Tuesday, September 24, 2024

New England — Sept. 2024


There are three photo albums. First, an album of overall trip photos (view the photos individually to see the captions). Second, an album of fall foliage. (There was plenty of color, but not entire landscapes.) And third, a specialized album relating to one museum (see below).

We took a tour that visited all six New England states. The weather stayed mild and, contrary to early forecasts, almost entirely rain-free. Our tour guide, from Rhode Island, had a marked accent. When she spoke of "potty boats," I had to laugh.

The first day, we quickly toured Boston, including stops at Old North Church and Faneuil Hall. We visited Lexington, and Plymouth, where we stopped at Plymouth RockMayflower II, and the Monument to the Forefathers. The next two nights were at Hyannis on Cape Cod. After a stop at the JFK Memorial, we ferried to Martha’s Vineyard.

In Newport, RI, we cruised by many mansions, and toured one, the Vanderbilts' Breakers. In Connecticut, we went to the Mystic Seaport Museum. The next day, in the Massachusetts Berkshires, we stopped at the Norman Rockwell Museum. I do remember and appreciate Rockwell's work, but I was surprised and delighted by their current special exhibit: The Art and Humor of MAD Magazine. My third photo album for this trip is about that exhibit. Yes, it includes some Norman Rockwell, too. After that, a quick stop at the Bennington Battle Monument in Vermont.

The next day began at the Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site in Plymouth Notch, Vermont and continued to Montpelier. Our final full day was in Maine: Portland, Kennebunkport, and Ogunquit, including a lobster dinner. (I had an almost identical lobster dinner in Maine in 2015. See the photo.)