Flat Stanley's New England Tour

Flat Stanley is planning his New England trip. It's tough typing when you're so attached to your flat luggage.

First stop: Portland! Here Stanley joins the young folks enjoying lunch on a warm late-winter day. This is Monument Square in the heart of the city.

Here Stanley is getting a closeup of one of Maine's most popular attractions: Lobster! This is the Maine Lobster Memorial, a replica of a statue commissioned by the State of Maine for the 1939 World's Fair in New York City.

Stanley got hungry but couldn't eat a whole lobster. So he's opted instead for sushi! This particular sushi is made from eel.

Here Stanley is enjoying another famous attraction in Maine: Portland Head Light in Cape Elizabeth.

Stanley wants to climb to the top of Portland Head Light but it's too steep.

Stanley is enjoying the solitude of the Maine coastline which stretches literally for miles. Here at Two Lights State Park, he nearly gets the entire view to himself. What ocean will Stanley be enjoying if he finally stops hamming for the camera?

Now Stanley has left Maine for New Hampshire. This is the Historical Society building in the town of New Boston. Bet it takes you a while to find this town on a map. It's not nearly as big as "old" Boston!

New Hampshire has many churches. The one in the background is typical. Also, in front of most fire department buildings is a sign that warns the people what the fire danger is. Since everything is wet in the Spring, the danger is low.

Here's an outdoor cafe next to the Piscataquog River. Where will this water end up? New Hampshire folks love living near the water.

Here Stanley has found a rabbit. Is this the Easter Bunny?

Stanley wants a snack. Most towns in New Hampshire have a store that carries local goods. Here there is a big selection of muffins, cookies, brownies. All fresh and good.

Now Stanley is checking out Concord, NH. Did you think this was the Liberty Bell? Actually, it's a replica of the real one, but that crack is just painted on. Where is the "real" Liberty Bell?

Concord is the capital of New Hampshire. All of the state capitals have a domed building like this one, called a capitol building. (Did you notice the difference in spelling?) What happens inside this building?

New Hampshire has many references to this man, Daniel Webster. He was a senator and a good speaker. That he's here right in front of the capitol building tells you how revered he is.

Stanley wraps up his tour of Concord excited about the coming Spring. This plant grows very easily here. This is a rhododendron with a bud that will flower later. This is an outdoor plant that doesn't shed its leaves in the winter; instead the leaves shrink and droop, then "spring" back to life when it gets warmer.

Stan is lucky! It's Maple Sugar Weekend in New Hampshire! Here he has arrived at Sugarmomma's Maple Farm. Stan is going to learn how maple syrup is made.

This is a very common sign in New Hampshire.

Maple syrup begins as sap. Sap is the water and nutrients trees need to sprout leaves each spring. Sap flows upward from the roots to the branches. For maple trees, the sap is slightly sweet. You get the sap by drilling a "tap" into a maple tree and hanging a bucket from it. It's like a faucet for trees. Sap only flows as the days get longer and warmer, starting in February. By April, the trees will have what they need to bud new leaves.

Stan thinks this name of this farm is funny.

The sap is collected and poured into a machine like this. This is an evaporator. This turns the water in the sap to steam which escapes into the air. Slowly, the sugary portion left over thickens, turns darker, and becomes stronger in flavor.

This is the Sugarmomma herself, demonstrating the different shades of maple syrup. The lighter shades are made earlier in the season and require less sap. The darker shades are made later and require more sap.

If you continue to evaporate the water out of the syrup, you eventually have nothing but maple sugar left. You can use this to make maple candy, like you see on this table.

Uh oh. Looks like Stan has a new friend. He is Sugarmomma's son. Who knows what adventures await Stanley now? Maybe he'll ride the bull behind him? That bull is a Scottish Highlander; he has long hair that droops over his face. (Because of this, this lad calls him a Scottish Hippie.)