Life Happens: East Coast Trip Part Two: Mystic, CT & Newport RI

After a busy day in New York City, Phil and I borrowed Aunt Jaime's Prius and drove to his parent's house in Denville, New Jersey (which is about 30ish minutes outside of Manhattan). We unpacked, played some Rock Band with his brother Albert, and then hit the hay to get some good sleep in preparation for our road trip to Boston the next day.

Bright and early the next morning (okay, it was like 10:00), Sonny, Cathy, Phil and I loaded up the Odyssey and headed North. Apart from the various rest areas we stopped at (and by the way, the rest areas on the East Coast are like mini food courts), we made two longer stops on our way up to Boston. The first was in Mystic, Connecticut. The men were interested in the scenery but Cathy and I had an alterior motive for wanting to stop in Mystic (the movie Mystic Pizza of course, see picture below).

Our second stop was in Newport, Rhode Island. I didn't read up much on this place, but it seems to be a very popular place for sailing enthusiasts and obscenely wealthy people. It might be best known for the various mansions (many of them built and lived in by Vanderbilts), which obviously are located on the most prime real estate right on the water. The "Cliff Walk" allows visitors to see the outside of several of these mansions for free, while it costs about $20 to tour the inside. Phil was skeptical, but luckily his parents talked him in to touring "The Breakers" with me, which was a Vanderbilt summer home (aka ginormous mansion) built in 1895. The "Gilded Age" mansion was spectacular inside, but unfortunately we weren't allow to take photographs. Here is a website with a few pictures if you are curious.

After pretending The Breakers was our summer home for a good hour or so, we piled back in the van and continued on our way to Boston. Phil had made us a dinner reservation at Blue Ginger in Wellesley, Massachusetts. Blue Ginger is owned and operated by Chef Ming Tsai, who is the star of "Simply Ming", which I believe airs on public access TV because I've never seen him on Food Network. Anyway, Phil's family have been huge fans of this fellow Taiwanese gentleman for some time and they were quite excited to walk in to the restaurant and see none other than Chef Tsai himself greeting and speaking to restaurant guests. He stopped by our table during dinner (which was fabulous) and took a picture with us on our way out. Phil informed him that he's trying to encourage me to eat Chinese food but that I hadn't yet become a fan of Stinky Tofu. Ming chuckled and said "but chou dofu is so good!" Chou dofu is stinky tofu's Chinese name, and that's one phrase I will not forget how to say in Chinese. Why? Because I must avoid that horribly disgusting "food" (quotes because I don't consider it food) at all costs. I have tried it at least three times and I can safely say it is one taste I will never acquire. And yes, it stinks. And yes, it tastes like it smells.