06/30/21- Finally, after a 2020 year of craziness we are able to travel. Our son just turned 21 and we flew out four days ago from New York to Las Vegas to celebrate. Since we booked a few months in advance we were able to upgrade our seats to First Class using our miles and couldn’t have been happier with the meal service, drinks, lay-flat seats and speedy accommodations through security for that six hour flight.
Fast forward to this morning. Our four days in Vegas were fun and yet very hot (as much as 110 degrees), but we’re now ready to start our New England portion of our trip as our flight is set to leave at 11:55am.
Grabbed an UBER and our flight left on-time despite a passenger being kicked off the plane for not wanting to wear her mask. That’s a fine that would’ve been better suited to playing the tables in Vegas.
Connecting flight through Detroit brings us to Providence, Rhode Island around 11pm where we’ll be for the first night. Tomorrow will mark our first official day on this East Coast swing and can’t wait to get started.
07/01/21- Flipping from Pacific to Eastern time was tough as we had only about six hours sleep. The hotel (Best Western airport Inn) provided breakfast that included a buffet of eggs, sausage, fruit, pancakes, bread and what not which got us a good start. We then took LIFT to our next hotel in downtown (Graduate Providence), dropped off our bags in the room and quickly went out to walk the town while the blue skies were out and the rain was at bay.
A short nine minute walk away brought us to the Rhode Island State House where we took outside photos and checked on their times. To take advantage of the nice day, we decided to hold off on going inside until tomorrow when the rain was predicted and check out Brown University instead. The walk was fifteen minutes away but the humidity was killing us, so we booked an UBER.
We strolled around campus and enjoyed the history going back as far as 1764. Summer session was in as students still flocked the grounds, laying out in hammocks and finding a good book to read. Even came across a few sessions seemingly being held outside on the lawn.
With the outdoor stuff done we make it to the John Brown House Museum, which was like a mini-mansion originally built in 1786. We were free to walk the rooms at our leisure for the next hour, but did spend quite a bit of time around the air-conditioning unit.
Our legs are now throbbing and any thoughts of doing anything else quickly went away with the first rain drop splashing down. Luckily we were only a fifteen minute walk back to our hotel, and made it just as it started pouring.
Taking it easy we stayed in the hotel for the night, however, there’s an issue with our air conditioning not blowing very cold. We contacted the front desk and they stated several rooms are having the same problem with the cooling and are trying to fix it. Hopefully it gets resolved soon, but either way I’m also hoping they hook us up with something extra. The good news is we were able to get some night shots from our hotel room window as the view is perfect for the state house.
*Side note- it’s been a very good feeling not having to wear our masks except for at the airport. Being vaccinated definitely has its perks right now.
07/02/21- The air-conditioning never got fixed so they upgraded us to another room that was very spacious with a living room and ceiling fan. Needless to say we were very happy and slept very well as we didn’t even get up until almost noon.
With the weather still not the best, we head over to the State House again to view the inside. The weather yesterday was a warm 85 degrees with humidity so we thought shorts would be fine this morning, however, as soon as we stepped outside of the hotel a gust of wind chilled us to the bone. Looking up the weather we saw it now at 65 degrees for the day. It’s been very hot lately so the slight chill didn’t bother us as we enjoyed the light mist hitting our legs.
The State House was pleasant to walk around in as it had three floors of architecture and was virtually empty. I was also able to get a Providence souvenir, something I had trouble with yesterday as we couldn’t find a gift shop anywhere. The place did feel a bit stuffy so we were glad to be back out into the mist as we walked seventeen minutes to the Providence Athenaeum Library. Once we got there, however, we were told it was members only for the time being. We explained very kindly our situation and they allowed us to take a few photos, which is all we were really after. The one shot in particular was of me on the second floor, sitting at a desk that overlooked a drop off. It was worth it.
Being around 3:30pm now, we book our tickets to the Rhode Island Art Museum for 5pm, walk to the mall (which is back around the State House) and enjoy a Philly Cheese Steak from Charley’s. We then drop off our leftovers at our hotel, changed into warmer clothes, get complimentary drinks from the hotel restaurant just before they shut down for the day, and make it to the art museum around 5:15pm.
The museum was several floors of artwork from different periods and kept us entertained for a good hour and a half before we called it a day. Overall, we enjoyed our time in Providence. It’s a small city with not a whole lot to do, but for a photographer two days felt just right. Not bad for a city formed in 1636.
07/03/21- Another day, another city to explore. Our train to Boston leaves at 10:29am, giving us time to use our vouchers for free drinks and breakfast. It was a bit disorganized as they kept announcing the sandwich type instead of the name on the order, but we were still able to check out in time and make it to the train station with thirty minutes to spare. The Amtrak train ride was a short thirty-five minutes and of course the rain is coming down. Hopefully the weather clears up sometime before we leave.
Our room wasn’t ready yet, so we dropped our bags off at the front desk and looked for things to do inside. We purchased a 7-day metro pass, so we wouldn’t have to worry about any rides we take over the next few days, and make it to the Old State House. It cost $15 per person to explore the two floors that consisted of about three small rooms which was disappointing, but if they put that money towards restoration then it was for a good cause. There was also a room with feather pens around a long table, and as my wife tried to take a photo of me pretending to write an elderly man sat right next to me and kept getting into the shot. It became a hilarious moment in the room as every time my wife clicked the camera the man leaned his hand in without knowing the situation.
We then walk down the road to the Paul Revere House. There was a line but we were able to get in quickly, and even though the price was only $6 it was much more interesting. Feeling hungry, we look for a place to eat and initially find places charging outrageous prices (like $40 for an appetizer). Luckily, there was a nicely rated bar nearby where we got some fish and chips with tacos. We originally craved soup (chowda) but they unfortunately ran out. The food was very good (although still on the pricey side).
With the rain really starting to come down we make it back to our hotel (Revolution Hotel) just as the thunder rolls through. Our room was finally ready with our complimentary bottle of wine and quickly settled in. It has a king size bed, which barely fits, and a sliding bathroom door, which I hate. At least we have an ensuite.
Before heading to bed we went to the game room area of the hotel and played some shuffleboard for a bit. Also, they had fireworks around 9pm, a day before the 4th for whatever reason, but we weren't going to go back out in the rain. Hopefully tomorrow will be better weather as rain or shine we are getting those shots
07/04/21- A decent night’s sleep and the rain is slowly passing. We were juggling what we should do today and it dawned on us… why not celebrate Independence Day by checking out the Boston Navy Yard that is filled with American history.
We took the subway as far as we could then walked across the bridge to Charleston. The rain was spitting on and off so unsure how the day will unfold, but at least it’s nice and cool to walk around in. On the way, we stopped at the Bunker Hill Monument that heavily resembled the Washington Monument in DC.
We then set our GPS to the Navy Shipyard and it took us on a fifteen minute journey to a non-populated building. Realizing we probably needed to put in the Visitor Center, we quickly turn course and locate the main attraction area. It’s now pushing 3:30pm but luckily the Museum and ships were still open to view.
First up was the USS Constitution Museum. We were not impressed by it at all as it seemed like a children’s interactive place, so we funneled our way out and headed straight for the USS Cassin Young Destroyer. The line was very short and the ship was quite small compared to the battleships we saw in Pearl Harbor, and the smell of grease was ever present, but it was interesting to walk around and get a sense of how living on one of these could be like.
Then we head through security to enter the Visitor Center and USS Constitution ship. This one was much larger, looked like a pirate ship (built in 1797), and gave us a nice tour of the living quarters below deck. Upon exiting the ship, the sun finally poked through the clouds giving us a gorgeous blue sky as a backdrop.
We hit up a few monuments while looking around for a restaurant. Many have lines of people going out to the street, which we avoided, before settling for one called the Bell in Hand Tavern. I ordered the Reuben sandwich (my first one ever) and absolutely loved it. It consists of corned beef, Swiss cheese, sauerkraut and thousand island dressing on rye bread. Oh my god!
Somehow, after the very good meal, we managed to get back to our hotel for a few before going back out to see the fireworks. The show was scheduled for 10:30pm at the Boston Commons Park so that is where we went. Wouldn’t you know it, the rain started up again.
The park area was blocked off in the center and it took us a bit to walk around to find a good spot, but once we saw the loads of people packed like a concert we knew we had hit it. What virus?
Ten thirty rolls around and no fireworks. After a minute or two boos started ringing out, but it was all done in fun as nobody got out of hand. Finally, ten minutes later the first firework booms in the air and everyone starts cheering as loud as their lungs can go.
The entire show lasted about thirty minutes and was by far the most spectacular fireworks display I’ve ever seen in person. When planning this trip I heard Boston was the place to be for the fourth of July and it did not disappoint.
07/05/21- Woke up to blue skies and a nice 75 degree day as this is what we’ve been waiting for. After reheating our burgers from yesterday (forgot to mention that they accidentally made Sharece’s burger twice and allowed us to take it home at no extra charge), we set off to the Boston Common’s Park again for a thorough walkthrough of the Freedom Trail. This included the Massachusetts State House, King’s Chapel and the Old Granary Burying Ground that had the gravesites of both Samuel Adams and John Hancock.
We then take the subway over to Harvard University to check out the campus. We looked everywhere for a Harvard sign but the best we could find was a store with a bunch of Harvard sweatshirts. It was a bit surprising how small the area was but a fun adventure to do.
Taking the subway back, we went to the Cheer’s Bar (which inspired the television show) and ordered food and drinks while sitting at the bar. Yeah, it was a bit touristy but also felt great to rest our feet. Next up was the Nike store where Sharece looked for a new pair of shoes but couldn’t find one that worked for her. We ended the day hitting up the Lindt Chocolate store for some Lindor truffles.
On the way back to our hotel, we saw a group of bums in front of the train station with one shooting up drugs into his feet. WOW! Not even in Los Angeles did we ever come across that in the open. Overall, we liked our stay in Boston, even with the rain, but I don’t think I would ever live here.
07/06/21- What a busy morning. First, we woke up early to catch our 8:21am train from Boston to Providence. Checkout was smooth (basically just dropping off the cardkeys) and made it with plenty of time to wait.
The train arrived on time and lasted about thirty minutes, but somehow we picked the most annoying cabin with a family and their kids next to us, someone smelling like too much deodorant and an elder man on his phone in front of us. We couldn’t get off the train fast enough once it finally arrived and we immediately called for an UBER to take us to the Ferry dock.
We were supposed to arrive for our ferry about 45 minutes beforehand, but due to our arrival, and the UBER driver missing the turn to the port, we got there with only ten minutes to spare. Luckily, we had our tickets in hand and was let on with no problem. We did have to find seats that could handle our luggage so we stayed inside instead of the second deck in the open air. It was cloudy so the pictures weren’t ideal, but I got a few along the way.
We get to Newport around 10:30am and wouldn’t you know it the sun came out. We called another UBER to take us to our AirBnB, dropped off our luggage (almost stayed as we were so tired but the blue skies were calling) and took a third UBER to the Castle Hill Lighthouse. We did have to wait fifteen minutes for the ride, and once dropped off we were confused on where the lighthouse actually was as we arrived at a hotel and restaurant. Our map took us down a trail (that said private property for guests) and after bushwhacking through brush we finally get to the wonderful land of the lighthouse.
The wind was blowing our hair all over the place, but it was a nice reprieve from the sun that was starting to bake. After a good hour or so we called an UBER (4th one now yet still cheaper than renting a car for the day), waited 20 minutes for this ride to show up and were dropped off near the wharf shops.
We ducked inside a few places as they had quite a bit of interesting things to look at and soon found our way to the first mansion on the list to explore, The Elms. Immediately, we were stunned by the size of the property as we weren’t expecting it to be so vast. We took all the photos we could before entering as rain was forecasted around 4pm. When we did go into the house, we showed them our 3-mansion ticket we pre-purchased on-line and started our self-guided tour.
Rebuilt around 1901, it was set up like a European palace with each room having its own theme and marble statues everywhere. Even the ceilings were decorated as such, but of course not as lavish as some palaces we’ve seen before. Still, for an American cottage, this place was enormous and spectacular.
It took us about an hour to go through the several floors of rooms including the basement and enjoyed it very much. If this is a prelude to the other mansions we’ll see tomorrow then we’ll be very happy (the 3-mansion ticket cost $42 per person by the way).
With our legs tore up, and my back hurting from pulling it on our luggage earlier, we retreated to our room for the night. We did stop at a gas station to pick up some food but the prices here are expensive. Anything within walking distance was way overpriced as well. We opted instead to have food delivered, thank god for apps.
*Side note- the thunder started roaring at 7pm.
07/07/21- Was able to sleep in and not have to get an early start for a change, which boded well because *foreshadow alert* we walked a ton.
Our meal we ordered last night came with pancakes, which we reheated this morning, and then we walked twenty minutes to get to the first mansion of The Breakers. This place was the home of the famous Vanderbuilts and was huge. Much more people here than yesterday, but luckily it wasn’t overly crowded.
There were secret rooms, large murals on the ceiling and information on the family as we went through. I was very impressed with the detail that went into this place and would definitely recommend for anyone traveling through Newport.
After going back to our place for a bit, as the weather was baking us today (good thing we put on sun block), we walk another twenty minutes to the second mansion, The Marble House. Also a Vanderbuilt home, this was another extravagant residence that had numerous rooms, a grand staircase, lavish kitchen and a Japanese Tea Garden inspired building in the back. Thankfully we brought our snacks with us as we were absolutely famished at this point.
All of the walking around was actually fun as we got to see numerous houses and smaller mansions with enormous plots of land and grand gates for entryways. I couldn’t imagine living in this area by any means, much less having the funds to pay for it.
With the mansion tours done, we venture out to the Cliff Walk about 11 minutes away. This is a 3.5 mile stretch outlining the bay with both paved and rocky areas. The entire journey from one end to the other could take several hours to complete and pretty much for the most adventurous people, so we chose to do only a mile of it and that’s all we needed.
The views were awesome as the waves crashed into the base of the rocks. We passed several mansions along the path as the sun was coming down and the cool breeze kicked in. By the time we were done it was already past 7pm and we were ready to hit our room. During the walk, we ordered food to be delivered and we got home about five minutes before it arrived. Talk about perfect timing.
All in all, two days in Newport was plenty for us to explore. There are more things to do like museums and cruises but the highlights were all we were looking for this time around. It was a pleasant stay and our AirBnB host was very accommodating.
07/08/21- Our rental car pickup time was set for 10am so we scheduled our UBER to pick us up early thinking it would take some time for one to accept. As expected, it did take a bit and we arrived on time, but the car wasn’t ready. Thirty minutes later they have it detailed but the passenger seat is sticky like something was spilled on it. Thankfully it didn’t take them long to clean. We didn’t mind too much as we weren’t in a rush and they did upgrade us to a BMW SUV with full options and could return with an empty tank. Score!
The journey to our first destination to Stonington Vineyards in Connecticut took about an hour and the drive was very smooth. Sharece was having fun the entire time pressing buttons, turning on the heated seats and messing with the retractable sunroof. This definitely is one car I wouldn’t mind having.
We arrive at Stonington before noon and immediately met with another customer who brought their young child with. The kid was screaming as it echoed in the tasting room but thankfully the staff asked if we wanted to continue in their members room which we graciously accepted. The wines were mostly dry and not exactly to our liking but it was nice to chill and enjoy the atmosphere. They also included two souvenir glasses.
Our next spot also had dry wines but did have a port wine to purchase. Unfortunately they didn’t have any open to taste so bought it on blind faith that it would be a decent choice, especially since the grapes were fermented in California.
The third winery didn’t do any tastings due to COVID but did allow us to try out their wines for free, which led us to buy a few bottles. They also recommended another winery not far away before we settled into our Hyatt Place hotel just as the rain started coming down.
Only two days left on this journey. Can’t believe how much we’ve accomplished so far.
07/09/21- Breakfast from the hotel before 10am was a bit early for us to get up but we definitely wanted to start the day right. The dining area, however, was a madhouse with loud kids, sticky floors and limited options. Basically, all they had was French toast already in containers (most likely for COVID reasons). We tried to plan out our day at the table but the kids around us were just too loud for that. Makes me appreciate how awesome our kids were growing up.
The rain is really coming down and supposed to be all day long, but that shouldn’t damper what we have planned too much as most of it is indoors. Hopefully we don’t get really stuck in bad weather.
The first winery we went to shortly after noon turned out to be closed as they only had outside seating and the rain drowned them out. With tickets pre-purchased for a castle we wanted to see at 2:15pm we were limited on what to do next. Instead of wasting time, however, we went ahead and drove thirty minutes to Priam Winery. We were very happy we braved the rain because the wines were absolutely fantastic and just to our liking. We ended up buying three bottles but almost paid for a year wine club membership. Only reason we didn’t is because the owner selects the wines in the shipment every few months and we didn’t have a say in it. Bummer!
By the time we left we were pressed for time as we had to drive twenty some minutes to Gillette Castle and still fill up with some gas. Luckily we found a gas station close by and did arrive about ten minutes late, but they let us in the castle with no problem.
William Hooker Gillette wrote, acted and produced many plays in the early 1900s and is best known for playing Sherlock Holmes in a silent 1916 movie. He eventually paid $1 million to build a castle like home and it was quite quirky to walk around in. It looked like stone on the outside but all wood interior with secret doors on the inside.
As we were leaving the sun finally came out and the skies opened up. So weird how it showers and then quickly clears up in the North East. We drove to another winery and were able to capture their vineyards in perfect sunlight, but their wines were just okay for us.
With it now pushing 5pm we drove an hour to get to Mystic where the movie Mystic Pizza was filmed and based in. They even have the restaurant there by the same name. The area was so beautiful as it was by the water and we enjoyed the nice cool air while taking in a few shops. We didn’t stay more than an hour as we were hungry and wanted to try the famous lobster rolls in the area. Unfortunately, there was a long line and it took us an hour and a half to get our food and eat it, but the setting was nice.
Back at the hotel, we brought in all seven of our bottles of wine purchased, along with the free glasses given and now are trying to find room in our suitcase for it all. This may take awhile. Sharece is such a trooper so I have faith in her ability to maneuver.
07/10/21- Our last day before going home. Woke up for breakfast and found our check-out time was extended to 2pm due to us being Hyatt members. That definitely helps.
Being our last day we hit up that winery that was closed yesterday. We almost bought another bottle of a Peach Harvest as it tasted just like a Peach Cobbler, but we didn’t have any more room in our luggage. I guess seven bottles will have to do.
With plenty of time before our train ride home we hit up Kohl’s to go shoe shopping for Sharece, pick up some sandwiches, drop off the rental car at the night box and call an UBER to take us to the station. The train itself took less than three hours, with the first hour us seated across the aisle as it was full. Once her seatmate left we had the remaining time together.
We arrive at Penn Station in Manhattan close to 9pm, get a LIFT which cost us almost $50 due to it raining, and make it home sweet home by 9:45pm.
What a two weeks that was. West coast, East coast, Trains, planes and automobiles with a Ferry to boot. As much as I enjoy going on trips, we are so glad to be home. I don’t think we ever said this about California but we missed New York. Now time for sleep.
END OF BLOG
