Flying in from Chicago, we connected through Detroit using Delta Airlines and landed in Providence, Rhode Island. Damp, dreary and chilly defined what Providence was like the day we landed. Once we retrieved our bags we walked across an airport bridge to the rental car desks just outside of the airport. Providence Airport has this weird set-up but I have to say that the operation was very organized and getting a car in Providence was inexpensive and smooth. For 4 days I only paid $165.
From the airport, Providence is a short 10 minute drive to the north, and is a comparatively small city. Providence is best known for its famous Ivy League University, Brown University, which is located in the city proper. Besides Brown though we didn’t find much to do and finding parking was obviously a premium since none of the city had access to free parking. We drove around Providence, glancing at the state capital and the narrow streets, but didn’t feel compelled to get out of the car and actually look around. After-all it was cold and rainy and we still had to get to Manchester, New Hampshire!
But before New Hampshire we decided to follow Route 44 towards Putnam, Connecticut so that I could say I went to Connecticut. It just so happens that along the way we came across a beautiful lake, Pascoag Reservoir in Rhode Island, and decided to make our first detour on the trip. I’m glad we did. Located just off the Route, dotted with personal homes and trees, Pascoag Reservoir was charming and showed the first signs of the beautiful changing leaves. We finally had our first glimpse of Autumn and that really was the reason we had come to New England in the first place.
Just past Pascoag Reservoir lies the border Rhode Island – Connecticut border. On Route 44 the border is labeled only by a sign and you really don’t get a sense that you’re in a different state. In fact New England really feels the same no matter which part of New England you’re in. How does it feels the same? Think of wooden houses all painted any color between whites, light blues, yellows, and reds that are boxy in design. Add rolling hills, with lakes, rivers and a mix of deciduous and fir trees with a sometimes backdrop or a mountain or rocky coast and that basically is what most of New England feels like.
And can I talk about New England people? I’m not sure what is going on in New England but the way most people dress is rather sloppy! We could not believe that most of what we saw consisted of gym shorts, loose-fitting jackets, sometimes sweats and tennis shoes! What is going on New England (sorry if you’re from New England, you can refute that down below in the comments). Oh and you will not mistake a New England accent particularly in Massachusetts and Rhode Island. However everybody was very polite and nice to us which made the experience very enjoyable. Nobody looked twice at us for being two men who most would assume are obviously gay.
Once in Connecticut you’re in the town of Putnam, which is where Roman and I decided to stop in to grab some coffee and “tour.” New England small towns are actually surprisingly cute and this is what makes driving in New England so pleasant. We had come to see beautiful landscape and this part of Connecticut delivered with major rolling hills and pleasant little cities where you can pull over and grab a quick coffee before hitting the road again. We decided to take a break at Victoria Station Cafe in downtown Putnam. I recommend their Chider or Chai with Cider, a perfect Autumn drink and then throw in a cookie bar or a tiramisu. This place was very authentic and above all tasty.
Back on the road again, we headed north on I-395 towards Worcester, Massachusetts. From Worcester Google routed us through a “toll-free” route that took us through the towns of Leominster, Fitchburg, and Townsend until we finally crossed the New Hampshire border into Brookline. The one lesson you learn quickly about New England is how tiny it actually is. From Providence, Rhode Island to Manchester, New Hampshire the drive is only around 2 hours but I recommend that you venture off the highways at some point and take a ride through the many wonderful small cities. You avoid toll and get a real New England experience.
Once over the border in New Hampshire the only slight feeling of difference from Massachusetts was the feeling that New Hampshire was much more rural. And the Autumn leaves were definitely becoming brighter and more vivid. We were now in southern New Hampshire, just outside of Manchester passing through the cities of Milford, Amherst and Bedford. If you decide to come to New England during the changing of leaves Route 101 in New Hampshire is a great road to ride through scenic towns and pull off the road to take pictures of some wonderful New Hampshire landscape. From the border of Massachusetts, Manchester is only about a 35 mile drive, making it probably one of the best cities to base your New England Fall touring operations.
Originally we had chosen Concord as our base but decided on Manchester since hotel prices were cheaper. I originally picked out this fancy hotel that was going to be 200 dollars more than the La Quinta Inn we stayed at in Manchester. It was a good idea we choose Manchester because the city is only about an hour from most of the New England states and is actually the biggest city in New Hampshire. Honestly the city isn’t that impressive and we actually didn’t do anything in the city besides go out for food. Most of our days were spent going to northern New Hampshire or Vermont, and heading east towards Maine and Boston (the next posts). The restaurants I recommend in Manchester would be the Gyro Spot (generally healthy), El Rinco (great Mexican find), and Tano’s Pizza (located just west of the city).
The first night we decided that because it was already dark once we rolled in at about 6 or 7, that we wouldn’t be able to see anything out in the country. We drove to Downtown, which took like 5 minutes, found a cheap parking space and ate some very good Mexican food at El Rincon. And then we drove up and down main street looking at not so impressive Manchester. That’s okay because for the next day and post I’m going to talk about our trip to Boston, Massachusetts. We found the city somewhat confusing, a little expensive and the people a little too rushed but maybe I expected that a little.
images by: shawnvoyage
