Sunday in Rhode Island

Off to Rhode Island today. We are starting to see some beautiful colors on the highways...makes the trees look like they are on fire!! I need to find some trees locally that have changed and get some leaves to bring home.

We arrived in Newport, RI to packed streets and waterfronts....there were so many people in town you couldn't move. Then we realized that it is Columbus Day weekend and lots of people had off. Guess they wanted to take in the colors also. Downtown Newport was so mobbed and there are streets that are closed off to cars. It took us almost 45 minutes to go three blocks!! Since Newport has been around since the 1600's, the streets are reaallllly narrow and there are few places to park. So Wes dropped me off at Touro Synagogue so I could do the tour (it was about 20 min) while they waited for a parking spot. I was just coming out of the tour when they found a spot!!



Touro Synagogue is the oldest Synagogue in America. It really doesn't look like a synagogue...no markings on it at all. But there are no markings on the churches in the area either. The original settlers wanted everyone to be part of the community, so they decided that the houses of worship should blend into the architecture of the town and not stand out. Interesting. If you click on the pics here you can see larger shots of them.

The synagogue itself only seats about 100...very small but very beautiful. They have a Torah scroll that is over 500 yrs old and written on deer skin. Needless to say, it is behind glass now so no one can touch it. Also, no pics are allowed inside the sanctuary.

After the tour we wanted to look around Newport, but because it was so crowded we decided to venture on to Providence, RI. Well, it being Sunday, and everything closes early, we really didn't get to see much there. So we decided to drive right to Boston so we can get an early start in the morning. And that's where we are now. We seem to be visiting every Motel 6 in New England!!

Well, I have a 6am wake up call for the morning. (UGH!!) We want to get an early start and at least there is a Dunkin Donut right next to the hotel!!!! I'll be having my blueberry muffin in the morning. (Sorry Daisy, can't bring you one!)

See ya tomorrow!!