Rosie the Riveter

It doesn't take much to convince me to get back on the road somewhere... anywhere will do! So a few weeks ago when J saw the promotional email from Best Western (stay 3 nights, get 1 free) and figured out that after our Massachusetts trip we only needed one more stay to get the free night (yep, he's my son!)... let's just say that I wasted no time getting online to check out hotel locations. And when I found one in Vallejo next to Six Flags Discovery Kingdom, the rest of the family was totally on board for a quick trip up to the East Bay!   

The added bonus is that there are 4 national park units in that area which we haven't visited yet. Unfortunately, Port Chicago Naval Magazine National Memorial was not open to the public because the military had active operations on the base, and Eugene O'Neill National Historic Site only had limited hours due to the sequester. But we could still visit the other two, so Rosie the Riveter National Historical Park in Richmond, CA was our first stop.

Vacation Rewind

With this trip we have visited 102 of the current 401 National Park Service units, including all of the ones in Massachusetts and Rhode Island (with the exception of the Appalachian NST). Well, technically, R is only at 101 since I'm counting a childhood visit to Gettysburg, and the boys are only up to 98 since they were only a twinkle when R and I went to Haleakala, USS Arizona, and Mt. Rainier. But their Jr. Ranger badges and patches now number 84!

And now for one of my favorite parts of keeping this blog -- getting the family's opinions on our most recent adventure...

What were the best places that we visited or things that we did (top 5, in order)?

J: Basketball Hall of Fame, Fenway Park / watching the Red Sox, Museum of Science, Georges Island, John F. Kennedy NHS

M: Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield Armory, Fenway Park, USS Constitution, Six Flags New England

Me: Adams NHP, Georges Island, Minute Man NHP, USS Constitution, Fenway Park

R: Basketball Hall of Fame, Springfield Armory, Minute Man NHP, Fenway Park, USS Constitution

The Longest Day

Because our flight home didn't leave until late afternoon, we checked out of the Marriott and left our bags at the bell desk. After breakfast (Dunkin' Donuts, what else?!), we went back to the Robert Gould Shaw Memorial to start off on the Black Heritage Trail. The State House is right across the street from the memorial. While we were waiting to cross the street, the buses transporting the Boston Pops to rehearsal for the Fireworks Spectacular drove past, complete with their police escort. You would have thought it was a presidential motorcade! Haha!

Old Ironsides and the Green Monster

After a quick stop at Dunkin' Donuts for breakfast (you can find one on just about every block!), we caught the T to Long Wharf again this morning. But today we were on the other side of the wharf to take the transit ferry (included on our transit pass) over to Charlestown.

One If by Land, Two If by Sea

Back on the mainland, we went over to the visitor center for Boston National Historical Park at Faneuil Hall to get our national park passport cancellations. We also bought combo admission tickets here to tour the Revere House, Old State House, and Old South Meeting House.

Upstairs was a short ranger talk in the Great Hall, which we really enjoyed, not so much for the talk itself, but for the A/C which was on full blast inside! Can I complain once more about the unbearably muggy weather?!

A Four-Hour Tour

Just sit right back, and you'll hear a tale

A tale of a fateful trip

That started from this historic port

Aboard this (not so) tiny ship

The mate was a mighty sailing man,

The skipper brave and sure

Four passengers set sail that day

For a four-hour tour, a four-hour tour...