Vacation #2: Ships and Cottages

You may recall that ever since a car show last spring, my antique car had carburetor issues.  Getting them repaired was a major task, since most of today’s mechanics are trained on fuel injection systems and computer controls.  Being a 1967, mine has neither, and to complicate matters, it also has an intact prehistoric California smog control system . Fuel-injection and computer emission training is useless on old-fashioned antiques.  

And trying to make a 1,200-mile trip in a freshly-repaired car, without some significant shakedown runs, would be a "real fool's errand."  Thus I decided to take the daily driver on this trip, and extend our agenda exponentially.  What started out to be a simple antique car tour for my better half and myself, with a bunch of friends, ended up being an epic vacation.  We were gone for so long (two full weeks) that it was easy to lose track of time!

Today found us looking at preserved American naval ships at Battleship Cove, Fall River, MA, a maritime museum and war memorial that traces its origins to the wartime crew of the World War II battleship USS Massachusetts. This dedicated veterans group was responsible for the donation of the decommissioned vessel from the Navy and its subsequent public display in Fall River. 

Battleship Cove harbors the largest collection of preserved US Navy ships in the world. The fleet includes five National Historic Landmarks: Battleship USS Massachusetts, Destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Jr., Submarine USS Lionfish, and PT Boats 617 and 796. Individually, each ship represents different moments in history and technical achievements; collectively, these vessels symbolize American sacrifices made in defense of our freedom.

 Mandy on the deck of the USS Massachusetts

 Big 16 inch guns on the Massachusetts.  Can't you just imagine the noise they made!

Remember, these opulent little "cottages" were not full-time residences!

In the afternoon, the bunch of us were off to see some of Newport, Rhode Island’s greatest examples of conspicuous consumption from the Gilded Age of the “robber barons”: the Breakers (a 70 room “cottage", built by Cornelius Vanderbilt II in 1895), and the Marble House (a 50 room “cottage,” built by William K Vanderbilt in 1892.)   Cornelius II was the grandson of Cornelius Vanderbilt of New York Central Railroad fame, and William K was his younger brother.

By the way, did anyone realize that Rhode Island is the smallest state, with the longest name?  Hint; before counting the letters in states like Mississippi, North Carolina and Massachusetts, look up the official state name for Rhode island:  it’s “Rhode Island and Providence Plantations” – this evolved years ago, from the merger of two local settlements.  It's the way the state is listed on official documents like the Elevator licenses, too.   Just be glad you don’t need to write that out with each letter you post to Rhode Island! 

More sections (and more pictures) will follow in the days to come.