October 5th - October 8th 2013
8
We
left the motel room at 8:08 am as planned. The office was still
locked, ring, cup of coffee and road. Kind of scenic drive across
part of Cape Cod – glass studio closed, sunny and nice day. To our
surprise we found some shopping malls and most, if not all, major
retailers. Who knew? We were also amused by the road sign “thickly
settled”. And for some reason, the roundabout is called rotary in
Massachusetts. Really pretty country, nothing open and no access to
the beach that we could easily find. Stop by the Cape Cod Canal
http://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Missions/Recreation/CapeCodCanal.aspx
but it was pretty windy and cold (I had shorts). We walked to the end
of the canal and saw it meeting the sound and it was pretty cool
(calm canal and wavy sound). Cross the canal, smaller roads to the
cranberry farm. Few barns, store, big parking lot – not really a
farm, just a “store front”. We got some chocolate and cranberries
(what a shocker on the cranberry farm). There was also a list with
the bogs where they were going to harvest. Nothing really close but
we decided to give it a shot.
Driving
in really nice country, some houses (mostly hidden behind the trees),
ponds, bogs – quiet few of them – but no action there. After a
while and probably many miles inland and from a highway we found a
flooded bog with the tractor in it (not really a tractor – some
type of moving machine). Cranberries were floating and it was really
cool image. We got mislead by the smart phone map and had to do some
funky back road driving – along the way we actually saw them
getting cranberries from water - “fishing them out”. Really nice
detour. Back to the highway. Heading to Providence, RI. The city –
visitors center, some old mill, downtown area, Brown university
campus. Not really much time left. It actually looked like nice town.
Easily out and back on freeway I-95. Driving. Driving and driving.
Stop at New London Connecticut College Arboretum – short loop
around (fall season) and continue. Some mess on the freeway – took
road 15 (some congestion too). Two slow downs, nice surroundings and
just clipping along. To our surprise (again) relatively easy drive
back “home”. Park. Off. DONE.
7
Monday. Third
day of our NYC – Cape Cod trip. Some clouds and sun in the morning.
Slower morning, J. wanted to sleep in. Cup of coffee at the motel,
short talk with the manager of the motel (the place closes after
Columbus day). Apparently Cape Cod goes almost “dead” during
winter. Driving. Stop at one of the beaches where we found some sand
creations from the early summer (still in very good shape). Windy and
pretty cold. Nice views of ocean and the area around. According to
the guy from the motel, the traffic during summer is horrible.
Driving east – houses, many resorts, pretty empty, many marshes,
some glimpses of ocean. Lighthouse within the hotel (strange).
Gasoline – relatively the same price as the rest of the state (kind
of surprising). Westham – town or village, lighthouse (not open for
public). Big beach and really pretty marsh land, tour bus with German
tourists. Driving up – really nice scenery, houses, time to time a
view of ocean or some type of body of water (bay, inlet). Many signs
of fall season. Quick stop at some fort – National historic site.
Following the smartphone directions (map) we tried to get to the
shore but unfortunately it was all residential area with private
roads. A bit later we drove to National seashore park – closed for
the government shutdown – but fully accessible. Really windy and
cold. Sky switching between nice and ugly. Quick walk along the
beach.
It was
interesting how quickly was time passing. Lighthouse stop (closed
because of the government) – we wanted to visit this one. Most of
the lighthouses in Rhode Island and Massachusetts were either private
or not accessible. Still, pretty nice view and walk on the grounds of
the lighthouse. Couple more stops along the way – national seashore
is pretty big.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cape_Cod_National_Seashore
On one of the beaches (steep steps down) we were looking at the ocean
and saw bunch of seals swimming in the water. We went down to the
beach and watch them swimming and diving and doing all kinds of
monkey business. It was pretty funny and great. Drive by the
lighthouse in the same area (not accessible). Driving to Provincetown
– the town at the tip of Cape Cod. Vacation homes. Sand. Sand. Sand
dunes. Really pretty landscape. We ended up on the main street and
were more than surprised by the number of cars and people. Parking on
he waterfront was very expensive, we drove a bit around and found a
parking lot (almost full) two streets up (for only six dollars). We
walked down – the streets were narrow and houses really pretty.
There was a lot of construction going on. Blondie's Burgers lunch –
classier fast food – pretty good. As we were waiting for the food
it started to rain (heavy rain). It stopped when we were done with
lunch. Walk along the main street and the bay. It was really pretty.
Provincetown is apparently “gayest town in the US”. There was a
lot of colors on stores and streets. It was great. Drive to the end
of land – wave breaker and two lighthouses across the bay (walk on
the breaker for over a mile and half). It was great view and we did
not walk it. Couple more beaches along the bay – very serene and
almost empty. We were really calm and relaxed and enjoying it. What
we saw and heard – summers have to be beyond crazy here. Slowly
going back – we had to backtrack some – we took also few detours
to enjoy some back roads (and it was nice and relaxing). One beach –
short walk – there was also marsh and dunes – it made for really
nice landscape. On and off our main road number 6. Sun was slowly
going down – we tried to find some place for sunset but were
unsuccessful. GOOD DAY.
6
Early
morning, 7:03 leaving motel, sun rising over the ocean and the rest
of the sky dark and cloudy. Rain most likely according to forecast.
Road 6 from Cape Cod. Rod 3 toward Boston. Nice road, woods around –
pretty much no towns or other places next to highway. Road 93 into
Boston. Drizzle. Rain. Approaching Boston – pouring rain.
Unpleasant drive. Tunnel. Center of town. Sliver of driving, parking
garage for 12 dollars (38 during work days). Cloudy and dark.
Drizzle. Close to nine o'clock, relatively quiet and empty streets.
Walk to the park – Boston commons – for the visitor center.
Pretty nice city, so far. Park – tiny visitor center – funny
dressed people (guides for the Freedom tours). After talking to the
person from visitor's center we decided to go on 9.30 Freedom trail
walk (about 13 dollars a person). Nice older lady dressed in the
1790s clothes (blue and white) with big blue and white umbrella.
Still drizzle. About an hour and half walking tour. Rain on and off.
The tour was great, it was just the lady and six of us walking (all
ladies except me). Very interesting and informative. Boston and the
creation of the republic. People and events. The lady was really
great and even shared her umbrella with us. Burial grounds.
Churches.
State house. Boston massacre. Faneuil hall – named after Peter
Faneuil. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Faneuil_Hall
End of the tour there. Other building in the area – mostly use as a
marketplace – so much food places and “tourist junk” - Boston
shirts and everything. Walk to the Long Wharf – rain – harbor –
rain – interesting view, some people, many boats and ferries. To
North End – neighborhood – Italian. The central Boston is pretty
small. European feel of North End, Italian restaurants and bakeries
and plenty of tourists. Paul Revere house, church, statue and park.
Almost ocean again. Big slice of pizza for lunch – pretty good.
Cannoli for desert – apparently one of the best places for that –
J. was happy, I was unimpressed. And we were walking again. River.
Bridges. Less touristy and more industrial areas. Rain. Beacon Hill –
nice tree lined streets, really nice houses, Charles street - shops.
Public Gardens park. Rain. We wanted to walk through other
neighborhood but it was raining a lot so we went through the park
back to the visitors center. Really nice park, many ducks and people
and rain. Rain. Back to the visitors center area, streets and to the
parking garage – the circle was completed. Drive to the area called
Cambridge – traffic and rain. Around MIT campus on the river bank –
not very impressive. Harvard campus area – really congested and
unable to find a parking. Not looking very impressive either. We gave
up. Some “funny” driving to get to the highway 93, few bad turn,
few missed turns, bad signage, and bad luck. It took a while to get
on the highway, we saw some industrial areas and also some
interesting neighborhoods. Finally on the highway 93, cross the
bridge into Boston and immediately drive into the tunnel. Some
heavier traffic and rain – but doable. Leaving Boston. Stop in
Plymouth for some groceries and also visit to the harbor.
Surprisingly busy for Sunday late afternoon. (Probably) replica of an
old ship. Harbor. Boats, boats, boats. Plymouth rock (just plainly
strange). And also I just read that Pilgrims were heading to Virginia
but run out of supplies and ended up in Massachusetts. Drive back to
the motel. No rain. Extending the stay for one more night (J. switch
the work day). J. had couple of the “Monster Inc.” moments, I
just told her I will write it down, so I did. Drying and warming up.
Pretty nice day even with all that rain. BAD RAIN.
5
Slower
morning. To carry the luggage to the garage and get our car. It is
kind of hard to get use to that. Heading from the city to Cape Cod.
Not cloudy and not sunny day. Surprisingly easy way out of the city.
Toll road in New York. Welcome center in Connecticut. Driving. Just
off the freeway there was Sherwood Island State Park. Huge parking
area, some sporting event (smaller one). We took a stroll along the
beach and enjoy the weather and ocean. Nice stop. I-95 north – New
Haven. Construction – gray sky – river/water.
The
town – park close to Yale campus. Walk along and through the
campus. Somewhat interesting but very similar to other US
universities – in the end nothing special. The cemetery. Drive
across the river and head to the Lighthouse park – found – 30
dollars fee to visit – leave immediately. Back on the road. I-95:
driving and driving. Off at the town of Mystic. Apparently the
location (at least by the name) of the movie.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystic_Pizza
The town was interesting, kind of tacky, also overcrowded. Cross the
river (really nice drawbridge). Turn around and finding no parking
spot – continue our trip. Some smaller roads. Nice drive. We
crossed the river and ended up on the island between the mainland and
Newport, RI. It is in the bay that goes to Providence, RI. Two big
bridges, nice port, nice beaches. Drive to the tip of the island –
Beaver tail state park. Lighthouse. Closed for the season – still
rally nice view and the area.
