The Flake Family: Road Trip! Newport, RI, Boston, MA, Portland, ME

Ever since we were married Darl and I have been talking about going to Boston since we hadn't been. We didn't want to live so close to it and never visit. After having to change dates a few times for various reasons, we went!!! About a month before moving:). Yes, the car rides got a little long with two young children but they did pretty well and we had a great time! (I was planning on breaking this up into a couple of posts but that didn't happen so this is really long with a lot of pictures.)

We got up early on a Thursday and headed to Rhode Island to see the Mansions. I wasn't exactly sure if it would be worth the time but oh my goodness it was. For anyone that has seen Downton Abbey-its like that but seriously more. It was amazing!

This little man did not want to wake up to go.

Darl likes to drive a did a lot of driving! (This is actually on our way home after church. He didn't wear a dress shirt the whole trip;).

I like to check out the Target Dollar section before a trip and always find a couple fun new toys. I guess she got tired of holding them?

NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

This is The Breakers-the Vanderbilts mansion. It is seriously amazing. 32 servants lived in it to run it. You can't take pictures inside but trust me, truly amazing.

This is the back yard...

We hit traffic and it took us longer than we thought, so Abigail was really happy to be out running around:

The view was really beautiful:

We also visited another nearby mansion called The Elms. Not as big and fancy as The Breakers but still very impressive:

This is what you do when strollers aren't allowed:)

BOSTON
After the mansions we drove up to Boston. The next day we drove in and visited the Freedom Trail to see all the sites. It was great to be able to walk and also have the sites to visit planned out for us:). First stop-Bunker Hill:

Walking on the Freedom Trail:

We went to the Navy Yard to see the Museum and the USS Constitution:

Funny Girl:

The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat in the world:

Hiding from the camera?

The Freedom Trail is marked all throughout the city with this seal and the redbrick line. Very helpful:

It was very interesting how the historical sites were scattered throughout 'modern' Boston. This is the Old North Church where two lanterns were show as a signal from Paul Revere that the British were coming:

My friend, Meghan, told us to go to Regina Pizza for lunch. It's a popular pizza place in Boston and we had to wait in line but it was very worth it. So good!

She also told us to stop at Mike's Pasteries as well-another popular Boston place.

We bought 2 canolies and they were very good!

Paul Revere's house:

Boston:)

She was pretty happy:

In the stroller or carseat is how Ethan napped during our trip:

He woke up and was not happy about it!

Boston Common, America's oldest public park. (There were a lot of other stops on the Freedom Trail I'm just not putting all of our pictures on here.)

Resting in Boston Common:

Ethan happy to be hanging out with Dad:

We finished the day swimming at the hotel. Both kids had a great time. Ethan seriously loved it. He was laughing so much.

Later we went to Coldstone to meet up with my cousin Jared and his family who live in Boston. Abigail was excited about the ice cream:

Abigail and I with Jared, Mary and most of their kids:

Sucking his toes in the hotel room. He LOVES his toes and fingers:

HARVARD
The next day we walked around Harvard University. Here is Darl outside the Law school.

The buildings all matched and it is a pretty campus:

Very green and pretty:

Impressive front gate:

Me with my Johns Hopkins Graduate on Harvard Campus;)

MAINE

After visiting Harvard we drove up to Portland, Maine to see the light houses. On the way we drove on the coast for a while and decided to pull over at a beach and walk around. It was very pretty:

So hard to get a toddler to look at the camera and smile:

Family at the beach. Ethan looks surprised:

This is the Nubble Lighthouse on a little island:

We wanted good Maine seafood, Darl specifically wanted lobster. Our hotel concierge suggested this place so we tried it out and weren't sure why they recommended it...