Day 1 - Antigonish to Portland, Me

For the past 15 years the first weekend in July has been consumed by volunteer efforts at the Stan Rogers Folk Festival. After what was minimal sleep, lots of lugging and dragging, and a great reunion with friends, we extracted our weary souls at first light Monday, July 4th, to collect our travel items, itinerary and kids for the trek to NYC.

South Portland was our midway destination. The day went along without incident, with good travel and lots of driving on Janie's part. All hands got out in Bangor at Dysart's for supper and we made downtown Portland to wander about while Independence Day fireworks cracked the skyline. We bedded down at the Hampton Inn by 10:00 pm and slept well.

Day 2 - Portland, Me to Manhattan, New York

Good breakfast at the Hampton, then gathered everything to hit the I-95. We checked out at 7:30 am for the 6 hour drive to our accommodations. We decided to drive into the city this time and keep the vehicle with us.

So, full steam ahead! I always like this part of the trip because it feels as though progress is being made... Lots of cities and changes in state and scenery!

Well, check in couldn't have gone better. We stayed at the Affinia Dumont in Murray Hill. After an easy drive to the door we emptied the car and were actually able to check in early. Room was set up nicely as well, with a kitchenette that always helps out when the kids are with us. Beyond that, the location was excellent, just a block from the subway, and walking distance to ESB, Times Square, Rockefeller Centre and Janie's IB classes. Janie quickly got the kitchen set up for snacks and breakfast.

After getting settled, we set off for a walk into Times Square. Darn busy on Broadway, packed with tourists and merchants. Janie and Monica headed for the doll stores while Peter and I scrounged some refreshments at the Hard Rock Cafe.

Our first attraction was the Harry Potter Exhibition just off Broadway. The exhibit showcases the many artifacts collected from the Harry Potter series including clothing, props and posters. Pretty cool look at the pieces used to put together the Potter movies. In my haphazard scrapes against Harry, I've learned there is an entirely different language that is used between characters and fans. Reminds me of university days at Mt A when we used terms and nicknames so freely that an outsider would have little or no idea what we were talking about. Neat exhibit... Enjoyed by all of us. "Petronis"!!!

On our way home we stopped for sustenance at a diner in Times Square, coined the Kosher Delight. Janie had a falafel and I munched through a huge schwarma (chicken in a delicious pita). Kids scarfed back kosher chicken and chips. PING - Really need to learn more about Jewish customs and traditions (I had a hard time responding to the kids questions).

The last stop in the evening was to pick up our City Passes and visit the Empire State Building. It fit in nicely on the trip back from Times Square. Well... Holy line-up!!! That was mixed with a healthy dose of NYC heat and humidity. It would have been a good idea to turn around and drop back either later in the evening or in the morning hours. Anyway, we went forth to the top but by the time all was said and done, it was just too busy to enjoy! I'm thinking this is a plug for March Break travel beating heat and wait times. Lesson learned.

On our return to the Affinia, we entered the room with temperature set to "igloo" and hunkered down for a snack and a big snooze..