Unfortunately, we left the security area at JFK, where all the eating places are, before we called John, who was our ride, to find out he was still more than an hour away. Roads are packed with people coming back from weekend getaways. It took him three hours to get here. We'll take the train back.
Wells on the Yale campus.
John and Wells.
John and Mialisa. This is on the greens in front of the Sterling Library, which is being renovated.
Chieko and Wells at the park on the bay in Branford.
Running up the backyard hill to the house that Misa and John watch for their neighbors.
The neighbors own this home, which they rent out but are currently selling for $1.3M, and a Brownstone in New York.
We're picking Misa up after she showed the house to a lady who's considering renting it for a wedding.
The Commons cafeteria at Yale. Feels like Hogwarts.
At Foote Memorial Park.
The leaves are between changing and falling.
In the tree.
In front of the tree.
In front of another tree.
In front of some marsh grasses and rushes with the sun behind them.
We drove up to Litchfield, Goshen and West Cornwall to see fall leaves, but they were mostly past their prime, and we had rain off an on. Still a nice ride, though.
West Cornwall has one of the few covered bridges left around here. John said New Haven has a covered bridge near East Rock Park, but we haven't seen it yet.
I'm wondering if we should start serving breakfast on Sunday morning to get more people in church.
Rock fences are a very typical New England sight.
I don't remember the name of this town. It's on the way back from West Cornwall to New Haven.
This fire station is in the same town.
This is New Haven from East Rock Park.
Three years old, and Wells goes on the bus to school four days a week.
There goes his bus.
Mei and Elliot are ready for their bus at 8:30.
And they're off.
Boarding the bus.
And it's off.
On Wednesday we ate all-you-can-eat sushi and then visited the Gillette Castle. William Gillette, an American actor who played Sherlock Holmes on the stage in the early 1900s built this rock castle in 1914. It overlooks the Connecticut River and has several weird items inside such as mirrors that let the master see the public areas from his bedroom. Unfortunately, the inside of the castle is closed until the end of November.
Elliot, Caroline and Mei on the balcony.
All the visitors but me.
Racing through the gate.
Posing.
Throwing leaves.
A bridge and picnic area below the castle.
Overlooking the Connecticut River and the ferry we road over on.
Elliot has been working out.
On Thursday, John, Chieko and I drove up to Katherine Hepburn's former house in Old Saybrook, Connecticut. Her family built the house in 1913. A hurricane destroyed it in 1938, but she rebuilt it and lived there until she died at 96 in 2003. Someone purchased it for $6M, renovated it and put it on the market for $30M. It didn't sell, so the seller is now living there. Or so we heard.
On the beach near Hepburn's house.
We stopped at two mansions that are now a state park in Waterbury. This tower is next to one of the houses. I think Rapunzel lives here.
Part of the reason we headed north was to have lunch at Anthony's Seafood Restaurant in Middletown, Rhode Island, where a 1-1/4-pound lobster with potatoes and corn on the cob was $21.50.
We then drove out to Cape Cod in Massachusetts, where we visited the Nobska Lighthouse at sunset. This is John's car.
Ferries are coming from and going to Martha's Vineyard, the island you can see in the background.
It appears the Nobska Lighthouse has a very bright light, but this is actually the setting sun reflecting on the lighthouse's fresnel lens.
Yes, this pizza place in Mystic, Connecticut, was the inspiration for the movie of the same name, released 25 years ago last Monday. If you ever get the chance, order the seafood pizza and Mystic salad.
Wells shuffling through fall leaves near the boat docks in Mystic.
This draw bridge is on the main street in the center of Mystic.
Looking from Shell Beach at Hammonasset Beach State Park we can see a sail boat with glimpses of Long Island in the background. This is Long Island Sound.
At Shell Beach.
Does this look like a ward Halloween party, or what? Homemade chili (contest), corn bread and pumpkin pie, followed by a spook alley, kids' games, and Trunk or Treat.
The Avengers, minus Thor and Iron Man, who were inside the warm building.
Face painting.
Face painting.
Face painting.
Saturday morning brought soccer games. Elliot plays goalie.
Elliot takes on the toughest player on the other team.
Mei goes in to score the first goal of her game.
This is not a victory dance. She's motioning to say she's open.
In the mean time, Wells is jumping off stuff.
After soccer, Mialisa headed off to New York with the Young Women and the rest of us headed to Old Sturbridge Village in Massachusetts.
The Village offers plenty of games and activities for kids.
Riding the horse-drawn wagon.
I think these are Belgian draught horses that pull the wagon.
The blacksmiths are making light holders from wagon springs.
A covered bridge.
An upside-down tree reflection in the mill pond, which is used to drive a card mill, grist mill and lumber mill.
On the road back up the hill.
"I really lick this cow."
Eating cake at the general store.
An ox is driving the apple crusher, which is the first step in making (hard) apple cider.
Caroline drops an apple in the person-driven apple crusher and then turns the crusher handle.
Then Mei takes a turn.
Caroline is making candles by alternately dipping them in wax and cold water.
Elliot is making a candle holder out of a round tin plate.
Mei is also making a candle stick holder. Most tinsmiths take seven years to learn their craft.
Riding the sleigh to church.
The John Astles at the Griswold Inn in Essex, where we had Sunday Brunch.
The Griswold Inn was built in 1776,
And here's the train from New Haven to Grand Central Station in New York, where we'll catch a shuttle bus to JFK Airport.
