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Colonial Williamsburg…the Governor’s Palace tour.

January 29, 2020 Rivergirl 32 Comments

Finished with out outdoor stroll….

We headed for the interior tour…

Of the Colonial Seat of English rule in early Virginia.

Our guide led us inside…

Where we were immediately surrounded by a large numbers of weapons.

Weapons.

Everywhere.

I won’t bore you with the long history of the place, if you’re interested…. take a peek here.

I’ll just point out that it was home to the Royal Governor pre revolution, and numerous Virginia Governors like Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson post revolution.

It was an impressive place.

With an impressive wood stove.

Amazing decorative detail….

And some pretty brightly colored walls.

There was even a separate room for men to powder their wigs.

Maybe that’s what’s wrong with politics today…

Not enough wigs.

The beds were elaborate.

But the only thing I thought of when I saw the red room…

Complete with fancy dress crib to show off the progeny?

Was this:

It’s in there Rosemary….

Grab your knife.

(Sorry, but I saw that movie when I was 9 and it still creeps the hell out of me)

The final part of the tour was self guided.

And led us around back…

To the cellar.

Which was basically a whole lotta barrels…

And a whole lotta wine….

So… that done, we emerged.

And caught a charming scene.

A horse drawn carriage.

Adding a little something to the atmosphere of days gone by.

As well as making us watch where we walked… because, well. Horse diapers hadn’t been invented yet.

And yes… they do exist.

Pampers for Mr. Ed

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Are you ready for a vacation smackdown?

January 23, 2020 Rivergirl 43 Comments

You had 2 days off in between trips… and I threw in some Bambi pics as well. Are we good?

Good!

I admit I might have gone a little overboard with the Williamsburg, Virginia vacation photos this time…. like 3,089 pics overboard.

So sue me.

It was a fabulous trip, a marvelous Christmas and a wonderful place to explore. What can I say? When I’m old and feeble I’ll enjoy looking back on them all. (If I can remember why there are so many pictures of rocks…. and who that strange man is of course.)

Time to fasten your seat belts and loosen your pants!

The trip starts now.

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Okay… but fair warning, that may not be until June.

Not wanting to put the miles and wear and tear on my car, we rented one. Well, I rented one. A mid size SUV like I always do… but when we arrived at the lot, they didn’t have any and had to upgrade us to luxury.

Cool beans!

We could pick the Audi or the Infiniti.

So what did my husband pick?

The Chevy Suburban.

Which happens to be the biggest, thirstiest, most annoying ~~lumbering behemoth~~ vehicle ever made. A nightmare to park. A horror show for short people like me to board. A useless third row seat we didn’t need and couldn’t figure out how to fold down. Gas stations? We dreaded the mere sight of them after a few days. So why did my spouse choose it?

Because it was big.

And he’s a man.

Enough said.

Our trip from Maine started out like this:

With buckets of the same for the first few states.

When we were nearing Hartford, Connecticut it let up, but we hit road construction….

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And this rather precarious way of shoring up of the highway made me cringe.

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I guess I should be glad they didn’t use duct tape, but still.

Next up was my least favorite part of the trip….

New York City.

Don’t get me wrong, I was born and raised in New Jersey… I can hang. But riding shotgun with my (leadfooted, 2 centimeters from the car in front of us, switch lanes like it’s the Indy 500) husband…. in the Black Brontosaurus?

Would test Ironman’s nerves.

Though I can honestly say it’s the only time in my life I’m thankful for bumper to bumper traffic.

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Reduce speed?

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I don’t think that’s possible.

I’d post some great pics of our trip over the famous George Washington bridge, but the husband always takes the upper truck level…. so basically this was my view:

But here’s one peek through the fog.

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After the bridge? It’s New Jersey…

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And the swamps they built the Meadowlands on.

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If you’ve ever wondered where Tony Soprano and his boys dumped the bodies?

It would be here.

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Oil refineries aside, you have to admit that the foul, smoggy New Jersey air does make for a dramatic sky.

Onward through the evening we drove, with the husband choosing our route. If you know me…. you know I’m type A and like to plan. Letting him pick a spot for us to spend the night was torture, but I sucked it up and endured.

I endured him picking a random town in Delaware because he liked the name, Red Lion.

Did Red Lion, Delaware have any hotels you ask?

No.

It did not.

And trust me, we drove around for almost an hour trying to find one even though I Googled it and came up empty. We did however find this:

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A Christmas extravaganza house that was blocking traffic.

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I can barely keep 2 reindeer lit… WTH?

After admitting defeat, the husband drove another 40 minutes to Dover, Delaware and pulled into the first Holiday Inn he saw.

I had my doubts when I saw the lounge was decorated in early bordello. Yes… satin furniture and rhinestone encrusted mirrors.

Thankfully our room was toned down from that…

But it did have some interesting features.

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Mainly, the lighting.

Is it me?

Or did this over the bathroom sink fixture look like deer hooves?

Come on…

There’s no reasonable Martha Stewart explanation for that.

And while this corner lamp reminded me of my mother and her pull down hair dryer of the 1960’s…..

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It was these over the bed reading lamps that were a little too proctology/gynecology themed for my taste.

And don’t get me started on the art work.

Really, don’t.

What the…. what?

So ends day one.

(And before you start screaming Martin…. road trips with my husband consist of a McDonalds lunch eaten in the car doing 90 mph and a perfectly horrible turkey dinner at a Bob Evans next to the hotel late that night. Neither were photo worthy!)

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Cape Cod Day 8…. turkeys, traffic and booze. The way most of our vacations end.

January 20, 2020 Rivergirl 16 Comments

Day 8 dawned bright and sunny and it was time to pack up and head for home. Of course packing means different things to men and women. It takes me considerable time…. seeing that I actually unpack my suitcases and put things away.

Remember? Me unpacked…

Husband’s idea of unpacked…

Men.

You really are a separate species.

The local turkey brigade came to wish us farewell.

And soon we were crossing the famous Sagamore Bridge and leaving Cape Cod.

It was a wonderful trip, and we enjoyed every minute of it. So much to see and do…. I’m sure we’ll go back someday.

Next step?

Boston.

And it’s horrible, absolutely inescapable, bumper to bumper traffic. If you can avoid it?

By all means, do so.

Cruising into New Hampshire on I-95 means one thing. The New Hampshire State Liquor store…. no tax!

If we drive to our vacation? We stop here on the way back…. you almost have to. It’s like a rite of passage for New Englanders.

Snow.

Lobster.

And tax free booze.

What’s not to love?

My haul this time included a few Game of Thrones inspired Johnnie Walker Christmas presents.

Ho, Ho, Ho!

And here’s a bone I’ll throw to all my food lovers.

Lunch.

At a riverside restaurant.

With an amazing beer selection.

And a list that went on and on and on…

To heck with the food…

I could just happily sit there and drink all day.

But yes, food.

Homemade chicken tenders and side salad for the husband.

And a massive portion of Truffle fries to accompany my chicken Caesar salad wrap.

So there you have it, the November Cape Cod trip.

The end.

Finito.

Done!

While I realize it took me until January 20th to finish this series, as I sit here typing this… I still have over 2 weeks worth of Williamsburg, Virginia Christmas vacation photos to sort through and post. So don’t be surprised if you’re seeing Santa and his reindeer right through April….

You’ve been warned.

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Cape Cod Day 7…. Woods Hole and the aquarium

January 17, 2020 Rivergirl 25 Comments

The tiny village of Woods Hole.

Home to the famous oceanographic institute… where you can visit, but can’t park your car.

Also home to a drawbridge….

And some wonderfully odd ships popping out of nowhere.

Our original plan was to visit the institute but when we realized we’d have to park downtown and walk ( in a 20 degree wind chill, after just hiking the Knob in a 20 degree wind chill) we opted for the aquarium instead.

I’d read it was small and didn’t get my hopes up…

But they actually had a large diversity of marine life….

As well as some fascinating exhibits.

No, not all the fish were pretty.

But it’s the weirdos I like best anyway.

Like this fellow….

And his large friend.

Pardon all the background noise, it was rather crowded the day we went.

Did anyone else realize loggerhead turtles were so freakin’ big?

Here’s someone you don’t want to step on accidentally.

This next guy looks my husband’s grumpy uncle.

Imagine having that stare at you across the Christmas dinner table every year.

Fish scales can be counted like tree rings?

Another thing I didn’t know.

I was beyond thrilled they had Lion Fish.

They’re my favorite!

Okay, yes.

They’re poisonous as hell and would just as soon kill you as look at you…

But aren’t they grand?

I mean come on…

Wouldn’t you risk a little venom…

To sidle up next to one of these beauties?

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Cape Cod Day 5…. P’town in the rain.

January 12, 2020 Rivergirl 23 Comments

Done with our climbing for the day, we explored Provincetown.

In the rain…

From our car.

If I’d had foul weather gear like this fellow…

I might have been more inclined to wander.

P’town is tourist mecca in the summer.

Jam packed with people and bumper to bumper traffic.

On a rainy day in early November?

A veritable ghost town.

Oh well…

At least we didn’t have trouble finding a parking spot for lunch.

At the Squealing Pig.

Good drinks…

Great clams…

What more do you need?

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Cape Cod Day 4. Farewell to Martha’s Vineyard, hello to Bad Martha’s beer. And then some Italian.

January 9, 2020 Rivergirl 36 Comments

While we’d planned on taking the 8:30pm ferry back to Woods Hole…

We arrived early and were put on an earlier freight run.

Yay! Third car on, I figured we’d be the third car off.

I was wrong.

So very wrong…

But it was a gorgeous night for a boat ride.

And for some full moon photography.

Even if some of the shots went a little wonky.

Before we knew it we were pulling into port.

And the doors were opening…

Damn.

Do I take fascinating videos or what?

Naturally, we were almost the last to leave.

But that’s alright, it was a wonderful day and a memorable adventure of a fabulous place.

Next stop?

Beer.

We’d passed this place in Falmouth a few times during our trip and decided that night we’d stop.

Bad Martha’s, a brewery from Edgartown on the Vineyard… from whence we just came, but managed to miss while we were there.

It was a fun space.

Loud and exuberant…. probably like Martha herself.

We did a flight.

And sadly weren’t impressed with the beer, the really uncomfortable metal tractor seats or the small menu. Basically a few pizzas or a cheese plate.

So we moved on to Mashpee and found a great little Italian restaurant.

Cranberry margarita in hand..

We drooled over the menu.

Veal Portofino for me…

(Okay, 2 cranberry margaritas in… I admit the quality of photography tends to decline.)

Chicken Florentine for the husband.

And a classic on the television at the bar.

(I still have my original album, which shouldn’t surprise anyone. Hey Bartender!)

Dessert was a shared Limonatta cream cake. Husband said he didn’t want any and ended up eating 2/3rds of it.

Light as air and positively delicious, how could he not?

One more slightly inebriated photo later…

(It was a nice looking place, you’ll just have to take my word for it.)

Day 4… over and out.

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Cape Cod Day 4…. the Oak Bluffs Victorians.

January 8, 2020 Rivergirl 16 Comments

Martha’s Vineyard is lovely.

An oasis of windswept rugged shores…

Small fishing communities…

And marshlands.

But the sun was going down and there was still too much left to see! The husband told me we had enough daylight for one more site, so I knew it had to be Oak Bluffs.

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Everyone we spoke to recommended we go there and see the marvelous Victorians, so we did.

Not really sure where we were going, or where they actually were, we found a narrow street…

And a few rows of small houses. Yes, they were cute…. but I figured that couldn’t be what all the fuss was about.

And then we turned a corner.

And the houses got larger.

And larger.

And larger still.

In a word?

Stunning.

One after another, lined up facing the ocean.

It was quite impressive.

Naturally, I’m hanging out the window like a crazed canine clicking away, taking pictures of as many as I can.

Pretty close.

Just imagine her holding an iPhone….

I wanted to get out and walk but the husband was having none of it.

Yes, the day was ending….

But… but…

I know I didn’t photograph them all!

( It wasn’t until I returned home and did a little research that I realized we had missed the most famous part! Next time. )

Sun setting…

We headed back to the ferry….

And got ready to say goodbye to the beautiful Vineyard.

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Cape Cod Day 2… Beer. More beer. And a sunset at the beach.

December 26, 2019 Rivergirl 27 Comments

Heading back to our resort after lunch we stopped in at Devil’s Purse brewery in South Dennis.

It’s an unassuming little place in a warehouse, with a beam for a bar…

And slab topped barrel tables with no seats. Personally I’m not fond of this concept, but space was limited and they probably don’t want to encourage you to linger.

That being said their beer was good. Very good… and we enjoyed our time there.

Sadly, they didn’t do flights which is my preferred way to sample a new brewery’s offerings.

But they did offer 4 ounce pours… (at roughly a dollar an ounce!) and we tried quite a few.

They specialize in European style beer and we specialize in never liking the same one. The Pollock RIP IPA was too bitter for me, while the Shore Laddie blackberry porter was too rich for him. But we both loved their plum saison Season In Hell…. enough to buy a growler to take home.

The tasting room is also dog friendly which is fun.

No, Fido wasn’t drinking. His owner just wanted a good picture.

Sound like anyone you know…?

Back in Hyannis, we decided to stop at the Cape Cod brewery which is by far the largest and most popular.

But as with most things, size doesn’t matter.

(Sorry fellas, but it’s true)

Saturday afternoon at 3:45 and the place was packed. Though why that was, I really can’t say.

When we got to the bar…. we were told they were closing in 15 minutes and wouldn’t be able to do a flight, but we could order a small pour or two.

Please explain this reasoning, because I’m confused. You do flights, but won’t give us one because you’re closing soon…. but you will pour us multiple smalls. What’s the difference?

And to that…. closing at 4:00 on a Saturday afternoon. WTH? When we asked why they closed so early on the weekend, we were told it’s because their workers want to have fun too.

It’s a good thing the entire restaurant and bar industry doesn’t follow this trend….we’d all be forced to have fun at home.

And no one wants that.

But, it was beer and we must drink. Which we did, though I wish we hadn’t…

Personal table top ring toss games aside, their beer was as flat and uninteresting as their let’s close early! business plan. We drank 4 between us and I couldn’t even finish one of mine.

I. Left. Beer. On. The. Table.

Yeah, that’s bad.

And yet we had bartenders tell us this is the tourist’s preferred brand.

Okay, they have a gift store.

And heavily merchandise their product.

But it will take more than that to get me to drink it again.

We drove back to the resort at dusk, remembering that the desk clerk recommended we watch the sunset at the nearby South Cape Beach State Park.

So thank you Sea Mist Resort desk clerk.

We took your advice.

And ended our first full day at the Cape….

Surrounded by natural beauty….

Fresh ocean air…

Beautiful colors…

And a growing appreciation for your part of the world.

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Merry Christmas Eve interruption…

December 24, 2019 Rivergirl 35 Comments

As you’ve probably guessed… (Or if you hadn’t? You should have.) we’re currently off on another adventure.

And have been for the last 11 days.

Yes, our annual Christmas vacation.

No holiday stress. No decorating. No cooking. No family drama. We leave it all behind, and have since December 2015.

Why?

Because I used to be Christmas crazy.

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I spent a fortune, I decorated everything that stood still…. (yes, I’m ashamed to say there was even a tree on my toilet.)

I drove myself nuts finding the absolutely perfect gifts for people who didn’t appreciate it and cooked the absolutely perfect meal for family who couldn’t care less and always complained.

Maybe my mother dying was the catalyst. But in 2015 we took a trip to the Poconos…. had a blast, and never looked back.

Do I miss the beautiful live fir tree in the living room?

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Yes.

I also miss all the crazy outside lights.

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The well house…

The stone wall…

The funky alligator….

And reindeer who were annually buried up to their butts in white stuff.

The lights in the windows…

And on the bushes.

The sparkling balls on the table…

That caught the sun and turned our living room into a Christmas disco.

The running reindeer on the garage.

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The ribboned garlands….

Yes, I miss it all.

But do I miss the 2 solid weeks of work it took to get everything set up (in the snow , ice and wind) and the solid week of work it took to take it all down (in sub zero temperatures with ice and wind) ?

No. I most definitely do not.

But rest assured I’m not totally Grinchy this year, I did put up a tree.

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This trip? Williamsburg, Virginia until Dec. 30th. Meeting old friends and getting our geek on in a marvelous area filled with American history.

Colonial settlements? Check.

Revolutionary War? Check.

Civil War? Check.

I just hope 2 weeks is enough time.

And I’m going to go out on a limb here and guess there might be a few pictures to post when we get back.

Oh, don’t be so dramatic.

I should be done by …. June.

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Cape Cod trip, Day 1. Boston traffic, the resort and yes, food. (for those of you who keep screaming for food pics)

December 20, 2019 Rivergirl 36 Comments

No trip south of Maine can escape Boston traffic… and in a word?

Okay, technically that’s 2 words.

But it still sucks.

The Tobin Bridge is attractive…

But directly after that is the Callahan Tunnel, which is not.

Of course my aversion to it may have something to do with the fact that we’re always bumper to bumper in the dark and instead of the posted 40 mph speed limit? The husband is flying through at 80 while darting in and out of traffic trying to get 3 inches ahead of the next car. Driving is a competition dontcha know…

Blah, blah, blah.

Safe trip…. hello Cape Cod!

We stayed at the Sea Mist Resort in Mashpee, Massachusetts which is considered the Upper Cape.

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And it was a good base from which we could explore.

Quiet, wooded and off season? It was practically deserted, which is how we like it.

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We had a one bedroom townhouse with two bathrooms and a cathedral ceiling.

A nice full kitchen with granite countertops and wood floors.

It was clean, and spacious…

Although when it came to the living room furniture and color scheme?

Yes, it was bland.

But hell… clean, quiet and spacious trumps ugly any day.

Did I mention there were 2 full bathrooms? That’s unusual in a one bedroom timeshare condo and I took full advantage…. giving the husband this smaller one.

It was a little odd having a window in the bedroom that looked out on the living room….

But it made for a nice little reading nook when the husband was knee deep in MSNBC every night.

The bedroom was a good size with a super comfortable, although not king sized, bed.

It also had a full length mirror which earns it an extra star in my book as none of them ever do.

After unpacking, (which looks like this for me…

And this for him…

(Men. How is it possible we’re the same species?) We headed out for a late lunch/early dinner.

Mashpee Commons was nearby and one of the largest shopping centers on the Cape. While attractive and filled with interesting stores and restaurants, it was also a nightmare when it came to parking. We circled and circled… and circled some more until we squeezed into a tiny spot. Christ! It was the dead season of November, I can’t imagine what it would be like in the summer.