Category Archives: History

Pilgrim Memorial State Park

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Pilgrim Memorial State Park

The Pilgrims, Plymouth Rock, the Mayflower…things we have heard about since we were children. That’s why Pilgrim Memorial State Park is one of the most visited Parks  in the state.  I am sure this little park makes a huge impression on young people when parents bring them along for a bit of “educational”  vacation. 

Located at 79 Water St, Plymouth, MA, the park is right on the waterfront making a visually stunning scene. From the Pilgrim cabins to the Mayflower replica (Mayflower II) this 17 acre park is the smallest state park.  It may be small but it’s mighty. Over 1 million visitors flock to this lovely park that is steeped in history. 

Plymouth Rock

This is a rock that might as well have had legs. It’s been moved and transported from location to location over the years. During the course of it’s many moves it was broken in half.  Finally to preserve the historic stone it was placed on the waterfront where it is located today. A granite portico was built to protect it from the weather and souvenir hunters who liked to chip off pieces of the stone. The current portico was built in 1921 replacing an earlier gothic revival style monument.  Whether you visit during the day or at night, this is a beautiful monument. 

The Mayflower II

Board the Mayflower II docked at the State Pier in Plymouth. It looks sturdy quietly moored in the placid harbor but think about the size of the cruise ships that ply the oceans today and then imagine spending not weeks, but months (66 days) on an ocean voyage in this tiny vessel.  The holds are dark and cramped. No air conditioning here. It makes me think of an old saying I heard once “Protect me Oh Lord for the Ocean is so big and my ship is so small”.  If you are there at the right time of the year the crew is in full 1600’s attire and prepared to tell you of life aboard ship on that fateful voyage. 

If You Go

Enjoy a Self Guided walking tour of the Park and it’s monuments

The walk is only about 1/4 mile and takes about 30 minutes

There are 9 stop on the tour including the Mayflower II and Plymouth Rock

The Legend of Sweetheart Rock

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Sweetheart Rock , Lanai

We were on our way to spend the morning on Lanai. As we passed a large cliff we could see waves crashing on a smaller rock at its point. Small is a relative term because this little rock is actually 80 ft. tall! Named Puu Pehe in Hawaiian, Sweetheart Rock is s recognizable landmark even for tourists like me. Like so many of Hawaii’s landmarks, this one has a legend attached to it too. 

The Legend of Sweetheart Rock

Once upon a time a beautiful young princess from Maui was captured by a young warrior from Lanai. He was so taken with her looks that he made her his wife and brought her back to his home island of Lanai. But the warrior was so jealous of her beauty that he was afraid to let any other man see her. To keep her secluded he confined her to a sea cave near the rock.

One day while the warrior was away a huge storm came up with the sea pounding the rock and flooding the sea cave. Frantic the warrior rushed back to the cave but it was too late. His beloved bride had drowned. With the help of the gods the heartbroken young warrior retrieved her body and took it to the top of the steep rock island. There he made a tomb to lay her to rest. Then, overwhelmed with grief, the young man jumped off the top of the island to his death. 

Puu Pehe’s Tomb

Puu Pehe is located between  Manele Bay and Hulopoe Bay .  If you look closely you may see a small mound at the top of the rock that could be a tomb. We were too far out in the channel to see but I’m told its there. Archaeologists who have studied the sea stack say the only bones are those of sea birds.  The legend is romantic and tragic but don’t let that draw you into exploring the rock. The sides are steep and treacherous and the waters surrounding the island are filled with strong currents and swift waves. 

The Run-away Scooter

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Scooter Disaster

The scooter continued to refuse to go uphill at Busch Gardens. The situation remained unsafe as it would careen backward gaining speed every time it stalled out. We finally worked out a method to finish our visit. At the bottom of each hill I would get off and limp up to the summit while Joe pushed the scooter to the top. Then I would get on the scooter and ride it down the other side and along any level ground. At the next hill we’d repeat the process. We got to see Christmas Town and the lights but it was cold and this definitely put a damper on the evening.

The Next Day

In the morning I contacted the scooter company and we negotiated a change. They brought us 2 scooters and took away the defective one. It seems the braking mechanism that prevents the scooter from rolling backward was stripped on the old scooter and needed to be replaced.  By agreeing to keep our rental contract I was able to get a scooter for my sister to use. I have to give credit to the scooter company as they were very responsive to my complaint.

Time for the Main Event

Now that the scooter debacle had been dealt with it was time for the main event. We were heading to Colonial Williamsburg. This area is so loaded with history. In addition to Colonial Wiliamsburg there’s Jamestown and  Yorktown. Jamestown is home to the story of Captain John Smith and Pocahotas and Yorktown was the last major Battle of the Revolution.

Colonial Williamsburg

Colonial Williamsburg was quiet, maybe because it was a weekday or maybe because it was cold. Even with the icy wind blowing re-enactors were playing their parts and always willing to chat. My favorites were the horse drawn carriages. Of course we had to take a ride. Not only was it fun it gave us a chance to warm up for a few minutes since we went in one of the enclosed carriages.

 

One Last Chance

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One Last Chance

My hip surgery was scheduled for December 13. I had no idea how it would go. Would I wake up pain free and ready to climb tall mountains or would I continue to be little more than a cripple. It’s a big surgery and a lot of unknowns. I just had time for one more vacation before the BIG DAY. My sister and I set off to Colonial Williamsburgh.  My friend Joe was taking a bus up from Florida  to join us and we also planned a day with my brother and his wife. It would be a full week.

Historic Powhatan Resort

It was an easy drive from the Richmond airport to the Historic Powhatan Resort. Of course being a  “Yankee” I had to be educated on how to pronounce Powhatan. Bet I could stump the locals with some Massachusetts towns….Worcester, Gloucester, Peabody …but I digress. Sandy & I had one two bedroom unit and I reserved a one bedroom for Joe so he could have some privacy. Turns out they gave him a 2 bedroom too so he had his choice of beds!

 

 

Accommodations

Sandy and I arrived before Joe so we went through the check in process and got settled in our little home away from home. We had  a fireplaced living room, a 3 season porch, a patio area , dining area, full galley kitchen, two bathrooms and 2 bedrooms. Plenty of room. We didn’t expect to spend much time in the resort anyway. We wanted to see Busch Garden with it’s 10 million lights and Colonial Williamsburgh, maybe Jamestown. There’s lots of history here.

 

The Restaurant and Grill

Its nice when there is a restaurant on site.A lot of these resorts do not have restaurants. You have to drive to a town to grab a bite to eat. This resort had a nice little restaurant. The staff were fun and friendly and the food very good. We found ourselves eating there quite often during our stay. So far I was very pleased with what we were seeing.

Fort McClary

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Tough to Say No

Joe is only up from Florida for the summer. He was really anxious to get together but he isn’t one to be satisfied with a quick lunch or dinner. Joe really wanted to DO SOMETHING, or GO SOMEWHERE. I am acutely aware of my limitations these days and was very much afraid that if we headed out for adventure that I’d not be able to keep up.  We finally agreed to meet at his sister’s restaurant in Haverhill; Raff’s Cafe.

Exploring the New Hampshire Coast

After a pleasant breakfast at Raff’s cafe we headed out to see what we could see. I was doing the driving. It wasn’t log before Joe spotted a Wildlife sanctuary that he wanted to explore. I agreed to stop but didn’t get far on the uneven trail. Joe and camera went on ahead while I found a trailside bench to sit and wait. The day was gray and overcast with a brisk wind. It got quite chilly waiting for Joe to return from his explorations. I wonder if I could find this again once I have my new hips?

Fort McClary

We continued our leisurely drive winding through downtown Portsmouth only find ourselves crossing into Maine. In Kittery we saw a turnoff for Fort McClary and decided to stop. https://www.mainetrailfinder.com/trails/trail/fort-mcclary-state-historic-site

The grounds are small but there were some nice views. We wandered around taking pictures of the ocean and the old cannons. The block house stood silently watching. 

As we were wrapping up our bit of exploring we stopped to chat with two men that were at the entrance. One appeared to be Amish based on his clothing and beard the other was dressed in vintage closing and carried a black powder rifle. The gentleman with the rifle offer to give us a demonstration. Since it was very damp he said he hoped his powder was dry. He didn’t need to worry. The shot went off without a hitch. Loud and spitting flames! When it was over he let me hold his rifle. That thing is heavy! And almost as long as I am tall!