New England, Day Two

After sleeping in from our busy day yesterday
New England Day One
Avery got all dressed up for 4th of July today!

After breakfast, we headed up to Wakefield, NH to see our property up on the pond.  It is a completely undevelopled plot of multiple acres on a small pond with a stream through the property.

Avery really loved trecking through the trees and branches

We trecked far enough into the forest to find the small pond

Then we found the stream

Avery and mommy dipped their toes into the water

And hung out on a rock on a small side stream

Jim found an old concrete structure, two abutments and a narrow concrete bridge.  We have no idea what it was used for, possibly and old dam or mill (It is way to narrow to have been a railroad or road)

Then we drove down to the town beach near the center of Wakefield.  Avery loved playing in the shallow water while Jim swam in the deeper part.

The water was very very clear!

We then headed down to Dover to go to Newicks Seafood to get some fresh lobster!

The table was overlooking the bay

And the dock out our window was where the lobster boats pulled up to to unload fresh caught lobster right into the restaurant!

We should note that Avery really loves lobster!  She ate a lot of it from our plates!

We then walked around the bay

And saw a neat storm cloud rolling in so we headed back into the car and drove home to Manchester

At home, Avery really loves playing with mom's dog Bella, she just giggles and giggles as Bella runs like a spark plug around her!

Avery is in bed before fireworks start, so we just stayed in and watched the Boston fireworks show on TV.  Happy 4th of July!!!

New England - Day One

Yesterday evening was landed in Boston and drove to Manchester, NH.  Avery just picked up two new states there!  Then, we had a busy first full day in New England on Sunday!
We woke up and walked Avery in the stroller to downtown Manchester for breakfast at The Republic Cafe

which featured locally grown food and shade grown/ fair trade coffee.  It was a hip and happening place!
http://republiccafe.com/

Then we walked back to mom's house (Colleen's mom, aka Grandma Woods!) and loaded up the car.  We headed over to Durham, NH where UNH campus is located.  Avery took a pose in front of the Wildcat statue near the hockey arena.

Then we stopped by the Equine Facility on campus.  Avery picked out her favorite horse Macy

She petted Macy

She watched mommy feed the horse

 Then she wanted to feed Macy

Then we ate a White Pizza Bagel at The Bagelry on campus.

Delicious!

After that we stopped at the petting zoo near Wagon Hill

Avery loved looking at the farm animals

And she loved riding in the toy tractor and toy police car

We then headed over to Portsmouth and took the tour at the Red Hook Brewery

We got to sample beers after the tour.  Colleen liked the Copper Hook, Jim liked the ESB


We then drove around Portsmouth through downtown, Strawberry Bank neighborhood, and then onto the coastal route 1A while Avery was napping in the car.  (We even headed across the bridge into Maine so Avery could pick up another state.  So far on this trip she's been to MA, NH, and ME)

We hit the beach near dusk and Avery loved walking around the sand

We had dinner at Petey's, our favorite seacoast retaurant, and where we had our rehersal dinner three years ago

Then we stopped at the seawall at sunset to enjoy the ocean views before heading home.

We drove past all the big seacoast mansions in Rye and North Hampton, and then by the church where we got married, St-Andrews-By-The-Sea:

A very busy and fun day one, with lots of good food!  Can't believe we have 8 more days to go!

Blueberry and Blackberry picking at Vollmer Farm

Last weekend we took Avery to an organic pick-your own farm to pick blueberries and blackberries at Vollmer Farms.  It is a neat place, with lots of fruit to pick throughout the year, homemade ice cream stand, a playground, and during the fall they have hay rides, family movies in the barn, etc.

We met up with our friends Ariel and Chris, and their son Jude who is a month older than Avery.  Avery and Jude get to hang out a lot, and they are good friends!

They liked the wagon ride out to the field.

Avery loved sitting down and literally picking the "low hanging fruit", and then eating them!

After picking out in the sun, the kiddos needed a drink break from their sippy cups

Then they played on some of the fun toys!  Avery sat in the old plane (painted like a pumpkin for the fall season I guess!)

Then daddy joined her in the cockpit

Then Avery took a drive in the John Deere tractor!

When Avery and Jude were on it together we thought it was cute, it looked like Farmer Jude driving his wife Farmer Avery around the family farm!

Avery also loved drawing with the chalk

Then we went into the gift shop, Avery and Jude had a "date" at the kids table.

We ate homemade ice cream with homemade waffle cones, then Avery tried her hand at checkers

We can't wait to come back later in the year to pick more fruit, and to come in the fall for hay rides and movie nights in the barn!