I love to travel. My favorite trips are short, little adventures I call "Get Outta Here's". I enjoy these more than longer trips because after a half dozen days I start to think about home and what I should be doing and the enjoyment level drops. A Get Outta Here is usually spread over 2 to 5 days and I try to pack it full of things I love to do. This year my good friend Carol joined me on a four 1/2 day trip to take my grandkids to visit their dad in Vermont. When asked if I would consider such a trip, it didn't take more than a few seconds for me to convince my daughter how much I would love such a task. Carol was a bit hesitant at first but thankfully she came along and we had a wonderful time. We started off on 
Wednesday afternoon, meeting at a parking lot of equal distance between our homes. My grandkids were already comfortable in the back seat, enjoying their iPods and Game Boys. We drove as far as Erie, PA on the first evening and headed off early on Thursday, making it to upstate New York by late Thursday afternoon. Carol and I have known each other for a few years but the hours we spent chatting and getting to know more about each other made the miles fly by. We took a break at a rest stop near Lake George in New York which looked more like a country club than a rest area. As we pulled into the parking place Chase remarked, "Look at that Amish guy!". Sitting at a table was a young man who appeared to be a hasidic jew dressed in all black and white with the traditional curls hanging from below his hat. As Megan, Carol and I walked into the ladies room we made an abrupt stop. Standing at the sink, washing up was another young man dressed the same, except his hat was removed as he cleaned himself. In unison Megan, Carol and I walked back out, all three of us bending our heads to check the sign to make sure we were in the right washroom and then headed back inside. The young man did not seem to be bothered that we were there and just continuing his grooming. We three walked into the stalls, clicked our doors shut at the same second and then flushed and came out all together, trying not to snicker at the young man. He was gone when we came out and we shared a muffled laugh. When we went outside he and three other young men were standing together, talking on their cell phones and made no notice of us or what had transpired. Chase just checked out his map as we ladies walked around to stretch our legs. As we drove 
back onto Interstate 84, we laughed for a quite a while, trying to understand why the young man was in the ladies room but more importantly, why he didn't care that we were, too! As evening approached we took the ferry from Plattsburgh, New York to the Island of Grand Chain in Vermont. Megan and Chase, who had been quiet travelers up to this point, were suddenly bubbly with the anticipation of seeing their dad. We drove just a few miles to their greatgrandparents' cabin in North Hero on the banks of Lake Champlain and were welcomed by my ex-son-in-law. Jason had a wonderful dinner ready for us and after we ate Carol and I decided to take a walk to stretch our legs after ten hours in a car. Jason told us that we could take in the sunset if we walked to the western side of the island. North Hero wasn't very wide and Jason estimated it was about a mile to the other side. We headed out, cameras in hand, sure we would be there in just a few minutes. However, Jason has been working in Iraq for a few years and we 
think they must judge distance differently over there. We walked and walked and walked and the sun started going down. Carol is a walker and we have both done a few 5K's and knew that we had walked much further than a mile. The sun kept sinking and we kept walking. Through the trees in the distance the sky was filled with brilliant color and we knew that if we kept walking we would be heading back to the cabin in pitch dark. Carol managed to snap a few great shots through the trees and we headed back, joking about the "Bagdad Mile" we had just walked. Before climbing to the loft for a much needed rest, we asked Jason to wake us for the sunrise which would be over the lake just outside our window. The water was higher than usual and we could have thrown stones into Champlain from our vantage point. About 4:45 the next morning we both managed to wake up as the sky was gaining a light blue tint. Two whopping cranes came dipping down in a dance before us and we just sat in awe of the beauty. Wanting to see more sights, we drove to Burlington in time for breakfast.....TO BE CONTINUED
Wednesday afternoon, meeting at a parking lot of equal distance between our homes. My grandkids were already comfortable in the back seat, enjoying their iPods and Game Boys. We drove as far as Erie, PA on the first evening and headed off early on Thursday, making it to upstate New York by late Thursday afternoon. Carol and I have known each other for a few years but the hours we spent chatting and getting to know more about each other made the miles fly by. We took a break at a rest stop near Lake George in New York which looked more like a country club than a rest area. As we pulled into the parking place Chase remarked, "Look at that Amish guy!". Sitting at a table was a young man who appeared to be a hasidic jew dressed in all black and white with the traditional curls hanging from below his hat. As Megan, Carol and I walked into the ladies room we made an abrupt stop. Standing at the sink, washing up was another young man dressed the same, except his hat was removed as he cleaned himself. In unison Megan, Carol and I walked back out, all three of us bending our heads to check the sign to make sure we were in the right washroom and then headed back inside. The young man did not seem to be bothered that we were there and just continuing his grooming. We three walked into the stalls, clicked our doors shut at the same second and then flushed and came out all together, trying not to snicker at the young man. He was gone when we came out and we shared a muffled laugh. When we went outside he and three other young men were standing together, talking on their cell phones and made no notice of us or what had transpired. Chase just checked out his map as we ladies walked around to stretch our legs. As we drove 
back onto Interstate 84, we laughed for a quite a while, trying to understand why the young man was in the ladies room but more importantly, why he didn't care that we were, too! As evening approached we took the ferry from Plattsburgh, New York to the Island of Grand Chain in Vermont. Megan and Chase, who had been quiet travelers up to this point, were suddenly bubbly with the anticipation of seeing their dad. We drove just a few miles to their greatgrandparents' cabin in North Hero on the banks of Lake Champlain and were welcomed by my ex-son-in-law. Jason had a wonderful dinner ready for us and after we ate Carol and I decided to take a walk to stretch our legs after ten hours in a car. Jason told us that we could take in the sunset if we walked to the western side of the island. North Hero wasn't very wide and Jason estimated it was about a mile to the other side. We headed out, cameras in hand, sure we would be there in just a few minutes. However, Jason has been working in Iraq for a few years and we 
think they must judge distance differently over there. We walked and walked and walked and the sun started going down. Carol is a walker and we have both done a few 5K's and knew that we had walked much further than a mile. The sun kept sinking and we kept walking. Through the trees in the distance the sky was filled with brilliant color and we knew that if we kept walking we would be heading back to the cabin in pitch dark. Carol managed to snap a few great shots through the trees and we headed back, joking about the "Bagdad Mile" we had just walked. Before climbing to the loft for a much needed rest, we asked Jason to wake us for the sunrise which would be over the lake just outside our window. The water was higher than usual and we could have thrown stones into Champlain from our vantage point. About 4:45 the next morning we both managed to wake up as the sky was gaining a light blue tint. Two whopping cranes came dipping down in a dance before us and we just sat in awe of the beauty. Wanting to see more sights, we drove to Burlington in time for breakfast.....TO BE CONTINUED
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