Brian Patrick Abbott

Travels Through New England

Our path through New England traced on a map.

It’s the beginning of summer, 1996, and I am taking my sister Suzanne up to Saxtons River, Vermont for her summer stock gig.

Contents

  1. 1. Berwyn, Pennsylvania – New York City
  2. 2. New York City
  3. 3. New York City – Woodford, Vermont
  4. 4. Bennington, Vermont – Gorham, New Hampshire
  5. 5. Gorham, New Hampshire – Acadia Nat’l Park, Maine
  6. 6. Acadia Nat’l Park, Maine – Saxtons River, Vermont
  7. 7. Saxtons River, Vermont – Berwyn, Pennsylvania

introduction

Finally! We’ve been talking about it for so long and it’s finally going to happen. Since I went on my big trip two summers ago, Suzanne and I discussed doing this for a long time, but the opportunity never arose. To be honest, I think we always spoke as if it were a dream, that it was something we’d do someday in the future. Well that someday, albeit brief, has arrived.

Suzanne is returning for her second season as part of the Saxtons River Playhouse doing summer stock theater in Saxtons River, Vermont. Because she is staying for the summer, she has a lot of stuff to bring, making it difficult to take public transportation. I suppose the bus would be possible, Suzanne lives in New York City so the options are limitless.

We both thought it would be nice to take a trip and spend some time together. We see one another so little, particularly without the company of Mom and Dad. This would fulfill two desires: spend some time in New York City so Suzanne could show me the town, and then we could take a short camping trip together before arriving in Saxtons River.

It turns out our time together is lengthened a bit. Mom and Dad are going to a surprise birthday party on Saturday, the first of June, for their friend Diana in Connecticut. On the way back they were going to pick up Suzanne in New York and bring her home for a visit. Suzanne arrived home on Sunday and her only commitments for the week were an appointment in Philly on Tuesday morning and, once in New York, she is going to go to a friend’s cabaret in Greenwich Village on Wednesday night. We decided to leave Tuesday night for New York, arriving sometime between the evening and morning rush hour traffic. I know this is a large window, but why nail yourself down, right?