Day 9 began with another round of loading everything back into the cars. By now we have this down to a science! We pulled out around 9:00 a.m. and headed first in search of breakfast.
Since our hotel was an all-suite hotel with full kitchens, they didn't serve breakfast. The hotel gave a good local recommendation and sent us to Tucker's. It turned out to be a great choice! Everything was made to order, breakfast was very good, and with everyone fed, we were ready to get back on the road.
Back on the road we go after breakfast. Well, I've Never Seen THAT Before!
It wasn't long before something along the interstate caught my eye. There on a big blue highway sign were the words:
“NH LIQUOR STORE — LOTTERY TICKETS — NEXT RIGHT.”
😂 I don't think I have ever seen lottery tickets advertised on an interstate highway sign before! Apparently in New Hampshire, they really don't want you to miss your chance to become a millionaire. 🤷♀️
Just another one of those things you see while traveling that makes you say, “Well, I've never seen THAT before!”
Meanwhile, in the Other Car...
The van peeps had their own “Did you SEE that?” moment. 😂
As they traveled along I-495 near Haverhill, Massachusetts, they spotted a giant dog sculpture alongside the highway. Naturally, our car didn't see it and so no one managed to get a picture of it, but Susan did some investigating afterward and found out what they had seen.
It is called the American Dog, a huge metal sculpture created by artist Dale Rogers. Susan's research says it stands about 26 feet tall — so it's certainly big enough to get your attention from the interstate!
No actual Crazy 8 photograph of the dog exists, so we'll just have to trust the van peeps on this one. 😂 At least they came back with documentation!
A Very Special Stop in Springfield
Our next stop was Merrick Park in Springfield, Massachusetts, and this one was especially meaningful for Mark.
Here stands the impressive statue of Deacon Samuel Chapin, one of the founders of Springfield — and Mark's 8th great-grandfather!
It was pretty special seeing Mark standing beside a monument honoring his ancestor, knowing that nearly four centuries separate the two of them. We took plenty of pictures — Mark with his 8th great-grandfather, and of course Mark and Susan together with a pretty important member of their family tree. ❤️
The statue, commonly known as The Puritan, depicts Deacon Chapin in his Puritan clothing, complete with his hat, cape and Bible. The inscription on the base identifies him as “Deacon Samuel Chapin — One of the Founders of Springfield.”
We've stopped at a lot of historical places during this trip, but this one was different.
This was family history.
Another Springfield Surprise
While we were in Springfield, we discovered another famous connection — Dr. Seuss!
Theodor Seuss Geisel was born in Springfield, and the city celebrates its famous hometown author. We passed the Springfield Museums, home of The Amazing World of Dr. Seuss Museum, and Susan caught a colorful mural filled with familiar Dr. Seuss characters.
We didn't have time to visit the museum, but it was another fun discovery.
From Mark's 8th great-grandfather to Dr. Seuss — Springfield gave us quite a range of history! 😂
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Surprise — We're in Connecticut!
After leaving Springfield, we continued south and suddenly there it was:
WELCOME TO CONNECTICUT.
Wait...we're going through Connecticut? 😂
I honestly hadn't even realized Connecticut was part of today's route until the sign appeared in front of us. Well, okay then — Connecticut it is! 🤷♀️
Another state for the Crazy 8!
We stopped at Red Robin for lunch, gave ourselves a little break from the road, and then continued on.
As we traveled through Naugatuck, another interesting sight caught our attention — the tall old clock tower rising above the town. By Day 9, we've gotten pretty good at spotting unusual things from the car. If something interesting appears outside the window, somebody in one of these two cars is probably going to get a picture of it! 😂
Our Last Night on the Road
Eventually we made our way to Tarrytown, New York, our final overnight stop before heading home.
But before we checked into the hotel, there was one more important piece of Crazy 8 business to take care of.
ICE CREAM! 🍦😂
We stopped at Main Street Sweets, a little local ice cream shop on Main Street where the ice cream is made right there on the premises. After nine days on the road, I think we've firmly established that the Crazy 8 can locate an ice cream shop just about anywhere.
Susan even posed with hers, and while we were there we found a sign that seemed especially appropriate after nine days of traveling together:
At this point in the trip, somebody could have made a small fortune!
With our ice cream finished, we made our way to the hotel and checked into our last hotel of the trip. Tomorrow morning we'll load everything into the cars one final time and begin the last leg home to Virginia.
It's hard to believe we're already here. We've covered a lot of miles, have seen some beautiful places, learned a lot of history, laughed at plenty of things we never expected to see — and eaten what may be a record-breaking amount of ice cream. 😂
I'm actually getting this one posted tonight instead of finishing it tomorrow morning! 😂 Since tomorrow is simply our drive home, I decided I'd better get the pictures sorted and the blog finished tonight. That way, in the morning we can load the cars one last time, get on the road and head for home — without me still hunting for pictures and trying to finish a blog before we leave!
Looking back, it's pretty amazing how much we've packed into these nine days. We've seen beautiful scenery, visited places filled with history, crossed covered bridges, wandered through little towns, admired old cars, found lighthouses, eaten lobster in Maine, discovered things we never knew were there, laughed at plenty of unexpected moments and somehow managed to find an ice cream shop in just about every corner of New England. 😂
And just how much ground did the Crazy 8 cover?
Virginia • Maryland • Pennsylvania • New York • Vermont • New Hampshire • Maine • Massachusetts • Connecticut
Nine states in nine days! 🚙🚙
Tomorrow morning we'll load up one last time and point the cars toward Virginia. No sightseeing agenda, no list of stops and — most importantly — no blog for me to finish before we leave so I won't be holding anyone up! 😂
Thanks for riding along with the Crazy 8 on our New England adventure. We've certainly made plenty of memories and have the pictures to prove it!
One more sleep...and then HOME! ❤️🏡
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