Snowflake Inn. They certainly have the right names for the occasion, that’s for sure. But that’s a decision to be made for another day. We’ll see what the new year brings.

In the meantime, have a very Merry Christmas all!

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New Hampshire – Bringing the Rocky Mountains just a little bit closer to home

I loved New Hampshire. As soon as I peeled off I-91 to finally enter the state, I knew I was in for something special. I never realized I-91 stayed within Vermont even though the border to New Hampshire was literally only yards away, and yet I hadn’t officially crossed over until the day was nearly spent. As twilight approached, the mountains loomed higher and larger than I’ve ever seen before, while wisps of snow twirled around on the roads and danced in the wind.

GPS iPod at Bethlehem

My iPod announces my arrival at Bethlehem. Heh.

I was now on Route 302, criss-crossing the White Mountain region in nearly pitch blackness as I made my way towards Jackson. I was worried about the road conditions but I sailed right on through without any issues, and after about an hour of mountain driving I arrived and checked into the resort with the temps at a balmy 2 degrees. Eeeesh.

Although oddly enough, it actually felt warmer here than it did back in New York earlier, where it was still in the 20s. Strange. but anyhoo, I settled into the condo, then promptly headed out again to explore Jackson.

Covered Bridge to Jackson

A covered bridge marking the entrance to Jackson

Jackson itself has a business district that starts with a covered bridge, leading you into a loop around town where many bed and breakfast inns resided. Quite a few of them also had dining available to the public as well, but tonight I would indulge in the feasts offered by the local Shannon Door Pub, which was renowned for their good pizza. Of course, I being the disgusting New York snob that I was, scoffed at this claim and set out to prove them wrong. :-D

It was music night at the pub, the mellow sounds of a harmonica and guitar permeating the air as I sat and listened while waiting for my takeout. I wanted to stay, but I felt enormously out of place, being by myself and not knowing anyone here, so I was content to order the pub food and discreetly exit stage right, back to the resort and in front of my fireplace. I wish I could have stayed though.

Shannon Door Pub - Live Music

Live music at the Shannon Door

As soon as I returned back at the ranch, I rearranged the furniture and sat down to have a taste of the pizza, and oh… my goodness. Somebody up here actually knows how to make pizza! I’m stunned! It didn’t have that New Yaaawky taste to it, but it was chewy, slightly spicy and very delicious. They only offer one size from what I could tell, a personal size about 12-14 inches in diameter, but I devoured the whole thing in no time.

Yep, New Hampshire was getting off to a great start. When the locals can please my taste buds with their pizza, you know the times are gonna be good.

After my pizza feast, I turned in for the night and woke up the next morning to a frigid icebox. My goodness. It was too cold to go geocaching, but perfect for indoor shopping, so I decided to use the occasion to get some tax-free shopping out of the way until the weather got warmer. I had breakfast at a place called Peach’s, which I found by sheer happenstance, and amazingly enough also turned out to be the number one rated breakfast place on TripAdvisor too.

I didn’t find the food exceptionally good though, but the mood and atmosphere of the restaurant was awesome. It was an ancient building that was as cozy and inviting as a bed and breakfast inn. You can sit in the back by the windows to enjoy a view of the forest next door, which I promptly did and treated myself to pancakes and eggs. The waitress was very cute too, but I couldn’t follow her speech pattern well enough to take a leap and ask her out. Sigh. I hate being hearing impaired sometimes. Although I’m sure she would have said no anyway and was just being friendly (I’m good at reading body language ya know.)

Breakfast at Peach's (coffee and lamp)

Breakfast at Peach's!

After pancakes I hit the outlets in North Conway, making sure to cover every store that was there. I expected the prices to be higher since there were no taxes, but I was surprised to see the prices were pretty much similar to back home. I ended up buying a Banana Republic scarf (originally priced at $40) for only $23, and a few other trinkets here and there for Christmas gifts. After the outlets I hit up a few other stores as well, including the nearby Christmas Loft, a retail store that reminded me of Yankee Candle with all the Christmas items they had on display, including a wintry village you could walk through while browsing for things to buy. Neat stuff!

Indoor Village at Christmas Loft

It's Christmas every day here!

With the shopping finally done, I drove around Jackson for a while to figure out where to stop in for dinner, and finally decided on the Red Fox, a bar and grille restaurant similar to an Applebee’s or TGI Friday’s. They had three dining areas to choose from, so I chose the lounge and was brought to a nice corner booth that was furthest away from the bar. There was hardly anyone here since the restaurant had just opened, so I had arrived at just the right time. I ordered nachos for appetizers and a meatloaf sandwich. Just about everything is cooked over a woodfire grill, although I wasn’t aware of why this was such a selling point until my waitress brought the nachos:

Cheese smothered Nachos

Nachos from heaven. Mmm mmm mmm!

Oh my goodness gracious. Nachos that roasted on an open fire. And my word, they were the BEST nachos I have EVER had. Then came the meatloaf sandwich and I was in sheer heaven. Honestly, I never knew meatloaf or nachos could taste this good. This was definitely no Applebee’s.

Deep in the mountains, with single digit temps the norm, a cozy bar and grill, awesome food, and Christmas lights and decorations twinkling everywhere. There was truly no place I’d rather be. Most people prefer the summer, but I was definitely a winter man. As dark and cold as this time of year might be, it was also a time of twinkling lights, warm fireplaces, hot cocoa, and a landscape blanketed in snow. Forget palm trees and beaches. THIS is where I felt most at peace.

Eventually I had to drag myself away from the Red Fox, so I brown bagged what I didn’t finish and headed back to the resort. Night turned to morning again, the weather now much warmer, but not before leaving a light dusting of snow on the ground. Perfect weather for geocaching and a lazy drive around the mountains.

This time I had breakfast at a place called Glen Junction, another restaurant I picked completely at random. Their special today was pumpkin pancakes, so I treated myself to a stack and some home fries on the side. I barely had time to settle in after my order when the pancakes arrived. Already? Seriously, this was the third time in a row now where the food arrived stupidly fast. I could not believe how quick the service was around here.

And my God, the PANCAKES:

Pumpkin Pancakes at Glen Junction

I can hear angels singing!

And I thought the pancakes I had back in Nashville were good. Nope, this stack of pure AWESOME eats it for breakfast (no pun intended.) At the risk of repeating myself, THE BEST pancakes I’ve ever had. It was topped in maple cream, then whip cream, with each bite the equivalent of a sugar-induced rave party going on inside your mouth. It took every ounce of restraint to keep myself from ordering two more dishes. Ay yi yi.

After inhaling everything on the plate, I sat back to digest a bit and watch the cute trains inside the restaurant as they quietly circled the room, Christmas decorations once again lavishly placed everywhere. I could have stayed in all day and relaxed, but I had a mountain to explore, so I gathered up my stuff and headed out, due north on Route 16 towards Mount Washington. As I drove I began to understand why this region was known as the White Mountains too. Typically most of the mountain tops are your standard gray or green (depending on how much tree covering there is), but there were one or two here that are completely covered in bright white snow. I had never seen anything like it.

White Mountains (Snowy Top)

A mountain top covered in pure white snow

Thick, billowing clouds covering Mt. Washington

Thick, billowing clouds covering some of the mountains here

I picked up a few geocaches along Route 16, until I arrived at the popular auto road for Mount Washington. Unfortunately it was closed for the season, and not even the Snow Coach tours were open. Ack.

Mt. Washington Auto Road Entrance

FAIL

I was disappointed, but the views here were so magnificent that you could park just about anywhere and still enjoy watching the mountains and the snow put on a spectacular show. The Adirondacks were beginning to pale in comparison to what I was seeing here. I always thought I had to visit the Rockies to see mountains like this, but the White Mountain Forest region were as steep and majestic as you could possibly ask for here in New England.

I decided to keep going and do a complete loop around the White Mountains. I passed through Gorham, then turned left onto Route 2 and drove leisurely to Bethlehem. From there I entered I-93 and went south to Franconia and eventually Franconia Notch State Park. This was the site of the where the famous Old Man of The Mountain once used to be, before the rocks finally crumbled in 2003. Even without the famous landmark, the views here were spectacular, so much that I constantly stopped at turnoffs and circled back and forth just to take it all in.

Franconia Notch Mountains

Pulled to the side to take this quick shot

I’ve never skied before, but coming here and seeing all this now sparked a desire for me to give it a try in the near future. That and of course snowmobiling, which I would have done on this trip, but there just wasn’t enough snow yet to cover the trails. The upside though is that it gives me a reason to come back here in February.

After an hour or two of mountain peeping, I finally got back on the interstate and continued south to Lincoln. I had passed quite a few small towns in New Hampshire by now, but for some reason I liked Lincoln the best. Something about this particular town that offered just enough of civilization before getting TOO commercial, unlike North Conway. While stopping at a Mickie-Ds, I discovered a train just sitting there next to the parking lot near the Hobo Railroad:

Train in Lincoln, New Hampshire

Say cheeeeeeese!

From Lincoln I turned east again onto Route 112, which cuts through the White Mountains back to Conway. Plenty of turnoffs, parks and hiking trails could be found along the way, and because it was early in the season I practically had the roads to myself. I thought the Blue Ridge Parkway was nice, but Route 112 and 302 made the Blue Ridge look like a drive through Calcutta. It all seemed so mellow and serene, and the cars I did see would lazily move about, yet never so slow that I was on top of somebody’s bumper. It was bar none one of the most relaxing mountain drives I’ve ever taken.

Outlook along Route 112 in White Mountain Forest

Yes, I'll live here.

All in all I drove about 120 miles, and I could have easily done it again, but by this time it had gotten dark again, and I was ready for another good dose of mountain food. It was time… for BBQ.

Hill's Top BBQ Sign

BBQ!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I stopped at the Hill’s Top BBQ just south of Jackson, walked in and was instantly greeted as if I were a long lost relative. The restaurant was cozy and lush with Christmas decor, each table having no less than 6 different bottles of sauce to choose from. Yep, I tried them all too. I had a platter of chicken tenders, wings, fries, pulled pork and potato salad, and Lord it was SO good.

After gouging myself in wings, I sat back and reflected on just how different things were here compared to home. I couldn’t get service this fast at a drive-thru, let alone a full fledged restaurant. And the people were extraordinarily friendly, so much that I found it almost unnerving. Even when I stopped for ice cream at a Dairy Queen, the DQ girl who took my order was ridiculously friendly.

“How are you today, sir?” She greeted me in an almost singsong voice. “Are you all bundled up and warm tonight?”

“Umm… Yeah… I’m doing good here…” I had to suppress my Brooklyn inclination to tell her, “WHATAYOUTHINK??” before grabbing my blizzard sundae and tossing change at her.

Yep, this New Yawker flatlander definitely isn’t used to this level of friendliness. You know, where people actually enjoy treating each other like human beings. :-D

After BBQ and another cozy evening by the fireplace, I would spend one more day here before returning home. I found just enough time in the morning to visit Jackson again while it was still snowing, driving through some of the residential areas and taking snapshots of some of the beautiful scenery here.

A Wintry Wonderland in Jackson, New Hampshire (snow covered trees and creek)

A wintry wonderland in Jackson

It’s funny, New Hampshire was never on my radar before, but after the past few days I’m kicking myself for not having visited here sooner. It was so tough to leave, but I promised myself I would return again this February, if only to go snowmobiling for a day.

On the way back home I took a little time to visit Concord and Manchester, nice little cities from what I could tell, but it occurred to me that without the mountains, this part of the state just didn’t do as much for me as Jackson and North Conway did. I arrived at New London in Connecticut and took the ferry back to Long Island. Flat, crowded, boring, hostile Long Island. Sigh.

I may be a resident of a flat and ugly island, but in my heart I will always be a man of the mountains.
 


Flickr Stream of Photos Taken During This Time Span
 

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A Tale of Two Candles

I left New York on a freezing cold morning, just before sunrise. I had to stop by a gas station first to recheck my tires, since one of them had driven over a screw sometime in the past two weeks. 6 years I drive my car, including a 14 state trip in October, and I only now get a screw in my tires? Eeesh. I had the leak plugged two days ago, but rechecked and reinflated each tire again just to make sure before hitting the parkway to cut through the city. I finally began to warm up again once I crossed over Throgs Neck Bridge and settled in for a nice, cozy drive through Connecticut and Massachusetts. My plan today was simple: I would visit the flagshipYankee Candle store in South Deerfield again like I had done last year, only this time I would follow it up with a visit to Kringle Candle as well, a brand new store located in Bernardston just a few miles north of Yankee Candle.

The new candle company was opened by 20 year old Michael Kittredge III, whose father (Michael Kittredge II) was once the founder and owner of Yankee Candle. After selling the company in 1998, Kittredge went into a boating business for a few years, until his son decided to open a candle store of his own in what would eventually become known as The Kringle Candle Company.

Yankee Candle was one of my favorite brands, and I was looking forward to an opportunity to possibly meet the family that started it all. How would Kringle Candle compare to the juggernaut that Yankee Candle now is? I couldn’t wait to find out.

But first, a little stop in South Deerfield. :-D

Yankee Candle Store Sign

At last, we meet again.

This was already my second time here, but the compound never fails to amaze me. You have candy shops, food courts, fine dining at Chandler’s, a Bavarian style village, along with sprawling rooms of ornaments, cuckoo clocks, toys, miniature villages and more. You could easily spend several hours in the store and still not see everything. It was Disney World in Massachusetts.

Gift Assembly Line in the Toy Section of Yankee Candle

Toys, toys, toys!

Yankee Candle Yard

Yankee Candle compound, with Chandler's Restaurant in the background.

By that same token though, it also felt a little… over-commercialized in a way. I tend to have that same impression with all things Disney too, in which there comes a point where the senses are overloaded and you start yearning for something simpler. A back to basics way of selling your business that draws from earlier and simpler times. Something I hoped and expected Kringle Candle itself to be.

After chasing after the little trains that circled around some of the rooms at Yankee Candle, I finally got a text from a friend of mine who was ready to meet me at Kringle, so I grabbed a few trinkets and ornaments for gifts, then stepped out into the bitter cold again, traveling north again until I reached Bernardston.

The unfamiliarity of the town led me to park next to the warehouse rather than the actual Kringle store across the street, much to the amusement of my friend and her husband, but at long last I had finally arrived. The building was as new as you could possibly imagine, not a spec of dust or item was out of place. When we stepped in I found myself in a small wonderland of… Yankee Candle again?

Fireplace at Kringle Candle

It's Christmas again at Kringle!

The layout of the store was rather simple. A kitchen area proffered all the major scents that were related to baking and foods, while a more extended area of the store was stacked with all sorts of Christmas themed candles and goods. The owner and father however were nowhere to be found.

Kringle Candle Kitchen Section

Kitchen section of Kringle Candle

I had to admit, I was disappointed. Despite what appeared to be a different approach in candlemaking (notably that all the wax are plainly white), the store itself still reeked of the same corporatism that became so obvious to me at Yankee Candle. I was hoping to see a more old fashioned type of general store, one that would take us back to a time where Mom and Pop shops once helped define small town America. Back when businesses were more about relationships than it was about selling goods. Instead of cashiers wearing the uniforms of the brand, you had good old Joe himself of Joe’s General Store to give you what you needed. Wooden floors would creak their age as you browse Joe’s store, taking in the scents of pastries being baked in the back, or the aroma of strong good coffee in the front, as good old Joe, donned in flannel and a dusty old apron, inquires about your family and your thoughts about the weather. America as it once was. Something Kringle Candle had utterly failed to capture for me.

Christmas items at Kringle Candle

So pretty, but oh so commercialized...

It struck me that a business that supposedly seeks to distinguish itself from Yankee Candle ended up emulating it in many ways, where the creator had now in an ironic twist of fate become the copycatter. In a time where our country continues to suffer from the Walmartization of our businesses, I was hoping that the new company here would have recognized what we’ve lost over time, and use the opportunity to gain some of our once former magic back. But with Kringle Candle, it was not to be.

Ah well. At least the candles smelled good.

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Gearing Up For New Hampshire

I can’t believe I’ll be leaving already in a mere week. I’ll be prepping Hidalgo (my ride) with a wash and wax this weekend, then start some early packing. I get home from work around 9PM the night before, so I’ll have to hit the ground running early next morning to make good time.

Originally I planned to take the ferry across the Long Island Sound, that is, until I looked at the prices.

FIFTY DOLLARS ONE WAY? Are they smoking something????

Yeah, forget that. I WAS going to take the ferry both ways but now I’ll probably only do it on the way back home, if I even bother doing that at all. As much as I like taking a relaxing boat ride across the Sound, I’m not crazy about the idea of landing at Orient Point and then driving the entire breadth of Long Island just to get back home, especially with the way the schmuck-head drivers are here.

So, my tentative itinerary as it stands now is to plow through the Bronx, then hit I-95 in Connecticut and then shoot up north via I-91. I’ll have to cut through the White Mountains to get to my ultimate destination (Jackson), but I’m sure Hidalgo can handle it. :-D Another plus side is that I’ll pass near not only Yankee Candle headquarters, but also Kringle Candle as well, recently opened up by the very family that first started Yankee Candles. It’s gonna be candle-licious!

After that, I should hopefully be nestled safe and sound in the beauty of the White Mountains by the end of the day, ready to explore, geocache, dine, and shop in the regions of Jackson, Conway, Glen and whatever else is up there. Oh, and maybe prance around a huge Christmas tree if I can find one.

I hope this will be the shot in the arm I need to get me back into a more festive mood for Christmas again. I’ve been so meh this year that I haven’t even played any Christmas music yet. I know, I’m a real Scrooge these days.

In the meantime, if you’re a native of New Hampshire, what would you suggest I visit while I’m there?

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