Minute Man National Historical Park

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Boy when it rains around here it pours…buckets…and it was a cold rain. I wore my hoodie and brought my winter jacket plus a rain poncho. I still got cold and soaked but it’s a good thing I came up or I’d be in big trouble on Monday!

It’s easy to find the park but not so easy to find the Visitor Center. I made 3 stops before I found it and even then it’s quite a walk from the parking lot. On a nice day I am sure it’s beautiful but in the cold rain, not so much. It didn’t seem to stop the visitors. I saw quite a few with umbrellas and there were school buses of kids  at every stop I made.

Even so when I got to the Visitor Center it was quiet.

 I chatted with the rangers and took come pictures of the life-size cut-outs on exhibit.

 One of the rangers was asking me questions about my camera because I was taking pictures without the flash. As much as possible I prefer to use ambient light. (Of course that may change when I upgrade the flash) I demonstrated it to him by taking one shot with a flash and one without. Then I asked him which he liked better. He picked the one without the flash.

There was a woman dressed in period dress carrying ing a gun. I think they called them flint locks.

 I asked her if I could take her picture and if it was ok for me to post it. She said sure as long as I told everyone that she was a Park Ranger, not a volunteer.  So here’s the picture of the Park Ranger in period attire. 🙂

I found the National Park cancellation stamp and got my Passbook verified. Then I started asking questions. Turns out that the National Park does all of their events for Patriot’s Day on this weekend and it’s only done this time of year. They had a list of events on the desk and I asked them why it showed a whole list of things including a craft fair for Monday. The rangers explained that those events were by the town of Lexington and were not connected to the Park. With the ranger’s blessing I took a schedule of events for Monday. He told me that if I had never seen the reenactment that I should see it at least once because it is quite impressive.

They suggested I stick around and watch the movie The Road to Revolution. I was the only one in the theatre and one of the rangers remarked that I might be getting private showing. It was not to be. A group of kids came in. They were pretty rowdy at first but I have to give the chaperone’s credit. Once the movie started they quieted the kids down  right away.The movie was really good. I found it very moving as they explained the events that led up to the bloody battle and the start of the Revolutionary War. It story was presented in a multi media format. A holographic type figure narrated and comments came from invisible men in the tavern. The battle was shown in a movie to the right of the central figure. It’s hard to explain but it was very well done.

After the movie I headed back to the car and went in search of the places on the agenda in Lexington.  I found the Stop and Shop which is where the ranger suggested I park. I found the Green where the reenactment takes place. There is a sloping hill to the right of the green. I hope I can set up there because I should be able to shoot over the heads of the crowd.

I stopped for gas in Lexington and asked the attendant about the events. He wasn’t too enthusiastic at first but then he kind of perked up and said that if I had never seen it, that it was worth the early morning wake-up call.

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With that I turned my car back south toward home. I was wet and cold and ready to call it a day.

Lexington and Concord

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The weather forecast is for rain all day. Not the best weather for exploring the Minuteman National Park but I really don’t have a choice.

This coming Monday is Patriot’s Day in Massachusetts, well-known for the day on which the Boston Marathon is run. To be honest, that seems to get far more press than the original reason for the state holiday. In fact I bet if I did a “Man in the Street ” interview most people would say that the holiday celebrates the running of the  Boston Marathon. Even worse, I was listening to the news last night and the newspeople kept referring to Monday as “Marathon Monday”…No mention of Patriots’s Day. I bet there’s even be some who would think Patriot’s Day has something to do with the New England Patriot’s Football team…Sad, very sad.

You and I know, of course, that the holiday really commemorates the start of the Revolutionary War, Paul Revere’s Ride, and the Battle of Lexington and Concord at the North Bridge or the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World”.

Well, I am seriously planning to get my “butt” and the rest of my body out of bed on Patriots Day and drive out to see the reenactments. They try to make it so authentic that they even hold it at 5:30am! Even so, I am told that thousands turn out to see this and that the roads are closed into Concord and parking is at a premium.

 Since I will have to be up so early just to get there, I don’t want to be wandering around wondering where to park and even worse, where to set up my camera to record the action. With my luck, it would be all over before I found it! So today I am going to take a drive down to the visitor center and ask a lot of questions. I will take my rain poncho and reconnoiter the area with  my camera. I will give you a full report in my next post.

Since I haven’t been there yet I don’t have any pictures but I can’t have a “naked” post so here’s a picture I just like. 🙂

Scout’s Travel tips~Long Flight?

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Scout

Hi, Scout here and I have to confess, this tip is verbatim from a weekly tip column Dusty receives. I don’t usually do this but this one was so good and covered so much that I just couldn’t think of anyway to improve on it or add to it. So I want to give credit to Ryan Davies who was sending  weekly tips up until the end of last year.  So Ryan, if you’re  reading this post, how ’bout sending us some more tips!

 

 

In-flight Tips for Long Flights

So are there any in-flight tips that help to make that long, long flight…. (in coach for most of us)…. more bearable?

When we talk to people about where we’ve been or where we’re going, we often hear something like, “I’d love to go there and see that, but I just can’t stand those long flights.”

….And sometimes they’re talking about flights that are only 4 to 5 hours long!

We have a friend in New York who worked for QANTAS for years…. She used to say that she didn’t like those “short flights”…. that they didn’t give you time to set up housekeeping! She had made up her mind that since she was going to be taking long flights…. and I’m talking about 10 to 15 hours long here… that she would enjoy them.

I think much of the time, whether you enjoy your flight or not depends on your state of mind. That goes for all of travel. If you look for the positive, that’s what you’ll find most of the time.

But let’s look at those long flights. What can you do, and what should you do to survive them.

The first in-flight tip you’ll read anywhere is drink lots of water and juices…. I know, then you have to fight the lines for the restrooms…. but drinking lots of water will keep you more hydrated in that dry aircraft cabin air… and you should be getting up and walking around every so often anyway.

Avoid drinking alcohol. I know, you’re on vacation, and maybe it helps you unwind. You may even think it helps you sleep… but the fact is it dehydrates you, and if you have too much, it disrupts your sleep. You may fall asleep at first, but then you’ll wake up and feel worse. If you want to celebrate your trip with a drink… limit it to one, and remember what we said about drinking lots of water!

Do exercises in your seat…. almost all the airlines give you tips on these. Try them out. The exercises and the walks to the restrooms will help prevent deep vein thrombosis…. you may have heard it called economy class syndrome. It’s rare, but you might as well do what you can to prevent it. Those exercises will make you feel better when you land anyway.

Try to sleep. Dress comfortably for your flight. Avoid tight fitting clothes. (I have to offer an opinion here… we think you can dress comfortably and still look nice.) Use a mask and earplugs if that helps. Take one of those neck pillows if it will help you get more comfortable. Some people take sleeping pills or melatonin. Others just take over-the counter sleeping aids. I’m lucky. I’ve never had a problem sleeping on a plane.

Take a book or something to entertain yourself. Even if you do sleep, you’re not going to sleep for 10 or 15 hours. Airlines offer movies and music on their long flights. More and more offer movies on demand, so you can find something you like.

One last in-flight tip… we try to avoid caffeine until the end of the flight… then we figure we’ll need a little boost to get us going through customs and get on with the trip. We’re always glad to get there too, but those long flights won’t keep us home!

Dusty likes those tips, especially the one about sleeping. That woman can fall asleep on any plane. The minute those engines begin to hum, Dusty’s eyes start to close!

For those brief times she’s awake a good novel or a Suduko book is all that she needs to keep her occupied.  So here’s to happy traveling and not letting those long flights keep you from seeing those places you’ve only dreamed about.

The Saga of the Herring Run Continues

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A couple of posts ago I reported that the herring run seemed to have ended…no fish no gulls…but as with most things in life it is not safe to assume anything.

When I went to work Saturday I noticed a small flock of gulls gathered at the Herring Run off route 44 in Middleboro and I wondered about it but didn’t have time to  stop and investigate. There were a lot of cars in the parking lots and people were wandering over the bridges and looking in the water.

On Sunday I have to go into work in the wee hours of the morning. The sun was just peeking over the horizon and the mist was rolling off the water and the gulls were back in force! There was an even bigger gathering than the first time I wrote about it. I’m not sure if we’re getting a second run or if the first one really didn’t end but the gulls know something.

 I had the place to myself except for the “early birds” so I wandered over the bridges and along the ladder looking for fish. Usually when the run is in full swing you can see tons of fish jockeying for position to get upstream. Today I saw a few which is a few more than the other day but I’m not sure how many would be needed to call it a “run”.

Judging from the way the gulls were gathering I am guessing that a lot more fish must be on their way. I want to know how do these birds know?

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Brewster Gardens, Plymouth MA

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I’m back folks and wanted to tell you a little more about this wonderful little park in Plymouth.

When you come for your visit to Plymouth I would expect that you would visit the Mayflower II and Plymouth Rock.

 That done you need to take a short walk down the street where you will find the entrance to Brewster Gardens.

There is a paved nature trail that follows the Town Brook through the Gardens. Town Brook provided the water supply for the Pilgrims and the first garden plots were planted in this area.  It was probably one of the major reasons the Pilgrims decided to settle in this area, as the brook provided a good supply of fresh water.

The lower end of the Gardens is decorated with some sculptures.

 One is of the Pilgrim Maiden by Henry Hudson Kitson and the other is a more modern sculpture made of stainless steel honoring Plymouth’s immigrant settlers from 1700 to 2000.

 I did a quick internet search but did not find a great deal of history on either sculpture. I can say they are quite different but equally captivating. They add a great deal to the attractiveness of the gardens. The Pilgrim Maiden stands in a fountain although the fountain had not yet been activated for the season when I was there. Way too early in the spring for that.

Crossing the little bridge will take you on the nature trail which will cross under  Main St and Pleasant St. Along the way there are park benches where you can sit and enjoy the scenery.

 The Herring also use the Town Brook as a herring run to reach their fresh water spawning area.

The walk is not long or strenuous and before you know it you will reach the Jenny Grist Mill.  Jenny Mill is America’s first utility and represents the beginning of industry and trade in our country.  The original mill was built by John Jenny, a brewery worker. There are tours of the Grist Mill available and tickets are purchased in the lower level in The Mill Stone Creamery and souvenir shop. I am sure there is much more information on this site available when you take a tour. There are tables on a deck facing the mill-wheel for a scenic place to enjoy a fresh dish of ice cream either before or after your tour.

Moving on up the stairs and across the street is Jenny Pond. There is plenty of free parking and the pond is loaded with birds and some say, fish. I can’t vouch for that as I didn’t try my luck. There’s a little bridge that crosses the pond but other than a scenic decoration it didn’t seem to lead anywhere. It might connect to the Pigrim Trail but I didn’t see that at the time of my visit. There is some access as there were  vehicles parked there.

I am told that Jenny Mill and Pond are part of the Pilgrim Trail. 

 The Pilgrim Trail is a 10 mile circular trail through Plymouth. the Trail starts and finishes at the information center at exit 5 on route 3. I’m told there is ample parking, rest rooms and information on attractions. I will have to check this out and let you know what I find out for sure.

It seems that the more I learn about the area, the more doors that open up to me to explore. You can be sure that I will keep posting about my adventures whether they are local to me or on a distant vacation. Be back on Monday with more tales from the dusty roads. 🙂

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