Planes, (No)Trains, and (Broken down rental-car-type) Automobiles

Well, my dearest made it safely here and home again. We spent Thanksgiving and the day on either side in Boston. Wonderful Italian food in the North End. Dinner at the original Cheers. Thanksgiving dinner at a chain. A visit to the New England Aquarium and a carriage ride through downtown. It was a whirlwind tour, and I will present photos of all, but this post is just a summary of my fiance's first trip of this sort solo(at least for the hard part).
The saga begins at 5am. She departed home for the 6:45 flight to Providence. Enter, rolling roadblock on 275. After creeping along for over 1/2 an hour they're able to get off at the next exit. Safely, but behind schedule they get to the airport. After encountering a surly counter agent, and a full security screening queue, she's the last person to board the aircraft. So much for the "A" boarding card she printed the day before.
Look at me I'm flying!

Luckily circumstances cooperated and I was able to pick her up. It's about an hour and a half drive from Providence to the Cape, and not the most straightforward trip for someone who's never driven in New England.


Downtown Providence, RI


Cape Cod Canal and Sagamore Bridge


Dunes (This is sort of what I always pictured when someone mentioned Cape Cod)


I gave her a sort of driving tour of the various locales that she's oft heard me mention over the phone when I'm up here.
We ventured down to Wood's Hole, home to WHOI and NOAA's NE Fisheries Science Center.


Woods Hole "Downtown"



NOAA Research Ships Albatross IV and Delaware II

On Wednesday morning we had planned to drive up to Boston for the holiday. We hoped to spend the day exploring the city. Neither of us had visited before, so it was going to be a new experience we could share. Enter Murphy. After driving through downtown we were crossing the Longfellow Bridge from downtown Boston to Cambridge. Just as I was starting up the hump the car died.


Breakdown!

We called the rental car company and gave them the details along with our location. We were informed it might be a little while and that we would have to ride with the driver to Logan airport for a replacement vehicle. OK. After waiting for about 30 minutes or so along came a police officer who said it wasn't safe for us to be on the bridge. He would "push" us over the bridge. OK sounds like a plan.


I think I can, I think I can.

Over the hump and we rolled down the other side into a parking spot in front of an office building. We immediately notify the rental car company that we have now moved, and update them on our current location.

A bit later we get a call from the tow truck driver. "Where are you?" We relay the details only to be told. "That's too bad, I can't cross the bridge, that's Cambridge, you have to get a Cambridge tow truck now"

Doh!

Another hour or so and we're on our way to Logan on the day before Thanksgiving. This isn't going to be pretty. It was busy, but not as bad as we feared. The company rep is very helpful and for our inconvenience asks us if we want an upgraded vehicle. Thats fine, SUV? No thanks, the Mustang, not really, do you have a Volvo? Sorry, no. OK I guess the Mustang will have to do. This is where I really start to feel like Steve Martin in the movie mentioned in the title. We wade out into this sea of cars, and after hoofing it through the rather confusing signage we arrive at our designated spot. Hmm, not the car we rented. We look around there are several Mustangs, but none of them with the right tag. A few of the lot guys come over and assist, nope still no Mustang. One guy is very helpful, wait right here. A few minutes later up drives a Volvo.

Score!

After squaring away the paperwork, away we go. Unfortunately with most of the day gone(Sunset at 4:15 and weather moving in), the sightseeing is cut short.

.....to be continued........