New England graduation celebration

The Emmett family celebrated two graduations this Spring. 

GRADUATIONS:

Emma Grace Gunn Emmett graduated in April from BYU with a BA degree in special education. 

Sarah Tueller Emmett graduated in May from Simmons University in Boston with a MA in library and information science. We all convened in Boston for Sarah's graduation and then for a celebratory road trip through New England, where Joel had served the COVID intermission of his mission to Ghana.  

First stop was Boston for Sarah's graduation at the MGM Hall right next to Fenway Park. 

Sarah's cap (lower right) has a watermelon and the word DIVEST on it.

Simmons got its start as a woman's college, so many of its early degrees, like library science, were geared towards traditional careers for women.

Sarah looking up at her team.

Proud parents

We then celebrated, along with two of Sarah's roommates, at Sarah's favorite diner. I then headed out for a weekend in NYC. 

Walked to South Station so I could walk through Boston and the Public Gardens. 

A little bit of holy envy.

NYC:

After flying cramped Delta economy, I was delighted with lots of leg room and no middle seats on Amtrak. It was a four hour ride from Boston to NYC. 

One day for Broadway causes so many dilemmas--pay full price for shows like Merrily We Roll Along, Cabaret, or Hamilton or go for one of the many good half-price shows. I chose plan B. Saturday morning, after a delicious fruit smoothy from a street market, I stood in the TKTS line for half price tickets. Such hard decisions. I opted for an excellent seat (the benefit of solo traveling) for the matinee of The Great Gatsby. It was a great production (Jeremy Jordan is always excellent), but I've never been a big fan of the story. Still, I did remember the green light across the bay (and all its symbolism) from my high school English class--so I kept waiting to get the flashing green light in my photo. 

Between productions I had a very delicious dinner at the Hummus Kitchen on 9th Avenue. Given the menu, I just assumed it was Arab run so I greeted the lovely server in Arabic. Oops, I later realized that she was Israeli when I heard her speak Hebrew to another table of diners. In this politically charged world I then hurriedly tried to rectify my mistake by telling her I was sorry I mistook her (and the restaurant) for being Arab and that I had lived in Jerusalem where I ate such food on both sides of town. She had just arrived from Jerusalem a few months ago. I respectfully refrained from telling her that my Palestinian friends would certainly protest an Israeli run restaurant from claiming such traditional Palestinian foods as hummus, falafel and tabbouleh. The tahini covered roasted cauliflower was excellent!

For the evening show I chose Suffs. An excellent show about the Suffragette movement--with an all female cast and co-produced by such luminaries as Malala and Hilary. So many cheering women in the audience. 

As a co-author of Sex and World Peace, I certainly am in my right to claim the title of Suff. 

Sunday, before my afternoon train back to Boston, I made a pilgrimage of sorts to West Village and the Stonewall National Monument--which commemorates the rise of the gay rights movement. 

My hat was a gift from Joel and Emma last year for my birthday. 

After brunch (eggs and avocado benedict) at a sidewalk cafe (so New York) I set out exploring the lower West Side.

I eventually ended up at the new constructed Little Island, built where the famous Pier 54 once stood. 

Statue of Liberty

I then walked the whole length--south to north--of the High Line. A garden pathway that follows the tracks of an elevated railway built to easily access all of the manufacturing on the west side. This is the southern terminus of the High Line. The walk provided great views of the urban and human landscapes of NYC. 

In this section the tracks were left in place to remind people of the original purpose of the elevated pathway. 

Hudson River

Descending down to street level and the end of the High Line. 

The high line trail took me back to midtown ending near the cheaper-than-most pod hotel on 42 street where I picked up my luggage and then walked to Penn Station. 

NEW ENGLAND ROAD TRIP

Next morning Sarah, Joel and Emma picked me up at my hotel for the beginning of our celebratory road trip. For a change they were in charge of the itinerary and most of the driving (of Joel and Emma's car).

First stop Portland Maine. 

Evidence of harsh waves coming ashore. 

Two Poets

I requested a stop at Bath, where so many Navy ships have been built over the decades. 

We were too late for a tour of the Maritime museum that covers the earlier wood ship building era. 

We had seafood for dinner and tried raw oysters--some for the first time. All the lobster restaurants were closed on Mondays. 

Spent the night in Bar Harbor and the next day we explored Acadia national Park.  The view from Cadillac Mountain. When I first visited the park  https://beitemmett.blogspot.com/2017/04/the-maritimes-and-maine.html in April 2017 the park had not officially opened so the road to Cadillac Mountain was closed. 

 

The town of Bar Habor. Stopped and bought food for a picnic. 

We walked along the southeastern shore from Sand Beach to Otter Point and back. 

Otter Point

Sand Beach

Exploring around Jordan Pond

That evening we drove to Machias Maine. 

Up and on the road by 3:30 AM so we could be at the easternmost point of the USA to watch the sunrise at 4:50 AM. West Quoddy Head. 

Canada

Back to the motel for a few more hours of sleep then off to Bangor Maine the last of Joel's mission intermission cities. 

 State Capitol in Augusta.

We had a beautiful back road drive across Maine with a final stop of the day out side of Gorham New Hampshire for a walk along part of the Appalachian Trail.

 

The second city for Joel in the New Hampshire Mission was living in-between the cities of Gorham and Berlin and serving in the Randolph Branch. 

  

Notice the ant. Loved these delicate wildflowers seen throughout the NE. 

 

Flowering quince just like in my yard. 

Lovely grounds of the chapel. The monument was a BSA eagle project. 

Joel spent (survived) a few months in the mid apartment of this building during COVID doing mostly on-line missionary work. 

We had lunch in downtown Berlin--once the home of thriving wood/paper mills-- at Exile Burrito which was opened by a Randolph Branch member when Joel was serving here. It has been continually upgraded and was a thriving, funky business.

Emma then put her amazing google map skills to work and found us a nice swimming hole and then water fall along highway 16 on the east side of Mt Washington. 

All but me did some rock jumping and swimming. 

Mountain swimming was one of Sarah's main hopes for the trip. 

Loved the birch forests. 

Glen Ellis Falls

More swimming for Sarah.

The famous Mount Washington Hotel on the west side of Mt Washington (in the distance and one of several mountains Joel hiked as a missionary).

When the face fell off these special view finders were put in place to show how it once was. 

 

Somewhere in Vermont.

State Capitol in Montpelier Vermont.

In Vermont soft ice cream cones are referred to as Creamies. After some delicious pizza for dinner we stopped for a treat. 

Daily creamy flavors that can bet twisted together are above Joel's head.

Such pleasant, happy, fun, adventuresome travelers. 

 Spent the night in Stowe Vermont. Always wanted to see it. 

Joel's first New Hampshire Mission city was St Albans in northernmost Vermont.

This is where he recorded the famous rap to the tune of Vanila Ice's "Ice Ice baby" with a new title and refrain of Christ, Christ Baby which invited all to listen to their message of Jesus Christ. Sadly it is no longer available on the mission Facebook page. 

Beautiful Lake Champlain at Kil Kare State Park. Also on my list of places to see. 

Stopped to do some thrifting. 

My find.

Quick visit to the Joseph Smith birthplace. The rest of us had visited here in 2014.  https://beitemmett.blogspot.com/2014/06/road-trip-new-hampshire-and-vermont.html

One of our favorite stops: "The Holy KFC Taco Bell" (at least that's what all the missionaries in the Manchester New Hampshire Mission called it). This is located in West Lebanon, New Hampshire. According to pretty real documentation, this sits on the site of the house of the doctor who performed a daring operation into the marrow of the leg bone of a young Jospeh Smith. At Sarah's recommendation, I ordered the black bean crunch wrap supreme. Pretty tasty. I haven't eaten at a Taco Bell in many years. Also, glad the operation was a success--even without consuming alcohol to help with the pain. 

Brief stop to see the mission office in Manchester where Joel was in charge of keeping track of the mission fleet of cars and then back to Boston. Such a fun five days. 

Saturday Joel and Emma began their westward trek to Utah. I visited the Harvard Art Museum, then met Sarah and two friends for a fun outing to the Arnold Arboretum. 

I may or may not have dozed off. 

Good Indian food and some TV watching at Sarah's apartment to end out a great day. 

Flew home the next morning. Used Trax and the bus to get to and from the SLC airport and my home. A fun outing.