So, classes finished Friday and we capped them off with a nice class picnic out on one of the campus lawns. We had a good class turnout and we all enjoyed a nice leisurely afternoon eating thai food and mixing and mingling with everyone before our week off of classes. Most people are heading out of town for at least a mini-vacation (our summer vacation...though summer is almost over) though some are taking the whole week off with trips planned for all over the country and more (California, Cabo, Paris, etc.). Alicia and I decided to take a mini-vacation as we still have a lot of errands to run that we haven't been able to do since moving to town.
Our vacation started Friday night with a trip to Tanglewood. Tanglewood is the summer home of the Boston Symphony Orchestra and they have a beautiful pavilion and estate that visitors are invited to roam around before the concerts begin. We rented a car to get to the concert with the plan of having a nice picnic and a chance to roam the grounds before the show, but due to excessive construction on the Mass Turnpike, we arrived just in time to find a spot on the lawn and settle in to see the show. The first half was Bartok's "Bluebeard's Castle" which I swear I have seen or heard before though I have no memory as to when or where (Mom or Dad, any ideas?). It was a great piece with two very talented soloists showcasing their skills. During the applause and then intermission, the wind kicked up and then the rain started pouring down. The entire audience on the lawn decided that it was too much for them and picked up their things and left. Alicia and I were determined to see the next piece (Alicia's favorite) Brahms' Symphony No. 1 so we decided to take shelter under a big tree. Apparently, this was not a good idea as the police and fire marshall came over to us and suggested we move under the pavilion. What a great idea! We were able to get some very nice seats in the relative warmth of the pavilion and truly enjoyed the balance of Brahms and the wild weather we were getting. Lightning and thunder pounded outside while the BSO did their best to counter. An amazing experience for all! Definitely one that we'll remember forever.
The next day, we had plans to head down to Newport, RI with some classmates and SOs. We got up early to return the rental car and then met up with everyone to catch a ride down to RI. 1.5 hours later, we arrived and found a great beach to hang out at for the day. A little cold out of the water due to a steady wind (not to mention a LOT of sand blown all over and in to our things) forced us to spend a lot of time in the water trying to bodysurf in the waves. First time for some of us to try and bodysurf so it was a fun and frustrating day. After tiring ourselves out, we went into downtown Newport and had lunch. Then we headed back home first heading through the Mansion Avenue - a road lined on both sides with ridiculously giant houses. What a sight to see! Definitely would suggest a visit down this road whenever you make it to Newport.
On Monday morning, we woke up early and headed out to Martha's Vineyard for a early-week-weekend-getaway. It only takes about 3.5 hours to make it from our front door to the island docks and so we were able to spend most of Monday exploring the island. It was suggested that we take the day to explore the up-island towns of Edgartown, Oak Bluffs, and Vineyard Haven. Since we didn't have a car or moped (hated on the island), we used the Martha's Vineyard Bus line to get around. Only $6 per person for an all day pass, it was quite a deal for us. We had fun travelling from town to town window shopping (the weather was sufficiently cold to keep everyone away from the beaches) at all the ridiculous things that rich people like and buy. My favorite item of ridiculousness was a $2,000 diamond encrusted bracelet pendant that resembled Martha's Vineyard. The catch was that the band was a piece of string. If I owned a $2,000 bracelet, I would not trust a piece of string to hold it on my wrist! We grew tired of each town as every one had all the same stores and lacked the small town fishing village feel. I think that there were two Black Dog stores in every town! Talk about a monopoly! People everywhere all decked out in their Black Dog shirts, shoes, umbrellas, etc. They did have a great bakery though, which we would highly recommend. Another recommendation would be The Net Result in Vineyard Haven. Great seafood that you take out and eat on large picnic tables. Great food and a lot of fun! After spending the day at the up-island towns, we were a little disappointed with everything that Martha's Vineyard had to offer. We had a nice dinner in Oak Bluffs and then headed back to our B&B.
The next day we decided to head out to the down-island towns and Gay Head beach/lighthouse. Our first stop was the lighthouse and though there was a great view, we felt that it was just a tourist trap. The bus only came every hour and there wasn't a whole lot to do there (though there were plenty of shops for you to buy things at). The next stop was Menemsha and this was quite a treat. It was still the sleepy little fishing village that we were looking for. We had a lot of fun walking around this town (where the movie "Jaws" was based) and wished that we had more time to spend here. If we come back this will be our first stop, not our last! After a brief visit to Menemsha, we headed back home. Again, a roughly 3.5 hours of travel and we were home - tired, but very relaxed.
Well, I have to get going, Alicia and I are going to go walk the Freedom Trail this afternoon, so more later...
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