New England Road Trip: Knoxville Lodgings | Knoxville, TN

I stayed at the Quality Inn in Knoxville, Tennessee. It was nicer that I expected. The room was huge, clean, and had a refrigerator with a freezer, microwave, and a super comfy bed (even though I didn't get to sleep in it as long as I would have liked, lol). Breakfast was descent; nothing to brag about but it got the job done.

New England Road Trip: Olde Mystick Village & Mystic Seaport | Mystic, CT

After my late night last night, I started my morning a little later than usual. I began the day by going to B.F. Clyde's Cider Mill for some cider donuts. I arrived around 10:30 am and the Mill was packed! Because it was so busy, it was difficult to find a parking spot. However, the donuts were absolutely worth it and they were as good as I remembered :) 

New England Road Trip: Lockwood Matthews Mansion, Yale University Art Gallery, & Les Miserables at the Shubert Theatre | New Haven, CT

I began the day by driving to Norwalk, Connecticut, and touring the Lockwood-Matthews Mansion Museum. The house is so cool!

New England Road Trip: Lighthouse Cruise, Lyman Allyn Art Museum, & Visiting My Old Stomping Grounds | New London, CT

I started the day by having an early lunch at Captain Scott's Lobster Dock (it has one of my top two lobster rolls of the trip!!). After lunch, I went on the Classic Lighthouse Cruise with New London's Cross Sound Ferry. It was so good!!

New London Ledge Lighthouse

New England Road Trip: Mystic Eats | Mystic, CT

Connecticut's food does not disappoint!

Captain Scott's Lobster Dock in New London, CT

New England Road Trip: Mystic Lodgings | Mystic, CT

After I finished shopping in Newport, I had dinner, drove to Mystic (in the dark, through the pouring rain on two lane highway roads), and checked into my hotel. I stayed at the Quality Inn Mystic. 

You never know what you will discover in your hotel parking lot. Historic bell anyone?

New England Road Trip: The Elms, Servant Life Tour at The Elms, & Shopping Downtown and at the Wharfs | Newport, RI

I began the day by going on the "Servant Life Tour" at The Elms. It was amazing!!! If you are at all curious about the people behind-the-scenes who kept the house running (aka the real life Anna and Bates types from Downton Abbey), go on this tour! 

A few of the male servants

New England Road Trip: Newport Historical Society Walking Tour, Chateau-sur-Mer, The Breakers, & Beneath The Breakers Tour | Newport, Rhode Island

I started the day by driving from Melrose, Massachusetts, through the crazy Boston traffic, to Newport, Rhode Island. Tip: the areas around Boston have an insane amount of traffic so make sure you include plenty of time to navigate it.