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

Massachusetts State Parks

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Massachusetts State Parks

If you are a Facebook user you may have seen advertisements for Nature Adventure books. When they first came out with them I ordered a couple. I ordered National Parks, Massachusetts State Parks and New England Lighthouses. I figure that the Massachusetts State Parks and The New England Lighthouses would give me plenty to do and I’d have the National Parks for when I travel out of state. COVID and personal health reasons made a major dent in my travel the last 2 years but it’s time to think about getting out and about again.

Oh The Possibilities

I pulled out the Massachusetts State Park Adventure Book and there are 305 parks listed. They aren’t just state parks, there are Reservations, Historic Sites, beaches, State Forests, and  Management Areas. So as a first step I decided to go through the list and see how many I’ve been to already. After all, this is the state where I’ve lived pretty much all of my adult life and I’ve always done a lot of exploring. I must have been to some of the places on the list! 

Bash Bish Falls State Park

The first one on the list that I spotted was Bash Bish Falls State Park. Of course I always mess it up and call it Bish Bash Falls. That just sounds better to me! I made the trek to Bash Bish Falls in June of 2017. Bash Bish Falls is located in the western part of Massachusetts on the New York state border. Located in the Town of Mount Washington it is also part of Mount Washington State Forest. 

You can choose to make the hike easy or hard. The trail head in MA is steep and rugged. Probably not too bad going down, if you’re careful, but I sure didn’t want to have to make my way back up at the end of the day so I went into New York and used the New York trail head to get to the falls. It may  be a little longer but it’s a gradual incline and it’s downhill going back. 

Bash Bish Falls is the highest waterfall in Massachusetts. The dramatic final pitch of Bash Bish Brook drops about 80 feet into an emerald plunge pool. It’s an enjoyable hike to experience the wonder and beauty of this deep, verdant gorge. https://youtube.com/shorts/-Vqd_OQmFsc?feature=share

If You Go

  • From Massachusetts Parking Lot: Difficult ability, about 0.6 miles round-trip. Shorter, more rugged, and strenuous.
  • From New York Parking Lot: Moderate ability, about 1.5 miles round-trip. Longer and gradual, but rocky and uneven.
  • Nearby, Taconic State Park in New York state offers more visitor amenities, picnicking, swimming, and camping.

Finally Done

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The Bathroom is Done

Everything is in place. The last step was the vanity top. Because it was custom made it took the longest to get done but now it’s in. I even ended up with new fixtures when the holes for the faucet were drilled at 8 inches instead of 4 inches. But it was worth it. Ceiling, vent fan and light, walls. floor, cabinets and vanity! I’m soooo happy! Even Balboa & Banner have added their stamps of Approval.

Banner – sink approved

Balboa – great “mountain” Mom!

For Your Viewing Pleasure

Old Vanity

New Vanity and wall unit for hair dryer

 

custom vanity, sink and new faucet

 

 

 

 

Old vent fan and peeling ceiling

 

New

 

Peeling wall paper and messy glass shelving unit

new look

 

Finished Bath

 

 

The Last Straw

I wasn’t allowed to enjoy my new and improved bathroom for long. That leak no one could see- well it’s back. I got off work yesterday and headed to the bathroom before I planned to feed the cats and get settled for the evening and I heard this plink, plink. plink. I though maybe someone was working on a bathroom in another unit but then a drop hit me in the head! The plink was water dripping on the top of the metal waste basket! I grabbed towels and quickly wiped up the floor where I now saw a puddle of water. Then I put a Tupperware container under the drip to catch the water. It was running down from the vent fan at a pretty good clip.

My next step was to call the HOA maintenance man. He called the unit owner above me and he came down to look right away. This time no one could say it was my imagination. Once I had the unit owners agreement to pay for damages I sent a text to my contractor. He’ll be out to look over the damage on Wednesday. I can’t believe I had the bathroom less than 2 weeks and got another leak! Stay tuned for more adventures of remodeling in a condo! 

Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day

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Rome Wasn’t Built in a Day

And neither was my bathroom remodel. The wall paper was stripped and the walls prepped. The linoleum floor was pulled up.  No sub floor. The linoleum had been attached to the concrete.

About that time Brian decided to check the bulge in the tile behind the faucet in the tub. Progress came to a grinding halt as we discovered mold there. The sheet rock was not treated for use around water and had to be removed and replaced with water resistant board then re-tiled. Guess what they don’t make any more? The tiles! So Brian did his best to salvage the tiles he’s removed. Otherwise I’d have been looking at all new tile work on the tub. 

That process seemed to take forever before we could move forward again. 

Lets Add Some Wainscoting

I decided instead of wall paper or tile on the bathroom walls I’d just go with paint. I thought adding wainscoting might add interest so while Brian dealt with the tub problem his wife came along to prepare the bead board.  We wanted to be sure it blended so the panels were painted with the same color as the walls.  All during this time Brian would put me back together each afternoon so I had a working toilet and could take a shower. I hated walking on the concrete floor but Brian didn’t want to have to pull the toilet every day. He planned to just do that once the day the new floor went in.

We tossed the old over-the-toilet storage shelves because I was replacing them with an actual cabinet and shelves so the messy look would be contained. 

Old Shelves

New Shelf Unit

Time for the Bathroom Floor

Finally the day came when Brian said it was time to put in the floor. The wainscoting was in. The walls were painted. The end was in sight. Please excuse the toilet paper art the cats left.  Take one minute to look away and this is what happens but you can see the floor and the wainscoting here.

We’re in the homestretch!

Almost done! We just need the vanity top/sink and to put the shelves  in.  More on that next time.