tour: day two ｜NYC – Hartford, Connecticut
September – October 2019
NYC
The next day of our New England and the Hudson Valley tour, we were going from NYC to Hartford, Connecticut. We got the breakfast buffet at the hotel (part of the tour) and it was nice, but I wouldn’t pay the amount they were asking (I can’t remember but it was something like $35 each!).
At 7:30am, we were on our bus for the first time, being given a tour of the city. I love doing tours of places, so I loved this and because the traffic is so bad in New York, we could crawl along and see what was being pointed out without whizzing by. At a few spots we were able to get off the coach and do a bit of walking around with the tour guide. Then we arrived at Central Station at 9:45, ready to leave at 10:30
Mark Twain House and Harriet Beecher Stowe Center
We stopped en-route at some service station for lunch and then it was onwards and upwards to the Mark Twain House and Harriet Beecher Stowe Center.
The group split up into two, some went to Mark Twain (MT) first, others to Harriet Beecher (HB). We were in the group to go to HB first, so off we trotted, unaware of what was to come. The whole thing was really good, and we got taken around.
HOWEVER, it was kind of like being on a school trip and it was VERY America centric, which I know, we were in America, but some things don’t crossover so well. Part of the tour involved us sitting in a circle (with people we had only just met!) and discussing our views on race, racism, discrimination etc. All those great topics you like to start discussing with people you don’t know! It was heavy and the Brits in the group just sat there, looking at the floor, awkward and uncomfortable. Some of the American’s shared stories and I’m so grateful that they were brave enough and did because otherwise I have no idea what would have happened. It just wasn’t great (it’s making me laugh nervously just remembering how awkward this whole exchange was).
Then we went to MT house. I didn’t really enjoy this part but most of the group seemed to, so it must have just not been my kind of thing. The people doing the tour were dressed up and taking us around and that was good, but I thought it dragged a little bit.
Hartford, CT
When we left there, we went to the Hilton Hartford Hotel which had an absolutely dire selections of food. What can you do eh? I think I had some salad which was cos lettuce and a few pieces of tomato of which I have no photos of unfortunately, so you’ll just have to try and imagine.
Take care and see you soon for day three of the new england and the hudson valley tour.
Emily
arrival ｜ New York
tour: day one ｜New York
tour: day two ｜NYC – Hartford, Connecticut
tour: day three ｜ Hartford – Lexington – Concord – Boston
tour: day four ｜Boston
tour: day five ｜Boston – Salem – Portland
tour: day six ｜Portland – Freeport – Jackson
tour: day seven ｜Jackson – Montpelier – Stowe – Essex
tour: day eight ｜Essex
tour: day nine ｜Essex – Lake Camplain – Lake Placid
tour: day ten ｜Lake Placid – Saratoga Springs – Berkshires
tour: day eleven ｜Berkshires – West Point – Tarrytown
departure ｜New York