Mystic Seaport, Flea Market and Newport, Rhode Island

Sunday, September 9, 2012
     Waffles for breakfast then on the road to Mystic, Connecticut.  A beautiful little town with lots of shops, restaurants and a street fair today.  We enjoyed walking around - taking pictures.  Unfortunately it was too early for lunch so we didn't eat at Mystic Pizza - just took a picture.  The drawbridge is weighted with huge cement blocks - I had never seen one like it.  Great weather - enjoyed walking around and browsing in a few shops.

Lester at Mystic Seaport

     Our next stop was right across the Rhode Island state line in Westerly.  Nice town.  We stopped at an antique shop with a very nice, very talkative owner.  After asking where we were from (guess she caught that southern drawl), she asked who we wanted to win the presidential election.  I was almost afraid to answer.  I said "Romney" and she said, "Well, thank goodness.  I just don't understand these people who want to give Obama 4 more years."  I think everyone has very strong feelings about this election.  All we can do is vote and pray for the best of our country.  Interesting stop.
     We drove up the coast on Highway 1 - beautiful drive.  Lester has radar when it comes to flea markets - last minute right turn - a really good flea market.  We each bought a few small items.  I just hope he doesn't find an antlered animal head for sale - it will get really crowded in the car.

One of many Newport mansions

Brenda at Newport Coast

     Newport, Rhode Island - Wow.  Surely this town has the highest concentration of huge mansions in the world.  Amazing houses.  We took a "Mansion Tour" - 90 minutes of driving by huge mansions.  
The Hammersmith Farm once owned by Jackie Kennedy's family is still a beautiful working farm as well as a mansion.  They now raise Oreo Cows (Dutch Belted). Downtown Newport is beautiful - their visitor's center is the nicest I've seen. 
      Our last stop in Newport was the "Viking Tower" - some call it the Newport Tower.  There are several theories about when and why it was built.  It is really impressive and hard to believe it's been there hundreds of years - very mysterious.  A lady came up to us and said that we seemed very interested in the tower - her husband, Jim Egan has written ten books about the tower. 

Viking Tower (sometimes called Newport Tower)

     We are staying in North Dartmouth, Massachusetts tonight with plans to spend some time in New Bedford tomorrow.  It has been a good day.