A POSTCARD FROM NEWPORT, RHODE ISLAND

After a weekend of spending time in Cape Cod we made our way to Newport for quick evening. Even though we were just passing by we were shocked on the amount of things we were able to do in just a short period of time.

First on the list was Goat Island, we found a parking spot to do some boat watching while we figured out what we wanted to do next.

Before hitting the road we had to get a closer look at the Goat Island Light, we thought it was a pretty neat little lighthouse especially with the Newport Bridge in the back.

We drove over to the Cliff Walk and found some parking along the street to walk along the waterfront.

Before starting the walk we stopped by the 40 Steps to take advantage of the empty steps. We got to see some beautiful views of the cliffs and the Easton Bay. The sun was almost setting so our walk was extra gorgeous!

Weirdly enough we still had time to see the last of the sunset at the Castle Hill Lighthouse. The sunset seemed to have lasted hours because we were able to do so much in just a quick evening.

We parked at the Castle Hill Inn and made our way west to the lighthouse, there are a few trail markers to give you directions. It’s a bit hidden but once you find it it’s a beautiful place to sit and enjoy the view. I would have loved to come see the sunrise here too!

From Newport we were headed back to Brooklyn, NY but we drove along Ocean Drive before heading home. Overall, it’s a beautiful place to visit and I wish we could have stayed a little longer, preferably a whole weekend but I’ll settle for an evening. I’m already planning our next visit to Newport!

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POSTCARD FROM ROCKPORT, MASSACHUSETTS

Just an hour from Boston, Rockport is the perfect day trip! This quaint little seaside town in New England is a total gem and the perfect getaway for the warmer months.

You can spend a good amount of time just exploring shops and all the galleries in town but I’ve made a mini guide to further help your visit!

Find some street parking along Main Street and start your day by exploring the art galleries!

The Rockport Art Museum has a mix of older art pieces from their collection along with modern art that is available for purchase. They have art from local artists, sculptors and photographers in their exhibits. It’s a really interesting museum/gallery and worth stopping by! The Rockport Art Museum also offers online art courses, sketch groups, outdoor workshops, and much more!

If you are looking for a place to grab some gelato or maybe a refreshing strawberry lemonade, the Robin’s Nest is the perfect place to satisfy your sweet tooth.

Just next to the Robin’s Nest, walk down Pier Ave and get some awesome views of the White Wharf. There is limited seating but there are a few benches, if none are available you can sit on the rocks with caution to enjoy the views.

If you happen to visit Rockport and decide you want to go to the beach such as Pebble Beach, but you didn’t bring anything with you, One Ocean One Love Shop is the perfect place for beach-wear. They have quite a bit of merch and swimwear, basically anything you might need for the beach such as towels, sunglasses, aloe mist, hats and sandals.

If you bring your dog to Rockport make sure to stop by The Ice Cream Store for a frosty paws for pups and maybe a sundae for yourself! They have a super large assortment of ice cream flavors to choose from, they also have multiple flavors for their shaved ice.

How cute is this little shop? The Pewter Shop has some really neat jewelry pieces and ocean themed kitchen and home accessories. If you are picking up souvenirs for friends and family but are looking for something hand-crafted you might want to check out The Pewter Shop.

Original Beach Dog, 18 Bearskin Neck

Going further down Bearskin Neck there are multiple clothing stores where you can shop around for sweatshirts, t-shirts, and unique souvenirs. A few stores you can keep an eye out for are Original Beach Dog, Kayas, Floating Lotus Rockport, The Black Dog General Store, The Blue Lantern, Artesano's and Kala Roopa.

Kaya's Crafts, 21 Bearskin Neck

R Lerch Gallery, 22 Bearskin Neck

Floating Lotus Rockport, 27 Bearskin Neck

The Blue Lantern, 31 Bearskin Neck

Artesano's, 33 Bearskin Neck

Kala Roopa, 43 Bearskin Neck

You can’t visit Cape Ann without getting some fresh lobster! Lobster rolls are Rockport’s speciality and you can find the best lobster rolls in Rockport at Roy Moore Lobster Co.

If you happen to bring your furry friend to Rockport take them to get a treat at Good Dog Gallery, while you’re there you can do a little shopping. You can find all sorts of doggy essentials, such as leaches, collars, and doggie treats.

One of my favorite places to shop while walking down Bearskin Neck was The Bearskin Neck Country Store. This cute little country store has all sorts of unique candies and souvenirs, this is where we got our souvenirs, we got a few postcards and some pretty neat magnets.

They have salt water taffy, old school candy, unique hot sauces, and plenty of other goodies. We couldn’t resist getting some candy so we did get some Turkish taffy.

In case you didn’t think there was enough sweet shops in Rockport there is a Fudgery. Stop by to pick up some creamy fudge bars and if you are trying to watch your sugar intake they do have a few sugar free flavors.

During the warmer months, if you’d like to go kayaking rent some equipment at North Shore Kayak. They offer a couple tours were you can kayak a few miles with the help of a guide. If you happen to visit Rockport for the weekend, add renting kayaks and paddle boats to your list. For rates on rentals and prices of tours click here.

For a quick breakfast stop at Helmut’s Strudel for a delicious Austrian strudel. Although they do serve ice cream their strudels are what they are known for, so get a few pastries and enjoy them by the waterfront with a view.

After exploring all the stores, galleries, and sweet shops you’ll come to a dead end where you can enjoy the views of the colorful homes of Rockport. It was fairly windy so we didn’t walk over the rocks to the very end but if you are careful when climbing the rocks I’m sure you’ll have a pretty sweet view!

This plaque can be better read next to the Old Stone Fort.

At the very end of Bearskin Neck you’ll find some amazing views of Rockport and a slight glimpse of the Straitsmouth Island Lighthouse.

Once you get to the dead end, start making your way back and stop by the Motif #1, an exact replica of the original 1840 building. This colorful fishing shack can be seen anywhere from the Rockport Harbor. We were only there for an afternoon but if we had spent the whole day there we definitely would have come to the Motif to see the sunset.

Just behind the Judi Rotenberg Studio is this super cute cottage with an amazing view of the Motif.

Walk down the T-Wharf for a spectacular close up view of the Motif and all the ships out in the water. This spot is directly in front of the public restrooms/visitor center.

If you have some extra time on your hands make your way down to Gloucester, Massachusetts!

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POSTCARD FROM TICONDEROGA, NEW YORK

While visiting Lake George we decided to go on a mini adventure up north, we didn’t have a specific plan when we hit the road so we really just winged the whole day by exploring as much as we could in Ticonderoga.

Our first stop was visiting the Heritage Museum & Visitor Center, we had a full day to explore Ticonderoga so we wanted to take full advantage of everything there was to do.

We started walking toward Bicentennial Park from the Visitor Center and we came across this super neat covered bridge that led us directly to the falls.

Immediately after crossing the covered bridge we came to the cutest place to watch the falls or even have a nice little lunch with a view. We stayed at the Falls of the La Chute for a good half hour before looking for a place to have lunch.

There are a few restaurants along Montcalm Street but a great place for breakfast or lunch is Libby’s. They have some really awesome freshly baked goods and sandwiches! Plus, it’s super affordable!

After walking down Montcalm Street we decided to just drive around Ticonderoga. At the end of Montcalm Street there is a round-about with a neat little monument, if you take the first exit the Ticonderoga Historical Society is the first building on the right. If you have the time stop by and view the exhibits of American life under Prohibition.

We spent the majority of our day just driving around residential neighborhoods when we finally made our way down Hague Road. We got some soft serve at Wind-Chill Factory, further down the road we stopped at Lonergan's Antiques.

We started making our way back to Silver Bay, when we noticed this neat little church hitting on top of a little hill on the side of the road. We pulled into the church to get a better look. I personally thought it was pretty neat, it was made of cobblestones and established in 1901.

That concludes our mini trip to Ticonderoga! Although we were just passing by we enjoyed visiting this charming little town and will definitely be stopping by next time we stay in Lake George during the summer.

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POSTCARD FROM GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK

After a long weekend in Lake George we headed South back to New York City but stopped in Glens Falls, NY along our way. Glens Falls is just a 20 minute drive from Lake George and a 25 minute drive from Saratoga Springs. 

We walked down Glen Street and stopped in a few shops. Finders Keepers had a good variety of vintage and thrift clothing, I got a few pieces at a great price! We

A quick stop for coffee of course, we thought SPoT Coffee was the perfect place to stop and take a little break. We grabbed a seat outside and enjoyed a nice afternoon before we continued exploring Glen Street.

We made a full circle, we started by walking downtown Glen Street and made our way back to City Park by Ridge Street. We didn’t stop by to enjoy the afternoon there but it was a beautiful little park with plenty of benches to sit and relax.

There isn’t an official parking lot but there is plenty of street parking, located just off Glen and Maple Street.

Continuing down Glen Street right over the Hudson River is Cooper’s Cave, a small viewing platform next to the bridge. Across the bridge, there is a picnic table. There isn’t much to see but if you are in the neighborhood and need a place to park and relax, this is a great place to park for free.

Parking for Cooper's Cave Overlook can be found right off Cooper's Cave Drive.

We headed over to the Hyde Collection and spent an afternoon browsing through their private collection, they even have a Picasso. We took our time walking through the museum then relaxed in the courtyard before deciding where to head next. Admission is $12 a person.

Another great museum to visit if you have the time is the Old Fort House Museum - The Old Fort House is part of a 17 building museum complex with 5 structures, the museum is filled with beautiful antique furniture. There is also a ghost tour you can go on at night!

Overall, we had a very pleasant afternoon in Glens Falls! So glad we had the opportunity to stop by this charming little town, and hope to make our way back to Glens Falls in the future.

I hope you have a chance to visit this adorable little town in upstate New York, if you happen to visit tag me on Instagram I’d love to see your pictures! Follow along on Instagram @lightlytraveling!

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