Another beautiful day in southern Rhode Island. Before beach season hits, my mom and I thought we'd check out Watch Hill in Westerly. Sitting just over the border from Connecticut and a few miles shy of Misquamicut, Watch Hill is a hamlet for the wealthy and beach friendly. While well known for its hotel that could rival Downton Abbey, its newest claim occurred in 2013 when Taylor Swift bought a house there: a pristine white colonial on top...
Have you ever been to a beach in the winter? It’s an odd thing. Eerie even. For a place that’s usually filled with people and families, to see it empty and abandoned can be a shock, even if you are expecting it. It was that shock and emptiness that reminded me of what it’s like the moment you realize you're going to lose someone you love. Some moments, diseases, things, you can do something about, others; not so much. This past fall, I...
When it's so cold that you need to wear socks inside your boots, a sweater under your coat, and fur-lined gloves even though your hands are already stuffed inside your pockets, it can take a lot to justify going outside. Work pays, garbage smells and sometimes it's good to check the mail. That's about it. During my recent visit to Coggeshall Farm Museum in Bristol, Rhode Island, on a day just as cold as the one described above, I quickly...
The peace and quiet of this trip began long before we reached the wildlife refuge. For some, driving the long way across Massachusetts after the hustle and bustle of a workweek might not sound fun or relaxing at all, but for us it was a way to take back the weekend, our schedules, and get away from the demands of everyday life. By taking interstate 495, we literally drove miles out of our way just because we could, because it was different,...
Ocean City, New Jersey is one of those hidden gems that I find most New Englanders have never heard of. More often that not, they think I’m talking about Ocean City Maryland, and not its closer relative. Then when they realize I’m talking about somewhere on “the shore”, well, they get a little skeptical. What the above photos show you is the quiet side Ocean City has to offer. It has eight miles of clean, sandy beaches—all of which...
