The history portion of our trip was today and ironically it's the day before a holiday traditionally set aside for an explorer, but more recently (and rightly) changed to reflect the ones that were already here when the explorer arrived. Our first stop was Walden Pond just outside Concord, MA. Geologically, it is a "kettle hole: a deep (103 foot) pond formed over 12,000 years ago when the last glacier to cover New England slowly melted away." But of course, it's famous because of the guest living in a one room cabin on the north side from 1845-1847: Henry David Thoreau. At the time, Ralph Waldo Emerson owned the land and let Thoreau use it for his 2 year experiment. The land around the pond was given to Massachusetts by the Emerson family in 1922 and there is now a replica cabin and excellent trails around the entire pond. On a cold, clear autumnal Sunday morning, it was a perfect spot to soak in nature.
Sleepy Hollow Cemetery in Concord is the final resting place for several authors and politicians. Dedicated in 1855 with Emerson speaking at the event, it's still in use today. The Alcott, Thoreau, and Emerson families are there as are many colonial soldiers and patriots.
Also in Concord is the western part of the Minute Man National Park. Near the Visitors Center is a replica of the North Bridge where the "shot heard round the world" occurred and the American Revolution began. The British fired first as a group of colonials advanced toward them, just eighty yards away. The fight at the bridge "occurred at about 9:30 a.m. It was just the start of a very long day. According to militiaman Thaddeus Blood, "...after the fire every one appeared to be his own commander. It was thot best to go to the east part of town and take them as they came back..." Around noon, Lt. Colonel Smith regrouped his column and began the long march back to Boston. The worst of the day's fighting took place along that return march and the British soldiers were continually fired upon by thousands of militia reinforcements the whole way back." Near the Visitor Center on the east side of the park, the trees decided to show off as well.
We grabbed a quick lunch (excellent sandwich shop) and headed to south Boston (Quincy to be exact) to visit the Adams National Historical Park. There are two house sites that are part of the park. The first is Peacefield, the home to four generations of the Adams family (you're humming the theme song, aren't you?). John and Abigail Adams acquired it in 1787 after its loyalist owners abandoned Massachusetts during the Revolution. While John was in Philadelphia being vice-president and then president, Abigail stayed here and tended the house and farm. John returned after losing the bid for a 2nd term as president. John Quincy and Louisa Adams also lived here. Down the road a bit are the two birthplaces of both Adams presidents. Both are saltbox homes and are situated on a triangular piece of land.
Picking up Highway 3A, we continued down the Massachusetts coast arriving at Plymouth just about at sunset. With the tide low, the harbor was full, as were the streets and shops around Plymouth Rock. A portico was built over the site in 1920 to mark the three hundredth anniversary of the Pilgrims' arrival. The rock that is on display today is only 1/3 of the "original" stone. It was first split into two parts in 1774, later rejoined, but sections broke and were chiseled off by tourists up until about 1880. Of course, there is no evidence that Pilgrims ever touched this stone, but it was declared the official rock in 1741. On our way back to the car, we also admired the Mayflower II, a replica ship docked in the harbor.
Before leaving Plymouth, we drove up the town hill to the west and drove around the National Monument to the Forefathers. "The 81-foot-tall monument was commissioned by the Pilgrim Society and the cornerstone was laid August 2, 1859 by the Grand Lodge of Masons in Massachusetts, under the direction of Grand Master John T. Heard. The monument was completed in October 1888, and was dedicated with appropriate ceremonies on August 1, 1889." We found THE dinner spot where the locals eat and enjoyed great food plus unintended eavesdropping of conversations around us. These accents up here: ha! on the way to our Newport, RI hotel, we made a quick drive-by stop to see the Lizzie Borden house in Fall River, MA. It's a both a museum and bed and breakfast now; Carolyn somewhat longed to stay there for a night. Onto the Gilded Age and more coast lines tomorrow!
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