Brittany arrived on the 1st of June and on the 23rd of June, Mike, Brittany and I headed for the start of our 2005 Summer Vacation. We boarded our American Airlines flight at Charlotte International Airport and landed a few hours later at LaGuardia. From there a cab ride took us to our hotel - The Marriott Financial Center. While waiting for our room to be prepared, we set off on our first expedition to up town Manhattan. On Friday we headed over to Battery Park for our ferry ride across to Liberty Island. Once there we joined the throngs of people eager to see what they could of the history and interior of Ms. Liberty. Our tour took us through a small museum which showed how the Statue. From there we were on the way to the Observatory at the base of the pedestal where we could see but not climb the long, winding staircase leading further upward.

The Statue of Liberty National Monument officially celebrated her 100th birthday on October 28, 1986. The people of France gave the Statue to the people of the United States over one hundred years ago in recognition of the friendship established during the American Revolution. Over the years, the Statue of Liberty has grown to include freedom and democracy as well as this international friendship. Sculptor Frederic Auguste Bartholdi was commissioned to design a sculpture with the year 1876 in mind for completion, to commemorate the centennial of the American Declaration of Independence. The Statue was a joint effort between America and France and it was agreed upon that the American people were to build the pedestal, and the French people were responsible for the Statue and its assembly here in the United States. Meanwhile in France, Bartholdi required the assistance of an engineer to address structural issues associated with designing such as colossal copper sculpture. Alexandre Gustave Eiffel (designer of the Eiffel Tower) was commissioned to design the massive iron pylon and secondary skeletal framework which allows the Statue's copper skin to move independently yet stand upright. Pedestal construction was finished in April of 1886. The Statue was completed in France in July, 1884 and arrived in New York Harbor in June of 1885 on board the French frigate "Isere" which transported the Statue of Liberty from France to the United States. In transit, the Statue was reduced to 350 individual pieces and packed in 214 crates. The Statue was re-assembled on her new pedestal in four months time. On October 28th 1886, the dedication of the Statue of Liberty took place in front of thousands of spectators. She was a centennial gift ten years late. The story of the Statue of Liberty and her island has been one of change. The Statue was placed upon a granite pedestal inside the courtyard of the star-shaped walls of Fort Wood (which had been completed for the War of 1812.) On July 5, 1986 the newly restored Statue re-opened to the public during Liberty Weekend, which celebrated her centennial. The Statue of Liberty was closed as a result of the tragedy of September 11, 2001. Although Liberty Island re-opened after being closed for 100 days, the Statue remained closed until August 3, 2004. Visitors now have access to the Statue's pedestal obervation deck, promenade, museum and the area of Fort Wood.

After our trip up to the Observatory and then our walk around the grounds we returned via Ferry to Battery Park and headed back to uptown Manhattan where we did some more wandering. Saturday was an easy day for our wandering as we had tickets to see Phantom of the Opera on Saturday night. With Brittany and I semi dressed up and Mike in slacks we headed out to the Majestic Theatre. After a 45 min. wait the doors opened and we were in our 4th row seats just to the right of center. Mike and I have seen the play 3 times and Brittany has seen the movie but as usual the play was spectacular and our seats great. As the chandelier raises above us in the during the auction Brittany was in awe and later as it came crashing down she stared in wonder - both occurences happening right over our heads. Brittany has dubbed it her favorite play of all time regardless of what is to come.

After getting in late on Saturday night we were a little slower to rise on Sunday morning and decided to wander over to the Empire State Building. We folded the lines and lines of people taking the slow elevators up to the "ticket" floor and then up to another floor where we could purchase binoculars if we wished before finally coming out "on top". The day was hazy and we certainly couldn't see the 5 buroughs we were supposed to be able to see but it was fun. Afterwards, braving a very hot NYC day, we headed for cool movie theatre to see Bewitched which was cute but not one of those we'd buy on DVD.

Monday we packed up our stuff and headed out for the rest of our vacation. Bidding goodbye to NYC in our rental car we headed for Mystic Seaport. Problem was, we discovered after we got underway that the car smelled of wet dog (evident after it heated up) and when we looked at Brittany she was covered in dog hair. We swapped our the car in "Rotton Groton" at the airport there for a Ford Escape with all the amenities and headed to Mystic Seaport. We found a place to stay for the evening and then wandered down to the old "Village" to view the replicas of the shops and ships that used to sail from the area.

Long before Mystic Seaport’s ships, shops and shipyard, the banks of the Mystic River were filled with...ships, shops and shipyards. Since the 1600s, this historic area has been a center of shipbuilding. Between 1784 and 1919 – the golden age of American maritime enterprise – more than 600 vessels were constructed along the Mystic River. But with the advent of steam power and the decline of wooden shipbuilding after the Civil War, textile manufacturing became Mystic’s dominant industry. As the great Age of Sail gave way to steamships and railroads, wooden ships and boats were turned into firewood and the nation’s seafaring traditions began to disappear, three Mystic residents decided to work together to keep the past alive.

On December 29, 1929, Edward E. Bradley, an industrialist, Carl C. Cutler, a lawyer, and Dr. Charles K. Stillman, a physician, signed the papers incorporating the Marine Historical Association, today known as Mystic Seaport. Their dream: create a dynamic, educational institution to preserve America’s maritime culture – and turn the achievements of a past era into an inspirational force for the future. Despite the economic conditions of the Great Depression, Mystic Seaport grew rapidly. Donations of log books, photography, ships plans and other maritime artifacts poured into the one-building museum. In 1941, Mystic Seaport acquired the Charles W. Morgan, the country’s last wooden whaleship from the once-great Yankee fleet. Historic buildings from across New England were also moved in to complement the Morgan – and the authentic coastal village area of Mystic Seaport was born.

Over the next 50 years, Mystic Seaport experienced explosive growth, amassing the world’s largest collections of maritime photography (over 1 million images) and boats (nearly 500), as well as collecting two million other maritime artifacts. And the 1970s saw the creation of the Henry B. duPont Preservation Shipyard, additional exhibition buildings and several new accredited educational programs.

By the 1990s, Mystic Seaport was widely recognized as the nation’s leading maritime museum. In 1996, Mystic Seaport underscored its mission to create a broad public understanding of the relationship of America and the sea with a six-week seminar entitled America and the Sea, which encouraged college professors from around the country to incorporate maritime history into their teachings. In 1998, Mystic Seaport began construction of the freedom schooner Amistad – marking a major educational program centered on the re-creation of an historic vessel from the keel up. In 2000, the Museum published its 70th publication, America and the Sea: A Maritime History, described by Kirkus Reviews as “the definitive work on the subject.” And in the summer of 2000, the dramatic exhibit Voyages: Stories of America and the Sea opened to national acclaim.

From Mystic Seaport we headed over to Rhode Island for a day visit with Jennifer, Connor and Casey. Connor was in hiding waiting for his "friend" Mike to come find him and we all had a good visit with the three of them while working around kid schedules and needs. We overnighted just over in Massachusetts and set our course the next day for Salem, MA.

Salem, MA: During the winter of 1623-1624, a fishing settlement was established on Cape Ann by Englandâs Dorchester Company. After three years of struggle on rocky, stormy Cape Ann, a group of the settlers, led by Roger Conant, set out to establish a more permanent settlement. They found sheltered, fertile land at the mouth of the Naumkeag River.

The new settlement, called Naumkeag, or comfort haven by the Native Americans, thrived on farming and fishing. In 1629 the settlement was renamed Salem for Shalom, the Hebrew word for peace.
In January of 1692, the daughter and niece of Reverend Samuel Parris of Salem Village became ill. William Griggs, the village doctor, was called in when they failed to improve. His diagnosis of bewitchment put into motion the forces that would ultimately result in the hanging deaths of nineteen men and women. In addition, one man was crushed to death; several others died in prison, and the lives of many were irrevocably changed.

To understand the events of the Salem witch trials, it is necessary to examine the times in which accusations of witchcraft occurred. There were the ordinary stresses of 17th-century life in the Massachusetts Bay Colony. A strong belief in the devil, factions among Salem Village families and rivalry with nearby Salem Town combined with a recent small pox epidemic and the threat of attack by warring tribes created a fertile ground for fear and suspicion. Soon, prisons were filled with more than 150 men and women from towns surrounding Salem; their names had been "cried out" by tormented young girls as the cause of their pain. All would await trial for a crime punishable by death in 17th-century New England - the practice of witchcraft.

In June of 1692, the special Court of Oyer (to hear) and Terminer (to decide) sat in Salem to hear the cases of witchcraft. Presided over by Chief Justice William Stoughton, the court was made up of magistrates and jurors. The first to be tried was Bridget Bishop of Salem who was found guilty and was hanged on June 10. Thirteen women and five men from all stations of life followed her to the gallows on three successive hanging days before the court was disbanded by Governor William Phipps in October of that year. The Superior Court of Judicature, formed to replace the "witchcraft" court, did not allow spectral evidence. This belief in the power of the accused to use their invisible shapes or spectres to torture their victims had sealed the fates of those tried by the Court of Oyer and Terminer. The new court released those awaiting trial and pardoned those awaiting execution. In effect, the Salem witch trials were over.

As years passed, apologies were offered and restitution was made to the victims' families. Historians and sociologists have examined this most complex episode in our history so that we may understand the issues of that era and view subsequent events with heightened awareness. The parallels between the Salem witch trials and more modem examples of "witch hunting" like the McCarthy hearings of the 1950's, are remarkable.

In the eighteenth century, Salem developed into a major fishing, shipbuilding and maritime trade center. Thanks to its burgeoning codfish trade with the West Indies and Europe, the town grew and prospered. As Salem grew, so too did the power struggle between the colonies and England. In 1774, a Provincial Congress was organized in Salem and the political revolution began. Two months before the battles in Lexington and Concord, skirmishes broke out in Salem. Salem's fleet contributed mightily to the war effort, capturing or sinking 455 British vessels.

By 1790, Salem was the sixth largest city in the country, and the richest per capita. International trade with Europe, the West Indies, China, Africa and Russia produced great wealth and prosperity in Salem. Entrepreneurial spirit and unflappable courage among Salem's sea captains enhanced Salem's success as a dominant seaport. Salem merchants built magnificent homes, established museums and other cultural institutions.

Salem architect and wood carver Samuel McIntire (1757-1811) was employed by many of the sea captains and is responsible for stunning Federal-style architecture and ornamental carving throughout Salem. McIntire's peak years as an artist coincided with Salem's peak years as a successful shipping port. This combination has left Salem with one of the grandest collections of Federal style architecture in the world.

Salem is home to the tall ship Friendship. Still under construction, Friendship is a scale replica of a 1797 East Indiaman merchant tall ship. At 171-feet in length, Friendship is the largest wooden, Coast Guard Certified sailing vessel to be built in New England in the twentieth century! During the summer of 2000 visitors can witness shipwrights as they work to install the rigging on Friendship at the National Park Service Maritime Site. Beginning in 2001 visitors will be able to climb aboard to experience first-hand the tremendous courage and enterprise it took to live a life at sea.

In addition to the legacy of homes and buildings, Salem's sea captains left behind a museum through which to share their exploration with Salem residents and visitors to the city. The Peabody Essex Museum is the oldest continually operated museum in the country and was founded by sea captains in 1799. In addition to collections from around the globe, visitors to the Peabody Essex Museum can see the model of the Friendship used to recreate the ship.

American novelist Nathaniel Hawthorne was born on July 4th, 1804, at the peak of Salem's prosperity. The son of a sea captain, Hawthorne watched the decline of Salem's involvement with lucrative foreign trade and the rise of industry in Salem. While working in the Custom House, which is open to the public, Hawthorne wrote his novel The Scarlet Letter. Rumor has it that Hawthorne discovered the red "A" in the attic of the custom house where he worked. Another Hawthorne novel, The House of the Seven Gables made famous the home of his cousin, Susannah Ingersoll. Today the House of the Seven Gables Settlement site includes the famous mansion and Hawthorne's birthplace and is open to the public. We had a grand time visiting there. For Brittany and me, this was our second trip through the fabled home but it was Mike's first trip.

In the mid-nineteenth century, Salem evolved into an important manufacturing and retail center. Irish and French Canadian immigrants poured into Salem to work on its new leather and shoe factories or at the Naumkeag Steam Cotton Company, Italian and Eastern European immigrants began arriving in the early 1900s to take advantage of Salem's prosperity. By 1914, the population of Salem had swelled to 40,000.

In 1914 a fire swept through Salem, destroying more than 400 buildings. The Great Salem Fire left 3,500 families homeless.

The Peabody Essex Museum, founded in 1799, is the oldest operating museum in the United States. The founders of the museum travelled the world, amassing collections exceptional for their provenance, age, quality, and significance. The collections exceed 2.4 million works of art and culture. Peabody Essex collections also encompass twenty-four historic buildings, including four National Historic Landmarks, five National Register buildings, and our most recent architecture acquisition, Yin Yu Tang, the only complete Qing Dynasty house located outside China.

The Peabody Essex Museum (PEM), one of New England?s largest museums, offers visitors a dynamic experience of art and culture amidst its renowned collections of Chinese, Japanese, Korean, African, Oceanic, and Indian art, as well as American decorative art, Native American art, maritime art, and photography. The unique experience is heightened by new methods of interpreting installations, including provocative pairings of contemporary and historic art, activities in PEM?s Idea Studios, and the use of new technology which encourages visitors to send information to their home computers via ArtScape. An interactive Art and Nature Center and Art Studios are also located here. Visitors can also pursue additional information in the Chat and Relax areas, where comfortable living room furniture, books, gallery guides, and videos about art await them. In addition to new installations throughout the new museum, PEM presents one of the nation?s premier ensembles of early American architecture, including 25 historic properties, which offer visitors views of life in earlier times.

From Salem, we arrived at our hotel in Merrimack New Hampshire where we stayed for the duration of our time in New England. On Friday we took a trip up the Mountains to see Terry and Jim and ended up walking the Flume with them. Afterwards Jimmy took Brittany out on Profile Lake where she caught her first two fish. Sunday we celebrated Terry and Brittany's birthdays and Monday we braved the crowds and headed for the Esplanade in Boston for the traditional 4th of July Boston Pops Concert. We got our spot on the grass under a few trees about 9:45am within the oval which was eventually closed off after it had filled to capacity.

"It's beyond the concert," Boston Pops conductor Keith Lockhart tells CBS Anchor Harry Smith, "It's a sociological phenomenon."

The orchestra performed in front of nearly 900,000 people. They did a little country that day with Gretchen Wilson; Big & Rich, and Cowboy Troy; along with the U.S. Army Field Band and the soldiers chorus from the United States Army as well." During the afternoon we also saw the swearing in of 26 new American Citizens.

One of the other highlights of the night, without a doubt, is the 1812 overture, which calls for the fire of a cannon. They have two people dealing with the cannoners. One of them is a conductor from the orchestra who knows the score and knows where to point. And the other has been doing it from a long time ago is Peter Fiedler, Arthur Fiedler's son - so a bit of an historical connection there. They point at the right time and they know when to push the button."

Following the 1812 Overture was the traditional Stars and Stripes Forever where they blasted confetti into the oval followed by two hours of music and then 27 minutes of fireworks. The 32nd annual Pops celebration included a flyover of a pair of F-15 fighter jets,

 Tuesday we decided we needed some walking so we picked up Mother and Brittany and I took another walk around the Flume while Mike and Mother sat and read. Wednesday was another easy day and Thursday we headed for Belgrade, Maine (outside of Augusta) to visit with my cousin Wayne and his wife Linda in an old farm house (1880s) that they are restoring. The biggest attraction for Brittany were the two miniature goats and the 2 week old baby Tobey. We had a great day visiting with Wayne and Linda. The Maine Lakes Area was just gorgeous and we wish we could have spent more time there exploring but it was a 3 hr. drive back to Merrimack.

On Saturday our sojourn began to come to an end as we headed for Cracker Barrell in Londonderry for one last breakfast with the family. From there we headed out towards the airport and overnighted in NJ. In the morning we headed back to LaGuardia, returned the car and got on our plane for Charlotte. So another major vacation comes to an end with lots more ahead of us I know.

We are looking forward to having Heather and her family with us here in Charlotte permanently. They are due on the 15th of August and we are beginning to look for a place for them to live.

Anyway thanks for everyone who wades through not only my long narrative but all the pictures as well.

Mike and Judy and Brittany too.