My New England Trip - Part II, Sunday

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Sunday, July 24, 2011
After having breakfast with my dad, he went to church while I stayed back to work on some unfinished business from the prior week. Once he returned from church, we heading to McDonalds for lunch. The Southwest Salad is awesome.

After leaving we drove to Gardner, MA to visit my grandmother, my Dad’s mom. Her health is not well so I thought since I am in the area it behooved me to visit her. She is staying at a beautiful facility called Wachusett Manor. It was so great seeing her, although I think it was a struggle for her to remember me. My grandmother is so blessed to have a daughter (my Dad’s sister) that is caring for her during these difficult times.

After visiting my grandmother, I traveled back to Boston to pick up my boss at Logan (BOS) and then drive to Portsmouth, NH. Here in Portsmouth we are having a team meeting Monday and Tuesday morning at the Hilton Garden Inn (@HiltonHonors).

We arrived in Portsmouth and much too my surprise, the town was beautiful. A traditional seaside town in New England. Several of the buildings and churches dated as far back as the 1700’s. The town was full of people wondering around, eating ice cream or a local restaurant, or just people watching. The vibrance of the town was something I had not seen in a while. Who said the economy is bad. Walking around you could smell a combination of sea air and restaurant food.

Our hotel, Hilton Garden Inn, is absolutely beautiful. The hotel looks new and in an excellent part of town. From the staff in valet to the front desk, everyone did a great job acknowledging you and treating you like you are the only customer. As I always say, making the connection is very important in customer service. They get a 10 in my book.

For dinner we ate at a neat restaurant called River House on an outside deck overlooking the Portsmouth harbor. It nestled off Bow Street, the location of several other waterside restaurants. This restaurant seemed to have the most energy.

Later in the evening I ventured around town and soaked in the beautiful and charming town of Portsmouth. Even at 9:30pm, the town was full people. One place I noticed that stood out the most in the evening is the North church. The lights shining on the white steeple was outstanding.

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