Plymouth Part 5 (conclusion)

Sunday morning after breakfast and saying good-bye to our fabulous hosts Andrew and I went to church in Plymouth. It was a small branch held inside a strip mall. I was surprised to find two of my classmates there. I didn't realize there were people in my Pathways class at BYU-I from Plymouth. So that was fun, I got to meet Sasha and John's families and introduce them to my real husband. (For the first bit everyone in class thought I was married to Eric, my step-father-in-law).

We left after the second hour because we had to go home, I had to bake cookies, then Andrew was baptizing someone at 1:30 and we had a dinner appointment at 3:30. We finally got to see our boys at 3:30 and they were exhausted! They spent Friday night with my parents and Saturday with Andrew's mom and they were ready to be home. I missed my munchkins. It was nice to be back. Though we are so busy, it was so great to take a short break. In fact, on the way home from Plymouth I turned to Andrew and said, "Well, it was nice spending this time together dear. I'll see you around sometime." Life gets so crazy. But I love it and I wouldn't change any of it!

In conclusion, I highly recommend the Whitfield House in Plymouth, as well as Martini's, Bangkok Thai and the Blue-Eyed Crab. Plymouth is a nice little getaway and for those of you who are from RI, it's really not that far. I know it's ALL THE WAY in Ma, and it's a whole 45-60 minute drive, but well worth it!

Plymouth Part 4

After lunch we walked to a monument which was in the middle of a neighborhood off the beaten path. It was kind of random. In fact, when people were telling us about things to see in Plymouth they mentioned the monument but kind of dismissed it as not worth the time.

It was huge, and very elaborately carved our of granite and sandstone. I took a lot of photos, but I'll spare you. Here's the overall monument.

And here's just a little bit of a closer view.

Unfortunately the monument has not been well cared for and parts of it are being worn away by the weather. Plymouth apparently has a love-hate relationship with tourism. It seems like the locals want to keep it quiet and quaint, kind of like New Hampshire, but need the tourism to upkeep things. Since they kind of fight the tourism there's a lot that needs touching up. Lots of buildings that need new roofs or a coat of paint, monuments that need some restoration work, things like that. It's sad because there's so much history there but it's just kind of being left to rot.



After the monument we went back to the BnB and, again, took a nap. Again, awesome. Then we went to dinner at . . .

Martini's They were the winners for us. We loved the atmosphere, the service and the food. We got there at 7:00 and it was busy but not too noisy. I could enjoy my husband's company. And we actually had the same server we'd had the day before.

Again we ordered the mussles but we decided to order an app that's actually on the menu too, in case anyone wants a recommendation. We got the Honey Scallops Frites, which were fried scallops but the batter had some honey in it and then they had honey drizzled on top of them.

These were fantastic! In fact, Andrew and I both liked them better than the mussles, and the mussles were out of this world. After this Andrew ordered Cashew Encrusted Swordfish, which he raved about, and I got the Beef Medallions. His meal came with roasted potatoes and asparagus and mine with roasted potatoes and brocclini. The veggies were very good, and didn't seem microwaved, they were actually cooked. I didn't get photos because we were hungry and dug right in. I thought of it as we were taking our last bites!

They don't have a dessert menu here. This is what the menu says about dessert:

I was bummed we weren't going to be there on Tuesday, I'd like to check out the live jazz.
Anyhow, back to dessert. They had a chocolate cake on the menu that evening which I got to go. It was fantastic, just like everything else we ordered.

It doesn't look very nice in a styrofoam box, but it tasted just fine.

That concluded our food adventures. I should also mention the Friday we went to lunch at a little place near our BnB called the Blue Blinds Cafe. It was excellent. The bread was very fresh and made the sandwiches so great.

Plymouth Part 3

Let me start by saying that we saw families at every place we went, so I will not say if a place is kid-friendly or not, just assume they all are.

We started our evening at a place called Martini's. It reminded me of a place you'd find in Newport, RI. Very modern, well kept and classy.It was very mello and quiet here.

This place was not along the water, it was actually more in the center of town. We got there around 5:30 and it was almost empty. We sat at a high top table right in the open window. It was a perfect evening for it. The appetizer we ordered was actually a special, Portuguese Mussles. They were fabulous!

We asked for more bread because we didn't want to waste the sauce. In fact I contemplated picking the bowl up at the end and drinking the leftover liquid, that's how good it was. I refrained.

The service here was great, our server was very friendly and personable. All in all a great experience.



Next we walked down toward the water to East Bay Grill. It reminded us of ABC in Newport, minus the beach. But there was seating inside and out, and an outside bar as well.

This place was hoppin'! It was so noisy we had to yell in order to hear each other. It was 6:30 and there was an hour wait. Since it was just the 2 of us and we were only getting an appetizer we sat by the bar. This was one big advantage to being a small party just getting apps, we could squeeze in wherever there was room. We ordered scallops wrapped in bacon. The scallops were HUGE and the bacon was nice and crunchy. They were fantastic.

And the service was great. We were just off to the side at a counter near the bar, but one of the bartenders acted as our server and though the bar was extremely busy, she was right on top of making sure we had everything we needed. If you like lots of people and socialization, this place would do it for you. Not our favorite, but the food was still yummy.

After East Bay, at about 7:30,  we crossed the street and headed to the Blue Eye Crab, but got distracted by the Waterfront Grill. We went in there because it looked empty.

However, we were deceived. We had a wait, even for just the 2 of us. It was only about 10 minutes though. We were seated upstairs near the bar and again, and this place was also busy and loud. Not quite like East Bay, it wasn't as big a place as East Bay.

We struggled to find something we could eat because of our dairy allergy. They were not very accommodating here and so we settled for garden salads. They were decent sized salads for only $5. And it wasn't just a nasty iceburg lettuce salad, there were some mixed greens in there.

It was good, but not our most exciting stop as far as food goes. We probably wouldn't go back here, but we're not knocking it. If you like a crowd but not an overwhelming one, like at East Bay, then this would be a good choice. And again the service was great, no complaints there.




The Blue Eye Crab was right next door and that was our next stop. We were excited about this one, it came highly recommended. In fact we asked our server at East Bay how to get to the Blue Eye Crab and she told us the food there is great and we were lucky we were on our way there, lol! Unfortunately when we got there there was about an hour wait. At this point it was getting late, and cold, so the host offered to take our number and call us if a table opened up. In the meantime we started walking back to the bed and breakfast.

On the way we passed Isaac's.

So, curious, we bopped in. At first glance it was pretty cool inside. Lots of glass and mirrors made the place look huge. As we sat there though I was trying to put into words how I felt about it. I still can't adequately do that. It just seemed like it was cheap classy. Like they had a good idea about how to crate a classy environment but skimped on materials. It wasn't just that either, but I couldn't place my finger on the funny feeling I had about this place.

Anyhow, it's all part of the adventure! At this time it was about 8:30. We were seated and looked again for a dairy free food item. The appetizer we were interested in was chicken medallions, but they were cooked in butter. We asked about doing this dairy free and they obliged. The chicken was served over rice and had a garlic flavor to it.

It looked kind of bland but tasted fantastic. Our server was so funny. She came over to see how we were enjoying our food. When we told her it was really good she said, "Really? Because it didn't look too appetizing." We had a good laugh about that, Andrew and I. It's still a running joke.

Anyhow, the food was good, but very oily. We felt OK after eating it though and, eager to try the place everyone spoke so highly of, made our way back to the Blue Eyed Crab.

 
When we got there the host was wiping down some outside tables. Andrew said, "So, how's it lookin'?" meaning as far as us getting a table. The guy went white. "Oh my goodness, I forgot to call you. We have plenty of tables now, you can even sit at the bar if you want. Here, let me clean this table off by the window." We were treated like royalty, lol. We weren't upset because we were just at Isaac's, but he didn't know that.

We sat down and that's when the food from Isaac's hit me. I felt so sick to my stomach. I ordered a Coke and that was it for me. I was sad because I wanted to try food from this place, but I couldn't even think of food then.

Andrew ordered the shrimp and bacon tacos. He loved them. He said they were his favorite app of the evening.

Totally not my cup of tea, but he loved them. I'm not sure what I would have ordered because I couldn't even look at the menu.

The service here was great. It was a very small place and it was decorated all funky with tropical colors and fish hanging from the ceiling. This was more our type of atmosphere than East Bay, Waterfront, or Isaac's. It was very cute. But with the food being so good (so I hear), and the place being so small I would recommend making a reservation.

That was it for our Friday night experience. We continued it on Saturday. For lunch we went to the Thai place in town, Bangkok Thai. I forgot to get a photo of their sign, so here's me :)

I also started eating before I remembered to take a picture of the food so this is what was left of my springrolls.

They were so good. Andrew ordered a veggie soup that I couldn't get a photo of because the second he got the soup it was gone! LOL, he thoroughly enjoyed it.

For our meal Andrew ordered Pad Thai, which he said was fantastic, and I got a noodle soup which also was fantastic. The only thing we would both do if we went again would be to ask them to hold the cilantro. Too much cilantro.

Since it was lunch time there were not many people here. In fact, we were the only customers for awhile. The service was good and the food was great. We would go there again.


So after sampling all of these foods we decided that we would go to dinner Saturday night at the place that was our favorite. Check the next post to see who the winner was :)

Plymouth Part 2

Our bed and breakfast was right in the center of all the places you'd want to see if you visit Plymouth. The only place we did not go is the Plantation. Every place we went was within walking distance. We started out by Plymouth Rock.

 

Then we walked along the shore and saw various monuments.

 The Day of Mourning was actually a perspective I'd never thought about.

This is William Bradford, first governor of Plymouth.


Then our journey brought us to a nice walk through a park.

 It was a beautiful day and we enjoyed this place a lot. As we got closer to the end of the walk it came to a pond. It seems there were fish, herring, trying to get up to that pond. As we got closer to where the river met the pond it was full of fish. It was amazing! And they had to get up this ladder-like structure to get to the pond. It was crazy to see them struggle and fight so hard to get up it. I took some video but you can't tell really what you're looking at unless someone explains it. It was better in person.

Then we went to a little shop called the Sparrow House. It had all kinds of local art for sale. From jewelry to purses to mirrors and decor. I love shops like that, and this one was awesome. If I had a ton of money I'd spend it at a place like that.

After that we went up to the cemetery, which we were told had a great view of Plymouth. Which it did, it was worth the walk up the hill. It wasn't a tough hill, just being pregnant and carrying a backpack it was hard to keep my heart rate down.

and here we are sitting on a bench contemplating life. Graveyards have that affect on you I think.

Later we went back to our BnB and took a nap. That was awesome! And for dinner what we did was we tried 5 different restaurants and got an appetizer at each place. The next post is my review of those places. We had so much fun doing that! We rarely go out to eat so this was a treat for us. It was nice to be with my husband, we have fun together. And we both like good food so we really enjoyed ourselves.

 

Plymouth Part 1

My husband Andrew and I were getting to the point where I was feeling like "I think my husband still lives in my house with me," so I booked a much needed weekend getaway for us. I wanted something close, but not Newport because we always go to Newport. So I randomly chose Plymouth, MA and looked up places to stay. I found a bed and breakfast online and so I called, booked it and we were set.

The pace we stayed at was right in Plymouth and it was a lovely little bed and breakfast called The Whitfield House. It is owned by Bryan Whitfield and operated by his sister Barbara. The house is one of the oldest, I believe, in the country. It was the oldest on the street, one of the only originals left. When Bryan bought the home he went through an extensive process of renovation and restoration to get the home to look like a house would have in the 1700's. It has a cobble stone drive and carriage doors, which were added by Bryan and were not originally part of the house. He did a great job, the carriage house looks like it was part of the original home. Here are some outside and inside photos:

This is the view of the front and what you see as you pull up. It looks like a modest home.

 

Then you pull in to the cobble stone drive and you see this view. It makes the house look much bigger. In actuality, it's a garage with a music room above it. Bryan plays piano and viola. I would have loved to see that room!

 

And the plaque that tells a little more about the house's history.

 

This was our room, the Blue Room. 

Andrew's shirt just happened to match the decor.

 

And another shot of our room.

 It was a beautiful place. I wish I had thought to take pictures of the rest of the house. But you can see it online.

Andrew and I have a dairy allergy and that can be tricky, especially for breakfast. Barbara was happy to accommodate us. We brought some rice milk and she cooked for us. Saturday morning we had pancakes loaded with fresh strawberries and blueberries. They were amazing. And Sunday we had homemade coffee cake and fresh fruit and date salad.

We would go back here just to visit with Bryan and Barbara again. In fact, Saturday morning breakfast was at 8:00 but we didn't leave the table until 12:00, we were so busy talking to them. It was nice for us to have that time to spend, but I felt badly keeping them because they weren't on vacation! They never made us feel like we were a bother though. We had great food and great conversation.

Quiet Moments

I know the word "quiet" is not one that's often in a parent's vocabulary. But every now and then it happens. This morning was one of those special times. Vance, my 4 year old, woke up and went to cuddle under his favorite blanket on the couch. I went over, picked him up, and put him on my lap. We snuggled for awhile and I was soaking in the time together. I know someday he'll be too cool (and too big!) to snuggle with his mama, so I'm really grateful for these moments.

Logan, my 2 year old, woke up later. At this point Vance and I were reading. Logan, in just his little pull-up, wiggled his way onto my lap as he usually does and snuggled. He's my little teddy bear. I was reclining and he turned around, wrapped his little arms around my neck, and just put his head on my chest. He lay there looking up at me with those big blue eyes and said in his sweet little voice "I love you mom".  The strains of William Joseph on piano were playing gently in the background. For a few minutes there was peace in my home. No yelling, no fighting, no running around and making messes. I hope I will always remember these quiet moments. They're so special and I try to drink in every precious second. I'm so thankful for these quiet moments.

Shelf Reliance

So I signed up to be a Shelf Reliance consultant and find I have no time to host any parties or workshops or anything. I think most people don't even know I'm a consultant. I chose them because I really like their products. I love their shelves, I love the planners they have on their website, I love the different options as far as sizes of food items. I really think it's a great company. Check it out, www.shelfreliance.com. If you order through me, as opposed to through the site, it's a little cheaper.

Also they have this amazing monthly program called the Q. All you do is use the free food storage planner on the website to customize your own plan and then set a monthly budget. Shelf Reliance will send you shipments every month from your food storage plan, staying within your budget. They will also select items that are on sale first. And you can pause the Q at any time. I'm on it and I love it. Food storage shipped right to my door. Contact me to sign up today!

Besides that, if you're more ambitious and want to stock your storage without purchasing prepackaged foods check out this amazing site: http://everythingunderthesunblog.blogspot.com/ . If you send Wendy an email and ask about food storage she will send you her Food Storage booklets and they are full of, well, everything under the sun!

Easter

So I've been trying to post to my blog and every time I have tried to connect to blogger.com I have been redirected to MyLDSmail.com. Weird redirect!

That said, I will be more consistent now that I can access my blog again!

Happy Easter to all. I am so grateful for my Savior and what He has done for me personally. He knows and loves each of us, and suffered for us so we could return back to our Father in heaven. His love is incomprehensible and I hope we all take a moment this Easter to ponder on what He did for each of us.