Father's Day- From Burlington to Boston and Back Again...

Remembering our Dads, twin brothers

Visiting a scary chapter in American History

Pascal's last ride in America on America!

Our last night in Boston

I guess Shakespeare had Juliet say that "parting is such sweet sorrow" to characterize the paradoxical emotions that battle while saying goodbye to loved ones. I am sure that after a month of preparing and journeying, Asa, Mandy and their beautiful family were ready to say goodbye. They had lives to get back to for crying outloud! At the same time, while they were here, we had so many greetings and partings. Every day on our adventure we would meet different friends or family members, and then we would depart the next day to arrive at our next destination.

Leaving camp was hard. It was a beautiful morning when we left as Asa and Pascal went fishing one last time. We drove to Burlington (http://www.ci.burlington.vt.us/) for one more family reunion, a quick trip to the ECHO Lake Aquarium and Science Center (http://www.echovermont.org/) and then a fabulously luxuriously long, Father's Day stop at Ben and Jerry's (http://www.benjerry.com/) in Waterbury. Finally we would drive south for our last three days in Boston. Excitement and adventure seemed to follow us no matter where we went. In addition to a few upset stomachs along the way, we were evacuated from the Aquarium under, how shall I say, suspicious circumstances. At first Asa, using his hyper-observant skills, witnessed a commotion by the fish tank. Perhaps a leak was to blame for sending us out in the steamy Vermont Summer heat? After witnessing Burlington's Finest and Finest Firefighters assess the situation, we were returned to the building and just in time for the Turtle Show. We took a quick trip up the elevator (which had a mysterious burnt rubber smell). The Turtle Show was fantastic even though our presenter confessed that it was her first program on Turtles. (I think that she said that she usually did programs on frogs or sharks or something.) She and Pascal were able to compare notes on our Miles Pond turtles and the turtles from across the State of Vermont and we all learned a lot. No wonder we needed Ben and Jerry's!

We arrived in Boston in the blink of an eye, and it was the most spectacular night I have ever seen. The sun was setting on the skyline as we raced to the Duck Boat Tour Kiosk just to find out that they had canceled their last tour for the night. SHUCKS! We made our way around the side streets until we found a parking space. The streets with alive with people and wagons, but at the same time it was sort of deserted. Do you know what I mean? Food and these big long trailers were everywhere. There was a warm and wonderful member of Boston's Finest- a Policeman standing in front of a sawhorse that was blocking off a side street parking area. Could they be following me?

"What's going on?" I asked the nice officer in my nonchalant "but I know something is going on here" voice. "It almost sort of kinda looks like a movie set around here.?-!" I offered.

"Yeah. That's what I hear. I think someone said it is the new Adam Sandler movie. Don't quote me on that!" Over the next three days we would explore and comb this City from the suburbs in Hooksett, New Hampshire (thank you to our incredibly gracious hosts the Martins Family) to the wharf by the Boston Aquarium to Quincy Market (http://www.faneuilhallmarketplace.com/) to the Shops on Newbury Street (loved scarfing the scone and cappuccino at the sidewalk cafe) to the witch museum (Boo!) in Salem, but we never saw Mr. Adam Sandler or any of the cast. We never got a chance to say hello or goodbye to Mr. Sandler on this Father's Day or any of our days in Boston, but doing a little research here on the computer, it looks like the film is entitled, I Hate You, Dad. Say what? How ironic that it was the incredible love I feel for my Dad and his twin brother, my Uncle Russ that brought us all together for this trip. I thought about this as I hypnotically (and tearfully) watched Mandy and the kids take their last rides on the merry-go-round by Faneuil Hall. Pascal took his last ride on a horse called America, and then we took our last ride to Logan Airport. We formed one last group hug on the sidewalk, which would lead into their terminal. This reunion trip was, I pray, a brilliant tribute to our fathers and their father, who came before, to have forged such a shining family bond where there had been only longing and distance before. As we separated from one another, I felt the tears begin to well up in my eyes. And then they were gone. Feeling immense loving gratitude and intense devastation at the same moment, I watched them disappear through the parting and closing automatic doors . "Parting is such sweet sorrow." I love you, Dad!