Days 16-18 May 25-27: Provincetown

After a good night's sleep, we rise to face our relocation day. It will be a bit more complicated after what we heard yesterday: the Oak Bluffs Ferry Terminal is closed. We heard two stories: 1) some mechanical issue with the ferries actually getting docked and 2) Covid-related staffing problems. Either way, after breakfast and packing our small bags, we head to the bus stop for the short ride to the Vineyard Haven Terminal. The situation actually helps us. When we get to VH, there are two ferries, one unloading and the other loading. We leave the bus and go right onto the ferry that is loading. No wait!

The crossing is calm and peaceful. When we debark at Woods Hole, we get right onto the shuttle bus and it soon drives us to the lot. We get into the X3 and exit, taking the scenic route back into town to follow MA 28 east to Cape Cod. The car was covered with tree pollen and other detritus and while driving along, as soon as Amy suggests we get the car washed we happen upon The Green Ocean Car Wash. 7 minutes later, we are back on the road and our ride is looking clean.

We continue east, then around Orleans, we turn north on the Cape road (US 6). We start looking for a place for lunch and the combination of early season and Covid closures stymies us. We finally find a place: Mac's Market & Seafood in Eastham. Amy has the Fish Sandwich and Wayne was the Tuna Tacos. We are able to sit outside in the sun on picnic tables. Really delightful, both the food and the setting.

Back in the X3, we finish the 75 mile drive to Provincetown and our new home:

The White Porch Inn

We check in with Tom, one of the owners, who gives us some suggestions for dinner. After getting our bags into our room, we head out to Commercial Street (the main road in town, 1/2 block south of the Inn) and explore our location for the next 3 days.

Sculpture: Tourists

Provincetown is very quiet for 8 months out of the year. Come Memorial Day, it turns into tourism central, its population growing by thousands of visitors who get here 1) on a ferry from Boston or Plymouth or 2) car on the highway we just travelled. Activity is currently everywhere with innkeepers, shopkeepers and restaurant owners putting the final touches to be ready for the weekend crush. It starts in two days!

We walk up and down commercial street and scope out the dinner places. The most interesting-sounding one, Strangers & Saints (a reference to the two kinds of people who arrived on the Mayflower), is closed tonight and booked completely for the rest of our stay. We do find some other options and book for all three nights. We no longer have any worries about missing dinner while here. During this walk, we also get oriented and learn something about what else there is to do during our stay.

The Penney Patch (Candy Store)

Street Scene, Provincetown

After resting and getting organized, we head back to the main street. Tom had earlier suggested we try cocktails at "The Lounge", a block or two southwest from the Inn. We enter and the view of the water/harbor is marvelous. They serve no food here, drinks only! Amy has the Blood Orange Margarita and Wayne has the Black Manhattan. Tom's was a good suggestion, we thoroughly enjoy this pre-dinner spot.

Our dinner reservations are at the Red Inn, a little over a mile from the Lounge. After our drinks, we have a nice walk, the weather is pleasant. We're feeling we need a lighter meal tonight, so we skip starters. Amy has the Cod, Wayne has the Creole Shrimp. A delicious meal! We head home for the night's rest.

In the morning, we set out to explore the northmost section of the Cape Cod National Seashore. After wandering around the area in the X3, we find an entrance near the Provincetown Airport, park and take the path to the beach. We turn west and walk about a half mile before turning back. The walking is a little uncomfortable as there is a good slope on the beach to the sea. Along the way, we see two separate groups of Gray (I believe) Seals.

North Shore, Cape Cod National Seashore

It's peaceful, but very cool and windy. We head back to town for lunch.

We reslot the X3 in front of the White Porch, grateful we know how to fold-in the side-view mirrors. We wander along Commercial Street until we find the Blue Monkey Bistro. Really great decor; monkey statues, monkies in fabrics, wallpaper, etc.  We split a side salad, Amy has the Ratatouille, Wayne has Lobster Ravioli. This latter was especially delicious.

After lunch, we need to burn some calories. We walk West to the Provincetown causeway and pay respects to the members of the Mayflower party who landed here in 1620.

Provincetown Causeway at Low Tide

After six weeks on the Cape, the Pilgrims sailed across the bay to land at Plymouth Rock, where they established their colony. The locals always like to emphasize that their first landing was here, not at the Rock. We return to the Inn having gotten a significant number of steps in (satisfying Wayne's fitbit addiction). All the walking has tired us, so we rest until dinner.

Dinner is at WayDownTown. We may have to sit on the back porch overlooking the Harbor, so before dinner, we stop in a souvenier store to get Amy a sweatshirt and Wayne some mementos. At dinner, we start with drinks: Amy gets the "Red Panties" (Cosmo-ish) and Wayne gets "The Third Degree" (Gin-Tonic-al).

The Third Degree & The Red Panties

We share a half dozen oysters and each get a cup of chowder. We also decide to share the Pan-fried Brie starter and split the Seaside Risotto. When we return to the Inn, it is another day happily concluded.

We rise to our last full day here. After breakfast, we face a grim reality: this has to be Wash Day! We gather up all the clothes to be cleaned and head to the west end of town to find the Provincetown Laundromat. The hardest part of the whole experience is actually locating the building. We try both the X3's GPS and the iPhone. Neither gets us there. We do some more internet searching and finally find the place on top of a short hill overlooking the grocery store that was the last place the iPhone said was where the Laundromat was supposed to be. Only thing is, the entryway is on the back side of that short hill. Even though this wastes 5 minutes or so, it's still really efficient: we get three loads done in parallel in less than an hour and 15 minutes! All done, we decide to celebrate with lunch at The Lobster Pot, a Ptown Institution.

The Lobster Pot

We split the Lobster Avocado Cocktail, Amy has the Halibut Fillet and Wayne has the Baked Cod, stuffed with shrimp and lobster. Caloric Heaven! After lunch, we decide to check out the Pilgrim Monument.

This 252 foot granite tower was begun in 1907 (Teddy Roosevelt laid the cornerstone) and completed in 1910, with dedication attended by William Howard Taft. We approach the base of the monument and confront a dedication to the Mayflower Compact, which was signed here, not on the west side of Cape Cod Bay (Plymouth). To get up to the tower, there is a short, inclined elevator that allows one to travel up to the base of the tower. Construction on the elevator was begun in April, 2020. Despite a law suit and the pandemic, it got finished and its dedication will be after Memorial Day. We won't be here, but happily, the elevator is already open and working.

Bas-Relief of the Mayflower Compact

The Elevator Ride

The view from the tower base is wonderful. We go inside and climb the 115 steps and 60 ramps. The view from the top is even better than from below.

View from the Tower's Base

View from the Tower

We head back down and visit the Museum. What is notable to me is how the museum has responded to the times. The presentations are no longer exclusively from the perspective of the Europeans. The facts of the first contact are presented, such as that the mission of the settlers was to force the indigenous people to accept Chrisianity and that several of these same folk were forced into slavery. The Museum has worked diligently to include descendents of indigenous people in the presentations that they have newly created about the Mayflower arrival. The complete story is much harder to tell, but that's the way life often is. 

The Museum is really interesting and we are glad to have spent time here. We head back down the elevator and walk back to the White Porch Inn to rest. Refreshed, we head out to our last dinner in Provincetown at Pilgrim House. Amy has a glass of Sangria, Wayne has the Bourbon Old-Fashioned. We share the Braised Short Ribs, the Fish Tacos and Lobster Won Tons. We have been so active and productive today that we even share a desert: Bread Pudding. It is all absolutely wonderful.

We head back to the Inn wondering if we will be able to visit here again.

The Pilgrim Monument

Days 14-15 May 23-24: Martha's Vineyard

We wake to a fair day in Newport. We have a fine breakfast in the basement kitchen and hit the road about 10:00 AM for the short drive to Falmouth, MA. We are headed for Martha's Vineyard, but we will be leaving the X3 behind in the Palmer Avenue Parking Lot 4 miles from the Terminal. The drive is easy and the timing is great as we get the shuttle bus right away after parking and enjoy the short ride to the terminal building. Timing continues to favor us as the schedule has been thrown off and the ferry will be leaving an hour earlier than the web site indicated (or is it the earlier ferry delayed by an hour and a half?). We wait a few minutes, then board and sit down to enjoy the calm, quiet ride.

Approaching Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard

We debark 45 minutes later in Oak Bluffs, MA. From the ferry, we walk two blocks to The Dockside Inn. We get recommendations for Lunch and Dinner from the attendant and a few moments later we are seated at The Lookout. We are outside and it is a bit windy, but we are on the sheltered side of the building, so it's not a problem. In New England in May, it seems, one must not be too bothered by breezes. The Lookout claims the title for Best Lobster Roll on Martha's Vineyard. Yelp agrees. We both order the Sauteed Roll (it's warm). We both relish the ample sandwich.

Sated again, we head out for a walk to the west of town. We walk past Summercamp, a beautiful 3-star hotel  featuring lots of activities. We turn south; there are interesting cottages everywhere. Each seems unique with special attention paid to the ornamentation on windows, over the doors and on rooftop edges particularly around gables.

Colorful MV Cottage

The Pink Cottage

We return to the wharf area and check out the bars and restaurants across the street. We then return to our room to enjoy some more down time.

After some quiet time (aka, nap), we walk the two short blocks to the Martha's Vineyard Chowder Company. We both order the Island Time cocktail. Amy has a bowl of the chowder and the Arugula Salad. Wayne has a cup of the chowder and the Tuna Tartare. The chowder is different, not as creamy and more pepper than we are used to. The rest of the meal is terrific. We return to our room. We are now certifiably on island time and really relaxed. A good day!

After an interesting continental breakfast in the sun room downstairs, we head out for the bus. This morning's destination is the west end of the island and the Aquinnah Overlook. After some puzzlement over the purchase of tickets, we obtain some change so we can buy an all-day ticket on the bus. (Amy bought her day-pass online last night.) We walk to the bus stop next to the ferry terminal, board the bus when it comes and enjoy the ride to Vineyard Haven. Here we have to exit the bus, as this one immediately goes back to Oak Bluffs. A few minutes later, the bus to West Tisbury arrives and we board. After about 1/2 hour, the bus arrives in the little town and many passengers from Edgartown join us. The bus is now full with about 8 or 10 people standing.

This being early season, and staffing being what it is in this time of Covid, we have to choose when we get to the overlook: 1) we can take all the time we want, but then we will have to wait 2 hours for the next bus back to West Tisbury, or, 2) we can limit our visit to 8 min. and get back on this bus to return east. We opt for the latter and enjoy the nice, if brief, time at the overlook.

View from Aquinnah Overlook

The return trip is very pleasant as many of the passengers chose the first option. There are plenty of seats, even after we pick up a few more riders at West Tisbury. When we return to Vineyard Haven, it's lunchtime, so we visit the famous Black Dog Tavern, on the waterfront.

We share the Mezza Plate, a Goat Cheese Salad and the Mussels. Delicious. The story of the Black Dog is that it started out as the Tavern in 1971. Early on it became well known for its merchandise featuring its logo of the eponymous black dog. The clothing merchandise was so popular that they spun off "The Black Dog" clothing line. Today, the shops and the merchandise are unavoidable throughout New England.

After lunch, we go back to the Vineyard Haven bus station, await the 13 bus back to Oak Bluffs, and in 15 minutes are back at The Dockside. After a short rest, we decide to walk around the south area of town. There are many interesting buildings.

Bandstand in Ocean Park

We return to our room to change for dinner. We are dining at Atria, perhaps the most renowned restaurant on the island. We hear that famous people visiting MV eat there. It's a 20 minute bus ride south, and our reservation is at 6:15, so we head out about 4:00 to catch the bus and walk around the town. On the way, we pass an eerily familiar-looking lagoon area. Oh yes! The movie Jaws was filmed here (released 1975) and this lagoon was one of the places the shark attacked. In fact, the shore area just east of this bus line is where all the town/panic/action events in the movie happen.

The "Jaws" Lagoon

When we get to Edgertown, we walk through the most upscale village that we have visited in MV. We enjoy a walk to the waterfront and a casual stroll back to Atria. It's time for dinner, so we check in and are seated on the first floor, just off to the left. We have a nice view of the outdoor seating area and the covered event space.

We were told by our innkeeper that we should expect a great meal. We settle in by ordering a Cosmo (Amy) and a Gin & Tonic (Wayne). We order the Braised Ribs starter and decide to share the Scallops and a Mushroom Pizza w/ Goat Cheese and Arugula for the main. The Ribs are particularly tasty, having a sauce made with Plum and Hoisin Sauce. The Scallops and the Pizza are both good, as well. A very tasty meal, but I'm not sure it was as special as the one we had at Cara in Newport.

We are, again, stuffed, so we pass on dessert. We return to the bus stop about 2 blocks away and have an uneventful ride back to The Dockside.

Day 13 May 22: Newport, RI, Part 2

We rise this Sunday morning, get organized and fed, and head out for an early start. Today we tour the area's Mansions. We were too late, when planning, to get seats on any of the tour companies' buses, so we opt for the down-loadable Action Tour Guide: Newport Mansions. This is a really informative, and mostly pain-free, way to drive oneself around the town and get an audio decription in the comfort of your own car. Some caveats: if there is an unexpected blockage on the street, like routine street repair or a large delivery van, you have to figure out for yourself how to circumvent the blockage and get back on the tour's path. Also, it uses geo-location to determine what snippet to play. If you go too far out of the expected path, you might hit one of the later (or earlier) locations and get really confused about where you are and where you should be. At the very start of the tour, the guide tells us to turn right on Thames St, which is a one-way street the other direction.

After a bit of a rocky start, we get used to the guide and enjoy the first part of the tour. After about 30 minutes, we arrive at the Breakers, the Vanderbilt Mansion that is the largest Newport estate from the Gilded Age. We park in the lot and take the tour of the house and grounds. Cornelius Vanderbilt II started (re-)building here in 1893. Wow, what a place to have as a second home! Imagine money as no object in order to have 1,000 fine china place settings at your command. I may have the count wrong, but I believe that there are a total of 48 bedrooms in this mansion. Fifteen are on the second and third floors; they are for the Family and Guests. The other 33 are on the third through fifth floors for use by the staff.

The Breakers

The entryway takes you to the first room: The Great Hall. It is hard to take in as it measures 50 feet wide by 50 feet long by 50 feet high. Yes, the 3rd floor has a big hole in the middle because the Great Hall is there instead!

The Great Hall

My favorite room is the Bedroom of 4th child Gertrude Vanderbilt (later Whitney). She was a talented artist and the room shows many of her very early efforts. Wikipedia lists many monumental works that she created, including the Monument to the Men of the Titanic. Even as she was a successful artist in the early 20th century, Ms. Whitney recognized the struggles that most American artists had getting established, with European artists being preferred. She became a big collector of American Art and in 1929, offered her collection to the  Metropolitan Museum. They declined. So she set up her own institution, one with a distinctive mandate: to focus exclusively on the art and artists of our country. The Whitney Museum of American Art was founded in 1930.

Gertrude's Bedroom

One more picture from the Breakers: the two-story china cabinet/preparation room next to the kitchen.

Prep Room near the Kitchen

We leave the house and wander around the grounds. It's early in the season, so the gardens don't have a lot of colorful flowers yet, but the grounds are immaculately kept. There is so much more to see at the Breakers, what we have shared is but a small taste. This is a "must see" for a visit to Newport.

We leave the Breakers, get back in the X3 and continue the Tour. We wander around the area of Newport west and south of the Mansions and Cliff Walk. Alternately enjoying views of the Ocean and many more moderate estates than the Breakers. We stumble upon The Castle Hill Inn. Looks like a great place for lunch (and we have read about it during our planning), so we stop and are shown to a table inside (good, because the wind is too strong outside). Amy has a Bellini and Wayne has the House G&T. We each have the Clam Chowder and we split the Citrus Salad and a Lobster Roll. All delicious. We take a short walk around the grounds, fetch the X3 from the Valet and finish the Tour, which we heartily endorse!

We return to the Yankee Peddler and take a break for the afternoon. About 6:00, we head back down to the wharf. There is some interesting statuary.

Public Art on the Wharf

It's time for dinner, but the main wharf area is awash with people enjoying the last hours of the Oyster and Chowder Festival, so we head south and find the Midtown Oyster Bar. We have a lovely dinner, starting with a pair of oysters each, then Amy has the Grilled Striped Bass and Wayne has the Seared Yellowfin Tuna. Another great meal! We head back to the Inn for our last night of our visit to Newport.

Days 11-12 May 20-21: Newport, RI, Part 1

We awake to fog. It persists through breakfast and our preparations to depart the Inn at Mystic. We have decided to avoid the major highway and skirt the coast on Highways 1 and 1A. It won't be a lot of fun until more of the mist burns off. Finally, around 10:30, it has sufficiently thinned and we start the 50 or so mile drive to Newport.

Soon after we cross into Rhode Island at Westerly, we turn right and head down and south toward the beach. We notice lots of runners out jogging. Amy spies a sign that says "Ragnar Relay". It's an organized event allowing teams of up to 11 runners to cover lots of distance. Many are held throughout the year all over America. Many of the runners are dressed in silly costumes, most look like they are having a great time. We arrive on the last road, Atlantic Avenue on Misquamicut Beach and turn left, slow down for the next runner's relay station, and spot a small parking lot. We pull over and hit our first beach of the trip. It is cool and quiet. Just lovely.

Atlantic Beach, Rhode Island

Refreshed, we get back in the car and continue north/east on Highway US 1. We pass through the small town of Charleston. It's early season and Covid has ravaged here; many restaurants are closed. We turn north, then take State 138 east over Narragansett Bay, and drive the beautiful Claiborne Pell Bridge into Newport.

We park the X3 at the Yankee Peddler Inn. Our room is not yet ready, but we can leave the car. We head to Thames Street on the Wharf. We find the Brick Alley Pub, a fun place with lots of odd decor, such as an old (1930's?) Chevrolet Truck, immaculately detailed, taking up space between our table and the Salad Bar. Amy has the Caprese Bruschetta and Wayne has the Lobster Bisque & Salad Bar. Quite satisfied, we return to Thames Street and walk the Wharf.

About 45 minutes later, we get the call, return to the Yankee Peddler and check into our room. We spend the rest of the afternoon relaxing and organizing. At 5:00, there is wine in the social room, where we meet some of the other guests staying here. After some interesting conversation, we head out for dinner about 1/2 mile away. On the walk we pass some interesting buildings that indicate we are in an architecturally very interesting place.

Newport Art Museum

This is one of the two buildings housing the Art Museum. It is the John N. A. Griswold House, completed in 1864. The other stunning building is across the street. It currently houses the Elks Lodge. Built as the Atlantic Hotel in 1844, during the American Civil War (1861-1865), it housed the United States Naval Academy.

The Elks Lodge

At our chosen dinner spot, Jo's American Bistro, Amy starts with a Peach Bellini, Wayne the Fashionable. We split a Bistro Salad and Amy has the Fish Special, the Brazilian Sea Bass, Wayne has Lobster Carbonara. A fine start to our 3 days in Newport, we head back to the Inn and call it a night.

We wake up to fog again. After a solid breakfast of hard-boiled eggs, oatmeal and coffee, we walk to the famous Newport Cliff Walk. This pathway is Fabulous! Stunning views of the Atlantic Ocean to our left and incredible mansions to our right.

A few pictures cannot do justice to the dozens of estates along the path. What is even more interesting is that these were just "summer" homes, mostly used for just 8-10 weeks out of the year.

Some parts of the Cliff walk are not paved, we have to climb from stone to stone. This is the toughest walking we've done in quite some time. It's advertised as 3.5 miles but seems much further. We finally get to the end where we had planned to take the Newport Trolley back to the Wharf area. However, we have just missed the bus and the next one won't be along for 20 or 25 minutes. There is no place to sit to wait for the bus, so rather than just stand there, we decide we may as well start walking. A very short time later, a pedicab rides by on the opposite side of the street. He asks if we want a ride and we are there! It feels SOOOO good to sit on the padded seats and rest as the driver whisks us away toward the Wharf.

We ride past "The Elms". It is temporarily closed because they are shooting season 2 of "The Guilded Age". Interesting fact: The trees around this mansion are not actually Elms, all the original elm trees succumbed to Dutch Elm Disease many years ago.

We end up at the Wharf after a very entertaining ride. We are grateful for the lift, and also grateful that this pedicab is also an e-bike, so our driver didn't have to do extensive work to cart us.

The Oyster & Chowder festival is in full swing. There are too many people to deal with, so we head inside the Black Pearl to sit down for lunch. Wayne has the Oscar Benedict and Amy has the Lobster Salad Sandwich. Yum! We then head back to the Inn to rest up for tonight's dinner. We agree we are too tired from the exhausting walk to hoof it the mile to dinner. Also, it's the same path we already walked to get to the Cliff Walk earlier today.

We get a nice rest in, put on our best clothes, climb into the X3 and head for the Chanler Hotel, just next to the start of the Cliff Walk. The Restaurant: Cara. We enter the hotel and are in a different world.

The Bar at the Chanler

We are just a bit early for the seating, so Amy orders a Cosmo and Wayne has a Gin Martini. Tonight's meal is a 5-course blind tasting extravaganza created by executive chef Jacob Jasinski. Wayne has chosen to include the wine pairing, while Amy sticks with water. I could describe the meal, but it's easier to just share a picture of the certificate we received at the end of the meal, which details the courses. This was one of the best meals I've had in my life. Each course was thoroughly enjoyable. None was overwhelmingly large, and at the end of the meal we were completely satisfied. 

Amy's Certificate

  Amuse Bouche: New England Shellfish: Oysters, Scallops & Littleneck Clams with citrus, seabeans, buckwheat emulsion

  Course 1: Spring Asparagus with ossetra caviar, hazelnut and confit citrus

  Course 2: Columbia River Salmon with spring beans, Rhode Island Mushrooms

  Course 3: Dry Aged Wagyu Rib Steak, beef cheek, black radish and alliums

  Course 4: Cato Corner Cheeses from the Hooligan & Dutch Farmstead

  Course 5: Yuzu Citrus with macha, ginger and sake. Also Valrhona Chocolate with marcona almond, basil and meyer lemon

After dinner, we head back to the Inn for a night's rest looking forward to more Mansions tomorrow, and more great food.

Days 8-10 May 17-19: Mystic, Connecticut

The first hour of the drive from Warren to Mystic on I-287 is serene. We are heading north and traffic is light, not too many trucks. When we turn east and cross into New York, it all changes. These drivers all have some place to be and they want to be there an hour and a half ago! Not being in a hurry is great, but makes for challenging driving! After about two hours, we are out of the New York City-inspired traffic and dealing only with more local drivers. We head east on I-95 and finally exit into Mystic, CT. A few minutes later, we are at our home for the next 3 nights, the Inn at Mystic.

Bogart and Bacall honeymooned here, enjoying its privacy and access to Fisher Island Sound. The Inn is a short walk from the heart of Mystic, the Bascule Bridge. We are hungry, so we cross the highway (US 1) to get our first meal of seaside shack fare at Sea Swirl. (We can see this place from the balcony of our room.) Wayne has the Clam Chowder and Grilled Fish Tacos and Amy has the Fresh Cod Dinner. We share Onion Rings. A great meal!

We then head into town to orient ourselves and enjoy a stroll among the quaint shops. A great sign at "Bank Square Books": "Buy books from people who want to sell you books, not from people who want to colonize the moon." We come upon Friar Tuck's Tavern and notice the Southampton/Liverpool match is on. We settle in for an hour of Aperol Spritzer, Guinness and Football. Liverpool is lucky to get their second goal, but I guess the best teams sometimes make their own luck. Game over, we head back to rest up for dinner at the Inn's Restaurant, Rocks 21. The view is fantastic. Amy has the Fish Special, Wayne has the Grilled Seafood Platter and we split an order of Bacon-Wrapped Scallops. Yum. Once again we are stuffed as we walk back to our room.

The new day dawns with us looking forward to three activities:

1) A visit to Mystic Seaport, the Museum of America and the Sea. Think of Greenfield Village dedicated to a 19th century seaside New England village. The oldest building here is from the 17th century and is in remarkably good shape. They run a preservation shipyard here which successfully refitted the oldest remaining whaling ship, the Charles W. Morgan, which we toured. We learned about Cod fishing and enjoyed many varied exhibits. One of the best was the display of Masthead Carvings.

We eat lunch at Lancer, an eatery in the Museum where we can eat outside in the sunshine. After lunch we tour "Voyaging in the Wake of the Whalers" which chronicles the sad tale of over-hunting whales, but then discusses the hopeful part: half of whale species are well into recovery.

2) After a rest in our room at the Inn, we head back to the Bascule Bridge for our 2-hour cruise aboard the Schooner Argia.

The Schooner Argia

It's too windy to hoist the mainsail, but not so windy that it is unpleasant. After clearing the harbor and the Swing Bridge (supports the Acela line between NYC and Boston), we head south to Fishers Island (part of New York). We turn around and head back north. It is surprisingly serene and enjoyable.

The Swing Bridge (Rail Line NYC to Boston)

The people we sat next to on the sail live in our Portland, just across the river from us in South East. It's odd to meet neighbors 3,000 miles away from home. We had a nice conversation about our travels and about home.

Noank from Fishers Island Sound

3) Dinner at the Oyster Club.

   We share half a dozen Oysters, Amy has the Fish Kielbasa, Wayne has the Mussels. Quite delicious!

We return to the Inn and enjoy a good night's sleep.

We awake to rain. Our plan this last full day in Mystic is to visit Stonington, but we hope for a dry visit, so we have a lazy morning.

Did I mention that there is a film crew here at the Inn? It's a Lifetime movie, scheduled to air in the Aug. to Oct. 2022 time frame. Its title: "How to Live Your Best Death". They are filming in the rooms just east of ours; I ask the crew if they want me to move the X3 and they say "no, we won't film the license plate; it's all good and your car might be in the movie!" We can't wait. But really, the crew seems very kind and it's sort of exciting even though the crew seems to be sitting around mostly and keeping quiet. I think the Inn's staff is more inconvenienced than we are and it's a good deal for the Inn as many of the rooms are booked by the cast and crew.

We head to Stonington for lunch. After a quick drive around the village, we park and dodge the raindrops to eat at Noah's. It advertises that everything is made from scratch. I believe it! Wayne has the Fra Diavolo over Linguine (the noodles are so fresh) with Shrimp & Salmon Cakes. Amy has the Meat Loaf. Both are delicious.

We head back to the room to rest and stay out of the rain. It clears up a bit and we get a chance to explore the Inn's grounds. The Haley Mansion, built in 1904, is now an event space. It is probably the number 1 go-to event space in Mystic. The views from atop the granite outcroppings are great.

The Haley Mansion 1904

Pond South of the Haley Mansion

After a nice rest, we hit Rocks21 for pre-dinner drinks. We have an enjoyable conversation with a couple from Wisconsin who often visit here. After drinks, we walked to S & P Oyster (S is for Sam and P is for Peter, the owners), just east of the Bascule Bridge. We shared a half-dozen Mystic Oysters and each had the Sesame Encrusted Tuna with Risotto. Exquisite! We topped it off by sharing a creme brulee. A very good meal!

We then had a nice walk back to the Inn. Another great day. Sad that it's the last in Mystic, but we look forward to our next locale: Newport, RI.

Days 1-7 May 10-16: Road Trip to New England

As we enter the year 2022, we are anxious to return to seeing America. After two (Covid) years, we are embarking on a Road Trip to New England. We have each, separately, been to Boston, but we have not experienced much of the region beyond that fair city and we have not been there together. We have planned a 41 day trip: 7 days to get there, 26 to enjoy the region, and 8 to get home. This first post covers the first 7 days.

We've have previously driven much of this trip, so aren't looking forward to much sightseeing beyond what we can do from our auto. The first two days has us driving on I-84 from it's beginning in Portland, OR to its junction with I-80 in western Wyoming. We leave in the morning on May 10.

The drive is fairly easy as we fly past Multnomah Falls, then the Maryhill Museum on the opposite side of the Columbia River. We cruise along to Pendleton and head to the downtown area. Our first choice for lunch is no longer in business. We figured out during planning that this would happen. This is the first place picked from an iPhone search. Out-of-Business, we are Batting 1,000!

No problem, actually, as there are a number of other places within a couple of blocks. We settle on Sisters Cafe where Amy has the Greek Salad and Wayne has the Southwest Panini. Both are good. After a pleasant break, we get back in the car and head into the Blue Mountains. 

We stop for gasoline in La Grande, OR. What a surprise! This is Oregon and we get to pump our own gas as there are two people working the station & mini-mart and one is on break. (The other one working can't leave the register.) I remember how to do it from continued practice at Costco #1 in Seattle and we are soon back on I-84 heading southeast. The weather is cool and a bit windy, there's a bit of a storm off to our west:

Blue Mountains near Baker City

We cross the Idaho border and traffic begins to get heavy as we approach Boise. After the airport, the traffic returns to slight and we continue on for another 120 miles, ending at the Fairfield Inn & Suites Twin Falls. We have planned for this to be our longest day of the trip east. We have driven 564 miles. We are pretty tired, but also hungry.

We check out the Hotel's recommended restaurants and find Elevation 486 close by. We consider a couple of other options, but this closest one wins and we drive a short mile to the edge of the Snake River Gorge. Check out the web site elevation486.com and you are greeted with a great video shot from drone over the gorge. We didn't ask, but the name elevation486 probably indicates how many feet the restaurant is above the floor of the gorge. We have a great view of the Perrine Memorial Bridge:

The Perrine Memorial Bridge

We also have a great dinner: Amy enjoys a "Goose in a Pear Tree", Wayne has a "Man-fashioned Old-hattan". (Or was it the other way-round?) Amy has a salad, Wayne has the Tomato Bisque Soup and we share the 12oz portion of Prime Rib. Sides of vegetables and garlic mashed potato round out the meal. It's all delicious and we thoroughly enjoyed the decor; note the fishing reels behind Amy.

Elevation 486 in Twin Falls, ID

We head back to the hotel and get a good night's rest.

We awaken in the new time zone and get back onto I-84. Uneventfully, we cross into Utah and pass Tremonton, where we stayed on our Arizona/New Mexico RT in 2017. We have fond memories of Promontory Point and the Spiral Jetty in the Great Salt Lake. We continue south into Ogden and stop to buy some sandwiches for a picnic. Our eating destination is the first rest stop on I-80 that we join as soon as we leave Utah. Oops, the rest stop is closed! We continue another 8 miles hoping to find a decent place in Evanston, WY. We follow the signs to the River Walk, but find another sign to the Bear Park Nature Way just a block away. It suits us just fine! Picnic enjoyed, we take a walk around the Nature Park (partly along the Bear River). This is an area reclaimed from ice ponds that were used in the early years of the 20th century to farm ice. Large artificial ponds were built. In late winter/early spring ice was sawed off from the ponds and stored in nearby ice houses. Throughout the rest of the year, ice was transferred from these houses by rail to cities for distribution. Fascinating.

We finish our walk and get back in the car to continue 65 miles to Little America. Both of us visited this place on road trips with our families 50 or 60 years ago. How it has changed. Mostly, it seems much smaller; we remember more and larger shops for souvenirs. I don't remember a big hotel, but there is one there now. The biggest change, however, is that trees that were planted here years ago have grown into a mature forest. Seems out of place, but is so welcome.

We patronize Little America by getting a full tank of gasoline and note that premium is averaging about $5/gal so far. We also purchase some soft-serve cones for today's treat. Amy drives the rest of the way into Rawlins, WY. When we stop, it is actually warm as we check into the Fairfield Inn. Dinner tonight is a short drive back west to Rose's Lariat, established in 1954 and ranked as the best Mexican restaurant in Wyoming. Only disappointment: it is completely dry, alcohol-wise, so we both have Iced Teas with our Enchiladas (Wayne) and Fajitas (Amy). Very tasty.

After another nice night's rest, we climb back into the X3 and continue east. It is cooler than last night and a bit windy. There are many signs warning us of gusts up to 50 MPH that will continue until midnight. Perhaps today is a good day to drive at a more modest 75 or 70?

Other than being blown around a bit, the drive through southern Wyoming is peaceful and serene. After about 110 miles, we arrive at I-80's highest point, Summit Pass. There is a wonderful rest area here. We learn that before the Interstate highway system was built, in the late 1930's, the original auto route we are on was built and named The Lincoln Highway.

Summit Rest Area Wyoming

Roadside of I-80 West of the Summit 

View East from Summit Pass

This is the 2nd auto road, after Route 66, to be built across the continent. This one was built to connect Times Square to the Golden Gate Bridge. (Route 66 only went from Chicago.) As I-80, this road was improved in the 1950's, with the highest elevation a couple of hundred feet below the earlier version. They actually moved the Lincoln Statue from the Old Pass to the new one.

We continue on, with the wind picking up a bit. The next stop for us is Sadie's Café in Pine Bluffs, WY, the easternmost town on I-80 in this state. After a nice lunch of Roast Chicken Salad for Amy and French Dip for Wayne, we decide to spend the next hour travelling east on Hwy 30, the original Lincoln Highway. It is quite peaceful. There are very few cars or trucks to contend with on this road. We do get some thundershowers and some heavy rain. We continue into Sidney, where we plan on rejoining I-80 after getting more gasoline. Uh-Oh, the service stations in town (all 4 or 5 of them) offer regular unleaded and Octane 88. Our X3 requires 91, so we can't use any of the in-town service stations. Happily, the two big stations near I-80 provide the premium blend. We gas up and continue east.

The wind has really picked up and lots of the Semi-Rigs are parked (we suppose) to avoid being blown over. We continue past the junction with I-76, which we took west from New Jersey back in 2019, and arrive in North Platte, Nebraska. The scenery is most unwelcoming as the high winds are blowing dust everywhere. Low visibility convinces us to eat dinner at the Ruby Tuesday we can walk to from our lodging, another Fairfield Inn & Suites. Amy has the 6 oz. sirloin and Wayne has the Baby Back Ribs. Both are very tasty and filling. Stuffed, we walk back to the hotel looking forward to another moderate distance driving tomorrow.

After coming down from the mountains, we have moderate hills the rest of the way to New Jersey. The drive from North Platte to West Des Moines is uneventful. The most exciting portion of this day's trip is crossing the Missouri, but there isn't a good view to take pictures. After checking into our Fairfield Inn, we cross the street to dine at the Marriott Hotel. Delicious: Wings, Beet Salad and a Mushroom Flatbread. 

Uneventful holds true as we next drive from West Des Moines to Elkhart, IN. Crossing the Mighty Mississippi provides no scenic stops. After a forgettable dinner in Elkhart, we enjoy a night's rest and then we drive on toll roads (no stops apart from Travel Plazas!) to end the day in DuBois, PA. There is a nice joint next to our hotel which we can walk to and enjoy the Classic 101 Burger (Amy) and the Caprese Ravioli (Wayne).

Our next day takes us into Warren, NJ (after a brief stop at the Outlets in Tannersville) where we unwind and then enjoy a lovely evening with Lennie. We have now driven 2,954 miles in 7 days. We are tired from the driving, but looking forward to finally being in New England tomorrow.