I am actually typing this up in Salem, maybe 100 feet or so from the Fort Pickering Lighthouse. We searched for campgrounds near Salem and this sight popped up. We had a choice of a few but the tent ones required parking in the parking lot and carrying your tent in. We sleep in the bed of our truck so that wasn't an option. So we choice "motor home," which I guess is what we are. :) We are literally parked on a parking lot that used to be an airport, so our spot is next to the hangar. There is a view of sailboats and other boats and the lighthouse!! We have slept in parking lots before but not with officially a camper shell.
We actually slept in, repacked our things and then had a leisurely breakfast. As I took a load out to the truck and was reentering the hotel, the maintenance staff of the hotel were changing out the trash bags from the cans. The gentleman took the lid off, peered in and made a really unusual face. He peered closer and then got some of those long-handled grabber things to reach in. I left even though I was very curious indeed as to what he saw!
We headed back into Plymouth for a few sites. There is so much that is so old and profound it is a bit overwhelming at times! We stopped by the National Monument to the Forefathers. It is dedicated to the Mayflower Pilgrims and their ideals and is thought to be the largest solid granite monument in the world. It was built in 1889. We actually spotted a small school group there that we encountered at the Boston Tea Party tea room!!! I guess if you are on a bus trip to see these sights, you will see all of them just like us!
We drove through the historic district and meandered around the cemetery. This cemetery overlooks the bay so it is a peaceful resting place! We found William Bradford who, like most of the Pilgrims on the Mayflower left England to escape prosecution for his beliefs and settled in Leiden, Holland. He then emigrated to the Americas and Plymouth and served as governor. We searched high and low for the memorial for William Brewster for a friend, and finally found it right about where we started our journey! William became the senior elder and served as the religious leader of the colony. The memorial just shares that he may or may not be buried somewhere in the cemetery, most likely he is. :)
A short drive and we were in Lexington at the Battle Green. It was a very moving experience. A young man in period clothing joined us and so we could ask questions and take it all in. Paul Revere had warned that the British were coming so they were waiting, sort of. They had been ordered to disperse and the drummer boy brought them back together. Over 700 British showed up against the 70 some colonists. Time stood still. As we stood there absorbing all of this, it seemed unreal. This area wasn't that big so everyone had to see everyone. A shot was fired, and eight colonists were killed and one British soldier injured. To this day, no one knows who fired that fateful shot as it started events unfolding. It could have been a colonist thinking, "Let's do this; we are tired and want our independence." OR it could have been a nervous British, and the big Ooops of the day.
The British then headed toward Concord where the skirmish resulted in the first British fatalities and their eventual retreat. There is controversy to this day over which incident could be considered the official start of the Revolutionary War.
A side note: There was the most beautiful community garden while driving through Concord. These are the amazing things to happen to communities, bringing people together!
Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote the "Concord Hymn" while at his house which overlooks the north bridge. His grandfather and father (as a child) had witnessed the skirmish! While walking around this house and grounds we spotted a "little library," those quaint little boxes of books that you are encouraged to take a book and/or leave a book when you spot one. We took one!
Near these remarkable places is a pond, Walden Pond. One Ralph Waldo Emerson owned some property at Walden Pond and in 1845 gave Henry David Thoreau permission to live there, and live there he did, for 2 years, 2 months, and 2 days. His cabin was simple as that was the point of his living here, to live simply and deliberately! We hiked around the pond and up to where they discovered the cabin to have been back in the day. There is a replica near the entrance to the park. Simple it was but quite efficient!
The pond itself was quite busy, with swimmers, old to very young, sunbathers, hikers, readers, boaters, paddleboarders, and watchers. It is always fun to people watch and catch the snippits of conversations as you walk, for instance:
"We invited him for Thanksgiving, but we haven't heard yet if he's coming."
"We will have everyone in for Christmas for sure." (Two separate groups of people!)
"I saw him swimming in a no swimming area, and that was the last time I saw him alive." (WHAT???) This was said to a Park Ranger by an older gentleman with a cane.
"And I was swimming and ... " told by a young man to his girl as she laughed and laughed.
"Have you tried audio books? They can be...."
"The title is The Beginning of Everything, and..."
We departed for our campsite and were perplexed by the GPS telling us it would take an hour and 26 minutes when it was only 23 miles away. But there was LOTS of red on the Interstates so she zigged and zagged and zigged and zagged us around. We literally must have passed 1000s of houses, and turned hundreds of corners, driving through mostly residential neighborhoods. We hit traffic in these areas too! Unbelievable!! It really did take us that long!!
We headed back into town for a quick bite and wandered around. We stopped by a local brewery and had a beer and ginger ale; it had an open and fun vibe to it!
We also passed by the Salem Witch Museum on the way back to the truck. More on Salem tomorrow!
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