Remember the incredibly ambitious itinerary I set back in March when I planned this vacation? Well I pretty much followed through with all of it, with some deviations, and just returned from one of the most exciting yet exhausting vacations ever!
I used a trip planner called TripIt and it was a big help in keeping things organized what with my very tight timetables. I carried my Kindle Fire and HD camera with me everywhere so I had good (not great though due to crappy free wi-fi) availability to information and no excuse for missed picture opportunities.
The flight into Providence was on-time and smooth. Clear, sunny and, surprisingly hot weather prevailed, not just for the first day but through the weekend. Only the return travel day was rainy, but that's okay since there wasn't much slated for it.
The hotel allowed me to check in shortly after landing so I was freed up from my luggage to go about and explore. I went into Providence via the public bus which was nice and modern (like I expected they'd still be the ones from the '90s) and marveled at the beauty of the area. Funny thing about growing up in a place, I don't think you really get an appreciation for the beauty around you unless you move away and come back later. As we neared the city though, passing through South Providence and later Kennedy Plaza, I did notice the economy has hit Rhode Island hard. Lot more poor people than I remembered.
The haphazard mix of familiar landmarks and newer, never-before-seen buildings was weird and awe-inspiring at the same time. Here are shots of the fabulous beaux arts Providence City Hall and a quick snap of Kennedy Plaza followed by the historic Shepard Building and this church which I could swear was crooked. Probably was. Buildings here can be hundreds of years old.
This gate and the park like green behind it were added to the Johnson and Wales University campus in the early nineties after the demolition of an old building that stood here. What freaked me out was the fact that I remember from back then these trees were just newly-planted saplings that needed stilts to stand straight. Now they're big 30-foot full-grown trees!
I loved walking around downtown Providence but eventually I was hungry and it was freakin' hot (like Florida hot!) so I made my way to the Providence Place Mall for lunch and a movie. "Star Trek Into Darkness", which I enjoyed a lot more than the previous one. I forgive J.J. Abrams for destroying Vulcan. This new crew is hot and fun to watch!
After the movie, was feeling the "jet lag", not from time zone change since there is none but from acclimating to a daytime awake schedule, so I headed back via the bus to Warwick and my hotel. Took a quick shower and had dinner at nearby Bertucci's.
Here's a shot from my hotel window. Talk about close to the airport! The noise wasn't too bad as long as the noise-resistant double-pane windows stayed shut.
I used a trip planner called TripIt and it was a big help in keeping things organized what with my very tight timetables. I carried my Kindle Fire and HD camera with me everywhere so I had good (not great though due to crappy free wi-fi) availability to information and no excuse for missed picture opportunities.
The flight into Providence was on-time and smooth. Clear, sunny and, surprisingly hot weather prevailed, not just for the first day but through the weekend. Only the return travel day was rainy, but that's okay since there wasn't much slated for it.
The hotel allowed me to check in shortly after landing so I was freed up from my luggage to go about and explore. I went into Providence via the public bus which was nice and modern (like I expected they'd still be the ones from the '90s) and marveled at the beauty of the area. Funny thing about growing up in a place, I don't think you really get an appreciation for the beauty around you unless you move away and come back later. As we neared the city though, passing through South Providence and later Kennedy Plaza, I did notice the economy has hit Rhode Island hard. Lot more poor people than I remembered.
The haphazard mix of familiar landmarks and newer, never-before-seen buildings was weird and awe-inspiring at the same time. Here are shots of the fabulous beaux arts Providence City Hall and a quick snap of Kennedy Plaza followed by the historic Shepard Building and this church which I could swear was crooked. Probably was. Buildings here can be hundreds of years old.
Here's the building which housed "Twelve Ceasars" the gay strip bar Wayne and I were frequent patrons of in the early nineties. Now it's a straight strip bar.
This gate and the park like green behind it were added to the Johnson and Wales University campus in the early nineties after the demolition of an old building that stood here. What freaked me out was the fact that I remember from back then these trees were just newly-planted saplings that needed stilts to stand straight. Now they're big 30-foot full-grown trees!
I loved walking around downtown Providence but eventually I was hungry and it was freakin' hot (like Florida hot!) so I made my way to the Providence Place Mall for lunch and a movie. "Star Trek Into Darkness", which I enjoyed a lot more than the previous one. I forgive J.J. Abrams for destroying Vulcan. This new crew is hot and fun to watch!
After the movie, was feeling the "jet lag", not from time zone change since there is none but from acclimating to a daytime awake schedule, so I headed back via the bus to Warwick and my hotel. Took a quick shower and had dinner at nearby Bertucci's.
Here's a shot from my hotel window. Talk about close to the airport! The noise wasn't too bad as long as the noise-resistant double-pane windows stayed shut.
