Saturday, January 03, 2009

Summer Vacation Planning

Our original idea was going to be take a trip to San Francisco and see what all they have to offer.  I presented Amanda with an alternate idea.  

We were already going to do the Blue Ridge Parkway Tour with one of the MINI clubs.  The BRPT is starting at the south end of the parkway and goes to the very north end in June, the 18th to the 21st.  

It just so happens that the New England MINIS are doing their Great Ice Cream Run from Skyline Drive (where BRP ends) all the way to Maine.  Over three days, the 22nd to the 25th, there will be about 300+ miles a day on our way up there.  The first stop is in Pottsville and going to a Yuengling brewery tour.  The next day is outside of Boston, so I know we will spend some time there.  The third stop is in Freeport, Maine, the home base of L.L. Bean.  The very last day will be spent in Bar Harbor.

While we are in Bar Harbor, there happens to be an event called the Bar Harbor Invasion, lasting from the 25th to the 27th.  This was a favorite stop on our New England Cruise a couple summers ago.  We will do some shopping, some hiking in Acadia National Forrest, east some wicked good lobsta!

The last event on this leg of the trip is called MINIs On Top.  This is where we wake up at the butt crack of dawn and motor up Cadillac Mountain to watch the sunrise over Bar Harbor.  We then motor up to New Hampshire's Mount Washington to watch the sunset.  Then there are events all day in between and you watch the sunset and motor down the mountain.  

That should be about ten days total, then maybe a stop with some family in Harrisburg or Pittsburgh.  We will see.  The only thing that will keep us off this trip is a huge spike in gas prices or sudden unemployment.  


2 comments:

Unknown said...

Just an FYI - From Bar Harbor you get up insanely early to see the sunrise from Cadillac Mountain then drive to the White Mountains of NH to assault Mt Washington (6288') for sunset with some events in between.
2009 is the 50th anniversary of the MINI - A perfect time for multi-MINI adventures!
Check www.minisontop.com for the latest info and updates

Anonymous said...

That part of NH and ME are gorgeous! That is the area where we went skiing last year. Have you been to Freeport before? It has the best shopping of any place I have ever been, and I have made Chase promise that if we go skiing there again, I get a full 24 hours in Freeport. You will have a blast!