Near the end of 2024, after returning from my two weeks in Cuba, I booked a cruise with Princess for an itinerary from Boston to Québec. I’d focused travel that year on the Western Hemisphere, and knew that I had a lengthy trip to Europe on the books for 2025 but also wanted to add more Canadian cathedrals to my list.

BTW: "Leafpeeper" is a term used by locals in tourist areas where visitors travel to view the color changes in autumnal tree foliage.

As I began developing the before and after itinerary specifics, I reached out to my friend Joan who lives in Rhode Island. I asked if I could visit before heading to Boston and she agreed. My old roommate from New York City now lives outside Montréal, so I messaged her inviting her to reconnect. My trip filled a 25-day calendar. Before the spring-summer Europe trip, I booked my flights north and south, and six shore excursions with Princess.

After I returned from Paris, I began booking lodgings, car rentals, and a few more city tours. Meanwhile, I was seeing doctors, and determined that I was due for a hip replacement, but with this trip, and my 2026 itinerary, it would have to wait a year.

Day 1 Sarasota to Providence

After Bobbie picked me up in Ventura Village at 5am, we headed from Venice north to the Sarasota-Bradenton Airport. The Southwest flight to Chicago Midway had plenty of seats, I sat with a woman from Phoenix and we had a good conversation over the empty middle seat as we were flown north.

In the terminal, I checked out the food options, finding everything seriously overpriced. I had some bread and cheese in my backpack and ate that. After a half hour, the eastbound flight to Providence boarded. A bit more full, I still had an empty seat between me and the non-talking dude who was on the aisle.

Arriving at 1:30 at T.F. Green, I headed to baggage claim, grabbed my bag, and found Joan. We strolled out of the terminal, got into her car, and headed south to her house. I hauled my bags up the stairs to the front guest room, and then we got back in the car to get lunch.

At Top of the Bay, I had half a lobster roll and two hush puppies while we caught up with our travels. Joan then drove around Kingstown, giving me a view of the harbor.

Next, we pulled into Gooseneck Vineyards. I tasted an Oregon pinot noir, a Portuguese red blend, and a Washington cabernet sauvignon. I found the offerings fair, but had hoped for local grape products.

As we contiued drivings around westeern Rhode Island, we made a number of stops so that I could get some pictures - here's a stream of them without captions:

On the way back to the house, we stopped for bagels at Dunkin. While the TV was on for background noise, we supped on chevre with parmesan chips and sauvignon blanc. I was able to earn my keep by changing the batteries in her car keys, before we called it a night.

Day 2 Rhode Island

Up and showered by 8, we had bagels with peanut butter with our coffee and juice. Joan had an errand to do, dropping off her custom designed handbags at her dentist. From there we headed to visit former Florida neighbors, Dawn and Bill, collecting a dessert on the way.

Their house is over the state line into Massachusetts, a large home set in the woods. It feels very New England-y. We had a delightful lunch of chicken salad and a salad, all of us catching up after being apart several years.

Coming back through eastern Rhode Island, we stopped at Sakonnet Vineyard. Weathered wooden buildings, wide open fields with stacked fieldstone walls, Adirondack chairs, and trees threatening to change color, the venue is stunning. While I went inside to sample their offerings, Joan stayed outside to draw and paint. With a charcuterie platter that had 3 cheeses, grapes, apricots seeds and crackers, I had 5 tastes (bubbly, rose, and 3 reds.)

After crossing Jamestown Island, we made a quick stop at Trader Joe’s for bread and snacks. I caught up with email while Joan went about her chores. My backup (Luxembourg) mobile phone, a Samsung A14, was not picking up signal (fortunately I had my primary phone), so I popped it open and reseated the SIM card. Unfortunately, that had no effect. We set alarms for the morning and crashed.

Day 3 Martha’s Vineyard

We were up at 7:15 and out of the house by 8, heading to Quonset Point in North Kingstown to catch the ferry to Oak Bluffs on Martha’s Vineyard. Leaving the car in the parking yard, we collected tickets and boarded the 9am ferry.

At 10:45 we debarked and set off for the Methodist Tent Circle. Joan has been there with some frequency, and has painted many of these quaint homes, including them in a desktop calendar. It was near the end of tourist season, and she was seeing retailers who were offering these collectibles. I roamed the circle around the old “meeting tent”, fascinated by the clever application of color the owners had used to enliven the exteriors of these homes. Joan pointed out which ones had been included in the calendar, and, while I roamed with my camera, she sketched a few more. Many had lush floral gardens, a few where the greenery had gotten out-of-control.

By lunchtime, my stomach was gurgling, and we headed into the Offshore Ale Company. A brewpub, the bar backed onto the brewery, viewed through windows behind the dozen pulls. We split a plate of baked garlic brie, which we both agreed was yummy.

From there, out onto Ocean Avenue where we looked at the newer, much more expensive and larger houses. They faced out onto Ocean Park, an expanse of manicured grass hosting several gaggles of Canada geese.

Joan is a car buff, so when we headed towards Our Lady of the Sea Church, a few running vintage vehicles caught her eye. The church was closed, and my eye began catching detail features of the houses we passed.

As Joan collected unsold calendars, I walked across the circle and found an open door to the United Methodist Church, so I did get a few inside shots.

As we walked back to the ferry pier, we watched the ship from Woods Hole leave before our Rhode Island Fast Ferry arrived with the afternoon/evening load.

Back in Kingston, Joan stopped at T-Mobile for me, as I challenged their tech with my stubborn, non-connecting phone. He reasoned that because I bought an unlocked phone in 2017 in Europe, it was possible that Samsung was now flagging it as illegal and blocking service? Marcus offered to check and give me a call the following afternoon.

We headed to the nearby Carrabba’s for supper, where I had lasagna. Back at the house, I rang T-Mobile from my primary phone, staying on hold waiting on a live person for 2 hours, before hanging up. We’d be up at 7 and on our way to the train in the morning.

Day 4 Boston

Up as planned, after pb and bagel and coffee, I was loading my bags into Joan’s car and we were off, heading into Providence. At the Amtrak Station, I stood in the lounge as seats were limited, but I did find a surface to place my journal and write an update of the day before. The low lighting was conducive to many sleeping across multiple seats. The train was announced and I headed to the platform, and we left promptly at 9:17.

You can purchase your own copy

(or have me send it as a gift) of

Cathedrals to the Glory of God

by clicking this link:

BUY THE BOOK

Volume II has been released

You can order your personal copy

(Print on Demand)

Cathedrals to the Glory of God 

Volume II 

by clicking this link:

BUY THE BOOK