Perry Hall, Maryland to Mystic, Connecticut

311 miles......5 hours 45 minutes.......... $$$ tolls............2 pit stops............

Mile 47    Time:   3:52am                       Welcome to Delaware:  The Diamond State

Delaware occupies the northern and eastern portion of the what many of us Marylanders call the Eastern Shore and what others call the Delmarva peninsula (short for Delaware-Maryland-Virginia).  It is one of the smallest peninsulas of the United States.

Delaware was the first of the original thirteen colonies (later the first thirteen states) that won their independence from England to ratify the U.S. Constitution. *



Mile # 64  Time: 4:11 a.m.              Welcome to New Jersey:  The Garden State

    New Jersey shares its northern border with New York. Aside from that, all of its other borders are formed by water: The Delaware River to the west, the Atlantic Ocean to the east; and Delaware Bay to the south. Northern New Jersey is very hilly, and southern New Jersey is very flat. New Jersey is one of the smallest of the United States (only Rhode Island, Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Delaware are smaller), but it is also one of the most populous. New Jersey ranks in the top ten of all the states in population numbers. It is very crowded in part because it is right between the huge eastern cities of Philadelphia and New York City.

Two of the most important battles of the American Revolution were fought in New Jersey.  When General Washington made his famous crossing of the Delaware he was going to none other than New Jersey!  Washington's army crossed the Delaware the night before Christmas and attacked Hessian soldiers the next morning in their camp at Trenton.  A few days later, Washington struck again, this time at Princeton, New Jersey (now home of the famous University with the same name) and again won an overwhelming victory.  These two battles were very important because the gave patriots everywhere hope that they would win independence from England. *

New Jersey has quite the reputation besides being the state that Devin always said he wanted to move too and being the state where you are not allowed to pump your own gas it is also known for not being one of the more popular states.  I stumbled upon this t-shirt on the web and thought it was pretty funny. 

 Mile # ?  Time:  6:17 a.m.             Welcome to New York:  The Empire State

 In the southeast, New York's Long Island is surrounded by three bodies of water:  Long Island Sound, the Atlantic Ocean, and New York Harbor.  Along its southern border, New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
 
New York has a little bit of every terrain, except for desert, within its borders.  Before European settlement, New York was the home of many different tribes of Native Americans.  The most powerful tribes were the Iroquois confederacy in western New York.  The French and Dutch were the first Europeans to visit New York.  They have left their words as place names all over the state -- Lake Champlain and the Schuylkill River.  The Dutch founded the first permanent settlement in what is now New York when they bought an island at the mouth of the Hudson River in 1626.  They paid local Native Americans with trade goods (blankets and colored beads) that would cost us about $25.00 in today's economy for what is now Manhattan Island!  After America became a nation, New York City quickly became more and more important.  It was even the national capital city for a brief time. *
 
For the kids..........New York State is synonymous with New York City...The Big Apple....home of the American Girl Store....FAO Schwartz....September 11th...broadway shows.....Central Park carriage rides....taxis.....Statue of Liberty...its worth pointing out that you see New York City from I-95 miles before you actually cross into New York State.  I admit, I was asleep and thus missed seeing the Statue of Liberty this time but I did hear Doug pointing it out to Carter. 
 
One day I want to show the kids the other parts of New York State....The Catskills....Niagara Falls....Cooperstown & The Baseball Hall of Fame....Cincinnatus where my Grandfather was born and raised...........but that must be saved for another trip because right now Connecticut awaits us. 
 
 
 Mile # 208     Time:   6:45am            Welcome to Connecticut:  The Constitution State
 

The Connecticut River (for which the state is named) runs through the middle of this state, cutting it in two.  The Connecticut River Valley separates Connecticut's Eastern Highland from its Western Highland. 
 
Connecticut was one of the original thirteen colonies that formed the early United States.  Initially, settled by Dutch traders beginning in the mid-1630s, then by Pilgrims from Plymouth Colony, and eventually by Puritans from Massachusetts Bay. 
 
Connecticut is an important manufacturing center.  Sewing machines, textiles, firearms and heavy machinery, including engine parts, are all made in Connecticut.  Guns have been continuously here since the American Revolution. 
 
Two of America's most savage Indian wars took place in Connecticut -- The Pequot War and King  Philip's War.  *
 
And we have arrived at our first destination....Mystic, Connecticut.  I will be the first to admit that the destination of Mystic as our mid-way point was pure happenstance.  I have heard a few people say that they loved the town of Mystic...I recalled that there was a movie about the town starring one of my favorite actresses but it wasn't until I put the destination into Google Maps that I found out it was exactly the 1/2 way point on our road trip!  What a co-inky-dink!
 
* Taken from The Everything Kids States Book

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