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It has been raining all night.
As I head north, I pull into Mystic, CT. It is a small village and the setting is serene. I am surprised by the amount of traffic on a rainy day. I can only imagine what this would be like if the weather was nice.
Heading up the Coast Highway I enter Westerly, Rhode Island, State #42. In two hours I have gone 56 miles I decide with the weather, that I better get back on the interstate.
I do decide, however, to stop at Plymouth, Massachusetts (State #43) to see the rock.
While in Plymouth I decide to have lunch. (I can't remember the last time I stopped for lunch!) The sun breaks through for a few minutes while I’m sitting enjoying the view of the harbor and surrounding shore lines.
As I’m heading for Massachusetts, its raining and I am just about to the state line. Tricky people, they put their sign in the median! I'm in the #3 lane and traffic is busy. U-turn around and to the access road in the median about 100 yards short of the sign, all for a picture!
On the way to Boston, I can see a State Trooper coming up behind me. He pulls alongside and then behind. In a few moments, the lights come on. Politely, he asks where are my plates or tags? I point to the rear window and he looks at the tag, and comments that in the East they have paper plates on new vehicles. Handing him the DMV papers and "The Card," he smiles and asks how many times I have been stopped? "Over a dozen" We both share a laugh and I proceed to ask for directions to the capitol. He tells me its not easy. I thank him and we are on our way.
Its 5:15 PM and traffic is stopped in both directions, I had thought I would miss any traffic this time of night going into the city.
Emerging from a tunnel, I realize I have missed the turn. A U-turn several miles past and I now catch a glimpse of the capitol dome off to my right. I have not seen a sign for the capitol. There have been signs for government buildings. After stopping and asking directions from the car, several U-turns later, I finally am able to see the capitol through the buildings.
Turning left onto the busy street, the capitol is on my immediate left. There is no parking and traffic is horrendous. Its now 6:45 PM and I would have thought it would have died down by now. Nope!
Rolling the window down, I take pictures as I'm stopped in traffic. This is going to be a pass by shooting of the capitol.
I head towards Worcester on the turn pike. Traffic is stopped. Its 7;10 PM, raining and dwindling light. I have to laugh at the irony of the next sign. "Traffic Enforced By Unmarked Police Vehicles"
I have to make Manchester, New Hampshire tonight to pickup my daughter Amanda who is joining me for a long weekend.
I decide to take 495, 16 miles short of Worcester to try and make Manchester by dark. I had not planned on Boston and its traffic taking so long. The blue information signs shows a gas station the next exit. I do not see the station. 10 miles down the back country road, I find a gas station next to 495 in Southbourough. Oh well.
The rain is continuing as I head north to Lowell.
My dad calls to tell me everything went fine in his surgery on Tuesday. I am thankful.
Traffic is stopped on the interstate. There is construction ahead and with the rain, its stop and go. There are no shoulders on the highway as I pass into New Hampshire. The only welcome sign I see is for Nashua. As I pull off to get a picture I can feel the mud under me and leave the left side of the car on pavement.
The sunset pulling into Manchester is spectacular. Unfortunately, the best view is through the front windshield.
I had not made reservations in advance, and as I’m waiting to check into the motel, the people in front of me are commenting that this is the 5th hotel they have been to.
Luckily, I am able to get a room and am only a few miles from the airport.
Amanda's plane is scheduled to land at 11:05 PM. Amanda has landed early and is waiting at the curb. It is good to see my one and only baby! (OK...the Corvette too!)
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