OLA: Finding the Center of Two Revolutions

at Authors' Ridge in Sleepy Hollow Cemetery, Concord, Massachusetts
where Emerson, Thoreau, Alcott, and Hawthorne lie together in eternal peace

Doug and Audrey treating us out to dinner
at historic  Colonial Inn in Concord, Massachusetts

We are fortunate that Doug (one of Bill’s HS bffs) and Audrey invited us to their beautiful home in Concord, Massachusetts. It was not part of our itinerary. They saw to it that not only did we have time to visit with them but also the chance to explore the city. Doug showed us how it became the center of two great American revolutions, the political revolution that resulted in American independence in 1776 and the literary revolution that influenced the mindset of the mid-1800s leading to the Civil War.

Doug and Bill at the Lexington marker

The Political Revolution

The Minutemen National Historical Park links the cities of Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts on a trail of significant events surrounding the start of the American Revolution. From our walk on the Boston Freedom Trail (please see last post) I learned that Paul Revere took a ride on the midnight of April 18, 1775 to warn the Concord militia of the impending arrival of British troops. The signal lantern from the Old North Church would tell what route the British troops will take: ‘one if by land, two if by sea’.

at the North bridge, where the 'shot heard round the world'
was fired on April 19, 1775

The British troops, numbering 700, proceeded to Lexington from Boston. Their mission was to retrieve the cannons purportedly being held in Concord.  At Lexington they quickly scuttled the rag-tag militia of the colonists. But around 400 minutemen (in a minute they can be ready for battle) were ready in Concord, having been warned by Paul Revere. At the North Bridge between the two cities, the ‘shot heard round the world’ was fired on April 19. 1775. The American Revolution had begun.

in honor of the minutemen at the North Bridge

The news quickly spread to the surrounding towns and the colonists’ ranks swelled to 20,000 in number. They quickly drove the British back to Boston and hounded them on their trail back. More than 250 British soldiers and less than 100 colonists lost their lives. The fighting then resumed in Boston and on June 1775, The Battle of Bunker Hill gave the colonists an astounding victory, pushing the British further back south. The cannons were not found for the colonists had moved them to another town.

John Adams and John Quincy Adams with their wives
at the lower level crypt of the First Unitarian Church  in Quincy, Massachusetts

First Unitarian Church in Quincy, Massachusetts

And we discovered that the Adams National Historic Site was at the Quincy Center Station of the Red Line, two stops before Braintree. The tombs of John Adams, second president and the one who took over from George Washington, and John Quincy Adams, the sixth president, together with their wives were lined up together at the lower level crypt of the First Unitarian Church in Quincy, Massachusetts.  They were the first father-son tandem who became presidents. Their orderly assumption of the powers to govern the USA after George Washington solidified the success of the Revolution.

The Literary Revolution

The political revolution was significant enough but after the victory, the newly independent Americans went through a renaissance. Concord, with Cambridge, to the southeast, and Salem, to the east, became the seat of excellence in education and literary works in the mid-1800s. The Author’s Ridge at Concord’s Sleepy Hollow Cemetery is where five great American writers lie together in eternal peace, next to each other. Visiting their homes also evoked wondrous feelings in the fledgling author that is me.

Walden Pond, where Thoreau stayed for 2 years living in simplicity

The following friends and neighbors were the Concord Quartet: Ralph Waldo Emerson (1803-1882, An American Scholar, Nature), the great essayist and philosopher, Henry David Thoreau (1817-1863, Walden, Civil Disobedience), the philosopher and naturalist, Amos Bronson Alcott (1799-1888), the educator, and Nathaniel Hawthorne (1804-1864, The Scarlet Letter, House of 7 Gables), the novelist. Together, they fanned the ideals of individual liberty and equality, heavily influencing the abolitionist sentiment in the North. They also greatly influenced Amos’ daughter Louisa May Alcott (1832-1888, Little Women) towards becoming a great author herself.

house of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
also Washington's Headquarters during the American Revolution

In Cambridge, we visited Harvard University, an Ivy League school established in 1636. It was named after its first benefactor, John Harvard, who gave the school his entire collection of 400 books. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow (1807-1882) served as a professor there until he retired into fulltime writing. He was very happy that he was able to own and live in the House that Washington used as headquarters during the initial stages of the war. He made Paul Revere an icon with his poem, ‘Paul Revere’s Ride’.

The house is right beside the campus of Radcliffe, formerly a renowned university for women and now part of Harvard. I wanted to see the campus, just like Bill wanting to see Yale, because I had an undergraduate scholarship there, after completing, with honors, my HS scholarship from American School in the Philippines.  However, my mother could not raise enough funds for living expenses and felt it was just too far away. I went on to a scholarship in the University of the Philippines instead. 

 

the House of Seven Gables in Salem, Massachusetts

birthplace of Hawthorne in Salem, Massachusetts

In Salem, we were surprised to see not just museums, statues, and memorials of the Salem Witch Trials of 1692. We were also able to see Nathaniel Hawthorne’s birthplace in Salem which was relocated to a spot near the only living colonial home in North America, the House of Seven Gables. The house was also Hawthorne’s inspiration for his classic novel of the same name. The house is now listed under the National Register of Historic Places.

Doug, Audrey, and Mika with Bill and me at their Concord home

Our visit with the Millers turned out to be much more than a visit to an old friend. Doug drove us around, showing us how the city was really the center of the two revolutions, the political and the literary. Meanwhile Audrey kept us fully satisfied with the delicious Asian dishes she prepared from her lovely kitchen, showing me some great cooking tips.  We also had the opportunity to meet their lovely daughter, Mika who will give them their first grandson in a few weeks. Thank you, Doug and Audrey.

OLA: Walking the Freedom Trail in Boston!

Bill enjoying Cheers in Boston, hub of the TV Series by the same name
after  walking the Freedom Trail

map of Freedom Trail in Boston

But it wasn’t really a walk! Boston’s traffic jams and high parking prices made us leave our car at Braintree, about thirty miles south, to take the city subway’s Red Line. We got off at the Park Street Station on Beacon Hill. There we took the City View Trolley (I decided I could not walk the 2.5 mile trail), a Hop-on Hop-off bus service. The Trail is a unique constellation of 16 historic sites that surround the important events around the American Revolution against Great Britain.  Beacon Hill was Stops #7 and 8 of the 10-stop tour. We reserved it for the last before the subway ride back to our car.

the trail is marked like this on the sidewalks

At Stop #9 is the Boston Tea Party ship/museum. Darn…they were closed for renovation! Here’s how the story goes: the British government and the East India Company controlled all the tea imported into the colonies. On 12/16/1773, officials in Boston refused to return three shiploads of taxed tea to Britain. Colonists sneaked into the ship and threw them into the Boston Harbor, earning the name, the Boston Tea Party. In 1774 the British Parliament closed Boston's commerce until the East India Company could be repaid. Colonists responded by convening the First Continental Congress. In 1775 the war began.

inviting entrance to the Quincy Market 

statue of Paul Revere with the
Old North Church at the back

Stop #1 is a close look at Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Marketplace. Faneuil Hall has been a marketplace and a meeting hall since 1742. It was the site of stirring speeches by Samuel Adams and others calling for independence from Great Britain. Quincy Market is now a bustling place for diverse eateries so we had our lunch there! Next: Stop #2 for Paul Revere’s house, his statue, and the Old North Church. Revere was a silversmith who became famous for alerting Colonial militia in Lexington and Concord, just outside of Boston, of approaching British forces. Old North Church is the location from which the famous "One if by land, and two if by sea" signal is said to have been sent via lanterns at midnight of 4/18/1775.

Faneuil Hall with the statue of Sam Adams in front...

at the Bunker Hill Monument

The Bunker Hill Monument that commemorates the Battle of Bunker Hill is on Breed’s Hill at Stop #3. It was on Breed’s Hill where most of the fighting in the misnamed Battle of Bunker Hill actually took place. The Battle was the first major conflict between British and Patriot forces in the American Revolution, fought on 6/17/1775. The Patriots won! The 221 foot (67 m) granite obelisk has 294 steps to the top. In front of the obelisk is a statue of Col. William Prescott who, according to popular stories, coined the famous Revolutionary War phrase, "Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes".

the USS Constitution and us!

The USS Constitution, fondly known as ‘Old Ironsides, is at Stop # 4 at the Charlestown Navy Shipyard.  The ship is still an active wooden-hulled, three-masted heavy frigate of the United States Navy. She is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat (since 1797), Constitution was one of six original frigates authorized for construction by the Naval Act of 1794 and the third constructed. She is most famous for being undefeated during the War of 1812 against Great Britain.

entrance to the Charlestown Shipyard

marker on the site of the Boston Massacre

Stop #5 is the site of the Boston Massacre, an incident on 3/5/1770 that foreshadowed the American Revolution by five years. British troops had been stationed in Boston since 1768 to protect crown-appointed colonial officials who were enforcing unpopular legislation. That fateful day, amid ongoing tense relations, a mob formed around a British sentry, who was subjected to verbal abuse and harassment. Eight additional soldiers came to support him but were also treated the same. So they fired into the crowd, without orders, instantly killing three and causing the death of two others later.  The Old State House, Old Meeting House, and an old corner bookstore are all near the site.

unmistakable edifice at the middle of Boston Commons

the fountain at Boston Commons
Massachusetts State House at the back

We were late in arriving at Stop #7, the Old Granary Burying Ground near Park Street Church where Paul Revere, Sam Adams, John Hancock, members of the Franklin family, and the five who were killed at the Boston Massacre are buried. But we were still able to take pictures from the sidewalk. Because of this, we had more time at Beacon Hill’s Boston Commons which has a carousel, a beautiful pond, a Civil War memorial, and a beautiful fountain from which one can see the gold dome of the Massachusetts State House gleaming. It is said that the Liberty Tree was a famous elm tree that stood near Boston Common where ten years before the Revolution, colonists staged the first act of defiance. Sigh…It was not listed with the other 16 sites.

markers in front of the Old Granary Burying Ground

beautiful purple flowers at the Pond

We were not able to visit the King’s Chapel and burying ground or the Copp’s hill burying ground both of which have plots of many historic figures of the time. But we were so glad to have found the time, at the end of the day, to have refreshing beer and iced tea at Cheers, the pub that was the subject of a TV series of the same name.  It was just opposite the lovely pond of the Boston Commons. We had so much fun taking photos at the bar and sending them through my smart phone to our son and sons-in-law. We also got carried away…buying each one a Cheers t-shirt for Father’s Day! 

the City View Trolley

even the Subway station at Park Street is historical.

The ‘walk’ through the most significant sites that ushered in the Revolution that became the model for other nations was indeed memorable. The Trail made this bit of American history come alive. But it was also tiring, even if we rode the Trolley because there was a lot of walking to and from the stops. Perhaps we should have done it in two days! If you ask us what the highlight of the tour was, Bill will say ‘Cheers!’!    I totally agree. So, until next week, cheers! 

Exploring Massachusetts' Coastline in Spring! OLA

a blue and yellow gingerbread cottage in Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard

nice  Cape Cod welcome!

It should be fall! But we have to be in Nova Scotia in July so we are here at springtime instead. And the long coastline, cute lighthouses, fresh seafood and a multitude of pretty flowers are so refreshing in these parts of Massachusetts we had not yet explored. Bill and I have each been to Boston several times but not Cape Cod, Martha’s Vineyard, and New Bedford! The Gateway to Cape Cod in Rochester, Massachusetts where we were camped made all within our easy reach!

The Bared and Bended Arm of the Sea

Plymouth Rock, marked 1620 when the Pilgrims came

Cape Cod

Heralded as The Bared and Bended Arm in the Sea, Cape Cod was formed as the recessional moraine of a glacier, resulting in a peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean. But in 1914, the Cape Cod Canal was cut through the base, forming what may be loosely termed an island. Unofficially, it is one of the biggest barrier islands in the world, shielding much of Massachusetts, including Boston, from North Atlantic storm waves but also suffering erosion of its cliffs, at the same time.

Mayflower II, the ship that carried the Pilgrims to our shores

the John F. Kennedy Memorial in Hyannis

At its shoulder is Plymouth where the Plymouth Rock and a replica of Mayflower II are well-known tourist attractions. The Monument to our Forefathers, on the other hand, is a hidden gem!  In the middle of the upper arm is Hyannis where the Kennedys maintained a compound, now donated for government research, though still closed to the public. The city also has an elegant JFK Memorial and a simple JFK Museum surrounded by Rose Kennedy’s roses.   Harwich, Chatham, and Brewster counties form its elbow. There, at the Stony Brook Grist Mill, we saw a herring run.

where the herring ran, beside the grist mill at Stony Brook

remnants of the Marconi's site for the US station
in the first transatlantic wireless transmission to the UK

The Cape Cod National Seashore is its lower arm. Near the Salt Pond Visitor Center are Captain Penniman’s House and the oldest windmill in the US. Near its wrist, at Wellfleet, there is only a mile of land between the gulf and the ocean. Marconi chose the site for the first transatlantic wireless transmission because it had an undisturbed line of sight to Cornwall in the UK.  Along the beach is also where I savored my first bowl of New England clam chowder! Finally, Provincetown, where the Pilgrims first landed before proceeding to Plymouth, makes its fist. A Pilgrim’s Monument and four small lighthouses are highlights of the area, beautifully dotted by flowers that thrive even on its sandy soil.

getting some rest from the sun at a seafood place on the beach at the Cod

Martha’s Vineyard

Steamship Authority ferry to Martha's Vineyard

One sunny day we took the one hour drive to Woods Hole at the Cod’s armpit and rode the 45-minute Steamship Authority ferry to the island called Martha’s Vineyard. The captain who discovered it named it after his daughter Martha and the wild grapes he found growing there. With a land area of almost 90 sq. mi., it is the largest island not connected to mainland US by a bridge or tunnel. The year-round population is about 15,000, swelling to over 75,000 in summer. A study found that cost of living on the summer colony is 60% higher than the national average; housing prices are double.

Tabernacle in the middle of the Camp of gingerbread cottages
 Oak Bluffs, Martha's Vineyard

Ricky and Megan with us at Coop de Ville harbor resto

We docked at Oak Bluffs and immediately proceeded to the well-known pretty gingerbread cottages which surround the Camp whose center is the giant Tabernacle. There were all kinds of pastel colors and designs but I favored those that had yellow, of course. A real estate listing showed that one such small cottage is available for upwards of $350,000! At the Harbor’s Coup de Ville restaurant, not only was my second bowl of New England clam chowder waiting for me but also Ricky and Megan, a lively newly-wed couple of three days! We had a blast!

the island of Chappaquiddick with its ferries

found my spot of yellow daisies
at the end of North St. in Edgartown.

Then we took a 15-minute bus to Edgartown to which the small island of Chappaquiddick (where former Sen. Edward Kennedy’s car accidentally went into the water and his young female companion drowned) is connected by a small ferry.  But the best part of this town is walking along North Street which runs parallel to its coast. It is lined on both sides by beautiful homes, one side enjoying the waterfront at their backyards. But all the front yards are adorned by pretty spring flowers and verdant greens. I found my spot at the far end on a field of yellow daisies with a small lighthouse at the background!

a North St., Edgartown home...with yellow flowers!

New Bedford Whaling Museum

New Bedford

New Bedford was once the richest city in the world; it was the center of the great whaling industry and now its Whaling Museum is the largest in the world. Beside it is the the Mariner’s Home next to the Seamen’s Bethel (or church. At its Harbor, the old Schooner Ernestina is still docked as another reminder of the whaling days. There is also a memorial to those who lost their lives at sea and a Fisherman’s Memorial fronts the fishing boats. Downtown there is a Whalers’ Memorial which reads, ‘a dead whale or a stove boat’ beside the statue of Lewis Temple who invented the harpoon tip.  But the affluent times are best memorialized in the large mansions and lush gardens around town.

Downtown Bedrord's Whalers' Memorial

flowers on the sandy shores of Cape Cod

Although I felt that the Outer Banks of North Carolina are still better than Cape Cod, the totality of the coastal communities of Massachusetts…the Bare and Bended Arm, Martha’s Vineyard, and New Bedford…offered more variety for everyone’s notion of beauty. New England is truly lovely…and, I can now say, not just in fall! Sigh…our children are all in the west so that is still where we will probably settle! Maybe, just a gingerbread cottage for summer, Bill?

a lonely biker during low tide at the Cod

For more pictures, please go to my albums on our facebook account named billncarol colborn!  
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