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The Long Drive Home

August 19, 2014: First Stop Vermont

Driving from Charlevoix to the Mid-Atlantic is a long drive so we decided to break it up with a stop in Vermont and adventure in New Hampshire. We drove to Canadian border and of course had to stop and the souvenir shop right before customs. It was packed with tourists rushing to get their last minute maple candies and syrup before entering the United States where the maple goods would not be as cheap. We proceeded on and after driving for hours we checked into Comfort Inn St. Johnsbury in Vermont.  After we dropped off our luggage, the kids headed straight for the pool while I figured out dinner.  We were tired, I picked up a pizza and we cozied up in bed with food, TV and each other.

August 20, 2014: White Water Rafting on the Androscoggin River, NH

We drove to the ELC Rafting Company to enjoy a morning of rafting with the kids.  Since we had young kids we decided to do a level II rapids on the Androscoggin River. The instructors give a nice description of what to do while on the river and set of instructions. They are very helpful and thorough and help with gear and young kids.The morning session allows you to make two trips down the river. However, in order to do this, you have to carry the raft back to the starting place of the river. I think we managed to get three runs out of our adventure.  It was fun and a nice introduction to river rafting. By the second run our 9 year old was a pro and decided the rapids were not intense enough. On the last, the older two decided to take inflatable kayaks on their own. At the end of the run, the kids can jump into the river and swim to the shore. The water was freezing in August. It was a great bonding experience and we loved the experience and the company. We grabbed a quick bite and started our drive towards the Mid-Atlantic.

We made another couple of hours before our stop in Brattleboro,VT. We checked into Hampton Inn Brattleboro, VT and my husband got us an upgrade to a king room with a guest room attached with a queen pull out bed. The kids went crazy, declared it to be the nicest hotel ever. Eye roll! We just stayed in some of the nicest hotels in Montreal and Quebec! We let the kids unwind for a bit and then headed out to dinner at Whetstone Station, a nice brew pub overlooking the Connecticut River. We sat outside and tasted a couple of the different local house-brewed beer on tap. Great restaurant with options for everyone, what you would expect from a brew pub. The quality of the food and beer were excellent. We headed back to the hotel for our last night of our adventure. Although we were not too excited for the rest of the drive home, we were excited that we had such a wonderful vacation on the road and in Canada.