The coast of New England gives us unique and varied landscapes. This road trip allowed us to travel at our own speed stopping in different states and cities.
Every year we like to take a road trip, the “Rusko Route”, for a few days from the city where we live, in this case New York City. The summer of 2014 we decided to leave the Big Apple and drive up the coast of New England stopping in Massachusetts, New Hampshire, and Maine on the way up and stopping in Rhode Island and Connecticut on our way back. Following what’s become the easiest choice since arriving in the United States, we decided to rent a car from Avis. In New York we don’t have our own car and we live close to La Guardia Airport, so we almost always rent a car and they have always provided exceptional service.
We were very excited to begin our trip! It was a difficult first year in the city and we really needed a change of scenery! Our first stop was in Lexington Massachusetts. However, as we drove up the highway we saw a sign that caught our attention. It was the PEZ visitor’s center (the famous candies from our childhood). We didn’t think twice, Abby and I decided we had to stop, and it wound up being pretty interesting. We learned about the history of the candies, we played bingo and we even won a prize! What more can you ask for?
We continued our route and a little after lunchtime we arrived in Lexington. We spent two days in Lexington and Concord (a nearby town) learning about the history of the American Revolution, since these two towns were key in understanding such an important part of American history. I personally love learning about the history of my wife’s country and I loved visiting these towns. What’s more, the hotel where we were staying, the Inn at Hasting Park treated us like royalty with a huge comfortable room. And to top it off, we had a gourmet meal at the Bondir Restaurant with it’s farm to table philosophy which we really love.
To end our visit to Massachusetts, we spent two days in Boston. There is so much to see in Boston, but what struck us most was the atmosphere and vibe that the city has. It definitely seemed like a very livable city. We stayed at two different hotels, the Charles Hotel in Cambridge and the Charlesmark Hotel in downtown Boston – both were perfect. In the two days we spent in Boston we enjoyed a dinner cruise, we went on a Ducky Tour, we took a guided tour of Cambridge and Harvard, we visited the Taza Chocolate Factory and we walked all over the city. We also had a delicious meal at the Beehive Restaurant and a delicious coffee at Bom Café.
After the first four days in Massachusetts, it was time to continue our route north to Maine, more specifically, Bar Harbor, was our next stop. However, before we arrived there were more adventures to be had. That is to say, that north of Boston was new for Abby, as well, so we were even more excited. I also have to say that I love to drive, and the highways in the northern part of the East Coast have beautiful landscapes full of greenery. Partway to Maine we stopped in Portsmouth, which was another new state for us, New Hampshire.
When it was almost nightfall we arrived in Bar Harbor, Maine. I have to admit that the trip is a little long. This is because Maine is separated in two parts that are not connected and Bar Harbor is completely on the other side, almost in Canada. But we assure you that the city is worth every mile you travel to get there, and the views along the highway are beautiful. Luckily, our friend in Bar Harbor had some delicious lobsters waiting for us (in Maine they are both famous and cheap.) They were so good!
There was lots to do in Bar Harbor during the four days we spent there. And, since we had a local tour guide, it was even easier to enjoy the authentic experience. We went whale watching, we visited a local brewery, we ate delicious food and we did all kinds of outdoor sports. Bar Harbor is a natural paradise, and our friend lives right on the edge of Acadia National Park. Her home is a few meters away from the shore of a little cove that is completely isolated, and they had kayaks that we could take out when we wanted to explore the coastline. We also went on a beautiful hike. We didn’t have time to take a bike ride, but we’ll definitely be back!
Sadly, the second part of our trip had come to an end. We had to continue our route, but as our vacation ended, we were a bit sad. Our next stop was Providence in Rhode Island. However, we stopped to eat a lobster roll and see a bit of Portland Maine. We really reccommend a stop in Portland because it’s well worth seeing and you don’t have to go out of your way at all. We arrived in Rhode Island in the afternoon: another new state. We didn’t have much time to see the city, however, because the next day we had a wedding in Conecticut. We ended this unforgettable trip in Danbury Connecticut and at the wedding of some good friends. With that, we arrived back in New York, counting the hours until our next adventure!
