2018 FALL ADVENTURE 9-29

On the road again.

The rain is gone, for now at least, and we are on the move. We made our way to Gettysburg today via some wonderful back roads. It was a real study in contrasts as we moved through the region. After leaving the Poconos this morning we made a stop in Jim Thorpe, PA. The town is nestled into the Pocono mountains and exudes frontier charm. The main street is filled with wonderful buildings that date to the towns founding. Today, they offer much to please a shopper like myself (if only I had room for acquisitions). It was a lovely aside before we began today’s ride in earnest.

After leaving Jim Thorpe, we quickly found ourselves traveling through the coal towns of Pennsylvania. These towns show the strain of the economic collapse they have suffered. They look tired and worn out. The smell of coal permeates the air and stung our eyes. We were very grateful to leave the coal mines and drop into the beautiful and lush Lehigh valley.

Main Street - Jim Thorpe

Jim Thorpe

Jim Thorpe -- Oozing Quaintness

Creepy Halloween Twins

More Halloween Creepyness

Rudy looking happy and dry

We tried to make camp tonight in a state park, but there was no room at the inn, so we wandered down the road to a nearby KOA campground where we will remain for the next couple of days.

2018 FALL ADVENTURE 09-28

And then it rained!

In the wee hours of the morning, the rains began. At 2:30, Rudy woke up. At 3:30 we were scrambling to pack-up a soaking wet camp site and hit the road, in the dark, in search of drier pastures. The entirety of today’s journey involved rain. Being stuck in it. Trying to escape it. Cleaning up after it and regaining our wits. We abandoned our planned trip for today and settled instead for a good cup of coffee and some lunch at the laundromat.

Map of the Day September 28 - 191 Miles

Gearing Up in the Men's Bathroom

2018 FALL ADVENTURE 09-27

Hyde Park, NY

We left the sea behind and headed inland to the edge of the Hudson River. We stopped at a lovely campground just a little bit north of Hyde Park, NY, pitched our tent and then scurried off to see F.D.R.’s home and presidential museum.

This home is by no means modest, but after the incredible excesses of Newport, it’s architectural restraint and simplicity was a relief. The grounds surrounding the home are nothing short of stunning with ancient trees and lush green lawns. A truly spectacular setting.

Map of September 27 -  191 Miles

FDR Home at Hyde Park

FDR Study

We were humbled by the greatness of the people who lived their lives here. The incredibly important historical events that unfolded in the sitting rooms of this home – Winston Churchill, The King and Queen of England and a whole caste of other notables.  FDR read the letter from Albert Einstein, outlining his idea for the A-bomb was read in Roosevelt’s office here.

Berlin Wall Fragment

FDRs Beloved Hot Rod

Sculpture with fragments of Berlin Wall

Powerful stuff.

2018 FALL ADVENTURE - 09-/26

The party continues.

Today we visited three more “cottages” in Newport. Each was amazing in its own way and entirely over the top. At the end of the day we were both a bit drunk on wanton excess and privilege, but it is still a remarkable thing that these homes have been preserved and that we can peer inside the places where these people’s lives were led. It was indeed a competition to outspend and out lavish the next one and sometimes the results are downright insane.

Took a million pictures, but I’ll just give you a couple from each house.

We leave Newport in the morning for a quick overnight in Hyde Park.

Map of the Day 14.2 Miles

THE ELMS - DINING ROOM

THE ELMS - BREAKFAST ROOM

THE ELMS - WEIRD GARDEN STATUE

CHATEAU SER MAR - DINING ROOM

CHATEAU SER MAR - DESK CURIOS

MARBLE HOUSE - DINING ROOM

MARBLE HOUSE - GOTHIC ROOM

MARBLE HOUSE - AVA VANDERBILT BEDROOM

2018 FALL ADVENTURE - 09-25

Lifestyles of the FABULOUSLY Rich and Famous.

Today, we toured the amazing, insanely opulent (some might say vulgar) summer residence of Cornelius Vanderbilt – The Breakers. This little gem was built in Newport in 1886 and is one of 10 or so mansions the Captains of Industry built in Newport and used for their summer “season.”

I could say a lot about the Breakers. It’s a truly amazing “home.” It’s ridiculously opulent, that’s certainly true, but it’s also incredibly beautiful. Every detail is so finely wrought and the achievement so monumental, you can’t help but marvel at it. We also took a tour of the “mechanical” room that makes the life upstairs possible. Cornelius was on the cutting edge of technology for his day and every modern comfort was installed for his comfort. It must have been quite a daring building project for the time.

It’s impossible for me to imagine living a life inside the walls of such a stage, but as a time capsule of a time in American history and the people who lived it, it can’t be beat!

Our plan is tour a few more of these little summer cottages tomorrow, so brace yourself. More house pictures will be coming your way.

THE BREAKERS

The Grand Staircase

The Grotto Fountain (Doesn't everybody have one)

The Dining Room

A Wee Sitting Room

One of the Logias (There Are two)

The Music Room

The Library

The Kitchen

The Sitting Room

2018 FALL ADVENTURE - 09/24

After two enjoyable days in Boston we went on a short  71 mile  ride to Newport, Road Island.  They weather looked like it was going to rain and it was in the low fifties so we put on some warm weather garb and off we went leaving Boston and the sites of the war of independence behind us.  

Newport is a sailing and vacationing community visited to a great extent by fairly wealthy folks (read, it ain't cheap here) however Wendy, our industrious squirrel, found us a B&B for about $60 per night with a bedroom, living room, bathroom and kitchen to boot.  She's a smart one that Wendy.  The owner of the place Walter, sat us down with a map and gave us a great overview of the town.  I guess Eisenhower had a small place, not quite 100 acres, John F. Kennedy got married here, and there are numerous estates of the wealthy american industrialists from the turn of the century. Tomorrow we are going to see the "Breakers" which is a large estate here.  Here is there web site address:  The Breakers Estate   Tonight we are sitting around planning the next legs of our grand adventure.  

Special Thanks:

Thanks to Brandon  for winterizing our irrigation system and to our dear friend Ponce for mowing our lawn back home, & Marie for the house cleaning etc..  We love all you guys.

Map of the Day 71 Miles

Some Site in Newport

So I really like this scene why do you think I liked it?  (insight into the warped mind)

30$ per Person for a tour.....we didn't

Wendy like this car.....cute.

2018 FALL ADVENTURE - 09/23

Take me out to the Ball Park with a side of Botticelli!

Day 2 in Boston started with a tour of Fenway Park. Normally, I wouldn’t put a tour of a baseball field on my dance card, but somehow Boston + Fenway Park seemed like a must see even for a sporting bonehead like myself. After touring this amazing and delightful ball field, I think I’m a Red Socks fan. I know. I know. How could you, you ask. Well blame it on the Monster Seats. There was just something so historic and so accessible about Fenway Park, I was smitten when I laid eyes on the field for the first time. I swear, if they had been playing in Boston tonight. I would have been in those bleachers when the 7^th inning stretch came around.

Score!

A Fan is Born

After our stop and the museum of baseball we went to visit the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Isabella Gardner might well have been America’s first art collector and here wealth ensured that many of the European Masters would find their way to our shores. She built a “temple” to house these wonders and then put it all on display with very strict instructions that nothing was to be changed after her death. And so it remains. It’s quite a collection to be sure and there’s also a mystery theft. 2 Rembrants and a Vemeer were heisted from the collection some years back. There’s more to learn about that.

 Spanish Dancer by John Singer Sargent

Sargent was friends with Isabella and actually was the first artist in residence at the museum that she built.  The third floor Gothic room houses a great portrait done of her by Sargent as well. (Check it out on the web site.)

The central unifying space of the museum is this amazing court yard.

Here is the link to the museum web site, it is worth a visit:  Gardner Museum Web Site

I think we wore Wendy's feet out today, here she is in here own little cubical on the train back to our abode for the evening.  She was happy to just be off her feet.

Wish we had a bit more time in Boston, but the summer homes of Newport await. We are off in the morning.