While in Pennsylvania, I thought it might be fun to get some pictures of Scranton for fans of The Office.  A web search lead to information that indicated all The Office references (other than town restaurants) could be found in the Scranton mall.

Scranton is known as the Electric City because of their early adoption of electricity in industry.  The history is detailed a bit in the mall.  Scranton is an aging city in need of some refreshing.  In the mall, about half of the shops were closed / empty spaces.  There were few people there and it seemed like things are in a depressed state.

I was only able to find one The Office reference in the mall.

The mall has setup a Christmas tree that looks quite nice.

After Scranton, I wanted to head into New Jersey.  I considered going to the southern part to see a lighthouse but realized I would get there well after sunset.  Instead, I figured I would go check out Atlantic City.

Using Priceline, I found what looked to be good deals on some hotels right on the boardwark with casinos.  However, once you add in the fees, taxes, valet parking, the cost more than doubled.  A Best Western just behind the boardwalk had a great deal.

As I arrived, I noticed the neighborhood seemed rough.  When I got out of the Tesla, someone yelled something I couldn’t make out towards me and the car.  I think he was excited about seeing it?  I checked in and asked the desk staff about walking to the casinos.  He suggested i drive after dark.  hmm.  I asked for a local map and he provided one and then crossed six casinos off the list saying they are permanently closed.  I went up to my room and felt uneasy.  I looked out the window at the building next to me.  Four stories and completely boarded up.  I thought about the car sitting out in the parking lot and realized I didn’t feel comfortable staying.  So, I went downstairs and explained that I was going to move on.  The guy at the desk was great and gave me a full refund.  Possibly the shortest stay in Atlantic City, ever. 😉   It’s a dying city.

I drove North to the next SuperCharger and did a blind deal on Priceline.  Ended up being a Sheraton a few miles from the Jersey Shore.   It was a late night at that point and I called it a night.

I woke up a bit earlier than usual and decided to do laundry before leaving the hotel.  Uncertain if I would end up doing the ESPN tour, I figured I should try to find something of interest in Connecticut before moving on.  Mark Twain’s House and Harriet Beecher Stowe Center were both close by and next to each other.

When I arrived at Mark Twain’s House, I learned it was a guided tour for $19.  I could not walk through on my own without the tour and I would have to wait for the next tour to start.  I also wasn’t a fan of spending $19 to see the house.  A similar situation exists for the Harriet Beecher Stowe Center.  I passed on both and decided to go do some wine tastings in Connecticut! 🙂

Gouveia Vineyards, in Wallingford, was the first stop.  Beautiful location and good wine.  🙂

A short drive lead to Paradise Hills Winery.  This winery is less picturesque but I enjoyed the wines more.  The staff was great at both locations.

After the tastings, it was time to decide if I was going to head towards Long Island or go into Pennsylvania.  I choose Pennsylvania and picked a hotel in Blakeslee, PA.  I’m close to Scranton so I can get some pics for The Office fans and then plan to head towards New York City tomorrow.

Shortly after getting into the hotel room, I received a text from Jenn regarding the ESPN tour.  I’m set for Wednesday afternoon.  So, sports fans, let me know if there are any particular things you’d like me to look for or ask during or after the tour.

Miles: ~8500

This is the view I woke up to inside of Elizabeth and Michael’s home

Elizabeth treated us to hand pressed coffee and breakfast. 🙂  Jay had plans to take a bus to Vermont to visit another friend for two days.  I offered to take Jay to the bus station in Boston.

Boston’s South Station is quite large and historic.  After parking, we walked over to the station and walked around a bit before finding out the bus area was down a ways.  We were in the train section.  Jay and I were busy talking so I didn’t take any pictures, but it’s quite the view to see all of the train lines and bus terminals.  Jay bought his ticket and we grabbed some lunch before he was due to board the bus.  After saying goodbye, I left Boston and headed toward Connecticut.

I stopped in New Britain, Connecticut for the night.  The hotel had a pub attached that listed live music as their attraction.  After getting settled, I headed to the pub for dinner and hoped to get some tips on places to see from the locals.

Two women sat at my left a short time after I arrived.  Jenn struck up a conversation with me after a while.  Her job at ESPN has lead to her traveling to various countries and all around the USA.  I mentioned my trip.  She had a bunch of questions regarding the Tesla and I was curious to hear more about her trip to South Africa.  Jenn offered to look into a tour of ESPN for me, if I was interested, and said she would text me after looking into it.  After a while, I wished her and her friend a good night and headed to my room for the night.

I was a bit down last night.  Been traveling solo without seeing any friends or family in nine days. Doesn’t sound like much, but it can get a bit weary.  I was thinking it would be nice to catch up with a friend again.  And a bit after that, my friend Jay contacts me on FaceBook because he’s in Boston for work and would like to catch up.  Cool 🙂  We made plans to meet for dinner.

I decided to check out the mansions and cliff walk of Newport, Rhode Island in the day before heading back to Boston.  When I arrived, I bought a pass to tour five mansions, but I only used it for three.  The first stop was the Marble House, and it was my favorite of the three.  It’s an incredible place with more marble than any house I’ve seen previously.  These mansions were built near the shore at the height of the sailing society about 100 years ago.  Families that had amassed wealth and power built these mansions and their sailing society.  The mansions contain histories of the families, their ships, and their achievements. I took a stupid amount of pictures.  Some highlights starting with the front door.

Some of those picture may have been from the second mansion.  RoseCliff mansion was the second stop.  This mansion was used in filming The Great Gatsby.  What I liked best about this mansion was the backyard and view from the house and from the edge of the backyard.

The Breakers was the third mansion I visited.  My favorite part was the water feature under the staircase. 🙂

Jay was staying with his friends, Elizabeth and Michael, in Waltham.  I picked him up at their house and we went out to eat on Moody Street.  Being Friday night, most places had a long wait without a reservation.  We ended up eating Indian food at Santa Banta.  It was excellent!  The staff were very cool and gave us a free appetizer and a free dessert.  We grabbed some beer at Gordon’s and headed back to Elizabeth and Michael’s house.

Elizabeth and Michael live in an amazing house.  It’s been officially dedicated as a historical house, which limits changes they can make to it.  The entire house is built around a central courtyard.  It’s quite beautiful!  Elizabeth joined Jay and I in conversation and drinks.  After some inappropriate story sharing between recent strangers, Elizabeth considered me enough of a friend to generously offer me a place to stay for the night.  I happily accepted and we continued drinking and talking for hours before calling it a night.