New England Part III: The Finale

Well here we are, the final posting for New England. Even though this part of the country is steeped in the history of how \our nation came to be, Massachusetts is filled to the brim with allot of it. So much so that I’m not able to post all of it, due to the fact that I haven’t seen all of it myself, maybe on a third or fourth trip…maybe a fifth, there is so much that, unless you stayed a year and did nothing but tour historical sites, you may get most of them. Anyway, I will share the highlights of our trip through the commonwealth of Massachusetts. The photo to the left is was the home of several well known, at the time, authors including, Louisa May Alcott, author of, “Little Women.” You can tour this and other historical structures in this fine Commonwealth. Author’s note: This will be a bit longer than the first two posts, so much history, so little time!

After leaving Vermont and entering Massachusetts, I decided to get into some of the history formed here. One place I thought would be a great to start in was Concord, Mass. Concord has the Minute Man Memorial and the Old North Bridge. 400 Minute Men and other militia galleries vs. 90 British regulars. Ralph Waldo Emerson was so moved by the event that he referred to it has, “The shot heard round the world.”

I cannot begin to tell you, especially when there aren’t many people around, how moving an experience it is to drink all that heritage in. To stand on that bridge and imagine the event that took place. There are many battlefields to visit on the Eastern Seaboard, to be sure, and this is the one that started them all! A humbling experience with the knowledge of the sacrifices made, way back then, to ensure that we had the burden of no yoke, that we remain a free country. I know there are history buffs out there that, if you have never been, run, don’t walk and get some awesome historical vibes from where our independence began. Between the towns of Lexington, Concord and Lincoln, you will have so much information and awesome historical buildings to take in that you’ll need to take a seat and rest. If you can, take a couple days to see all three areas. The areas between these towns are completely walk able and once in awhile, at a kiosk you may find along the way, there are videos, varying in length, that depict events as they formed and transpired in 1775. You will thoroughly enjoy these areas of Massachusetts and please partake in some of the eating/drinking establishments you find along the way, some of which employ people that are in period costume, to serve you some ale and food. That should be a small part of our lives, don’t you think? Experiences like that are wonderful!

Not too far from Concord, Mass is another smaller town called Sudbury. Sudbury has some related historical significance as well. Sudbury militia served in the wars of Lexington and Concord. That same militia would snipe at British troops on their way from Boston. The Wayside Inn is also in Sudbury and claims to be the oldest operating inn in the country. Along with the inn there is a church, one room school house and grist mill, all under the Wayside Inn. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote, “Tales from a Wayside Inn,” published in 1863. Henry Ford purchased the land and it’s four historical buildings in 1923 and restored the structures and the left them to a charitable foundation that oversees them to this day. Across from the inn there was a lovely barn that has a large gift shop inside, along with a wonderful display of Autumnal decorations and the like. We on the West Coast, from my personal observations, seem to celebrate and decorate for Halloween. On the East Coast, they are much more celebratory of the change in nature and what it symbolizes in our history.

The photos to the left and bottom right are of the grist mill, church and schoolhouse respectively. As you can tell by most of these photos, for mid-October, we had beautiful weather. Most everything I shot was high speed, sometimes adjusting my ISO to compensate for the massive amounts of contrast. I had ND filters but couldn’t be bothered to put them on my camera and then attach the camera onto my tripod and set up the shot properly. I was running to and fro, hand holding and snapping like there was no tomorrow. I sometimes get excitable when in an area that is so target rich for photography. One day I’ll calm down and do things uber properly…one day.

Sudbury should be a destination. The town itself is wonderfully historic with not many of the looks having changed all that much from when it was a small town fighting off the English. A great many of the homestead structures of been beautifully maintained, farmland is pristine as it once was back in the day. Yeah, there has been some modernization that has occurred over the decades, but not to the point of where it takes away from the history. I love that so much, you can still get a vibe, if you allow yourself, of what life was like back then and what people endured and what prices were paid for the here and now.

After Concord and Sudbury, we made it to our next hotel. The Staybridge Suites in Quincy, Mass. A very nice hotel with helpful staff that could not have been more pleasant to talk with. We had a King room and it was great. Short walk to fast food and toiletries, should you need to acquire some. About a 15 minute walk away you could fuel-up at a Dunkin’ Donuts. I mention that for two reasons. First, Dunkin’ is all over the place in New England and has been a staple for a long time. Second, if you’re nostalgic, the original Dunkin’ is still right there in Quincy. The very first established in 1950. The owner opened a donut/coffee shop under a different name, renamed it Dunkin’ Donuts two years later and never looked back. And yes, my wife and I went in to fuel-up and I bought a souvenir, cuz that’s the kinda hairpin I am. I just like that kind of nostalgia.

The only logical place to begin, in Quincy, would be the United First Parish Church. This is the final resting place of our second President of the United States, John Adams, and our sixth President, and son of John Adams, John Quincy Adams. There is a cemetery across from this church, the Hancock Cemetery, where they were first interred and their respective crypts are still there. But they were relocated to the basement of this wonderful church. You can tour the crypt, along with a guide, where the two Presidents are currently interred and not only can you see and even touch their tombs, but you’ll notice the tombs of both John’s and John Quincy’s wives are laying to rest right next to their husbands. I could do a whole thing on Abigail Adams and all the things she involved herself with, but that would be lengthy. You can even see, and tour, the house where John Adams was born and where he lived as an adult. John Hancock plays a pretty big role in Adam’s life and there are several statues of him and history of his part in the molding of America. Such a historically awesome town!

So it makes sense that even before you get a fix on those much more popular individuals, and more well known, that were our forefathers and freedom holders, that you go back to where they came to. That’s right, you can go to the town that, four-hundred years ago, was the landing point for English Pilgrims seeking a new life. Plimoth is where they landed, in Massachusetts, as they sailed on the Mayflower. The ship pictured to the left is the Mayflower ll. This is a replica of the original ship that was, supposedly in England, broken up in the latter part of the sixteen hundreds and the wood used to build a barn. This replica was built in the mid nineteen fifties. You can tour the ship, not free of course, and get a real history lesson from those aboard, often dressed in period costumes. The whole town of Plimoth is just oozing history from virtually every pore. Allot of history and information about the indigenous contact made by the Pilgrims. Indian heritage runs deep in this town and their history is present here as well.

Also in Plimoth is the infamous, Plimoth Rock. Housed in the structure to the right, you actually have to look down on it. If you can see where the railing is inside the structure, the rock, or piece of it, is located below the railing about ten feet. If you visit and there is a park ranger there, ask them anything about its history and you will get an ear full, in a really good way, an ear full. You will hear the complete history and it’s actually really interesting.

Plimoth Rock as it stands today. Partake in the history lesson if you arrive there and find a park ranger around. They love to tell the story of how that rock came to be!

Now, a trip to Massachusetts needs to incorporate two things, sea water and an island. There are a few to choose from and most will require a fee for the ferry ride over. If you have cash to burn, take a ferry ride to Martha’s Vineyard. It will cost you a pretty penny to get over there, unless you’re walking on, and I’m not sure it’s worth the price, quite frankly. Bear in mind that the prices are one way only, meaning that you pay the same price AGAIN to come back. Nothing economic about that at all. It IS a beautiful island to visit with lovely coastal communities and lighthouses to photograph. But there are other islands to go to that are cheaper and in a case or two, free.

On that note, my wife and I decided to go to Cape Cod, or in New England speak, Cape Cawd, for a few hours to get some salt air into our lungs. We drove to our destination since there is a bridge that connects it to the main land so there was no crossing fee. It’s a fairly big island and there are equally lovely and quaint coastal communities as there are on Martha’s Vineyard. Since we got there sort of late in the day, there wasn’t enough daylight remaining to go and see everything that we wanted. There were a few lighthouse that I was able to capture, the one to the right, Nausat Lighthouse, is in the town of Easthams, which is part of the Cape Cod National Coastline. The lighthouse has seen better days and there was a man on the makeshift platform, at the time, working on renovation. It would be almost impossible for one to get to every lighthouse on Cape Cod, at least to get there and take the time to photograph each one, so I would stay a couple of nights in a central location and then take the time to enjoy what it is that you’re taking the time to see.

This island was a spot for release and centering for our 35th President, John Fitzgerald Kennedy. Before and during his presidency, he and his family would summer vacation here. The Kennedy Compound is located on the Nantucket Sound, on the island, in Hyannisport, Massachusetts. It sits on six acres of prime real estate and contains several structures. There is also a fairly large museum one can tour. There are statues and memorials, such as the one to the left. I actually like this statue allot as it represents what this place did for him. Even as president, with all the pressure that goes along with that position, one can still roll-up his pant legs, take off his shoes and walk barefoot in the sand and re-center himself. He spent quite a bit of time here in his youth and he never let the place lose its luster or healing powers. I think that’s awesome…that life ain’t so tough to where I can’t go to a place and not get myself righted, re-centered and grounded. There is something about a coastline, East or West, that salt air and the waves crashing, that brings a level of peace. I get that way in heavily pine-scented places with lots of big trees as well, but relaxing things happen to your body and mind at the coast, they just do!

I think, since there is one area left to talk about, that I would talk a bit about how New England feels about its patriotism and support of our troops, past and present. Now I haven’t traveled extensively through the Southern United States, yet, so I cannot speak to what they have and don’t, but for right now, New England has the largest array of war memorials that I have encountered, so far. And in places where you wouldn’t expect to find them. But in every town we explored throughout this trip, we saw war memorials. The one to the right was a beautifully done Korean War Memorial on Cape Cod, very near a memorial for JFK I might add, and all wars and conflicts are represented that Americans fought in. From the Old North Bridge to present day and everything in between. It’s really a lovely thing to see as American pride runs deep in New England.

This is the last stop people, Boston! A quick note on the clock tower in the background of the shot to your left. This is the Custom House Tower. Unfortunately, I learned about the detail of it after our trip. The only history I will give you is that it was completed in 1849 and I will let you research the rest. But what I learned, and will apply on the next trip to New England, is that for a small fee there is an observation deck you can ride up to to get three-hundred sixty degree views of the city. The photos I could have snapped up there…oh well, something to look forward to when we re-visit! The other point, about the clock tower, unless you have a taller building than the clock tower, blocking your view, there is almost no place in the city you can stand and NOT see that tower. It appears in quite allot of my photos taken throughout the city.

Quincy Market is a main stay in Boston. Constructed in honor of Mayor Josiah Quincy. Construction began in 1824 and concluded in 1826. Within the structure food vendors, restaurants and, along the South side, contained in a glassed-in area, are vendors selling various, tourist trap-like, trinkets and souvenirs. During virtually any vacation time that occurs during the year, good luck moving around without bumping into, or stepping on, bazillions of people…especially during Summer months. It gets packed and even getting into Quincy Market may take sometime. Once in, well, can of sardines is the only thing that comes close to describing the UN-comfortableness you feel. We avoid that madness like the plague and go in the off-season. The photo on the right is my best example. Wonderfully UN-crowded, no one in the way of your shots, perfect.

Having burned down in 1761, rebuilt in 1762 using non-combustible materials, Faneuil Hall has been utilized for a multitude of reasons, mostly political in nature, including several speeches by Samuel Adams in regards to separating from England. Debates of all kinds have transpired within those walls for centuries. Faneuil Hall sits just to the West of Quincy Market and helps make up Market Square. This was a perfect, mainly locals only, non-tourist scene that I could come up with and I think it’s an awesome shot! Summer time? Forget about it, a sea of people. Read more about its history, some good, some bad but that’s how history evolves.

Boston is a pretty easy town to get around in. Most of it you can walk, take twenty minutes of walking and you’re in a different area entirely. If your dogs, (feet), start a-barkin’, then the subway system is easy and fun to get around on. There is a variety of tours to partake in, some even amphibious, if that’s your thing. Rose Kennedy Greenway, partially pictured to the right, was a new place we discovered that wasn’t there from a previous trip we took. It’s a lovely, serene little park with a big bonus for all serious walkers. Constructed out of large, steel girders and heavy steel piping, are approximately eight, really large, bench swings. You can fit six to eight people, depending on size, in one swing! A wonderful way to rest your feet and re-group for more site-seeing. Notice the clock tower in the background.

Finally, sitting in the old Naval Shipyard are two sea going vessels, The U.S.S Constitution, Old Ironsides, pictured left and, the U.S.S. Cassin Young, a Fletcher-class destroyer. The Constitution landed in 1797 and had been instrumental in a number of conflicts, most notably the War of 1812, and remained undefeated for all of her reign. Her hull, made up of thick, oak planking, made it, as it appeared, to be UN-sinkable. Hence the nickname given. It took sixty acres of trees to mold her into the the ship killing machine that she was. She is a three masted frigate and is the world’s oldest ship of any type still afloat. The entrance to the navy yard, the Constitution and Cassin Young are free of charge. A must see for any level of history buff. Truly remarkable!

My last photo, still steeped in history, is of a place I found in the Italian neighborhood of Boston, where my wife and I could have a lovely beverage and where I could imbibe in one of my very few vices. This place was awesome! Actually located within the Caffe Vittoria, the cigar parlor has its own street entrance and it takes you downstairs. If you find you’re fresh out of cigars, you need not worry, they have a fine selection of sticks to purchase. Established in 1929 as the first Italian cafe’. The cafe’ actually has four levels to it, three liquor bars and the cigar parlor in the basement. Also, back in its day, this was a speakeasy! And, being a cafe, you get all the great coffees that they serve as well as desserts and other cafe’ type fare. This place is pretty famous and very cool. A great topper to a great trip!

Thus endeth the lesson… Thanks so much for venturing with me and I hope I’ve inspired some folks out there to travel to New England. Go in October and have a blast! The colors, the colorful and wicked nice people are so worth the trip! If you noticed that I didn’t talk allot about places to stay and restaurants dined-in, I’m going to put those on a different page and separate by area. There were some great places in Quincy and Boston that were fantastic, but I thought I had gotten too breathy already just with the photos and history. You can also message me for more info as well!

So, until the next time, when I will take you to the, Land of the Rising Sun, take care, be safe and many happy travels to you!