New England in the Fall with Mom

Back in October the guilt that I had been heaping on my mother finally worked. My mom had not been out to visit me since I moved out to Virginia two years earlier. As a mother doesn’t she realize that I still need to be raised up right? My mom caved so she wouldn’t have to face another guilt inducing phone call and finally came out to spend some quality time with me. We decided to take a fall foliage trip of New England since my mom has never been north of Virginia. She said it was one of her lifelong dreams to see New England in the fall.

Because I am an obsessive travel planner, I had our complete itinerary set up before my mom even arrived. If you talk to her today, I get the impression that I kept her on a very tight schedule – constantly informing her of the time to we could keep to our itinerary. While I think I was just keeping us on task so we could see everything, I get feeling that I came off a bit, how to I say this, overly controlling and demanding. If you ever decide to take a trip with me, you have been duly warned.

I need to give a shout out to my friend Ben. He works for Marriott and got me some sweet deals on hotel rooms. I don’t know if this trip would have been possible without Ben’s generosity. Thanks Ben!

The first leg of our trip was to Philadelphia. Unfortunately there was torrential rain that day and there were parts of the ride up 1-95 where we were going maybe 35 mph and could barely see in front of us. I haven’t been in weather like that since Houston. It all worked out well in the end and I was able to take my mom to one of my favorite places in Philly, City Tavern. I thought she would enjoy City Tavern because it is historical and they serve Colonial-style cuisine. I don’t remember what I had, but Mom ordered “Martha Washington’s Turkey Pot Pie” which was just amazing. The puff pastry crust was so good, I don’t know how people get pastry that flaky and buttery.


The next morning, before driving to Connecticut, we headed over to Geno’s Steaks. We ended up arriving at the same time as a police memorial motorcycle ride that was sponsored by Geno’s. It was a blast getting involved in the street party atmosphere and the cheesesteaks were fantastic.

Next we drove up to Connecticut. I think I almost gave my mom a coronary when I was driving over the George Washington Bridge. She kept slamming on the imaginary break pedal in the passenger seat. But hey, when in New York you drive like a New Yorker. I personally think I was aggressive but fair.

The next day we soaked up the beauty of rural Connecticut. I took Mom to a place my friend Becky Derby recommended called Rein’s NY Style Deli. They have amazing cheese blintzes. My mom is a blintz fanatic and I don’t think she was disappointed by Reins. I love their challah French toast.

Mom found a lovely scenic route on the internet and this was one instance where the internet didn’t lie. Next time you are in Connecticut in the fall, take SR-169. If you don’t end up looking to buy real estate in Pomfret you must have no soul. It was absolutely gorgeous.

We spent two days on Cape Cod. Now I have never been to “The Cape” but it was definitely different than what I expected. I figured it would be like the PCH where you drive along the coast with a lovely ocean to gaze at longingly. That was not the case – it actually took us 2 days to find a view of the ocean. Who knew it would be so hard to find the ocean on a peninsula?

Since Halloween was right around the corner, Mom thought it would be a blast to head up to Salem, MA. While the place was crazy busy since Halloween is Salem’s Christmas, we had a great time. The Salem Witch Museum was so full of drama and life-size dioramas. It might have been the best museum experience of my life because it was so over the top. Salem was full of zany characters around Halloween. Case in point, I saw a guy in a cloak riding around town in a motorized coffin. How awesome is that?

Since we were on Cape Cod, we felt a moral obligation to eat clam chowder. The receptionist at the hotel told us about Captain Parkers in West Yarmouth. The chowder was so fantastic that we went back the next night. I don’t know what made the chowder so delicious, but it was, hand’s down, the best I have ever had.

After Cape Cod we headed back to Virginia. I made my mom listen to an audio version of Salem’s Lot. Oh, and we drove through New Jersey. New Jersey.

Thanks for coming to visit Mom. I guess sometimes a daughter needs the comfort and understanding that only a mother can provide. And since I live so far away, I have to rely on your infrequent visits to sustain me during tough times.

Boy am I good.