When I left off it was Monday of last week and we were deciding what to do. That actually feels like a long time ago now. I'm pretty sure that on that day we walked around some more and probably got a late start. We went to meet up with Jason as he got out of work and once again headed to Chinatown to go to a really good Malaysian restaurant. I followed Jason's recommendation and got the Penang Pad Thai, which was delicious. David got a vegetable dish served in a taro shell, which was also really good, and Ashley got a dish with okra and chicken. After eating we went to the New England Conservatory for a free concert of Mahler and Bach music, then went home.
On Tuesday, Ashley, David, and I went to check out the Freedom Trail, but we got side-tracked and ended up going on the African American Heritage Trail instead. If you ever get the chance, I definitely recommend this one. We got learn a lot of interesting stories about the Underground Railroad in Boston and about African American presence in Boston from the Revolutionary War period on. Boston was apparently a good stop because of all of the little alleyways that were originally built as a way to deal will the steep hills. One alley led to a yellow house where the woman who lived there during the time of the Underground Railroad would leave a door unlocked for fugitives to hide. She reportedly saved 22 fugitives.
On Wednesday we did a little more touring of Boston, finishing the Freedom Trail and stopping by the Equal Exchange Cafe. Everywhere we go we stop in at thrift stores and bookstores, which all have the power to attract our attention for at least an hour.
In the afternoon and into the evening we headed to New York and my house to spend the night. The next day we visited some of my family in Westchester, then powered on to New Jersey to do the same for David, and quite a bit later found ourselves a campsite somewhere outside of Philadelphia. The next day was a bit rough. Our only real reason for going to Philadelphia was for a Moroccan restaurant, Marrakesh. So when we go to Philly we wandered around a little bit but we were pretty tired. Fortunately, the dinner was worth the trip and then some. The restaurant emphasized that they serve its customers as if we were guests in a Moroccan home. We got a 7-course meal for $25, and they even catered to David's vegetarian palate for no extra charge, meaning that we got a lot of really good, really fresh food for a very good price. The atmosphere was homey, and near the end of our meal we got into conversation with two locals seated next to us. Although it may seem a little odd, they ended up offering up their apartment for us to stay in that night, even though their roommates were already having a party and the place was going to be a bit crowded. So we exchanged information, and while David, Ashley, and I really did try hard to look for a hostel, motel, Best Western, etc, it turned out that there was a convention going on in the city and everywhere was booked. We were too tired to go back to the campsite, so we let them know of our troubles and they repeated their offer. It was a bit crazy, even once we got to their apartment, because parking turned out to be a hassle, but in the end we got to walk in on a hilarious '90s dance hour, make some new friends, and sleep on mattresses as opposed to the cold ground. The next morning our new friends invited us with them to the Down Home Diner at Reading Terminal Market. Breakfast was good and fun, and it was unfortunate that we had to leave without exploring the rest of the Market.
After breakfast we headed back to gather up our things and headed to the car. We stopped along the way at a hat shop. We must have passed three hat shops during the 20-minute walk to the garage where we'd left the van. David found a hat for himself first, and then Ashley got one. The shopkeeper was smooth. As we were walking out he goes, "Oh, none for you?" Meaning me. This normally would not have had an effect, but I really like hats, and it's been a few years since I bought one for myself. So I turned around and everyone helped me to decide on a hat as well. I'm making it a part of my basic wardrobe, so doubtless any of you who know me will see it in the future.
We really wanted to see Lancaster. We left in what should have been plenty of time to see Lancaster during the day, but at some point traffic hit a standstill on the highway, and we had to find a detour. We found out that a truck had caught fire and a section of I-76 was completely shut down. But we still made it to Lancaster and walked around it for an hour. The town is really cute and had a lot of nice shops that emphasized local artisans' work and repurposed materials.
After Lancaster we continued on to Baltimore to visit my friend. That was last night, wasn't it? My, my, but time passes quickly, and yet, it was only two weeks ago that we were in Burlington, Vermont.
Anyway, Katie and Jacob are really good hosts, and they have fluffy, lovable kitties. Today our hosts recommended that we bike to historic Ellicott City, so we did that. It turned out to be this adorable town at the bottom of a huge hill, but kind of built into the rocks so that it felt like a mountain village. It was so cool. We met some characters. One was in the antique shop that greeted us upon our arrival. Another was the owner of a wine shop. I was drawn into the shop by the cat in the window, but as soon as we stepped in the man began to warn us of his cat Mrs. Claws. She appeared unassuming but would apparently viciously attack any hand that went near her. Pretty funny.
It was getting dark by the time we were about to leave town, and fortunately Katie called and said that she and Jacob could drive and come get us. We were really relieved. The hills we would've had to go up were incredibly long, steep and winding - not something I like to do normally, let alone in the dark. When they got to where we were, Katie made sure to point out the bridge where record flood levels were marked. The worst was when the stream flooded by 27.5 feet (!) in 1868. At those levels the town must have literally been swept away. It was hard to believe, though from the rest of the numbers it looked as if flooding of some sort was relatively common in the town. I would be wary of trying to live and or run a business so close to the stream, knowing its history.
So now, I'll head to bed, a little later than is healthy considering we want to be up and running early tomorrow.
I'll have some more stories in a few days. D.C. should be pretty cool. Neither Ashley nor myself have ever been, and there's a lot to do there.
Have a good one, everybody.
G'night
~Alicia
P.S. Katie teaches Social Studies. She is instructing her kids that if you're going to imply that you are American, you have to allow that Canadians and Mexicans are Americans, too. If you want to say you are from the United States, then you are United Statesien. She has students saying this. So my blog should really be titled "Journaling Journeys: United States." I apologize for the cultural insensitivity. Although I do plan on visiting Mexico for a minute, so maybe it's okay?
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