ROAD TRIP DAY 28: Perusing Providence

Posted on June 6, 2015 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Continuing the tour of Ivy League schools, an unplanned bonus of touring the New England states, we visited the campus of Brown University today. Our plan was to spend a good portion of the day seeing Providence, and Brown just happened to be right there in town.

Having seen Harvard (and M.I.T.) when I was in Boston with my mom, I was impressed with the beauty of the campus, and Brown has a reputation that matches.

Cornell was a pretty campus in Ithaca, so I figured I was on a roll. Besides, depending on how our drive south progresses on Monday, Yale is on the list to see as we pass through New Haven, Connecticut.

Today’s stroll through Brown was lovely. We had the campus to ourselves since today was a Saturday, and the school year had already concluded. The campus was quiet and serene, and full of beautiful old buildings.

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We continued our self-guided walking tour through the hilly streets of the eastern part of Providence just east of the river, and then crossed the river to see the state capitol. For such a small state, Rhode Island’s capitol building sure is huge!

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One thing missing from this capitol building, though, was a gold dome. Have you ever wondered why some state capitols have gold domes and others don’t? Bruce and I learned on our walking tour of Boston some years back that the only states that have gold domes are ones where a past president was born in that state. Poor Rhode Island. As long as there aren’t any Rhode Island-born presidents (and I doubt there ever will be), their state capitol will remain plain.

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This evening, we kicked back at a local pub, Shannon View Inn (highly ranked on Trip Advisor) to enjoy great pub food and taste a local brew, Narragonsett Lager, which was fabulous.

We had forgotten this was the evening of the Belmont Stakes, and we arrived just in time to watch history being made. For the first time since I had completed my junior year of high school in 1978, today’s winner won the Triple Crown of horse racing (Kentucky Derby, Preakness, and Belmont Stakes). American Pharoah and Victor Espinoza were the champions, and it was fun to see his exuberant joy after Victor victoriously crossed the finish.

ROAD TRIP DAY 27: ON THE ROAD TO RHODE ISLAND

Posted on June 5, 2015 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

On the road from Ogunquit, Maine to Rhode island, we passed through New Hampshire and Massachusettes before arriving at our hotel in Warwick, Rhode island. If we had driven straight through, it would have taken 2-1/2 hours.

States are small up here, not like California where we come from. California is the third largest state, and Rhode Island is the smallest. Just to give you an idea of size, Rhode Island is roughly the size of San Diego County in square miles.

On the road to Rhode Island, we stopped for a few hours in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, another one of those really cute towns that is full of charm. We loved the vibe there; it just had a great feel. It is full of very old and historic homes and buildings, great shops and galleries, and a bunch of bakeries and cafes. It was a neat place to walk around and explore.

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Oracle House, dating back to 1702 is one of the oldest houses in New England.

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ROAD TRIP DAY 26: CRUISIN’ THE COAST OF MAINE

Posted on June 4, 2015 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Today was the day to give Trudy (our GPS) a rest while we preferred to cruise the coast without her constant nagging. We first headed south to explore the adorable (and upscale) fishing village of Kennebunk, and we found it quite charming.

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Next up for the day was to get ourselves (purposely) lost, so we could enjoy the scenery and gorgeous HUGE homes in Kennebunkport, 41’s summer home.

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George H.W. Bush and his entourage reside in the “Kennebunkport Compound” on Ocean Avenue. Not only is there his house (pictured below), there are a few others in the compound for guests and staff. All of it is gated and guarded; however, it was a nice view from across the cove.

The entire area was absolutely spectacular, and we enjoyed cruising in and out of the neighborhoods alone. It is still the off-season, so it was quiet, peaceful, and free of traffic.

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Later in the afternoon, we headed north back through Ogunquit where we are staying and followed the coast to Cape Neddick to see the Nubble Lighthouse. Since it is completely surrounded by water on its own island, it can only be viewed from the mainland; however, it is perhaps only 100 yards across the water. The view was so… Maine.

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The scenery sure has changed since leaving Stowe, Vermont. We went from moose country, mountains, and a ski resort to the coast where lobster and lighthouses are the theme. Both have their own beauty and charm, and we are enjoying every bit of it!

ROAD TRIP DAY 25: DINO-MITE!

Posted on June 3, 2015 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Dino-mite, in more ways than one! Not only is the plastic bottle dinosaur sculpture on the front lawn of Vermont’s state capitol a dynamite way to remind us all to recycle, it was a dynamite day! The rain had stopped, the clouds were gone, the sun was shining, and it was beautiful.

On our way to Ogunquit, Maine, we made a quick stop in Montpelier, Vermont’s state capitol. It was quite a charming and attractive town along the river, and the capitol was very picturesque. So was Dino!

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The drive through Vermont and New Hampshire was gorgeous, a constant scene of rolling lush green hills and mountains.

Ogunquit is a cute little seaside town just south of Kennebunkport where the Bush (41) family lives during the summertime.

After we arrived and checked in to our motel, we went to Perkins Cove, a quaint lobster fishing village with nice shops and seafood restaurants as well beautiful homes. It is also where Marginal Way begins, a picturesque walking path that follows the rugged coastline. It is 1-1/2 miles long, so we walked the length of it and returned to Perkins Cove.

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What a beautiful coastal area this is! The walking path was fabulous, and one of the most gorgeous coastal walks I have ever been on. Not only is the coastline scenic, the path itself was beautifully landscaped and maintained. All along the path were very nice benches to sit and enjoy the spectacular views of the sea below. We happened to be there while two surfers and two kayak surfers were enjoying the waves, so we had fun watching and photographing them. (It really made me miss kayak surfing, though!)

Back at Perkins Cove, we enjoyed a delicious seafood dinner at the Lobster Shack where they sure know how to make great Baja-style fish tacos and a great fish sandwich!

ROAD TRIP DAY 24: THE “GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE” IS GREEN IN MORE WAYS THAN ONE

Posted on June 2, 2015 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

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Vermont lives up to its name “Green Mountain State” this time of year, that’s for sure. We have been mesmerized by the rich green tones of the trees, ferns, and grass. Everything looks so alive.

The state of Vermont could also very well be known as the “Green State” for its dedication to the environment. We continually see examples of this all around us here in Stowe, and it warms our hearts. I loved seeing this electric vehicle charging station in the village parking lot,

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and we have seen many homes and businesses using solar panels to generate electricity. At Cold Hollow Cider Mill, they had solar panels installed two years ago, and the cost is expected to be covered in ten years. After that, they won’t have to pay a penny for all of the electricity they are using in their large cider mill, restaurant, and corporate offices. (Don’t you just love this old truck parked next to the new solar panels? My, how technology has advanced over the years!)

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ROAD TRIP DAY 23: SAMPLING VERMONT

Posted on June 1, 2015 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

On a rainy day (and 20 degrees below normal temperature for June 1), what better way to spend the day than staying dry indoors sampling Vermont’s foodie favorites?

We actually did get a fair bit of walking in outdoors before the rain settled in for the afternoon. Burlington is a nice, walkable city in the historic downtown center. The 4-block long outdoor pedestrian street is lined with historic buildings on each side with shops and restaurants. “Homeport” was our favorite store– 4 levels of EVERYTHING you could possibly want for your home all loaded in a historic building. At the end of the year, it must be an inventory nightmare for them, because they have such a huge selection. From sink strainers to interesting decorative wall hooks, they had dozens to choose from. It was a very cool store.

Working up an appetite from our walk along Church St. and along Waterfront Park and back, it was time to sample Vermont.

While walking along Church St. we came across this 124-foot mural entitled, “Everyone Loves a Parade!” It was custom-designed by renowned Canadian muralist, Pierre Hardy, wide-known for his inventive and meticulously-detailed, large-scale pieces. Grand Master Samuel de Champlain leads the charge as the scene depicts an evolution in time along Church St. Notable and everyday Bulingtonians, downtown businesses, and iconic images of the past 400 years are distinguished through overflowing illustrations.

Follow this panorama photo, and the next three photos from left to right.

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First up for sampling: Lake Champlain Chocolates. Unfortunately, there were no tours today (or tomorrow) because of new flooring being installed, but we went anyway to check out the factory and hunt for factory seconds to purchase. (Hey, they’re just going to be eaten anyway, so why purchase at full price?)

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Our next stop: Ben & Jerry’s Ice Cream. Photos weren’t allowed on the factory tour, but I did get a few shots where cameras were allowed.

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New flavors- YUM!

Bruce and I felt right at home at the factory, because Ben and Jerry’s hearts are in the right place as far we are concerned. Their company philosophy is spot-on, and they value social justice and the environment. They even had free hook-up stations in the parking lot for electric vehicles to get juiced while they’re owners get a fill of ice cream!

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AMEN to this!

Recycling is also huge there and everywhere here in Vermont. The state’s goal is to reach a 40% recycle rate, and the businesses we have encountered are enthusiastically in support of that goal. Our motel is on board as was the restaurant we ate at this evening.

This is my kind of place; such a cool vibe. Georgia (and most of the rest of the world), GET WITH THE PROGRAM if you have any hope of leaving Planet Earth habitable for future generations!

The sampling portion of our day concluded with a stop at Cabot Cheeses where they had samples out of every variety of cheese they make as well as selections of maple syrup, dips, and other delicious foods. Fabulous!

While there we picked up a small bottle of Mannaz Mead from Groennfell Meadery, and just popped it open to sip as I type. Strange. It’s made with 100% single-source honey, something we have never tasted (or heard of) before. I think it’s an acquired taste, and I’m not sure I want to acquire it.

Earlier, after all the sampling in Burlington and Waterbuy, we made our way north on one of Vermont’s most scenic byways to Stowe. The Stowe Motel and Snowdrift is ourTrip Advisor-recommended home for a couple of nights, and it’s a beautiful, spacious property with large expanses of grass in between the buildings.

Upon arrival, we were greated by “Remy”, the owner’s gorgeous German Short-haired Pointer. We were also upgraded to a larger room without even asking! NICE!

Dinner in town was at a casual little 5-table place, “Bender’s Burritos.” Check this out: A sweet potato and black bean burrito with Spanish rice, minced ginger, mild cheddar cheese, chipotle mayo, and salsa verde. De-LISH, all one pound of it!

ROAD TRIP DAY 22: WHAT A DIFFERENCE A DAY MAKES!

Posted on May 31, 2015 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Yesterday, the temperature was 86 degrees, we were wearing shorts, and sipping on cold water to stay cool. Today, it was rainy and a cold 46 degrees when we started out towards Vermont.

Although it was a dreary day, the drive east was beautiful. We passed through small villages and towns on back country roads, enjoying the lush scenery. At various times along the way, we also passed three Amish families in their buggies being pulled along the shoulder of the road the old-fashioned way: by horse.

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Scarlett (our Toyota Prius) had her first ferry ride as we crossed the state border at Lake Champlain into Vermont. Due to the rainy weather, we passed on outdoor activities upon our arrival in Burlington and opted for a brewery tour at Magic Hat Brewery. What a trip. This brewery definitely had a vibe like no other.

On the tour, the question was asked by our guide, “Who knows how our brew ‘#9’ got its name?” I shouted out, “From the song, ‘Love Potion #9!’ ” Although I won a large “Magic Hat Brewery” glass for answering the question, the guide confessed he didn’t know if that was the correct answer. Nobody seems to know how that beer got its name!

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We enjoyed our free beer samples (especially “Circus Boy”) and were on our merry way.

As there isn’t much else to report on this transit day, I will add a few comments about two observations we made in New York State that warmed our hearts.
First, along one of the highways, we saw this sign:

IT CAN WAIT
TEXT STOP 6 MILES

Do I hear a round of applause? There were many other “TEXT STOP” signs along the highways, and I applaud New York for reminding drivers to put their damn phones down when they are behind the wheel!

Our second obervation was the extremely high price for a pack of cigarettes ($10!!!) which we assume included a huge amount of taxes piled on to the pack price. AMEN! Perhaps a price like that will prevent kids from taking up the nasty and unhealthful habit of smoking. We wish Georgia would do the same thing.

OK, I’ll get off my soap box now. Cheers!

ROAD TRIP DAY 21: ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER CASTLE

Posted on May 30, 2015 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

We have been enjoying our stay in Alexandria Bay very much. Once again, we landed at a great little motel recommended by Trip Advisor reviewers, and it has served as a comfortable home base for our Thousand Islands visit.

The Rock Ledge Motel is well-managed by Cindy and Jim, our warm and friendly proprietors. If you are ever in the area, stay here. It’s ranked #1 in Alexandria Bay, and its great reviews are well-deserved.

Today, we used the second half of our combination ticket with Uncle Sam Boat Tours to see Singer Castle. Our one-hour boat ride each way to and from the castle was narrated, and we had a guided tour of the castle.

Our view of Boldt Castle as we pulled out from the dock for our cruise to Singer Castle

Built by Ernest Flag in 1902-1905, Singer Castle is now owned by a European castle enthusiast group that restores castles and opens them for tours. This particular castle also has one room of accomodations available if you are willing to fork over $725 per night (which includes breakfast and dinner). As the only guests, you would be treated as a king and/or queen.

The most interesting thing about this castle were the many secret passageways running throughout. I also happened to like one of the rooms with large windows on three sides. If you gazed out the windows to the east during an early breakfast, you could watch the sun rising over the United States. Return at the end of the day for dinner, and watch the sun setting over Canada.

Although we enjoyed the castle and tour, it wasn’t nearly as impressive as Boldt Castle. It also wasn’t as well-maintained. The difference? Singer Castle is privately owned and for-profit. We’re guessing they’re going to get what they can out of tourists and possibly sell it before sinking any more money into renovations. Just a guess…

Boldt Castle, on the other hand, is continually being meticulously renovated by the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority, and it’s quite evident they are not sparing any expense in the materials and methods used for construction. It is well-funded and will always be well-preserved.

After our tour, we returned to Clayton for a leisurely walk around town. Here, we came upon an Amish man selling beautiful baskets and baked goods. After buying some cookies (six thick and hefty cookies for $2), I was able to shoot his photo inconspicuously from the shop across the street.

ROAD TRIP DAY 20: BEAUTIFUL BOLDT CASTLE

Posted on May 29, 2015 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

Can you imagine designing a castle to be built as a symbol of your love for your wife, hiring 300 men to build it over a four year period, and your wife dying suddenly just two weeks before the castle’s completion? This was the tragedy that broke George Boldt’s heart in 1904 as he neared completion of the castle he designed to have built on Heart Island, named for the heart shape of his private one-home island.

After this happened, he sent a telegram ordering his 300 employees to immediately stop construction. They dropped their tools, left the island, never to return. George Boldt never returned either, and the 127-room castle was abandoned and fell into disrepair. Vandals looted the castle and obliterated the walls with graffiti, adding to its sorry state.

In 1977, the Thousand Islands Bridge Authority assumed ownership of and immediately began a rehabilitation program. No government funds are used in its ongoing renovation, and it is completely supported by tour revenues and private donations.

George Boldt was quite the self-made man having come from a poor family who immigrated to America. Ultimately, he became the most successful hotel magnate in the U.S. and is most known for managing/ profit sharing the Waldorf-Astoria in New York, and the Bellevue-Stratford in Philadelphia.

You’ve heard that phrase, “The customer is always right.” Right? George Boldt coined that phrase.

Today, Bruce and I hopped on an Uncle Sam’s Boat Tours sternwheeler cruise for their “2 Nation Tour” of islands belonging to both the U.S. and Canada. The narrated tour ended at Boldt Castle where we did a leisurely self-guided tour before taking a shuttle back to the mainland.

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Fortunately, we had PERFECT weather today, a dream scenario for an open-deck tour of one of the most gorgeous places we had ever seen. To say this was the highlight thus far in our road trip would be an understatement. It was magnificent!

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The view from the boat of Boldt Castle’s outer “playhouse.” We later returned on foot for a closer look.

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The view of the “power house” from the boat. This is where power was generated for use by the castle.

Boldt Castle’s Boathouse

The boat tour continued before returning to the castle. We went from viewing mansions, to Boldt Castle, to, well, this humble little cutie. This is the one I would love to rent for a late-spring vacation!

This bridge connects the United States to Canada.

Following our narrated boat tour, we were dropped off on Heart Island to tour the castle.

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There was a “before” photo in each renovated room of the castle showing the damage done by vandals. The “after” was exquisite!

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The remainder of the afternoon was spent exploring the nearby village of Clayton where we visited the Antique Boat Museum and wandered through the quaint historic village streets. Lovely.

ROAD TRIP DAY 19: (TWO) THOUSAND ISLANDS, NEW YORK

Posted on May 28, 2015 by Elaine-iaK's Travels

It’s called “Thousand Islands”, but there are nearly 2,000 islands along the St. Lawrence River that divides Canada and the United States.

Ever wonder where Thousand Island Dressing got its name? Wonder no more; it was created here, in Upstate New York.

This is just one of the reasons why we’re here: http://www.boldtcastle.com/visitorinfo/ . Make sure to scroll down the page to see the aerial shot of the castle. When I first heard about Boldt Castle from two different people in our Sun City Peachtree community, I looked it up in Google and landed on this photo that literally made me jump out of my chair and run to get Bruce. I just had to show him how gorgeous it was here. Watching a video of aerial footage of the islands had me drooling to see this place.

Before driving to Alexandria Bay where we would be staying for our three-night visit to Thousand Islands, we drove around Cornell University. What a gorgeous campus! The neighborhoods around the campus are beautiful, too, full of lovely large homes on spacious properties.

The drive to the islands was also pretty, especially along State Route 13 and Lake Ontario. We took the longer route to enjoy the views, and we enjoyed the drive even though the skies were cloudy.

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By late afternoon, the clouds blew out, and it is a gorgeous clear evening. We are looking forward to what’s predicted to be a lovely day tomorrow!

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Meanwhile, we poked around the little town of Alexandria Bay and shot a couple of photos across to Heart Island where Boldt Castle is located. This photo is of just the power house and clock tower for the castle. More on the castle tomorrow…

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This is the Boldt Yacht House on Wellesley Island. It is located very close to Boldt Castle on Heart Island.

These Alexandria Bay Townhomes have boat garages rather than car garages. Just open the garage door, and motor your boat right on in!

Elaine-iaK's Travels: A Traveler's Tales of People, Places, Photos, Pools… and CHOCOLATE!

Category Archives: Domestic Travel