East Coast Road Trip: From Clemson to Montreal

Today, we awoke in Fredericksburg to cool and overcast conditions with some light drizzly rain.

Our view…

The Hampton room was quite nice and included your standard buffet breakfast downstairs.

Part of our room…

After breakfast and packing up the car, we were on the road by 8:20. Originally, we’d planned to stop for the night in Princeton, New Jersey but considering how many miles we need to cover tomorrow to get to Hyannis, MA to catch our ferry to Nantucket, we decided to push on and stopped in Mystic, Connecticut, made famous by the 1988 film “Mystic Pizza” starring a young Julia Roberts.

https://youtu.be/muLvjpHGHig?si=hRlFLYkXu9CyyJDE

It was a good day to drive 9 hours, over 425 miles, through 6 states and Washington DC (Virginia, Maryland, Delaware, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut) as the weather was pretty lousy almost the entire day until we got close to Mystic when the skies kindly parted.

Some scenes along the way…we passed through or just by several major East Coast cities including Washington DC, Baltimore, Philadelphia, Newark, New York, New Haven and others I forget.

We were on Interstate 95 almost the entire way up. Multiple areas of construction, accidents, hundreds of truckers and generally heavy traffic slowed our progress, particularly through the major metro areas along its route.

This interstate stretches for approximately 1,920 miles (3,089 kilometers), making it one of the longest interstate highways in the U.S. It runs predominantly along the East Coast.

I-95 runs along the East Coast, from Miami, Florida, in the south to Houlton, Maine, in the north, near the Canadian border. It passes through or near major cities such as Miami, Jacksonville, Savannah, Charleston, Richmond, Washington, D.C., Baltimore, Philadelphia, New York City, and Boston.

I-95 serves as a vital transportation corridor along the East Coast, facilitating the movement of people and goods between the northeastern and southeastern regions of the United States. It plays a crucial role in interstate commerce.

Some sections of I-95, particularly in urban areas like the Washington, D.C. to Boston corridor, are known for heavy traffic congestion. Travelers often encounter traffic jams, especially during peak commuting hours.

During the way up, we did some research online and found the Taber Inn B&B just outside the main historical area of Mystic.

Since it was almost sunset and we were hungry, we made the short drive over to Stonington, a village with a very rich history.

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Stonington was originally settled by English colonists in 1649. It was named after Stonington, England. The area was primarily used for agriculture and fishing.

Stonington played a role in the Pequot War of 1637, a conflict between English settlers and the Native American Pequot tribe. A battle took place on the Pawcatuck River near Stonington, marking one of the earliest armed conflicts between Europeans and Native Americans in New England.

During the American Revolutionary War, Stonington was a center of maritime activity. It served as a privateering base, with locals authorizing privateers to attack British ships. In August 1775, the British Navy shelled the town, but the residents held strong and prevented the town from being captured.

It was again involved in a conflict with the British during the War of 1812. In 1814, the British navy bombarded the town for three days. The townspeople defended Stonington, and the attack eventually ended without the British capturing the town.

In the 19th century, Stonington became known for its involvement in the whaling industry. It was a major whaling port, and many Stonington residents sailed on whaling ships. The town’s maritime heritage is still evident in its architecture and historical sites.

As the whaling industry declined in the mid-19th century, Stonington’s economy shifted toward other maritime activities, including fishing and shipbuilding. The town continued to be a significant seafaring community.

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We walked around town enjoying the colonial atmosphere. If you know me, you know I like to photograph interesting doors and windows. Stonington has a ton of them…

After the weather dreariness for most of the day, it was uplifting to see a nice sunset down at the harbor.

So we pivoted and headed over to the nearby Dog Watch Cafe which was recommended to us by the inn.

After dinner, we were completely ready to return to the Taber Inn, relax and perhaps hit that spa tub!

Onward to Hyannis tomorrow…