By Barry Zander, Edited by Monique Zander, the Never-Bored RVers
The first atomic-powered submarine, the Nautilus, gives visitors a view of life in "the Silent Service"
Things we learned quickly about New England: the streets in these picturesque, quaint towns were built 250 to 350 years ago – very scenic but not the place you want to take your Class A, C, Travel Trailer or 5th Wheel. Just driving down many of the streets in our GMC truck involves pulling over to let on-coming traffic through.
We’re currently in Narragansett, Rhode Island, which is not far from Misquamicut, Usquepaug and Wequetequock. You don’t really need to know that, but my point is the names of towns around here are often verbally challenging.
Stone fences abound in this part of New England
These Yankees love historic stone fences in front of large two-story homes. Everywhere we look in the Connecticut/Rhode Island area there are stone fences, which I surmise are the result of field-clearing centuries ago. The countryside is beautiful. We have seen all cannons, forts, battlefields and historic sight signs that we will need for a lifetime. In the past three weeks, we have been to Maryland, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, and we’re now in Rhode Island.
We recommend coming here — but find a campground where you can park your rig, and tour in your car or truck. I have a tale of almost-horror to tell at the end of this episode of the “Never-Bored RVers.”
We appreciate art, which is why we changed direction midcourse one morning when we were
Could be a scene from Alice in Wonderland
passing the Storm King Art Center near our West Point, New York, campground. Most of the artwork is very modern and huge. What resonated with us primarily was the setting. Five hundred acres of fields and woods dotted with massive works of art, each isolated enough to allow visitors to appreciate each piece individually. It’s a worthwhile three- or four-hour experience.
The museum at the U.S. Military Academy at West Point was a highlight
Our tour of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point was highlighted by our visit to the West Point Museum. Today we scrunched down to tour the U.S.S. Nautilus, the U.S. Navy’s first atomic powered submarine open for tours at Groton, Connecticut.
Gen. Washington is in command at the West Point Parade Ground
In the past few days, we’ve seen a lot. As with our trips to Alaska and the Grand Circle of the West, I want to whet your interest to visit these areas and discover on your own rather than fill you with specifics as seen through our eyes. You may want to play golf (I hit a basket of balls Tuesday), or maybe you’re willing to shell out for a local fishing license (I’m not), and maybe shopping for antiques is your pleasure.
We have been exposed to so much history since visiting the Vicksburg, Mississippi, battlefields in April, becoming more intense since arriving in the Atlantic Coastal States, both above and below the Mason-Dixon Line. It’s all stimulating, but how much history can the brain retain? We are nature buffs. We like cottage-industry crafts, which we’re not able to buy as we face three to
Massive ornate gates stand before one of the Newport, Rhode Island, mansions
four months ahead on the road. This is the cradle of America. It’s not like other parts of the U.S. (we won’t experience eastern Canada for a month). If you can manage to visit the Northeast, there’s a lot to see that’s different from other areas of this great nation – and it’s where it all started. For instance, I asked a carpenter restoring a house in Newport, Rhode Island, when the house was built. He said “1674.” I was impressed.
At the turn of the 20th Century, the very rich built summer "cottages" along the waterfront at Newport
And about Rhode Island: it’s bigger once you are inside the state than what it looks like on the map. I told my son that we’ve passed three golf courses since entering Rhode Island, but they’re all 8-hole courses – it was a smallest-state joke, which he got. And for the record, the courses are all beautiful.
Now for the almost horror-story, a harrowing experience from earlier this week. We left West Point, New York, crossing into Connecticut. Our somewhat trusty GPS was doing fine as she directed us to turn left onto Route 15, a thick red line on our map with dots indicating that it’s scenic. Just as we made the turn onto the ramp, Monique read the wordy sign that warned: “no vehicles over 7,500 pounds gross weight … [or] over 8 feet high.”
There was no backing up, nowhere to go except forward onto Hwy 15 (the Merritt Parkway). Poking
A tugboat welcomes tourists to Mystic Seaport, Connecticutt
along at about 35 mph we cleared one underpass clearly marked at 13’1”, but the second one didn’t have a height sign. It looked to be about the same, so I slowly proceeded and made it through finding an exit ramp on the other side. There had been no indication of the height and weight restrictions until we were passed “the point of no return.” My blood pressure finally returned to normal after about two hours.
Kenny picks out a few lobsters to be cooked up by Monique for our Atlantic Coastal dinners
All part of the adventure that makes us the “Never-Bored RVers,” We’ll see you on down the road.
© All photos by Barry Zander. All rights reserved
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