Day 0: And so it begins! (Dad/Daughter Great American Road Trip 2021)

American Airlines requires each passenger to wear a mask covering his/her nose and mouth for the duration of the flight. And please ensure your seatbacks and tray tables are in the upright and locked positions for take off and landing.

After two smooth-as-glass flights and early arrivals (yes, you read that right, we arrived EARLY), I am now in western Massachusetts at dad’s rustic New England farmhouse. Beginning this weekend, the house is up for sale and people are coming from as far away as Philly to take a peek. (See the official listing here.)

Before I arrived, Dad spent the better part of yesterday at his lab in Worcester cleaning out his former lab and getting it ready for new students. Although he misses teaching, there’s a long legacy of excellence by both dad and Susan that sets the tone for future education. (Great article about that here.) In memoriam, Clark University Alumni Association has set up a fund to help biology students with expenses such as travel, housing, and books - anything that will allow them easier access to a Clark education. (Contribute to the Foster-Baker Fund here.)

After a great night’s sleep, spent today looking out the window at the snow flurries (!) and packing for our 6 week road trip: clothes, toiletries, blankets and pillows, a cribbage board and cards, two laptops, two tablets, a pair of binoculars, and a bird book. And of course, oodles of snacks: as of this moment we have dried fruit (pineapple, apples, apricots, cranberries, kiwi, mangoes, and bananas), yogurt raisins, granola bars, six kinds of nuts, pudding cups, tapioca, mandarin orange cups, chocolate truffles, caramels, and Jello. Plus drinks and chips. If we get stuck in a random snowbank, there’s no chance we’ll starve to death.

In a flash of inspiration, we are bringing Susan’s homemade canned things as hostess gifts for the lovely people who are allowing us to stay: jams, jellies, pickles, beets, and more. (Dad claims that in a pinch, we can eat those things, too.)

Time to check email for the final time and pack up this computer. Then eat some dinner and get some rest. Tomorrow we head south and west towards Buffalo… first stop Niagara Falls!