So, we walk upstairs to our room at this Econolodge and the floorboards outside our room sink down when you step on them.  Awesome, huh?  Then we enter our room and the fridge was unplugged.  The fridge, microwave and coffee maker each have a plug, but there are only 2 outlets.  I plug in the fridge and it doesn't work.  The bathtub doesn't have a drain stopper at all.

Could be a fun night.  We just changed rooms.,  I really hope tomorrow is a Super 8 again.  Maybe I'll go sleep in the forest.

Busy, busy Sunday.

So after the kid left to go to Dunkin, I got my Dad in gear and we left.  The continental breakfast was nothing to write home about today: cereal and cinnamon rolls were the highlights.

We left Oneida and drove.  It was a good drive to get out of New York, but crazy enough, as soon as we near Vermont, everything changed!  Green, green, green!  I drove us into Bennington, and their Main Street is this picturesque New England town with trees, wood independent shops, cute little pubs and fancy, old-style street signs.  It was lovely, and the waitress at lunch has relatives in Olney, Maryland, which is where my girlfriend currently works, haha!  She even told us where to go get maple syrup.  I bought a pin for my mom too.

Before we left, Dad asked our waitress how far it is to the Green Mountain Forest.  My dad didn’t hear her response, but she said “Just look around.”  The forest was literally everywhere, and we never drove out of it, haha.  This place is beyond green and it is beautiful. 

As we continued to the forest, my mom found us where the Appalachian Trail is in the park, which my dad and I hike in Virginia sometimes.  We walk in, hearing this rushing water.  My mom told us there was going to be a waterfall, but it was literally right in front of us as we entered into the mountain area.  We walked in on a boardwalk, and there it was, flowing down multiple levels of rocks.

We hiked the trail a bit, came back and drove out.  I took a bunch of pictures, again.  We drove 10 miles up the highway to a small, wood inn-type restaurant for dinner.  The waitress there, Becky, was also incredibly friendly and we talked all about our trip, etc.  She’s from California and loves Vermont.  (By the way, the saying here is I LOVERMONT.)  We ate dinner, fried chicken for dad and I got a stuffed halibut and finished the day with soft serve maple ice cream.  We got soft serve earlier in the day somewhere in the forest at a gas station, and the ice cream may rival Jimmie Cone.  Yes, I said it.

We kept driving, and even at night the place seems green.  We are staying at a hotel in Montpelier and, as we were driving, the mountains were not only higher than the clouds, but we actually drove into and through a cloud.  Pretty cool, and utterly exhausting day.  Time for sleep.  Type tomorrow.  Night!

That's what my dad and I see just barely into our drive into Allegheny State Forest. Apparently Go knows how much I am enjoy getting to drive my adapted car. Now if he can make my car last 1,000,000 miles so that I never have to try getting another car adapted again, sweet! ...I don't think that is happening though.  Still, getting to drive a car never gets old and this trip is already living up to its expectations.  Each new day driving is saying further goodbye to my disability =)

I drove most of the way in the morning, to a rest area around Buffalo where my dad and I decided to change into jeans. With the roar of Niagara Falls coming up, that was a smart, smart idea.

We wind up driving through some ghetto in Niagara Falls trying to find the park. We decide to backtrack to the tourist trap mall.  When we walk into the park from the mall, we find out from one of the information center guides, who looks like Paulie from Rocky, that the park has no address!  He gave us the address for the hard rock café to get an address for the gps, hahaha.

We walk into the park and it is AH-mazing!  Dad and I decide to do the Maid in the Mist boat ride, which takes you right down to both falls in the lake area.  Just walking out on the observation deck above the alls blows everything everywhere.  The wind is ridiculous and my hair was literally flying and flinging every which way.  We got some amazing pictures, got wet and then drenched when we walked up the wood path right next to the American Falls.  The boat even took you over to the horseshoe falls!  My phone read BELL on the screen instead of AT&T, so I think I technically was in Canada without a passport.  Somebody tell security…there has been a breech!

After that, we walked over to these three little islands called Three Sisters, which made me think of Sister’s Sandwiches in Olney where I go with my girlfriend.  There was a wedding party taking pictures outside the entrance to the little islands (ugliest wedding party I have ever seen, btw).  We went in and took some neat pictures, walked around to Horseshoe Falls again and then went on our way on a 160+ mile drive on the same road to Oneida, NY.  I slept well last night and now going to Vermont and the Green Mountain National Forest…oh, and Ben and Jerry’s factory too!

Oh man, Just heard a 6 year old kid saying to his Mom, who asked him if he wanted apple or orange juice, and he says “apple juice is healthier, right?  Then his mom asks im if he wants a bagel, and he say that he wants meat (since it's a cold breakfast here) and his mom says they can go to Dunkin Donuts... Score!

Another fun day, and apparently it’s already begun, haha!

Northeast/New England roadtrip itinerary
Allegheny State Forest (PA) – June 24th
Niagra Falls (NY) – June 25th
Green Mountain National Forest and Ben & Jerry’s factory (VT) – June 26th
White Mountain National Forest and Lake Winnipesaukee (NH) – June 27th
Bar Harbor and Portland (ME) – June 28th
Portsmouth (NH) – June 29th
Gloucester and Cape Cod (MA) – June 30th
Newport and Block Island (RI) – July 1st
Mystic (CT) and Providence (RI) for Fire Water – July 2nd
Catskill Mountains (NY) – July 3rd
Fireworks (DC) – July 4th


So excited!  I haven't even been driving a full year yet and I will have driven to just under half the country.  This freedom thing is amazing, and I can't wait to share the importance with others and help others attain it as well through any means I can provide!

I applied for grad school today to study elementary education!