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March 25-31, 2017

We explored Dublin for a weekend, before renting a car and heading out to the countryside to find our respective ancestors’ homelands.

With the help of friendly pub patrons and online Census records, we were able to find Joe’s paternal grandmother’s Irish farm. The dugout she was raised in is now a calf pen and the “new” house has been abandoned for several decades. A gentleman farmer with 14 head of cattle offered to sell the plot back to us!

Using the Heritage & Genealogy Centre in Sligo, we discovered church records showing where Sarah’s great-great-grandfather and his brothers were tenant farmers before immigrating to Canada. We noted how similar the surrounding lands look to Grey County where he settled in the New World. The snow is heavier in the Great Lakes region, so that would have been a devastating surprise in the early years of pioneering in Canada.

March 22-24, 2017

This Victorian seaside resort is fascinating to visit in early spring. We had gorgeous sunny weather with daffodils blooming everywhere. Locals told us it was the first nice stretch of weather in weeks and a storm was predicted for the day after our departure!

March 17-22, 2017

Well, we bought this beautiful captain’s home in the South Dennis Historic District on Cape Cod last year. Summer 2016 was spent getting acquainted with the new neighbors and hosting family and friends at our beach house!

Cape Cod

We accidentally bought a beach house:

While continuing Sarah’s commitment to stay off the internet and phone, we did venture back into civilization and began a series of visits with friends and family members throughout New England.

Yarmouth, Maine

New Hampshire

Massachusetts

New York, New York

Eastport, Maine

Another quiet week of introspection and connection to nature. More books. More naps. Rain, fog, and drizzle. And a day trip to Canada to visit Campobello Island.

Northport, Maine

Northport, Maine is not actually the furthest north one can travel in Maine. Eastport, Maine is several hours drive further north, across from the Canadian border. And the furthest east one can drive in the continental United States is not Eastport, Maine. West Quoddy, Maine is the furthest east one can travel in the continental U.S.

These are some of the geographical oddities we learned this summer. As part of her personal development, Sarah un-plugged from all things electronic for this vacation. We read lots of books. We took naps. And we watched the Atlantic Ocean tides rise and fall.

Here are a few pictures from Week One:

It was a long, hot drive down the eastern Sierras today, but we pushed through and Mike brought us home safe and sound.

Denethor was glad to have us back!

GEO-QUIZ:  How many miles did Mike carry us this summer?