Bridgeport Connecticut

This weeks train yard could have been really good and for some people I'm sure it was. It was right next to loads of shops but us having only a few weeks left and not really buying much at the moment it was really just a big tease. It was handy to get a new suitcase though. The down side to this train yard for everyone though, was it is another one that is over half an hour from the venue.

Around the arena wasn't too exciting either, it wasn't bad but there really wasn't much there apart from The Barnum Museum which we didn't go to as it is closed because of Hurricane damage. That was a real shame, it is a really beautiful building and I'm sure it would have been interesting to us, more so now than before.



The main thing that is exciting about Bridgeport is you can catch a train to New York. I was so happy to get to go again before we left even if only for a day. We didn't do all that much either, just had lunch and let Willow run around Central Park. She loves it there. We did go and see the dress rehearsal for Dance On the new Big Apple Circus, which was fun. To be fair though I don't think I would have really cared what we did,. I was just happy to be back in New York and it reminded me just how much I love that city.

Boston Massachusetts

Another short train run brought us to Boston Massachusetts. People seemed to be getting excited about Boston a long time ago.

The train wasn't actually parked in Boston but just over the river in the MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) campus at Cambridge. It was really nice there and I'm sorry that I didn't get more time to explore it properly but the call of Boston was just too strong. Being a college campus it has a very young feel to it and it had some interesting shops. There was also a Trader Joe's within walking distance of the train which would be really nice every week.



Boston and Cambridge are divided by a river and on both sides there is a really nice river walk. On the Boston side there are a couple of nice play parks that Willow had fun at but she loved watching a dog dive in the water after a stick over and over again much more.

One of the great things about Boston is how accessible everything is, you can either walk or get the transit pretty much anywhere. Even though the arena was downtown and close to lots of things we still did some serious walking here.

Close to the arena was Faneuil Hall Marketplace which seemed to have a lot going on. We caught some street entertainment there and sampled food from all the food stalls in one of the buildings. Willow also quite liked it here as it had a Build a Bear shop and a Croc shop.




The arena is also close to the North End of the city and this is where Little Italy was. A lot of people say Boston has a European feel to it and it is even more noticeable in this part of the city. Not just because of the Italian influence all around but because the streets are smaller and it feels more like a community. There where some really nice buildings here and lots of history to see. In the heart of the North End is North Church.

Where ever you go in the city you see people with little (and big) boxes with the words 'Mikes Pastries' stamped on them and tied up with blue string. So many people had them that it had to be investigated. I'm so pleased I went on the last day though as it is quite close to the arena and I may have gone few times if I'd had time. The shop was packed, pouring out the door and they only take cash but the selection of cakes, pies and pasties was just amazing. Their speciality and what they are know for are their Cannoli. On my one trip there I spent way more than you should spend in a cake shop. My Mum would have been proud, and jealous all at the same time. I wish I could have sent her some.

The main park areas of Boston are Boston Common and The Public Garden, which are next door to each other. The Common isn't massive but is really nice and steeped in history. Willow liked it here a lot, especially rolling down the grass hills and spending ages playing in the Frog playground.



The Public Garden is very pretty with Swan Pond at the centre. It is named this because during the summer months you can take swan boat rides here, we just missed them.





Next to the Public Garden is the bar Cheers, from the programme of the same name. We met up with an old friend (and not so old) and had lunch here, it was packed inside even though they have five different bars. The inside doesn't really look like the TV programme as that would have been filmed in a studio, but this is where they did the outside shots.




We managed to get a free Duck Tour of Boston which even collected us from the train. I like the duck tours of cities, I know they are cheesy but I enjoy the actual tour and history stuff you learn and Willow also loves it and doesn't realise she is learning stuff. She just thinks she is having fun. As always with these things the tour guide either makes or breaks it and ours was great.




Also very close to the arena right on one of the bridges was the Science Museum. We managed to go twice and still I don't think we did everything, even though on the second day we were there for seven hours. They have a butterfly garden and and animal shows and the worlds largest air-insulated Van de Graaff generator which produces some amazing lightning. It is a very hands on museum with lots of extras going on. The second day we went they had an Archaeology Activity Fair which was very interesting and again very hands on. I really loved this museum and they had a great restaurant also.




I loved Boston, it totally lived up to and exceeded all expectations and I am so sad we didn't get to spend longer here.

Worcester, Massachusetts

The train run to Worcester was another nice one. Autumn is such a pretty time of year and it is great to watch and smell the countryside flash past from the train.

The train yard was a bit in the middle of nowhere, with not very much around. There was however a new Walmart within walking distance which is always handy. It looks like they are doing quite a bit of building work here so I have a feeling when the show returns in a couple of years there will be a lot more here.

We visited the Higgins Armory Museum with a friend we hadn't seen for ages and her daughter which was really nice. The Quest Gallery was a hands on area which went down well with Willow and her new found friend. They even got to do some Halloween craft activities. My favourite bit was also within this area The Department of Curiosities, a collection of creatures of Mythology.

Worcester had loads of interesting buildings downtown.





The train station was one of the first we saw as we passed it on the train.



Very close to the arena in downtown was Worcester Common which use to be an old graveyard. Apparently there are still quite a few bodies here.




It seemed a very industrial city but I quite liked it.

Manchester/Nashua New Hampshire

I'm not really sure what to call this blog entry. They are usually named after the city the circus plays but I saw so little of Manchester as the train was parked miles away in Nashua. Willow and I spent most of our time there and did school work at home. We did pop in to Manchester a couple of days but didn't really see much of it.

Nashua is a small town compared to what we are use to but it was OK, I quite liked it. It made a change having a quiet week. We did go out and explore though and Willow was in her element as we were close to a library. She even requested to go there on her birthday.



This week we are in New England which is very like Old England. The landscape is similar, the roads are similar, the weather is similar and all the names are copies of home. I like it here, especially as it is Autumn (fall) and really pretty.

Toledo Ohio

When we arrived in Toledo I really didn't think much of it at all. Everything seemed shut and closed down with not much happening at all. I thought it was going to be one of those cities that pass by with very little to report. Luckily we have not had many of those on this adventure.

Just when I thought there was no hope we discovered the Toledo Museum of Art. It was a 20-30 minute walk from the Arena which we did in the rain, but it was worth the walk. The actual art museum was pretty nice (and had yummy food) and was free.




The highlight for me and Willow however was across the road. Still part of the museum but dedicated to the art of glass, set in a pavilion of glass where all the pieces were glass or glass related was really nice. The best bit though was the glass blowing demonstrations in the hot shop, that Willow loved so much she wanted to watch all day.



We found more art in the form of sculptures along the river.



Toledo also has a children's museum called the Imagination station that we thought was closed the whole time we were here but we got it wrong and it wasn't which is a shame as it looked pretty good.



We also went to the Frog museum that was right next to the arena. It is run by a really sweet lady who has a seriously big collection of frogs from toys and games to clocks and teapots.

So Toledo didn't make a big impression but we still had a nice time.

Grand Rapids MI

Once again the arena was walkable from the train, not close enough to do it every day especially weighed down with hula hoops and such or if the rain was falling heavily from the sky but we did walk a few times, which is good. The train was in Union Station situated in the Heartside neighbourhood.




One of the first things you notice about Grand Rapids is the public art everywhere. Also because we arrived in the week before Art Prize there was even more than usual. It was everywhere, but it really is no wonder when the first prize of this art competition is $250,000 and lots of other big prizes for those who come second through to tenth. Quite a bit of the art was still being completed which was also nice to watch.






Our first day off we tried to hunt down The Loch Ness Monster as we had seen a picture of him in the river in the visitors guide. Alas we couldn't find him and it turns out it was last year he visited on holiday, I think to check out the Art Prize competition. Looking for him though we did discover a nice river walk.



On Tweedy's day off we went to the Public Museum which was quite good. It is themed a-z with a sheet of things to find. This worked really well for Willow as it meant she actually stop at every display and really looked at it, rather than bolt past those that didn't grab her attention straight away. Of course as always it is the hands on things that she loved the most. She also quite like the carousel, which she got to go on twice as she got an extra ticket with her kids meal. My favourite part was The Streets of Old Grand Rapid. It was done really well with really helpful and knowledgeable staff. I really loved the working print shop and the Wurlitzer Theatre Organ.





The school went on another field trip to the Children's Museum which is pretty much all hands on things so this was a big hit for little hands.




I quite liked Grand Rapids, though we failed to find any actual grand rapids.