Boston - Day 8, Newport, Rhode Island

This is the last post from our trip to the Boston area in 2002. I hope you enjoy this retrospective from my relatively unedited travel diary:

Saturday, August 3

We had a nice breakfast, and then we headed south to Newport, Rhode Island. If we'd stayed on the freeway instead of taking the “shorter” route, we would have saved ourselves at least an hour in transit. But we didn't. Traffic was horrendous, and both of us were on edge. Happily, the day improved after this sour beginning.

Overlooking the lawn, overlooking
the sea. Some lemonade, please, James.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

In Newport, we visited two of the magnificent “summer cottages” that line the rugged coastline. I was really looking forward to this, because I love to visit historic homes and see how the other half lives. Or at least how they used to live.

There are quite a number of these fabulous homes that are open to the public for tours, wedding venues, and so on. The astonishing thing, at least to me, is how many of them are still privately occupied for the “season.” Absolutely stupefying homes with caretaker's cottages that we would be quite comfortable in. What garden parties we could have on those expansive lawns, which are as large or larger than most city parks. The weather was gorgeous, if a bit sticky. Surprise. But that wouldn't have stopped me from enjoying a nice cup of tea, a cucumber sandwich, and some strawberry shortcake.

The two “cottages” we decided to visit were “The Breakers” (70-room summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II) and “Rosecliff” (modeled after the Grand Trianon at Versailles). You can read about the history of these homes by clicking on the links.

The Breakers, Newport, RI
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The outside of The Breakers was being renovated, which was a shame. The scaffolding kind of took away from the grand impression of the place, but the inside was absolutely breathtaking. Beyond opulent. Photos can't do justice to it, so it's just as well that photography isn't allowed inside.

The play house at
 The Breakers. Seriously.
My husband took the
photo of me on the steps
 for size perspective.

The children's playhouse is a two-room cottage complete with fireplace, a wood-burning range in the kitchen (keeping in mind that this isn't modern construction), etc. It would be a great mother-in-law unit, actually. Except that the mother-in-law here probably had a wing of the big house to herself.

Rosecliff, Newport, RI
I think I see Robert Redford driving up...
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

At Rosecliff, lavish parties are still thrown in the tradition of the original hostess. In fact, they were setting up for a wedding that very evening. The wedding ceremony was to be on the lawn overlooking the ocean, with the reception to be held in the ballroom. The same ballroom where Arnold Schwarzenegger and Jamie Lee Curtis did the tango in the movie “True Lies.” The mansion Robert Redford drove up to in “The Great Gatsby.” Romance is in the air at this place. For a price.

The back lawn, taken from the house.
If you look carefully, you'll see the
water line way, way back there.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

I tried to imagine what it must have been like to be a guest at one of these cottages back in the day: The stylish clothes that would have been worn, the trendy music that would have been played, the delicious food and drink that would have been served. Elegance. Sophistication. Drama. Lots of drama. Perhaps too much drama.

I couldn't bring myself to leave yet, so we decided to take the Cliff Walk, which afforded lovely ocean views and back lawn glimpses. We even saw a wedding (yes, another one). The walk itself seemed to have fallen into a bit of disrepair, with much of it being rather broken down, forcing us to climb up and down rocks. But we managed it, and without incident, too.

We got back to the hotel in half the time it had taken to get to Newport, and then we went out for lobster. All in all, not a bad day. And not a bad vacation, either. In fact, it was a marvelous one. New England is completely enchanting. I'd like to see more of it!

Boston - Day 7, Battle Road

In 2002, my husband was called to the Boston area on business. Lucky me! I was able to tag along to this beautiful city, so full of history and atmosphere. I hope you enjoy my relatively unedited travel diary:

Friday, August 2

The weather this morning was the usual sunny, hot, humid stuff, but the forecast called for thunderstorms. I decided it might not be the best idea to take the train anywhere for a walking day.

Site of Thoreau's Cabin, Walden Pond
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

I regretted not having put my toe in the water at Walden Pond, so I got in the car and went back there to do that. The water was warm, so now I regretted that my swimsuit was back at the hotel. Not a very well prepared girl scout, am I? I had entertained the notion of getting a “simplify” shirt for myself, but the gift shop simplified things for me by not having my size available.

The Concord River, Old North Bridge
Photo by Chris. All rightds reserved.

The weather was still very nice as I made my way back to Old North Bridge in Concord. I wasn't sure why I was going there again. I just was. And I was starting to think the weather forecast was wrong. Again.

Unfortunately, I arrived just in time to miss the park ranger's interpretive program, which was evidently quite good, based on the comments from those who were still assembled. Everyone was standing around talking, and I was feeling sorry for myself. It would have been terrific to hear the presentation. But the visitor center was interesting and the people were friendly and visiting from all over the country (and other countries). All was not lost. A good conversation is a great thing.

The Wayside, Concord
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

By now it was starting to sprinkle, so we all parted ways and headed to our cars for shelter. I made my way to The Wayside "Author's Home" on Battle Road. The tour was very interesting and informative, and I learned that Louisa May Alcott (Little Women) grew up there, and Nathaniel Hawthorne (The Scarlet Letter) later lived there. But the main thing I loved about the place was the atmosphere. I wanted to sit down right there and write an entry in my diary!

There was lightning and thunder and heavy rain. On the way back to the car, I got soaked. Because, naturally, my umbrella was in the back seat. The temperature had dropped by about 20 degrees, too, so it was a good thing I had remembered to bring my little cotton sweater. Which was, naturally, in the car.

I proceeded to Hartwell Tavern on Battle Road that the British passed on their way to Concord on April 19, 1775. It's a living history museum that's part of Minute Man National Historic Park now, with the park rangers outfitted in period dress. I love that kind of thing, and the rangers were very well informed and enthusiastic. Because of the weather, I was the only “civilian” present, so I was able to monopolize the time of a park ranger whose best friend lives about ten miles from me. What are the odds?

Turns out my husband had been frantically trying to reach me on the cell phone so we could go out to dinner with some colleagues. The reception out there was pretty spotty; happily, I got his message in time to meet them at BugabooCreek, even though I was in a traffic jam on 495 on the way back. I was incredibly hungry. Hungry enough to eat a big steak. So I did.

Now that we're close to heading home, I'm finally feeling comfortable with my driving and surroundings here. I didn't get lost; I didn't need the map. Progress is being made!

Boston - Day 6, Charlestown

In 2002, my husband was called to the Boston area on business. Lucky me! I was able to tag along to this beautiful city, so full of history and atmosphere. I hope you enjoy my relatively unedited travel diary:

Thursday, August 1

North End, Boston
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

It's Thursday already. Amazing. How does time go by so quickly? I took the train in to Boston, intending to head straight for Bunker Hill, but I couldn't resist a saunter through the North End again. Once is not enough. I love that neighborhood. It's earthy and real, and its rich heritage permeates the considerable atmosphere.

I wanted to stop at the Green Dragon for an ale, but it was early yet. Plus, I had a lot to do. The walk from South Station to the North End is very quick, if you don't stop all over the place and take a bunch of detours – which, I believe I just mentioned, I did. How could I help it? I might never be here again, and I wanted my senses to be saturated with the sights and sounds and smells. Is that so bad? No, it is not. It's the reason we travel, right? To be saturated in the wonderfulness of the places we go. [For the previous day's North End sightseeing, see “Boston –Day 5, The Freedom Trail.”]

Bunker Hill Monument
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

After my meanderings, I headed across the Charlestown Bridge on my way to Bunker Hill ("Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes") without having lost my bearings. I considered this to be quite an accomplishment, given the jigsaw puzzle layout of the streets. Just on the other side of the bridge is City Square Park (formerly Market Square), which is where Paul Revere started his famous midnight ride. In the old days, before lots of construction obstructed the views, you could see Old North Church from the square. One if by land, two if by sea...

How about this one?
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

I started up the hill, and there was another lovely neighborhood! So many lovely neighborhoods, so little time. Twenty-some years ago, we drove through Boston quickly while on a one-week driving vacation from Chicagoland (so, clearly, we weren't able to spend a lot of time). This neighborhood was very run-down then, with trash everywhere. But not now. Wow! There's lots of construction and renovation going on, and the whole ambiance of the area has changed for the better. It's been reborn and renewed.

It being another hot, muggy day, I had my doubts about actually climbing up inside the monument, some 275 steps or so. But, hey, there I was, and the park ranger assured me that a rescue squad would come for me if I needed help. So...up I went! I did great for the first 75 steps, but then I had to stop to breathe every 25 steps or so. I caught up with some other people, though, so we all encouraged each other. Happily, the climb part of the tower was cooler than outside; but, when we reached the top, it was a virtual steam bath that smelled like a locker room. A men's locker room. Don't ask me how I know that, okay? Perspiration was streaming down my face. But the view! The view was worth the climb. And going back down was a breeze.

Aboard the USS Constitution
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

I had made up my mind to head back over to Cambridge to find some souvenirs for the kids, so, again, I wasn't going to tour the USS Constitution. But then there was this nice couple from Missouri resting at City Square, and they asked me if I knew which direction the ship was as I walked by. I gave them the information they needed, and they were so excited about seeing "Old Ironsides." And I knew I would regret not having gone, too, so I went. The ship is still commissioned and staffed by Navy personnel, all of whom seemed delighted to be assigned to such great duty. There was major maintenance going on, so we were only able to see the top two decks. It was well worth practically having to disrobe at the security checkpoint. The buckle on my belt set off the alarm, so I was worried about the metal zipper on my shorts setting it off on the second go-through, but it was fine. Whew.

I took a ride on the “T” (subway, metro, underground). The Orange Line from North Station to the Red Line transfer station to Harvard Station. No problems, no confusion, easy as pie! They use tokens, which are $1 (at least, they were then). A person takes your dollar at the window and hands you a token, which you put in the gate coin slot. So, why not just have the gate take dollar bills? Or why not have machines dispense the tokens? Must be a union town or something.

Right on the other side of that gate...
Harvard
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Harvard University is huge, with tons more buildings than we saw the other day. And that's just for the law school. I should probably have felt intimidated by all that combined brain power. How amazing it would be to study there.

Oops! A quick check of my watch revealed that I had just half an hour to catch my train back to the suburbs. I jumped on the Red Line to South Station, making it there with time to spare. Turns out it only takes fifteen minutes to get to South Station from Harvard Station. You never know when you'll need that information.

Boston Tea Party "site"
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

I forgot to mention that first thing this morning, when I got off the train, I went to the “official” Boston Tea Party site, but it was closed. So, I walked by the “actual” site, but it was part of the Big Dig. It wasn't a promising start to the day, but all's well that ends well. And it did end well!

I picked my husband up at work, and we ate dinner at “Mango,” a Thai place in Milford. The food was excellent. Our waitress asked if I'd been to Thailand, since I ordered my soup in Thai instead of English. I took that to mean she was able to understand my pronunciation. That made me feel good. But she probably says that to all the tourists. And no, I haven't been to Thailand. Yet.

Boston - Day 5, The Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail in Boston is a crash course in American Revolution history. You can feel it. You can smell it. You can touch it. You can see it. You can hear it. If you're going to Boston and you're physically able, walking the Freedom Trail is a must-do activity. This is my relatively unedited travel diary, sketchy in spots, detailed in others. I hope you enjoy this retrospective journey from 2002 with me!

Wednesday, July 31

We just enjoyed a downright tasty meal at Caffé Sorrento in Milford! As a rule, I stay away from Italian food at restaurants. It's just never as good as my mom's cooking. But I had excellent Veal Piccata, and my husband had superb Seafood Gorgonzola. If there's Gorgonzola to be had, he will order it. So would my mom, if she was on this trip with us. But wait. I'm getting ahead of myself again.

Massachusetts State House, Boston
Paul Revere's rolling mill made copper
to cover the dome.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

It was another hot and muggy day today. When you leave the air conditioned hotel and step outside, you feel as though you should go right back in and take another shower. But why? You'd just have to do it all over again. If you're having to go to work and are dressed for business, as my husband has to be, it's not great. But I didn't have that problem and was almost comfortable in shorts and a t-shirt.

The Granary Burying Ground
A Stone Garden
Sam Adams, John Hancock,
Paul Revere, victims of the
Boston Massacre and others
all buried here. Boston
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

With my camera bag in tow, I took the train to Boston to walk the Freedom Trail [Here's a map of it]. It wasn't strenuous (except for the heat and humidity) or excessively long, and it was totally worth the effort. Starting at Boston Common and ending in Charlestown, it included the State House, the seat of government. The Trail also took me past a bunch of churches (including Old North Church... “one if by land, two if by sea” ...and New North Church, now St. Stephen's), and a slew of meeting halls and taverns where revolutionary types liked to expound and/or hang out, as the case may be. The actual house of Paul Revere is also on the Trail, and I found it very impressive for the day. A silversmith by trade, I guess he could afford more than the average person.

Paul Revere's home, Boston
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Revere's house is located in what's called the “North End,” which is now a picturesque Italian neighborhood, full of wonderful atmosphere and presence. Restaurants everywhere, narrow cobbled streets, laundry hanging from windows, old ladies sitting out on the sidewalk on chairs from their kitchens, gossiping with their neighbors in Italian. Oh, it was wonderful! My people! It's funny how you can feel out of place and at home at the same time.

Oh, the revolutionary stuff that was
printed here!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The Trail takes you right past the famous Green Dragon Tavern, where the Sons of Liberty met, the Boston Tea Party was planned, and Paul Revere was sent off on his historic ride to Lexington. There are also some wonderful old “stone gardens” (cemeteries), and Bunker Hill, and Old Ironsides (the USS Constitution, still a commissioned naval vessel and beautiful to behold). And, and, and!

Spire of Old North Church
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

You have to go through a security check to get on board the Constitution, but I had run out of time. Unbelievable. I had to start back across the Charlestown Bridge in a big hurry so I wouldn't miss the train back to Milford. Which just goes to show, just ignore what it says in the guidebook about how long something will take. If it says, “Allow 2 hours,” allow four. If it says, “Allow ½ day,” plan on a whole day. You can always fill the extra time with a visit to a pub if you have time left over, but you can't see the sights you didn't have time for. By the way, there are plenty of pubs to be visited.

USS Constitution "Old Ironsides"
Tomorrow?
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Naturally, this means I also didn't make it to Bunker Hill at all, not that I would have been able to climb the stairs (inside the monument) after all that walking in the heat. Oh, well.

I did find out some interesting factoids today. Apparently, people commute to Boston all the way from Providence, Rhode Island. This must be okay in the summer, but I wonder what that's like in the winter? It isn't that far (50 or 60 miles, I think), but it must take forever on icy roads in traffic.

That's amore...
Loved the atmosphere!
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

I had asked someone at the train station about that commute, and I hadn't realized it wasn't that far, so I told him I hadn't figured out eastern distances yet. Everything here was closer than I expected, whereas things “out West” were always farther than expected. So he said, “Yes, once you get past Worcester [MA], distances are greater.” Worchester?! I meant “out WEST” – the West Coast, California! Funny how what you say can so easily be misinterpreted.

I had a spectacularly good time today. Maybe I'll take another train  ride downtown tomorrow. Boston is fantastic!

Old North Church from
another angle.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

North End goodness!
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Boston - Day 4, The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library

If you're interested in United States history, you will love Boston. I've been privileged to visit the city more than once, and I'm glad you're joining me down memory lane for this retrospective look from a trip in 2002. This is my relatively unedited travel diary. As usual, you can do a quick gloss-over, or you can dig deeper with the links. I hope you enjoy the journey!

Tuesday, July 30

I have the car today, so the first thing I did was to find the nearest train station. I'm planning to take the train in to Boston tomorrow, where I look forward to doing the self-guided downtown walk. I don't want to drive there, because I might not be able to find my way out. Seriously, you do not want to drive around downtown Boston. It's a maze of one-way streets, all of which are under some kind of construction, plus there's the Big Dig [clearly, this was during the Big Dig construction...]. They're in the process of putting the freeways underground. [Driving was much smoother during a subsequent visit, the Big Dig having finally been completed, no doubt on time and under budget...ha!]

Thunderstorms were expected, so it seemed like a good day to do some indoor exploring. I drove to the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library. It was my very first visit to any presidential library, and it was [especially in retrospect] engrossing and thought-provoking, not to mention memory jogging. The Oval Office, the press room memorabilia from the period, Jackie's fabulous and tasteful clothing, films about the Cuban missile crisis [I hadn't realized previously just how close we came to nuclear war] and the election campaigns...I could have spent all day there. The guide book recommends two hours, but that's just ridiculous unless you're just doing a walk-through. I was there for three and a half, and that wasn't nearly long enough. I wouldn't mind going again!

It's strange to realize that all the things I heard and saw today are just history stories to younger people, while they're very personal memories to me. It's difficult to describe the feelings of nostalgia and deep sadness that surfaced. The tears that flowed. Kennedy was a shining star. His family was young and vibrant. There was a mystique about him, a vitality that infused the country with hope in perilous times. He was our knight in shining armor. It was Camelot. And then it wasn't. And everything changed. Innocence lost. Cynicism born. But, who knows? Maybe if he'd been allowed to finish his term and serve a second one, we'd all think he was a scoundrel and a disgrace. Such is politics. And we didn't know about the womanizing and who knows what at that time. Not that we care about that kind of thing now, but that's a subject for a different blog altogether [Chrissie's Confessional].

The exhibits focus on the accomplishments of the administration (the Peace Corps, civil rights, the space program, etc.), and the assassination is downplayed. There's a brief video clip of the news bulletins and funeral in a darkened hall. Very tasteful, I thought.

Also, I saw Bobby [Robert Kennedy] exhibits, Martin Luther King video clips, Teddy [Edward Kennedy] clips, and a clip of young Bill Clinton shaking hands with JFK, and what that meant to him.

When I left at 3:30, it was rush hour. Hooray. But I made it back in time to pick the hubster up at work. He was tired and didn't feel up to driving around touristing, so we ate at Chili's and went to see a movie, “Men in Black II.”

I'd like to go back to Walden Pond and just sit for a while, soaking in the atmosphere. The thunderstorms that were expected today never materialized, but it was very toasty and steamy (though nothing compared to Washington, D. C.). It is supposed to be drier tomorrow, but still hot.

I'm sorry I didn't have any photos to share with you today, but you can see lots of them through the various links I've provided. 

Boston - Day 3, John Adams...Cheers!

It bears repeating that Boston is one of my favorite places, and the area virtually oozes United States history. I hope you'll accompany me down memory lane for this retrospective look, from a trip in 2002. My relatively unedited travel diary is detailed in places that were of special interest to me and skimpy in places that might be of more interest to you. I've added links so you can easily read more, if you like. Here we go!

Monday, July 29

John Adams Birthplace
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Wonderful news! My husband just had to work the morning shift and was off for the whole afternoon! We went to lunch at Bugaboo Creek (which is very much like Claim Jumper back home, with antler chandeliers and everything), and then we decided to drive to Quincy to visit John Adams National Park. Having just read John Adams, by David McCullough, this prospect was thrilling!

John Adams home
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

We toured the house John Adams was born and grew up in, the house his son, John Quincy Adams, was born in, and the Old (New) House that the Adams family occupied after John's ambassadorship and presidency. We also saw the church where they're buried, which was unfortunately closed.

Home of the President
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The first two houses are situated close to the street and each other, for convenience in both cases. Who knew fire engines and motorcycles would come along, making being close to the street not quite as good a thing? Both homes are modest farmhouses, an interesting contrast to the Old (New) House, which is full of wonderful antiques, paintings, china, silver, and the like, all having actually belonged to the Adams family. Even the wallpaper!

John Adams worked
at this desk. Wow.
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

The Adams family occupied the home for generations, up until 1927. Then it became a historic site, with tours and everything. Most historic homes I've visited were filled with period things “perhaps having belonged to the family,” and it created quite an impression on me to realize that these were their actual belongings. The home is quite large, equipped with every modern convenience (including servant bells), and surrounded by beautiful grounds.

The Library. Ahhhh...
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

There's a separate building for the thousands of books kept there. The aroma of the library is fabulous! There's nothing like the smell of old books, except maybe the smell of very old books.

The Library building
and garden.
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

United First Parish Church
Burial place - John Adams
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

Once I was able to tear myself away from the Adams property, we went for a drive down Adams Street, which is lined with gorgeous homes. It seems that at least half of the homes around here have date plaques on them. Back home, these plaques would say “1890” or something, and we'd all think that's awesome. Which it is, until you see these plaques, which say something more like “1670” or earlier! A house built in the 1800's is “new.” The houses have settled a bit, necessitating some shaving off of the tops and bottoms of the doors so they don't stick. But, for the most part, these homes appear to have been lovingly maintained.

Cheers!
Photo by Harry.
All rights reserved.

Since it was rush hour time, we decided to go into Boston proper to hang out for a while to let traffic die down before heading back. We thought we would go to Cheers, just because. With my husband driving and me navigating, we made quite a good team and were able to find the place with minimum effort and no aggravation. Hooray!

So, we enjoyed a pint of Sam Adams, walked around Boston Common, and ate at Olive Garden on the way back to the hotel. We arrived quite late, and neither one of us had a problem getting to sleep!

John Adams National Park
Imagine yourself back then, sitting there, in front of the window...
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Boston - Day 2, Beyond Walden Pond

As I mentioned in yesterday's post, a friend is about to go to Boston. I'm excited for her! Boston is one of my favorite places, and the area is positively dripping in United States history. I hope you'll accompany me down memory lane for this retrospective look, from 2002. This is my relatively unedited travel diary, so it's detailed in weird places and skimpy in others. But I've added links so you can read about the history easily. Enjoy!

Sunday, July 28

We slept in this morning, so we got a bit of a late start and missed breakfast at the hotel. After a hasty stop at McDonald's (I know, I know...), we drove around Milford so my husband could locate the building where he'll be working tomorrow. And then we headed east in search of adventure:

Walden Pond, Concord, MA
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

 First stop, Walden Pond. The big surprise for me was how big it was. It's no pond; it's a lake! The water is lovely, and I was also surprised that there's a public beach with lifeguards and everything. I guess it has lost some of its solitude since Henry David Thoreau's day, but I was still expecting it to be a lonely spot, hidden away from civilization.

Thoreau quote, Walden Pond
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

The area where Thoreau's cabin was is some distance away from the beach, in the woods near what's called Thoreau Cove. There's a big pile of small rocks, some painted, that people have left as a memorial tribute. So I guess it's okay to do that, if you're so inclined.

At the gift shop, I gave serious thought to purchasing “Simplify, Simplify” shirts for the kids, then realized that would “Complicate, Complicate” my packing! That thought made me chuckle to myself.

Old North Bridge, Concord, MA
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

Next, we headed to Concord proper, starting our Battle Road tour at Old North Bridge, where “the shot heard round the world” was fired. What a bucolic, lovely spot. A more serene location would be difficult to find. It's seriously hard to imagine a battle happening here.

 

Civil War buffs having fun.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

There happened to be a Civil War re-enactment going on, which was interesting to watch. We have those back home, too, but it seems strange to me to have Civil War re-enactment in California, where no Civil War battles were fought. On the other hand, Californians did go east to fight, so there you go.

"Thoreau" was in character.
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

Oh, and “Thoreau” was there, too, chatting with folks. My husband engaged him in conversation for some time and seemed engrossed. What fun it would be to “become” a character from history, but how much homework you'd have to do! It isn't just researching your particular character's style of dress, mode of address, and life, but also studying his or her times...to know what was going on in the day locally, nationally, internationally. That's a lot of information to master and incorporate.

Louisa May Alcott wrote Little Women
here. Concord, MA
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We poked around Concord for a while and saw homes of famous personages in American literature, including Ralph Waldo Emerson, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Louisa May Alcott, and others. Isn't it interesting that they all worked in this one town? And, wow, the homes here are amazing. If I took pictures of all the great old houses, I'd not be able to afford the film [Yes, film. This was before I had a digital camera. I took a lot fewer photos back then!]. It's mind boggling. And a brief stop to gaze at some photos on a realtor's window was also mind boggling, as well. Ouch! A rock-bottom fixer-upper was $600,000 [in 2002], with others ranging into the $2 - $3 million area. But you can totally pick up a cute place for a million and a half [in 2002].

That's me with the
Minute Man. Lexington, MA
Photo by Harry.
All rights reserved.

We followed Battle Road through Minute Man Park to Lexington, passing “just a couple” of landmarks along the way, such as the spot where Paul Revere was captured by the British during his midnight ride. The Minute Man visitor center is very cool, with a fascinating film about the events of that day in April, 1775. They do their very best to present the patriots' view of the tyrannical British rule, robbing British subjects of their rights. Incendiary stuff! If you were a loyalist back then, I imagine you'd have called the patriots dangerous revolutionaries, or even terrorists.

When we got to Lexington, there was a huge downpour. We got soaked, as our umbrella was in the car. But it was a nice, warm sort of refreshing rain, so it didn't matter.

Harvard U
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

At this point, it was too late to go to Salem as we had planned, so we headed to Cambridge and Harvard University. So, I guess you could say I went to Harvard. It's huge, with lots of charming old brick buildings, beautiful lawns, and huge trees preventing decent picture taking of said buildings. Naturally, we went to the shop to look for souvenirs.

We ate some very tasty Thai food at a little place in Wellesley on the way back to the hotel. I'm still working on the commuter train thing, and there's a thunderstorm going on at midnight (another treat, as we don't get many of those at home). All in all, a very satisfying day!

Boston - Day 1, Dashing through New England

It's hard to believe it's been 12 years since my 2002 trip to Boston, yet I haven't included it in Adventures in Paradise! But a friend is going there next month, and I promised to post this for her. I hope you like it, too. Here goes a pretty-much-unedited, retro look at Bean Town, the Hub of the Universe, America's Walking City, the Cradle of Liberty, Athens of America, the City on a Hill...I hope that covers the nicknames...from July, 2002:

Saturday, July 27

We arrived at Logan Airport on United Airlines at 6:30 a.m. (3:30 a.m. our time), having slept a grand total of two or three intermittent hours on the red-eye along the way. The flight was bumpy in spots, but not overly so. Seat 12A was filled by a very personable young man named Fred, a Boston native. So, the hubster and I, Seats 12C and 12B respectively, took advantage of our great good luck and asked a lot of questions. I found out, for instance, that I should not walk alone in a place called Roxbury (which reminds me of a movie title, but never mind that). It sounds like such a nice place, too.

We disembarked and made our way to Avis to pick up our rental car. Why, oh, why are rental car reservations always messed up? Then we had a really good time going round and round in circles, trying to find the right road north. We were sleepy. We were tired. We were cranky. It did not go well, which about sums up that experience. You can fill in the blanks.

Harry checking out the goods at Kittery Trading Post.
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We were tenacious, though, and eventually made our way past Bunker Hill on our way to Maine, where we had decided to go sort of on the spur of the moment. We thought we would head just across the border to Kittery. Fred said there was a great outlet mall there, which there was, and he said it would be a pretty drive, which it was. The traffic, however...oy!

Thick, green vegetation.
And lots of water. Maine
Photo by Chris.
All rights reserved.

Be that as it may, it was a beautiful drive. Neither one of us had been to New Hampshire or Maine, so, hey, why not? The foliage is dense, the trees are thick, the roads are absolutely lined with forest, seemingly the whole way. I must someday see this in the autumn!

Hampton Beach, New Hampshire
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

We stopped in Hampton Beach, New Hampshire (“our place”) for breakfast at the Hampton Beach Restaurant. The food was very affordable (cheap, even) and rightly so. At any rate, it was a pretty beach town with surfers and everything. Kind of like Santa Cruz in New England, if that makes any sense. Traffic was awful leaving there, so we thought we'd better hop on the toll road to save time. Bad idea. It was backed up for miles. So, we got off again, and traffic was slower than molasses. Sigh. All those folks with SUVs and canoes, going away for the weekend. It felt just like home.

The Bush Compound, Kennebunkport, Maine
Photo by Chris. All rights reserved.

So, as long as we were in Maine, we thought we'd drop by the Bushes' place in Kennebunkport. It's a nice place, pleasantly situated right on the coast, on a rocky point. It's just so confining, with all those security people hanging around all the time and folks with telephoto lenses trying to get a picture to sell to the tabloids. Honestly, I just don't see how a person could get any privacy at all.

There are lots of gorgeous, expansive (and no doubt expensive) homes in the area. It makes one wish for a place on the coast...

After our all-too-brief visit, we found our way back to 95 South and didn't even mind paying a few tolls. Getting back to Boston only took about a third the time as going up to Maine. I suppose fewer vacationers are in-bound.

We enjoyed a wonderful, tasty, delicious meal at Naked Fish in Waltham. We started with crab cakes for an appetizer, then the hubster had scallops in balsamic vinegar glaze (outstanding!) with garlic mashed potatoes and glazed carrots (and a Samuel Adams beer, of course). I had coconut encrusted haddock with orange-rum cream sauce, asparagus, and fried plantain. Ooooooohhhhh. It was so, so good. Yum!

So, here we are at the Courtyard Marriott in Milford, Massachusetts. The suitcases are unpacked, and we're ready to to. I just discovered that there's no public transportation “out here” (too far from Boston) and that a cab ride to the nearest commuter rail station (5 or 6 miles away) will be $20. That's not good news, but we're good at problem solving around our house. I'll think of something tomorrow.

The pool has been invaded by seriously noisy kids, the hot tub is out of order, and the exercise room has been taken over by an army of 8-year-olds. Sigh. Seems like as good a time as any to go to bed!