Boston, a Wedding, and a Lajes Reunion (Part 2)

... we left off on the train from Boston to Providence...

We arrived in Providence after dark (aka 4:30 pm in Southern Canada), found the rental car facility, stopped to do a little bit of wedding gift shopping, and then made our way out of town to our bed and breakfast in Bristol, RI.  We were greeted by our very friendly inn keeper, shown our room, and left to get ourselves ready to join the wedding festivities already in progress just down the road in Barrington, RI.  The wedding was being held at an old mansion on the beach, and most of the family and out-of-town guests were gathering for dinner at the house.  We were so excited to see many of our old friends from Lajes.

We had dinner, did a quick wedding rehearsal, then spend the rest of the night catching up with our friends.

We may have also checked out the house and found some interesting surprises - like a creepy basement complete with dead flowers from weddings past.

The next morning, Chris and I enjoyed a fabulous, fabulous breakfast courtesy of our wonderful inn keeper.  If you ever find yourself anywhere near Bristol, RI, we would highly recommend the Bristol House Bed and Breakfast.  Then, we headed for Newport, RI to tour one of the Gilded-Era summer homes built by the Vanderbilt family.  The Breakers is the most famous of the many mansions and is one of only a few open during the off-season.

Unfortunately, the were no photographs allowed inside, so you'll have to check out their website for a peak at the stunning interior.  The house was rebuilt in the late 1800s in the Renaissance style commonly seen throughout Europe.  Having seen many of the chateaus and palaces this house was modeled after, we can certainly say that the The Breakers was every bit as opulent and over-the-top as its European rivals.  The only difference - modern conveniences like gas appliances and running water.

We didn't have enough time to tour another house, so we opted instead to take a driving tour around the Newport area.  We stopped at several beaches along the way and ended with a drive through the heart of Newport's historic downtown.  Then, we headed back to the B&B to get ready for the wedding.

The wedding was another night of celebration with friends.  The bride was beautiful, and I have rarely seen the groom as happy.

There's something special about being part of a group willing to travel, literally, half way around the world to attend a wedding.

It was also a reminder of just how small this Air Force family really is.

The next morning, we packed up early and hit the road for a quick detour through Connecticut before heading to the airport for our flight back to Texas.

(obligatory picture in front of a Connecticut church - because that's just what we do)

Boston, a Wedding, and a Lajes Reunion (Part 1)

Last summer, Chris and I got a very exciting post card in the mail. A good friend from our time at Lajes was getting married just outside of Boston- save the date for November 9, 2013.  Before the official invitation arrived in the mail, Chris and I had decided to extend the wedding trip to include a few days in Boston.  Any excuse to travel, right?

Finally, November 6th arrived.  We boarded a the plane here in San Antonio (otherwise known as Northern Mexico) and took the 4+ hour flight to Boston (otherwise known as Southern Canada).

We arrived VERY late into Boston, braved the subway system using Boston's awesome public transportation app, and arrived at our bed and breakfast - an 1890's Victorian town home.  Our room was located in what used to be the parlor.

We checked the weather before bed and discovered that rain was forecast for the next day, so we made a game plan that included lots of indoor activities.  Our first indoor activity for Thursday was a tour of the Sam Adams brewery.

We learned about the history of beer making in America, then sampled some delicious Sam Adams beer.  What a great way to start the day.  At the recommendation of our tour guide, we walked a few blocks to F.J. Doyle & Co. pub for lunch where we enjoyed a delicious clam chowder lunch.

Full and warm, we ventured back out into the rain for the trip downtown.  Thankfully, the T (subway) was also warm and dry, because the next hour or so of our day would not be.  We got off the T in the middle of downtown and started walking toward the Aquarium.  Along the way, we took in a few historic sites and plenty of beautiful architecture.

The aquarium was a recommendation from our friend and turned out to be a wonderful and warm way to spend our afternoon.  We saw brightly colored fish,

turtles,

and, best of all, sting rays that you could touch!  Who knew they were so smooth?

The next stop on our tour was a walk through the Quincy Market and the surrounding shops.

Then, we crossed the "Big Dig" into Little Italy for dinner at a fantastic little restaurant just steps from the Old North Church where Paul Revere warned of the coming British invasion.

We waited in the rain for a table in the tiny restaurant that seats maybe 30 people.  It reminded me of Lindsey's favorite restaurant in Florence, Trattoria Mario.  The butternut squash ravioli and seafood pasta were well worth the wait and the cramped quarters.  We left the restaurant and headed back into the heart of Boston.

Our final destination for the night, a stop at Cheers!  Nobody knew our name, but the bartender was friendly (and bored on a slow night) and two very intoxicated Canadian ladies in town for a weekend trip bought us a round of drinks.  All-in-all not a bad experience.

Friday was forecasted to be a beautiful, sunny day in Boston, so started early with a 7am trip to Harvard, the oldest university in America.  The main campus is situated around Harvard Yard and is filled with lovely historic buildings.  While walking around campus, Chris and I were shocked at how young all the college students looked.  When did we get old enough to think 18-year-olds look like children?  

Two of my favorite buildings on the campus were the library

and Memorial Hall.

After a quick breakfast and a stop for some Harvard gear, we headed back into the city to start our walk on the Freedom Trail.  The Freedom Trail was a fantastic 3-mile walk through history.  The National Parks Service has a great app that takes you through the entire trail, and several narrated walking tours are available for download.  I love modern technology!  We started the trail in Boston Commons,

took a leisurely detour through the Beacon Hill neighborhood,

then, made stops at: the Massachusetts Sate House,

Park Street Church,

Granary Burying Ground,

King's Chapel (check out the numbered pew boxes - no skipping church unnoticed here),

1st Public School Site and Old City Hall,

Old Corner Bookstore (now home to Chipotle),

the Old South Meeting House (where the Boston Tea Party was organized),

the Old State House,

the site of the Boston Massacre,

and Faneuil Hall.

Next, we crossed The Big Dig once more,

and continued along the trail to the Paul Revere House,

the Old North Church,

and Copp's Hill Burying Ground

before making our way to the USS Constitution.  After a quick trip through security, we were allowed on to the deck of the oldest ship in the US Navy, built in 1797.

The final stop on our trip was the Bunker Hill Monument.  Somehow, we got the brilliant idea that we needed to climb all 294 steps to the top.

The views were great, but it was a long, long hike up!

Our tour of the Freedom Trail complete,

we stopped for a quick lunch, then made our way back to our B&B to pick up our luggage.  Then, we headed to the train station for a quick 37 minute ride south to Providence, RI.  Have I ever mentioned how much I love efficient public transportation?

...next up, the Wedding and Lajes Reunion portion of our trip...