Spring Break 2009 New England

The group Easter Basket

Janae's birthday at Nathaniel Hawthorne's house. This is the only gift I got. A piece of cake. I don't eat sugar.







For those of you that want the scoop:

We had fun in New England for Spring Break. Our timeshare condo was in Jamestown RI, a small island across a toll bridge. By the end of the trip we think we paid for one of it’s toll booths. Kay, Lauren, Janell and I went.

Before we left I bought two Entertainment coupon books for Boston Area and two for Rhode Island area, we have used them well. Each restaurant was found from the “buy one get one free” books and with four of us we were able to use the books for food and activities. They will start selling the new books in about 4 months, ours are considered at the end of their time and were half price themselves. A few restaurants were closed. The price you

pay for going mid- book- season.
Saturday was a cold blistery day for a freedom trail walking tour.






Sunday we attended Church in a nearby town and went into Newport to walk the cliff- walk behind the Newport Mansions. This is the great and spacious building we saw on the way to church. It says "slots" on the front.

Monday we returned to Newport to tour the Mansions built in the guilded age, 1890’s. NY socialites built “cottages” (castles) to entertain friends for 6 weeks a year. “over the top” is nothing compared to these mini Versailles castles. We had a behind- the- scenes tour and returned a few days later to visit the rest. One of them, the Rosecliff is where the Great Gatsby with Robert Redford was filmed. It was the least impressive but because of some water damage is the one that allows film crews and weddings.

Tuesday we went to Salem Mass and were disappointed. Salem is trying to educate people (of all things) about the truth of witches. We wanted to see witches! The one museum didn’t have one artifact and at the end compared the witch hunt with the Japanese in the internment camps and the McCarthy era (we agree), which is fine but then put the gays into that! Oh well. we got a picture of Elizabeth Montgomery statue and saw some really old houses including a tour of Nathaniel Hawthorne's House of seven Gables. After that we went to Concord and toured Louisa May Alcott home to get the bad taste out of our mouths. .

Wednesday was our John F. Kennedy Presidential Museum and Library day. It told the history of the 35th US President until his assassination. We very much enjoyed this and recommend it. Wednesday was also US tax day when all the years taxes are due...so we drove to Boston Commons and participated in a tax demonstration. The news called it a "Modern Day Tea Party" When we arrived Kay found us signs in a nearby garbage can so we could look the part. We took some pictures and when we left, gave the signs away to a demonstrator who said he would pass them around.
Our next stop was Plymouth where we visited the museum and the rock and drove around the city to see the sights. We then drove down to the cape for dinner.


At the restaurant on the Cape we were the only ones there for most of dinner time. The host was a retired school principal from NJ. When he heard we were from Utah he told us about a book he was reading about the Mormons and he said if we were Mormon we probably wouldn’t like it. The author didn’t like Joseph Smith or some of his teachings. He recommended it for our knowledge of what people are saying about us. We had a great conversation with him. We said we had heard it all and didn’t need to read it. Kay uses the statement “If you want to learn about Toyotas do you go to the Chevrolet dealer?” We told him about our church and how Caleb is on a mission and he has to do community service every week. We told him about the great community service we all do… and what our humanitarian center has done for the world. He kept saying “I didn’t know that” At then end he asked if he could read a book about the other side’s view. We recommended the Book of Mormon which he said he had but it was confusing so he gave me his address and email for a suggestion of something to read. I am taking suggestions if anyone has 1 book he could read. There are so many. I think I will send him "for the strength of Youth" pamphlet and "our heritage".


He ended up slipping us a coupon for the restaurant, gave us a local newspaper and a map of the best beach on Cape Cod where we walked on a board walk. It was a hour and a half drive home and a very full day.

For our last day we got out the coupons and stayed around Newport visiting the Tennis hall of Fame, we are not tennis enthusiasts but we thought of our friend, tennis pro, Eddie in Hawaii when going through and enjoyed the exhibits and the rest of the Newport Mansions.







I think it is rule in New England that you must be able to see the next Duncan Doughnut shop from the one you are standing at. Kind of like our churches.