Red Sox Nation

Even though Chris is trying his best to groom (brainwash) Ava into being a Dodger fan, for one day Ava joined the ranks of Red Sox Nation.  The Red Sox have made a concerted effort to make the game day experience family friendly, and Ava took advantage of a free button, face painting, and a visit with Wally the Green Monster.

The Sox have also done a great job highlighting the history of the team and the city with historical displays throughout the stadium.

Just before the game started, we made our way down to the right field foul pole so Ava could sign her name on Pesky's Pole.

Getting to our grandstand seats, we found ourselves in the original, hard wooden seats.  No cupholders and not a lot of legroom here, but that didn't stop us from enjoying Fenway Franks and fried clams.

Even though there was a pole just a couple rows in front of us, our seats were great and we could still see all the action and the scoreboards.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for this poor guy.  

Hopefully he was able to catch at least part of the game as the Sox beat the Padres 5-1 behind David Ortiz's 500th career double.

Boston Strong

Over the course of two days, we took Boston by land (via the T, trolley, and foot) and by sea (if you count a Swan Boat on the pond).

Boston Common and the Boston Public Garden were a hit for Ava and Sierra with a carousel, Frog Pond, and statues - George Washington dressed as a Boston Bruin and the children's classic Make Way for Ducklings.

Being tourists we had to make the requisite stop in front of the Bull Finch Pub (the inspiration for Cheers) and a trip to the top of the Prudential Center for views of the city.

We also toured around Copley Square, checking out the the Boston Public Library, Trinity Church, and the Tortoise and Hare statues.

 

Walking part of the Freedom Trail is a must for any tourist in Boston, and we explored some of the historic sites in the area such as Faneuil Hall and the Granary Burial Ground (resting place of Paul Revere, John Hancock, Sam Adams, and the victims of the Boston Massacre) with a stop at Quincy Market for lobster rolls and sweets.

We also boarded the Eleanor, a recreation of one of the original Boston Tea Party ships where learned about the Revolution and got to throw crates of tea into the Boston Harbor.

Woo, as in Worcester

Worcester, Mass - aka the Woo - is the the second largest city in New England and the surrounding areas were a great place to start our vacation.

Our friend Jen showed us around and introduced us to some of the top spots in the area starting with breakfast at Dinky's Blue Belle Diner, housed in a former train car.

Ava made a new friend, Sierra, and the girls enjoyed exploring the lives and times of 1790s-1830s rural New England at Old Sturbridge Village.

Ava and Sierra chose their tug of war team wisely and, with Rob's help, they took down the competition.

The girls also got a firsthand look at tin-smithing and a riverboat trip.

Heading north, the girls visited Lowell National Historic Park to learn about the Industrial Revolution in America.  Highlights included seeing the operation of working looms (good thing they passed out earplugs) and earning their Junior Ranger badges.

Lowell is also home to the Spinners (Industrial Revolution... looms... Spinners... get it?), the Red Sox single-A farm team.  The girls got to meet Canaligator (water from the surrounding canals was used to power the factories), play games and get their faces painted, watch the Spinners get crushed by the visiting team from Vermont, and run the bases after the game.

Before he went "On the Road," Jack Kerouac lived in Lowell, and the girls visited his birthplace and first home.

A visit to the Woo would not complete without a trip to Rota Spring Farm where the girls fed goats and ate ice cream in view of the very cows whose milk was used to make these sweet treats.

Love Me Tender

After several months of stretching, dancing, and practicing, Ava and her friends got to perform in the Pacific Dance spring show at the Irvine Barclay Theater to Nora Jones' rendition of Love Me Tender. 

The kids were great and after the performance Ava celebrated with flowers and (probably more importantly) a trip to Yogurtland!