At this point in our trip we were all shocked to realized that our road trip was halfway over. It made me a little sad but the fact that the trip had been a total dream so far, made it easier to accept. We had the best time with the Harbers in Rhode Island, we invited them to join us in Massachusetts. But before they joined us, we spent the next day in Plymouth, MA. We drove to the Plimoth Patuxet museum and spent the day playing there.
Plymouth is the oldest town in New England and at the Plimoth Patuxet museum you can explore different stores of the Wampanoag and the English people who met and lived along side each other.
First we went into a "wetu" or a winter house for the village people of the Wampanoag. We learned about how the Wampanoag families lived and sat on the fur lined benches while the tour guide told us about their daily life and traditions.
Then we learned about the dug out canoes called "mishoon". They use fires to carve out most of the wood and then do the rest by hand. They also typically do this near the water so they don't have to carry the canoe down to the water afterwards. They were very efficient workers.
Then we went over to the cooking area and learned about how they prepared their meals. They even had a pot of oysters and mussels cooking over the fire. It was really interesting.
After exploring the Wampanoag village, we walked over to the recreated English village of Plymouth. The little village was complete with timber-framed houses that were furnished with reproductions of the type of things you would have found in a 17th-century village. All the employees were all dressed and in full character as English colonist. It was so cute. They spoke with English accents and were so interesting to talk to. They definitely helped us better understand life and the pressures of living in Plymouth in the 1600's.
We had a great time talking to people and learning about life in Plymouth. We played games and helped with some chores. We also met a colonist named James and he taught us how to play "9 man morris" which is similar to tic tac toe but requires a little more strategy. It was fun.
After exploring the village, we went to eat lunch at a cute little pub in Plymouth city center. We also happened upon a tiny little record store that Chris and Tanner happily explored and bought some records from. Then we walked down to see the Mayflower II.
The Mayflower II is a replica of the original Mayflower ship. 300 years after the original Mayflower, the Mayflower II arrived in Plymouth Harbor. Mayflower II set sail from Plymouth, England on April 20, 1957 and then On June 13, 1957 Mayflower II arrived in Plymouth, Massachusetts to a crowd of 25,000 adoring spectators.
Now the ship is a floating classroom where visitors can learn about the life and trials of those early pilgrims. We had a great time exploring and learning about the passengers that came to America in that first passage. We each picked a name of a passenger and followed their story throughout the ship and then found out whether they decided to stay or return to England.
After exploring the ship, we went to see Plymouth Rock. I had always imagined Plymouth Rock as a huge jutting, very noticable rock. But that is not at all what it is. It's just a large boulder. The first documented claim of Plymouth Rock as the landing place of the Pilgrims was made by Thomas Faunce in 1741, 121 years after the Pilgrims arrived in Plymouth. In 1774, the rock broke in half during an attempt to haul it to Town Square in Plymouth. One portion remained in Town Square and was moved to Pilgrim Hall Museum in 1834. It was rejoined with the other portion of the rock, which was still at its original site on the shore of Plymouth Harbor, in 1880. The date 1620 was inscribed at that time. The rock is now ensconced beneath a granite canopy. It was a little underwhelming, but I'm still glad we took the time to go see it.
We also saw a statue of Massasoit and enjoyed seeing the harbor through the binoculars.
After we finished sight seeing in Plymouth, we drove over to Cape Cod, Massachusetts. I loved the drive to Cape Cod. It was so pretty. There were hydrangea plants everywhere. They were mostly blue flowers, but some purple too. It was gorgeous and the coastal towns were so cute. We got to check in to our first BlueGreen Resort in Dennis Port, MA and we were so happy to have a little more room.
We checked into the resort and unloaded the van. Then Chris and I went to the store to get groceries. We were excited to have a kitchen and multiple bedrooms. It was so nice to have some room to spread out and do laundry.
That night Chris made us shrimp po-boys and a yummy salad. We all loved our dinner and then went to play at the beach afterwards. Our room faced the ocean and because we were on the ground floor, we were able to walk straight out our patio and onto the sand. It was so fun.
Then on Monday, the 30th, Adrian and her family drove over to our BlueGreen resort to hang out with us for the day. We were all excited to have the Harbers over to play with us and they were excited to have a beach day again. The kids started out shy, but after a little while, they were happily playing together and had the best time.
Adrian and I enjoyed a day in the sun, chatting and catching up. Chris and Luke also enjoyed some time talking and playing with the kids. We had such a nice beach day together.
After hours in the sun, we finally decide to go back up to our room and make dinner. While the Dad's grilled burgers and hot dogs for us, the kids all took showers and got cleaned up.
After eating dinner, the kids played board games together at the resort clubhouse and hung out until the Harbers had to leave to start their drive back to Rhode Island.
It was the best beach day with friends. I'm so grateful for a friendship spanning nearly 30 years. Adrian and I may not live close, but whenever we get together it's like no time has passed at all. We just love the Harbers.
We were sad to have to leave our resort the next day, but excited to go tour Boston. I had been looking forward to seeing Boston for years and I was thrilled to finally be going. We started our trip with a hop-on, hop-off trolley tour. This was a great way to hear some the history of the city. We learned about the molasses flood of 1925 and why Boston is called "Bean Town".
100 years ago this year, a 50-foot tank of molasses ruptured, sending 2.3 million gallons of molasses flooding the streets of Boston. The wave of molasses rushed through the streets at about 35 miles per hour, knocking trains of their tracks, crashed into buildings and suffocated both people and animals. This flood resulted in the death of 21 people. This was the craziest story and so sad. Now why were their huge tanks of molasses in Boston? Well Boston is known as bean town because of the huge batches of baked beans that would be made every Saturday. The puritan roots of Boston prevented much work from being done on the Sabbath, so every Saturday, people would make huge amounts of baked beans and they would deliver them to their neighbors and friends to make sure everyone had food for the sabbath. Molasses is a key ingredient in these baked beans. I love the foundation of caring for their neighbors and watching out for each other as well as keeping the Sabbath day. What a cool history for the city.
The stories of "bean town" and the Molasses flood were just a couple of the stories we learned about during our trolley tour. We rode the trolley around for almost the entire route, before getting off at the Boston Commons for a walking tour. We had a walking tour booked through the "Freedom Trail Tour" company.
This was such a fun tour. Our tour guide was dressed in full costume like a colonist and spoke in an old english accent. We learned all about men like Paul Revere, Samuel Adams and John Adams. We loved our tour guide. His name was Jeremiah Poope and every time he said his name, my kids couldn't help but laugh. It was a great tour and we had a wonderful time learning about the early years of our country in Boston.
We also got to see the site of the Boston Massacre. This was a heartbreaking story and made us feel for the early colonist who were under British occupation.
Mr. Carroll was able to track down the grasshopper. But when cleaning it and preparing to replace it to the top of Faneuil Hall, the time capsule, which had apparently been forgotten about, was rediscovered and the items removed and put into a display case to preserve. It was such a fun story and had a fun "National Treasurer" vibe.
After our tour was over, we walked over to Quincy Hall and got lunch. We had the most delicious Boston clam chowder in bread bowls. It was seriously so good. We'd had so much clam chowder on the east coast but this was my favorite by far.
After lunch we decided to explore Little Italy and walk the Freedom Trail.
The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile red-brick path through Boston, connecting 16 historically significant sites related to the American Revolution and the early history of the United States. It begins at Boston Common in downtown and ends at the Bunker Hill Monument, passing through key neighborhoods including the North End. We did some souvenir shopping while walking the trail and found some "Boston Baked Beans" to try as well. Only half the kids liked them. They were just as yucky as I remember them being when I was a kid. It was fun to interact with the locals along the walk.
After we finished the Freedom Trail we hopped back on the trolley and rode it over to the Boston Tea Party Museum. This was a really fun part of our day and maybe everyone's favorite. The Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum is a floating history museum located where the original Boston Tea Party took place on December 16, 1773. This museum offers an immersive, interactive experience that brings the events leading up to the American Revolution to life. Each visitor is assigned a role as historical figure and participates in a reenactment of the protest, including a meeting of the Body of the People. We then got to hear a speech by Samuel Adams condemning the tea tax. We also got walk through alfresco exhibits, explored two full-scale replica ships—the Eleanor and the Beaver—where we got to toss faux tea chests overboard, and then viewed a dramatic short film depicting the start of the Revolutionary War.
After tossing the tea into the sea, we went back into the museum to see a range of exhibits, including 3D holograms, talking portraits of key figures like King George III and Samuel Adams, and a diorama that presents debates between American Patriots and British Loyalists. We also got to see the "Robinson Tea Chest", the only known surviving tea chest from the original event, which has been preserved for over 230 years. Additionally, the museum also had a vial of tea-infused harbor water collected from 1773.
I think what was most interesting to me was how the colonists didn't really want to go to war, the just wanted equal representation in England. While they rioted and threw the tea into the harbor, they didn't really foresee it leading to a revolution-at least that it the impression I got from the museum. Maybe some of the founding fathers were ready for a change but I don't think many citizens saw it going that far. It's strange to think about. It's a than event we see as a pivotal moment in history, but I don't know that they meant for it to be.
We also visited the tea house and bought some tea and a christmas ornament. That was really fun and we are all excited to try our strawberry apple tea.
After we finished at the Tea Party Museum we rode the trolley back to our car in the parking garage and then went back over to "Little Italy" to buy "Boston Cream pie" and then we went to our hotel.
Then Tanner, Bailey and Chris went to the temple together. They said it was a beautiful temple and had a very colonial feel. The little boys and I hung out at the hotel and relaxed. It was nice to have a quiet night to recover after a very full day of touring Boston.
The next morning we woke up and drove into Salem, MA to explore. Our first stop was the "Salem Witch Museum" The museum has two main exhibits. The first is an immersive 20 or so minute presentation that used a bunch of life-sized stage sets and a narrated story based on original court documents to recount the events of the 1692 witch trials. When you walk into the museum you are seated in a darkened auditorium and are surrounded by illuminated dioramas that depict the hysteria, accusations, trials, and executions that occurred during that period. It felt very dark and evil. The whole city of Salem felt sad and depressed to me.
The second exhibit, was called "Witches: Evolving Perceptions," and it explored the broader historical context of witch-hunting, the changing image of the witch from European trials to modern times, and the themes of persecution and scapegoating in society.
After we finished at the museum we went through the gift shop but felt weird getting a Christmas ornament because the whole museum just felt so dark.
Then we left and went to the memorial cemetery for those victims of the witch trials. This memorial is a solemn tribute to the 20 individuals who were wrongfully accused, tried, and executed during the 1692 witch trials. It was located in the oldest cemetery in Salem.
After the cemetery, we walked over to the Salem Visitor's Center and learned all about a ship called "The Friendship of Salem"- it was a maritime trade ship. We learned about the early puritan heritage and some revolutionary war history. It was pretty cool. I also was able to find a Christmas tree ornament that better reflected the history of the city and not just the witch trials.
After we finished in Salem, we drove up the coast to Maine and got lunch at this cute seaside restaurant called "Fox's Lobster House" in York, Maine. We had been waiting this whole trip to have lobster and this was our chance. We were told that it would be significantly cheaper to get lobster in Maine, but it was not. It was still very expensive. Tanner and I both got lobster, Tucker and Benson ordered clam chowder (again) and Bailey and Chris got lobster rolls- served warm. The food was delicious but it was one of our more expensive meals.
The slogan for "Fox's" was "nibble at the Nubble" and the restaurant overlooked the Nubble Lighthouse. It was so cute. After we ate lunch we explored along the coast and played in the water a bit.
After playing at the lighthouse, we drove into York to see the little town and do some souvenir shopping and I found a cute lobster Christmas ornament.
Then we drove onto New Hampshire. We were excited to be at our room for the night because it was a BlueGreen Resort and we were excited to have a little more room. We drove to Lincoln, NH and the resort was really nice and big. We unloaded and then Chris and I drove to a little local grocery store to get some food. We had a nice big, full kitchen so we decided to eat our meals in our room.
The next morning we drove to the "Flume Gorge" and we played there the entire morning. It was so cool. The flume gorge was discovered in 1808 but it was formed millions of years ago. The geological features were so unique and it was just a gorgeous hike. The hike was about 2 miles and the boardwalk gave us an upclose view of everything. We loved it.
There were some incredible views and a beautiful covered bridge. We had such a good time together exploring.
We spent a few hours playing and then as we got back to the visitor's center, it started pouring rain. It was a crazy thunderstorm. We got a pressed penny and a Christmas ornament and then ran to our van. We drove back to our room in a huge thunderstorm and I was just so grateful that we got off the trail before we got caught in the storm.
We hung out in our room for a bit and then decided to wait out the storm at the movie theater seeing "Jurassic World Dominion". All the kids were excited to see it and we all enjoyed it.
After the movie we went back to the resort and hung out while we waited for it to stop raining.
Eventually it cleared up and we went to the pool and hot tub. While we swam, Chris made us a delicious dinner of steak and lobster tails. It was so amazing.
The next morning we had a nice breakfast and then we checked out and drove over to Vermont. This day of our trip landed on the 4th of July so we dressed in our red, white and blue for the occasion.
Our first stop of the day was "Sugarbush Farms" in Woodstock, VT. It's a 500 acre family-run farm. It's been in the family for 4-generations and they make maple syrup and cheeses. Fun fact, a group of maple trees is called a "sugarbush".
We started off sampling 5 different kinds of cheeses. I loved the creamy cheddar and the smoked cheese. I didn't try the jalapeno cheddar or the blue cheese, but the rest of the family liked them. The last cheese was a sharp cheddar. After we finished sampling, we went to the gift shop and bought everything in sight. It was so fun and so yummy. We bought a block of the smoked cheese and a bunch of maple syrup. We also got some maple candies and we found a Christmas ornament.
The cheese sampling was the best way to start our farm tour. After we stashed our goodies in our car, we went to explore the nature trail and we learned all about the process of making maple syrup. The nature trail was gorgeous and we all enjoyed it.
Along the nature trails were signs with fun facts and questions about maple syrup. For example, did you know that maple trees can be tapped with a new whole each year? Or did you know that a maple tree needs to be at least 40 years old before tapping it for syrup? We had a good time learning about what it takes and we were also so surprised by the amount of work that it takes to make maple syrup. It's generally accepted that it takes 4 trees to make 1 gallon of syrup. That's crazy!
After we finished the nature walk, we went to tour the processing area. It was crazy to think about how much work is done during the coldest months of the year, hauling maple tree sap through snow and ice. It's so much work. it's no wonder that maple syrup is so expensive.
There was also a small petting zoo and the kids loved betting the goats. They were super cute!
After we finished at the maple syrup farm, we drove over to Shaon, VT. Sharon is where Joseph Smith was born. Joseph was born in 1805 on a small farm that was owned by his maternal grandfather. His family lived there for only 3 years, before failed business and financial difficulty forced them to move.
Today the birthplace is maked by a large granite obelisk that was erected on the 100th anniversary of Jopseh Smith's birth.
There was also a small visitors center on the property where we learned more about the Smith family. The visitor's center housed the original hearth stone and doorstep.
After we finished our tour of the birthplace, we ate a little picnic on the grounds. We had packed a lunch before we left our resort so we wouldn't have to stop and find a place to eat. It was a gorgeous day and a very enjoyable morning.
After our tour we decided we were ready for some maple creamies. We are all about trying foods that are unique to the area and everything I read said Maple creamies were a must try .
I just have to say, they did not disappoint. I don't usually like soft serve ice cream but this maple creamie kind of blew my mind. They were delicious!
After we finished our ice cream, we drove another couple of hours to Syracuse, NY for the night. We checked in and then went to get dinner. After dinner we chilled at our hotel for a little while while we waited for it to get dark and then we set out to find a place to watch fireworks - since it was the 4th of July. It turned out we were in a perfect spot for fireworks since Syracuse is right near the Finger lakes. So we sat on the shore of the lakes and just watched fireworks going off all around us. It was so fun!. Luckily we had a picnic blanket in our van and lots of bug spray. we were able to sit and watch the fireworks together and enjoy a very unique Independence day.
The next morning was July 5th and this was the last day of our planned fun. The day was completely packed. We definitely made the most of our last day! We left Syracuse early and drove to Fayette, NY.
Our first stop of the day was the Peter Whitmer home, where The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints was organized in 1830. This was also where the translation of the Book of Mormon was finished. Joseph Smith also received a total of 20 revelations while in Fayette. It was definitely a special place and it holds a special place in the history of our church.
We saw the room where Joseph and Oliver spent countless hours translating the gold plates and got to tour the entire home.
From Fayette, we drove the 45 minutes to Palmyra, NY to visit some more church history sites.
We drove straight to the Smith Family farm. Our first tour was the Smith family log home. This is the location where Joseph Smith received his first vision from the angel Moroni. We got to tour the house and the surrounding area as well. It was pretty cool to see the living conditions and where Joseph would have been sleeping when Moroni appeared the subsequent times.
The area was just beautiful and the woods behind his home are what we now call the sacred grove. It was beautiful and just as one would imagine when thinking about the first vision.
After that we walked down the street to the Smith family "Frame Home". Joseph's older brother, Alvin, actually started building this home but he died before he was able to finish it. The rest of the Smith family worked to finish it after his death and eventually moved in.
The home was beautiful and much nicer than the log home. On the table in the frame house was an object covered with cloth. This was meant to represent the gold plates and was made in the same size and weight as the plates were. They allowed each of us to pick them up and feel their weight. This gave us an idea of how difficult they would have been to carry from the Hill Cumorah back to the Smith home. This house was also where Joseph Smith hid the plates when mobs came looking for them. Even though only the foundation of the home is original, the reconstruction was made to appear how it would have when the Smith family lived there.
After that we walked down the street to the Smith family "Frame Home". Joseph's older brother, Alvin, actually started building this home but he died before he was able to finish it. The rest of the Smith family worked to finish it after his death and eventually moved in.
The home was beautiful and much nicer than the log home. On the table in the frame house was an object covered with cloth. This was meant to represent the gold plates and was made in the same size and weight as the plates were. They allowed each of us to pick them up and feel their weight. This gave us an idea of how difficult they would have been to carry from the Hill Cumorah back to the Smith home. This house was also where Joseph Smith hid the plates when mobs came looking for them. Even though only the foundation of the home is original, the reconstruction was made to appear how it would have when the Smith family lived there.
Another cool thing the missionary tour guides told us was that the Palmyra temple, seen in the pictured above, is the only temple with clear glass in the exterior . The purpose of the clear glass to provide a view of the Sacred Grove from inside the temple This window is situated in the lobby and was specifically requested by Church President Gordon B. Hinckley, who wanted temple patrons and workers to be able to gaze directly into the Sacred Grove. The window is often referred to as "Hinckley’s window" by temple patrons and was intended to be called "the grove window" by President Hinckley. The idea was to have one temple overlooking another-with the sacred grove being the other temple or sacred area. I just loved that!
Eventually we made our way over to the pathway for the Sacred Grove and we spent some time walking through the Grove together. We had a short family devotional and then asked each kid to go off on their own and say a personal prayer. We didn't tell them to ask to know if the church was true or anything, but just to ask to feel God's love for them.
After everyone finished, we met back up and walked through the rest of the grove together.
After we finished at the Sacred Grove we went to lunch at a cute little outdoor diner. Then we drove over to the Grandin Printshop and we took a tour there as well. The Grandin Printshop was the place were the first copies of the book of mormon were printed.
In early June 1829, Egbert B. Grandin, the young owner of a thriving print business in Palmyra, agreed to print 5,000 copies of the Book of Mormon for $3,000. Martin Harris mortgaged part of his farm to pay for the printing. Copies of the Book of Mormon were first available for sale at Grandin’s bookstore on March 26, 1830. Since then, over 176 million copies of the Book of Mormon have been printed in over 100 languages.
The entire process was quite miraculous and we enjoyed learning about it.
We finished at the printshop and then drove over to the Hill Cumorah to see the monument. This monument marks the spot where Moroni appeared to Joseph Smith. The monument stands over 30 feet tall and has a statue of the angel Moroni on the top.
Then we hopped back into our van and drop over to Niagara Falls. We spent some time looking for parking and eventually made our way over to the state park. We found the line for the "Maid of the Mists" and after waiting for a while, we got on the boat to go see Niagara Falls.
We put on our ponchos and prepared ourselves to get soaked.
The trip was so cool. Between the wind and the water blowing in our faces, we couldn't stop laughing. it was so cool. We all loved it!
We had a great time together and even though we wore ponchos, we all ended up a little bit wet. Sadly, we then had to drive about 6 hours to our hotel for the night in our damp clothes. But we survived and we were all a little more than happy to reach out hotel and get in our cozy pjs. This was the end of our last day of fun.
The next day was purely a travel day and we drove about 14 hours home. The kids did great on our long drive and even though we all agreed that we were sad the trip was over, we were excited to get home to our own beds and spaces.
So here are some things I don't want to forget from this trip:
1, spontaneous "Hamilton" sing-a-longs whenever someone said anything remotely related to a lyric from the play.
2. inside jokes and constant giggling- especially the "Janis" video.
3. the kids cracking up at "Axe Assassin Albertson"- a Hamilton parody video
4. So much laughing and enjoying each other
5. the kids hanging out together by choice
Favorite Activities from the trip:
Tanner: 1.
2.
3.
Bailey: 1.
2.
3.
Tucker: 1. Cape Cod Beach
2. Flume Gorge Hike
3. Broadway- Harry Potter & the Cursed Child play
Benson: 1. Broadway -Harry Potter & the Cursed Child play
2. Summit 1 Vanderbilt
3. Flume Gorge Hike
Chris: 1. NYC
2.
3.
Emily: 1. Broadway- Harry Potter & the Cursed Child
2. Philadelphia -Independence Hall Tour
3. Cape Cod- the hydrangeas everywhere
This trip was literally a dream come true and I couldn't be more thrilled. All the planning was worth it and the trip went off without a hitch. We got to do all the things we wanted to do and it was awesome. We ate all the foods, did all the fun activities and just fully enjoyed the history and culture in each area. It was the best and now it's over.
No comments:
Post a Comment