Reflections on Summer 2017 trip

[Monello]

I view each portion of our journeys as phases or legs. This being our 3rd leg, spring/summer 2017. Phase 1 was out west last year. 2nd phase was wintering in Florida. Each phase so far has begun and ended in Southern Maryland.

So off we go. Break down, pack up and hit the road for another exciting adventure. There is a lot of anticipation. I'm not sure if it's endorphins or what, but it's a build up of things to come. The ride to the north east was uneventful. Plenty of tolls though. A few $4 one, an $8 charge then a $7.25 fare. A few more 50 centers rounded out the rest of the bill. Let's call it $25 for the privilege of using the roadways, tunnels & bridges.


We end up where I use to live but haven't called that area home for around 40 years. So much has changed. Looking back I realize I was very fortunate to grow up how & where I did. I'm not so sure that can be said today. I finally made it to Great Falls. If you ever watched the episode of the Soprano's where they tossed the drug dealer in the water, that's where they filmed that scene. We ate a few meals at regionally iconic places. Got to see the NYC skyline from atop the Watchung Mountains.

Then it was back on the road. Next destination, Groton/Mystic, CT. But first a side trip....

Vrai saw a sign for Sleepy Hollow, NY. She had to see it. So right turn Clyde. We took a quick windshield tour of a quaint town on the banks of the Hudson River. Then back on route 95.

 

[Monello]

Connecticut, or at least the area where we find ourself, is quintessential, seaside americana. Mystic, Stonington, Watch Hill, Essex, Niantic, New London, Norwich, Westerly. Clam shacks, boat houses, victorian homes, ice cream stands, Dunkin Donuts, pizzerias, lobster pots, seagulls & heavy morning fog. Sunday blue laws where the stores can't sell beer after 6pm on Sunday. Towns that have been immortalized by film and towns that time has forgotten.

Lobster rolls & clam fritters. Jug handle turns, one way streets and no shortage of windy, curvy roads. The Coast Guard Academy, submarines & whaling ships. Fog horns and oyster tongs.

The weather is bipolar with a near record 95 on our arrival to us having to dig out sweaters 2 days later. Rain storms that rival any rain that occurs in Florida.

We've eaten at Mystic Pizza twice. Mystic is a great little town to stroll around in. Both tourists & locals were out in force for Father's day. Saturday we strolled downtown Norwich and had the place to ourselves. Such a contrast.

 

[Monello]

The Clam shack experience

In this area of the country there are an abundance of clam shacks. Not literal shacks but a place to grab some cooked seafood. They are walk up, counter served. No wait staff. They fit in quite well with the area. We have patronized 3 of them so far.

Once you place your order, they take your name then you stake out a table. You can sit under a pagoda, umbrella table, out in the open or some have an inside dining area. Condiments and anything else you need are also self serve. This is nothing fancy dining. The menus are expansive with seafood being the main draw. They have a few dessert selections and ice cream seems to be the go to after dinner treat.

Captain Scott's in New London, CT has cranked it up a notch. Located right on the water, the day we stopped by they had a costumed pirate on stilts making balloon animals and such for the kids. People bring colorful table cloths to cover the wooden picnic tables. It's BYOB and there's no shortage of folks with stemware and wine ice chests. It has a party atmosphere. Later a live band performed songs that were children centric without being all Barney.

It's a little pricey for the location but it is seafood. We've had a lobster roll at each place. We have learned the difference between cold lobster roll & hot lobster roll. I wasn't aware of the difference at first. The hot roll wins out for my taste.

So if you head up this way, add a stop at a clam shake on your to do list.

 

[lucky_bee]

In this area of the country there are an abundance of clam shacks. Not literal shacks but a place to grab some cooked seafood. They are walk up, counter served. No wait staff. They fit in quite well with the area. We have patronized 3 of them so far.

Once you place your order, they take your name then you stake out a table. You can sit under a pagoda, umbrella table, out in the open or some have an inside dining area. Condiments and anything else you need are also self serve. This is nothing fancy dining. The menus are expansive with seafood being the main draw. They have a few dessert selections and ice cream seems to be the go to after dinner treat.

Captain Scott's in New London, CT has cranked it up a notch. Located right on the water, the day we stopped by they had a costumed pirate on stilts making balloon animals and such for the kids. People bring colorful table cloths to cover the wooden picnic tables. It's BYOB and there's no shortage of folks with stemware and wine ice chests. It has a party atmosphere. Later a live band performed songs that were children centric without being all Barney.

It's a little pricey for the location but it is seafood. We've had a lobster roll at each place. We have learned the difference between cold lobster roll & hot lobster roll. I wasn't aware of the difference at first. The hot roll wins out for my taste.

So if you head up this way, add a stop at a clam shake on your to do list.

you so beautifully summed up all the things I love about New England. I think that's why so many of the rich and famous choose to discreetly vacation along the coast up there. Northerners are quite friendly when we have to be, but prefer our privacy

I prefer the hot lobster roll too, its classic. I've had many good cold versions but some places put too much filler with mayo and celery and stuff and there ends up being little lobster.

In my little home town, our Dairy Queen has always been strictly ice cream and was only open seasonally. It was a big To-Do every year when DQ finally opened! Summer's Here

 

[lucky_bee]

In this area of the country there are an abundance of clam shacks. Not literal shacks but a place to grab some cooked seafood. They are walk up, counter served. No wait staff. They fit in quite well with the area. We have patronized 3 of them so far.

Once you place your order, they take your name then you stake out a table. You can sit under a pagoda, umbrella table, out in the open or some have an inside dining area. Condiments and anything else you need are also self serve. This is nothing fancy dining. The menus are expansive with seafood being the main draw. They have a few dessert selections and ice cream seems to be the go to after dinner treat.

Captain Scott's in New London, CT has cranked it up a notch. Located right on the water, the day we stopped by they had a costumed pirate on stilts making balloon animals and such for the kids. People bring colorful table cloths to cover the wooden picnic tables. It's BYOB and there's no shortage of folks with stemware and wine ice chests. It has a party atmosphere. Later a live band performed songs that were children centric without being all Barney.

It's a little pricey for the location but it is seafood. We've had a lobster roll at each place. We have learned the difference between cold lobster roll & hot lobster roll. I wasn't aware of the difference at first. The hot roll wins out for my taste.

So if you head up this way, add a stop at a clam shake on your to do list.

you so beautifully summed up all the things I love about New England. I think that's why so many of the rich and famous choose to discreetly vacation along the coast up there. Northerners are quite friendly when we have to be, but prefer our privacy

I prefer the hot lobster roll too, its classic. I've had many good cold versions but some places put too much filler with mayo and celery and stuff and there ends up being little lobster.

In my little home town, our Dairy Queen has always been strictly ice cream and was only open seasonally. It was a big To-Do every year when DQ finally opened! Summer's Here

 

[vraiblonde]

Connecticut, or at least the area where we find ourself, is quintessential, seaside americana. Mystic, Stonington, Watch Hill, Essex, Niantic, New London, Norwich, Westerly. Clam shacks, boat houses, victorian homes, ice cream stands, Dunkin Donuts, pizzerias, lobster pots, seagulls & heavy morning fog. Sunday blue laws where the stores can't sell beer after 6pm on Sunday. Towns that have been immortalized by film and towns that time has forgotten.

This sums it up nicely. This area is what you see in the movies when they want to show an old fashioned seaside town.

 

[GWguy]

This sums it up nicely. This area is what you see in the movies when they want to show an old fashioned seaside town.

I came from that area, and still am so attracted back to it and the feeling there. It was a quick ferry run from Port Jefferson to Connecticut and points north.

 

[Gilligan]

The Coast Guard Academy, .

My grandpappy was the superintendent in the early 60s. I only barely recall staying there..making the trip by train from Washington DC to New London. Glad you got to see that place.

 

[Monello]

The Peking battles Cape Horn

At the Mystic Seaport Museum we viewed part of a video of a cruise of a ship in 1929. The narrator is Irving Johnson. The voiceover was done in 1980. He has a great voice and has a unique way of explaining from memory a voyage that took place over 50 year ago. It's a bit long but worth the time to view it.

Here's some info on the narrator:

Irving McClure Johnson (July 4, 1905 – January 2, 1991) was an American sail training pioneer, adventurer, lecturer, and author.Johnson was born in Hadley, Massachusetts. Early home movies show him training for a life at sea, climbing a telephone pole in his backyard, and wrestling & Jiu Jitsu to prepare for the inevitable fights he believed would occur due to his reading the novels of Jack London and Joseph Conrad.

Johnson became a professional sailor (joining the Merchant Marine in 1926) working summers as crew and captain of various yachts including the "Charmian" for Newcomb Carlton (President of Western Union.), which led to the opportunity to sail on the Peking. He was an amateur filmmaker and his footage on the barque Peking in 1929 would become the now famous film Around Cape Horn.

Johnson would continue to educate the public of the majestic age of sail throughout his life, personally narrating showings of Around Cape Horn on board the Peking, docked at South Street Seaport in New York City from 1974-2016 (moving to Hamburg Germany in 2017) and working with Mystic Seaport and the Sea Education Association, serving as a Trustee of both until his death in 1991.

 

[Monello]

Tourist towns

Newport, RI is clearly a tourist town. There is not 1 significant tourist destination. There's no giant waterfalls, no reliable geysers, no faces carved into mountains. What it is seems to be a collection of historical buildings surrounding a gorgeous harbor. And that is the part that is so fascinating. The draw. That invisible force that makes tourists from all over flock to this area and spend their time & money.

During our harbor cruise today we got a short Newport history lesson. There was a big Navy torpedo factory & warehouse. Then once the Navy pulled out and moved most of the operations down to Norfolk, VA, the economics of the town and for the most part the greater Newport area was devastated. They lost 40% of the local civilian population in the year following the Navy's relocating. Fast forward to 2017 and this town is hopping. Tourists walk in the downtown harbor area. Cruise ships stop for the day on their way to Canada. Many stores advertise that they are hiring for the season.

While we are rolling around America we often see places that make you wonder what the attraction to the area is or wonder just the opposite, why hasn't anyone developed this cute area into a proper tourist destination. While there is no blueprint to follow in developing an area for tourism and economic development, why do some places get it right while other places go begging?

Newport appeals to various groups. Sailor; as in the yacht variety, boaters, history buffs, marine biology types, anglers, foodies, bachelor(ette) parties. In some ways it's quite similar to Nashville, although they do have a country music draw. Newport hosts a jazz festival but there isn't a true jazz vibe to the town. There doesn't seem to be any parts of town that tourists need to avoid. It's highly walkable and truth be told, parking is a bit of a hassle. There is even a harbor shuttle to move people around via the water.

So if you are looking for a getaway that's in a days drive of SOMD, put this place on your list. Bring your appetite and your credit card.

 

[Monello]

Portas Da Cidade - Westport, MA

Part of our bay cruise was commentary by the ship's narrator about local places to eat. He mentioned the Lobster Shack. He also mentioned that he had no financial interest in the shack. Vrai looked at me with turndown lips as we had already decided to eat there once we got back to the wharf. Our cat was out of the bag. First mate John had spilled the beans. I don't have any more cliches to sum up the situation but anyway.

So we meander down the wharf in the direction of the shack. It's well camouflaged and tricky to find. Then like an oasis in the desert, it appeared. It was still late afternoon, just before the real dinner hour and as luck would have it, the line wasn't long at all. They serve food that comes off the boat, so them running out isn't unheard of. Even the menu mentions that there is a better than average chance that they may run out of certain items due to availability.

And who do we see standing 2nd in line? The narrator/mate from our cruise. After we got our meal we chatted him up about the area. I'll spare you having to read most of the details but at some point the conversation swung towards food & local restaurants. John was adamant that we try some Portuguese food before we leave. He mentioned the city of Briston, RI as a good destination. He also added the comment that there are only 2 counties in the entire US where Portuguese are the majority heritage found in the county. That would be Bristol county Rhode Island and Bristol county Massachusetts. Our next day destination was indeed to Bristol county Mass.

Today we had some time to kill so we sought out a Portuguese place to eat. Not knowing the area, we rolled the dice. I should have bought a lottery ticket.

Our dining destination was Portas Da Cidade. We first walked into the dining room. It looked a bit fancy and not really what we are accustomed to for dining. We went into the other door to find the bar and lounge. They served the same menu but in a much more casual atmosphere.

We ordered Chourico a bombeiro, flame grilled Portuguese sausage, Vrai ordered Portuguese soup, Prego no pao or steak sandwich, and I chose a dried cod casserole special cooked with potatoes & onions. I'm sure we were told the name but I don't recall it. Portuguese bread & olives rounded out the table.

The soup arrived first. I had a couple of spoonfuls. It was flavorful and the meat had a real good flavor. Then the sausage showed up. This was by far the best sausage that I have ever eaten in America. It rivaled the best sausage that I've eaten in Europe. It had a nice char on it from the flame. The meat itself wasn't the ground meat texture but more closely resembled cubed or small diced meat. There was a nice meaty texture to it and it had a great spice combination that rounded out the taste.

Then the next course arrived. The cod was served in a small casserole dish that had just came out of the oven. I was expecting a bit more of a fish flavor and aroma. The texture of the cod after drying is quite firm. It matched well with the potatoes & onions plus whatever wine, oil and other liquids that were used to cook it. A few olives were tossed in as a garnish. While eating this dish I kept pouring the cooking liquid over the rest of the food. The broth was light and tasty with a golden hue from the spice mixture. After a while I took the heavenly bread to soak up some liquid goodness.

And I thought that we should get some more food from this place when we leave town today. But after a decent breakfast that doesn't seem like the best idea. So while southeast Massachusetts isn't really a tourist destination, if you find yourself passing through this way I highly recommend stopping off at Portas Da Cidade.

I'd be interested in hearing of anyone else that has had Portuguese food, where you went and how you like it.

 

[Monello]

The Beaver call

We heard this on our tour bus yesterday. Our driver did a great rendition of this school cheer. He sounded more impressive than the group cheering in the video. Go Beavers!



You're a Beaver! We are Beavers all,
And when we get together, we do the beaver call!
e to the u, du dx, e to the x, dx;
cosine, secant, tangent, sine, 3.14159;
integral, radical, mu, dv;
slipstick, sliderule, MIT!
Go Tech!

 

[Monello]

Ivy league

Ivy league, it sounds impressive. Makes you think that it refers to some sort of horticultural plant. Actually the origin has nothing to do with plants. Early in the 20th century, 4 colleges made up a sports conference. Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale & Brown were in a conference that was called Four. It was represented by the Roman numeral IV. The conference was then called Ivy since that numbers spell out that sound. Cornell, Princeton, Penn and Columbia were later added to the conference and was designated as the Ivy League.

Today we drove around Cambridge, MA. Harvard is an impressive campus and driving through is about as close to getting into Harvard as I can imagine.

 

[frequentflier]

Ivy league, it sounds impressive. Makes you think that it refers to some sort of horticultural plant. Actually the origin has nothing to do with plants. Early in the 20th century, 4 colleges made up a sports conference. Harvard, Dartmouth, Yale & Brown were in a conference that was called Four. It was represented by the Roman numeral IV. The conference was then called Ivy since that numbers spell out that sound. Cornell, Princeton, Penn and Columbia were later added to the conference and was designated as the Ivy League.

Today we drove around Cambridge, MA. Harvard is an impressive campus and driving through is about as close to getting into Harvard as I can imagine.

Interesting tidbit of information!

 

[Monello]

Dunkin Donuts

Seems no matter which direction you look, you will see the distinctive DD signage. They claim there are 61 DDs in the city of Boston, but it seems like the number should be much higher. Even the convenience stores have mini DDs in them. When you gas up you can also top off your coffee cup. Their website says they have 8,500 shops in 41 different US states. The majority of them are in the NE US. You can find DDs in 36 different countries. 1 of our tourist trolley drivers made it a point to mention, if you look to the left or the right, you will see (another) DUNKIN DONUTS. He claimed they had 391 franchises in the city. I can see why his could be takes as the truth.

So what is the appeal to DDs? I have to think it's the coffee. Is anyone going there just to eat donuts?

 

[lucky_bee]

Seems no matter which direction you look, you will see the distinctive DD signage. They claim there are 61 DDs in the city of Boston, but it seems like the number should be much higher. Even the convenience stores have mini DDs in them. When you gas up you can also top off your coffee cup. Their website says they have 8,500 shops in 41 different US states. The majority of them are in the NE US. You can find DDs in 36 different countries. 1 of our tourist trolley drivers made it a point to mention, if you look to the left or the right, you will see (another) DUNKIN DONUTS. He claimed they had 391 franchises in the city. I can see why his could be takes as the truth.

So what is the appeal to DDs? I have to think it's the coffee. Is anyone going there just to eat donuts?

It's the coffee. My tiny little hometown (graduating class of 70 kids) has 3 DDs alone. And another 3 within another 2-3 miles. New Englanders just love their coffee, but more importantly their traditions, and for whatever reason DD has become tradition. For the most part you can get the same cup of DD coffee on the shoreline in CT as you can in downtown Boston. And it's good, simple coffee.

Please realize that the quality of DD down here is nothing like what I'm used to up north. Nothing. Our one measly little DD is a mess and manages to screw up my simple coffee order every. single. time. I hardly even go there now. New Englanders don't have patience for that nonsense so most DDs are like tightly run ships. You can bet as soon as I go home for a visit I'm swinging by every DD in town though. As far as the donuts, it used to be that a majority of the full-service DDs made their donuts their in store (not frozen). They definitely used to be really great donuts but I don't eat them often, nor do I know if they've switched to all places using previously frozen donuts like our locations down here.

Also, DD is the official sponsor of most of the professional Boston teams...Red Sox, Bruins, etc. If you've conversed with some Bostonians, you've probably picked up by now just how important their dear sports are

America runs on Dunkin', but New England wouldn't survive without it!

 

[Monello]

The road less traveled

We I first acquired the motorhome I had some romantic idea of rolling down all the backroads of America. I was going to experience all the sights not seen from the interstates. Then after a few nights stay in Deep Creek State Park, I pointed the RV nose towards West Virginia. The plan was to take route 50 across to Ohio. Bad idea. 50 ended up being a collection of hills, switchbacks and hairpin turns. That white knuckle drive cured me of my pipedream. I now actually prefer the interstates when traveling from point A to point B. We still get to see the sights when we arrive in our final destination, unhook the truck and then head off to various points of interest.

This summer we are car tripping. Our route along the north east US coast isn't exactly RV friendly. But now that we are in the car we can take any route we choose. Leaving Boston the plan was to take route 1 up the coast. Occasionally we took 1A which actually hugs the coast line. Had we gone up I95 we would have bypassed all the quaint New England seaside towns. So what it takes 2-3 times as long. This is more about the journey then it is the destination anyway. Plus if we see something interesting we just pull over and check it out.

We toured the towns of Newburyport, Salisbury Beach, Hampton Beach, North Hampton, Portsmouth, Kittery, York & Ogunquit before reaching our final destination of Wells. Each place had lots of tourists due to the 4th of July holiday weekend. I could have lived without seeing all those towns but feel better that I did get to experience them. Newburyport is similar to Annapolis on a slightly smaller scale. We marvel at how cute some towns have become and wonder why other towns don't do the same to create a tourist friendly destination.

When traveling by motor vehicle, faster isn't necessarily better. May all your journeys be traffic free and the parking available.

 

[vraiblonde]

When traveling by motor vehicle, faster isn't necessarily better.

So much to do, so much to see, so what's wrong with taking the back streets

 

[Monello]

Saturday we pushed off from Wells, ME. Our final destination being Bar Harbor, ME. We took the road less traveled, going up route 1 along the coast. What I marveled at was the number of different places along that route that sold antiques. The joke became "Look, another antique shop!". I don't get the appeal of antiques but judging from the number of businesses offering up grandma's old silver service there is no shortage of takers down east. In some areas antiques are the only business other than hotels/motels. Not a Dunkins Donuts in sight but lots of musty & dusty items for sale. Some of the items for sale are so large they don't fit in the stores instead occupying real estate on the front lawn. I'm all for repurposing things but I have to draw the line somewhere.

Then there is the term down east. What's up with that? It's in the northerly direction.

 

[Monello]

New England weather

Lots of places brag about their bipolar weather. You often hear it said "If you don't like the weather, wait 20 minutes.". It was warmer in Anchorage, Alaska yesterday than it was here. We had rain come through 2 days ago and the mercury plummeted. I really shouldn't complain. Growing up in NJ, in the pre everyone now has AC days, I remember some awful hot, muggy summers. But you dealt with it as best you could. I became a pillow turner.

Even last summer out west wasn't bad. June in Texas had some scorcher days but with low humidity it's bearable. And Wyoming at least waited until September to get chilly. I guess when daylight savings time rolled around, they moved the clock ahead to November. How cold is it here? The movie theater advertises that it's heated. Even though it leads to their demise, lobsters actually look forward to being plunged into boiling water. Inland Maine boasts of pond ice skating, year round. Maine's tourism slogan should be 'Sunburn & Hypothermia, perfect together'.

As a veteran of 5 summers in Alaska I'm accustomed to cool summer temps. Maine being a short drive north from Maryland is surprising brisk this time of year. And Wyoming at least has the excuse that it's at 7,000 foot elevation. Here we are at sea level for God's sake. So while the rest of the country is drinking ice cold beer this summer, I'll be warming up my 3rd cup of hot chocolate for the day.