Life at Oak Grove

Anyone knows what I am talking about?   Chewy taffy from York, Maine.    I still can’t believe that the place where you can stand outside and see the owners do the candy is still existing.   As I wrote this, I am eating a few and can’t believe that the taste is still the same.   The restaurant was opened in 1896 and is still there at the same place in York.    In the past, the owner would work the taffy by hand.   Now part of it is made by hand and the stretching is done by a machine… but still this brought back memories to my heart.   This is part of the few memories that I remember…    The other memories I will remember is the time spent “Au Trois” a piece of land that belonged to my uncle… but this is another story for another time.    The Goldenrod Restaurant is still there and it still belongs to the family who started it more than 100 years ago.   It is the fourth generation who now make the delicious candies but it’s still have the same good taste.

I’m glad that I was able to bring my children there.   Mind you I will have to bring them back someday so that Jasmine can enjoyed it too!    And I sure hope to have start a tradition… Maybe one day my grand-children will discover the great taste of the salt water taffy of the Goldenrod in York, Maine.    I pray they do and they enjoy it as much I as have in the past and still do right now.

BTW – for those of you who would like to taste it, you can order some on the internet.   So don’t be shy and try them…

 * Check out how Salt Water Taffy is made by going on their website.   Reading it is interesting but it doesn't beat seeing it...

Well let me tell you that we have a Drama King in our midst.    Our sweet Dominic uses lots of drama when he sees blood.   Boy!   He was something special already when we are going to see the doctor for his wart under his foot but when he sees blood and had to get some peroxide on a wound….   My oh my do we hear the “Ouchy, ouchy, ouchy….   I need to band aid!”

It has been a journey of learning – both for the kids and us.   The kids learned about guitar, pretzels, chocolate, Amish and so on.  We learned about travelling long distance with the trailer and how to live in a limited space for many weeks.   It is not finished yet.   We still have some road to do.   PEI is just around the corner… literally.

As I am writing this, we are close to Saint John, NB.    We left PA to MA where we stayed for a few days.   We discovered Cape Cod and the chip factory.   We ate swordfish and ”petoncles” as well as lobster roll and fried clams.   Love the first three but I could pass the fried clams.     At Cape Cod bay we had the opportunity to see a commercial boat unloading it’s cargo.   Very interesting how they do that.   We also met some wild seals in the water.  The kids loved it.    In the horizon, you could see hundreds of seals bathing in the sun on a small beach.

We took a day off and went to drop off some laundry to be done.   Then we drove to Wal-Mart.   I love the Wal-Mart in the states because you find things that you can’t find in Canada.   Loved the outlets too but where we were there was not that many and besides we already spent a bit in outlets in PA.     After that we drove in Plymouth – where the first thanksgiving happened between the Pilgrims and the Indians.   We saw the Mayflower II  but couldn’t go to the Rock of Pilgrims as they were doing construction around it.  Bummer…

The next day we drove to Boston.   Wish we could have found the Cheers bar so that hubby can see it.   But it was getting late and we didn’t.   Looks like the Boston Tea Party attraction burned many years ago which is a shame.   But we got to go to a free museum – thanks to our membership to museums in our hometown.    So we went to the Boston Children’s Museum and saved 44$.   Horray!    This was a HUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGE hit with the kids.  They loved it…

On June 19^th, we left MA to drive to Maine (ME).   Mmmm!  How would I define the trip?  Interesting I guess…    We missed an exit  on the highway in Boston and ended up driving along a canal near Cambridge.    Oh boy what stress we had…..    A bridge coming to us with a sign saying cars only…. Oh uh.    11’ high.   We go through no problem… OUF.     But then around the corner there is another one and it’s too late for us to back up.  Besides with the sway control, you can’t back up that easily…   This time the bridge say 9’ high only.   Oh uh…   Not sure we can make it.   We go slowly…. VERY slowly under it.  Hubby got out and I drive ever so slooooooowly.    Took about 20 minutes to go under that bridge but we made it.     Quick we need to get out of this area as there is another one coming….    Finally we got to a bridge and got out of Boston.   Lots of stress but the a/c survived.      To relax we stopped in Kittery  - a place where I used to go when I was a young girl – more than 25 years ago.    We then drove to Scarborough, ME and set up our trailer.   Wassamki Springs campground is real nice and the people are very friendly.

June 20^th is going down memory lane.    So many memories coming to me.   First we went to Cabela’s a store that ressembles to Bass Pro Shop and then Wal-Mart again for supplies.   Then we drove to York, Maine.    We arrive next to the beach.    Ah!   The memories came to me… the beach with the rocks…. Long next to the road.  The Goldenrod Restaurant where I would go and see the salt water taffy being made….   Now the boys saw it too.   Still there believe it or not.   I could tell which hotel we stayed when I was younger.    We bought a box of taffy to taste – well okay I bought a big box so it will last a while.   The kids loved it… So good still after so many years.   The smell of the ocean is calling to me.    As we left the area we drove on route 1 and there on the road was that restaurant where we had stopped to eat hotdog and they were supposedly steamed but not eatable as they were crunchy.   Doesn’t look as though the restaurant is still open – nobody was there in the middle of the day.   Not surprising to be honest.   It was totally gross…  After this little drive, it started raining so we went back to the camping site.

June 21^st, we leave Wassamki Springs to drive to Bangor.   I didn’t like the campground there but we stayed only one night…    We had some laundry done and we put the kids to bed early as the next day we are driving back to Canada.   Hubby and I watched Camp Rock though.   I enjoyed it even though I think they could improve the acting a bit – but it was clean and there is good lessons to learn from it – from lying to fitting in the crowd.

June 22^nd – we are driving to New Brunswick.   To get to the camping site we had to take a ferry.  The boys loved it.    Last time we took a ferry Alexandre was 3 and Dominic was about the age of Jasmine right now – 6 months.    Now Alexandre will turn 4 in a few days.   How time flies.

Tomorrow we are planning to check out Saint John, New Brunswick...

Today is our first day in Massachusetts.    We decided to drive around Cape Cod Bay...   We went to the Cape Cod Chip Factory where there was a self-guided tour.   Couldn't take any pictures inside unfortunately.   But we got new flavors of chips.    I can imagine ourselves answering the questions of the cross-border people....

"Anything to declare?"

" Apart from Hershey chocolate, pretzels and chips.... Nope!"

LOL

Anyhow, the drive yesterday was way too looooooooooooooooooong.   Nine hours total.   So we decided to cut the last long drive in two.   This morning we called the campground in NB and told them we will arrive one day later than planned.   Then we called a campsite in Bangor, ME and reserved for the night we had just cancelled in NB.   Better.   A trip of 6 1/2 hours cut in two.   Way better.   However, my kids did great but it is better to cut it.   Don't want to burn out my poor hubby who is driving with the RV behind us.

Now today....   Drove and discovered wonderful little towns.   Saw lots of boats in the water.   At the end I was thinking... when you see one, you see them all.   We went to walk on a beach and saw a lighthouse.   Showed the kids where to look to find seashells.   Got some.... and now they are starting they how collection of seashells.   Just like me when I was a girl.   If only I could bring them very early in the morning on a beach....  Oh well.

We saw a commercial fishing boat unloading his cargo of the day.   Very interesting.    We saw wild seals too!   Oh that was a huge success with the kids.   Jasmine slept during that time but that's okay.   Hubby decided to try something new for supper so he bought swordfish and scallops.    Now scallops we know.   Swordfish thought we never tasted.   It was superdelicious!!!!!    And the boys loved it too!  

Not sure what we will be doing tomorrow.    We shall see and I will keep everyone posted.

So we are currently in vacation.   Being a while since we went to some place outside Canada.   We are gone for one month and a bit.   Never did  that before with the kids and the trailer.     We left for PA on Sunday June 8^th and drove for a long long time…    A bit long to be honest.   We learned a valuable lesson  - when over 8 hours of drive split it in two….    We discovered that Americans love to have when Rob calls Spaghetti highways….   Fortunately we had our GPS which is very useful when driving in the States.   To be honest, I don’t know how we would have reached our destination without it.

Day 1: Spaghetti highways, the turtle that we drove over… I wonder if she made it on the other side of the highway?, the wiuld turkeys I saw while drive next to a field, the tunnel we drove through, the ups and downs of the mountain….   At one point we went down for more than 30 minutes if not more without pressing the gas pedal.  

Day 2: Driving to Easton.   We left late so by the time we arrived we had to go to a grocery store.   Took us three times to get to one which was a Super Centre Wal-Mart.   No comments.    When we got out of there, we drove to Nazareth to go to Martins Guitar Factory.   We did the one hour tour which was very interesting and informative.    Did you know that their ukuleles are sold about 1000 to 2000$?    Unbelievable.   By the time we got out of there it was too late for the Crayola Factory.  Bummer.   We will have to come back another time for sure.   We met with Joshua and Jeff from Club Worship.   Jeff had brought a specialty from the area – Meadow Tea…  Deliiiiiiicious!   Very tasty!

Day 3: We drove to Camden, NJ to go to the Adventure Aquarium.   In there the kids were able to touch a shark, a stingray, a jelly fish, a shrimp, a starfish and one or two more things that I can’t remember what it is.    They had a blast in the Shark area when we went in a tunnel which we could see through and sharks were swimming all around us.   Cool!    At night we had a huge storm in PA and the whole county where the campground is located lost power for a few hours.

Day 4: That day we met with Heidi and her kids for some shopping in Lancaster.    We did the outlets and then went for lunch.   Disney Store was 50% off extra for the clearance section.   Found two pairs of sneakers for 2.49 each.   Amazing!   Found some clothes for Jasmine (size2) and some for the rest of the kids too.    After lunch we drove to Intercourse, PA to check out the Pretzel factory.   But because of the heat they were not making pretzels but we did learn about the process and the kids even made their own pretzel.   How fun is that?   We then went to the canning factory but being the end of the day we arrive during cleaning time.   Oh well.   We did bought some  special Salsa and some Pretzels during that trip.   After we parted with Heidi and the kids, we tried to find a medical clinic for Rob has he was having a reaction to a bandaid…   His skin where the sticky part was is all puffy and red and itchy.    They told him to go to the General Hospital in Lancaster which was 5 minutes away.   It was fast….   Our hospital in Ontario should come and learn from them.    However, the pharmacy we went to should come and learn from ours because boy was it long to get the prescriptions filled.    We also went to a Crocs booth in a mall to get some Jibbitz for the kids and new Crocs for Rob and I.   Oh!  Almost forgot about the Shoofly Pie we bought.  I really wanted to try this after reading about it in my Beverly Lewis novels.  

Day 5:   We had planned to drive to Notthingham for do the tour of the Herr’s Snacks Factory but we decided instead to stay at the campsite and do laundry.   We bought a portable washer and dryer and they did an amazing job.   Unbelievable really how much water is taken out of the clothes with the dryer!!!  The shoofly pie is fabulous. 

Day 6:   Friday.   Rob is going to Club Worship in the evening.  So we are taking it slow.   Besides, Rob has some work to do.   So the kids and I went to the playground a bit and enjoyed the sun.    At the end of the afternoon, we went out because my neck is sort of stiffed .   We also went to see where Club Worship was.   Saw the guys and Rob drove me back to the campsite before heading there again for the event they had put on.

Day 7:   Destination Hershey.   We did the Chocolate Tour with Heidi and her family.   We also visited the Hershey Museum.   I never thought that the Hershey Kisses were sooooo old.   I mean these were created back in the early 1900s.   WoW!   Unbelievable.   Almost  Mr. Hershey had a very modest background with his family being Mennonites.    It was interesting how much he became “fancy” as he built his company.

Day8:   Driving to Plymouth, MA.   Took way longer that we thought.   We are learning…   We drove in 6 States in total.   Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York (crossed the Washington Bridge – unbelievable the traffic), Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. 

As you can see, we are discovering and learning a lot.   Living with your family in a trailer takes some adjustments.   We are impressed with the kids because they are behaving so well during the long drives.   We might need to add a stop on the way to NB.   We shall see.  

In the days to come, we will discover the area where the First Thanksgiving .  We are planning to drive around Cape Cod Bay and visit the Cape Cod chip factory.

10 years ago on this special day, I married the man of my life.    Today we were planning to either go fishing and then supper at a restaurant and a movie or planning to see three movies (depending of the weather) but my mother-in-law couldn't move last night so we scratched the day part of it...   We do have friends coming to babysit tonight so we will go see a movie....  Now we just have to decide between Indiana Jones, Prince Caspian and Speed Racer. MmmmM!

Besides, we are not ready for THE trip yet.   Clothes are prepared... but not in the trailer.   So we will do this today I guess.   We also need to cut the kids' hair...  and I need to get a refresh cut for me.   

This morning our 2 year old got up again at 5:30ish....  Why in the wolrd would he get so early these days?  I wonder.   If only he could sleep until 630 or so....    I guess I needed to update this blog before leaving.

Tomorrow we will celebrate our nephew's birthday and we do have a H.E.A.T. service in the evening.

My 2 year old is a goofball... but I love him to pieces.   Only problem I wish he would sleep in the morning...   *sigh*