Two states and a broken bone (I think).  These last several days have been fun, but a bit painful- read on!

We stayed last night in Woodstock, VA.  I had an occurrence which, to me, is odd.  When I arrived at the hotel last night, I asked to see a room.  I was told that they don't do that!  This has happened once before on this trip.  In both cases, they told me that I wasn't able to see a room, that I just had to pay and go on.  This is new to me- I've been in a zillion hotels in my life and in every case where I've asked to see a room, there has been no issue.  Am I wrong for wanting to see where my family is going to sleep?  Doesn't it only make sense to ensure that you're safe to walk across the floor without worrying about stepping in something?

Thankfully, the room was great.  So was our day today.  We had Chick Fil-A for lunch- another of our favorite places!  Look at this line inside:

It's tough to see from this photo, but there were several more zig-zags in the line near the register.  Despite that, the line went extremely quick and we were taken care of the same way as in all Chick Fil-A restaurants that we've visited.  The food is great and the service is even better!

So- I have a potential issue that I've been dealing with for a while.  I promise I don't usually whine, and my philosophy has always been to play through the pain if possible (and whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger), and I'm seriously trying to follow that.  But wow, this is painful... back in Alaska, I started coughing.  The entire family passed the bug around and everyone got over it, except for me.  I've been coughing ever since, and suddenly,  several days ago, my rib cage started REALLY hurting.  Did you know that it's possible to break a rib due to excessive coughing?  Neither did I!

I've either done that or pulled a serious muscle because the pain is intense!  It really hurts to draw a full breath and laying flat on my back feels like a hippopotamus is standing on my ribs.  If you have to sneeze?  That's barbaric!  I looked it up and there's not a whole lot that can be done- you just have to wait it out.

Any kind of lifting with my left arm is just nuts (and any real lifting with my right arm hurts as well).  The last several shows have been painful to get through.  As for setting up and loading out?  We have a couple of cases that weigh over 300 lbs.  I've been saying all along that I'm thrilled to have local help with moving the heavy stuff, but lately, it has been a life saver.  I'm also INCREDIBLY grateful that the show for the next few days doesn't involve the straitjacket escape.  I did that today and the entire routine was excruciating!

Today's show was outdoors for the city of Roanoke.  There was a lot happening downtown, including an outdoor performance of an orchestra.  The folks were great!

After loading up, we headed towards tomorrow's show in Hazard, KY.   We saw this gas station with the new record for the lowest prices yet:

We also saw this on the road- it's a bit blurry and you can't tell from the photo, but there was twice as much stacked and tied on top of the vehicle.  Nothing was secured very well, and when this guy drove in front of us, I really thought he was about to send some large pieces of metal flying our way!

So, we finally arrived here and got settled just before 3 A.M.  Today's show is in Hazard, Kentucky.  Can't wait!

Today was show number 28 of our tour.  At this point, one might think that there are not many new things left to see or experience.  Well, today was filled with LOTS of firsts for this tour!

We began the day by going back to Walmart for all the things we didn't remember last night.  While there, I made some deposits at the bank.  I was explaining to the teller about the tour, and I honest-to-goodness had a moment where I couldn't remember which state we were in.  Seriously, if you ask any of us which day today is, we have to think long and hard.  Usually, we have no clue.

Faith is keeping a day to day tally of where we eat and where we stay at night.  For the first time on this trip, we had Burger King!

(Yeah, the kids insisted that the entire family had to wear the crowns...)  Burger King may not seem like such a big deal, but we hadn't had it in a while- so it was like a 5 star restaurant!  Another first was that Eli, who has been trying tiny bits of new foods, had a drip of soda.  Am I terrible that I find it hilarious when a youngster tries soda for the first time and gives that "Whoa, what it this" look?

We got an oil change for the Jeep (not a first- the second one of this trip, actually, and that's amazing when you consider that we had the oil changed the day we left, and it has needed two more in only a month).  This vehicle has been amazing so far.  It's pushing 203,000 miles and so far, so good.

On to West Virginia we went.  West Virginia was a new state for four of us- another first!  We also saw gas for sale at $1.89, which I didn't know was possible in today's world- a DEFINITE first on this trip!  Today's show was in Martinsburg, which is one of the nearest towns inside the West Virginia border.

We performed for the Martinsburg Rescue Mission- another first (type of venue) for the trip!  This is a place in the city where anyone can go who is in immediate need of food, clothing, or shelter for the night.  It was started in 1960 and their motto is "Not willing that any should perish".

Over the course of more than 25 years, I have performed at virtually every venue imaginable.  Most people envision that a magician is always performing on a stage for big crowds at a standard place.  We've certainly done that and that's what most of our tour is comprised of.  But over the years, I've also performed for places such as prisons and detention centers.  I can honestly say that I was scared to death the first time I brought my show into a prison.  However, I came away very surprised from that experience.  Those people were some of the kindest and most respectful folks I had ever met!  It's all about perspective- they hadn't had entertainment (or anything fun, for that matter) for a very long time.  So, when a magic show came in, they were riveted.  Now, today's show certainly wasn't for a prison.  This was a place that provides help and support for those in need.  But, there definitely hadn't been anything like a magic show here for a while so we all had a great time!  Truly, these were great people.  Here's a shot that Faith was able to sneak from the side:

Today's show was proof of what I always say- a magician's job is to make people smile.  When you can take someone who has been having a rough time, and for a moment they can forget all of that and just smile, it's the greatest feeling in the world!  We love what we get to do and the shows make us happy, but today's show REALLY made us happy.

After we loaded up, we stopped by a curious looking giant apple.  Turns out, it's a 50 year time capsule to be opened in 2040:

We went ahead and drove on to Woodstock, Virginia, to get some of tomorrow's driving out of the way.  Tonight we're staying in a Hampton- yet another first!  On this trip, we've stayed in every hotel out there- Comfort Inn, Quality Inn, Holiday Inn, Best Western, Ramada, Travelodge, and a zillion others (pretty much all of them except for Bob's roach motel), but no Hamptons until now.  We found this Hampton at the same price as Comfort Inn.  Now, Comfort Inn is certainly very nice but if you have the choice, go with Hampton.  We're blown away at how nice this place is- hopefully it's not just this location!  By the way, you know you've been on the road for a while when you mention that you're staying at a Best Western, and Silas asks "Best Western, or Best Western plus?"  Not sure many kids would know the difference.

Tomorrow we head further into Virginia.  It really doesn't seem like we can be this far into the tour.  We're certainly having a blast!

Greetings from the home of the Orioles and Ravens!

Today's show was an outdoor event for a community just outside of Baltimore.  The drive was once again short (boy, we're going to miss these states!) so we didn't have to leave ridiculously early.  This meant some actual relaxation time!

It's funny- when you're on the road non-stop, you get creative when a problem has to be solved.  Often the solution is very different from what you would do at home.  For instance, what if you have a container of baby wipes that gets crushed in storage?  At home, you could switch containers, or put the wipes in a plastic bag, or several other options.  On the road, however, you fix things with duct tape:

Off we went toward Baltimore.  It's been since the state of Iowa that our family got to enjoy our favorite thing- Chipotle!  So, for lunch, we set our GPS to take us to the first Chipotle on our route.  As it turns out, it was in a food court at a mall.  In Cincinnati they're all actual buildings.  Here, though, it was part of the coolest food court I've ever seen:

If you look carefully, you can see that there's a McDonald's right next to Chipotle.  Can it POSSIBLY get any better?

Outside, Faith took her daily handstand photo.  She's one incredible competition gymnast.  So far, her goal of a handstand photo in every state is 100%:

We had only a short journey left to Baltimore.  Upon arriving in the city, we stopped for a snack.  I asked Paula about my keys, which I thought she had with her.  She told me that she hadn't grabbed them, which meant...

Remember our blog post from Maine?  Well... Here I was again calling AAA for a case of keys locked in the car.  Thanks again Paula for insisting that we get AAA!  It took them a while to arrive this time but the guy opened the door VERY quickly.  Thankfully we still had plenty of time to prepare for today's show.

This was an outdoor show in Windsor Mill, just outside of Baltimore.  Outdoor shows are interesting- we have to adjust a bit and do some things differently.  The audience today was very receptive- we had a great time!

After the show, we had a good meal at Cracker Barrel (thanks again Sandy & Gerry!).  When I was younger, there were no Cracker Barrel restaurants in our part of the country.  If we ever ate there, it usually meant that we were on a vacation to Gatlinburg, Tennessee.  Remember those puzzles on the tables with the golf tees?  They're still there, and still just as frustrating:

We went to Walmart for a long-overdue trip to replenish several supplies (seriously, how did we ever survive without Walmart?).  Out on the road, our entire life is stored in a three shelf unit that I built in the front of the trailer just before we left.  We needed a bunch of oddball things like plastic tubs, black markers, an extra floor mat, potatoes (we use a potato in every show), and a zillion other things to make the trip work.

Tonight we're staying in Frederick, Maryland.  At the hotel,  we were all surprised when baby Eli started sitting up on his own for a little while at a time!

He's doing a forward lean thing, but he's staying up on his own!

We have less than an hour to go for tomorrow's show (YES!!!).  Three of us have been to West Virginia and four haven't- we're looking forward to a fun time!

Another packed house tonight!  The show in Delaware was awesome.  Pastor Bill and his crew did a great job and the church was completely full!

Our day began in New Jersey.  We've made it a goal to visit a beach along the coast whenever possible.  There are a series of New Jersey beaches very close to where we stayed.  The one we found was called "Waterfront Park", and it was a beautifully maintained public park like the ones we have in Cincinnati- except that it's right on the ocean and there's also a beach!

Next time we see a beach, it'll be down South.  It will also be much warmer, although the temperature has been nice.  New Jersey has been great all around!

So, it was on to Delaware.  We grabbed some Taco Bell for lunch (everybody has their standard order but if you want a good deal, do what I do and get the "$5 cravings box"- it's a ton of food and a drink for only $5).  One definite indication that we've spent a decent amount of time on the road is that the kids have all learned to eat something like Taco Bell in the car and not get a crumb anywhere.  I'm proud of them!

Like so many of the other wonderful venues, the church in Delaware was all set for our arrival.  They had completely cleared off their gigantic stage.  They were a big help with load-in and setup!  With the amount of space we had, we were able to increase our backstage space from "Hall closet' to "Larger than walk-in closet":

The show went without a hitch and we had a great time.  Look at this crowd!

After the show, we always meet with the audience in the lobby area.  To be completely honest, I'm incredibly honored that folks have even shown up to see what we're doing.  When someone comes to see your show, they're giving up some of their time, something that can never be replaced.  So, I never take it for granted that someone is willing to walk through the doors and spend some of their time with us!

There was one couple, however, that not only came to the show, but they brought us an amazing care package.  There was a gift card to Cracker Barrel, fruit snacks, a board game and two baseballs for the kids, and more!  They explained that they had been following the progress of the tour via this blog.  They gave us that well-thought-out gift bag in Delaware to help with our travels!  I've said it before- I am constantly amazed by the generosity of people in this world.  Thanks so much to all the good people out there who have such a giving spirit!

Delaware has truly been phenomenal.  Thanks again to Bible Fellowship Church for such a warm welcome and such a great time.  Now it's on to Maryland!

WHAT A DAY!  Out here in the East, our days haven't had to be as crazy.  Today, however, was very long- but wow!

We only had to drive a few hours to get to our show in New Jersey, so normally, it wouldn't have been a big deal.   Our route, though, was taking us directly through New York City.  I was there a long time ago, but Paula and the kids never had never seen it.  So, in keeping with our plan of seeing everything in the nation, we worked things out to stop and see some of NYC!

This meant that we woke in Connecticut at 4:20 A.M.  We packed up and hit the road at 5:00.  After a bit of driving, we began to see signs for New York City.  To this day, I can't pass one of those signs without hearing the Pace Picante guys saying "NEW YORK CITY???" (remember that commercial?).  We arrived in NYC without much issue.  However...

We pull a 17 foot trailer loaded with the show.  Obviously, parking a regular vehicle anywhere in New York City would be difficult, but a trailer, impossible.  The night before, we tried to look up a way to make it happen.  A friend in New York told me that our best bet would be to park outside the city and take the subway in.  Sounded good!  The nearest of the boroughs from our direction was the Bronx.  We arrived there, and... remember when I said that parking was difficult in the New England states?  Well, I officially take those words back.  Those states are nothing compared to trying to park in the Bronx.  There are parking lots but none that could hold a trailer.

So, here's a trick you can use if you're ever in the same situation.  This would have saved us an hour if we had tried it first.  Ready?  Park in the Bronx Zoo.  The Bronx Zoo is HUGE, their parking fee is less than any of the other lots, it's a totally safe place, and it's a very short walk from the nearest subway station.  Problem finally solved!

I had a completely new experience when we made our way to the subway.  When I was last here, the subway entrances operated with tokens.  Nowadays, you use a card.  There are machines everywhere that sell cards in whatever denomination you'd like.  So, we figured out how much we'd need (three rides planned), and we also knew that we'd need two cards.  Card #1- Tell the machine what I want, insert the cash, card comes out, done.  Card #2- Tell the machine what I want, insert the cash, and... nothing.  we wait three minutes.  The machine then gives me a receipt that acknowledges yes, I asked (and paid) for a card worth more than $27, but that the transaction had somehow failed, and that it had returned none of my $27.  Thanks for using the New York subway, and have a nice day!  What???  We found a terminal with an actual employee, and she explains that they've been having problems with that machine, and the only way to recoup that $27 is to mail in the receipt and explain the situation.  Again, what???  What if that had been the last of someone's cash?  Truly, I have never seen a vending machine of any kind that isn't set up to return the money if something goes wrong (and especially if we're talking about a decent amount- these things sell cards up into the hundreds of dollars!).  So, tip #2- if you need to ride the subway, buy the fare from a live person if you can find one.

Finally, we made it onto the #2 train towards Manhattan:

Our first planned stop was Times Square.  If you've only got a short time to see the city, Times Square is the place you see on all the TV spots and on the big new years eve show.

We also wanted to see the Statue of Liberty.  We didn't have time to ride the Ferry over to Liberty island but we did get to see it from a distance:

These photos don't really do it justice- the statue is much easier to see in person.

On this trip, we've gotten to see so many things, and there's still a lot more!  This has been one of the greatest blessings- that the kids will get to see virtually every major landmark in one summer.  Magic sure has been good to us!

So, we hopped back on the subway towards the Bronx so that we could get to today's show (oh, almost forgot, we had a big stage show to do today as well!).  We got back to the zoo and said farewell to the city 'til next time.  We crossed the George Washington bridge (another incredible sight!) and headed towards New Jersey.

The show was at Evangel Chapel.  I know I'm probably sounding redundant when I say how amazing the folks are at every church when they help us with everything, but wow, these guys sure were great.  Pastor Dennis, Dan, and Tim got us loaded into the church in no time at all.  We're getting faster with our setup every show we do, so that part went quick as well.

One of the new things this tour is that we have a curtained backdrop that we set up to create a backstage area.  This is where the final preparation takes place- everybody gets dressed, small props are arranged, and three ladies fix their hair:

The show went amazing.  This sure was one fun crowd (they're ALL fun, but still...)

One of our items available after the show is a poster that everyone signs.  Well, baby Eli is a member of the cast, and at this show, he began signing the posters as well:

We really had a great time.  Thanks so much, New Jersey, for making us feel so welcome!  And, thanks again to Pastor Dennis and everyone at Evangel chapel who helped make the show go so smoothly.  We can't wait to come back!

After the show, we found a late night diner called "Time to Dine".  This was one of those places that had a menu which was ten or twelve pages thick and had everything you could possibly want- breakfast, lunch, dinner, Greek food, Mexican, Chinese, sub sandwiches, a huge array of desserts, literally everything.  It was a great place- definitely go if you're out this way!

We then found a Holiday Inn for the night, and got settled at 1 A.M..  This has been one incredibly long day but it's been a day with a lot packed in and a day that we'll never forget.  On to Newark, Delaware tomorrow!

Funny how things change- when booking the states for this tour, Connecticut was one of the most difficult.  I worked on it for 15 months and got nowhere.  It ended up being one of the last states to book, but has now been one of the most AMAZING!

For this state, I tried everywhere imaginable.  The problem with these smaller New England states is that you run out of potential options fast.  What ultimately happened is, we booked the state of New York with Pastor Adam Sabo (that show took place on June 19).  As it turns out, Adam's mom, Sara, is on the board of a Christian Arts Organization in Connecticut.  Sara not only booked our show, but generously offered to give us a cottage to stay in while we were here.  So, this must be a thing with the Sabos- Adam fixed us up with Wendy and Gary, the two awesome people in New York who gave us a place to stay and fed us every meal while there.  Sara provided us with an actual house of our own for two nights, and also fed us every meal while here!  Truly, I'm speechless at the level of generosity that's been extended to our family.

This cottage is incredible.  It's fully furnished and has a living room, dining room, kitchen, FOUR BEDROOMS, bathroom and shower, and a huge covered front porch!

It has been incredible to have a home of our own for these two nights.  Thanks so much Sara!  This place also had a playground and a pond (which the kids took full advantage of):

This tour has been loads of fun so far, but very fast paced and often there isn't time to just relax.  So, given that the show today was right here and easy to set up, we really enjoyed the little break.  Clay, Lydia, and Silas got creative and used a pizza crust and fishing net to catch this whale:

As for the actual show, Sara had mentioned that even though they advertised in the local paper (and the church this morning listed the show in their bulletin), they didn't know how many people would come today.  Well, the show was completely packed!

We really had a great time.  Connecticut folks are lots of fun!  This is an area that we certainly hope to visit again next time.

After the show, I was invited to be a guest on the WILI radio show.  Mike and Roger are great radio hosts and it was an honor to be interviewed about our tour.

When I arrived back at the cottage, Sara had provided pizza for dinner!  I said it before, but thanks again Sara!  Our stay here has been one huge blessing.

Tomorrow we head out early.  We plan to see New York city on our way to the show in New Jersey.  Maybe I'll try to parallel park the trailer in Manhattan.  That would certainly be the most amazing feat so far!

Even more amazing is that tomorrow's show will mark the halfway point in the tour!  We will have visited and performed in exactly half the nation.  It feels like 100 years ago that we began in Alaska but at the same time it feels like it has flown by amazingly fast.  It's funny- sometimes we really have to think in order to name which state we're in, and SERIOUSLY none of us ever have ANY CLUE what day of the week it is.  But, if the rest of the tour is anywhere near as amazing as the first half, we're in for a great time! 

Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut, all in one day!

Our show today was in Rhode Island.  Last night we stayed in Massachusetts, not far from the show.  Normally we would leave after the show and drive as far as we can, so that there are no issues with arriving in the next state in time for the show.  With these New England states, however, you could almost ride a bike and still make it in time!

Before leaving Massachusetts, there was a burger joint that Paula really wanted to visit:

That's the original "Wahlburgers".  It's a burger restaurant run by Paul Wahlburg, brother of Donny Wahlburg (New Kids on the Block, actor) and Mark Wahlburg (singer, actor).  Apparently there's a TV show called Wahlburgers.  I've never seen it but supposedly it has to do with the day to day antics of the Wahlburg family.  They truly can make a show about anything these days...

The food was actually affordable and quite tasty.  Burgers are a staple for me so I was perfectly fine with trying this place out.  Everyone else agreed.

We headed on into Rhode Island for today's show.  Rhode Island is only 37 miles from one side to the other and it feels like even less.  It's a beautiful area, though.  As we approached the state, I asked Paula to check and see about famous movie filming spots.  Ever seen the movie "Dumb and Dumber"?  It has to be one of the funniest movies ever made.  The movie begins with the main characters living in Rhode Island, and I was curious as to whether there were any recognizable spots from the movie.  It turns out that the only one is "The Big Blue Bug".  We found him- here he is:

This is a GIGANTIC 58 foot blue termite located atop an exterminator building.  It's a well known Rhode Island landmark, and can be seen in Dumb and Dumber.  They made sure to include it in the movie to establish the Rhode Island connection.

Our show was in downtown Providence.  There was a huge festival going on and this show was outdoors.  As with most all of our shows, it was open to the public.  Here are some of the folks in attendance:

As well as a shot from within the crowd:

This was lots of fun!  Rhode Island may be small, but in the evening there sure are a lot of people in downtown Providence.

After the show, we went to get our trailer.  Remember the parking issue in New England?  Well, it totally holds true in Rhode Island.  You're on your own for parking, and we tried forever to find a spot to park our trailer that didn't cost a fortune.  The lot we finally found was going to cost $10 (a bargain here, actually).  Well, after the show, we went to drive out and the parking machine, which was credit card only, wouldn't read any of my cards.  So, the attendant came on the speaker and said "No charge, have a nice day"!  Awesome!

Guess what else is everywhere here?  Dunkin Donuts!  In Cincinnati, we went through a spell of several years where I thought Dunkin Donuts was all but extinct.  They came back strong, though, and slowly but surely they've been popping up all around Cincinnati.  But here... they're literally the most plentiful business you'll find!  As for gas stations- it's strange, as there aren't all that many of them.  We got off at one exit where there were three big hotels, several restaurants (including a Dunkin Donuts, of course) but no gas stations.  We had to drive more than a half mile down a small hidden road before we found the only one.

We drove on to Connecticut.  Tonight we're staying in Willimantic, CT, the site of our show tomorrow.  We also get to stay here tomorrow night, which means NO DRIVING AT ALL tomorrow.  That's a first, and I'm sure the Jeep will be happy!

How many days have you been to the beach in cold weather, eaten fresh Maine seafood, and used magic to get out of a parking ticket?  I hadn't had that day either, until today!

We stayed last night in Wells, Maine.  One thing we definitely wanted to do was to see the Atlantic ocean before leaving Maine for Massachusetts.  We've learned that in these northern states, parking is dang near impossible- double that if you have a big trailer like ours.  We found a nice beach but in order to park, you have to pay for a day, month, or yearly pass.  We did, however, find a very rare "30 Minute Free Parking" spot, which we promptly took advantage of.  Their parking spots were arranged in such a way that I was able to get everything in there just right.

So, we walked over to the beach.  It was cold enough outside that Eli needed a big fluffy blanket:

See the listing for the temperature of the water?  It felt like the arctic.  I have no idea how there were kids at this beach who were full-on playing in the ocean, because just standing on the wet sand felt like standing on a sheet of ice:

The kids, of course, had to build a complete sand fortress.

It was literally just after I took this picture that I looked up at our Jeep.  There was a bright orange paper under my windshield wiper.  I had been given a parking ticket!  Paula and I tried to figure out what it was for, as we were well within our free 30 minutes, I was in my space, etc.  There was nothing definitive listed on the ticket as to why.  So, we decided to go to the police station and ask (it was only about four blocks away)!

After driving around the station several times (remember, parking is impossible), I was able to go in and speak to the police receptionist at the counter.  I explained that we were a traveling family of illusionists who were just passing through town, and that we were completely in the dark as to what this ticket was for.  She asked where our show had been in Maine.  We talked for a bit about the show and I offered to show her what we do.  I performed a quick two minutes right there in the station and she smiled from ear to ear!  She agreed that the ticket didn't make sense and wrote VOID across the front in big red letters.  She said that I was all set and to have a good day, and even asked for our website as I was walking out!  Folks, trust me, you don't have to be a magician- just find something that you can do that makes people smile, and you WILL make someone's day.  You'll also get better tickets at the airline counter, upgraded seating at restaurants (and sometimes free food), and it might get you out of a parking ticket or two (ask me about the incident in the middle of the night with the officer and the straitjacket).  Making people smile really goes a long way in this world!

One other thing we wanted to do was to try the local seafood that Maine is famous for.  We found a place called "Lobster Cove"- definitely check them out if you're up this way!  They have the same big tank of live lobsters that we have at Red Lobster restaurants in Cincinnati, but here, they couldn't be fresher.  The kids were thrilled when our waitress showed them a lobster up close:

I'm a HUGE seafood fanatic.  One of my favorite things in the world is a good order of crab legs from Joe's Crab Shack.  So, here in Maine, we had to try the fresh Maine lobster.  I'm not one to show pictures of food but look at this:

That lobster was every bit as good as it looks.  We all shared that along with calamari and clams (we discovered at Friendly's the other night that Clay, Silas, and Lydia love clams).

Just as the food was about to arrive, Eli needed his pacifier from the Jeep.  I reached for my keys... and... nothing.  A check outside revealed that my keys were on the front seat, securely locked inside the car.  Great, just what we need!  Thankfully, Paula signed us up for Triple A just before we left home.  That membership has paid for itself so many times over by saving us 10% on almost every hotel, and now, it got a locksmith to come out and retrieve my keys!  Yeah, a magician should be able to open his own car, right?  Well, I can- and I have- but in this case, I had no tools of that sort.  I packed quite a few tools but can't bring the entire workshop!  The locksmith got the door open quite easily.  I showed him some magic and he said it was the best tip he'd received in a long time.  Remember, it's a great thing to make people smile by doing whatever it is that you do!

So, after those two adventures, it was time to head for the show.  Today we performed in Salem, Massachusetts.  Salem is very well known as the site of the "Salem witch trials" and upon driving through town, you'll see that reference everywhere.  Even the police officers have a silhouette of a witch on their uniforms and police cruisers!  Despite that, Salem is a town with very nice people.  We were very well received and had a great time.  In this town where the history is that people were burned for "magic", it was neat to do a presentation where people can see that a magician these days would be better described as an "Illusionist"- one who uses perfectly natural means to create the appearance of something really cool.  I always tell the audience to think of a magician as a storyteller.  When a storyteller begins their story, is it always a true story?  No!  But- often there's a reason to tell that story, such as teaching a lesson.  That is why the art of illusion can be such an effective tool for sharing a message!

After the show, we headed South.  We're spending tonight in a Comfort Inn and had a great dinner from Papa Gino's pizza.  Tomorrow we perform in Rhode Island.  That's yet another place we've never been, but can't wait!

Today consisted of a short drive, a free family meal, a great show, a search for a hotel, and a new experience at McDonalds!

We woke this morning in New Hampshire.  One thing that our family loves is constantly staying in new places.  This particular hotel had an indoor pool, and we had some time before checkout. Baby Eli loves the water!

We headed toward Maine and immediately started looking for somewhere for lunch.  Here in the Northeast (at least where we are), it seems that there's often nothing at the interstate exits,- gas, food, or otherwise.  That's quite different from Cincinnati, Ohio, where there's every restaurant you could dream of at every highway exit.  We were happy when we found a Taco Bell/ Long John Silver's combination restaurant.  We've had a decent amount of Taco Bell on this trip but none of us have had Long John Silver's in a very long time.  So, in we went, and we spent quite a while discussing the most cost-effective option.  For six people, do you get individual meals, or do you go with the family deal which has 12 pieces of fish and chicken, or is it six of the 2- piece baskets and split those, or???  We finally decided on what to do and just as I was counting out the money, a random stranger steps in front of me and hands his credit card to the cashier.  She asks what it's for and he points to us.  It literally took me a few moments to realize that a complete stranger had just paid for my family's meal!  Seriously?  I thanked him and he said that he's a father of five and his youngest just graduated from college, so he has an empty house.  He shook my hand but clearly didn't want to stick around, and out the door he went.  Unbelievable!  The things that just keep happening are amazing me every day!

We arrived at our venue in Maine (another short drive- awesome!).  The church had signs set up in front and on the side road:

Our load-in was smooth thanks to Pastor Will and a couple of local volunteers- thanks Matthew and Sebastien!  I always appreciate when we have a few willing volunteers to help move everything.  It means that I have that much more energy for the show!  Our performance was very well received by a fun crowd.  I still need to learn to take a good photo during the show- I think I blocked out more than 2/3 of the people here:

We had a really great time in Maine and hope to return soon.  Thanks again Pastor Will!

So, we still had to find a hotel for the evening.  How hard can that be?  Well... if you know your way around Maine, it might be easy, but we don't, so... remember that there really isn't much off the highway exits?  We drove to Kennebunkport and began the search.  There were quite a few "specialty" hotels, but nothing that a family of our size could stay in for less than a zillion dollars.  We went on another 9 miles to Wells, Maine, and at this point it was 10:30 P.M.  Everyone was really hungry (we usually eat dinner after the show, because we have to be at the venue early enough that we've usually just had lunch, and that makes dinner late by necessity).  Our only real option was McDonalds.  Now, certain folks have differing views of McDonalds, but for me, it's one of my major food groups.  When ordering, though, I did have an interesting conversation with the girl at the register.  Clay likes a double cheeseburger but with no cheese, and it's usually no problem to get it that way, but this was a new one for me:

Me:  I'd like a double hamburger with only pickles and ketchup, but no cheese- just a double hamburger.
Cashier:  What?  We don't have anything like that.
Me:  Just a double cheeseburger but with no cheese, so... a double hamburger.
Cashier:  We don't have that.
Me:  (Not really sure what else I can say)- Can you do a double cheeseburger but without cheese?
Cashier (Hesitantly)- Umm... I'm not sure, I think maybe...

I had already ordered several items with no onion and with no mustard, but apparently "no cheese" is outside the allowable limits!

We had a good meal.  We finally found a nice hotel in which the office was just about to close for the night, but the nice lady saw us turn into the parking lot and graciously rented us a room for the night.  We've gotten proficient at rearranging the hotel room furniture to accommodate the inflatable mattress which we sometimes have to bring in.  When deciding what to bring along for this long trip, I never would have thought of bringing along an air mattress, but my Mom insisted and I'm so glad she did.  It has saved us countless times.  Mother always knows best!

Tomorrow it's on to Massachusetts.  Gotta say, these New England states are really beautiful.  Can't wait to see them all!

Today was another busy day!

Our show yesterday was in Vermont.  Ever been there?  We didn't really have time yesterday to see very much.  Today, however, we drove across the entire state.  They call it "The Green Mountain State", and I now understand why.  I've never seen mountains so densely filled with trees:

Look closely.  In the rare spots where you can see the edges of a growth of trees, you can see that they're so close together that it's almost dark inside.  Isn't that amazing?  Truly, one of the greatest blessings on this tour is that we get to see so many incredible places.

We made it to New Hampshire relatively quickly.  I like these Eastern states- easy to drive across!  Everything was going just fine until we drove alongside a construction zone.  Suddenly, there was a loud WHUMP from the trailer followed quickly by another WHUMP.  I looked back and saw the metal fender, which is normally secured over the wheels, and it was flopping around free in the wind.  we pulled over to find the fender almost completely ripped free from the trailer and the fender light torn off and gone.  Turns out that a couple of construction cones somehow flew up and got lodged between the wheels and fender, and at that speed, it was enough to do some damage.

Thankfully, I was able to "band-aid" it on the side of the highway.  I used some self-drilling screws and it's held so far today, but the plan is to fix it correctly tomorrow and replace the missing light assembly.  We only have about an hour to drive so it shouldn't be an issue.

The show today was outdoors in beautiful downtown Concord, New Hampshire.  Outdoor shows can be a challenge but we've done quite a few for the Cincinnati Zoo over the years.  The crowd was lots of fun!

After the show, we got to go somewhere that Cincinnati has been missing for almost 20 years.  Remember Friendly's?

Paula and I both grew up eating at Friendly's.  Our kids have only had it when we're out on the road somewhere, so over the years, we've made sure to seek it out whenever we're in a state where Friendly's still lives on.  If you've never been there, they are famous for their ice cream.  It's truly some of the best you'll ever have!

As a side note, I'm writing this from our hotel in Concord, New Hampshire.  I just googled my name and I'm shocked at how many of these venues have listed our information online!  Click here for a newspaper story that a reporter did for our New York appearance, and click here for a radio ad that they're running for our upcoming show in Tennessee.  Lots out there!

So, tomorrow, it's Springvale, Maine.  We're excited about going over to the East coast, having just recently been in the West.  Atlantic Ocean, here we come!