|
|
After a week of wishing, wheedling, and
waiting lists, RCI finally booked us
into the Oak
'n Spruce resort in South Lee, Massachusetts. We rejected the last
week of July; good thing too, because Lindsay
came that week! We wanted an ocean or lake, but RCI had no such resort
in the entire eastern half of the United States.
We were fortunate to be able to combine the trip with a visit to Sarah,
whom we had met on our trip to South
America. She lives in Rockport overlooking the Atlantic.
| |
East: Delaware Water Gap, Rockport, Gloucster |
| |
West: Monterey, Tanglewood, Naumkaeg, The Mount |
| |
Flowers (since I learned how to take close-ups) |
| |
Other, lesser pictures |
|
Thursday, July 12, 2007
|
|
We drove
without incident to Milford, PA where
we overnighted at the Laurel
Villa Country Inn. They do have a view of the Delaware River. But
only if you cross the
road and peek down between the right pair of trees. The place is over a
hundred years old, but still going strong under
modern ownership. We enjoyed our stay immensely.
|
Friday, July 13, 2007
|
|
Despite
it being Friday the 13th, we had a glorious drive to Rockport Mass, up
through Connecticut. We arrived late afternoon. Sarah slaked our
thrists in her beautiful ocean-view garden
and then we visited downtown Rockport.
Smack in
the middle of the harbor is the fishing shack the artists call "Motif
#1." Everyone in class paints it first. (Although, he said, cocking an
eyebrow, it seems to be in need of a coat of paint.) Nearby is Bearskin
Neck, a tourist dollar extraction extravaganza consisting of multiple
small shops.
|
Saturday, July 14
|
|
We
started our morning at Halibut
Point State Park*--the home of the old Babson quarry.
Tthe old quarry tower seemed so picturesque that I
decided to call it Motif #2. After that, Sarah had a small errand at Cynthia Curtiss
Pottery and we dropped by the nearby paper house. (I recommend the interview
about the paper house.) The paper
house is made from old newspapers tightly rolled and stocked with
furniture of the same construction. For an amazing, delicate site, the
entry fee was surprisingly modest. (The interview says $$1.50, but
there
were no signs or collectors.) I did leave payment for one of their
brochures and then donated same back to them. At the pottery we met an
artist who constructs nothing. Her job is to take a bowl the proprieter
has crafted and embellish it by carving bits away. Apparently they are
quite successful at getting exposure and sales.
In the afternoon, we returned to Bearskin Neck for a sail on the Appledore III. Complete
with cannon firing. A pleasant afternoon. Sadly the haze was just
enough to render most of my shots dingy. (I got a dingy dinghy.) For
dinner we went to the Greenery. Great food and great view. At one
point, Sarah insisted I get up and shoot the harbor for its color. She
was right.
______________
*Thanks to Your RV Lifestyle for a hint that this link was failing.
|
Sunday, July 15
|
|
From Rockport to Berkshires. Our
first stop was to visit Glouchester,
which I had imagined was South of
Boston. It is not. We tried to lunch at the original Crow's Nest, the
bar featured in " The
Perfect Storm." However, it was and remains simply a local bar and
its smoky interior dissuaded us. We went along to the small fish house
next door. But it has closed and moved across the street to an enormous
building. A wedding palace like that for Kara's wedding. We had a
pleasant lunch which I topped off by trying to get pictures of the
gulls flying over. No such luck.
Finally arrived at Oak 'n Spruce late afternoon ( pictures). Checkin line fairly
long, but not terrible. We ransacked Price
Chopper for provisions and S
made a great supper.
|
Monday, July 16
|
|
The staff of Oak
'n Spruce started
right in Monday morning on those of us who had booked through RCI. We
were invited to coffee and donuts. Each table had a sheet with the
digit "5" printed large all over. Then the "concierge" harrangued us
about how they had to get "fives." I was unclear whether they were
bullying us or pusillanimously pleading. What they wanted was good
evaluations from us in our reports to RCI. I suspected that they had
had some difficulty. Mostly, however, the resort was fine. Well fitted
out rooms, but no jacuzzi.
Afternoon. Visit Naumkaeg,
the summer cottage of Joseph Hodges Choate and his family and his
servants. "Cottage" is not
quite accurate since it has over fifteen rooms
on two floors. The kitchen is in the basement. An artist was painting
the Blue Steps
in the lower garden. I
shot her. She suggested a visit to Edith Wharton's estate, "Your wife
will think you're a hero." But S didn't. She took the car to go
shopping. I sulked.
|
Tuesday, July 17
|
|
In the morning we walked a Spruce
'n Oak trail to a "waterfall." Mostly just a pile of rocks blocking a
creek. Man-made. Nice quiet trail, as long as the construction at the
resort wasn't pounding piles. But they were.
|
Wednesday, July 18
|
|
S went
off to Kripalu for yoga and
"health." I hung around the rooms trying to
get stuff done on this website, but watchng television.
|
Thursday, July 19
|
|
Drove
to Great Barrington to shop. As a child I had visited Great Barrington
about once a summer from our cottage in Monterey. Today it is quite
modern. The old five and dime I remember is long gone.
|
Friday, July 20
|
|
We
finally got to The Mount,
Edith Wharton's little hideaway. Apparently built with
the proceeds from her books. Her husband was a rich playboy, but
eventually went crazy. Gorgeous flowers in the garden. No pictures
allowed in the house, which is ridiculous since all the furnishings are
modern. One exhibit had a glass of what looked like wine. I thought it
might be plastic, but if you peaked over the top you could see the mold
growing in it. Yup, real wine. After I mentioned it, however, the wine
vanished, so you won't see it when you visit.
Later we visited the Berkshire
Botanical Gardens in Stockbridge.
I had a wonderful time
photographing lots of amazing flowers. We even found some of the exotic
Amazonian flowers we had seen in Ecuador.
|
Saturday, July 21
|
|
Tanglewood rehearsal this
morning. S sat under the
"shed," which holds 500 in
relative discomfort. I opted instead for our lawn chairs out on the
lawn. Glorious day. And great music. The music is amplified for
everybody. So it goes through electronics. So it is little better than
listening to a recording. Nice lawn though.
|
Sunday, July 22
|
|
Drove
home in one swell foop. There is a little cutoff just south of Great
Barington which takes you over to NewYork, where it is a straight shot
to Pittsburgh. It being Sunday, we had no traffic through the
construction zones on the way home. A cop did pull in behind me at one
point. Okay, I thought, here's a thirty-five mph section and I'll just
drive exactly that. Probably drive the cop crazy. Boom. On come his
lights and siren. Pulled me over. Turns out both my brakelights were out. If
I'd not slowed down he'd not have seen them and not pulled me over.
Just as well, though, brakelights are a good thing to fix. And he gave
me only a warning anyway.
|
|
|
|
