I-95 Gas Price Update - Sunday, November 22, 2009

Below are average posted prices as of Sunday, November 22, 2009 for unleaded regular gas for selected I-95 exits

Houlton, ME $2.88/gal   Springfield, VA $2.57/gal
Bangor, ME $2.73/gal   Dumfries, VA $2.51/gal
Augusta, ME $2.73/gal   Fredericksburg, VA $2.48/gal
Portland, ME $2.73/gal   Ashland, VA $2.54/gal
Portsmouth, NH $2.64/gal   Richmond, VA $2.54/gal
Seabrook, NH $2.70/gal   Petersburg, VA $2.49/gal
Danvers, MA $2.67/gal   Emporia, VA $2.49/gal
Dedham, MA $2.65/gal   Roanoke Rapids, NC $2.56/gal
Mansfield, MA $2.65/gal   Wilson, NC $2.59/gal
Attleboro, MA $2.64/gal   Selma, NC $2.60/gal
Pawtucket, RI $2.65/gal   Fayetteville, NC $2.59/gal
Providence, RI $2.66/gal   Lumberton, NC $2.59/gal
Warwick, RI $2.61/gal   Rowland, NC $2.58/gal
Wyoming, RI $2.65/gal   Dillon, SC $2.56/gal
New London, CT $2.73/gal   Florence, SC $2.51/gal
New Haven, CT $2.83/gal   Manning, SC $2.51/gal
Bridgeport, CT $2.84/gal   Santee, SC $2.51/gal
Greenwich, CT $2.85/gal   Walterboro, SC $2.50/gal
Rye, NY $2.87/gal   Savannah, GA $2.54/gal
New Rochelle, NY $2.79/gal   Richmond Hill, GA $2.56/gal
Bronx, NY $2.95/gal   Darien, GA $2.56/gal
Secaucus, NJ $3.03/gal   Brunswick, GA $2.59/gal
Woodbridge, NJ $2.90/gal   Woodbine, GA $2.63/gal
East Brunswick, NJ $2.74/gal   Kingsland, GA $2.66/gal
Bordentown, NJ $2.47/gal   Yulee, FL $2.65/gal
Cherry Hill, NJ $2.50/gal   Jacksonville, FL $2.63/gal
Penns Grove, NJ $2.47/gal   Saint Augustine, FL $2.73/gal
Wilmington, DE $2.46/gal   Palm Coast, FL $2.77/gal
Newark, DE $2.46/gal   Daytona Beach, FL $2.62/gal
Elkton, MD $2.51/gal   Orlando, FL $2.62/gal
Perryville, MD $2.45/gal   Cocoa, FL $2.62/gal
Aberdeen, MD $2.55/gal   Palm Bay, FL $2.69/gal
White Marsh, MD $2.56/gal   Fort Pierce, FL $2.72/gal
Baltimore, MD $2.57/gal   Cape Coral, FL $2.77/gal
Greenbelt, MD $2.57/gal   West Palm Beach, FL $2.76/gal
District Heights, MD $2.57/gal   Miami, FL $2.75/gal

For more I-95 information, visit www.i95exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to America’s Interstate Main Street. Detailed exit service listings… lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Maine to Florida!

Traveling along Florida’s I-4? Gas prices are now available for selected cities along this route as well. Visit www.i4exitguide.com

I-95 Gas Price Update - 8/6/09

Below are average posted prices as of Thursday, August 6, 2009 for unleaded regular gas for selected I-95 exit cities:

Houlton, ME : $2.74/gal Springfield, VA : $2.49/gal
Bangor, ME : $2.60/gal Dumfries, VA : $2.44/gal
Augusta, ME : $2.65/gal Fredericksburg, VA : $2.41/gal
Portland, ME : $2.66/gal Ashland, VA : $2.45/gal
Portsmouth, NH : $2.63/gal Richmond, VA : $2.45/gal
Seabrook, NH : $2.67/gal Petersburg, VA : $2.41/gal
Danvers, MA : $2.65/gal Emporia, VA : $2.44/gal
Dedham, MA : $2.59/gal Roanoke Rapids, NC : $2.53/gal
Mansfield, MA : $2.59/gal Wilson, NC : $2.62/gal
Attleboro, MA : $2.59/gal Selma, NC : $2.53/gal
Pawtucket, RI : $2.58/gal Fayetteville, NC : $2.55/gal
Providence, RI : $2.58/gal Lumberton, NC : $2.54/gal
Warwick, RI : $2.58/gal Rowland, NC : $2.53/gal
Wyoming, RI : $2.60/gal Dillon, SC : $2.53/gal
New London, CT : $2.70/gal Florence, SC : $2.41/gal
New Haven, CT : $2.77/gal Manning, SC : $2.37/gal
Bridgeport, CT : $2.86/gal Santee, SC : $2.36/gal
Greenwich, CT : $2.84/gal Walterboro, SC : $2.37/gal
Rye, NY : $2.84/gal Savannah, GA : $2.43/gal
New Rochelle, NY : $2.75/gal Richmond Hill, GA : $2.47/gal
Bronx, NY : $2.88/gal Darien, GA : $2.51/gal
Secaucus, NJ : $2.92/gal Brunswick, GA : $2.50/gal
Woodbridge, NJ : $2.85/gal Woodbine, GA : $2.55/gal
East Brunswick, NJ : $2.71/gal Kingsland, GA : $2.56/gal
Bordentown, NJ : $2.46/gal Yulee, FL : $2.57/gal
Cherry Hill, NJ : $2.46/gal Jacksonville, FL : $2.56/gal
Penns Grove, NJ : $2.46/gal Saint Augustine, FL : $2.58/gal
Wilmington, DE : $2.47/gal Palm Coast, FL : $2.62/gal
Newark, DE : $2.45/gal Daytona Beach, FL : $2.56/gal
Elkton, MD : $2.47/gal Orlando, FL : $2.56/gal
Perryville, MD : $2.44/gal Cocoa, FL : $2.50/gal
Aberdeen, MD : $2.49/gal Palm Bay, FL : $2.65/gal
White Marsh, MD : $2.49/gal Fort Pierce, FL : $2.65/gal
Baltimore, MD : $2.51/gal Cape Coral, FL : $2.65/gal
Greenbelt, MD : $2.49/gal West Palm Beach, FL : $2.66/gal
District Heights, MD : $2.49/gal Miami, FL : $2.66/gal

For more I-95 information, visit www.i95exitguide.com, the Internet’s largest and most complete website devoted to America’s Interstate Main Street. Detailed exit service listings… lodging, camping, food, gas and more for every exit from Maine to Florida!

Traveling along Florida’s I-4? Gas prices are now available for selected cities along this route as well. Visit www.i4exitguide.com

Elizabeth Park Rose Garden - Hartford, Connecticut

Elizabeth Park Rose Garden

Elizabeth Park Rose Garden

By Molly G. @ The Bumbles Blog

June is the month of brides and blossoms. A perfect spot to see both is Elizabeth Park in Hartford, Connecticut. In the month of May, Elizabeth Park is an optimistic place to visit with tulips, lilacs, dogwoods and azaleas brightening the scenery. But in June, the park truly comes alive with it’s rose garden exploding with fragrance and beauty. This year’s Rose Festival falls on Father’s Day weekend, 06/20 & 06/21.

Archways of Roses

Archways of Roses

Trellises that stand patiently bare the rest of the seasons overflow with endless varieties of roses covering the entire color spectrum. Archways tempt you to explore the gardens further and behind each wall of flowers more surprises abound. In the center of the garden is a huge gazebo which morphs from skeletal to incognito during rose season.

Gazebo overtaken in June

Gazebo overtaken in June

Bridal parties flock to the gardens of Elizabeth Park with their photographers in tow with the hopes that the roses won’t upstage the bride. Prom and First Communion photos are also a big hit here, but the most frequent are amateurs using the natural backdrop to capture their family memories . Children can have plenty of fun running through the rose garden as if it were a maze created by Victorian queens.

Maze of Roses

Maze of Roses

Outside of the rose garden there are several other flower gardens showcasing other blooms of the summer and offering plenty of shade trees to the weary or those looking for a cool place to relax and read a book. Paved trails wind their way throughout for walking, biking, strollers and pets. Picnic tables are scattered in the park for those packing baskets with them.

More Than Just Roses At Elizabeth Park

More Than Just Roses At Elizabeth Park

Visitors who arrive caught off guard by the length of their stay can always stroll over to the The Pond House Café to grab a delicious meal while overlooking the fountains in the pond where the ducks take up residence. There is also a larger banquet hall attached to provide just the right setting for those June brides to hold their wedding reception.

Pond House Cafe

Pond House Cafe

So whether you are getting married, passing through or in need of some family friendly fun, Elizabeth Park has you covered - in roses.

QUICK HITS:

  • COST = Free.
  • DURATION = Whatever you make of it.
  • HOURS = Park is open Daily from Dawn to Dusk. Pond House Café closed Mondays, see their website below for hours.
  • ENVIRONMENT = Family friendly, handicap accessible, leashed dogs welcome.
  • ACCESSIBILITY = By car - plenty of free parking.
  • WEBSITE = http://www.elizabethpark.org/, http://www.pondhousecafe.com/
  • FUN FACTS = Friends of Elizabeth Park in partnership with Hartford Gardeners maintain all the park’s gardens on a non-profit, volunteer basis. There are approximately 15,000 rose bushes alone providing 800 different varieties. You can sit among them on the rose garden lawn Wednesday nights in the summer and enjoy free concerts.

Noah Webster House - West Hartford, Connecticut

Noah Webster House

Noah Webster House

By Molly G. @ The Bumbles Blog

If you’ve ever wondered where on earth the words we use get their pronunciation, spelling and definition from, Noah Webster is the man for you. A visit to the Noah Webster House in West Hartford, CT can teach you a little about that as well as provide insight into everyday colonial life.

The museum exists in the childhood home of Noah Webster whose structure has remained intact and exhibits scenes true to his time there. The guided tour through the four rooms of the home provide good examples of life in the 1700’s. They focus heavily on weaving, looms, clothing and cooking - which were the known major functions of Noah’s family.

Very little on the tour is told about the politics of the time or Noah’s famed pursuit of all things language. Noah’s history of the creation of the dictionary and his life’s passions about language, politics and copyright protection is instead told in the introductory video prior to the tour in a reproduction one room classroom, as well as in a discovery exhibit beyond the gift shop, which is excellent.

If you live locally, the foundation offers monthly activity programs for children the first Saturday of each month which focus on arts & crafts from the time of Noah’s childhood. Their activities for birthday parties, camps or field trips seem to be very good as well. They also sponsor adult Tavern Nights to showcase games of that century, wine tasting classes as well as holiday events, such as a fun filled Father’s Day Breakfast that is used for fund-raising.

There is a small garden tucked in front of the home next to noisy South Main Street, as well as a beautiful old Copper Beech tree in the back of the property which seems more of an idyllic setting to relax under for a while to discover the lessons of language from Noah Webster.

QUICK HITS:

  • COST = $7 Adults, $4 Kids, Free under Age 5, Discounted Rates to Seniors & Students.
  • DURATION = Tours last approximately 1 Hour.
  • HOURS = Brief, 1PM - 4PM daily, Closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays
  • ENVIRONMENT = Family friendly. Handicap accessible on first floor only.
  • ACCESSIBILITY = By car.
  • WEBSITE = http://www.noahwebsterhouse.org
  • FUN FACTS = Noah wanted to be a lawyer but his family couldn’t afford it so he became a teacher instead - he founded Amherst College. Noah was very active with the Founding Fathers but was not elected an official representative at the Constitutional Convention because he was critical of CT’s financing habits in the Revolutionary War. Politics never change.

Gas Prices Start to Climb

6 percent jump signals what could be a costlier summer driving season

In what could be a harbinger of summer driving costs, the nation’s average price of gasoline jumped 12 cents, or 6 percent, last week, after several weeks of relative stability, according to AAA Mid-Atlantic.

read the full story…

Hill-Stead Museum - Farmington, Connecticut

By Molly G. @ The Bumbles Blog

Hill-Stead Museum

Hill-Stead Museum

Have you ever wondered what one of Monet’s Hay Stacks would look like hanging in your living room?  Or dreamed of relaxing in a sunken garden with the sweet aroma of blossoms all around?  Well, a visit to the Hill-Stead Museum in Farmington, CT provides this and more.

Nestled in a stately suburban neighborhood just off of Route 84 about 15 minutes west of Hartford, the Hill-Stead Museum provides a peek into the past coutesy of the Pope family who left their home and farmland for the creation of a museum.  Tours of the home show the collection of furniture, literature and art displayed as it would have been when the family lived there in the early 1900’s.

Kids are encouraged by the guide to guess the reason for the big dutch door at the front entrance to the house.  The dining room is decorated with Degas hanging over the rich wooden mantle.  The Morning Room is bright and elegant with Monet hanging prominently and a lovely view of the farm.  The Library is packed to the gills with books.  The Drawing Room looks less fanciful than expected -except for those original Monet haystacks hanging on the walls. Unlike a big art museum, the setting for vieweing this collection of Impressionist paintings throughout the house is so serene that you want to select one of those grand old books from the library and curl up in a chair to read while looking up every now and then to study the paintings to your heart’s content.

Sunken Garden in the Spring

Sunken Garden in the Spring

The upstairs bedrooms are decorated with a Cassatt painting and overlook the expanse of the farmland with it’s prototypical New England red barn and not a glimpse is to be had of the modern roadways just beyond it’s edge that make this place so convenient to get to.

Just outside the house are the steps down into the sunken garden that is tended to by local garden club volunteers and the sparkling white spring blossoms and tulips create the aura of a fairy tale. In the summers, poetry readings and a variety of musical performances draw large crowds looking for a cool and enchanting spot to let the mind wander and come close to knowing what it must have felt like to have a country estate.


QUICK HITS:

  • COST = $9 over Age 12, $4 Ages 6-12, Free under Age 6, Discounts for Seniors & Students.
  • DURATION = House tours take 1.5 hours.
  • HOURS = 10AM-5PM May-Oct., 11AM-4PM, Nov.-April (grounds open 7:30AM-5:30PM), Closed Mondays & Holidays.
  • ENVIRONMENT = Families welcome, but younger kids may become distracted on tour. Only ground floor is handicap accessible.
  • ACCESSIBILITY = By car.
  • WEBSITEwww.hillstead.org/index.html
  • FUN FACTS = The house was designed by the daughter of the owner, Theodate Pope Riddle, who was a successful architect and woman ahead of her time. She was also lucky - she survived the sinking of the Lusitania.  The museum offers a full calendar of programs for gardening, music, special monthly open houses, workshops and festivals throughout the year.