Niagara, NY to Endicott, NY, then onto East Lyme, CT for two nights, then another two in Ashaway, RI
With Niagara in the rear view mirror, we made our way across New York State to Connecticut, to begin the New England leg of our trip.
Lighthouse Point Park, New Haven, CT – Made it to the Atlantic Ocean! After two days driving across upstate New York, we set up the trailer in East Lyme Connecticut, then set out for an afternoon in New Haven, home of Yale University. We had a beer with one of their law students.
Submarine Force Museum, Groton, CT – Located adjacent to the Navy’s New London submarine base, the museum has a great collection of exhibits spanning the history of the US submarine fleet. The highlight was getting to tour the forward section of the USS Nautilus, the world’s first nuclear powered submarine.
Mystic, CT – The quaint little village of Mystic, filled with restaurants, art galleries and boutique shopping.
Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT – The Charles W. Morgan, a preserved whaling ship built in 1841. The only surviving wooden whaling ship from the 19th century, and one of the many artifacts on display at the largest maritime museum in the United States.
Mystic Seaport, Mystic, CT – Built in 1928 for the Danish lighthouse and buoy tending service, the Gerda III played a much more important role in WWII. In October of 1943 she was part of a larger effort to smuggle persecuted Jews from Denmark to Sweden. The Gerda III rescued approximately 300 Jews, hiding 10 to 15 at a time in her cargo hold, in spite of being boarded by German soldiers several times.
Seaside Sanatorium, Waterford, CT – This former medical facility sits eerily abandoned along the shore of the Long Island Sound. Initially used to treat children for tuberculosis, the facility was abandoned in 1996 due to lack of use. Another interesting site courtesy of Atlas Obscura.
Griswold Inn, Essex, CT – We wrapped up our Connecticut visit with a wonderful dinner at the Griswold Inn, one of the nation’s oldest continuously running taverns. It even survived an occupation of British troops during the war of 1812!
Benefit Street, Providence, RI – We walked the “Mile of History” on Benefit Street – an impressive concentration of original Colonial homes in America. John Brown House, Providence, RI – The John Brown House is the first mansion built in Providence. The house is named after the original owner, John Brown.John Brown House, Providence, RI – President George Washington visited this house during his tour of Rhode Island in 1790.John Brown House, Providence, RI – This map from the 1700s, showing how most of the West was “Parts Unknown”.John Brown House, Providence, RI – John Brown’s carriage became known as “Washington’s Chariot” because President George Washington rode in it during his visit to Rhode Island. It is believed to be the oldest American-made vehicle in existence today.
Lizzie Borden House, Fall River, MA – “Lizzie Borden took an axe and gave her mother forty whacks. When she saw what she had done, she gave her father forty-one.” Although acquitted at trial, Lizzie Borden is the prime suspect in her father’s and stepmother’s murders. So naturally the Borden house is now a museum and bed-and-breakfast!Cliff Walk, Newport, RI – A 3.5 mile long public access walkway between the prominent mansions of Newport and the shoreline.The Breakers, Newport, RI – The Breakers is one of the grandest “Gilded Age” mansions on the cliffs and is a symbol of the Vanderbilt family’s social and financial preeminence in the early 20th century. Commodore Cornelius Vanderbilt (1794-1877) started the family fortune in steamships and later in the New York Central Railroad. The commodore’s grandson, Cornelius Vanderbilt II, commissioned the build of The Breakers in 1893 and was completed in 1895. Cornelius only got to enjoy the house for 4 years before he died.Dining Room, The Breakers, Newport, RI – The dining room was one of the mansions grandest rooms. As a summer “cottage”, The Breakers was used for entertaining guests and extended family, so the dining room was utilized for large banquets. The Baccarat crystal chandeliers can light the room with either gas or electricity. The family’s 1000 piece table silver was stored in a steel vault in the pantry!The Breakers, Newport, RI – Much of the house design included architectural elements from Italy. The Vanderbilts had seven children and the youngest daughter inherited the house in 1934. An ardent supporter of The Preservation Society of Newport County, she opened The Breakers to the public in 1948 to raise funds for the Society. The Preservation Society bought The Breakers from her heirs in 1972.
