Rhody Road Trip

At Brenton State Park

Since yesterday was our visiting Panamanians last day in the US we decided to take them down to Newport, Rhode Island for the scenic views and large mansions. The excellent boss allowed me to leave work a few hours early and after we convinced my wife that it is not a mortal sin to actually leave on time we were on our way. I’ve made this same trip so many times over the years that it seemed to flow by quickly. I’m here to testify that there is significantly less traffic on a weekday September afternoon than at any time in the summer when all the Rhode Islanders are swarming to the beaches.

Our Guests with One of Mansions in Far Distance

Wife and Her Cousin

Portuguese Monument

Wife Took this of Me Climbing the Rock Pier

We had a spectacular day to tour old Newport where our visitors were very impressed with the summer houses of the DuPonts, Vanderbilts, et al. I always like stopping by Brenton State Park which looks out on to the vast Atlantic. We stopped by the memorials there and I did some rock climbing out onto an ancient rock pier. When I asked the visitors what they thought of the area they repeated a seemingly constant theme for their visit – they could not believe how tranquil life seems to be here. That’s something most Americans don’t appreciate enough especially when they want to tear down what we have. It takes an outsider’s viewpoint to truly understand how blessed we are to live in this greatest of all countries.

They Walk Slower than I Do

We returned to the center of Newport so some shopping (duhh) could take place. I decided to show my wife’s cousin’s husband what my standard operating procedure was when my wife launched on a Newport shopping foray. You probably have guessed that it involved my favorite Irish pub in Newport, Buskers. I faced the acid test of work week sobriety but I only had sodas while exposing my guest to an array of Irish beers, school nights suck but I behaved.

Inside Buskers

The ladies eventually exhausted their opportunities and we had a delightful dinner at Buskers while watching an interesting collection of Newport denizens wander by outside. It was bittersweet since these very fun people were leaving the next morning but we certainly made the most of it. Since we were in Newport, near a Base Exchange, my wife insisted we stop by the Newport Naval Base. I’m not saying I’m smart enough to have planned this but it was sweet music to my ears when we arrived and the store manager told us they were closing in fifteen minutes.

The Sunset with Newport Bridge

Undaunted my wife and her cousin made the most of that limited time before they were escorted out. We were treated to a truly spectacular sunset as we made our way back over the bridge towards civilization. My wife, never one to accept defeat so easily, declared we still had shopping to do and I needed to take them to a Walmart in Worcester (she knows it stays open 24 hours). Since one of the things our guests wanted to purchase was Red Sox gear I acquiesced. I feel it is my heaven sent mission to spread the gospel of Red Sox nation into the Yankee infested heartland of Panama.

I'm Going to Miss Them

Unbeknownst to my wife I knew of a huge Walmart located right off our route home. She complained right up to the point I pulled in and confronted her with the immense edifice. I think it was because I got off the highway one exit early and had to do some back road navigating to get there but we found everything we needed so the Panamanians could complete the luggage packing upon our return and my wife actually admitted I was right about something (note the date).

Someone's Happy Daddy is Home

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