History! 28sept2016

We had a full day today! I stayed up late last night planning our attack. We made it halfway through the list. We started with a good old fashioned diner breakfast at Bishop’s 4th Street Diner. 

Actually we tried to go see Boyd’s Windmill first but couldn’t find it. Oh well. From breakfast we headed to Touro Synagogue – the oldest synagogue in America. George Washington, John F. Kennedy and Eisenhower all visited. Bill Clinton got as far as the front door but wouldn’t go in because there was no back door. We took the tour (and got a fat discount due to my National Parks pass – thank you Susie Miller) which was very informative and also spent another half hour in the museum. 

Then over to Redwood Library – the oldest lending library in America. Unfortunately, we were too cheap to pay $10 each to look inside so we turned around and took a photo of the outside. 

Next stop, Fort Adams. I really thought we could poke around and leave. Nope – by tour only. I really wanted to see it for some reason, so we paid and took the tour. 

It was awesome. The guide was a war strategy freak. He answered so many questions. Then he extended the one hour tour by taking us out and then back in from the perspective of the attackers. He showed us how everything funneled into kill zones. Then he took us down into tunnels that led out under the fort. Those of us not claustrophobic also went through a side “listening” tunnel that was very tiny and dark. It was so Game of Thrones. And we got Tunnel Rat stickers! Whoop!

The only thing is that the fort never saw battle. It was built at the point where the British invaded and occupied twice before (American Revolution and War of 1912) and there was no way America was going to let that happen again. 

So, Fort Adams was never challenged. Over the years it was kind of abandoned and then open to the public as a what I can only imagine would be an AWESOME and creepy unmanaged park. It was pillaged as you would expect. In 1994 the Fort Adams Trust began restoring with money from tours. I love history and ate that tour up. The tour, however, ate up a good chunk of our day. 

Our next stop was Jamestown. We mostly drove through – end to end – checking out Beavertail lighthouse, Jamestown windmill (was closed) and other sights. 

My friend and former Jam staffer, Heather Munroe, is from Rhode Island and steered us to the south side of Narragansett Bay to Point Judith for dinner at Matunuck Oyster Bar. What a meal! We had Rhode Island clam chowder which has a clear broth, stuffies – which are quahogs with a chourico (how they spell chorizo) stuffing, clams casino, and more lobster! It was the best meal we have had by leaps and bounds. Cocktails and beer – out the door for just over $100. The deal of the century!!! 

By this time it was 6pm and we hadn’t even checked into our new hotel. Time to head to Newport. Good news… Marriott Newport is lovely. No hairs or foreign objects on the floors! 

We had planned to go to Martha’s Vineyard tomorrow – but I don’t think we will. It’s too big of a day for us elderly birds. We will either hit Providence or Boston. 

Onward ♋+♊