Bluffton Senior Citizens Center director Tonya Meyer provided the following account in the November 2021 newsletter sent to senior center members.
On a rainy Sunday morning, 33 of us loaded the motor coach and headed East. The first day was just a driving day. The next morning, we put on our masks and enjoyed the Baseball Hall of Fame. There was something for everyone to enjoy at the museum.
That evening, we met our tour guide Marty and had dinner in the oldest continuous pub in the United States, the Bell in Hand in downtown Boston. The next morning, we boarded Amtrak and headed to Maine. Because of work on the track, we had to get off in Dover, NH.
Our coach then took us to Kennebunkport, Maine where we spent the night. Many of us had lobster rolls for lunch before riding a lobster boat where we learned about the life of a lobster. We also had a driving tour of Kennebunkport and saw [President] Bush's home. He was in residence because his flag was flying.
We went to Portland, ME the next day and rode the Maine Narrow Gage Railroad with views of the Atlantic Ocean. Lunch was at DiMillo's where we could have steak or a full lobster. On our way to our hotel, we stopped at the Castle in the Clouds, a beautiful stone home built on a mountain top with wonderful views.
We had ideal weather the next day for leaf peeping, waterfall viewing and our ride up Mt. Washington. We had lunch at Mt. Washington Hotel before riding the cog railway up to the top of the mountain. The mountain claims to have the worst weather in the world but we had the best weather and could see for miles.
The next morning, we drove the Kancamagus Highway on another beautiful day to see the leaves at peak color. We then rode the Conway Scenic Railroad and had a boxed lunch on board as we admired the wonderful scenery. We took turns riding in the dome part of the train car.
We visited a Maple Syrup maker on our way to our last train ride the next day. It was an all day, five-hour ride on the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad with lunch in an old mill. We left our tour guide the next morning and visited Hildene, the historic Lincoln estate where we got to see a restored Pullman car. We then headed home with fond memories of our trip. Our only disappointment was not seeing a moose.
The Bluffton Senior Center is located at 132 N Main St, Bluffton, OH 45817. Phone: (419) 358-8971.
