Last Weekend's Adventure

Writing on a rainy Friday night.

Normally this is time set aside that Martha and I spend together. We've been using it as a "date night" for a few years, and it is special. Not tonight, however. I am working in Goffstown until later this evening. I'm here due to a mix-up in the schedule; I'd expected to be working a reverse 24 hour shift, but that didn't happen. In fact, I expected to be here until 6:00 Saturday morning, but through the grace of God and an understanding supervisor as well as someone willing to come in and relieve me, I won't be doing that. As I have to be in Boston at 7:00 tomorrow morning, it would be a serious challenge to get there on time if I were here until 6:00. I'm grateful that I don't have to stress.

I had planned to write about our adventures last weekend. Martha and I spent last Thursday through Saturday in Newport, Rhode Island. It is one of those cities where there is a lot of history all around. From the America's Cup to the Newport Mansions to the U.S. Navy presence as well as much of the other history of the area, it is not a boring place. We thoroughly enjoyed ourselves in the two days we were there. One of the things we did that I was extremely happy about was going to the Newport Jazz Festival for the second day of the music. The second and third days were held at Fort Adams State Park. There were incredible numbers of people there, but it was worth it. We stayed in one place and just listened to the bands. It was an incredible experience, one I would very much like to repeat.

The Fort Stage, Newport Jazz Festival 2012

A couple of other places we went to were the Doris Duke Estate at Rough Point, and the museum at the Naval War College. I was incredibly impressed with Rough Point; the house, while huge, isn't as ridiculous some of the other mansions. It had a much more homey feel, if that is to be believed. And Doris Duke - she was the heiress to the Duke tobacco empire that rose up in the mid to late 19th century - was obscenely wealthy. At her death, her estate was estimated to be valued at approximately $1,000,000,000.

Yes - one billion dollars.

Camel Topiaries at the Duke Estate

All in all it was a great weekend. It was time we needed, and worth every minute. Neither of us wanted to return to reality, and I believe we are going to be heading back there at some point when we have time and means.