Blue States

Just before Christmas I had planned a three day trip to New York City to attend a CME conference. Unfortunately, I did not register far enough in advance, and the conference was entirely sold out. Not all was lost, as I now had time for a three day vacation!
The first day I drove down to New Haven, Connecticut and took a commuter train from there on into NYC. I was able to catch a show by one of three dance companies my sister is currently a part of. I was impressed as I had not seen her dance in some time, and her professional abilities were remarkable. Afterwards, we visited a shop that exclusively sold milkshakes. My "black and white" was just right. Yummy.
The next day, my time in NYC was finished up with a trip to the Apple store in SOHO for some accessories to go with my new iPod. The crowds on the sidewalk were nearly impassable. All in all though I loved the hustle and bustle of the "busy sidewalks dressed in holiday style".
Then it was back on the commuter train to New Haven, CT, home of Yale University. It was evening when I arrived, but I wanted to go drive by the famous campus. The buildings were the very essence of "ivy league" - all massive stone in the Romanesque style arranged in clusters around open green space with pathways carved geometrically across the manicured lawns. The main green had a large Christmas tree as seen below.

As I was driving around, I found the campus chapel (yes, Yale used to be a Christian university with mandatory chapel attendance). Inside there was a Christmas concert with a 75+ voice choir. Awwww. After a prolonged drought from living in extremely rural areas over the last 6 months I was able to experience fine arts two nights in a row.

The last day of my mini-vacation found me in Mystic, CT along the Mystic River (famous from a recent movie of same name). The old seaport (as seen above) was full of relics from the 18th-19th centuries. Antique shops were everywhere. Salt water breezes from nearby Long Island Sound stirred up my appetite to try seafood, so I went to the local fish market and had a bowl of Rhode Island style clam chowder (broth based rather than the traditional cream based style found elsewhere in New England). Even though I usually don't like seafood, I will admit, the real thing was pretty good.

I love the big old homes that are found everywhere in New England (as above near Rhode Island). There is almost no "cookie cutter" architecture to be found as is so common in most cities in the midwest. Instead, all the homes appear to be over a hundred years old. Many are the "salt box" style. Most of them are big. I'm sure this is because all the small homes that weren't worth saving were long ago torn down.

After Connecticut, I drove through Rhode Island. It only took about 45 minutes to cross the entire state. Then suddenly I was coming into the suburbs of Boston. While driving along the interstate, I noticed a sign about the Minute Men National Park. I pulled off and found myself in Lexington, Massachusetts, the sight of the first battle of the Revolutionary War. Above is the original road that the Redcoats marched along on their way to seize the colonists weapons in Concord (the likely impetus behind the second amendment). Remnants of the rock walls the colonists hid behind while sniping at the British are still present.

Above is Buckman's Tavern built in 1709. It was the rendezvous point for the minute men as they were assembling to have a showdown against the hated Redcoats.

And here is the famous Lexington Green on which the first shots of the Revolutionary War were fired - "the shot that was heard around the world." I was almost a little emotional as I walked across such a historic place.

One of several things I have appreciated about my time in New England so far is the wonderfully rich historical background of almost every place. It almost feels like being in Europe. In the West, the history of some of the towns barely stretched back 100 years. Patients I would see had parents who had been pioneers and founding members of the community. In some places electricity and indoor plumbing were relatively new conveniences. However in New England, the history stretches back almost 400 years. With only 2 months at this current job, I'm going to wish I had more time to explore.