The Coast of Maine
Charletown Navy Yard
Lexington and Bunker Hill
Museum with an original lamp from Christ Church... and Louisa May Alcott's House
Bridge in the rain
USS Albacore in NH;
Maine dining...
Yum!
Three states today! And three more tomorrow!
I've heard everywhere that you should always get to the USS Constitution early if you don't want to wait around. So I left my very fancy (it was the cheapest one!) hotel around 8:30 and arrived at the Navy Yard right at 9. I went and got some nice early morning pictures of the USS Cassin Young (before it was open... so there were no people on board) and of the Constitution and the Yard. By this time, the Constitution's Museum was open so I saw that before the ship itself opened at 10. They had great stuff in there, but they were very particular about not allowing photography. I encountered that more than once today...
So I was in the first group to go on board "Old Ironsides". Although most of the wood has been replaced, it still was thrilling to go. I talked with a couple sailors about how they got posted there. There was a guided tour below decks by another Sailor. He recreated the battle between the ship and the HMS Guerriere (he pronounced it "gary-air"), having us split up on the two sides below decks and shouting "boom" at each other. It was very fun... my side won the coin toss and we got to be the Constitution.
At that point I had seen the entire Navy Yard, so after taking a few more pics (Constitution picture above) I moved on because I had yet another tight schedule! :) On my way to the highway, I was driving up Breed's Hill, so I turned a corner and was able to drive past the Bunker Hill Monument.
It took more like an hour to get to Lexington from there, but unlike at the Navy Yard, parking there was very cheap... $0.50 an hour. I went to the visitor's center a got a couple post cards and a mini tin figure of the statue of Captain John Parker that stands on the Green. When I walked outside the center, suddenly it started to rain... and soon it was down-pouring. I was very thankful for my black water resistant coat and my ball cap that was soon dripping off the edges. So besides getting a shiver up my spine when setting my eyes on the statue and the Green, I found out why the Green is so green.
Across the street there was a historic tavern called "Buckman's". I went in for a brief refuge and thought about getting a ticket to tour, but I found myself more interested in lunch. I asked for a recommendation and they sent me down the street a block to a hole-in-the-wall cafe called Via Lago. It was part restaurant, part bar & part deli in actuality. I decided on a 1/4 lb of cous cous, a 1/4 lb of chicken pasta & a big slice of broccoli quiche from the deli... wow! it was delightful!
By the time I finished there the rain had let up a little. But I wasn't parked far away either. I kept driving on Lexington Road to Concord. My first destination was Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, where "Little Women" was set. They have over 80% original Alcott furnishings inside and strictly forbade any kind of touching or photographing. So although the later made me sad, I heartily enjoyed the hour or so long tour given by a very knowledgeable lady. They had a quick film they showed that had a person dressed up and being interviewed as Louisa herself. I particularly enjoyed the moment she confided something that Ralph Waldo Emerson told her once... he had said, "Louisa! Look at this!" after a moment she said she only saw a small cobweb. He replied ardently, "That is a fairy's handkerchief!" :)
It was very, very neat to look at May's (Amy's) drawings on her walls... and I really loved the owls she painted for Louisa. Also incredible was the original silk dress worn at a wedding that was laid out on one of the beds. I'm really enjoying seeing all the artifacts on this trip, and this house was just full of them!
Just a minute down the street was the Concord Museum. This was mostly devoted to Concord's history in general. But what drew me was their prize possession: one of the lanterns that was hung from the Old North Church for Paul Revere. Three of the sides of glass were missing, and there was white wax drippings inside it. But how incredibly cool. I so wanted to break the glass case it was in and touch it... or at least take a picture. Unfortunately, I could do neither. There was some sort of sensor device on the wall behind it. LOL
I didn't have time to dawdle there though. The Old North Bridge Visitor Center was going to close in just under an hour. So I went their directly. I got a patch and I finally caved in and bought a bright yellow "Don't Tread On Me" t-shirt with a coiled snake that I've seen EVERYWHERE at visitor's centers. They had a brass cannon (hold that thought) in one room and a plank from the original bridge across the hearth in the other, along with the typical diorama of the battle. Just as I got there they were starting the last showing of a film so I went in. It turned out to be an episode of "History Detectives" from PBS, dealing with a relative from the battle, wondering if a recently found brass cannon (that was being kept at the Charlestown Navy Yard - small world) had anything to do with family stories she's heard about her relative stealing or concealing a stolen brass cannon that caused the British to come to Concord and ignite the War. After talking with experts, they concluded that it must be one of the cannons. So that cannon in the other room that I had flippantly took a quick picture of was one of the direct causes of the "shot heard 'round the world". I went back for more afterwords!!!
I then headed out to complete my pilgrimage to the bridge. More tingly feelings... and wet corners of my eyes. Not too soon after that all of me was wet... Concord is very green as well. I took lots of pictures of "The Minuteman" and the bridge, talked with the park ranger standing by and then visited the dock at the boathouse of Nathanial Hawthorne's one-time house. I tell you, there are so many neat things on this trip! And I didn't mind the rain at all. I think it actually added to the experience. Pictures can sometimes be so much more interesting without glaring sun and with glistening surfaces instead.
It was way too late by this time for me to catch a tour to the USS Albacore in Portsmouth, NH, so I took my own sweet time in the rain at the bridge. When I finally did get on the road and going, I decided to stop off and take a look at the outside of the sub anyway. I'm glad I did! It's on land and wholly visible... and only a half-mile off the freeway! I walked all the way around it and then moved on. Next stop, Maine!
I was indeed impressed with Maine. Their welcome sign boasts "The way life should be", and I almost agree. My destination was very near the border in York Harbor. When I got through the small town roads and beach-town frivolities I sighted the Atlantic. I made my GPS lady very mad (or repetitive at least) as I turned down the beach front road. I parked at metered parking and took a fifteen minute walk out on the flat, hard sand. I got my fingers wet and looked at shells. The first I found was a clam, but for the first time for me, the clam was still inside the opened shells when I picked it up. Neat-o! I walked as long as I could and then jogged back to the car once I got up on the street again. From where I was I could see the lighthouse on the tiny peninsula that was my final northern destination on the coast. It was only a mile away... when I got there I decided to look at the lighthouse and the jagged rocks before going in for dinner. It was 7:30, so by the time I would be finished it would be quite dark.
The name of the place is "Fox's Lobster House" and it is literally right on the park with a perfect view of the ocean and lighthouse. And that's what they gave me. A corner table with both views. What were the damages? Blueberry lemonade, hot rolls, garden salad with raspberry dressing, a baked potato with sour cream and a fresh Maine lobster. It was worth every dollar! They even gave me a plastic bib! LOL! I couldn't help but think of the ad for the Herbie movie with Ken Barry... the one where the lady shrieks "He's your uncle?!" and then hits him in the face with her lobster. Oh, silliness! HERE IT IS!!! How I love YouTube!
Yes, it was wonderful and messy! Thank goodness they had illustrated instructions for how to get the meat out. My waitress did come back to make sure I could get it open okay... LOL "No, this is how you eat..." She was very nice, as was the entire evening.
I then had a forty-minute drive to Dover, New Hampshire, when I stayed at the Days Inn and chatted from the lobby (because their Wi-Fi had a range of about 10 feet).
Wonderful, wonderful day! Especially loved all the back-road highways. You get to feel the land and see where the people live. Freeways are so one-dimensional, although about twice as fast.
Lexington and Bunker Hill
Museum with an original lamp from Christ Church... and Louisa May Alcott's House
Bridge in the rain
USS Albacore in NH;
Maine dining...
Yum!
Three states today! And three more tomorrow!
I've heard everywhere that you should always get to the USS Constitution early if you don't want to wait around. So I left my very fancy (it was the cheapest one!) hotel around 8:30 and arrived at the Navy Yard right at 9. I went and got some nice early morning pictures of the USS Cassin Young (before it was open... so there were no people on board) and of the Constitution and the Yard. By this time, the Constitution's Museum was open so I saw that before the ship itself opened at 10. They had great stuff in there, but they were very particular about not allowing photography. I encountered that more than once today...
So I was in the first group to go on board "Old Ironsides". Although most of the wood has been replaced, it still was thrilling to go. I talked with a couple sailors about how they got posted there. There was a guided tour below decks by another Sailor. He recreated the battle between the ship and the HMS Guerriere (he pronounced it "gary-air"), having us split up on the two sides below decks and shouting "boom" at each other. It was very fun... my side won the coin toss and we got to be the Constitution.
At that point I had seen the entire Navy Yard, so after taking a few more pics (Constitution picture above) I moved on because I had yet another tight schedule! :) On my way to the highway, I was driving up Breed's Hill, so I turned a corner and was able to drive past the Bunker Hill Monument.
It took more like an hour to get to Lexington from there, but unlike at the Navy Yard, parking there was very cheap... $0.50 an hour. I went to the visitor's center a got a couple post cards and a mini tin figure of the statue of Captain John Parker that stands on the Green. When I walked outside the center, suddenly it started to rain... and soon it was down-pouring. I was very thankful for my black water resistant coat and my ball cap that was soon dripping off the edges. So besides getting a shiver up my spine when setting my eyes on the statue and the Green, I found out why the Green is so green.
Across the street there was a historic tavern called "Buckman's". I went in for a brief refuge and thought about getting a ticket to tour, but I found myself more interested in lunch. I asked for a recommendation and they sent me down the street a block to a hole-in-the-wall cafe called Via Lago. It was part restaurant, part bar & part deli in actuality. I decided on a 1/4 lb of cous cous, a 1/4 lb of chicken pasta & a big slice of broccoli quiche from the deli... wow! it was delightful!
By the time I finished there the rain had let up a little. But I wasn't parked far away either. I kept driving on Lexington Road to Concord. My first destination was Louisa May Alcott's Orchard House, where "Little Women" was set. They have over 80% original Alcott furnishings inside and strictly forbade any kind of touching or photographing. So although the later made me sad, I heartily enjoyed the hour or so long tour given by a very knowledgeable lady. They had a quick film they showed that had a person dressed up and being interviewed as Louisa herself. I particularly enjoyed the moment she confided something that Ralph Waldo Emerson told her once... he had said, "Louisa! Look at this!" after a moment she said she only saw a small cobweb. He replied ardently, "That is a fairy's handkerchief!" :)
It was very, very neat to look at May's (Amy's) drawings on her walls... and I really loved the owls she painted for Louisa. Also incredible was the original silk dress worn at a wedding that was laid out on one of the beds. I'm really enjoying seeing all the artifacts on this trip, and this house was just full of them!
Just a minute down the street was the Concord Museum. This was mostly devoted to Concord's history in general. But what drew me was their prize possession: one of the lanterns that was hung from the Old North Church for Paul Revere. Three of the sides of glass were missing, and there was white wax drippings inside it. But how incredibly cool. I so wanted to break the glass case it was in and touch it... or at least take a picture. Unfortunately, I could do neither. There was some sort of sensor device on the wall behind it. LOL
I didn't have time to dawdle there though. The Old North Bridge Visitor Center was going to close in just under an hour. So I went their directly. I got a patch and I finally caved in and bought a bright yellow "Don't Tread On Me" t-shirt with a coiled snake that I've seen EVERYWHERE at visitor's centers. They had a brass cannon (hold that thought) in one room and a plank from the original bridge across the hearth in the other, along with the typical diorama of the battle. Just as I got there they were starting the last showing of a film so I went in. It turned out to be an episode of "History Detectives" from PBS, dealing with a relative from the battle, wondering if a recently found brass cannon (that was being kept at the Charlestown Navy Yard - small world) had anything to do with family stories she's heard about her relative stealing or concealing a stolen brass cannon that caused the British to come to Concord and ignite the War. After talking with experts, they concluded that it must be one of the cannons. So that cannon in the other room that I had flippantly took a quick picture of was one of the direct causes of the "shot heard 'round the world". I went back for more afterwords!!!
I then headed out to complete my pilgrimage to the bridge. More tingly feelings... and wet corners of my eyes. Not too soon after that all of me was wet... Concord is very green as well. I took lots of pictures of "The Minuteman" and the bridge, talked with the park ranger standing by and then visited the dock at the boathouse of Nathanial Hawthorne's one-time house. I tell you, there are so many neat things on this trip! And I didn't mind the rain at all. I think it actually added to the experience. Pictures can sometimes be so much more interesting without glaring sun and with glistening surfaces instead.
It was way too late by this time for me to catch a tour to the USS Albacore in Portsmouth, NH, so I took my own sweet time in the rain at the bridge. When I finally did get on the road and going, I decided to stop off and take a look at the outside of the sub anyway. I'm glad I did! It's on land and wholly visible... and only a half-mile off the freeway! I walked all the way around it and then moved on. Next stop, Maine!
I was indeed impressed with Maine. Their welcome sign boasts "The way life should be", and I almost agree. My destination was very near the border in York Harbor. When I got through the small town roads and beach-town frivolities I sighted the Atlantic. I made my GPS lady very mad (or repetitive at least) as I turned down the beach front road. I parked at metered parking and took a fifteen minute walk out on the flat, hard sand. I got my fingers wet and looked at shells. The first I found was a clam, but for the first time for me, the clam was still inside the opened shells when I picked it up. Neat-o! I walked as long as I could and then jogged back to the car once I got up on the street again. From where I was I could see the lighthouse on the tiny peninsula that was my final northern destination on the coast. It was only a mile away... when I got there I decided to look at the lighthouse and the jagged rocks before going in for dinner. It was 7:30, so by the time I would be finished it would be quite dark.
The name of the place is "Fox's Lobster House" and it is literally right on the park with a perfect view of the ocean and lighthouse. And that's what they gave me. A corner table with both views. What were the damages? Blueberry lemonade, hot rolls, garden salad with raspberry dressing, a baked potato with sour cream and a fresh Maine lobster. It was worth every dollar! They even gave me a plastic bib! LOL! I couldn't help but think of the ad for the Herbie movie with Ken Barry... the one where the lady shrieks "He's your uncle?!" and then hits him in the face with her lobster. Oh, silliness! HERE IT IS!!! How I love YouTube!
Yes, it was wonderful and messy! Thank goodness they had illustrated instructions for how to get the meat out. My waitress did come back to make sure I could get it open okay... LOL "No, this is how you eat..." She was very nice, as was the entire evening.
I then had a forty-minute drive to Dover, New Hampshire, when I stayed at the Days Inn and chatted from the lobby (because their Wi-Fi had a range of about 10 feet).
Wonderful, wonderful day! Especially loved all the back-road highways. You get to feel the land and see where the people live. Freeways are so one-dimensional, although about twice as fast.
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