Chicago Loop InstaGreeter Tour, Skyline at the Museum Campus, Wicker Park, Kurah Mediterranean, and Au Chavel | Chicago, IL

We began our last day in Chicago by going on the Chicago Loop InstaGreeter Tour. The Chicago Greeter program is fantastic! You can register online at least ten days before your trip and a greeter will give you a free 2-4 hour customized tour of the city (the guides won't even accept tips when offered). If you forget to register (like we did), the program also has InstaGreeter tours that explore a specific part of the city and take place at scheduled times during the week.

Chatsworth House (aka Pemberly in the 2005 Pride & Prejudice movie!!) | Bakewell, England

On day 10 we visited Chatsworth House (which was Mr. Darcy's house in the 2005 version of Pride & Prejudice), toured the house, gardens, and took our first taxi ride in the UK. 

Oh Chatsworth. This may sound cliche, but Chatsworth really does take your breath away when you first see it. Riding through the wooded estate grounds, then turning a corner, and there it sits on a hill surrounded by rolling green hills and grazing sheep. It's magnificent. Apparently others thought so as well because Chatsworth has appeared on film in Pride & Prejudice (the 2005 version), The Duchess, Death Comes to Pemberley, etc. etc. 

Jane Austen Centre, the Royal Crescent, Fashion Museum, & the Roman Baths Museum | Bath, England

On day 8 we visited Bath and explored the Jane Austen Centre, The Circus, The Crescent, the Fashion Museum, and the Roman Baths.

I love Bath!!!! If you are lover of all things Jane Austen, archicture (especially Georgian buildings), pretty English towns, fashion, and you find yourself in England, you MUST visit Bath. 95% of the town's architecture is in the Georgian style so it appears to be frozen in time...which is a pretty cool experience. Bath is spectacular and I wish we had spent more time there. However, we made the most of the time we had and visited a ton of sights!

Eagle & Child Pub, St. Mary's Tower, Christ Church College Gardens, & Addison's Walk | Oxford, England

On day 7 we visited Oxford and saw the Eagle & Child Pub, St. Mary's Tower, WWII Memorial Gardens, Christ Church College Gardens, Alice in Wonderland, Magdalen College, and Addison's Walk.

Our Oxford trip was the beginning of the day trips that we needed help buying our train tickets. Therefore, to get cheaper rates we had to arrive and leave the towns later than we originally planned. Even though the train times were not ideal, our day trips were some of my favorite days in England. 

Apparently people like to bike in Oxford

Boat Tour, Dover Castle, & Saying Hello to France | Dover, England

On day 3 we visited Dover and went on a boat tour of the White Cliffs and visited Dover Castle with its World War II tunnels. Dover is located on the southern coast of England. It has gorgeous white cliffs and you can see France across the English Channel on a clear day. 

The Dover locals are funny. When we got off the train we asked a train worker when the last train left (so we wouldn't get stranded), but he wouldn't tell us the time. Instead he said something along the lines of, "Oh you won't miss it. There's nothing to see here at night. There's not a whole lot to see during the day." I guess everyone feels that way about their home town, but I thought Dover was fantastic. 

Mystic Seaport | Mystic, CT

I now have a lot of free time on my hands before I move back to Oklahoma so....it's time for more sightseeing! 

Mark Twain House & Museum, Grove Street Cemetery, Beineke Library, The Morgan Library, Dylan's Candy Bar, Broadway & Easter | New Haven, CT, New York City, NY, & Groton, CT

Well, it only took 7 months but I finally got an Oklahoman to visit me in Connecticut! My best friend and roommate from OSU, came to visit over Easter weekend. We visited a lot of sites in 4 days but it was so much fun! We toured Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe's houses in Hartford (fun fact they were neighbors).

Mark Twain's House

Times Square, Bryant Park, New York Public Library, Rockefeller Center, Top of the Rock Observation Deck, Broadway | New York City, NY

"...I want to wake up in that city 
that doesn't sleep 
and find that I'm king of the hill 
top of the heap


My little town blues
they are melting away
I'm going to make a brand new start of it
in old New York..."

Times Square

Newport Mansions | Newport, RI

I had company for this weekend's exploration. My friend Elizabeth came down from Massachusetts and we drove to Newport, Rhode Island, to visit the mansions. Even though the families who owned these homes only lived in them for two months out of the year, it is estimated that each family would spend around $500,000 per season on dinners, parties, balls, and upkeep (that comes out to $7 million dollars in today's economy). 

Aerial view of Newport

USS Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum | Groton, CT

For my first weekend adventure, I decided to explore the USS Nautilus and Submarine Force Museum. The USS Nautilus was the first nuclear powered submarine. It served in the military for nearly 30 years. The submarine now resides in Groton, Connecticut, and is part of the submarine museum.

Submarine Force Museum