Month: September 2019

Northeaster – Day 11 – The Gilded Age

fhdiiiLeave a comment

On day 11 we visited two different mansions in Newport, Rhode Island. This was our last leisurely day before hitting the road back to Michigan. The tour guides at the mansions mentioned a few times about the history of the mansions being a part of the gilded age. For sure, the lifestyle of the people that would have owned and lived in these “summer cottages” was in a different world than the one I live in, or most anyone else for that manner.

In Bay City, we have some beautiful homes along Center Avenue and once a year the owners open some of them up for the public to visit and see inside. These homes in Bay City would maybe be suitable servants quarters for the mansions in Newport.

The first mansion we visited was “The Breakers”:

The second home we visited was “Chateau-sur-Mer”:

They were nice to visit and see the extravagant lifestyle that some people in this world actually live in (or used to live in). But as for me, I like my little 1200 square foot single story ranch home with attached two car garage.

Northeaster – Day 10 – Heritage

fhdiiiLeave a comment

On day 10 we first visited Mount Auburn Cemetery in Cambridge, Massachusetts. There is a memorial at the cemetery that lists the name of Thomas Davenport who is my direct ancestor born in about 1615 in England and immigrated to the United States around 1635.

Inscriptions on the front of the monument – All relatives somehow
Thomas (my 8th great grandfather) who immigrated in 1615 and died 1685
This is confirmed through genealogy research and Y-DNA testing
This memorial notes Thomas as descending from Ormus de Davenport
John Davenport (born 1664) would be a seventh great uncle.
John was the brother of Jonathon Davenport who is my 7th great grandfather.

Next stop Plymouth, Massachusetts.

Followed by a short visit to another cemetery, Old Buriel Hill in Plymouth, where Adoniram Judson, a pioneering missionary, is buried.

Then a quick trip up the Cape Cod peninsula, just to say we’ve been there, and then on to Newton, Rhode Island and a visit to the gilded age.

Northeaster – Day 9 – Above Normal

fhdiiiLeave a comment

Our second day in Boston found us at places where people with above normal income or above normal IQ’s can be found. Fortunately, no one stopped me to check my IQ and they did accept my credit card for our dinner.

Where else but at the MIT science museum.
I have heard of a few people that have gone here.
And bigger!
Older than my Commodore 64
Mark Zuckerburg hangout while in college I heard. I bet Legal Seafood now.
Dinner was awesome. The price … don’t ask.
In Boston Harbor – This can be yours for about $65 million
But alas, we must all still pay our taxes.

Northeaster – Day 8 – Freedom Trail

fhdiiiLeave a comment
Boston Skyline

Spent the whole day following the red bricks of the Freedom Trail in Boston. We took the green line subway from near our hotel and got off right at the beginning of the trail on Boston Common. I am just going to show a few of the pictures we took along the way from the Boston Common to Bunker Hill.

  • Boston Common
  • Paul Revere Grave Marker
  • Sam Adams grave marker
  • Old South Meeting Room
  • Old State House
  • Old State House Sign
  • Upstairs above Faneuil Hall Market
  • Green Dragon Tavern
  • Green Dragon Plaque
  • Paul Revere’s House
  • Old North Church
  • Bunker Hill Monument

Northeast – Day 5-7 – Acadia

fhdiii1 Comment

On the next leg of our journey we spent 3 nights in Bangor, Maine with two full days of visiting Acadia National Park. Well, almost two full days, minus the time it took to head back on day one to Bangor to have our rear brakes fixed.

On day one in Acadia we did the park loop trail with lots of short stops here and there. Especially nice was the ride up to the top of Mount Cadillac and the stop at Sand Beach.

Park Loop Trail
From the top of Cadillac Mountain
Sand Beach

Day 2 in Acadia was nicer than day 1 for a couple of reasons. The first being that the car felt much better with the new brakes. The second being that we went on the west side of Mount Desert Island (where Acadia National Park is located) which had much less traffic and people. First we hiked to the top of Acadia Mountain.

Panoramic View from atop Mount Acadia

Then we did another two mile hike on the Ship’s Harbor Trail at the southern shore of Mount Desert Island.

After the hikes and a quick stop to see the Bass Harbor Light Station we ended our day in Bar Harbor checking out the shops and having some lobster rolls.

Bass Harbor Light Station

Sunday morning, upon leaving Bangor, Maine, we first stopped to see the big statue of Paul Bunyan in the downtown area of Bangor. Then we went and worshiped with the folks at Essex Street Free Baptist Church, founded in the 1850’s. This was a very small church currently looking for a Pastor, with very friendly people who made us feel right at home. The church was founded in the 1850’s so it has been around a long time.