Round The World and other travels
A frequent flyer's collection of trip diaries
This is: American Double 2014
Newport - Hyannis - Provincetown
Breakfast at the Mill Street Inn struck me as being a little on the rudimentary side for a Small Luxury Hotels of the World property. I consoled myself with the thought that it was all too easy to overeat on holiday, especially when in the USA, and the conclusion that this was therefore a good thing. (I'm not sure I succeeded in convincing myself, however.) I decided that I probably hadn't done justice to Newport's downtown area on my day of arrival and went for a stroll after breakfast to take a few more photos.
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| ABOVE: Some morning views of downtown Newport | |||||
After checking out at around 10am, I moved the car the short distance to Newport's International Tennis Hall of Fame and Museum - not the world's snappiest title, it has to be said! I had an enjoyable look around, both indoors and out, and wished that time was available for a more leisurely approach.
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| ABOVE: I made an all too brief mid-morning visit to the International Tennis Hall of Fame | |||||
Next, I took another very short drive for the purpose of resuming my tour of historic Newport mansions, with a visit to The Elms. This house, based on the Château d'Asnières-sur-Seine near Paris, was constructed in 1901 for coal magnate Edward Julius Berwind. It features particularly fine grounds and gardens. The tour here was self-guided and I was able to upgrade the previous day's ticket at minimal cost to cover entry. The house's recent history was similar to that of the other two properties visited: The Elms was acquired for preservation in 1962 and declared a US historical landmark in 1996.
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LEFT: Photos of my visit to The Elms |
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BELOW: Stock images of house interior | ||
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Following a light
lunch at a small, family-run café, I set off on the 75-mile drive to
Hyannis, Massachusetts, situated on the southern shore of Cape Cod
and informally known as 'the capital of the Cape'. My purpose in
breaking my journey here was to visit the old Town Hall, now home to
a small museum dedicated to the memory of President John F Kennedy
and featuring numerous photographs from the time that he spent in the
town. The displays tended to scream "Sixties!" and their
recognisable feel left me just a little bit uncomfortable.
More poignant, of course, were the stark reminders of a high-profile
and relatively young life cut short by an assassin's bullet.
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| ABOVE: The John F Kennedy museum in Hyannis | |||||
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| ABOVE: Arrival at Crowne Pointe | |
The final stretch of my journey up to Provincetown, on the curled tip of the Cape, proved to be an easy run on fairly quiet roads. It came as no surprise to find that daylight had gone by the time I reached my next destination, Crowne Pointe Historic Inn & Spa. I received a warm welcome and was shown to my room, after which the first order of business was attendance at the daily cheese & wine event. Later, I had a most enjoyable dinner in the hotel's well regarded restaurant, consisting of a lobster ravioli starter and a roast chicken main course. It hardly seemed possible that a week had passed since the trip began.