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Day 0 – Saturday September 26th
So barely a year after our last road trip, we’re heading back to add another few to the tally!
Flying from London Heathrow to Boston, we’re pleasantly surprised to be upgraded from Business into First class as we board the plane – lovely to be able to sleep properly on board for a few hours….
The sleep is important as we’re not stopping in Boston, instead our first night’s stop is in Springfield. It’s 1am when we check in and set the alarms for 7.45.
Day 1 – Sunday September 27th
So it is that at 8am after a quick breakfast we’re off to our first stop of the day…. The Dr Seuss Sculpture Gardens in downtown Springfield…. The writer, affectionately nicknamed Dr Seuss was originally from Springfield and this well executed public garden is the city’s tribute to him.
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Next stop is Bash Bish Falls state park… the falls here aren’t in full flow today but it’s easy to see just how powerful they will be in late spring as the snow melt cascades down the mountain…
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Even today it’s a lovely way to pass the time and we spend an hour walking the steeper of the 2 trails on offer as well as the short trail to the scenic overlook.
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A longer drive now out to the Hancock Shaker Village.
This is one of the best attractions of its type that we have done, it’s busy on this sunny Sunday afternoon and the costumed, skilled docents are in full swing entertaining the crowds with various of the Shaker skills, including a working water powered woodworking shop
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A barn raising
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We spend a few hours here in order to fully explore but eventually we head out to Mount Greylock and drive the scenic road to the summit.
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The views from the top extend some 90 miles and are popular this afternoon with people getting into positon to photograph the eclipse and blood moon forecast for this evening.
Part of the path we walk here is actually the Appalachian Trail…. This is our first walk on the famed route, though it won’t be our last this trip.
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It’s quite a bit later than planned when we roll into town to check out the near 100 year old bridge of flowers… this volunteer maintained footbridge is lined on both sides with a riot of colour, trees and flowers combining to provide a stunning backdrop to a walk over the river.
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Onwards to Brattleboro VT (our first new state of the trip and my 46th) to overnight ready for a busy day tomorrow.
To finish the night off, a really good look at the blood moon... the best chance to see it until the 2030s if the TV is to be believed!
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Day 2 – Monday September 28th
Today dawned rather misty, but we decided to head into the centre of Brattleboro and walk amongst the town’s famous trees…. This tree walk runs to a 2.25 mile route laid out by the town chamber of commerce and took us just over an hour to gently stroll around… kind of hard to photograph trees from a short distance away, but it was a nice walk as the morning got slowly nicer.
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Next stop is Woodstock, VT. Often called the prettiest small town in America, Mum and I were hoping to score a cup of tea here, possibly by the side of the river.
Alas it was not to be. Although Woodstock is undoubtedly a pretty place, it doesn’t appear to have a coffee shop!
What it does have is a lovely town green
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As well as a recently refurbished wooden bridge over the river
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From here we head toward the State Capitol and our first stop, a Vermont Maple Syrup farm.
It’s a very short video tour as the making season is long over but it’s informative and the attached shop provides a chance to buy some real syrup.
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For every liter of syrup produced, 40+ litres of sap must be boiled (to remove the water) this image shows the vats that are used (heated by a wood fire) to boil off the water, a smelly and time consuming process.
Onward to the first of our State Capitols of this trip… Montpelier is probably the smallest town to host a Capitol that we have visited, whilst the town itself is nothing to write home about, the Capitol itself is beautiful, certainly one of our favourites and well worth a visit.
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The House and Senate rooms are beautifully finished and were restored in recent times with a number of artifacts that had been in storage for over half a century…… lovely.
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Ever since I started the first stages of planning for this trip, Mum has wanted to visit our next stop…. The Ben and Jerrys Ice Cream factory offers short tours of the facility that end with a unique, non-commercially available flavor tasting.
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The tour showcases Ben and Jerry products that have been made, are currently made or may be made in the future… it was interesting to note all the flavours that we don’t get in the UK.
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Mum enjoyed the taste test of Orange Swirl, held in the small testing kitchen (this is where media personalities come to create their own flavours)
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Our last stop of the day is a cider mill and factory just up the road from Ben and Jerrys, interestingly cider here doesn’t mean what Mum and I are used to it meaning… leading to a small amount of confusion on our arrival!
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This should explain our confusion…. Where’s the alcohol!!
Over here, we call alcoholic apple cider "hard cider".
Downunder, we do as well.Quote:
Originally Posted by glc
Lifey
Day 3 - Tuesday September 29th
The weather turned against us a little this morning, our plan was to drive the skyline drive up Mount Equinox however it was completely shrouded in cloud, so there was little point.
We headed instead to Hildene, the summer home of the Lincoln family… this partially self-guided tour takes about 90 minutes to enjoy fully and is a great insight into how the upper class lived a hundred or so years ago… the house is actually pretty unassuming for its time, but is still larger than any home I’ve lived in!
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Robert was a success in business, remaining senior in the most profitable engineering company in America over the course of his life – Pullman, he did much of his work in this wonderfully understated study.
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Pullman made many things, chiefly Rail Cars and there’s a beautifully restored one at Hildene… well worth a look.
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From Hildene we drive into Albany, to visit the State Capitol of New York….. this is probably the most confusing Capitol we have visited, with no signs in the car park to direct you to the capitol building (the car park is underground) and once actually in the (very large) Capitol there are no signs either!
Not our favourite Capitol but we spend an hour wandering its halls.
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It isn’t possible to see the Senate chamber (the first time in more than 25 Capitols that we haven’t been
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Into the car again now for what must be our longest road trip….. from Albany we are to drive over 9 hours and the thick end of 700 miles to Charleston, WV…. We had originally planned this trip to take a few days but due to flight availability we had to cut it to one long road session….. unfortunately the weather gods are not with us and not only does it rain for the whole 9 hours but at certain points the rain is so bad that I’m reduced to driving at 20mph…
We made it in the end though, checking in to the hotel just before 2am.
Day 4 - Wednesday September 30th
After a fairly short night’s sleep we’re up and out of the hotel at just after 9 today, heading a short distance to the State Capitol of West Virginia…..
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Often called the most beautiful Capitol in the nation, it certainly is very attractive, even in the dullness of an overcast morning the gold dome gleams..
We are able to access most of the rooms in the Statehouse, including a nicely appointed House Chamber:
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We leave Charleston under overcast skies heading to Bedford to the National D-Day Memorial… as we travel along the weather gets nicer and nicer and the scenery as we cross the Appalachian and Blue Ridge Mountain ranges is nothing short of incredible
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The D-Day memorial is a very moving place, it takes about an hour to wander leisurely around its 4 zones and read the information panels that describe a little part of the life of those people who lived and died for us.
From the centerpiece arch, surrounded by the flags of all the nations who lost people
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To the modern sculpture depicting the beach landings, this site makes you think….
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Our last stop of the day is Appomatox, the site of the signing of the surrender of the Confederate forces and the end of the civil war…. Many of the buildings here are original and the self-guided tour introduces the themes of the surrender as well as the reasons for the outbreak of war in the first place…. Very interesting though a knowledge of US history before attending the site would help.
This is the actual building where that surrender was signed, even the furniture in the room is original.
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From here it’s a couple of hours down some wonderful roads to our overnight halt in Williamsburg where we await to hear weather the expected hurricane is going to batter us or not!
Day 5 – Thursday October 1st
We weren’t sure what to expect from this morning, hurricane Joaquim has been battering the East Coast almost since we arrived and the forecasts showed that today was supposed to be heavy rain all day….
It didn’t seem too bad though so we headed to Yorktown to walk around….. Yorktown is the site of the last major battle of the revolutionary war and is commemorated by a series of reproductions of the ramparts, storage areas, battle sites, field hospitals and the like.
Just away from the visitors centre is the memorial statue to the lives lost in the battle.
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There’s a scenic drive that covers the area and although the rain was falling it was still a pleasant hour.
From Yorktown it’s a short drive to Colonial Williamsburg.
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Williamsburg is a great day out, in fact it would be more than possible to spend a few days here if you take part in all the ranger tours.
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We opt to take part in a few of these, including an excellent look at the capitol, this includes a brief overview of the legal system and some great background on the town of Williamsburg as a whole.
One of the best of these was the bookbinder, our family history includes book printing so it’s interesting to see how leather is used to bind books.
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To end our visit I manage to entice Mum into the stocks outside the Courthouse….
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I did release her before leaving though!!
To end our day we headed to Jamestown settlement, it’s a great reproduction of the life of the early settlers in the fort that was erected almost on the site of where the first 104 settlers landed.
The docents here demonstrate the routine of daily life as well as the armaments used to defend it
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A short walk from the fort lie 3 replica tall ships, you’re welcome to board these and hear about life on board… suffice it to say that, for once, the crew had it better than the passengers in that they were in the open air for a lot of the time.
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Just as we’re leaving the rain starts up so we head into downtown Williamsburg for a stroll around and some dinner before driving up to Richmond where we stay tonight.
Derek,
Great photos and commentary as always.
And a real treat (for us) that you didn't stick to your plan of not returning to the USA for a couple of years.
Mark
Thanks Mark.... I can't seem to keep away from this country for some reason!!
Only issue is that, as of today I only have 3 states left before I complete the full set - I'm in danger of turning this into an obsession!!
Day 6 – Friday October 2nd
Today was Monticello day.
Mum has long been fascinated by Thomas Jefferson, and when I initially started planning this trip (as a solo, Mum thought she’d seen all of the US that she wanted to) it was Monticello that convinced her to come along…
First stop though is the State Capitol of Virginia in downtown Richmond… this is one of the best Capitols that we’ve been too, with a great look and a nice feel inside….. regal without being so large as to be impersonal… we both really like it.
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Pride of place within this Capitol undoubtedly goes to the statue of George Washington…. On display almost continually for more than 200 years it’s a beautiful piece and one of many within the building that are priceless.
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Whilst wandering around the upstairs parts of the Capitol (this is one of the first that I’ve been in where the house and senate chambers are actually locked and off-limits to visitors unless on a tour) we find a pair of lovely signed images of our own Royal Family, taken on their visit here a few years ago
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When I put the itinerary for this holiday together, the plan was to take a stroll down the famous Monument Avenue…. Unfortunately the rain (which has been with us for seemingly days now) has other ideas so we drive down instead, stopping for a quick photo at those monuments which interest us, including Stonewall Jackson
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The most recent addition is Arthur Ashe…. Most famous to Brits as a tennis player but known here as something of a local hero.
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The Civil War center and museum at Tredegar occupies a stunning setting on the site of an old ironworks next to the river in Richmond… it consists of two separate museums, one is a free to enter National Park (remember your NP stamp book) telling the story of Richmond in the Civil War. The other is a standard commercial museum detailing the war from all sides. Both a good and take a few hours to see properly.
Highlight for me was a genuine Confederate Flag
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Onwards to Monticello… saving the best for last today.
This is a docent led tour, though the initial museum and video is self-guided and on a busy day would be a bit overcrowded I fear… today though there are only 12 people on our tour and with a great guide the 45 minutes flies by in an instant….
I’m sure Jefferson needs no introduction to American readers (I imagine he’s studied in school?) but for us Brits it’s really interesting to learn about Jefferson the man and to realise that, in actual fact, he was a scholar of the highest order and a faithful, honorable man to the end. We both come away feeling an immense awe,
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From Monticello we attempt to do the skyline drive through Shenandoah National Park to get to our overnight stop, unfortunately the bad weather (which actually let up for 30 minutes at Monticello) is back again in the mountains and once the fog descends we opt to end our Skyline early and stay on a spray filled (but fog free) Interstate to our overnight destination just outside of Harpers Ferry, WV.
Day 7 – Saturday October 3rd
Today is our earliest start so far…. There are a fair number of things we want to do today and as we are both early risers Mum and I decide to crack on and we’re on the road before 7.30 heading to Harpers Ferry - this National Parks owned village is in a beautiful setting at the confluence of the Ptomac and Shenandoah rivers (both in full flow today)
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For those that may follow in our footsteps, note that there is very little parking in the town itself, there is a visitors centre a mile away that operates a free shuttle bus. As we’re so early however parking is no problem and we take a look around the town and tour the John Brown museum (John Brown it could be argued started the civil rights movement as we know it today) the museum pulls no punches, just telling the story from all angles – very well done it is too.
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The Appalachian Trail runs through Harpers Ferry (in fact it’s almost at its halfway point here) so we spend a few minutes walking it, both in the town over the Ptomac bridge and on the outskirts over the Shenandoah river. Whilst these sections may be new, just a few feet away the old sections of the trail are clearly evident…
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On to the goriest museum on our sightseeing list this trip… the National Museum of Civil War Medicine in Fredericksburg is a fascinating tour through the civil war as seen from the medical profession… again pulling no punches it tells the stories of both those injured as well as those trying to repair them… completely compelling and well worth the trip…
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It’s amazing how much of the medical profession that we take for granted today has its roots in Civil War medicine, though I imagine todays medical students wish that they could obtain a license to practice at the end of two 6 months courses!
Whilst the weather has been against us for much of this trip, our next stop is undoubtedly more spectacular because of it… Great Falls National Park is on the outskirts of Washington DC… indeed I have no doubt that some of the homes we drive by are owned by names that would be familiar if we were to hear them, such is the grandeur of the area.
The park prove a great place to have a picnic lunch before wandering along above the Ptomac to a number of lookouts
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There’s also a chance to look at the remains of the canal that Washington had constructed in order that people could day trip to the falls… there’s not much left nowadays but it’s a nice way to spend an hour or two and the rangers are great at designing an itinerary suitable for the time you have.
We leave the park and head back to Interstate traffic on our way to the State Capitol of Delaware in Dover…. This entails heading across the Bay Bridge – an incredible construction and one that we both enjoy going over.
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Sadly the Government buildings in Dover are all closed up when we arrive (their website notes a closing time of 5pm on a Saturday but we arrive at 4.45 and there’s not a soul to be seen so take that with a pinch of salt.
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It’s a shame as whist the current Capitol (above) is relatively new, the original building… in which Delaware became the first State to ratify the constitution, is still in use and would have been great to see inside.
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On our way to our hotel stop we take a break in New Castle, DE….. this is a place that has been battered by some of the same weather as has frustrated us over the last week…. Indeed I know I’ve mentioned the rain a few times, perhaps this image will give an indication of just what I’m talking about.
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The bushes to the far right of the picture, until a few days ago, were in the sand at the base of a dock (this dock was support by the wooden pillars that are just visible)
The dock has been completely swept away and according to locals that we chat to the entire area of water shown in the photo is normally a lovely family beach. The water is at least 75ft further inland than normal, indeed most of the footpath at the land-edge is scant inches above the waterline… amazing.
From here it’s but a short hop to our hotel for the night.
Day 8 – Sunday October 4th
Not too much in the way of driving today but as we’re up early we head back to New Castle to have a better look around in daylight and to check out whether the water level had increased overnight (it hadn’t)
We do decide that we could both live here though, it’s a truly pretty little town
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From there, it’s a 30 minute trip into Philadelphia where we head straight to a parking garage ($18 for any length between 2 and 12 hours… man does this city know how to charge for parking!
Anyway, we’re straight off to see the world famous liberty bell and book our tickets for Independence Hall (entry is by a free tour only, tickets can be booked online or from the visitors center… advance booking very wise in the summer months.)
The bell, long adopted as a symbol by abolitionists and suffragettes has had its distinctive crack for nearly 200 years and after some time in obscurity now takes pride of place in a centre where its role in the development of America is discussed.
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Having seen the bell, we board the first open top bus tour of this holiday… it’s a trifle windy on the top deck but both Mum and I are just glad that it’s not raining!
At the boarding stop is a street cart, so I take the chance to buy a Philly Cheese Steak roll – delicious.
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The bus takes a route through the city that includes 27 stops, one of which is next to a fountain that has been turned pink in aid of cancer awareness… it’s pretty spectacular and as it’s located next to City Hall we take a look.
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We’re heading to City Hall…..
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to take a look at the city from the observation deck….. or at least we would be if it was open! No mention is made of weekend closures on their website, but it appears that it’s a M-F, 9-5 attraction only… We stroll along to our next stop. The US Mint.
Unbelievably this too is M-F only (again their website makes no mention of this) so, rather disheartened by now, we re-board the next bus.
Elfreth’s Alley is (allegedly) the longest continually occupied street in the USA, it’s actually a little run down but still worth a look, the houses themselves are very quaint.
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Back on the bus, heading to our appointed time at independence hall we are reminded of how much this city reveres Benjamin Franklin:
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There are statues of him everywhere as well as dozens of things bearing his name from parks to roads.
Our guide also points out these interesting looking things attached to many of the old houses.
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These are a very early caller ID system… mounted above the main entrance to a house, they allowed the resident (in the front room above the door) to see who was calling without themselves being seen… in this way they could decide whether or not to answer the door……. Great idea!
The tour through Independence Hall is a 30 minute docent led one, it has too many people on it but is interesting none the less… a lot of the furniture seen on the tour is reproduced but the chair at the head of the chamber is the genuine article, sat in by George Washington…. If wood could talk!
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A quick pop to Hard Rock café for a pin and a short drive later we’re in New Jersey at our hotel for the night.
Day 9 – Monday October 5th
We’re up and out without delay this morning, heading to our first stop, New Jersey’s State Capitol in Trenton…. When we arrive we’re a little early for the first tour of the day (note that this Capitol can only be seen as part of an official tour and it has the most stringent security of any that we have visited) so we head to the café, deep in the basement.. it’s filled with the worker bees who run the State and it’s quite interesting evesdropping!
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At 10 we meet our tour guide and one other tourist and as we’re receiving the introduction Chris Christie, the Governor of New Jersey himself arrives…. When he hears that we’re from England he stops for a quick handshake and a chat before heading off to his office leaving our tour guide all kinds of flustered!
One of the most touching things within this beautiful Capitol is the area that serves as a permanent memorial to those Missing in Action from the State
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From the centre of the city we’re off to Valley Forge National Park now… this was the winter encampment of Washington’s army and its story is well told…. Washington’s own quarters are open for a tour as well.
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Ephrata Cloister was a German religious settlement founded in 1732. Unlike other religious sects, this one survived until the early 20th century and its land, along with some of its buildings have been preserved to show what life was like for this celibate people who lived on site, slept 6hrs a day on wooden planks with wooden pillows) and the married believers (who lived in the nearby town)
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Although at one time numbering more than 300 followers, the sect never really succeeded and ended up bankrupt due to legal bills from infighting…. An interesting hour for sure.
The clock shown above has no minute hand because one of their beliefs was that nothing is worth doing if it takes less than an hour.
From one end of the scale to the other now, Hershey PA is home to the Hershey chocolate company and their site offers simulated factory tours, tasting sessions and a few other attraction.
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Mum and I do the Chocolate Tester session where we’re taught how Hersheys employees design the flavours for their chocolate and have a go ourselves at working out what exactly we’re tasting when we eat a bar. It’s interesting stuff.
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Our last stop of the day, on the way to our hotel is Harrisburg, the Capitol of the State of Pennsylvania, no tour inside this one, but we take a walk around the outside and enjoy peering through the doors!
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Enjoying the report as always !! Good to see you made it back for another trip !
Dave.
Day 10 – Tuesday October 6th
A day with no driving…… (at least until this evening anyway)!
Since I started planning this trip, I wanted to go into Manhattan to visit the 9/11 memorial and museum that was still being debated the last time I was there.
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The easiest way to do this is to leave the car in New Jersey at one of the stations with parking and catch the train in…. in the end we chose to leave the luggage and car at our hotel (not the best idea but more on that later) and catch a cab to Avenel station and the train into NY Penn.
From Penn it’s a quick subway ride downtown to the WTC site
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This edifice, still under construction will eventually be a transportation hub for the Wall St area, for now it’s just a building site that makes access difficult!
Eventually we find our way into the museum (they have no separate will-call line, so the queues are horrendous) and we’re immediately hit by a reminder of what used to be
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There are various audio tour options for the museum, including the rental of an Ipod device for $7 or the free download of the entire audio tour as an app that you can then listen to on your own headphones as you go round – why don’t more places do this?
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I won’t post many images here, in fact just the one. Ponder a moment the sheer force required to cause an internal straight steel girder to bend in this fashion…… gives a sobering insight into what these buildings faced.
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A very patriotic space, I leave this museum (and the actual memorial pictured above) in two minds….. I’m not sure I’m completely comfortable with one of the worst atrocities of modern times being so thoroughly turned into a tourist attraction – having been here scant months after the attack, when the clean-up was still going on and bodies were still being recovered, seeing tourists fighting over the best spot to photograph a “missing person” poster didn’t sit well with me.
Back on the Metro now for a pop uptown to the Hard Rock café for some lunch and to buy a pin then it’s down to Battery Park via the wonderful South Ferry Station to try and catch the ferry to see Lady Liberty.
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Unfortunately, as this is an extra, unplanned side trip, we don’t have advance tickets and they are all sold out so we pop over to the Staten Island Ferry and ride that instead, treating ourselves to the local’s view of the famous gift from France
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As well as a killer view of the island of Manhattan….
I love New York, its vibrancy, variety and atmosphere make me feel right at home so despite it being late in the afternoon I can’t resist a final Metro ride back uptown to take a walk through Central Park for a half hour.
This means that we catch the late train back to New Jersey, arriving at 8.15pm in the pitch dark with an almost flat phone battery and no way of getting back to the hotel where the car is parked…..
It transpires that a cab cannot be hailed on the street in NJ so for a while it really does look like our goose is cooked until finally a local guy gives us a cab number and with the last remaining juice in my phone I call for a pickup, it’s a long 45 minute wait but eventually we’re back to the hotel and in the car for the hour long drive to tonight’s hotel.
That's exactly how I feel. I was there three days before and went back on 11th Sept 2007 for the memorial service with a full size flag to honour those seven dozen or more Australians who perished.Quote:
Originally Posted by dangermouse
But somehow I can't imagine ever going back there.
Did you think to take the Staten Island ferry to see the Lady at night? A great sight.
Lifey
Day 11 – Wednesday October 7th
Following the drive through the dark to get here last night, it’s nice to wake up this morning to bright blue skies and wonderful sunshine.
Our first stop of the morning is somewhere that has featured in countless fiction books that Mum and I have read over the years.
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West Point Military Academy is the best Army training college in the US, to even apply here a potential student must have a letter of nomination from the member of Congress for his/her own State.
It has produced no less than 3 US Presidents, 75 Medal of Honor recipients and numerous foreign leaders.
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The general tour (incredibly popular, especially with coach loads of Japanese) is conducted on a coach, with a couple of stops for photography and a leg stretch.
The first stop is the Chapel (the top picture above) where the undoubted highlight is the 23,000 pipe organ – the largest Church organ in the world!
The second stop is the viewpoint out over the Hudson valley…. We’re actually less than 50 miles North of New York City here but you’d never know it.
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Back at the visitors centre is the West Point museum, this is self guided and you should allow an hour or so… it has a number of interesting exhibits on the role of the military and West Point through the years, including a large display of various armaments used across the decades.
One final piece of advice for visitors following in my footsteps, one of the things that Cadets at West Point must do is all take lunch together… to do this they form up on the front lawn in a kind of parade…. If you can get on the 11:30am tour (by far the most popular one) then it is timed so that you can sit and watch the spectacle… I didn’t know this until too late but it sounds pretty incredible.
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From West Point we’re out on the rural roads, entering the Catskills and meandering our way toward Woodstock – Yes, the Woodstock, though the famous festival was actually held a short distance from here.
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Woodstock maintains a slightly hippy, non-conformist vibe to this day, it’s actually a fairly small place, and a lovely stop for an ice-cream and some kitsch shopping.
Our last stop of the day is the Vanderbilt Mansion in Hyde Park, NY
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Tough to photograph at the moment due to ongoing renovations the Vanderbilt mansion is one of the most complete examples of the Hudson Valley summer homes owned by rich New Yorkers in the guilded age…. It’s simply beautiful inside, a little over-the-top perhaps but stunning none-the-less.
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From the main staircase to the upstairs rooms (unusually tucked away here, not centrally located as in many stately homes)
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To Cornelius Vanderbilt’s home office, it is easy to imagine the power brokers of that time living and working in this environment… I’d have loved to have been here during that amazing age.
After taking a walk through the grounds, it’s a short drive from here to Hartford, CT our stop for tonight.
Day 12 – Thursday October 8th
It’s a beautiful day in Hartford this morning, so the short stroll from the parking to the State Capitol takes us a while as we stop to drink in our surroundings.
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This is easily one of the most spectacular Capitols we’ve seen, it’s large yet well laid out and has a lovely feel to it.
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We do a self-guided tour, marveling at the sheer opulence displayed within, there’s no Governor in attendance today though!
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Across the street is the Supreme Court and Law Library… both are open to the public, though if the Supremes are in session (as they are today) you can only enter prior to the start of a hearing and leave at the end of it (the hearings are an hour long)
The library however is still well worth a visit with its stunning ceilings and amazingly friendly staff who are happy to talk you through the history of the building and the collections it houses… a great stop.
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As it’s such a lovely day, we opt to leave the car where it is and walk to Travellers Tower (our next destination) by way of Bushnell Park and the Memorial Arch.
The park is partially closed today as it’s the Hartford Marathon at the weekend and there are hundreds of people setting up the start/finish venue here!
Unfortunately, our luck with observation platforms continues… Travellers is closed to tourists for the whole of the 2015 season as they are renovating the frontage and the main entrance is closed… we stop for a cuppa in the park instead before heading back to the car and onward
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The Mark Twain house is no stranger to controversy, although he lived here for many years and undoubtedly wrote here, there is compelling evidence to suggest that most of his famous works were written elsewhere…. Nonetheless it is an interesting (docent lead only) tour through a uniquely designed (and very dark) building where no interior photos are allowed.
The tour tells us a bit about the man himself, but the museum attached to the visitors centre is also worth a visit… for his time, Sam Clemens was a well travelled man who made and lost a couple of fortunes on the way through life.
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A truly off the wall tourist stop now…. The trash museum on the outskirts of the city is mostly geared to children, but offers a fascinating insight into what we throw away and how it can be reused.
The volume of recyclables that this centre receives (from the few parts of the city that actually have recycling pickups) is incredible and it’s a worthwhile half-hour stop – check the opening hours on their website though, they are quite limited.
Another short trip to our overnight halt in Meriden, stopping on the way to do some shopping as we’re actually pretty early to the hotel.
Day 13 – Friday October 9th
A late start today, our first stop is Yale University….. the famous institution attracts so many tourists that it pays its students to conduct hour long tours… being run by students however, they don’t start until 10:30am!!
These tours start in the visitors centre with the showing of an excellent student produced film… I won’t link it here in case it breaks the rules, but search YouTube for “That’s why I chose Yale” and watch the first video – it’s well worth the time.
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After the video, the student guide takes you on a walk around the campus, imparting knowledge of both Yale the University as well as Yale the student’s home and life…
The campus is just beautiful, although the University itself has around 200 buildings in New Haven, the tour sticks to the original central area.
Sadly we don’t get to inside any of the lecture halls or residential colleges (like we did in Madison a few years ago) but we do get taken into the library.
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This building is interesting in that the original architect wanted to design a church for the University but they told him that as they weren’t really a religious institution they didn’t want a church but did need a library, what they got is a church with books!
Envy is an ugly emotion but I leave the tour more than a little green…. The facilities on offer here and the quality of an Ivy League education is something that I wonder whether those who matriculate here will only truly appreciate in the years to come.
When I was researching the next stop on this trip I was advised to call ahead as foreigners are not always admitted… accordingly a couple of days ago, I called and after e-mailing passport details for my Mum and myself I received confirmation that we would be admitted and given a personal tour.
Our destination….?
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The United States Coastguard Academy at New London, CT
I wasn’t kidding about foreigners being admitted… when I called them on the phone I was told that “As Brits you should be OK, you should have Grandfather rights because we haven’t been at war with you for a while!”
The security on this academy is impressive… after having our passports inspected and copied at the guardhouse we’re directed to the museum building where the curator herself takes us around, explaining the history of the Coasties as well as their current role.
Unfortunately there is no tour or access to the actual academy (which is what I really hoped to see) but the museum is interesting enough.
Next up is a drive to Rhode Island…. This takes in some stunning bridges, sadly no way of photographing them though and the lateness of our start today means that we’re chasing our tails a little so it’s straight to the John Brown house as it’s already 3pm and they close at 4.
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As the first mansion in Providence, when it was built in 1786 this house was incredibly opulent, subsequent remodeling in 1901 added luxuries such as a walk in shower directly off the master bedroom at a time when most didn’t even have indoor plumbing. The audio tour is interesting and touches on a lot of small facts like this both about the house and about John Brown himself (a slave trader and patron of eponymously named Brown University) it’s an interesting way to pass an hour.
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Culminating in the famous Washington Wallpaper room… this hand stenciled wallpaper is a one of a kind and as the stencils wore out whilst making it is classified as irreplaceable….. George Washington was a visitor here, taking tea in this room with John Brown…. If walls could talk!
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A quick dash across a rapidly darkening Providence brings us to the Rhode Island State House… we were actually here in 2008 but late into the evening so were unable to go inside.
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No such problems today, parking is easy just opposite the entrance and we brave the rain shower to run inside for a look at another Capitol (I don’t know how many we’ve seen now but my “Capitol Collection” book seems to have a large number of stamps in it!
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The NeoClassical design of the building’s exterior, complete with the 3rd largest self-supporting marble dome in the World, gives way to a thoroughly modern interior, with probably the most technologically advanced House and Senate chambers that we’ve seen.
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The State Library is housed here as well, with a fantastic atmosphere and a really helful docent who, even though he’s closing up for Columbus Day weekend is only too happy to impart some knowledge.
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Our final activity today is probably the stupidest thing we’ve ever done….. in all honesty I suspect Mum would have been quite happy to forget it, but I was determined and bless her, she’s game for a challenge too.
Whilst in the State House the weather has really closed in and it’s absolutely lashing with rain… a small issue since we have a 2 mile architectural walk around the city to do… ah well, we’ve got jackets on!
This walk is actually fascinating (you can find the details on the ‘Net, just search for Providence Trail) and it passes such gems as the first First Baptist Church, whose steeple has stood, unaffected by nature, weather or time since 1778.
We get back to the car just as the rain gets even stronger and after a few wrong turns find a back way into the shopping mall car park in order to get dinner before heading to tonight’s hotel in Niantic.
Disaster when we get there though… somehow it seems I never actually booked this hotel, I have no idea how that happened, but either way they have no rooms for us and are full… memories of Bismarck a few years ago come flooding back but luckily another motel a few miles away has rooms so off we go.
A good day.
Day 14 – Saturday October 10th
We’ve been rather darting all over the map for the last couple of days, the reason being that the opening hours of some of the places we want to go were not compatible with a straightforward route… That explains why, this morning we are in Groton, CT.
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The USS Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum tells the story of the Submarine and its role in the US Navy from the time of the first submersible all the way through to today’s nuclear powered articles.
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Split into two parts, the land based section is a detailed museum containing, among other things several lifesize replicas of the various torpedos carried aboard submarines.. (If you’ve read Tom Clancy’s The Hunt for Red October then these will be of interest) as well as a detailed analysis of all those Submariners who have received the Congressional Medal of Honor including
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This man, who… being in command of a wounded sub, knowing that he would be captured and interrogated by the Japanese and aware that he had knowledge in his head that should not fall into Japanese hands chose to stay on the stricken sub and ride her into the depths. I cannot imagine the strength of character it must have taken to make that decision. A worthy medal recipient indeed, his story (and the fact I have an active imagination) keeps me pretty subdued for the rest of the time we spend here.
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After finishing the land based displays, it’s time to head outside and enter the Nautilus herself… the self guided audio tour is excellent though it doesn’t really convey what it must have been like living in a cramped tube under the sea with only a tiny bunk space for privacy…. It is really interesting to look around though and again, brings certain fiction books I’ve read to life.
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From Groton it’s a short drive to our final stop of the day…. Mystic Seaport.
Mystic is a fabulous recreation of life on the New England cost in the 1800s, complete with tall ships, working costumed docents, boat rides, seafaring demonstrations and dozens of hands-on activities for kids…. It really is a full day location but we manage to see it all in 7hrs
We start by taking a trip on the water, the captain gives a little commentary as we go along and it’s a lovely gentle introduction to the site and what’s here.
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Next stop is the boatyard… in addition to being a tourist attraction, Mystic is also a working yard, with much of their time taken up with restoring and conserving wooden boats.
They have a mini-cam set up within some of the wooden planking on a boat they are currently restoring that shows their number one problem (check the image above, you should be able to see it)
You’re looking at a Gribble… a small sea-worm that burrows through wood, leaving it weakened and subject to collapse. Mum’s rather taken with Gribbles and they remain a topic of conversation for most of the rest of the day.
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A Rest of the day spent variously…Watching demonstrations of early forms of rescue from stricken vessels (breeches buoy) Learning how rope is made and, most spectacularly, watching a crew of staff/volunteers from the Seaport furling the sails on the Joseph Conrad.. a vessel that was restored here to such a high standard that last summer she took to the seas again, visiting many of the old New England ports she used to call home.
This is one of the undoubted highlights of this holiday, a cracking day out with something for everyone to enjoy. Very Highly recommended.
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Mystic is also famous for something other than the historical village….. it is home to a Bascule Bridge that is raised every hour or so to allow sea traffic to pass the roadway.
It’s impressive watching the two 40hp motors pull up the 85ft wide and 660 tonne weight bridge.
From here, we’re off to Newport for the night.
Day 15 – Sunday October 11th
Unusually for us, today is going to be spent pretty much in all in one place.
When I started researching Rhode Island, all the advice I read said to spend a day in Newport, so that’s what we’re going to do.
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We start by taking a 90 minute trolley tour around the town, beginning at the visitors centre… there are a number of different trolleys available, including ones that you can hop on and off.
The route takes us past many of the famous mansions located here, as well as some smaller, but no less interesting houses.
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As most will know, Newport is most famous for its mansions… built in the run up to, and during the gilded age, these fabulous homes were the summer residences for the elite of the elite of New York society….. most are now run by a preservation trust and are open to the public for tours.
We head to the Breakers Mansion (pictured above)
The Breakers was the summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt and his family, indeed when the family gifted the mansion to the preservation trust in 1965 one of the conditions of the gift was that the family could continue to live there… they maintain the entire 3rd floor as a family residence (it’s not open to the public) they are in residence today, here for the long weekend.
The Vanderbilts and their ilk built vast houses like these to demonstrate their wealth, they had no pedigree or history of family money, so estates like this served to tell the world just how wealthy they were – the original Nouveau Riche if you like.
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Sadly there are no photos allowed inside the mansion which is a real shame as it’s interior is something else – rather over the top yet at the same time you can tell it’s been a family house. The audio tour even interviews some of the staff who worked here to gain their insight, fascinating stuff.
The photo above is the view from the back 2nd floor terrace of the house – not bad!
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Although most of the famous mansions are open for tours, you’ll not fit more than 2 into a day, they’re not open for long, tour times are limited and it takes over an hour to go round each one.
Fear not if (like us) you only have a day though…. It’s possible to see many of the mansions from the cliff walk – not to mention spectacular views like the one above.
The walk is around 3.5 miles one way and parking at anywhere other than either end is very difficult so either use the hop-off trolley or plan accordingly.
It is lovely though and we walk for a long way before going back to the car and heading into town for another stroll.
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The town itself is a bustling little place, full of tourists enjoying the lovely evening. We stroll about for an hour walking through a farmers market before looking at the church (above) where JFK married in 1953
All too soon it’s getting dark and it’s time for us to head for the car and off to Hyannis.
Day 16 – Monday October 12th
The original plan for today (our last day on this holiday) was to visit Hyannis before heading back into Boston to see the State Capitol.
Unfortunately it’s Columbus Day, a National Holiday and so (as confirmed by a phone call last week) the State House is closed, as are many of the roads in Boston to allow the Columbus Day Parade to happen.
If we didn’t have a flight to catch today I would probably have voted for heading into the city anyway as seeing things like parades are not something one can do everyday. Unfortunately the risk of getting caught up in traffic and missing our flight are too great, so we needed a new plan for the latter half of the day…. Mum came through in fine style as revealed later.
There are no photos allowed at our first stop of day… the Cape Cod Chips factory produce hundreds of thousands of potato chips each year (I’ll note it here… this is a factory that produces an item called Chips in America, Crisps in the UK, it does not produce French Fries)
It’s basically a walk through the factory alongside the production line, sounds boring but is actually really interesting. It only takes 15 minutes and you get a free bag at the end!
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Onward to the JFK museum in Hyannis… I had thought that this would be located in JFK’s house here but it’s actually in an old bank on Main Street… it’s good though and gives a real insight into JFK the man, the president and the family he came from. Marilyn Monroe is not mentioned!
Mum’s idea for the rest of the day now… last time we were in this area although we made it to Martha’s Vineyard, we both really wanted to see Cape Cod but were unable to do so… today, we’ve 7 hrs so it’s off we go.
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Initially to the visitors centre at Provincelands, where the view is great. We soon grab a couple of flyers and head off to Provincetown itself for a visit to the Pilgrim Monument
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This monument to the first landfall by the pilgrims in 1620, with its hundred plus stairs to the top is a great way of getting a stunning view of the Cape Cod Seashore, note that (much to the disgust of one lady present) there is no elevator to the top!
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The views are definitely worth the climb though…. Wow
A hour long stroll on the beach to the water’s edge and along the high street to have an ice-cream completes our time here in Provincetown. We’re leaving a little early for the airport as Mum picked up a flyer for a Lighthouse earlier and we both want to go and climb it!
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It may not look like much, but this lighthouse was built in 1797 and has stood here ever since, through every type of weather thrown at it.
For part of the year it is open to tours, which include the option to climb the steep steps and ladder all the way to the top whilst learning about how lighthouses work and their function from the very passionate docent.
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Looking seaward from the top of the lighthouse there’s a small plate noting that England is 3150 miles away……
Sadly that’s where we’re headed now, back to Logan to return the car before checking in for our flight home. It’s been a shorter trip than either of us are used to and the bad weather at the start meant that we were unable to do several of the things we’d planned. All in all though it’s been a fun trip.
Only Alaska, Hawaii and Arkansas left for me to complete all 50.
So that's it then.... the end of another trip
3743 miles
$339.31 fuel cost
154.03 US Gallons
$2.20 average per gallon
24.3mpg (US) ave
See you all at some point in the future!