Friday Funnies

This post is for the birds — two of them.

A robin (not a nightingale) sang in Nashua last week while perched atop a light pole at Clocktower Place, our apartment building. It sang lustily for a full 5 minutes.

Robin singing in Nashua, NH

This light pole at the main entrance was the robin's song perch

For some unexplained reason, I thought of the nightingale, which also reportedly sings quite loudly, except that I've never heard one, except online. An online source stated that many people often mistake the sound of a robin singing for a nightingale, obviously they live elsewhere as this bird isn't found naturally in the Americas. 

European Robin

Nightingales breed in Europe, Asia, and northwest Africa and winter in sub-Saharan Africa. They inhabit forests, woodlands with thicke and can also be found in suburban gardens and parks.

This Nashua songster is an American Robin. There's also a much smaller European Robin which has a shorter orange breast patch with white below.

Robins and nightingales have been popularized in songs.

A robin was sung about the 1926 tune When the Red, Red Robin Comes Bob, Bob, Bobbin' Along  (words and music by Harry Woods) which became the signature tune of singer and actress Lillian Roth, who performed it from the late 1920s to the late 1930s. It was recorded by Al Jolson, Doris Day, Louis Armstrong, Dean Martin, Eydie Gormé, Bing Crosby and others.

Rockin' Robin written by Leon René was recorded by Bobby Day in 1958 and became his biggest hit single, reaching No. 2 on the Billboard Hot 100 with one week at the top of the R&B sales chart. The song is now in the public domain, as the owners never renewed the copyright. (This means that the works are owned by the public and can be freely used by anyone.

Nightingale (Internet source)

A Nightingale Sang in Berkeley Square was written in 1939 as a romantic ballad with words by English entertainer Eric Maschwitz and music by American composer Manning Sherwin. The title refers to a large square in the Mayfair area of London. 

The record was made popular by Vera Lynn during the WW II. It first charted in December 1940, peaking at No. 2. Long considered a jazz standard, the tune has been recorded by singers including: Nat King Cole, Bing Crosby, Bobby Darin, Frank Sinatra, Perry Como, Mel Tormé, Harry Connick Jr. and Rod Stewart.

Nightingale is a song written by Carole King and David Palmer. It first appeared on her top-selling album Wrap Around Joy, released in mid-July 1974, and was released as a single in December 1974. The song, like the album, got off to a slow start, but eventually peaked at No. 9 in the Billboard Hot 100, in March 1975, and spent a week at No. 1 on the Easy Listening chart.

While robins can be heard in a city like Nashua, the chances of hearing a nightingale sing in the city of London are very slim. 

BIG Thanks to everyone for your comments on our 25th Anniversary celebration of dining in local Nashua, NH, restaurants for an entire week — it was delicious fun. 

This is Labor Day weekend considered the last major U.S. summer holiday. The actual holiday is always celebrated on the first Monday in September. It was created to celebrate  the social and economic achievements of American workers.

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

All aboard — We're going on a scenic train ride in NH

To answer fellow blogger Pam's question about this excursion, it starts in Meredith, NH, where we board the Winnipesaukee Scenic Railroad. The 2-hour round trip is along the western shore of Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in the state of NH located in the Lakes Region at the foothills of the White Mountains. 

Lake "Winnie" as locals refer to it, is about 21 miles long, 1 to 9 miles wide, covers 69 square miles and has a maximum depth of 180 feet.

A Week of Gastronomy

Or, how we spent our anniversary week dining "at home" in Nashua, NH, but not exactly in our own home. Instead, we dined at downtown restaurants, all within walking distance of the mill apartments, many which have a historical connection.

Here's an account of the places we dined at during our week-long celebration. Spoiler alert there is a lot of food photos in this post, so you won't go away hungry or maybe you will.

Monday, we dined at Martha's Exchange housed in the city-block long former Merchants Exchange Building on Main Street. 

Merchants Exchange Building, 185 Main Street, Nashua, NH, dates from 1872

The original Martha's dates to 1936 when Katherine Fokas, immigrated from Greece, and founded Martha's Sweet Shoppe named after the popular Martha Washington Candy. This vintage sweet is made with a sweet coconut, toasted pecan and maraschino cherry filling then dipped in chocolate. 

Onion rings, tomato, lettuce, bacon made for a huge-looking burger

Over the years, it was expanded and renamed as Martha’s Sweet Shoppe and Luncheonette which had 28 stools and was the most popular lunch spot on Main Street. In 1985, it transformed again and was renamed Martha's Exchange. In 1993, Nashua’s first micro-brewery opened on site with the addition of a bar which was originally used in one of Al Capone’s Chicago speakeasies.

Tostao's Tapas-Bar

Tuesday night it was tapas and sangria at Tostao's, a Spanish tapas style restaurant on Main St in downtown Nashua. The building, which now houses the restaurant formerly housed a movie theater. To our surprise, we learned that Nashua is recognized as being the first city in the state of NH to premier a moving picture in 1896. Between 1896 and 1947, eight moving picture theatres existed downtown.

This site housed two movie theatres. The Tremont  had a grand opening in May 1917. This 1,200-seat, “cool” ventilated and independently owned theatre  premiered daily double feature family-friendly programming and popular films. In the mid 1920s, it was renovated and reopened as the State Theatre.

Gone With the Wind & The Blob wall jural

This mural on the side of Tostao's plays homage to Nashua's movie theatre history. We watched its spray-paint application several years ago by Positive Street Art.

Tapas at Tostao's included chicken, empanadas and spinach dip

We enjoyed a selection of tapas on half-price tapas Tuesday. These went well with glasses of sangria, red for Patrick and white for myself.

It was another night for specials as we enjoyed a selection on half-price tapas Tuesday. All were enjoyed with glasses of sangria, red for Patrick and white for myself.

Surf Seafood  on Main St in Nashua, NH

Wednesday was our actual 25th wedding anniversary date celebrated with outdoor dining at Surf Seafood on Main St. The weather was perfect as we enjoyed sangria, New England clam chowder, a crispy dragon shrimp appetizer, baked seafood entree and a slice of the famous tall cake dessert. 

This building housed the former Public Service Company of New Hampshire (PSNH) which was created in 1926 and was the largest public utility in the state for decades before declaring bankruptcy in 1998. It was sold to Northeast Utilities, which is now Eversource Energy, which is the electrical supplier in Nashua.

Appetizers and entrees at Surf Seafood, Nashua, NH

The tall cake is a signature dessert at Surf. We were hoping for chocolate one, but there is only one flavor per week on the menu, so maybe next time.

Appetizer, entrees and dessert at Rambling House, Nashua, NH

Thursday night's dinner was at Rambling House, a family-owned and operated farm, restaurant and craft brewery located at 57 Factory St within a 2-minute walk from our apartment. Here, we enjoyed an appetizer of lobster rangoon with entrees of roast ruck and roast pork. TaleSpinner Brewery and Rambling House opened to the public in 2022. It's became a favorite of enthusiasts of local and sustainable sourcing, farm-to-table fare. It features seasonal menus with outdoor dining on the third floor deck. We opted to dine indoors. 

Wine was enjoyed as we toasted ourselves, once more.

Riviera Nayarit on W. Pearl St in nashua, NH

All good things come to an end and on Friday, we closed out the dining week at Riviera Nayarit, a Mexican-style seafood and grill on W. Pearl St. It specializes in various seafood dishes inspired by the region of Nayarit, a nearly 200-mile stretch of coastline in Mexico, where its owner, Karla Gutiérrez, was raised on seafood.

This was a week for sangria enjoyed with seafood entrees of enchiladas and chimichangas.

Certainly, this was one of the most unusual anniversary celebrations we've ever enjoyed. In past years, we've taken road trips with overnight stays and dining out. Staying home and dining out was a wonderful alternative thanks to the variety of restaurants in downtown Nashua, all within walking distance of our apt. We could easily have dined in more. Dining out was not inexpensive, but we had a great week. This milestone anniversary was well worth the expense of dining locally and in some deliciously interesting places. It's back to cooking at home and a lot of walking.

Friday Funnies

Sometimes, even more than prayer is needed to save.

That certainly applies to this structure which was taken many years ago when we lived on the VA eastern shore. 

In reply to a blogger's ?s This was a random "photo opp" with no clues about church, its attendees or the denomination There was nothing in the area to suggest how long ago it had been used before abandoned to the elements.

It wasn't unusual for buildings to be just "let go" to the ravages of nature and time. I'm not sure how long this one had been abandoned and, most likely, it eventually collapsed.

Thanks to all for the anniversary congratulations and well wishes. All were read and appreciated. We had a week-long celebration which will be the subject of a future post. It did not include a road trip !

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

No special plans for us, other than to get out & enjoy cooler temps

3 States and 25 years

The title may seem confusing, so let me explain. We've been together for over a quarter of a century and have spent those years together in three states.

Today, we're celebrating a milestone — our 25th wedding 🥂 anniversary in one.

Our wedding day was in Bridgewater, NJ, August 21, 1999

We met and married in our home state of NJ (the first state). Here's some photos of that day celebrated with family and friends. 

We celebrated with family and friends in NJ

The photos were taken by my late friend, Ann, who later gave us a CD with the images, taken with a film camera. These were the days of Kodak film, not digital.

Our 15th year together was mostly in VA and on road trips

We marked our 15th wedding anniversary mostly in the second state, Virginia, where we were living at the time.

We started our 25th year in 2024  in NH with some road trips

We're celebrating our 25th year in a third state (NH). We've shared many road trips and adventures, including the recent ones above. More to come this year.

Our celebration of  this 25th anniversary will differ from those in past years, when we've taken road trips to celebrate. This year we're having a stay-at-home 

(sort of)

celebration, without exactly staying "home."  What we did will be posted later. 

We would be remiss in not adding an across-the-pond shout-out to our UK friends, 

Kath and Andrew, who also are celebrating today — their 53rd anniversary. We met, by chance, over 20+ years ago when we were all traveling (separately) on a road trip in the Blue Ridge area of VA and staying in the same hotel.

Happy 53rd Anniversary to Kath & Andrew

During a breakfast conversation, we were as Kath would put it "gobsmacked" to learn of our mutual anniversary date. We've kept in contact throughout the years always planning to meet-up "one" day. That happened last October when they met us in London and we spent the day together. We hope to do it again "one" day, meanwhile thanks to "WhatsApp" we've kept in contact through phone chats. 

Our day together at Battersea Power Station, London

Weekend on the Cape

Our weekend getaway was to the Cape Cod a popular summertime destination in the neighboring New England state of Massachusetts.

Grenville was here to participate in the International Lighthouse Lightship Weekend (ILLW). Usually held on the third full weekend in August, this event attracts more than 500 lighthouse entries located in over 40 countries. 

The ILLW is one of the most popular amateur radio events. It's free, there are very few rules and there's no prizes for contacting large numbers of stations.

A ham radio friend, Randy, who lives in Nashua, NH, also went to Cape Cod to participate. They both set up at the Nauset Light. Grenville set up his equipment in the back of his car as shown in the photo above. He made over 20 contacts, mostly in the U.S.

The Nauset Lighthouse and Keeper's Cottage, which is privately owned

The Nauset Lighthouse Nauset Lighthouse, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is on the Cape Cod National Seashore near Eastham, MA. Built in 1877, it stands 48 feet high and is made of cast iron with a brick lining. It was originally located in Chatham, MA, as a twin to one that's still there. When a smaller wooden lighthouse in Eastham was retired in 1923, this tower was dismantled, moved from Chatham to Eastham and reconstructed about 200 feet from the edge of the cliff near the relocated keeper's house. 

Grenville and Randy atop the lighthouse with one of the light keepers

In the 1940s, Nauset Light was painted red and white as a daytime indicator. In 1981, the Fresnel lens was replaced by two rotating aero beacons. Due to coastal erosion it was too close to the edge of the cliff. In 1996, when less than 35 feet remained, the Nauset Lighthouse was moved in one piece some 300 feet to a new site across the road adjacent to Nauset Light Beach. The light is owned by the National Park Service. It's leased to and maintained by the Nauset Light Preservation Society. Upkeep is entirely funded by donations. The lighthouse is open to visitors during certain times. 

Dirt bomb confection

We shared a dirt bomb this weekend in Cape Cod. It's a very popular confection. We shared one from the Cottage Street Bakery in Orleans, MA, as we'd already indulged in another treat before deciding to try it. Next time, we'll know better. The trick is to get there early as these treats sell out fast.. 

The Cottage Bakery in Orleans, MA, is well known for its dirt bomb

No, this is not to be confused with a dirty bomb, that's an entirely a different thing. This is an unusual name for a delicious treat described as a cross between a cinnamon sugar doughnut and a muffin. In the muffin world, this is the bomb, as in it's the best.

What exactly is it? A dirt bomb is a nutmeg-infused muffin that, still warm from the oven, is rolled in melted butter, then tossed in cinnamon sugar until generously coated. The “dirt” is the cinnamon sugar in which the muffins are rolled after baking. 

There's nothing definite on how the name originated. It comes from the original dirt bomb made at Bantam Bread Company in Bantam, CT. This family-owned business, started in 1996.

These colorful blooms were on the grounds of The Cove Motel, our weekend accommodation in Orleans, MA.

The Ice Cream Cafe was a short walk from the motel. Of course, we enjoyed our favorite treat.

This is a SOOC (straight out of cellphone) image captured yesterday morning from the motel grounds as we were leaving.

Cape Cod was popularized by Patti Page (the "Singing Rage") who was the top-selling female singer of the 1950s with a 1957 hit tune, Old Cape Cod. The tune was credited with putting the Cape on the map and helping to establish it as a major tourist destination. It's been hailed by natives as the "unofficial Cape Cod Anthem." Ironically, Page recorded the song during a day trip to NYC. She had never visited Cape Cod until after it was released and became a hit.

This is a celebration week for us — our 25th wedding 🥂 anniversary is upcoming. We're planning to celebrate all week an Nashua, NH, details to follow. Our special getaway will be in early October on a week-long trip to Tuscany.

Friday Funnies

This post will ask a question and the reveal will be given as well.

The question is — What's in the Box?

This box was delivered from Amazon earlier this week.

This is the wrapping that was inside the box. Are you ready to see what was below this paper?

Ready or Not — Here's WHAT was in the box, just 2 items: a camera battery and filter.

This seems like a really big packaging overkill !

How about You — ever received an oversize package with very small contents?

Enjoy Your Weekend, Everyone

We'll be in Cape Cod; Grenville is doing a Lighthouses on the Air ham radio event

Tidbits from a RI Visit

RI, the smallest U.S. state

Typically, a tidbit is defined as a small piece of information or a tasty treat. This post contains bits about interesting places we explored in the smallest U.S. state last month. Most of these were new to us, despite our previous visits.

This is a long-ish post. I opted to combine more RI sites into one post vs. several posts. That said, there will be one more RI site in future.

The New England state of Rhode Island is the smallest state in terms of land mass. The five smallest states after Delaware are: Connecticut (another NE state), Hawaii and our home state of New Jersey.

While small in area, RI is definitely not small as far as interesting places to explore. On this road trip, we found several that were new to us.

Newport is perhaps the most well known RI city known and home to many well-known Gilded Age mansions such as The Breakers, Marble House, The Elms and others. All were called summer cottages, by the way-too-rich folks who built them and only spent a short time there each summer. 

Last August, we visited several of these summer places. On this recent trip, we toured Rough Point, once owned by heiress Doris Duke. 

Rosecliff Mansion

While all of these previously visited mansions have been paid admissions, this recent trip included FREE admission to another mansion, Rosecliff, with limited access only on the first floor. The second floor was closed due to ongoing renovations because of water damage. The mansion is 28,000 square feet with 30 rooms including 11 staff rooms, 2 trunk rooms, a sewing room and wardrobe room on the third floor.

Rosecliff Mansion in Newport, RI

Even though it was a short visit, we saw highlights unique to this mansion built between 1898–1902 by Nevada silver heiress Theresa (Tessie) Fair Oelrichs.

Tessie was born in Virginia City, NV. Her father, James Graham Fair, an Irish immigrant was a miner who, in 1859 made a large fortune from Nevada’s Comstock silver lode, one of the richest silver finds in history. In a few years Fair amassed a fortune equal to roughly $50 million. With that kind of money, the Fair family was ready for Newport and in 1889, Tessie met Hermann Oelrichs, heir to a steamship fortune, They married the next year.

In 1891, Tessie and her sister, Virginia Fair, bought a spacious wooden cottage built around 1855. It was known as Rose Cliff and owned by diplomat George Bancroft, former U.S. Secretary of the Navy. Bancroft was well known for his rose gardens, Flower beds surrounding the house once had over 500 species of roses and roses still grew in the garden now.

Rear flower gardens at Rosecliff Mansion, Newport, RI

It took 10 years for Tessie to convince Hermann to build her a Newport mansion to compete with the Vanderbilts and the Astors. Once they grabbed more land along fashionable Bellevue Avenue, the former Rose Cliff house was demolished. Tessie hired architect Sanford White to build a proper "cottage" for use as a summer resort and entertaining. White's design was based on the Grand Trianon at Versailles and it was renamed Rosecliff.

Center ballroom windows at Rosecliff Mansion

White modeled Rosecliff after the Grand Trianon, the garden retreat of French kings at Versailles. After the house was completed in 1902, at a reported cost of $2.5 million (back then), Tessie hosted fabulous entertainments during the six-week summer season in Newport. Wealthy women competed as hostesses in much the same way their husbands competed in business.

This ballroom is said to be the largest one in Newport, RI

Rosecliff became the setting for some of Newport's most lavish parties. Its ballroom with the Louis XIV furniture removed is the largest ballroom of all the Newport mansions at 40 by 80 feet

Heart-shaped grand staircase at Rosecliff Mansion

Perhaps the most celebrated feature of Rosecliff is the heart-shaped grand staircase. Scenes from several films have were shot at Rosecliff, including “The Great Gatsby,” “True Lies,” “Amistad” and “27 Dresses.” The front facade was shown during HBO’s “The Gilded Age” and transported by special effects to a street in NYC.

Rosecliff Mansion main entry

Rosecliff is now preserved through the generosity of its last private owners, Mr. and Mrs. J. Edgar Monroe of New Orleans, who gave the house, its furnishings and an endowment to the Newport Preservation Society in 1971.

Cliff Walk

A not-to-be-missed Newport experience is the 3.5 mile Cliff Walk which provides panoramic ocean views on one side and views of Gilded Age mansions on the other. The walkway is unique is that it's a National Recreation Trail, the first in New England, and is located in a National Historic District.

The public access Cliff Walk provides views of The Breakers, Marble House, Rough Point, and other prominent mansions from the Gilded Age as well as views into the Narragansett Bay.

Part of the Cliff Walk

Cliff Walk is one of Newport's top attractions whether you walk part of (as we did) or the entire walk (as others have done). It's enjoyed by people of all ages. Current estimates have a quarter million trips made each year.

You pass at your own risk on the walk, a public right-of-way over private property. In spots just a couple of feet from the path are abrupt drops of over 70 feet. Wild bushes and weeds often hide this danger. There is plenty of signage along the route cautioning walkers to stay on the path.

The legal precedents for the Cliff Walk date back to 1663, when the charter granted by King Charles II promised Rhode Island colonists the right to fish along the shoreline.This right of public access to the shore was later guaranteed in the Rhode Island state constitution.

The coastline remained undeveloped until around 1880, when owners of the Gilded Age mansions started building a simple path along the coast, in sections. Over the decades, many disputes have erupted between landowners and the public about access to the walk, with wealthy owners sometimes erecting fences, boulders, or walls along the route.

Some wildflowers seen along the Cliff Walk: annual fleabane (top left) bittersweet (top right), Canada goldenrod (bottom left and cow parsnip (bottom right.

yellow toadflax (left), hedge bindweed and common knapweed.

Japanese honeysuckle, rugosa rose and rose hips

FYI — those who have an iPhone (not sure if this works with other models) can do a plant ID after taking a photo or saving that was sent. Here's how: open the photo in the photos app, tap the "i" button at the bottom of the screen, then tap Look Up to use Visual Lookup to identify the plant. 

Touro Synagogue

Touro Synagogue, dedicated in 1763, is the oldest synagogue building in the U.S.. This structure is steeped in history. It's widely considered as one of the 10 most architecturally distinguished buildings of 18th century America and the most historically significant Jewish building in the U.S. The synagogue is a National Historic Site in RI.

Touro Synagogue is the oldest in the U.S.

The congregation was founded in 1658 by the descendants of Jewish families who fled the Inquisitions in Spain and Portugal and left the Caribbean seeking the greater religious tolerance that Rhode Island offered. 

The Reverend Isaac Touro, born in Amsterdam in 1738, served as the spiritual leader of Jeshuath Israel in Newport, one of the first Portuguese Sephardic congregations in the American colonies. He built the synagogue that would be named for him. The synagogue was dedicated on the first night of Hanukkah in 1763.

President George Washington was the first head of a modern nation to openly acknowledge the Jews as full-fledged citizens of the land in which they had chosen to settle. In a letter to the "Hebrew congregation at Newport," written in 1790, President Washington pledged that our new nation would give "to bigotry no sanction and to persecution no assistance." 

Written during Washington’s first term as President, this letter is believed to be his clearest statement of religious tolerance. In August 1790, congregants of the Touro Synagogue warmly welcomed Washington to their place of worship and their city.

Interior of Touro Synagogue

Touro Synagogue stands as a symbol of religious freedom. It was designated a National Historic Site in 1946. The Ambassador John L. Loeb Jr. Visitors Center opened in 2009 with exhibits to further explore the history of Newport's early Jewish community and the origins of First Amendment rights. Each year, over 30,000 visitors visit the synagogue to see its interior and to pray.

Warren, RI

What makes this city so unique is that it's the smallest city in the smallest county in the smallest state. The population was 11,147 at the 2020 census.

A selfie in downtown Warren, RI

After reading this fact in an issue of "Yankee" magazine, we decided to include a short stop in Warren.  We found a thriving downtown with numerous local art and antique shops, waterfront restaurants and more.

Warren, RI, Town Hall

The Town of Warren, RI, sits on the east bank of the Warren River, an arm of Narragansett Bay, and is bounded by the towns of Barrington, Bristol and Swansea, Massachusetts. Warren received its name in 1747 from the British naval hero, Admiral Sir Peter Warren, who was victorious at the battle of Louisburg in June 1745.

Street scenes in Warren, RI

Settled in 1653 as part of the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Warren's working waterfront is one of the oldest in New England with more than 16 miles of shoreline, multiple marine-based industries.

Bristol, RI

Less than a 15 minute drive from Warren is the town of Bristol, RI. This deep water seaport is named after Bristol, England. Major industries include boat building and related marine industries, manufacturing, and tourism. This small harbor town has several claims to fame — a parade, marine museum and a mansion which features a 90-foot giant sequoia in the gardens. 

What we had read beforehand is that Bristol hosts the oldest continuously celebrated Independence Day festivities in the U.S. The annual event attracts over 200,000 people from RI and worldwide. The elaborate celebrations have given the city its nickname of "America's most patriotic town."

The celebration began in 1785 when Rev. Henry Wight of the First Congregational Church, a veteran of the Revolutionary War, conducted the first historic celebrations referred to as Patriotic Exercises. 

Street painted for Independence Day in Bristol, RI

Since our visit was two weeks after July 4, we missed the festivities. However, evidence of just how seriously the holiday is taken was visible in the red, white and blue stripes seen on the parade route.

Bristol, RI, Art Museum

The Bristol Art Museum is housed in a former mansion called Linden Place. It was built in 1810 by George DeWolf. The DeWolf family made their money in trading slaves. George’s family and descendants occupied the house for 177 years until the Friends of Linden Place, a non-profit group, assumed ownership in 1988. The house is considered the “architectural crown jewel” of Bristol. It was closed on the day of our visit.

Lyric Theater, Bristol RI, now and years ago

The Lyric Theater, built in 1916, remains on the corner of Main and Miller Streets  and evokes a memory of small town motion picture theaters.. As shown above, the theater originally featured a large marquee. After WWII, as with so many small theaters, this one struggled against larger chains which featured 10+ screens and modern amenities and ticket sales dwindled. The theater was sold in the late 1970s and converted to retail use. Since the 1990s, it's been the site of a gift shop.

Herreshoff Marine Museum

The other major claim to fame for Bristol, RI, is that it's home to the Herreshoff Marine Museum, a maritime museum dedicated to the history of the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company, yachting, and America's Cup. It was founded in 1971 by A. Sidney DeWolf Herreshoff and Rebecca Chase Herreshoff to preserve the accomplishments of this family company. 

John Brown Herreshoff and Nathanael Greene Hereshoff

The Herreshoff Manufacturing Company (1878–1945) was most notable for producing sailing yachts, including eight America's Cup defenders, and steam-powered vessels.. The company was founded in 1878 by two brothers, John Brown Herreshoff, a blind boatbuilder who had been in business since 1863, and Nathanael Greene Herreshoff, a naval architect and steam engineer.

The museum, is located near Narragansett Bay on grounds where the manufacturing company once stood. It features a collection of over 60 boats including Nathanael Greene Herreshoff's Clara, built in 1887, Harold Vanderbilt's Trivia, and the 1992 IACC yacht, Defiant. The Nathanael Greene Herreshoff Model Room contains over 500 yacht and steam yacht models and the Rebecca Chase Herreshoff Library holds a collection of books and manuscripts related to the company, the Herreshoff family, and yachting. 

Even though I have minimal interest in boating, this museum was interesting as it is one-of-a kind and the boats on display were amazingly crafted.

However, Patrick (aka Grenville) has long been a sailing fan and as a former sailboat owner, he thoroughly enjoyed this stop.

Blithewold

Blithewold, a 33-acre summer estate, in Bristol, RI, is nationally significant in American history as one of the most fully-developed and intact examples of the Country Place Era in the U.S., and for its artistic value in representing the influence of the Arts and Crafts movement in this country.

Blithewold today

The estate includes this 45-room mansion filled with family heirlooms and has an extensive garden and arboretum. The gardens contain over 1,500 trees and shrubs that grow along its borders. There are some 250 different kinds of plants with both native and exotic species. A few years ago, Blithewold, was named in Yankee Magazine's Best 5 Public Gardens in New England.

Bessie and Augustus Van Winkle

Blithewold was the home of the Van Winkle family. Augustus Van Winkle, born in New Brunswick, NJ (another NJ connect) was heir to a family coal-mining operation in Hazelton, PA. He came to enjoy the Ocean State after attending Brown University in Providence, RI.  His wife, Bessie Pardee Van Winckle, who also grew up in Hazleton, PA, and was heiress to a mining fortune. They purchased 70 acres of waterfront land in Bristol as a summer retreat away from their Hazleton, PA home to build what they called a "country home." Coincidentally, Van Winkle also purchased a 72-foot steam yacht from the Herreshoff boat building company in Bristol. 

 Blithewold, an early photo

The mansion was built in Queen Anne style in 1895 and named Blithewold (Old English for "happy woodland") but it was destroyed by a fire in 1906. The slow-moving fire within the walls could not be extinguished, but much of the furnishings and other objects were removed from the house. It was rebuilt as Blithewold II and designed in the English Country Manor style.

 The Great Lawn goes to the edge of Narragansett Bay

Bessie Van Wickle was an accomplished horticulturist who wanted enough land to establish gardens and an arboretum. Blithewold’s sweeping 10-acre Great Lawn rolls down to the water’s edge and boasts more than 1,500 trees and shrubs that grow along its borders. There are nearly 250 different kinds of woody plants in the collection with both native and exotic species. 

The Christmas tree would be set up here

The family was known for gracious hospitality and carefully orchestrated parties for family and friends. Unlike many other wealthy families who only spent summer months in RI, they resided at Blithewold from May to November, usually returning for holidays and family occasions. A docent shared that a fresh-cut Christmas tree would be set up in the foyer from the first-floor to second-floor.

The trees at Blithewold have attracted attention throughout its history. Landscape architect John DeWolf's handwritten notes from 1895 contain his original plans for the property. He designed an informal landscape of gently sloping lawns with wide borders of flowers, trees and shrubs. 

DeWolf planted a Giant Sequuoia (Sequoiadendron giganteum) referred to as the “big tree” in 1911. A native of Bristol, DeWolf was formerly Superintendent of Prospect Park in Brooklyn, NY, where he had been growing the sequoia in a greenhouse.

The Big Tree and the bamboo grove (and us)

The Bamboo Grove covers an area nearly the size of a tennis court, and is planted with Yellow-groove bamboo (Phyllostachys aureosulcata) which grows to 33 feet tall.

Today, aside from the mansion, it's the maturity of the gardens which is one of the defining features of this property. It attracts a range of visitors including botanists, garden groups and home gardeners looking for ideas and inspiration. It's also a popular site for weddings and other special events.

In 1936, Marjorie Van Wickle Lyon inherited her parents estate and lived there until her death in 1976 at age 93. By her bequest, ownership of Blithewold passed to the Heritage Foundation of Rhode Island. Blithewold is managed by Blithewold Inc, a nonprofit organization dedicated to keeping the property open to the public, in accordance with her wishes.

Thanks, for coming along if you have made it to the end of this post As fellow blogger, AC, aptly noted in his comment, we definitely DO NOT do tidbits. When putting this together it seemed better to go for everything at once vs. several posts. Yet, despite doing that, there's at least one more to come on this recent RI trip, but NOT this week.