The Highland Street Foundation is once again funding the 5th Annual Free Fun Fridays State-wide Summer Program. This
program offers Free Admission to 60 Museums and Cultural Venues throughout Massachusetts. Whether you live in Boston or the Berkshires, Worcester or Cape Cod, the North Shore or the South Coast, you can take advantage of this free program. Free Fun Fridays is the annual summer program that opens doors at no cost to visitors to many of the most treasured cultural venues in Massachusetts. Beginning June 28th through August 30th, six cultural venues will be open free-of-charge every
Friday for 10 weeks this summer. The Highland Street Foundation provides grants to participating venues to cover the cost of opening their doors for free. Free Fun Fridays is making the arts accessible to all residents of Massachusetts. This week the Free Fun Friday Locations are.


Freedom Trail Foundation
Mass Moca
Stone Zoo
Worcester Art Museum
Heritage Museums & Gardens
Tanglewood

If you have a little extra cash available this weekend there is place to spend it and the chances are very good that no one in your social circles will have ever been there or done that. This weekend the New England Air Museum will offer the public a chance to purchase a ticket for a ride on a B-25J Mitchell Bomber. For the price of $425 dollars per person you will have the opportunity to visit the planes cockpits and take a flight for a half hour and back. The plane will only accommodate passengers on each flight and there will be five flights on Saturday and five more on Sunday at 9:30..11:00..12:30…2:00 and 3:30.

With Uncle Sam cancelling out the Thunderbirds and Blue Angels for this year for the only two air shows that would have been in New England, (Budget Cuts) if you cannot get on a flight on this WWII  era Bomber then you should be able to see it take off and land this weekend and that will be pretty cool as well. The museum will have a lot of other old aircraft on display as well.

There are very few places where you can get a Muckies hot dog besides the supermarkets in Ct. They are not cheap, but they are a quality dog with a nice snap and great flavor.  Well thank goodness there is Millsie’s Hot Dog Truck in Windsor Ct. It is located just down the street from Bradley Airport on Rt 75 south. The first thing is the dog itself. They serve that wonderful Muckies 8 inch dog with a variety of toppings. Millsie's makes a couple of homemade sauces that are very good. First the homemade meat sauce, it has a firm texture that was not watery and a flavor that is all its own with just a little bite. It is delicious! They also have a homemade spicy sweet onion relish that is very good as well. The dogs are three dollars each and all of the Toppings are free. They have all the regular toppings that you would except to get with a hot dog including sauerkraut or grilled onions as well.

The buns are not New England style rolls, and just on a personal note that was the only negative that I had, (I’m impartial)  but
they held up well under the strain of the 8 inch dog with sauce filling. All cans of drinks and water are a dollar and bottles of Avery Birch Beer, Diet Root Beer or Black Cherry is $1.50 and that is a bargain. You can also order a Kielbasa or Hot Sausage for $4.50

Millsie's is located at 2152 Poquonock Ave- Rt. 75, Windsor, CT. Heading towards Bradley Airport from Route 20 get off on the Rt 75 exit and take a Left at the end of the ramp onto Rt 75 You will see the truck on the left at the immediate next light. Open from 10:30-3pm                           Good people serving up Good Stuff

We all know we live in a great country that has many amazing holidays to celebrate. Did you know that next Tuesday, June 18th is National Picnic Day? What a great way to start the summer off right with friends and family by our sides! 

During the good ole days (Victorian era) picnics were very important social occasions. They offered the rare opportunity for young men and women to spend time together in the great outdoors. The origins of dating are there I'm sure. They were also quite elaborate. The modern-day picnic is much less complicated. In fact, the phrase “it’s a picnic” means “it’s easy.”

To celebrate National Picnic Day, invite your friends and family to a summer picnic. Find a suitable location at a local park or
field, and sit back and enjoy an al fresco meal in the company of your loved ones. This year with it falling on Tuesday not everyone can take the time off and go play. But make the commitment to celebrate it a little later. The celebration of National Picnic Day in the United States is a one day event but in many countries throughout  Europe it is the National Picnic Week and it is celebrated from the 17th-23rd of June.

No one can deny that our area of the country has some absolutely stunning areas of natural beauty and fantastic city and state parks. For decades Americans have loved loading up the picnic basket and head out for the experience. The celebration of life and food are as American as Apple Pie.  If you think about it, all of our Holidays also have a feast of food as part of them.

Get a commitment from your family and friends. Everyone can bring something for the menu and plan for it ahead of time so you have no duplicate food items. Pack the traditional wicker picnic basket, cooler’s and go. If anyone does not have a wicker basket send Helene a note here as she used to collects them and I think has way to many collecting dust.

City Parks
They are easy to find and accessible. There are many that have concession stands to enjoy Ice cold treats after your picnic. However, parks tend to be crowded at weekends, but there arealways enough people around to play a game of softball or volleyball. 
 
The Great Outdoors
The relax-factor on this type of picnic can easily reach 100% with fresh air and a perfect landscape. It is more exciting
than picnicking in the park, and you have a tighter bond to the surrounding nature. There are no crowds either. Be Careful around the streams and rivers this week, the flooding from last week is everywhere.

A few days ago we decided that we were going to cure our craving and enjoy some fresh New England Whole Belly Clams. When you talk about Whole belly clams and you live in Massachusetts then the discussion has already been narrowed down between the big two, Essex or Ipswich.

We left Western Mass at 8am and I never would have believed this, pulled into the center of Rockport Ma at 10:05am. I am known as a driver that never goes faster than 5mph over the speed limit so that tells you that on a Weekend morning the
Pike and 95 are really a good ride. We parked in the center of town to stretch our legs, smell the Ocean Breeze and gather some inspiration from the view of the Inner Harbor and Motif #1. The town is vibrant and active with boutiques and galleries displaying paintings and crafts that are pleasing. There are amateurs painting everywhere who are attempting to test their skill
at capturing the idyllic daily life all through the town. When we finished our walk we drove a very short distance south along the coast through a neighborhood that is one of the most prestigious locations in Rockport and arguably offers the finest breathtaking views of the coastline in the Cape Ann area.

When we were done looking around Rockport it was time to head north to find our next adventure which was lunch. I will say that when you are driving and looking for a place to stop for lunch, then the farthest point away is already at a huge disadvantage. Sorry Ipswich but the writing was on the wall at this point. We won’t be having lunch at the Clam Box today. As you drive the coast North towards Essex you are going to pass by the biggest three restaurants that are known for fried clams in the town. The first one is JT Farnham’s on the right. We have been there in the past, it is a great stop if you have not been there before. It is a great shack with tables outside overlooking the river and marsh and most importantly, a great spot to sit down and enjoy some good fried clams. We passed up Farnhams and continued up the road towards Woodman’s. We thought of going there but at the last minute changed our minds.  I do have to mention Woodman’s and not disparagingly. It’s pricy, rustic and it’s been said that the fried clam we know and love was allegedly born there on July 3, 1916, by Lawrence Woodman, progenitor of Woodman’s clam eatery. I can tell you that I have enjoyed eating there in the past. We did not stop in today because the only other place I have not been to in town was a little farther up the road and over the river on the left.

The Village Restaurant................. Helene and I ordered the Fisherman's Platter.  We also ordered the clam chowder and onion rings. The Platter is all fried and consists of whole belly clams, scallops, haddock, shrimp, French fries and Cole Slaw.    The  whole belly clams were, indeed, excellent. Not sandy, briny or mealy in any way. They really stood up well to the dredging and deep frying process, as did the scallops and shrimp. So many times fried seafood is diminished in taste because of dirty oil. I was pleased to enjoy a fish platter that was fresh and clean instead of crunchy over-cooked sea bits. The onion rings would have been perfect if they'd been salted right out of the fryer. The batter wasn't very thick at all and they weren't over fried.  The
chowder is amazing, thick with chunks of clams. The Cole slaw was average but fresh. . There was also corn bread and dinner rolls with plenty of butter!  Expect crowds on the week-ends. The Village has received some pretty big accolades  in the past by esteemed food writer's Mark Bittman in the pages of Saveur magazine and Michael Stern of ‘Roadfood’ who wrote that it’s "Legendary and Worth driving from anyplace". That is the highest rating that you can get from them.  There was an older crowd while we were there that afternoon.  Older is sometimes wiser, right? The prices are a little high for everyday dining.    The waitress was very nice and attentive to our empty glasses. The food was delicious! The atmosphere is very
casual, making for a relaxing lunch!

Our lives are changing on how we travel and what we do on vacations. We have become conditioned to look at our schedules for everything we do from work, school, home and all the appointments in between. This in turn has changed the way we think on how to spend our leisure time. With so little precious time for vacations we have become fixated on making sure that we are able to see and do the most out of the time that we do have. So think about when the last time you jumped in the seat turned the key and just hit the road?  Just get in the car and drive. Preparing for anything as the adventures and explorers of  a hundred years ago did every day. Has the thought of no agenda and no final destination ever come to mind?  

All it takes is hopping in your car and choosing a direction, pack a picnic basket for lunch so you can stop when and where you
want and go at least that’s the theory… One thing I’ve learned in the past few years of road tripping is that it helps to have an idea of the general area or destination that you are heading too and when the trip should be over. After that it’s just supposed to be an adventure.  You could be off to the winding hills, forests, the ocean or a mountain stream.  Start with a day trip and then move to that overnight.   Helene and I have done many a trip through the years. There were days when we ended up at
huge event and there were others where we just sat by a brook with our feet in the water enjoying a sandwich. A few years ago we did a Road Trip to Missouri. It was a planned visit with the family. We left and went via the Blue Ridge Mountains to North Carolina and then continued through the Great Smokey Mountains of Tennessee. Every day was an adventure and not one of them was planned. Having a picnic lunch on the banks of the Mississippi River or the trip through the Cataloochee Valley of the Great Smokey Mountains were just a couple of the many places we went on that trip to Nowhere. It was a trip that we remember with fond memories to this day and one that we will cherish forever.

 Some people would say that to drive with no real destination or agenda only to turn around and return home would be a waste of time and gas, This, for me, represents my eternal longing to travel. With a Road Trip to Nowhere you can satisfy your own needs to explore. There is that quest for adventure in all of us. We may have a much more complex life now than our parents before us did but we all share a common thread. To wander and seek…We live to discover.

There are times that I am not satisfied with stopping at the local hot spots. I am not satisfied with driving to a festival. I need the mountains, I need the forest and I need fresh air and I live close to them all.

I got to thinking about the traditional clambake and heading up north to the coast for the experience again this summer. A traditional New England Clam Bake with Clams, Lobsters, Corn on the Cob, Chorizo sausage, Red potatoes and all the other goodies that make it such a special treat. I have been to a few clambakes at Fosters in York Maine and when its done well, there is nothing like it.

The disadvantage with Outdoor Clambakes is that there are so few companies that operate them for the general public; rather they are mostly done as catering events. I can think of a few  that I will list here and  there may be more, but I don't know them.  Wolfes Neck Farm Freeport Maine                 
 Cabbage Island Boothbay Maine                                                            
  Kempenaar’s Clambake Club Middletown, RI

To do a good clambake you need a large steel sheet over a hot hardwood fire, lots of seaweed, layers of lobsters , more seaweed, clams, more seaweed, corn, seaweed, chouriço sausage a wet canvas over the whole deal and a supply of
water to keep the canvas wet and make the steam for the food to cook. Putting on one of these bakes is a true art form.
For the uninitiated though it is a real easy way to ruin several hundred dollars worth of good New England seafood and disappoint a large crowd of family and friends. The only proper way I have seen it done is steaming. It is less messy and safer than boiling. It cooks the lobsters more slowly, so the meat is nice and tender. A secret that I have also seen used is
placing an egg in the bake. When the egg is hard-boiled, the lobsters will be cooked through.

If you're a seafood lover and you haven't been to the Coast for an authentic clambake you're missing out.  There is a huge plus for all of us and that is the Coast is dotted with local favorites from All Star Restaurants to Classic Roadside Seafood stands serving the best Lobster rolls, Fried whole belly clams and Scallops in the Country. Plus in New England there is nothing better than a cup of Clam Chowdah.

The thought of this now has me droolin' down my shirt!  ………Road Trip !