Newport

Thursday, May 27 - You can see why Newport is considered America's first and one of its most favorite resorts. Too bad that we were only there for two hours.

After passing through town, we took the

scenic Ocean Drive on our way to get a quick peek of the famous mansions. We wanted to at least see The Breakers, built by Cornelius Vanderbilt. We didn't have time to take the tour, and you needed a ticket to get on the grounds, but Sandy told the nice guard at the gate our predicament, and he allowed us in in order to go to the gift shop. While we only saw the service rooms in the basement where the store is, we're ready to move in.

Quick tour of Providence

Thursday, May 27 - Before heading out of town, we wanted to do a quick tour of the city. We started off with a late breakfast/early lunch at Tazza, a couple of blocks from the Hotel Providence (photo left). Our server was Sarah, and she recommended a few places for us to go in Maine, including Peaks Island in Portand. Thanks, Sarah! We'll report back.

We took a swing around the Rhode Island Statehouse, and then drove up to College Hill to take a quick look at Brown University. This trip is starting to become a college tour of the Northeast. The architecture in College Hill is really beautiful, so we got out to take a walk down Benefit Street, which according to our guidebook, "has one of the most impressive collections of the colonial and federal style homes in America." Sandy liked the yellow house

Welcome to Providence

Wednesday, May 26 - Three states in one day. Not bad for the first day, but also not that hard either, since we are in the Northeast. It's a little different to have our destinations so close together, after spending so much time driving out west for the past two road trips.

Unfortunately, because things are so compact, we also weren't paying close enough attention, and didn't have the camera ready to get the sign for entering Rhode Island on I-95. And heavy traffic on the I-95 corridor isn't very condusive to slowing town and pulling over to take pictures of signs...

We are staying at the Hotel Providence, which is in an old building right in the heart of the narrow streets of the historic downtown, with interesting architecture and old signs.