?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="no"?Hello and happy September! I absolutely L-O-V-E the fall - the smells, the sights, the amazing colors, change of wardrobe, football season (well at least love the idea), start of school…..just a really special time of year! And since we are saying hello to fall….it is time to start the good bye to summer and vacation, so on today’s post we wrap up the Cape with two of our favorite days: trip to Newport and tour of Camelot!
Danny went to school for three semesters at Salve Regina in Newport, RI. He fell in love with the area and school grounds - so we almost always try to steal away and visit for a day. And to entertain me……the Kennedy’s!!! I have a total obsession with Camelot and Cape Cod is my dream for collecting odds and ends about their family - so a day trip centered around tourist behavior has become another regular vaca day for the Bessettes.
Newport is a beautiful spot that feels right out of a magazine. The stores, the restaurants, the activity - just grabbing a meal and watching the world go by feels like a perfect Newport day….so we add in a few stops and always have a great time. First up was Beaver Park to explore a lighthouse and the surrounding parks. Right off the water and steeped with WWI and WWII history, as well as some oceanographic info, right up Danny’s alley. He loves walking the grounds, explaining the potential tactics of our veterans, and sharing stories of family trips to these parks. I pretty much soak up the sun, the ocean breeze and Dan’s chatter - without much history registering - oops! And this trip we met up with good friends from VA so Dan’s tour guide skills were put to even better use this time….me I just soaked up the views.
After a tour of the lighthouse and parks we were on to lunch - my favorite part (the tour of New England cuisine continues….)! Heading downtown and parking amongst the quaint streets with flags flying, merchant goodies calling and buzz of activity - you just know your enjoying the town life! I love the idea of seeing how folks live their days and sitting on a street corner with my lobster bisque people watching was perfect. Feeling the breeze off the harbor, laughing with our friends and hearing Dan tell about his chapter of life that took place up North - I really felt the “I am on vacation” vibe and it was wonderful.
Our next stop was Dan’s old stomping around - Salve Regina University. It is unlike any school I have ever been to - many of the buildings are old mansions, overlooking the famous cliff walk and often it has people filming a movie at one of the monster homes (This time it was Woody Allen!)! A far cry from my college tours of dining halls and libraries. Dan eventually came back to the DC area to finish his degree- being a criminal justice major and hoping to get into government contracting it only made sense to move closer to the action….and away from the tough winters….but it still holds such special place in his heart. And I love the idea of peaking into a part of his world I never knew.
Newport wrapped up with a gigantic ice coffee…..I started to crave my Dunkies up there just like Dan’s family has taught me….and heading home to the Cape for a family dinner. Newport was a great day trip and I dream of going back year after year to share this part of my hubby’s world with our future family.
Then it was my turn for tourist fun…..back to Camelot we went! For as long as I can remember I have always been very facinsated by the Kennedy family. It started with Jackie Kennedy. I think it was my grandmother’s love for her that kicked it all off. All three of us share the same spelling of ‘Jacqueline' and when President Kennedy was murdered my grandmother wrote the first lady, receiving a hand written letter back! This special letter has now been handed on to me. From there the love of this unique family has only grown…..even if my Republican politics are a bit different - and I soak up any chance to learn more about their fairytale!
This year I had went to Dallas in June for work and visited the museums about the assassination and JFK’s political career….so this tourist trip I craved family details and it did not disappoint! At the JFK museum they shared TONS of details about the Kennedy compound and what the little town of Hyannis meant to the Kennedy’s. From there we did portions of the walking tour to see where they went to church, different town spots that have been dedicated to the family and the veteran’s park.
I read EVERY plaque and downloaded EVERY tour guide available for smart phones….Danny was extremely patient! The silver lining was a small exhibit in the basement of the JFK Museum was dedicated to Cape Cod Baseball - so that at least made the trip a little bearable for the hubby!
This year the museum had a special exhibit of what each room in the main Kennedy vacation home looked like - it was AWESOME! You could just see their lives taking place in those rooms…..you felt the summer sun and salty air hot on their skin just like my days on the Cape. I really, really enjoyed it.
Our Cape Cod trip was a little crazy and a combination of a little long and a little short -but we had some great memories and it was an ideal way to savor summer. Our trip home was a bit delayed…..but our last few hours the below event took place….all three Bessette boys playing ball. Life is full and crazy, families with lots of personalities are a challenge, but when I can witness a moment like this - it reminds you what life is really about…..and I am really lucky to be with family.
