August 2 Newport Rhode Island or Bust

August 2

Arrived at Jill's after a long trek on the Minutemen Trail - between Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts.  Hot, humid, and very historical.. this trail is a MUST for out door enthusiasts and history fanatics alike!  One thing I love about this state is that with every historical monument there is a colonial dude dressed and ready to make history come alive.  I've heard plenty of stories and seen reinactments!  Just by showing up.  The North Bridge in Concord is really spectacular - to see where the two sides met - causing the 'Regulars' to turn and run back to Boston because thousands of militia where ready to fight - was surreal (Similar to Gettysburg- but not as intense).  Concord is also a cradle for intellectual thinkers and writers - visited 'Author's Ridge' in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery - during the daylight, of course!!! (Emerson, Thoreau, Hawthorne, Alcott) Kind of creepy even then as this ridge is in the furthest part - deep into the cemetery.  Overall, Concord is so charming.  I felt totally safe- I even went for a jog in the evening!  Couples walking around, hand in hand.  Very sweet.
Stopped for lunch in Lexington and had a lovely conversation with an older gal - tried to share my lunch, but she was content with her Starbucks.  :-).   (We hit it off right a way)

Welcome to the Ocean State!!!! I finally arrived to Jill,Joe and Ned's (cousins) around 8 pm -  Had to take a tour around Newport first!!! It looks the same - as I remember 25 years ago ( we also were here in 1998 for a quick weekend). My internal GPS worked like I never left!!!  I could give Garmin a needed break.  Ahhhh........ smell the salty Narragansett sea air...

August 1 Graduated from Harvard

August 1

Earned a certificate of achievement now it's time to put into practice.  I have a lot of thinking ahead about the year's curriculum.  Said our goodbyes.  I took a picture of the two gals I immediately bonded with - and it is uncanny how the resemble my two dearest friends at school - can't wait to share the photo with them.  One gal, Stephanie, from rural New Hampshire, the other, Anne,  a prominent Cap Codder/NewYorker.  Packed up at Estee's and made my way to Concord, Massachusetts.  Famous for many historical figures...Henry David Thoreau.  The Colonial Inn too is a historical landmark (1716).  This colonial village was where the British and Minute Men clashed for the first time in 1775.  'The shot heard round the world', coined by Ralph Waldo Emerson, happened here.  Tomorrow, I'll start at the Visitors Center.