Rene Cizio's Blog, page 8

One Day on Nantucket

Having done it, I can say with confidence one day on Nantucket is not enough! I wish I had stayed a week and will definitely return to do just that. However, if you’re in the area and have one day, visiting Nantucket will make the most splendid summer day trip.   I visited while staying near Boston during my nearly two-year-long solo road trip through the United States, Mexico and Canada. I’d heard of Nantucket before but knew little about it. After visiting, it tops my list of places I’ll return to and one I recommend to anyone looking for a summer dream come true. Getting to Nantucket The best way to get to Nantucket is on your yacht or private plane. The second-best way is your friend’s yacht or plane. There are commercial options too, and the 45-minute flight from Boston costs about $400. Failing those, most of us take the most affordable option, which is the public ferry. It’s an unfortunate choice if you only spend one day on Nantucket because of the time it takes. From Cape Cod, Massachusetts, the island is about 16 miles out to sea, but the ferry trip takes just over two hours […]

The post One Day on Nantucket appeared first on Middle Journey.

Drive Cape Cod to Provincetown for a Day Trip

A road trip through Cape Cod to Provincetown is a lovely drive immersed in trees and ocean breezes. You can’t go wrong with the sunshine guiding you to the peninsula’s end. Along the way, you’ll find over 40 miles of pristine national seashore, quaint New England towns and roadside stands, and a ton of American history to satisfy any traveler. Once you arrive in Provincetown, you’ll get more of the same with a festive atmosphere reminiscent of Key West with tons of tourist amenities, ocean views and plenty of summer fun. I drove from Cape Cod to Provincetown on the coastal highway along the peninsula 60 miles out to sea while staying in Massachusetts for a month on my two-year-long road trip through the United States, Mexico and Canada. Here’s what it was like. Cape Cod National Seashore To receive the National Seashore designation, a location must provide water-oriented recreation worthy of preservation for its supreme natural values, such as found on the Atlantic, Gulf, and Pacific coasts. Lakes, like the Great Lakes (Lake Michigan and Lake Superior), are also included. Most of the 43,607 acres of the Cape Cod coastline is a National Seashore. The cape is known for […]

The post Drive Cape Cod to Provincetown for a Day Trip appeared first on Middle Journey.

What it’s like to Ride a MoonBike in Michigan

When it comes to winter adventure, you may think you’ve done it all, but then they invent a MoonBike and it’s back out into the great white outdoors we go. If you’ve followed my adventures these last two years as I’ve traveled around North America on my solo road trip, you’ll have noticed I don’t spend much time in the snow. I’ve actively avoided it until now. But that was before I saw the word “MoonBike” in a news story. “MoonBike? What’s that?” From there, my curiosity took hold until it ended on a mountain in upper west Michigan. What is a MoonBike? A MoonBike is the industry’s first fully electric snow bike. It’s in the same family as the snowmobile, with its rear track drive like a tractor but just one front ski. Unlike a motorcycle, the MoonBike can stay erect without a kickstand. Unlike most snowmobiles, this vehicle is fully electric, one-third the size, quiet and environmentally friendly. The literature said they were as easy to ride as an e-bike with the power of a motorcycle, so sign me up! The pictures of their small statue and bench seat reminded me of minibikes of my childhood when I […]

The post What it’s like to Ride a MoonBike in Michigan   appeared first on Middle Journey.

Tour the Old Manse and other Famous Homes in Concord, Massachusetts

When I pulled up in front of the Old Manse in Concord, Massachusetts, I didn’t plan on going inside. I didn’t even know you could go inside. But as luck would have it, there was a small group of people on the front porch when I approached, and they asked if I was there for the tour. “No, but I’d like to be,” I said. Thus, they invited me in. The Old Manse is a literary and historical wonder fest, of which I was about to learn. When I arrived in Concord, I’d been traveling full-time for nearly two years. My solo road trip took me through most of the United States and a bit of Mexico and Canada. I was heading north and had already stopped at the homes and hometowns of many esteemed writers and artists, including: That said, I couldn’t miss Concord, Massachusetts. It was home to Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott and Nathanial Hawthorne, among others. Little did I know they all had an association with the Old Manse. History of the Old Manse The Old Manse was built in 1770 for the Rev. William Emerson, father of minister William Emerson and grandfather of […]

The post Tour the Old Manse and other Famous Homes in Concord, Massachusetts appeared first on Middle Journey.

Plymouth Rock: 7 Things Visitors Need to Know

Visiting Plymouth Rock is worth it if you’re in the area and have some time to debunk history. When I visited, I had no idea there was so much controversy about this rock. It’s a rock, after all. I was surprised to learn so many stories about it, the surrounding area, and the people who once lived there. Before we get into it, let me ask, is there anyone who was a kid in the 80s that can hear “Plymouth Rock” and not think of “Fraggle Rock” while the song plays in your head? Clap twice if you know what I’m talking about. Why Plymouth Rock is Famous Chances are you’ve heard of Plymouth Rock, but like me, you’re unsure of why. Plymouth Rock is one of those questionable U.S. History facts our old schoolbooks used to teach. Still, it’s famous for what it stands for to Americans – bravery, freedom, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Unfortunately, the crew didn’t find much of the latter for some time. There was much suffering and many hard times to come for the first pilgrims who landed here – whether or not they stepped onto the rock. Just over 100 passengers and […]

The post Plymouth Rock: 7 Things Visitors Need to Know appeared first on Middle Journey.

What to Know if You Visit Thoreau’s Walden Pond

Nearly half a million people from around the world visit Walden Pond yearly to see where Henry David Thoreau lived and penned “Walden,” and I recently joined them. Now a state park, the Walden Pond State Reservation area is an internationally famous National Historic Landmark and is considered the birthplace of the conservation movement. Today, many people use the area for swimming, hiking, boating, and fishing. In the two years, two months and two days Thoreau lived there from July 1845 to September 1847, it was a quiet bit of untouched nature, perfect for creating a “Life in the Woods.” Getting to Walden Pond I first read Thoreau as a teenager and immediately admired his boldness and dedication to his principles, even if his ideas seemed radical to me at the time. Little did I know that I’d go on my own “radical” adventure many years later. When I finally arrived at Walden Pond, I’d been traveling full-time for nearly two years. My solo road trip took me through most of the United States and a bit of Mexico and Canada. When I planned my route, leaving from Michigan, I could have headed east instead of west and gotten to […]

The post What to Know if You Visit Thoreau’s Walden Pond appeared first on Middle Journey.

Five Things You Didn’t Know About Sleepy Hollow

You’ve heard of Sleepy Hollow and the headless horseman, but do you know about the other Sleepy Hollow Cemetery? This one is in Concord, Massachusetts and there are so many famous authors buried there they named a section “Author’s Ridge.” As a taphophile, I had to visit. I recently visited Concord while traveling in my van on a two-year nomadic road trip, hiking, visiting historic sites, and staying in short-term rentals. I stopped at the homes and locations made famous by many writers. In this case, Henry David Thoreau drew me to Massachusetts and led me to Concord’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Not only did I find Thoreau’s grave, but all around him, I found many others like Emerson, Alcott and Hawthorne. But how did they all end up there? 1. Sleepy Hollow’s Famous Beginning In the 1800s, when transcendentalists walked the woods and lived alongside ponds in Concord, they also authored books of poetry, memoir and fiction. Many of the books written here are among the most famous of our time. They include “Walden,” “Little Women” “The Scarlett Letter,” “Self-Reliance” and more. Its location in the rural outskirts of Boston drew many of the elite and educated. Many still rest […]

The post Five Things You Didn’t Know About Sleepy Hollow appeared first on Middle Journey.

Inside the Famous Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut

The Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut, is a strange and unique place, reflective of one of America’s most beloved and extraordinary people. Samuel L. Clemens, aka Mark Twain, was born in 1835 in Hannibal, Missouri, when Halley’s Comet soared by overhead, making two phenomenal events forever marked in history. Twain, though nearly as well traveled as the comet, spent much of his life in Hartford. His cherished Gothic Victorian house is now open for tours. If you’re a fan of ornate gothic architecture or American writing, visiting the home is worth a trip. Twain delighted the masses with his first and most famous travel stories, including “The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,” both of which he wrote while living in Hartford. If you take a tour, you can see where he sat to write them and the windows from which he gazed. You can even get a chance to write there yourself. Fun Fact: On a riverboat, “Mark Twain” was a Mississippi River term the leadsman shouted to announce the depth of two fathoms of water – a term Twain would have learned during his time piloting boats. I headed for Hartford, Connecticut, to […]

The post Inside the Famous Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut appeared first on Middle Journey.

Hiking Devil’s Den Preserve in Connecticut

The Devil’s Den Preserve in Connecticut is over 1,700 acres of pristine forested New England land perfect for hiking and spending time in nature. I visited the preserve during my two-year road trip as a nomad traveling in my van, hiking, seeing historic areas, and staying in short-term rentals, and I returned several times. Also known as the Lucius Pond Ordway, the Devil’s Den Preserve is the largest protected woodland preserve in Fairfield County and one of the biggest just 45 minutes outside New York City. As part of the Nature Conservancy, the massive wildlife sanctuary protects large swaths of contiguous forest and watershed lands in an excellent patchwork of woodlands, wetlands, rock ledges, ridges, valleys, streams and swamps. I stayed in nearby Wilton, Connecticut, but no matter where you’re coming from, getting to the preserve is part of the fun. All roads leading to Devil’s Den are narrow, two-lane highways filled with old stone walls, historic homes, and trees. It is a classic New England beauty and a splendid afternoon drive not to be missed. The windows in my van were down as I drove slowly through the winding roads, the air faintly scented of pine and moss, the […]

The post Hiking Devil’s Den Preserve in Connecticut appeared first on Middle Journey.

Explore This Unique National Park for Art in the U.S.

You’ve probably heard of Yellowstone and Yosemite, but did you know there’s a national park for art? Most people are familiar with the popular scenic parks, but the National Park Service manages more than 400 national park sites dedicated to commemorating history, people, and events. These preserve archeological sites, architectural structures, landscapes and ideas like art. Weir National Park in Connecticut is the only national park for art dedicated to American Impressionism. It was once the home of beloved American Impressionist J. Alden Weir, and now it’s open to everyone to enjoy while being inspired by walking in the footsteps of world-class artists. I visited the park during my two-year road trip as a nomad traveling in my van, hiking, seeing historic areas, and staying in short-term rentals. The Weir Farm National Historic Site includes 71 landscaped acres filled with the Weir home, other houses, barns, and the art studio. Landscaping is adoringly composed of historic flower beds, stone walls, old-growth trees, Weir Pond and well-preserved historical painting sites. It’s easy to see why Weir called this the “Great Good Place.” It’s the only national park for art where you can explore art showcases and expect to see artists outside […]

The post Explore This Unique National Park for Art in the U.S. appeared first on Middle Journey.