Boston Baked Pickle

Mr. Pickle spent May 14-21 with my friend Darla and her fam on a trip to Boston to hang with some Smithies! He had fun taking in some historical sights, moon gazing, staying in a haunted hotel, and meeting a freakish relative. Weeeee! 

First up was a stop in Hull, Massachusetts - a teeny peninsula town south of Boston. Mr. P sits on Nantasket Beach watching the full moon rise over the Atlantic ocean.

At Hull Public Library reading stories with his new buds. 

 On the very tip of the peninsula is Fort Revere Park.The fort dates back to the 1630s when it was used to protect Boston harbor. There are cool abandoned skeleton of buildings covered in graffiti. Here's Mr. P in the ruins with the ocean in the background.

 Hanging out in the ruins.

The next stop was Northampton, Massachusetts - home of Smith College!

Here is Mr. P at Smith's "Illumination Night" where the entire campus was strung with paper lanterns lit with candles.

Here are some lovely living friends at the Smith College Lyman Plant House.

Smith College Lyman Plant House.

At the Smith College Japanese Garden. 

Mr. Pickle stayed at the historic (and haunted!) Parker House Hotel, right next door to the Honeyfitz suite. (JFK had his bachelor party at the Parker House - the place was big with the Kennedy family!) Apparently the 10th floor is haunted, and Mr. P stayed on the 11th floor! Egads!

 A stop at the Boston Children's Museum ended up in a meeting with a distant relative?! It's in the eyes!

Mr. P also visited the Boston Tea Party ships & Museum and met up with Samuel Adams.  

~~ 

Oh, another great trip to the coast!

Thanks so much to all of you who sign up to travel with Mr. Pickle. His goal is to get to all 50 states. He's nearly halfway there. Will you help him?! 

Travelin' with E, Pt. 2: Belgium

In traveling with his pal Elizabeth back in February and March, they stopped in Turkey on their way to Belgium, where Mr. P and his guests ate all the food and visited all the sights in Antwerp and Bruges. He swam in frites, ate a lemon, and almost got mailed far away.

In danger near a statue for one of Antwerp's many historic guilds.

Mr. P with a Belgian hero, Tintin.

Checking out frites, a Belgian late night staple.

There are no bridges over the Scheldt River. Mr. P is hanging out at the top of a very scary wooden escalator down into one of the pedestrian tunnels under the river.

Sampling a 'bolleke', local slang for a glass of De Koninck.

 Mr. P trying on a cuberdon, a nose-shaped Belgian gummy candy.

Mr. P at Middelheim, a large sculpture garden. He got some strange looks for checking out the (very strange) still lifes.

More still lifes.

More still lifes.

More still lifes.

More still lifes. WAIT! That car is crooked!

A day at the zoo with Mr. P! He liked taking his own pictures with his new camera.

Zoo times. Check out the glasses on that tree!

Mr. P was pretty dang excited to see windmills! Though maybe not as excited as E was.

Mr. P enjoys written correspondence and so had to check out several interesting mail slots.

More mail slots. OUCH!

Tiptoeing through the crocuses in a park in Antwerp on a springy day.

Mr. P checks out a fo' real castle: Het Steen, a medieval fortress along the Scheldt River in Antwerp.

Playing with his food at a birthday dinner. Pucker up!

Mr. P was excited to check out some of the oldest working printing presses in the world at the Plantin-Moretus Museum.

Plantin-Moretus Museum.

~~

Another grand trip with his pal Elizabeth! Knocking new countries off his list is one of Mr. P's favorites. 

He has some traveling to do this summer! Where are you taking him?! His schedule is pretty open...