Some of the New England States

We left New Jersey for the next adventure - the New England States and the beginning of the Yellowstone Trail.  We crossed a corner of New York state and drove through Connecticut to our next destination of Brimfield, Massachusetts.

 

We crossed the Hudson River and drove through some very pretty areas in New York State.

We stopped at the Connecticut Welcome Center but the information center wasn't opened - only the restrooms.  We had seen some rest areas closed but this was the first information center that wasn't opened.

Hartford, CT, was set in a hilly area with lots of trees and interesting old buildings.

Lots of old churches, too.

There was also the part of Hartford with skyscrapers and newer businesses.

Connecticut was the first of the NE states for us to see and Massachusetts was the next one.

We spent a week in an RV park near Brimfield, MA, and we spent some time exploring from there.  Our first day took us towards Boston and Plymouth, MA.  We followed the route of the Yellowstone Trail through Worcester, Boston to Plymouth.  We didn't find anything marked for the Yellowstone Trail.  We saw many very old cemeteries.  They were so amazing.

Sorry about cutting off the top of this church but took the picture on the fly.  It was so beautiful.

There were a lot of old municipal buildings as we traveled and some of them had these ornate structures on top.

These were some of the first buildings (probably apartments or condos) we saw as we got to the Boston area.

There was a college campus along the way.  There were football stadiums, dorms,etc. but we never did see the name of this one pictured below.  We know it wasn't Boston University because we later saw it but weren't able to get a picture because of the direction we were traveling on the freeway.

Before we got to Boston, we passed by the sign for Gore Place.  (Former VP Al Gore)  I felt impressed to see the beautiful area of MA where he had his home.

We got to our destination for the day Plymouth, MA, where we got to see Plymouth Rock.  It's a lot smaller than you would think - about 4 ft by 6 ft - but it was inspiring to be there.  We couldn't help but think of the Pilgrims and the hard times they endured after they arrived.  It was during the winter months and it is said they would not have survived (many didn't) if the Indians had not helped them.

We had a great seafood meal.  The halibut was great but our friend, Suzy, must have gotten some bad clams.  She was pretty sick all night.  Took a few days for her to feel good again but she was a trooper about it. 

We find these type of monuments in many places.  This one was in a city park where we stopped for lunch on our way to Boston.  Some of them honor an era like the Civil War and some of them honor individuals.  It would be difficult to remember all of them but we are thankful to see all these memorials and grateful someone initiates and completes them.

We left our RV's for three days to make a trip to Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.  As part of this trip, our first stop was at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, MA.  For me, it was a real highlight.  I have collected Norman Rockwell items for many, many years.  Mugs, plates, prints, books, bells, jigsaw puzzles, glasses - to name some.  My kitchen at home is my display area for them.  We have purchased some of the collection but many things have been given to me by friends and family which makes it even more meaningful.

The museum was housed in this elegant building in a very nice, rural setting.  It was so interesting to see the oil paintings of all the prints we have loved.  We had a gallery tour and learned about how Norman Rockwell used photos of his models to put his ideas together for a painting.  The guide told how down-to-earth he was and how he used many local people for his models.  The photos of every day life is what we like best about his work.

This is the actual studio that Norman Rockwell used for his work.  It was moved from where he lived in the town of Stockbridge to this location.  All of his easels, desks, etc. were on display in his studio.

Oh, did I tell you that we have a special traveler with us. Here's a picture of Milo, Pete and Suzy's adorable companion, while he waits patiently for us to visit with someone. He has been an excellent traveler.

The next post will be about our travels in Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine.