Back to Rhode Island

Day three of our Eastern Road Trip found us taking a short break from the road. We spent a leisurely morning at D & D's over coffee and conversation. The plan, more or less, was for Susie and I to drive in to Providence, revisiting a few old haunts and meet up with Lee Forbes for coffee. We would then rendezvous with Dick and Dorothy at Andrea Feldman's for takeout dinner from Nick's on Broadway, one our favorite eateries. 

A little after 1pm Susie and I left Linden Street and made our way south on Route 146 to Providence. We stopped briefly at Marty's Liquors along the way to pick up a couple of bottles of wine. Once in the city proper and after slugging through the city's traffic snarls -- shades of things to come -- we got off at Atwell's Avenue. We drove past Gracie's and around the downtown proper before heading over to l'Artisan Cafe at Wayland Square where we found Lee Forbes waiting for us.

We spent the better part of the next hour and a half catching up on each other's lives. It was as if we had just seen her last week. . .  Susie and Lee share a genuine love of not just great baking but also a fondness for France and Paris in particular. It was wonderful to see her again and know that she's well, safe and enjoying life.

After saying adieu to Lee we began making our way back across the river, wending our way through Wickenden Street and more traffic gridlock until we found ourselves back on Westminster Street. We passed our old condo before turning down Sycamore, ending up at Andrea's condo nearby. For those of you not familiar with this side of our Providence story, Andrea and I worked together at Johnson & Wales University and she, her mom and Susie and I shared many a dinner together. Coincidently we lived barely three blocks from each other. Andrea's mom Barbara has been hunkered down with her daughter during Covid.

Dick and Dorothy had been hung up in Friday afternoon traffic (no surprise there) but soon arrived and we started the party. Great food, good company, and scrumptious wines; just like the old days. 

Next up will be a drive to Portland, Maine for lunch with Susie's sister Joyce and then a visit with Uncle Frank in Quincy, Massachusetts.

l'Artisan Cafe in Wayland Square

Susie

Lee

Andrea's garden

Andrea

Dorothy's fruit tart

Susie, Dorothy, Dick, Andrea and Barbara

On to Massachusetts

Day two of our road trip we began the morning relaxing and enjoying coffee in our room. We brought our Nespresso Mini with us and a good thing it was since the only option would've been in-room Keurig Cups. No thanks.

A little before 10am we loaded the car and were back on the road and heading east out of Corning. 

It was another gorgeous, warm morning and a lovely day for a drive. Traffic was light as we passed along the Chemung and Susquehanna Valleys, through Elmira and Binghamton where we switched to I-88 north to Albany. At Oneonta we got off onto state route 23 where our progress slowed by half but we enjoyed the scenery and small villages that dotted our way to Prattsville.

After a little more than 170 miles and three hours we pulled into the Archer homestead. 

Located in the the Catskills, Don and Gloria have been pretty much hunkered down here for the better part of the past year or so. We enjoyed a scrumptious lunch out on their back deck overlooking the surrounding hills: chili, coleslaw, Turkish bread, salmon salad, fruit and a delicious aged cheddar. It was so quiet and peaceful and was a perfect spot for the four of us to catch up on all the news -- we hadn't seen each other for over three years so there was a lot to chat about. 

Susie and I said our goodbyes to D & G, wishing them well and hoping to see them again sooner than later. We piled into the Subaru and about 2:30 pm pushed on to Massachusetts.

The drive was uneventful, traffic light, roads OK, as we made our way to I-87 north then on to I-90 east. A little over three hours later were pulling onto Linden Street and into to Dick & Dorothy's driveway. We unloaded the car and the four of us relaxed on their patio with a glass of cold Prosecco. About 6:30 we were joined for dinner by our niece Mallory and we all had the unique opportunity to enjoy a delicious Shepherd's Pie followed by a rhubarb cake for dessert. 

The day had been marked by a relaxing pair of drives mixed with warm fellowship and friendly banter. It's hard to imagine a better way to spend one's time.

Next up, a trip down memory lane, or rather down Route 146 to Providence, Rhode Island.

On the Road to New York

It was a gorgeously warm morning when we pulled out of Eagle Ridge court, pointed the car east and sped off to New York. Traffic was surprisingly light for most of the trip and the roads were generally and not unexpectedly in poor shape. 

The exception being the Ohio Turnpike between Toledo and Cleveland and I-86 in southern New York. In fact, the Southern Tier Expressway, as it's known locally, was a wonderful way to spend the last 170 or so miles before we reached Corning, New York. The scenery was really quite lovely, little traffic to the point of being a bit spooky, and the views along the Allegheny River Valley were remarkable. The NY Welcome Center overlooking Chautauqua Lake was a most pleasant surprise.

We stopped for a picnic lunch along the Ohio TP; other than gas and bathroom stops we kept pushing eastward.

Nine hours and nearly 600 miles later we pulled into our hotel in Corning. We had stayed at this particular Hilton property, the Garden Inn, overlooking the Chemung River back in 2019 and thought it a fine place to spend a night. Although I had checked in online before we left Michigan I never received my digital key so we had to stop at the desk to pick up a physical keycard. 

After unpacking a few items we walked from the hotel across the river into downtown Corning. I had made reservations at The Cellar, a wine bar on Market Street, and we were soon seated at a hightop with a view of the street so people watching played a large part of our evening's entertainment. We ate here in 2018 and in 2019 and found the food delicious, the service friendly and the wine list worth the stop alone. We were not disappointed this time either.

For our aperitif we ordered two glasses of Prosecco, each with a shot of Campari, to toast our arrival back in the City of Glass. For dinner we shared an order of roasted Brussels sprouts with walnuts, I had chicken with waffles on a bed of fried cauliflower, and Susie had two chicken empanadas and a house salad, all washed down with a glass of Sancerre. A perfect way to end a long day of travel.

From the restaurant we strolled back to the hotel and bed. 

Next stop - the Archers in Prattsville, New York, for lunch and then push on to Dick &
Dorothy's home in Douglas, Massachusetts.

Ciao for now!

Chautauqua Lake Welcome Center and overlook

Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler by John Singer Sargent

So young and so serious. 

Elizabeth Winthrop Chanler, 1893, by John Singer Sargent.

 

Lady Lochnaw of Agnew

And I always thought Gertrude was a lousy name for a girl.  Until I stumbled across Lady Gertrude Lochnaw of Agnew. “You’re a fool” she said right to my face. And of course she was right. 

1892-93 by John Singer Sargent.