The dazzling view along Newport's Cliff Walk The little seaside town of Newport, Rhode Island, known as the"Queen of Summer Resorts" is also a wonderful weekend destination in the off-season. During the late 1800's Newport was THE place for America's high society to vacation for the summer to escape the heat of New York, Philadelphia … Continue reading A Late Fall Weekend in Newport, Rhode Island
Our home base in Westerly: The Weekapaug Inn (photo courtesy of Weekapaug Inn). Now fully vaccinated, I am eager to start exploring again. After a year of cancelled trips, postponed events and social restrictions, I was thinking of a quick escape. A place with sun, sea and scenery. Somewhere close to home- but not too far. An … Continue reading An Indulgent Rhode Island Coastal Escape at the Weekapaug Inn
Let's be honest. No one is boarding a plane for paradise anytime soon. So when can we travel safely again? It is hard to predict, but I am hopeful that some travel will return this summer and fall. As to where to vacation in 2021, I think that a New England Road Trip is a … Continue reading A Driving Itinerary for an Epic New England Road Trip (Including Hotel Recommendations)
Winter is starkly beautiful in New England. Sometimes, the shorter days coupled with grey snow skies create a landscape that resembles a black and white photo. This season, as the new year unfolds, and with it the uncertainties of the pandemic and continued social and political unrest, it seems that nature really does have an … Continue reading A Winter Walk at the Arnold Arboretum
A couple of weeks ago my soccer-loving husband had a small knee operation. It was the third time on the same knee-very much a weekend warrior injury! The surgery was scheduled at Cambridge's Mount Auburn Hospital for 7 AM and I needed to be reasonably nearby to get him at discharge. Hours of unscheduled time? … Continue reading Pandemic Winter: Time Outdoors at Mount Auburn Cemetery
Front Cover of the 4th edition of "Day Trips New England " to be published in June 2021 For me, writing is never particularly easy; it's always work. But these months in isolation working on the 4th edition of Day Trips New England have been a welcome distraction from pandemic constraints. Day Trips New England … Continue reading Revising, Rewriting, Updating “Day Trips New England”
It is fall in New England and the beginning of the school year. But this back- to -school season is anything but routine. With the pandemic, it's hard to predict what may happen when the schools open. Parents everywhere are pondering their options. When it comes to the youngest students, some parents of preschoolers favor … Continue reading Back-to-School 2020: Virtual Preschool Is An Option
Yes, we are all living through a historic pandemic. But after 3 months of staying-at-home/working-from-home, my husband and I were in need of a break. We were sick of our house. So I planned a "safe-cation", a two-night socially distanced get-away. But where to go? Some place close- ideally, within Massachusetts. Our state's Covid-19 cases … Continue reading Vacationing During Coronavirus: Should You? Can You?
The two best days of a boater's life: the day you buy the boat and the day you sell it I have been mulling buying a canoe for the past year or so. I am lucky to live within walking distance of a lake. Newton's Crystal Lake is actually more of a pond and just … Continue reading I Bought A Canoe
Because of the coronavirus pandemic, the Commonwealth of Massachusetts has ordered everyone to stay home. Whoo hoo! I'm a homebody anyway; writing , walking, baking, reading, gardening. The best things in my life happen here. Not so much for my husband; a university professor who is suddenly working from home and adapting his lectures to … Continue reading Coronavirus Update: Home All Day
Maria Olia 