Beavers and volunteers reconstruct Manchester, VT after Irene devastation

9/3/11 - 9/5/11 - With more than 200 roads and bridges closed after the devastating flooding and runoff from Tropical Storm Irene, Vermont was quite literally back in business quickly. Within one week, only about 20 roads and bridges were closed in the state. By Columbus Day, the group calling itself "We are Vermont Strong" had rallied to ensure strong tourism for the state's busiest and most profitable weekend of the year.

My visit to the Manchester, VT area with Henry included a hike to Antone Mtn (2600') in the Merck Forest (Rupert, VT), a maple sap vat in the Merck Forest, browsing at Northshire Bookstore, canoeing, watching beavers at dusk off of Route 11 in Peru, VT, and holding my breath as my car nearly flooded and stalled on the drive back to route 91.

Clear view of Mt. Washington from Mt. Pierce's summit

9/10/11 - The view of Crawford Path toward Mts. Eisenhower and Washington from the summit of Mt. Pierce was clear. Stunning. And enticing. I yearned to continue on.

We ate lunch on the sheltered summit and took group photos. I chatted with Rick D, a leader from the AMC NH chapter with whom I've hiked in the past. He's the one who nicknamed me "Nickelback Vicki".

6.0 miles, 2,392' elevation gain
Summit: Mt. Pierce (4,312')
Route: Crawford Path

Farmcoast Delights: Beaches, seafood, fresh produce

I'd heard it called "Vermont with beaches". That's a perfect description of the Farmcoast -- a small group of picturesque coastal villages and farmlands in southern New England.

The RI towns of Little Compton and Tiverton, and the Massachusetts towns of Westport and Dartmouth comprise a beautiful region of farms, beaches, nature preserves and galleries that's only an hour-and-a-half from Boston. Much more restful than Newport (most restaurants stop serving at 9pm).

Highlights of my weekend trip:

• Open Studios for South Coast Artists (July 16-17 and again August 20-21).


• Saturday farmers' market in Tiverton Four Corners


• fresh produce stands all along Route 77


• sunset over the Sakonnet River, visible from Route 77


• dinner al fresco at Stone Bridge Restaurant, with a view of Grinnell Beach and boats in the harbor


• South Coast Beach, where you can walk along the sandy crescent of beach for a mile or so, reaching Goosewing Beach and watching children on their boogie boards ride the current from inland out to sea (unless their parents catch them first :-) )


• Fogland, a slipper shell and pebble-strewn beach with a beautiful, kid-friendly cove, windsurfers and kitesurfers


• a hike in Tiverton's Weetamoo Woods, a 450-acre nature preserve with Atlantic white cedar trees and thus a rare "cedar swamp"


• begonias and lillies at Young's Family Farm (next to the Edith Pearl B&B in Little Compton)


• Dell's Lemonade!

I'll go back, if even for a day trip. Things to see and do when I go back:

• Other Little Compton beaches, specifically Sakonnet Point, Warrens Point and Briggs Beach


• Audubon Wildlife Sanctuary along Route 77


• The Boat House Restaurant in North Tiverton


• The Back Eddy Restaurant (recommended by the B&B innkeeper)


• ice cream at Gray's Ice Cream stand in Tiverton Four Corners


• The towns of Dartmouth and Westport (including its three villages -- Westport Point, Central Village and Head of Westport).


• Maybe a trip to Newport!

Disappointing "30 Seconds to Mars" concert

5-1-11. It takes a lot for me to be disappointed at a concert. But 30 Seconds to Mars did not deliver on its promise in Boston at the Agganis Arena. A combination of factors made it practically sit-down boring.

* Lead vocalist Jared Leto seemed more interested in controlling the audience than singing. He spent more time talking (actually presumptiously instructing the audience) than singing.

* he only sung about half of the lyrics. He did say late in the show that he'd been suffering from an Ebola-like virus which had affected his voice.

* he kept stopping in the middle of songs (I hate that!)

* the Agganis Arena has poor acoustics for music


The show picked up at the end with two acoustic numbers and "Closer to the Edge". But all in all, it didn't hit it's mark.

Stingrays in Grand Cayman

Pet a dolphin? Done that. Swim with a dolphin? Check. Kiss a dolphin? Check again.

Touch and kiss a stingray? Well, it may sound hokey, but it sure is fun! My family and I enjoyed getting up close to numerous stingrays an arm's length long in Grand Cayman. Consider adding it to your bucket list.

Laffing Matterz: Fun Musical Parody in Ft. Lauderdale

My brothers and I laughed full-belly laughs at this dinner theater at the Broward Center for Performing Arts in Ft. Lauderdale. Laffing Matterz is a funny show based on current events, politics and relationships. Imagine "Saturday Night Live" done to musical numbers, while eating dessert!

Even better, the food was surprisingly good. Four star-quality. The chilean sea bass was probably the best I've ever had. And the steaks were perfectly prepared and just as delicious.

I recommend this to theater-goers and non-theater lovers alike!

An iPhone-only concert? Atomic Tom did it!

WFNX's Miracle on Tremont Street concert, 12/2/10 at the Orpheum.
Line-up: Ra Ra Riot, Neon Trees, Broken Bells.

Broken Bells live reminds me a bit of the Moody Blues -- very instrumental and rather low-key. Neon Trees, on the other hand, rocked!

The evening's highlight was the surprise appearance of the members of Atomic Tom. The foursome performed their most well-known song, Take Me Out -- using only 3 iPhones connected to speakers! They did this on the New York subway in October and posted it on YouTube. Check it out: Atomic Tom - Take Me Out (Live on NYC Subway). This should be Apple's new iPhone ad. Who knew you could play guitar and drums on the iPhone? Incredible!