We took a trip to the East Coast this fall in search of fall color—also known as "Leaf Peeping", which, to me, sounds like some sort of Fairy porn, so I'm not going to embrace that weird bit of marketing. “We’re just here for the leaves!”
Our itinerary included Boston, Martha's Vineyard, and New York state on this side of the border, and Montreal, Quebec City, Halifax, and the Canadian Maritime Provinces on the Canadian side. It felt good to dust off our beloved duffel bags and head off to parts unknown. And, spoiler alert, we were inundated with fall foliage and had just one day of rain in five weeks. Blue skies, unseasonably warm days, and cool nights followed us everywhere we went.
Ben Franklin! Baked Beans! Baseball! Beer! We loved every inch of Boston
It all started on Saturday, September 13th, when we boarded a red-eye from Seattle to Boston to spend a few days soaking up history and attending a much-anticipated game at Fenway Park.
Our Airbnb was located in Back Bay in the “below stairs” apartment of a beautiful brownstone. It was a lovely neighborhood and the perfect starting point for our itinerary. We could walk to the center of town in one direction and Fenway Park in the other. The weather was perfect, too! Our first night featured an epic ballgame between the Red Sox and Yankees at Fenway Park. The atmosphere was electric, with passionate fans, lots of scoring and a magical setting.
Fenway was amazing - and so were these seats!
The next morning, we took our usual free walking tour, starting in the beautiful Boston Public Garden (where the Make Way for Ducklings statues are located), then followed the Freedom Trail.
But our most memorable moments were at the Boston Museum of Fine Arts, the Boston Public Library (full of amazing murals and thick volumes of Presidential Papers), the (new) Old South Church, and a visit to Harvard. The campus art museum was as impressive as any we’ve visited. The galleries are intimate and filled with precious pieces that you can appreciate from inches away! I did a little sketching in the Graphite Collection, where there were pads and pencils in front of several still-life tableaux and statues, and you were encouraged to leave your work for posterity.
Always inviting Adirondack chairs like these were spread throughout our U.S. and Canada trip.
When friends tell you they live on Martha's Vineyard and invite you to visit. Say yes! We met Lauren and David at the Modern Elder Academy in Baja, Mexico, three years ago at a retreat called Reinventing Retirement. We were contemplating what we'd do after Senior Nomading, and they were finding their next adventure after whirlwind careers in Tech.
We've stayed in touch and connected in Amsterdam (where they were living) and San Miguel de Allende, where we were "wintering". They’ve just finished building a fantastic mid-century influenced home deep in the woods (but close to the sea) on the island, so we invited ourselves over for a few days as part of our East Coast Exploration!
On our way to the beach from the dock on Oyster Pond
Our stay on Martha's Vineyard was filled with local forays. From day trips to farmers' markets, a breathtaking sunset boat ride, and leisurely beach time, to a delightful, home-cooked lobster dinner, we gladly succumbed to the island's charm.
The Lobster Journey!
A few standout moments included procuring live lobsters from the local fish shop, learning the intricacies of American Mahjong (very popular in San Miguel), and cutting as many free flowers as you could carry from the co-op farm where Lauren is a member.
American Mahjong is complicated! But we’d like to learn before we head to San Miguel de Allende where it is very popular.
We also had a quayside lunch and a stroll through 'The Campground' with fellow nomads Dan and Meghan, also known as 2Travelingafter1 on the Senior Nomads Group page, provided us with a unique perspective on part of the island's history. Meghan's family owns one of dozens of Victorian-style homes in this historic site in Oaks Bluff, and it was fascinating to hear about their summers at this former church-based gathering place.
Just one of hundreds of Victorian charmers that make up the “The Campground” in Oaks Bluff.
After a fine time on Martha's Vineyard, we took the train (which switched to a bus) from Boston to Montreal, Canada, via Albany, New York. Why Albany? We wanted to break up the lengthy journey. There really wasn't another reason—until there was! I had posted our itinerary on the Senior Nomads Facebook Group page, and one of our longtime followers, and my book-loving pen pal, Polly-Alida, wrote to say that she and her husband, Doug, live nearby and hoped we could spend a day together. Absolutely! We were only there for two nights, but we had one full day to explore, so it was decided we'd attend the Andirondack Wool and Crafts Festival at the local fairgrounds. That allowed us to experience the beautiful countryside and swing through Saratoga Springs on the way (worthy of a return visit).
A glimpse of Saratoga’s fabulous Victorian architecture
Polly-Alida is a "yarn user," so she was happy to find some interesting hand-spun materials. I learned a great deal about the yarn-making process, including the types of wool, spinning, and dyeing techniques. I also patted a wide variety of sheep, goats, and even an alpaca. Michael and Doug found the sheep-shearing demo entertaining (but mostly talked about books and politics). We all agreed it was a fine day out.
Meanwhile, the second best thing about our stay in Albany was our Airbnb. For a trip like this, we booked several two- or three-night stays in Private Rooms with en-suite Bathrooms. These types of accommodations are often more affordable than an entire home. The hosts are often on-site, and since we like meeting our hosts, we took their reviews into account when we booked.
Our hosts have started a website with arts and cultural events for Albany called The 518
In this case, we found a gem. Our host, Phat, and his wife, Karley, are artists who packed up and moved to Albany from Los Angeles for family reasons and a more affordable and less hectic lifestyle. They bought an old brownstone and turned the former parlor into a chic (but very comfortable) guest space. Beyond the carefully preserved late nineteenth-century architecture, there were plenty of thoughtful touches, including local art, snacks, fresh flowers, hotel-quality amenities, a sweet outdoor space, a nice shared kitchen, and a very friendly orange tabby cat. Best of all, Phat and Karley embrace the original concept of Airbnb—sharing their home with strangers from around the world with open arms. But with respect for your privacy as well. We found both of them to be delightful. We didn't see much of Albany itself, but we left with the kind of experiences that confirm that traveling is the greatest gift we can give ourselves.
The scenic journey from Albany to Montreal took eight leisurely hours and swept by vast farms and wetlands along the way.
Our train journey to Montreal took almost 8 hours! It was a slow trek with 27 stops along a very flat route, but the route was scenic, with colorful stretches of wheat and corn fields and then wetlands along the shores of Lake Champlain. There was a young German woman aboard who had attended Cambridge University in England, and she shyly asked whether we would be willing to discuss the political situation in the US. I begged off, but Michael was happy to oblige, so they moved to new seats and chatted for hours.
Our Airbnb was located in the eclectic St. Denis neighborhood near McGill University. The apartment was part of an older building split into five units, each with a private bath and kitchenette. Every morning, there was a continental breakfast with excellent coffee, warm croissants, yogurt, and fresh fruit.
The quirky neighborhood of St. Denis, Montreal, is full of colorful discoveries, hip vintage stores, coffee shops, and bars.
On our first day, we woke to a downpour—but free walking tours happen rain or shine, so we joined a hardy group of 12 and toured Old Montreal. Guru tours are always good—and our guide, Darren, knew his stuff. We used the rest of the day to explore, and then settled in for the Mariners vs. Rockies game that included Naylor's grand slam. Note: We watched the Mariners the entire trip, including games that started at 10:00 pm.
Day two included a walk-through of McGill University's campus (the Harvard of Canada). A well-stuffed smoked meat sandwich for lunch was a delicious "have to", and a trip back in time at the Museum of Archaeology and History reminded us just how "young" Seattle is. On day three, we ducked out of the rain at Montreal's impressive Public Library. It was enjoyable to wander the floors and browse books we wouldn't have otherwise perused, like a 3-inch-thick, oversized photo book of India for me and 50 Years of Formula One Racing for Michael. However, the highlight of our visit was the hours we spent at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts. It is sprawling and full of interesting images and artifacts from the Middle Ages to the most modern you could ask for, including several rooms filled with fantastic canvases by the provocative queer painter Kent Monkman.
Scrutinize if you dare!
His monumental works were mind-bending (and gender-bending)! You really have to see his work to believe it! We concluded our Montreal meanderings with a delightful dinner with Catherine and Patrick, two Senior Nomad followers who travel about half the year but are working towards full-time in a couple of years. It's always a pleasure to meet kindred spirits and offer inspiration when we can.
We moved farther along the tracks to Quebec City—a destination that has been on our "must visit" list for a long time. We were not disappointed. However, we had a bit of a rough entry. It took us a while to figure out how to get the bus from the train station to our Airbnb, and once we did, the driver was in a rush, so he hit the gas before we were settled with our bags, and Michael went tumbling backwards and injured his hand. Then we missed our stop.
Our Airbnb was fine, although it was up two long flights of stairs, which aggravated Michael's injury. We read the reviews mentioning the apartment was across the street from an iconic music venue and several bars, but the location was great, and we've slept in our fair share of noisy neighborhoods, so we booked it anyway. We were there four nights, and two of them were loud and late, but we treated it like "white noise" and managed to sleep. I appreciate the host's honesty and the reviewers' fair warnings!
The Imperial Theatre across the street is a famous destination venue for all of Quebec for rock, wrestling and raves!
The good weather continued, and we enjoyed strolling the charming streets, climbing through hilly neighborhoods, and exploring the vast green spaces of this historic city. We heard from our hosts that many Canadians are not traveling to America, but the reverse is not true. Our walking tour guide said it was one of his busiest weeks of the season, with plenty of American visitors. On our last day, we spent a few hours at the Museum of Civilization - a lofty moniker! But the massive space delivered on the premise. There was so much to see. Our favorite exhibit was on Crowds.
You, too, can be lifted like a Rock Star by adoring fans
It was fascinating to learn about the dynamics of human behavior from the invasion of personal space to overcrowding to mass hysteria. This fed into the next large exhibit, which was the story behind the sinking of The Titanic. Of course, that event had its own "crowd" reaction issues.
This impressive show is a massive undertaking that has been traveling to museums around the world, and we are so fortunate to have been in the right place to see it. There were so many details, records, artifacts, scale models, and videos that it was almost overwhelming. Like all serendipitous moments in travel, this led us to visit the mass gravesite of over 300 unidentified souls in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Our next stop, and the next installment...
Thanks for following along,
Debbie and Michael Campbell
The Senior Nomads