It’s an interesting fact that many people don’t really think through the itinerary for how it might play out in reality and today is a case in point. We are to fly on a 6am flight (Thursday 31 October – Halloween) from Buffalo to Boston. Sounds reasonable until you realise that you need to be at American airports two hours before hand to allow adequate time for everything in the land of the free and paranoid. So this means we are up at 2.45am – checked out and on a shuttle by 4 and at the airport by 4.15am. Luckily there are not many at this time of the day so we check in our bags in 20 minutes and are through security in 15 minutes. Now we have to sit around for an hour or so – Tim Horton’s (lovely Canadian breakfast chain I have grown to appreciate) to the rescue again as we have breaky and board our flight. A rough flight to Boston and we are early arriving at 7am. We get a cab to the South Station Bus depot where we know we have a 2.15pm bus to Bangor, Maine. We are able to check our luggage into storage and tackle the main agenda item for the day – getting me a replacement jacket as I left my one and only one in a cab at Niagara Falls! There is one Big Men’s store not that far from South Station and so off in a cab we go at 9am thinking it will be open. We get there and realise that no – it doesn’t open for another hour! Have I mentioned that it is now raining and a bit cold and chilly. We find a Starbucks – as you do – and waste a bit of time and see out the window this beautiful building. Upon a closer look it’s the Royal Historical Museum for National History – of course closed but still a beautiful sight. Next to it is a striking Congregationalist church – so we have managed to see a little bit of beauty while we wait.
I get a jacket and back to the Bus Station. It is a lovely building with a domed roof and nice art on the walls as well as the obligatory American flags. By the time of the 4.5 hour bus ride to Maine – we are pretty tired and both fall asleep on the rainy ride to Bangor. Why Bangor you may ask – well it’s Stephen King country and this is the real heart of our trip – our tour tomorrow – Friday – of the sights of Bangor (upon which King’s fictional town of Derry is based) which are mentioned in the films and books of one of our favourite authors.
A quite meal in a chain restaurant near the hotel and we are both ready for bed by 9pm. Another great day in our American saga!
Father Shane's Observations and Travels 