We had an 8:30 am flight out of Hobby to Dallas to catch another flight on to Boston. That required a very early wake up call! I had the boarding passes on my phone stored in My Wallet with photos saved too … just in case! I also had our parking confirmation saved! Parking has to be one of the most lucrative businesses to be in!
We made it into Boston right on time and caught the bus to the Embassy Suites. Tom and Eileen were there waiting for us. They had the appetizer display out before dinner but we didn’t see a restaurant anywhere. Even the Starbucks coffee counter was closed. We ate lots of cheese and crackers and chips and salsa. The next day we were told by others that the bar that we were sitting by was actually where you could order food! Who knew? We don’t drink and never approached the bar!
This was a very “up and at ‘em” itinerary. Bags out and breakfast at 6:30, bus leaves at 7:45! No one was ever late! I think I went to bed at 8:30 every night!
First stop was a very in depth bus tour of Boston. What a beautiful city. Here is Paul Revere on his midnight ride with the North Church (one if by land, two if by sea) in the background. Our weather was lovely all week except our last day when we returned to the airport.
Next stop was Hyannisport where we stopped for lunch at a lobster roll walk up. I managed a tuna salad sandwich and Ted got his perpetual hamburger! Bob and Beth joined us and she shared a popcorn shrimp with Ted. He said he would have ordered that if be had seen it! Bob is wearing his Trump 2024 hat and said he was wearing it all week. Quite gutsy for the area we were traversing! We chose to sit outside with a view of the bay.
We stopped at Plymouth Rock which is quite “really?” Sort of like we get when someone sees the Alamo for the first time! There was a replica of the Mayflower you could tour too but we didn’t have enough time.
We rode to the forearm of “the Cape” ferry and toured some beaches. What shocked me was the multitude of horseshoe crab carcasses cluttering the beach. I did some research and that is what they leave behind, not only the big shell but all the legs too. It makes a whole new shell but apparently takes its organs with them. They are big and their shells are all over the place!
We then rode a ferry to Martha’s Vineyards and toured the island neighborhoods by bus. We did not see Obama’s house! A million dollars goes nowhere here! Even several million won’t do the trick.
Next day was Newport and Mystic. One of our “bathroom stops” was the Basketball Hall of Fame. With the big buses (ours was a couple million dollar Prevost), you can’t stop just anywhere. It had an interesting lobby and hand dryers like basketballs! Certainly more interesting than just a rest area. On to Newport!
Of course we had to tour The Breakers! It is beautifully ornate but makes my head spin thinking of all the help for the house, kitchen, laundry, gardens, etc. to care for a house of this size.
On to Vermont! We stopped in Bennington at a museum with the most extensive paintings of Grandma Moses. She was quite prolific for someone who was discovered in her 70s. There was a lot of info on her family as well as her career.
I spotted this large painting in another gallery. What caught my eye is this lady is in Monet’s garden. One of my very favorite trips was our one from Nice on the Mediterranean Sea to Normandy, France, a day trip was to Monet's home in Giverny. It was spring, the flowers were in bloom and I saw the exact spot where he must have sat to paint his teal bridge and water lilies!
Next up was Calvin Coolidges’s home in Vermont. They had “notches” of neighborhoods of sort which eventually banded together to make small cities. This one included his home, church, general store, mill, etc. He was a low key laid back person.
We stopped late afternoon in Mystic CT for overnight. We were taken to the Mystic Seaport Museum. They are restoring huge whaling ships and that was interesting but most things were not open or had no docents. Sort of a bust due to the late arrival.
On to New Hampshire! Here we learned all about making maple syrup. Technology has come a long way from hanging a bucket on a tree! Of course we brought some home.
Our last stop was in Ogunquit, ME. We took a Casco Bay tour and saw two different forts and two lighthouses plus all the beautiful homes along the coast. Our route took us past the Bush compound in Kennebunkport. It sits out on a peninsula overlooking the water. Very picturesque.
This was by far the best hotel. All had been very nice accommodations but this was an entire resort complex with a huge, wide beach, pools, hot tubs, bars and restaurants.
We were on our own for lunch after our boat tour so we started walking toward businesses. Many restaurants have closed for the season or only open for dinner so no specific one is recommended. We saw two fellows walking with pizza boxes from two different places. We asked where they got it. First he started giving directions and then said “Oh just go up the street to Anthony’s.” So we did. It was like eating on the Soprano’s set. Anthony was friends with the writer. The food was excellent, Anthony came out to greet us and show his family photos, soprano memorabilia all over the place! What fun!
Our last evening’s dinner was back at the ANCHORAGE BY THE SEA resort. Lobster night! Tom and Eileen ordered lobster. I received linguine with chicken and Ted got plain grilled chicken and a baked potato. Neither liked their lobster!!
I can now finish the story of Bob. He was not harassed at all about his hat, a couple people said I like your hat. There was no political talk that we heard. On the last bus ride we had a Chinese souvenir exchange. Forty two gifts, pick one, keep or trade. Item can be stolen repeatedly. #1 who picks first gets last steal.
So I get #1! I choose a gift and it is the hat! Later on my hat is stolen two times but not much interest which we expected. A lady was wearing the hat and our director says Donna was #1 she gets last steal. I stood up and said “The great state of Texas casts all of its electoral votes for Donald J. Trump and I’ll have my hat back!” The bus erupted in applause, cheers and laughter. People stopped me to say my speech made their trip.
What a fun way to end our trip in Blue territory.
