We hit the road at 9:30am, heading south on I-91 and making a very brief detour into New Haven to randomly drive around the Yale campus. After a few minutes of that, we hopped on I-95 and headed toward NYC. Traffic (surprisingly) wasn't bad until we got into the Bronx; this was after I made the mistake of staying on I-95 after the turn-off for I-278. We doubled back on I-87 and took the 3rd Avenue Bridge into Manhattan. We headed south on Park then 5th Avenue, only to find 5th Avenue closed at 57th Street - the plan was simply to drive down 5th Avenue. I then went in search of parking, then took my mom into the Bloomberg HQ building and then my office building. After that we drove into Brooklyn via the Brooklyn Bridge to pay a visit to Fran (and her mother) at her new apartment. After that we took the BQE back to Queens, dropped off our stuff in my apartment, and then I returned the rental car (with 1500+ miles from the trip) around 5:30pm.
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Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
Wednesday, October 10, 2018
New England Road Trip 2018 - Day 8 (10/6/2018) - Vermont Route 100
The Motel 6 didn't have breakfast, so after checking out we went across the street to the Athens Diner to get breakfast. After eating we hit the road around 9:45am. We took I-89 to VT-100, and then began the scenic journey south. We were pleasantly surprised that the foliage was as colorful as it was, and the hilly terrain added to the scenery just like the day before. But also like the day before, there wasn't much of a chance to capture it all in picture form.
We got off VT-100 at VT-9, heading west to I-91. We took that south through Springfield, MA and Hartford, CT, ending up just south of Hartford in Cromwell. We checked into the Red Lion Hotel there at 4:45pm. After a little time in the room we went downstairs to get dinner at the on-site restaurant. But when they informed us that they were out of black bean burgers, we headed out to a Chinese restaurant (Wang Chinese) a few minutes away. After dinner it was back to the hotel for the remainder of the night.
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Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
We got off VT-100 at VT-9, heading west to I-91. We took that south through Springfield, MA and Hartford, CT, ending up just south of Hartford in Cromwell. We checked into the Red Lion Hotel there at 4:45pm. After a little time in the room we went downstairs to get dinner at the on-site restaurant. But when they informed us that they were out of black bean burgers, we headed out to a Chinese restaurant (Wang Chinese) a few minutes away. After dinner it was back to the hotel for the remainder of the night.
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Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
New England Road Trip 2018 - Day 7 (10/5/2018) - To Burlington
Following breakfast at the hotel, we checked out and departed around 9:30am. We made our way westward by some Maine state routes, US-2, I-93, US-2 again, and I-89, finally arriving in the Burlington, VT area. The drive was pretty scenic, especially in New Hampshire and western Maine. The reds and yellows of the foliage were picturesque on the hills and mountains as we drove through, though as the driver I did not have much opportunity to take pictures. The colors turned greener and more muted as we drove though Vermont, though. We arrived at the Motel 6 in Colchester (just north of Burlington) around 5:30pm.
After checking in and a brief respite in the room, we headed back out to find dinner in Burlington. We made a stop in Battery Park to check out the view of Lake Champlain before making our way to Istanbul Kebab House, a Turkish & Mediterranean restaurant. After dinner we drove back to the hotel to call it a night (while dealing with the non-functioning heating system). As an aside, temperatures had dropped into the low 50s and high 40s (Fahrenheit) over the last day or so.
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Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
After checking in and a brief respite in the room, we headed back out to find dinner in Burlington. We made a stop in Battery Park to check out the view of Lake Champlain before making our way to Istanbul Kebab House, a Turkish & Mediterranean restaurant. After dinner we drove back to the hotel to call it a night (while dealing with the non-functioning heating system). As an aside, temperatures had dropped into the low 50s and high 40s (Fahrenheit) over the last day or so.
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Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
New England Road Trip 2018 - Day 6 (10/4/2018) - Mount Desert Island
After breakfast at the hotel, we retreated briefly to the hotel room and then hit the road for a look around Acadia National Park around 10am. We first headed for the Park Loop Road in the direction of Sand Beach, stopping at interesting viewpoints along the way. We checked out Sand Beach and the nearby Thunder Hole, and then continued around the loop to Jordan Pond. After the pond, we turned back south to make a stop at Seal Harbor Beach before taking ME-3 northwest to transition to the western half of Mount Desert Island.
We looped down ME-202 to Southwest Harbor and dropped by Bass Harbor Head Light House. We then continued around and looped back toward Bar Harbor and headed back to the hotel for a pit stop around 2:30pm. During the last couple of days, I heard a couple of people say that the Southwest Harbor area is beautiful. While I do think parts of it are scenic, in my opinion it's nowhere near as nice as driving through the park.
We headed back out to Bar Harbor to find dinner, and settled on an unassuming Chinese restaurant named China Joy. After dinner we drove back to the hotel, making it there before 5pm.
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Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
We looped down ME-202 to Southwest Harbor and dropped by Bass Harbor Head Light House. We then continued around and looped back toward Bar Harbor and headed back to the hotel for a pit stop around 2:30pm. During the last couple of days, I heard a couple of people say that the Southwest Harbor area is beautiful. While I do think parts of it are scenic, in my opinion it's nowhere near as nice as driving through the park.
We headed back out to Bar Harbor to find dinner, and settled on an unassuming Chinese restaurant named China Joy. After dinner we drove back to the hotel, making it there before 5pm.
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Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
New England Road Trip 2018 - Day 5 (10/3/2018) - To Bar Harbor
We missed breakfast at the hotel because we thought (and were told the day before) that it was open until 10am. But when we showed up to the breakfast room around 9:15am almost everything was put away, and the clerk later told us that it's only open until 9am on weekdays. So we set off for Maine without eating breakfast.
My Google Maps was still set to avoid tolls, so it took me off I-95 soon after crossing the border, as it was turning into the Maine Turnpike. I put up with the alternate route on US-1 for about half an hour before switching back to the faster route (I-95 to I-295 to I-95 to I-395 to US-1A to ME-3) in order to save an hour of travel time. We made it to the Days Inn Bar Harbor around 2:15pm and then checked into our room.
We went back out at 3:30pm to check out Cadillac Mountain. We didn't drive all the way to the top because a fog was clouding the view there, but did get a chance to see a couple of spectacular views at points fairly high up. We next drove down and into Bar Harbor in search of some dinner. We parked and found a restaurant, Geddy's, where my mom could get a lobster dinner with clam chowder (she wasn't impressed with the lobster, but liked the soup) and also had reasonable vegetarian options; I got the margherita pizza, along with a slice of blueberry pie (appaarently Maine's state dessert) a la mode. After dinner we drove back to the hotel, via the detour because ME-3 was partially closed and one-way for a 2-mile stretch surrounding the hotel.
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Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
My Google Maps was still set to avoid tolls, so it took me off I-95 soon after crossing the border, as it was turning into the Maine Turnpike. I put up with the alternate route on US-1 for about half an hour before switching back to the faster route (I-95 to I-295 to I-95 to I-395 to US-1A to ME-3) in order to save an hour of travel time. We made it to the Days Inn Bar Harbor around 2:15pm and then checked into our room.
We went back out at 3:30pm to check out Cadillac Mountain. We didn't drive all the way to the top because a fog was clouding the view there, but did get a chance to see a couple of spectacular views at points fairly high up. We next drove down and into Bar Harbor in search of some dinner. We parked and found a restaurant, Geddy's, where my mom could get a lobster dinner with clam chowder (she wasn't impressed with the lobster, but liked the soup) and also had reasonable vegetarian options; I got the margherita pizza, along with a slice of blueberry pie (appaarently Maine's state dessert) a la mode. After dinner we drove back to the hotel, via the detour because ME-3 was partially closed and one-way for a 2-mile stretch surrounding the hotel.
--
Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
New England Road Trip 2018 - Day 4 (10/2/2018) - To Portsmouth
We didn't do much of anything today. After breakfast at the hotel, we checked out a bit after 10am and then drove north through Boston and toward New Hampshire. Close to the border, we headed east toward the coast, and then turned back north on Route 1A. We drove up the coastal road, making a couple of brief stops at Seabrook Beach and Hampton Beach. We continued on to Portsmouth, turning onto Route 1B and made our way to Fort Constitution State Historic Site. After a brief stop there, we continued back into town and found the Anchorage Inn and Suites. We were checked in and settled in the room by 2:30pm. We lounged around for the rest of the day, doing little besides a quick trip out to pick up dinner at a nearby Thai restaurant. It didn't help that there was a light rain falling all day.
On a sad note, my mom received news late in the afternoon that a close family friend had died.
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Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
On a sad note, my mom received news late in the afternoon that a close family friend had died.
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Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
New England Road Trip 2018 - Day 3 (10/1/2018) - Boston and meeting up with Nishant
We took it pretty easy this morning. We were up and dressed in time to get some of the continental breakfast at the hotel around 9:15am. But we didn't have anything planned until a 1:15pm trolley tour of Boston, so we decided to just hang out in the room after breakfast. We left the hotel a bit after noon and drove into the city.
Our tour left from the City Place building downtown. One somewhat noteworthy thing happened while parking the car in their underground parking garage... Upon entry the security guard stopped our car and asked me to show my drivers license, saying that was required for everyone who came in to park. My mom and I noticed that he didn't seem to ask the car in front of us to do that. She interpreted the incident more pessimistically than I did, but it's hard not to think (based on the perhaps limited information that we have) that there was a racial component in play.
We checked in early at the Gray Line tour office, and then waited about 30 minutes until boarding for the tour began. The tour lasted a little more than 3 hours, with extended stops at Trinity Church, Fenway Park, and the USS Constitution (though we only had about 20 minutes at each stop, so we didn't go into any of those places). It began to drizzle a bit during the tour, but it didn't become too unpleasant (temperatures hovered in the low 60s); this continued on and off for the rest of the day.
After we returned from the tour, we got back into the car and headed to Norfolk to visit Nishant and Shipra. We made it to their house right at 6pm and visited with them for about 3 hours, including being fed a delicious and bountiful dinner. My mom and I agreed that it was great to see them, but regretted that we forgot to take a picture with them. We made it back to the hotel around 10pm.
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Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
Our tour left from the City Place building downtown. One somewhat noteworthy thing happened while parking the car in their underground parking garage... Upon entry the security guard stopped our car and asked me to show my drivers license, saying that was required for everyone who came in to park. My mom and I noticed that he didn't seem to ask the car in front of us to do that. She interpreted the incident more pessimistically than I did, but it's hard not to think (based on the perhaps limited information that we have) that there was a racial component in play.
We checked in early at the Gray Line tour office, and then waited about 30 minutes until boarding for the tour began. The tour lasted a little more than 3 hours, with extended stops at Trinity Church, Fenway Park, and the USS Constitution (though we only had about 20 minutes at each stop, so we didn't go into any of those places). It began to drizzle a bit during the tour, but it didn't become too unpleasant (temperatures hovered in the low 60s); this continued on and off for the rest of the day.
After we returned from the tour, we got back into the car and headed to Norfolk to visit Nishant and Shipra. We made it to their house right at 6pm and visited with them for about 3 hours, including being fed a delicious and bountiful dinner. My mom and I agreed that it was great to see them, but regretted that we forgot to take a picture with them. We made it back to the hotel around 10pm.
--
Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
New England Road Trip 2018 - Day 2 (9/30/2018) - Martha's Vineyard
This morning started off sub-optimally, as we spotted a cockroach in our hotel room as we finished getting ready. To be fair, though, the hotel clerk offered to refund my hotel bill when I mentioned it offhand while checking out. We had the hotel's continental breakfast before leaving around 10:15am. We headed southeast toward Cape Cod, initially heading for Sandwich and perhaps continuing on further along the peninsula. However, we saw a sign for the Martha's Vineyard ferry, which re-peaked my mom's interest in going there. So we decided to make a detour and check that out instead.
We drove down to Woods Hole, intending to drive right onto the ferry and to the island. But at the pier we found out that it wasn't so simple. We were directed to a paid parking lot about 4 miles away, where we would then have to take the free shuttle back to the dock. We would then need to buy tickets for the ferry at the terminal before getting on. I didn't realize how big of a business this was, and how many customers/passengers they had. It made more sense then, that taking cars onto the ferry was expensive ($137) and required a reservation.
In any case, we were able to park, return to the pier, buy our tickets, and board the 12pm ferry just before it cast off. We had a bit of a scare early in the trip when we thought that we had boarded the wrong ferry - its name was (Motor Vehicle) Nantucket, and the announcement made us worry that we had boarded the ferry to Nantucket, but the rest of the ride was pleasant.
After arriving on the island, we found a sightseeing tour company and booked their tour leaving in 5 minutes at 1pm. The tour lasted 2.5 hours and took us through all the towns on the island. The only stop where we got off the bus was the Aquinnah Cliffs. Other than that, the driver/guide (a young Jamaican finishing up his 4th student summer exchange) talked non-stop telling us history, stories, and jokes. The tour ended back in Oak Bluffs, where we were just in time to board the ferry back to Woods Hole.
After getting back to the car, we drove north toward Boston to find our hotel for the night. We were staying at the Ramada in the southern part of the city - roughly in Dorchester. After checking in we drove out to have dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant named Pho Hoa that was a short drive away. After that we headed back to the hotel room for the night.
--
Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
We drove down to Woods Hole, intending to drive right onto the ferry and to the island. But at the pier we found out that it wasn't so simple. We were directed to a paid parking lot about 4 miles away, where we would then have to take the free shuttle back to the dock. We would then need to buy tickets for the ferry at the terminal before getting on. I didn't realize how big of a business this was, and how many customers/passengers they had. It made more sense then, that taking cars onto the ferry was expensive ($137) and required a reservation.
In any case, we were able to park, return to the pier, buy our tickets, and board the 12pm ferry just before it cast off. We had a bit of a scare early in the trip when we thought that we had boarded the wrong ferry - its name was (Motor Vehicle) Nantucket, and the announcement made us worry that we had boarded the ferry to Nantucket, but the rest of the ride was pleasant.
After arriving on the island, we found a sightseeing tour company and booked their tour leaving in 5 minutes at 1pm. The tour lasted 2.5 hours and took us through all the towns on the island. The only stop where we got off the bus was the Aquinnah Cliffs. Other than that, the driver/guide (a young Jamaican finishing up his 4th student summer exchange) talked non-stop telling us history, stories, and jokes. The tour ended back in Oak Bluffs, where we were just in time to board the ferry back to Woods Hole.
After getting back to the car, we drove north toward Boston to find our hotel for the night. We were staying at the Ramada in the southern part of the city - roughly in Dorchester. After checking in we drove out to have dinner at a Vietnamese restaurant named Pho Hoa that was a short drive away. After that we headed back to the hotel room for the night.
--
Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
New England Road Trip 2018 - Day 1 (9/29/2018) - To Newport & Providence
The precursor to this trip began when my mom came to visit me in New York on Tuesday, 9/25. Besides a day hanging out with one of her friends (Cookie) on Wednesday, and Fran cooking the two of us dinner on Friday, she had a relatively quiet week - I didn't take off work prior to the road trip beginning.
On Saturday morning, I took the bus to the Avis in Long Island City to pick up the car that I had reserved for the next 8 days. Though I had reserved a mid-size car, the smallest car that they had available was a Kia Sorrento SUV. At first I was a little concerned that it would be too big, but hat was unwarranted since I wasn't going to be driving it much in NYC. It actually turned out to be a convenient and comfortable choice for my mom.
After I drove the car back to my apartment and we loaded up our gear, we took off around 11:15am. We first drove into Manhattan to take a look around the area where my mom had lived in West Harlem / Manhattanville while she was a student at CCNY and Columbia. After the little drive-about, we then headed northeast toward Rhode Island. Google Maps took me in a bit of an unexpected route up I-87 and Hutchinson River Parkway (I think because of traffic, but there was plenty of it on our route anyway), but we eventually made it to I-95 in Connecticut (around Norwalk). We made a stop at a service center next to the highway (CT seemed to have a bunch of these conveniently placed) for a bathroom break and to grab a late lunch at a Sbarro.
With the traffic delays and pit stop, we eventually made it to Newport around 5:30pm. It was too late to get into The Breakers (the large mansion vacation home owned by the Vanderbilts - last entry is at 5pm), so we did a quick walk-by of the Cliff Walk. After that we got back in the car and headed north toward Providence. I didn't actually book a hotel in Providence, as hotels in New England cities all seemed to be expensive. We instead stayed at the La Quinta Inn & Suites Warwick Providence Airport. After checking in, I went out to grab some Chipotle for dinner for the two of us, and then we spent the rest of the evening in the room.
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Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
On Saturday morning, I took the bus to the Avis in Long Island City to pick up the car that I had reserved for the next 8 days. Though I had reserved a mid-size car, the smallest car that they had available was a Kia Sorrento SUV. At first I was a little concerned that it would be too big, but hat was unwarranted since I wasn't going to be driving it much in NYC. It actually turned out to be a convenient and comfortable choice for my mom.
After I drove the car back to my apartment and we loaded up our gear, we took off around 11:15am. We first drove into Manhattan to take a look around the area where my mom had lived in West Harlem / Manhattanville while she was a student at CCNY and Columbia. After the little drive-about, we then headed northeast toward Rhode Island. Google Maps took me in a bit of an unexpected route up I-87 and Hutchinson River Parkway (I think because of traffic, but there was plenty of it on our route anyway), but we eventually made it to I-95 in Connecticut (around Norwalk). We made a stop at a service center next to the highway (CT seemed to have a bunch of these conveniently placed) for a bathroom break and to grab a late lunch at a Sbarro.
With the traffic delays and pit stop, we eventually made it to Newport around 5:30pm. It was too late to get into The Breakers (the large mansion vacation home owned by the Vanderbilts - last entry is at 5pm), so we did a quick walk-by of the Cliff Walk. After that we got back in the car and headed north toward Providence. I didn't actually book a hotel in Providence, as hotels in New England cities all seemed to be expensive. We instead stayed at the La Quinta Inn & Suites Warwick Providence Airport. After checking in, I went out to grab some Chipotle for dinner for the two of us, and then we spent the rest of the evening in the room.
--
Pictures here: https://photos.app.goo.gl/H6QCPXd5cfTcTrJ7A
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