October 13, 2011

Norman and the Caporelli's

We began our day at the Norman Rockwell Museum in Stockbridge, Massachusetts, where we were joined by a huge crowd of people.  If the museum was this crowded on a weekday morning, what must it have been like on Columbus Day weekend?  Like him or not, Norman Rockwell had a vision of America and was a master at capturing American values and small town life.

Sarah at the Norman Rockwell Museum

Norman Rockwell Museum
The museum, which was designed by Robert A.M. Stern in 1993, was built on the grounds of Linwood House, one of the early Berkshire “cottages.”  That house has been preserved, although not open to the public.  Rockwell’s studio was also relocated to the museum grounds.

Linwood House

Norman Rockwell's Studio
The museum includes not only the Norman Rockwell permanent collection, but also exhibits not related to Rockwell.  Ice Age to the Digital Age was on display, celebrating the 3D animation art of the Blue Sky Studios.  Fanciful sculptural robots dotted the museum grounds.

Robot Sam - A True Ameri-Can, by Chris Spollen
I Can't Get Enough Fall Color
After a brief stop for lunch in Stockbridge, we headed east.  The drive across Massachusetts was not particularly exciting, since we didn’t have time to stop, but we did make it to Rhode Island and the Wawaloam Campground in West Kingston.  The campground is really nice, with huge sites, and the sites in our area are even partially enclosed with low stone walls.  To top it off, we are next door to a historic Rhode Island cemetery.  I love it!

Downtown Stockbridge

Our Campsite at Wawaloam Campground
We spent the evening with the Caporelli clan.  Jane and her mother picked us up, and we drove to Providence for a quick tour.  We met Jane’s sisters Mary and Patricia, and her beautiful nieces Torrey and Tessa, for dinner at Angelo’s, an Italian restaurant on Federal Hill.  We spent a wonderful evening catching up with friends and enjoying fabulous Italian food. 

We ended the evening at WaterFire in downtown Providence.  Both a work of art and an event, WaterFire is a uniquely Providence experience.  A series of bonfires in the Providence River illuminate the river and bridges, music fills the air and gondolas carry visitors among the fires.  WaterFire celebrates the renewal of the downtown area and the rebirth of the river.  It was an amazing experience.

Amazing WaterFire
WaterFire with a Gondolier and  Downtown Providence in the Background

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