Fun Little Excursions

This will be really brief. In both Rhode Island and Massachusetts, I got to visit places that I didn't spend enough time in to warrant their own individual posts, but were still neat little alcoves of tourism I wanted to share.

In Rhode Island, I walked through the Roger Williams National Memorial but did not visit the actual Visitor Center. It's basically a big park (I'm sure the Visitor Center is chock full of information though) and was a very peaceful patch of green in the middle of downtown Providence. I thought it was pretty.

I also walked by the First Baptist Church in America, which I sadly was not timely enough to get a tour of. The building itself is very impressive- much bigger than I thought it would be, and is all white. Whoever is asked with keeping that building gleaming sure has their work cut out for them!

In Massachusetts, Alicia and I spent a great deal of time at the Yankee Candle Company flagship store/Christmas central. We enjoyed ourselves, walking from room to room, being fake-snowed on, eating huge certainly unhealthy snacks (don't worry, healthy treats are available), dipping our own candles (there were lots of wax activities geared towards kids, but adults could have fun too obviously), and most of all, smelling candles. And lots of them. I have SUPER sensitive allergies and asthma, so I was a bit leery going into this place, but didn't react nearly as bad as I thought I would. The two stand out scents that I LOVED (seriously, doesn't someone want to give me these for a gift??) were Meyer Lemon and Cozy Sweater. Two scents that stood out as very strange and "manly" were scented as bacon and timber. Strange, but not horrible as you may think.

Capitol R-I

If you remember, I was supposed to take a tour of the US Capitol Building with my BFF in 2011, but because of extreme weather (DC Earthquake ring a bell?) and terrible traffic we didn't get to go. To be honest I wasn't much interested in capitol buildings at all other than that one (you know, THE Capitol Building) , but while I was planning my Rhode Island adventures, I ran into two distinct snags. The first was that I was having a hard time finding things to do that worked with my time schedule. Firewater wouldn't be firing, all the whale and lighthouse tours weren't cruising on the days I would be there, and being reliant on public transport, I couldn't easily figure out how to get into rural Rhode Island without spending hundreds of dollars on cabs. Speaking of cabs (I'm still feeling the sting of that $45 cab ride to get some food), the second snag was that I had to seriously watch my budget while I was on this trip (I'm the goof that miscalculated my pay dates) so I needed whatever I did to be affordable.

Enter the FREE public tour of the Rhode Island State House, conveniently a ten minute walk from the RISD and other Providence locations I was more excited about. And directly across from the Providence Amtrak station too!

The RI State House. It was SOOOOO rainy and gloomy!
All the clothes in my suitcase were damp walking in that rain!

I requested a tour via their online program- I wasn't sure if this was a hot spot or not, and I wanted to be sure I would get to see everything if it was. When I arrived I learned that the (only) tour guide had just started their vacation, so I would have to do a self tour on my own. Also, not sure if it was because of the weather or not, but I was one of only four people touring the building at that time.

Cannon in the entrance lobby

First and foremost, please keep in mind that EVERYTHING in this place is made out of marble. Why does that matter? Well, on the very rainy day I was in Providence, that meant I was soaking wet, and wet shoes on marble floors are a good recipe for accidents.

I was handed my self guided tour brochure, and sent up a small set of stairs to a mini platform with the official seal of of Rhode Island (and its full proper name- the longest in the country) gilded into the floor directly beneath a beautifully painted and decorated dome.

Rhode Island...and the rest of its name

The dome above the state seal

The brochure was very informative (though slightly out of date- more on that later) and gave information about every public non-office room in the building. Highlights included the original Gilbert Stuart (a native Rhode Islander)  portrait of George Washington in the State Reception Room, the ability to look at the chambers of both the House and Senate of Rhode Island (though you aren't allowed in those, I took pictures from doorways and balconies), and statues in mini alcoves painted (what I assume is) Rhode Island red dedicated to the different branches of the US military and for various people that have made an impact on the state.

This statue dedicated to the US Navy was one of my favorites

But the absolute treat (to me) was the feature that has now rendered the tour guides obsolete- the mini museum dedicated to the founding of Rhode Island, that hold it's original charter signed by King Charles II in 1663 (more than 100 years before we won our independence). Originally, this document was kept in a steel vault located outside of the State Senate chambers. A helpful employee let me know that they only recently created the mini museum, and they hadn't yet updated the guides (or the gaping hole in the wall where the steel vault used to be). I loved the mini museum, which also has artifacts owned by RI founder Roger Williams, and other state-related memorabilia from the 1600s.

The Royal Charter of 1663

Make sure you check out the rest of my pictures from my time at the Rhode Island State House- an unexpected but worthwhile excursion if I say so myself!

Keep watch for (even more) updates for the rest of my time in Rhode Island and Massachusetts, and as always, thank you for joining me on my adventure!

The Hidden Gem of Newport

I must admit, as little as I knew about baseball (which I admitted to when discussing Wrigley and Fenway) I knew even less about tennis. I knew there are cute skirts, that love means someone got zero points, that Wimbledon is a big deal, and I knew a few names: Gibson and Ashe of course, but only recently the Williams sisters, Agassi, and the chick with the Russian/Eastern European name that sounds like a fancy way of saying "Maury Povich". So when I first found out that the sport had a hall of fame right up the street from the mansions, I wasn't really that interested at first.

Rainy and soggy view of the grounds of the International Tennis Hall of Fame

But then I found out that because I am a member of the American Alliance of Museums the normal $12 admission would be totally waived and I could get in for free! Right then I altered my itinerary and reduced the time I wanted to dedicate to each mansion so that I could spend at least 30 minutes there- I mean, how big/interesting/exciting could it be, right? And if it's free, I at least wanted to show my face and utilize the privileges of AAM membership.

I mean, she looks excited, right?

How woefully wrong I was! You already learned how dreadful my experience at the Newport Mansions was, but it was highlighted even further by the fact that I had such an amazing experience at the International Tennis Hall of Fame! Probably the most professional and visually pleasing small non-art museum I've ever been to, I was thoroughly impressed with EVERYTHING. I got to learn a little bit about the history and origins of the sport of tennis (that pic above is one of the first displays you see after the actual hall of fame and depicts a woman playing the predecessor sport to tennis as we know it today: lawn tennis) and the impact that culture such as music and movies had on the sport- and vice versa.

Figure of a woman playing tennis in the 1920s, with a display about flapper fashion behind her

I enjoyed that not one decade or era was rushed through, there was just as much information about the sport from 1912 as there was for 2012. It also highlighted men and women equally, and discussed racial and cultural growth and progress as a natural part of the sport- not shucked off into a specialized gallery for minorities. There were plenty of shiny silver bowls, plates, and trophies all around (you know, prizes), and tons of memorabilia, including a specialized chair used by players who have lost their leg functions, lots of uniforms and shoes, and player endorsed and branded products throughout.

What was missing was extensive information about the current top active players. So yes, there were clips and stories about Venus and Serena Williams on the videos throughout the museum, but no dedicated displays to them- and rightfully so. They are still earning their spot in the museum and hall of fame, it would be a bit presumptuous to just throw them in there right away.

Had to show the guys some love-- I realized I had all lady pics up!

The staff was also super friendly and knowledgeable. Considering I got there first thing when they opened, I expected them to be a bit groggy. Quite the opposite. The guy who checked me in gave me a ton of brochures and information to take with me and tried to gage how much I was into tennis to see how to best direct me. While walking around, I overheard another woman telling a story about one of the enshrined players in a very animated and enthusiastic manner. The couple she was talking to was totally engaged and were hanging on her every word. It was clear that the people here not only know their sport and it's history, but have a true passion for it as well.

*Crap, I was looking for a picture of old tennis ball tins that I distinctly remember taking a photo of and now I can't find it on my camera or computer. Sorry, side tracked there!*

My admission sticker

In hindsight I have three regrets about my visit:

1. That I didn't double check to see if I had all the pictures I wanted before I left. Danngit I'm really upset about that!

2. That I underestimated this museum and didn't afford myself more time to read the displays and information in depth.

3. That it was so rainy and dreary the day I went that I wasn't able to walk the beautiful grounds and learn about the history of the site as well- because people still play tennis there and it's obviously well maintained.

Well, I'm still plugging away at these entries. Again, this was my most ambitious itinerary to date, traveling between four cities in two states in four days all on public transportation and seeing no less than two sites a day. More Rhode Island and Massachusetts adventures to come- thank you for reading along!

Dandy Eye Candy

The Rhode Island School of Design is one of the top art schools in the country, and its accompanying museum is the 20th largest in the United States. I hadn't been to an art museum (for the blog) since my journey to Richmond, VA nearly two years ago. I decided to visit this museum to get my art fix.

Rhode Island School of Design

I really enjoyed my time here. I was welcomed and asked what sorts of things I was interested in to help guide me through galleries I might be interested in. The paper map wasn't very helpful- the layout on the map didn't quite match up to what I was seeing physically in front of me, but part of that could have been because there were two major galleries being updated or renovated at the time. Because of these upgrades, one of their most famous artifacts (the giant Buddha) was not on display. That's okay because I enjoyed what was on display: everything from an Egyptian mummy to 19th century porcelain figures and paintings to modern art. Many galleries had mixes of vintage clothes, statues, and other art/design pieces from various eras all mixed in together, giving the museum a "homey" feel that I enjoyed. Often, pieces on display were from alumni or professors of the RISD, or people who had connections to Rhode Island somehow. Another bit of paying attention to detail that I liked.

Great Gallery at the RISD-- I loved that blue!

Black Venus. I loved this sculpture because even though she was cast in the 1800s
she looks like she could be walking around outside today!

My favorite exhibition, by far, was Artist/Rebel/Dandy: Men of Fashion. It ends mid-August so if you have a chance, run and go see it! It pretty much is the history of men's formal fashion, something I'm sure most people don't think about. At first, reading the title alone, I thought that it was going to be a little offensive towards gay men. I mean, calling someone a dandy isn't exactly a compliment. But to my surprise sexuality was only barely mentioned throughout the exhibit, and instead the focus was on the people who wore the clothes, the materials the clothes were made of, and some cultural history lessons on why things were designed and made the way they were. Again, it was nothing to see a suit from the 1850s displayed right next to a tuxedo from the 1930s next to an outfit from just last year. I noticed how little men's fashion has changed structure wise, but in materials things have improved quite a deal. There was even a hands on portion where you could feel the difference in wools of different quality for yourself.

Entrance into Men of Fashion exhibit

Now, let me say that the rules of the RISDM are that photos of artifacts/pieces younger than 75 years old is prohibited (according to their website) and when I got there I was told that photos anywhere other than the 5th floor (where most of the REALLY old and ancient stuff is) was prohibited. And I was following the rules throughout the exhibit until I noticed everyone else (and I do mean everyone) taking pictures of suits and hats with their smart phones. I asked the security guard (discreetly-- didn't want to get any of my fellow onlookers in trouble) and he said that no photos were allowed...but didn't seem very interested in being an enforcer. So, I joined in, and took a few pics of the exhibit as well. To be fair, I won't post the interior exhibit pics on here, so you'll have to go where the rest of my RI pics are to see them.

But I will include the sign from outside...note the rain!!

Thank you for reading along with me on my adventure to the RISDM. I hope you enjoyed it, and have liked reading my blog thus far. More RI and MA posts to come!

See you on the next adventure!

My First Truly Negative Adventure

I'm just going to summarize my experience at the Newport Mansions in one word: Miserable.

It wasn't the sites themselves. I only got to tour two homes, The Breakers and Marble House, but they were both beautiful historic mansions with breathtaking architecture and views of the harbor. It was the terrible treatment I received while visiting.

Marble House

The Breakers

Both homes were owned by the Vanderbilts at some point, though I didn't learn that from the actual homes. The only way to learn any information in the houses is to take the audio tours, which I did not for several reasons. Mostly because I was treated so rudely when I first entered I didn't want to take a single thing they were offering me, then largely because people on audio tours tend to aimlessly roam and move very slowly- which when you are on a time schedule is not helpful and is actually a little frustrating. For people like me who aren't able to listen to hyper details about every single item in every single room, panels with room highlights to quickly read would have been helpful. Especially since photography is strictly prohibited inside.

So what am I so upset about? Well, to make a long story short, I was treated like a second class citizen upon my arrival at Marble House, with the woman at the welcome desk literally sneering at me and instead of welcoming me said "Can we help you?" as if my mere presence were an insult to the home. It was raining quite heavily that day and she yelled at me in front of staff and visitors about not being allowed to have a suitcase with me (meanwhile, I had already checked ahead of time and was told that leaving it at the front desk wouldn't be a problem). I was so angry and embarrassed I just walked off. Then later in the same house an employee followed me around to make sure I wasn't taking pictures or touching things. I know she was following me because while at first I thought she just wanted to get past me in the narrow hallway, she turned beet red and said that she wasn't actually trying to get by when I had stepped aside for her to do so. I left the main building, took some shots of the bay and the Chinese Tea Room, and quickly left Marble House, before I could lose my cool and cuss a few of those snooty people out.

Chinese Tea Room behind Marble House overlooking the bay

The Breakers was only slightly better in treatment, with me being questioned the moment I walked in, but luckily another employee saw the look on my face as I prepared to be yelled at again by a staff member and helped me with my luggage. By this time I was irritated and didn't want the audio tour simply because I was only walking through at that point because I had paid to do so. There were at least three times as many people in The Breakers, which made quiet observations impossible and general maneuvering extremely slow and difficult. There were screaming kids, bored teenagers, large summer camp groups, ugh! Just too much going on all at once.

What bothers me most about this experience is that, as someone who works in this field and had a genuine love for old homes and the like (which my loyal readers know by now- I always seem to find at least one old historic building to tour every place I go), I KNOW this isn't standard service. I sent a very professional letter stating what happened (with more details than I've shared here) and in 2 business days still have not received a reply. Imagine that! When I receive member or visitor emails at my job (or the one immediately prior) they get responses no LATER than the next business day. I suppose terrible treatment of people who pay to see their properties is normal business for this preservation society.

Quite a shame. Two and a half years, and none of my experiences have been THIS tragic. I would not recommend this trip for anyone- not as long as they continue to operate in this manner.

**UPDATE**
I just recieved an email from the Visitor Experience Manager. She essentially said that rules are rules (ie, suitcases are not allowed in the homes), but she's sorry I was treated rudely and is refunding my admission. Even though it seems like a half assed apology on the treament portion of things, I am glad I finally got a response. I still stand firm on my position that I will not return to the mansions, and do not recommend them for others. I would have gladly left my suitcases outside on the lawn or street or wherever if that's what it would have taken to take a tour, but there is absolutely no reason to be yelled or sneered at by employees. Period.

Gettin' Iggy With It

First, I'm having a few technical difficulties getting the last of my photos to go from my camera to either my work or personal computers (something about the USB not being recognized- even though it JUST worked the other day *sigh*) So the rest of my Massachusetts pics are coming shortly!

Second, I want to say that with the exception of one site in particular, I had a good (if not exhausting) time in Rhode Island and Massachusetts. I'll discuss my negative experience later, but I wanted to start off on a positive note.

These two states represent my first blog-related treks into New England. When I think New England, I think pilgrims and colonials. I think cold and dreary weather. I think largely of sports teams I either have no strong opinions of- or extreme hatred towards. And I think of chowder, lobster, and other seafood.Well, it was a bit cooler than expected the weekend I went, and I got rained on my first two days ending up with a pretty soggy suitcase. I did do three sports related excursions, but we'll get to those later (once my pics are uploaded to my Facebook page). So I'll focus on my first entry on the food I ate, specifically at Iggy's Doughboys and Chowderhouse.

No seriously, I hate these cheating bums.
Image from www.roosterteeth.com

I already knew that yes, there is the traditional New England clam chowder that's white and creamy, and yes, there's the Manhattan version that's red and tomato based. But I learned in this clip from CBS's 'Taste of America Tour' that there is indeed a third version of the Northeast's signature soup: the Rhode Island Clear. Since several travel sites all agreed that Iggy's was THE place to go to try Rhode Island seafood, I decided to give it a go.

Iggy's...and my $45 cab

I took a cab from the TF Green Airport (after getting to Rhode Island by train from Boston), down to Iggy's- a round trip ride that ended up costing me $45.00 with tax and tip! (Yes, apparently Rhode Islanders pay tax on cab rides, something I learned from my driver is highly disliked by those in the business. I gotta say I agree with them- I've never heard of such foolishness.) But it was worth it. I ordered a little bit of everything that I had either never heard of or was told was a specialty of the region/restaurant. Way too much food for one person, but most of it was tasty.

Here's a pic of my Rhode Island Clear chowder. It isn't on the menu (only Red and White are), so you have to ask for it specifically. Slightly too salty, but otherwise well flavored.

Clam cakes and Rhode Island Clear chowder

The bowl is next to an outpouring of clam cakes. I was least impressed with these. My cab driver said you're supposed to eat them by dipping them into whatever chowder you have. This greatly helped because these things were a bit dry, and I'm not 100% sure I had any actual clam inside of the ones I ate (though admittedly, I only finished like 2 or 3 of them). It may be hard to tell, but they were slightly larger than a golf ball.

An Iggy doughboy, covered in powdered sugar. HUGE but tasty!
The taste reminded me of funnel cake/donut hybrid.

Above you'll see one doughboy- a near hand-sized patty of fried dough topped with a topping of your choice (my cab driver said powdered sugar is the most popular- I personally would've gone with cinnamon sugar otherwise.) I got six of these for free using a coupon I got for signing up for their emails. I think a few solicitations is worth saving three bucks and some change.

A Famous Iggy Burger and Iggy root beer

I got a hamburger on the off chance that I hated all the seafood I got and was still hungry. The most popular burger is the Famous Iggy Burger and it comes with sauteed peppers and onions, mustard, relish, and optional cheese (which I gladly accepted). It was just okay- not horrible by any means, but not super amazing. But, what do you expect from a place that specializes in seafood, not landlubber fare? The root beer is made by Iggy's (they also sell a house made raspberry-lime pop as well...oops, I guess I mean soda for those of you not from a pop-saying city). It was probably the best root beer I've ever had- smooth, not too harsh or metallic tasting. It was great.

A Rhode Island "stuffie" or stuffed quahog

Now this was my favorite part of the meal. If you follow me on Facebook or Twitter (and really, why wouldn't you?) you would know that trying to say "quahog" without sounding like a total tourist was something I wanted to accomplish. (Think co-hog, or watch a few episodes of Family Guy and listen to them say it). Nearly every Rhode Island tourism website I found said that visitors should try a "stuffie" while they are there. I only ordered one, partly because they were $2.50 each (sorry, but that's not a lot of chewing for nearly $3) and partly because I wasn't sure if I would like it.

What a quahog that's alive and in the wild looks like I can't tell you (though I'm assuming that's its shell they serve it in), but what it tasted like was a very delicate seafood taste, with stuffing and other goodness, drizzled with lemon juice. My cab driver told me that locals eat theirs with hot sauce. It was such a warm and comforting taste! I don't know what the stuffing is, how they chop it up and cook it or anything, but I DO know that I was very pleased. While waiting for my order to be finished, I saw people sitting at tables with trays full of these empty shells. I guess I'm not alone on liking them.

Well, I'll update you on my four day adventure (my most ambitious outing yet itinerary-wise) every couple of days over the next few weeks. Alaska and Washington state are next month, so I'm gearing up for that, and you know, I do have work and other responsibilities here at home.

Thank you for reading along and following me on my journey!