Providence has a unique culture
that draws some of its best elements from being a seaside port, a historical
landmark and Boston's southward neighbor. This year, IAI (International Association of Identification) Conference
was held there. Tagged along with Wu-Liang, besides Providence, we spent
totally 12 days in Boston, Newport, Cape Cod and New Bedford.
30 July 2013
LAX, South West Air, Chicago Airport, Providence, Hampton
Inn and Suite
Parked at Hilton, LAX as usual and took the shuttle to fly
South West Airline en route Chicago Midway to Providence. Dinner was done at
Chicago Midway close to 9 p.m. and most of the shops were closed.
By the time we arrived at Hampton Inn, it was early in the morning. Luckily, it is adjacent
to the airport and provides hot breakfast daily. It saved us a lot of trouble
and money. Surprisingly, everyone was friendly & helpful from the manager,
to chauffeur, cleaning help, to those just walking by to their jobs. It
must be the eastern culture. They claim their duvets and sheets are cleaned
daily. Believe or not!
31 July, 2013
Budget Rental, Newport Mansions, Legal Seafood
We got a Nissan Rogue which doesn’t have good
sound proof. Then we headed out to Newport for their famous Mansions. This
fancy city charges pay toll road $4 each way. Therefore, we must get the most
of our time to visit mansions and we made four of them!
Hunter House:
This 1754
Georgian Colonial House is a pearl in the crown of Newport's architecture &
history. It is said that this house far surpasses the mansions to be seen on
Bellevue Avenue in Newport due to its historical significance and furnishings.
Hunter House has been meticulously restored and stocked with some of the finest
pieces of Townsend-Goddard furniture as well as paintings by Gilbert Stewart,
Cosmo Alexander and Samuel King. It gives you an idea of how the Newport
Captains of the triangle trade lived and prospered.
The Breakers:
We were amazed
by the creativity and craftsmanship on display from the opulent Gilded
Age. This one belonged to the Vanderbilts and was constructed and
furnished in great style. The self-guided tour is extremely informative
and interesting.
Marble House:
So much marble!
The original owners built each as summer "cottages", all rival or
exceed the most lavish European castles. The Breakers and Marble House are
simply over the top in the way they are decorated. If you want to view an
ostentatious, opulent, and lavish home, then by all means, go to the Marble
House. The name says in all!
Rosecliff:
Rosecliff was
custom built for parties, with an almost hotel like feel upstairs, still very
opulent. The Great Gatsby, True Lies and Amistad were all shot here. Loved
that the name came from the collection of roses and that the house is finally
in good hands!
1 August, 2013
Charlie Card (MBTA). Harvard, MIT, Rangzen Tibetan
Restaurant
Drove to
downtown Boston then took MBTA to Harvard.
We took the tour since the guides are actual Harvard students, always super
energetic, full of quirky details and some fun tales! One of the legends
was about John Harvard's statue and whether its likeness was another person.
One thing moved us most was that Harvard builds Memorial Church and Memorial
Hall to give memories of alumni soldiers who gave their lives in wars. Then we
bought T-shirts and magnets as most of the tourists do.
MIT is one of the world's leading educational institutions, with
an emphasis on math and sciences. It is also known to have the best pranksters
for all universities. Cambridge is a pleasant and easy place to walk through.
The view walking along the river was beautiful.
2 August, 2013
Hyannis, Cape Cod, Lobster Pot, Race Point Beach National
Park
Gee, this was a long
drive. Hyannis is the largest port on the Cape, and where John F.
Kennedy Museum is. And we only passed by, even missed the Duck tour due to the
crowds. Then we proceeded to the tip of the Cape, Race Point. It is an unbelievably
beautiful beach.
We tasted the wonderful
lobster roll at Lobster Pot! Yummy.
3 August 2013
Boston Common, MBTA, Freedom Trail, Charlestown Navy
Yard, Pepper Skys
We took a self-guided Freedom
Trail walking tour, starting from Boston Common visitor center with a free
map from the National Parks Service in hand. It took you to several great
locations, including the inside and top of the Bunker Hill Monument, the USS
Constitution, the site of the Boston Massacre, etc. It was also a great form of
exercise. We got to learn about American history while discovering the city at
the same time.
The Charlestown Navy
Yard is home to the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship at
215 years old. The dry dock is an impressive site, especially considering how
old it is. Walking around the Battleships are great experiences too.
4 August 2013
Whaling
Museum, Omni Hotel
We took the liberty of last day of rental car to visit Whaling Museum in New Bedford. There’s a
great history of art of whaling and everything about it. This museum is
truly one of a kind. They had exhibits regarding whaling, maritime trade, and
even a ship inside the museum.
Finally, we got to our 4-star Omni Hotel after returning the rental car. From then on, we solely
reply on foot! The hotel room was modern and spacious. It’s connected to
Convention Center and also to a very large mall Providence Place, which is a
nice diversion.
5 August 2013
Independence Trail walk
This is a day of my own choice, to walk the 2.5 miles famous
Independence Trail, just follow the green line. In 2011, the City of Providence
and the State of Rhode Island painted a green stripe on the sidewalk and called
it The Independence Trail. At first, I was a little skeptical, but then I
realized that not only is this a great, low-cost way to showcase Providence's
history to visitors, but it's a great refresher for the locals as well. It
goes through downtown Providence that covers over four centuries of history and
features 75 sites ranging from a place where George Washington slept to a
statue of Civil War General Ambrose Burnside, whose distinctive facial hair
coined the word 'sideburns.' You just follow it until you see an
emblem on the sidewalk that says "Independence Trail." These are
located at points of interest, and when you call the number and punch in your
location code, you get a mini history lesson about where you are standing. Unfortunately,
I only encountered 3 emblems on the whole walking path and two of them is ‘under
maintenance’. What a drag! It’s a tiring experience though.
6 August 2013
Ellie's Bakery, Water Place Park and Riverwalk, First Baptist
Church in America, Roger Williams Memorial, Brown University
Water Place Park and Riverwalk is a picturesque walk,
especially during water fire, which we had to miss. It’s a very nice place for
me to take a midday stroll.
First Baptist Church
is the archetypal colonial church, and a required photo stop when visiting
Providence. It is also called the First Baptist Meetinghouse, the current
building dates from 1774-75, though the congregation is much older: Roger
Williams founded it in 1638, and it is the oldest Baptist congregation in the
U.S. A tour guide showed me inside which is very plain, representing the
thinking at the time. Not even a cross can be found there. She told me
that is the primordial thought for Baptists.
My hubby and I made
our first visit to the Roger Williams National Memorial in Providence.
The Memorial consists of a park and a small Visitors Center. I guess it’s
the smallest National Park in the U.S.
My hubby insisted on
visiting Brown University to complete the circle of Harvard and MIT. Its
architecture is the most attractive and historically interesting in Providence.
This is an Ivy League school that celebrates the individuality of its student
body, and has a faculty that cares about their work and those that they are
teaching. Thayer St is the place where students hang out. We enjoyed our Korean
to-fu bowl there.
7 August 2013
Experience Rhode Island Tour, R.I.S.D.
It’s a 2 hour
journey touring the city. It’s both entertaining and memorable Rhode
Island-only tour excursions which I enjoyed for part of a day. At the end, we
were treated for a delicate dessert.
The Rhode Island School of Design museum is an excellent resource for the
family and the many local artists in RI. The have ancient art, impressionist
paintings, contemporary art, and a lot more. It has a lot of hidden gems.
I especially enjoyed their students’ works, bold and impressionist. At the end,
I bought a colorful tape dispenser for myself.
8 August 2013
Federal Hill, Korean BBQ
I spent my hard
journey for the famous Boston Cream Cake and Lobster Tail (a dessert). Finally,
in a small bakery in Federal Hill, there it is the ugly Boston Cream Cake. I bought
one piece home for buddy to satisfy his curiosity.
9 August 2013
Providence Place, Sushi Café
What’s the best
choice in a rainy day? The answer: the mall. That’s the destiny for both of us
to shop our favorite Macy’s and ate sushi in the food court. Definitely a great
place for a rainy day.
10 August 2013
Shuttle to airport, Southwest Airline, LAX
We strolled around
the city one more shot before we departed. We even found Chinese soups at
Midway airport. While enjoying the soups, we almost missed our connecting
flight. Alas, we came home safe and sound. Say goodbye to the 12 day vacation.
