Although I headed a bit farther south, I certainly did not escape the accents of the Northeast in Cape Cod.
I spent just shy of two weeks in West Yarmouth enjoying the pace of a summer hotspot after the crowds had dispersed for the season. I could hear the ferry whistle as it departed for Nantucket and Martha’s Vineyard multiple times a day, and occasionally strolled down to the Lewis Bay shoreline a couple blocks away to watch the boats pass. While I had a lot of work to accomplish, I did manage to sneak away for some great day trips on the weekends.
Salem, MA
On my way south from Maine, I made a quick (because it was raining endlessly) stop by the Salem Witch Trials Memorial. It was the Friday of Halloween so the place was hoppin’ with their month-long celebration.
Plymouth, MA
Seeing as how I was in the neighborhood, I stopped in Plymouth to see that rock—or at least what’s left of it. It was an interesting story told by the park ranger depicting the many moves, multiple cracks (from being dropped and re-cemented together) and more about the landmark associated with the pilgrims’ arrival. My visit just happened to correspond with a parade and ceremony honoring local officers. It involved bag pipes, many men in colonial dress, and some good ‘ol authentic cannon fire! (Rascal wasn’t a fan.)
Boston, MA
I’d say the day I spent in Boston has been one of the best of my traveling days yet. I hit the streets to walk the Freedom Trail, which guides visitors through historical sites throughout the city. The stops ranged from grave sites of those instrumental in the founding of our country, the Old South Meeting House where colonists protested the tea tax, the Old North Church where the famous signal lanterns of Paul Revere’s ride shone, to Bunker Hill—“Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” SO MUCH history packed into this one day. By the time I reached the Bunker Hill Monument, my legs were tired, but that didn’t stop me from trekking up the 294 stairs… a decision I regretted about 3 flights in.
Around the Cape
A majority of my time outside of day trips was spent on the Cape working, with the occasional beach stroll mixed in. Although I realize the only decent picture I took was the lighthouse shot above at sundown, I did take a Friday afternoon to venture all the way to the end of the Cape to Provincetown where I enjoyed a hearty bowl of Massachusetts’ famed Clam Chowder. I also took in many miles of the scenic Cape Cod National Seashore.
Rhode Island
Another incredibly memorable day trip was spent venturing into Newport by day and Providence by night. I quite enjoyed the 10-mile drive (better than the 17-mile drive in Pebble Beach in my opinion), and a stroll along the Cliff Walk sandwiched between the Atlantic and the mansions of Newport.
Before nightfall, I headed to Providence for a very unique experience: Waterfire. Described as “an award-winning fire sculpture installation on the three rivers in downtown Providence,” I assumed the hundreds of raving reviews couldn’t all be wrong. While it’s a bit hard to grasp by the description, you’ll just have to take my word for it that it was pretty darn awe-inspiring in just about every aspect. The theme of the night was “Salute Our Veterans.”
Re-watching that just makes me proud to be an American all over again 🙂 Having the opportunity to visit some of the vast expanses of this amazing country is something I will never stop being thankful for this Thanksgiving season and throughout my lifetime to come.
1 Comment