Things I learned during my recent 7-day cruise through New England:
- People in Newport are very proud of the wealth accumulated by some of their residents. 80% of a bus tour we took focused on mansions overlooking the ocean.
- A sure sign you've attained a certain level of success/wealth in life is when your house has its own name such as "Rolling Meadows" or "Eagle's Nest." With that in mind I've decided to name my condo. The leading candidates so far are "Leaking Roof" and "Chateau de Mosquito."
- In olden days pirates inhabited the waters around Boston but many of them were mute. This is because they had a tendency to drop their aaaarghs.
- Paul Revere lived in a tiny house that still stands today. He also had something like 16 or 18 children. It's not in the history books but I'm betting he decided to participate in the Revolution mostly just to get out of the house.
- The trolley tours in Boston are kind of pricey but well worth it, especially if you get a bald driver named Benny.
- In Bar Harbor, lobster rolls aren't nearly as fancy as you'd think. Basically a quarter pound of lobster on a hot dog bun or, if you're lucky enough to get one where I did, on a slice of Wonder bread.
- You can travel all around Bar Harbor for as little as $5 thanks to their island bus system. Some drivers will even provide interesting facts along the way.
- Initially you'd think there's not much in St. John, New Brunswick other than the highest tide in the world (which actually reverses the flow of the St. John River every 6 hours). However, it's also home to some damn tasty microbrews and an excellent pub about two blocks from the harbor where a bartender named David will treat you like family and convince you that St. John is a pretty good place to live - even in the winter.
- Halifax may have more bars and pubs per square foot than any place in Canada or even North America for that matter. One should limit one's consumption of alcohol in St. John if one really wants to enjoy these establishments. Not that I would know - I'm just guessing.
- Princess Cruises doesn't think of passengers as guests as much as a captive market to push product upon. A certain ship photographer should be thanking his lucky stars he didn't get his lights punched out during one disembarkation - and that goes for the guy/girl in the giant lobster suit too.
- Seven days aboard a ship with some 2,000 New Yorkers is more than enough for a lifetime. A more rude, inconsiderate, whiny bunch would be hard to find - and all with accents that make Southerners sound Shakespearean by comparison.
- Much like looking out an airplane window, I could stare at the ocean for hours and hours without tiring of the view.
- You can't beat some quality time with family. :)
