The Mystery Trip

When I was in travel school my instructor told me that I was too "ambitious" at times when planning trips. It's true. I want to see and do everything when I'm traveling. I sometimes plan trips that are logistically impossible. When my daughter graduated from college one year ago, she was planning on moving home for the summer and moving out in the fall ( which is what she did.) We would be packing up her dorm room and driving her and all her stuff the 12 hours to our house. So, I thought, what a great opportunity for a road trip. I kept planning different itineraries and calling her with the details. She finally said "It's all good mom - plan whatever you want" Which is code for "I'm trying to take exams and finish up college, just quit bugging me" And the Mystery Trip was born.

I planned a road trip itinerary and we told our 2 daughters what they should pack. We told them where the next days stop would be on the night before. And I only gave away the surprise one time!

Our first stop was New York City. We at hotdogs from a street vendor, spent an afternoon at the Natural History Museum and took a walk through Central Park. That evening our daughter went to see a Broadway show (her other present) while we went to dinner with friends.

Our next day was a drive to my mother-in-laws former house on Long Island and then a stop in the Hamptons ,which were never on my radar before. I think this was one of my favorite stops of the trip - beautiful beaches and adorable little towns.

A ferry ride from the North Fork of Long Island to New London, CT completed our second day.

Our third day found us in Newport, Rhode Island touring the "cottages" of the Vanderbilts , walking the Cliff Walk and wandering the quaint downtown.

And then on to Beantown - a boat tour of the harbor, which was also a favorite, some necessary ice cream ( salted caramel pretzel for me) and a game at Fenway that night.

And the last stop on the Mystery Trip was a trip to the Cape - my first. We drove the whole Cape  - visiting a lighthouse, a few little towns and ended the trip with a lunch in Provincetown.

You might ask which day I gave away the surprise about - Cape Cod, because I was so excited to go there and of course, because it was the last day. I almost made it.

I'm linking up once again for Friday Postcards at www.walkingontravels.com/2014/05/29/connect-dolphins-hawks-cay/. Go check out the photos of the dolphins at the Florida Keys resort, Hawks Cay