Boston

WED & THU Aug 18 & 19

Leaving the West Point area and heading for metro Boston about 90-minutes west of Boston I hear a flapping noise and check my rear-view mirrors to see if something has come loose, I can’t pull over and stop because of the heavy traffic and the noise goes away after less than 10-seconds. Now I am 10-miles short of Hanscom AFB where I will be staying the night and I feel a sag from the trailer on the road-side and a driver starts honking at me. This time I do stop immediately and try my best to get as far over to the right shoulder as possible but it is dangerous and yep, a flat. The tire that went flat was not one of the three new tires I bought in Coco beach FL 7,000 miles ago, it was the tire I did not replace. This was no place to change a tire, even calling for road service, and with the next exit only a mile away and with the other road-side tire taking all the weight I drove to the exit, flashers on and slowing traffic and to the first service station and swapped on my spare; I get a new tire ordered and it will be put on the road tomorrow and the spare back as a spare. Fun on the road.

Pulled into Waltham MA and had supper with Mireille, a super lady and the Mother of our Daughter in Law, Kit. She showed me around her bridal salon and later we ate at an Italian and solved all the problems of the world over good food and good company.

Today was sightseeing day and I started out at Minute Man Natl. Historical Pk. and the North Bridge above Concord MA, “The shot heard round the world.” with a Ranger talk and a hike to see several spots. Then I went into Boston to Bunker Hill, USS Constitution, and then into downtown Boston on the Freedom Trail to Old North Church, the Market area, Old State House and other sites. Traffic was as bad as I remembered if not worse since I was now driving a bigger car than the last time I was here, but finding parking on the street was all that bad; fun day.