Exploring New England

Isn't it amazing what a difference two weeks can make? Take these two pictures, for example. The first was taken the day after we arrived. Note the snow in the background. The second, which is the same plant, was taken today. There's no denying that Spring is upon us!

Two weeks has also made all the difference in how we're feeling. When we arrived we were all sick and, thankfully, we're almost back to normal now.  Last weekend, while we were still on the mend, we decided to take it easy and explore the nearby area. Massachusetts is only about half an hour away from us so we decided to head down for lunch. Being a child of the 80's, I was a big fan of New Kids on the Block. So when the show Wahlburgers aired, I was curious and watched a few episodes. Little did I know that my kids would latch on to it and become fans! When they requested that we visit the Wahlburgers flagship restaurant in Hingham, we happily obliged. I can see why Alma (The matriarch of the Wahlburg family) is always shown snacking on the fries! They were really good and we all had a fun visiting.

After lunch, we drove through Rhode Island (So sad the pictures seem to have disappeared!) to see where my ancestors lived and to check it off our list. We also passed a few other historic landmarks in Massachusetts that we want to go back and explore, like Adams National Historical Park. It's amazing how much history is concentrated in the New England area. The churches and graveyards alone are worthy of a tour!

The next day we drove through New Hampshire and saw places that still had snow drifts and frozen lakes. It was amazing! Other than this year (when we were away) I don't remember the lakes near us in Washington ever freezing over.

In January New England begins what is called "sugaring season". This means the sap of the maple trees begins to run and producers tap the trees so they can boil it into maple syrup. The end of March is about the time temperatures begin to warm up, and with that, sugaring season ends. To mark the occasion Maine holds "Maple Sunday". Sadly, we arrived one week later so we missed it, but the good people of York pointed me in the direction of some sugar houses less than a few hours away that were still boiling and giving tours. So on Tuesday I packed the kids into the car and drove to Parkers Maple Barn in Mason, New Hampshire. According to the locals, Mason is the childhood home of Uncle Sam. New Englanders drive hours to visit Parkers Maple Barn for tours and to eat at their restaurant.

We joined students from a local elementary school for the tour which was fun because they asked a lot of good questions. We were told that the maple trees need to be a certain circumference before they can be tapped.

They drill a hole, or several depending on the size, in the trunk of the tree and then insert a tap with a hook on it. The hook is for hanging the bucket so it doesn't get knocked over. A little roof is added to the top to keep out snow and debris and they empty the buckets as many times as needed.

Demonstrating how the tap is inserted.

See how the sap looks clear? That's what it looks like before it's been boiled into syrup.

The kids used measuring sticks to estimate how much sap there was in this bin. What you see here has probably all been boiled down by now.

Can you believe around 40 gallons of sap is needed to make 1 gallon of syrup, depending on the sugar content?! The sugar levels are higher at the beginning of sugaring season so it takes less time to boil down and the syrup is a higher quality (Grade A). Then as the season progresses, the sap needs to be boiled longer, resulting in darker syrups with different nuances in flavor (Grade B and C). We were told that during the height of sugaring season, the sugar houses are filled with sweet steam and a sweet-smelling mist hovers over the valleys because of all the boiling going on.

Different colors for different grades of syrup.

We were also surprised to learn that many of the people in Mason have partnered with Parkers Maple Barn and they let them tap their trees in return for syrup at the end of the season. Sounds like a sweet deal to me! We've noticed that much throughout New England people and businesses are very eco and sustainability minded.

There's a bit more that goes into the process of making maple syrup but that's the basic idea. It was really interesting. Afterward we stopped at the restaurant for breakfast- complete with syrup tapped and produced on-site! Delicious! There are all kinds of maple products available in their shop. 

On our way home we stopped at the Brookline covered bridge, built in 1769.  New England is known for their covered bridges so I'm glad we were able to see one.

From what we've experienced so far, Maine is a beautiful state. People have been really friendly and have a great sense of humor. I don't know if it's because they're just happy the sun is finally out, but it's wonderful to experience. At the grocery store people smile. They make room for each other and I frequently walk past people just chatting as old friends. They make eye contact and sincerely wish you a good day.

You can see one "Mainers" sense of humor and love of home in this redwork project.  It was on display at a participating shop for the Maine Shop Hop, which is going on this month. The employees at Knight's Quilt Shop in Ogunquit were happy to inform me that aside from lobster, Maine is also known for Moxie soda, whoopie pies, and potatoes. Then they gave me tips for places we need to visit while we're here. See? Friendly!

Around Ogunquit and York, businesses are in the process of "shaking off the snow" as one local described it. We've been watching "closed for the season" signs slowly disappear as hotels air out and reopen. This is a new thing for us because Seattle never closes.

I can't wait to explore more! My only fear is that we won't have enough time to do everything we want to do. If that happens, then I guess we'll just have to plan to come back one day. That's part of the fun of this adventure. We just keep discovering new places we want to return to. The more we see, the more we want to see! America is amazing that way.

Wishing you all a wonderful Easter weekend!

- Jen

Local Adventures

Having an adventure doesn't necessarily mean that you need to pack up and head to a far off place. Sometimes it just means discovering something new. This week, for example, we discovered a few local family owned businesses that gave us a taste of other cultures. We also made new friends and discovered interesting art forms- all within 20 minutes of our house! See? Adventure can be anywhere and anything!

I've told you how diverse Florida is and that there's a large British population here. Because of that, we decided to do some research to see if we could find authentic British fare. We didn't have to look far because just down highway 27 is a small shop named The Proper Pie Company. They make all kinds of things you don't normally see on our American menus. They're masters at the art of Cornish pasties (pronounced (past-eez), which are savory hand-held pies. They also offer fresh fish and chips (fries) served piping hot from the fryer, which I like dipped in malt vinegar. The shelves tempt you with various candies and the fridge is stocked with drinks like "Ben Shaw's Dandelion and Burdock", which has a flavor that reminded me of root beer, but it had another taste I couldn't identify. My kids loved it!

Their homemade shortbread was dense, buttery, and crumbly and everything was fresh and perfectly seasoned. We'll definitely be visiting again before we leave. If you go to their website they advertise a traditional English Tea (not the Americanized version) that I can't wait to try!

We wanted to make chicken enchiladas with green sauce this week but couldn't find tomatillos anywhere. After another search we ended up at El Zocalo Supermarket in Haines City, which is probably the best Hispanic market I've ever been to. Because we grew up in California, my husband and I have been to many, so we have a pretty high standard of what authentic Mexican looks and tastes like. This family owned market is exactly what we were looking for! It's clean and the staff are friendly and knowledgeable. They offer a great selection of everything and their pastries are soft and fresh. I even saw a restaurant area with a tortilla factory... fresh tortillas!!!! I've found myself looking for reasons to go back all week, although I may not bring my youngest. He's bound to see the piñata's and want to bring one home. I'm not sure it's a good idea to trail a piñata out the back of the trailer when we drive up to Maine in a few weeks..... although we'd probably be the most festive on the road! I wonder what the dogs would think?

You see that red filling? That's guava! So, so good!

I'd be lying if I told you my kids are as outgoing as I am. The youngest, maybe. But all three are more comfortable at home with the people they've grown up with, in the routines they've grown up with. Meeting new people on this trip has really been a stretch and I'm so proud of them for moving outside of their comfort zones. It's taught them that they're so much more capable than they ever thought and that there are so many more things in this wide world than what they see on a daily basis.

One way we've been meeting new people is by visiting local scout troops wherever we go. They can interact with kids their own age and see how they do things. For example, my oldest visited the Boy Scouts in Alaska and my youngest and I and camped with the Cub Scouts. In Idaho, my daughter carved pumpkins for Halloween with the Girl Scouts. At Christmastime in Arizona, we all helped the Boy Scouts set up luminarias at Tlaquepaque for the Festival of Lights.

This week my daughter and I visited a local Girl Scout troop at the park. They have a mixed troop, which means they have girls of all levels in one troop. The little girls just loved my daughter and they all had a great time running around the park together until long past sunset. It was fun to watch.

We also attended a leader meeting for the Girl Scouts of West Central Florida with them and were just in time to participate in a World Thinking Day event. The local girls made some really beautiful displays and their creative treats gave us some fun ideas to bring home with us when we return in August. The scouts everywhere have been so hospitable and we've enjoyed our time with them.

I had my own little adventure this week too. A quilt group has started meeting at the library, so of course I had to check it out. The group includes everyone from students to international snow birds. One woman came and showed some beautiful pieces of mixed media art that she had made. My favorite thing she showed was her ice-dyed fabric! It was amazing and now I'm on a mission to learn how to do it myself with the kids. You can visit her Etsy shop here to see some of the other pieces she's made.

She decided to test what would happen if she used bleach granules on her fabric. It ended up looking like constellations, but faded the fabric overall. I love her curiosity! She's definitely a kindred spirit!

The quilt group is figuring out which direction they want to go, but for now they've decided to have a weekly show and tell and work on individual projects. The woman who started the group is teaching some people how to make quilts from start to finish. Many have also agreed to make quilts for local charities. Quilters are generous like that. Here are a few works in progress:

We leave for Maine soon and will be traveling up the Eastern Seaboard. We'd love any tips or ideas you may have! Have a great week!

- Jen