Category Archives: THE EAST COAST

June 6, 2012 · 11:23 pm

Searching for a bed and breakfast in Washington DC – think I found one!

At the last minute, I needed to find one night’s accommodation in D.C. and none of my options looked very attractive – either too expensive/fancy or too inexpensive/shabby. I have a good deal for two nights at a hotel in Bethesda via Expedia – $103 a night (which I got in part by pre-paying way in advance) but a third night jumped up to $240. So I started looking for bed and breakfasts and I think I’ve found a good option: The Intown Uptown Inn in Upper Northwest D.C. (and their prices are even going DOWN in July.) Another attractive, albeit pricier option, was the The Woodley Park Guest House but I had trouble getting a room for just night.

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April 18, 2012 · 2:37 pm

whither The Carmelcorn Shop in Easton PA? It’s alive!

I STAND CORRECTED. The Carmelcorn Shop LIVES! My friend C. reported that it was closed when she dropped by but is open otherwise. Phew!

C.  emailed me this photo of  the candy shop that I loved to go to as a kid when I visited my Grandma in Easton, Pa.  C. was in town on a college visit to Lafayette College.  She also reports that Jimmy’s Hot dogs  – another Easton hot spot – is still around. Last time I was in Easton, a few years ago, it had survived but was no longer across the Delaware in P-burg N.J. but in a strip mall in Easton. Not quite the same atmosphere but good dogs still!

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April 12, 2012 · 2:09 pm

Archie Bunker’s chair! Ben Franklin’s Walking stick! American Stories exhibit at D.C.’s Smithsonian!

Fairmount Fire Company volunteer firefighting outfit

One of the more entertaining ways to soak in history is to study the history of things – so a new Smithsonian exhibit that presents history through a timeline of artifacts, including pop culture junk,  is right up my alley. The National Museum of American History’s new exhibit includes over 100 “iconic items” dating back to the Pilgrim’s arrival in 1620 (iconic item #1: a piece of Plymouth Rock.). Other items include a slave ship manifest, Dorothy’s ruby slippers from the “Wizard of Oz”,  and a Barack Obama campaign button written in Hebrew. (Hey, I have a Bill Clinton campaign button written in Hebrew!) There’s also a mobile app for the exhibit with more info on each object – in English and our new second U.S. language, Spanish. The exhibit is called American Stories and to see more of what’s in it (including the hat above) see: http://66.147.244.104/~amerifl5/americanstories/

I’ll be in DC in June and this is definitely on my list! I remember an exhibit at the Iowa State Historical Museum that took a similar approach to the sixties – that made me feel a bit like an relic myself as I pointed out to my then-little kids such once-familiar items as “hot pants.”

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November 7, 2011 · 9:21 pm

The connection between Cornwall, Connecticut and Hawaii’s Big Island: who knew?

In preparation for our upcoming trip to Hawaii, I’m reading Sarah Vowell’s book  Unfamiliar Fishes which traces the history of the U.S. annexation/Americanization of  Hawaii  in 1898, which began with the efforts of  New England missionaries in the 1820’s to Christianize the islanders.

To date, I’ve learned that some of the Yanks who arrived, full of Christian fervor, in 19th century Hawaii – first landing their boat on the Big Island’s western shore, where I will be landing in a plane in January –  had spent time in Cornwall, Connecticut, a sleepy little village in the state’s bucolic northwest corner where my husband and I happened to stop en route to the Berkshires in September.  Small world.

There’s even a plaque in  Cornwall marking the former grave site of  Hawaiian Henry Opukahaia – credited with helping bring the Yankee missionaries to his homeland – who was originally buried there in 1818.  An orphan, he found his way to New Haven where he converted to Christianity, got swept up in the missionary fervor, and went to a school run by missionaries in Cornwall. He ended up dying at 26 in Cornwall before he could return to Hawaii to spread the Good Lord’s word. His remains were transferred to Hawaii in 1993 where they’re in a vault facing the seat at Kahikolu Church in the town of Nao’opo’o, Kona on the Big Island. (Might be worth a visit.)

Overall, I’m finding  Vowell’s book a good preparation for Hawaii (both in understanding Hawaii’s  history and culture and in figuring out what to see  there) and a good read, although it is definitely not your typical historical tome, punctuated as it is by Vowell’s  rambling digressions, oft-witty asides and commentary linking the past and present, plus her apparent disdain for organizing her dense copy into chapters.  (I’m half way through and so far the book is one very long chapter.)

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September 16, 2011 · 2:53 pm

Mass MOCA – for huge art!

Last week, we thoroughly enjoyed a visit to the Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art (aka Mass MOCA) in the old factory town of North Adams, near Williamstown. It was raining, which made it easier to spend a September day inside – and we were impressed not only by the exhibits but the building itself – a huge sprawling weathered old factory. The show on oppressed workers (see description below) was engrossing – as was the semi-permanent (“on view through 2033” according to the website) retrospective of bold colorful Sol LeWitt wall paintings (especially engrossing was a video of young people creating  these paintings, following LeWitt’s instructions.)

I thought the Tate Modern in London was huge – but Mass MOCA is even huger and the enormity of some of the art installations (by Nari WArd and Katarina Grosse) is astonishing. The museum also has a good cafe (Lickety Split) with large well-done salads and sandwiches. And if it had not been raining, would have been fun to poke around town a bit, especially some of the galleries that have sprung up in the wake of Mass MOCA.

THE WORKERS exhibit: “What does work look like today in a global economy marked by outsourcing, rapid migration, disruptive economies, and a state of labor that seems fractured, precarious, and almost invisible? With video, sculpture, photography, and performance art from 25 artists, this exhibition examines the way labor is represented today (and how some contemporary workers choose to represent themselves). “

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September 14, 2011 · 7:56 pm

Williamstown Mass – where to stay, eat, what to do

It rained most of our day in the Berkshires but we still enjoyed the scenery. First stop Great Barrington where what Rubiner could resist a visit to Rubiner’s Cheesemongers – an artisanal cheese shop in an old bank on the main drag owned by a cousin of mine.  The cousin wasn’t around – and there wasn’t any cornbeef for the “Rubiner Sandwich” (no joke) served in the Rubi cafe behind the cheese shop but we enjoyed our visit – eating two sandwiches in what appeared to be the former bank’s boardroom, now the cafe. Also dropped in at a clothing store I liked last time I visited several years ago – and bought a few things on sale.

In Williamstown, we stayed at the River Bend Farm B&B, a very unique place located right beyond the Williams College campus. Run by two free spirits, it’s a meticulously restored 18th century house – plus modern day amenities like plumbing and heat. There are only four rooms, only two occupied and we had the place largely to ourselves – staying on the ground floor in what was the parlor, a lovely room with plastered ceilings, old moldings, wrought iron chandelier, fireplace. Next door was the kitchen – which looked like something out a living history farm with a big stone hearth with iron implements and dried herbs hanging on the wall. The bathroom was unique too – dark wood with big old pots on shelves (and a well-functioning shower.) Breakfast was good – homemade granola, muffins, jams. Definitely would return!

We splurged at Mezze for dinner, a white- tablecloth restuarant whose chef is known for his locally-sourced ingredients. We had a very good pork dish and pasta with a pork, beef, sausage ragu.Another keeper.

En route to the Berkshires on Highway 7 in Connecticut we stopped briefly in the pretty village of West Cornwall – where we crossed a covered bridge above a raging river (truly – the rivers were all raging thanks to Irene and causing havoc in many places.)

 

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September 9, 2011 · 10:54 pm

From Vermont to Water Mill NY just like that

As a midwesterner – this is what I love about the east coast. Within four hours we went from rural Vermont to the beach in the Hamptons. I woke up this morning in an 19th century inn in Grafton Vermont, with a few streets lined with pristine white wood houses, a white church with a huge white steeple and red dahlias abloom, a country pond lined with field stones. Now, at sunset, I am looking out across a lush green lawn rimmed with flora and fauna, beyond it the blue still waters of Mecox Bay. Beyond that a spit of land with big homes and then the Atlantic Ocean.

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August 30, 2011 · 9:41 pm

Getting to Grafton Vermont – this just in!

We just got encouraging word from Grafton Vt. about traveling there next week. Granted we may have to go a round-about way (since we were hoping to take Route 7 from Williamstown, Mass) but still…good to know there is a road open into town.

Hello friends,

 

On behalf of the entire Old Tavern at Grafton Inn family, we wanted to provide you with an update on the inn and on Grafton.

 

First and foremost, we are OPEN for business. In fact, most every business in Grafton is open. Hurricane Irene did not damage the inn in any way, and we are very grateful for that. Grafton Ponds Outdoor Center is drying out nicely and will be open for business this weekend.

 

Irene did hit southern Vermont hard and the village of Grafton experienced serious flooding. We have many bridges and roadways that are damaged. However, for those of you scheduled to visit us in September, fear not. Improvements are taking place daily.

 

Regarding our sister company Grafton Cheese, we did receive some water damage in our Grafton production facility, but it is being worked on and cheese making will continue there ASAP. Our Grafton Cheese retail store in the village is OPEN. Our Brattleboro production facility and retail store are fine and operations continue there as usual.

 

At present, getting into Grafton is through Chester, Vermont. Directions are below.

 

We have updated our Facebook page with new photos and videos. Please visit us here.

 

DIRECTIONS TO GRAFTON
Take Exit 6 (Rockingham) off of I-91 and follow Route 103 into Chester. When you get into Chester village, take a left onto Grafton Road (next to Chester Hardware).  This road will take you right into Grafton. At the end of the Road, take a right and the inn is 1/4 mile ahead of you.

If you are coming in from Albany NY for the wedding this weekend, the best way to get here is to take the Mass Pike to I-91 North into Vermont. Routes 9 and 7 in Vermont are currently closed.

We look forward to having you visit us in Grafton soon!

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August 30, 2011 · 9:05 pm

You go Vermont! Picking up the pieces after Irene.

News reports today suggest that Vermonters are working hard – with considerable help from friends/government – to recover from the devastation caused by Irene which is good news on many fronts, primarily of course for Vermonters, especially those living in a dozen or so particularly hard hit small towns,  but also for us tourists who love the place enough to travel thousands of miles (in our case from Iowa) to visit. Here’s hoping we can get there next week – although the road damage remains a big issue.

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August 11, 2011 · 2:06 am

Finally picked a place to stay in the Berkshires

After much research, I’ve finally settled on staying at River Bend Farm B&B when we are in Williamstown, Mass. next month. I was taken by its historic charm, location, and price. It’s a 1770 Colonial home – “magnificently restored” according to one review with only four rooms – and two baths to share. It’s a mile from town and costs $134 a weeknight (including tax….which is good for the pricey Berkshires.)

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