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.

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!  
.                                                                            

Becoming American, without Losing Roots OLA: Maryland

Carol, contemplating her move, at the American Visionary Art Museum, Baltimore, Md.

Greenbelt Park, Greenbelt, Maryland
just 12 miles from Washington DC

We passed through Maryland, visiting the Annapolis Naval Academy in 2008. But we discovered a lot more last week, exploring Baltimore and camping in Greenbelt Park in Greenbelt, Maryland. The Park, part of the National Park Service, is truly a hidden gem, just 12 miles from Washington and only a mile from the Greenbelt Station of the DC Metro. Nice serene, green space from which we toured DC!

Fort McHenry National Historic Monument

But Baltimore is truly the highlight of our Maryland experience. Fort McHenry is a star-shaped fort best known for its role in the War of 1812. Nearby towns having fallen, a 25-hour continuous bombardment of Baltimore was launched by the British navy in Chesapeake Bay. Seeing the American flag still flying from his ship in the early morning, Francis Scott Key was inspired to write a poem that began:

Francis Scott Key's statue looking at
the flying American flag at Fort McHenry 

O say can you see, 
by the dawn’s early light?

What so proudly we hailed 
at the twilight’s last gleaming.

The Star=Spangled Banner House

                                                      Yes, his poem became America’s National Anthem, the Star-Spangled Banner. So we proceeded to visit The Star-Spangled Banner Flag House. Built in 1793, it was the home of Mary Pickersgill and where she sewed the 15-star garrison flag that flew over Fort McHenry during the Battle of Baltimore. The museum features a 30 by 42-foot window in the same color, size, and design as the original flag.

USS Constellation, the Pride of Baltimore at her Inner Harbor

Going to Baltimore’s Inner Harbor (previously the largest sea port in the US), we also had quite a time trying to get the best shot of the Pride of Baltimore, the USS Constellation. Commissioned in 1855, it was strategically used in the Civil War and served many purposes until 1933. She came to Baltimore in 1954 and is now a floating museum near the National Aquarium and the Baltimore Maritime Museum.

the WAshington Monument in Baltimore, Md

At the center of Baltimore, one cannot miss a towering monument, completed in 1829 to honor Washington. The 178 foot Doric column holds a ground-floor museum. Climbing the 228 steps to the top provides an excellent view of the city. The Washington Monument in Washington DC is much taller at 555 ft but was completed much later in 1884. Both monuments were designed by Robert Mills.

Edgar Allan Poe Memorial at the Westmister Burying Grounds

Edgar Allan Poe lived in Richmond, Virginia for about 14 years, hence the Museum that we found there. But he died in Baltimore and we went to the Westminster Church burying grounds and there we found the tomb of Edgar Allan Poe, beside his grandfather’s and alongside many more of their era. The Memorial to Poe, however, is located at the corner of the church grounds, visible to the streets.

the first line of the Star-Spangled Banner on the wall
of the American Visionary art Museum

The American Visionary Art Museum was also a nice find, its exterior proudly bearing the first line of the national anthem. We found a set of artsy chess pieces, each as big as I am! The car art caught my attention...it is like colorful artsy jeepneys that ply Philippine roads. This made me realize that I am still a Filipino, despite the intense American education I am getting cruising North America in an RV.

the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption

car art, much like the colorful jeepneys that ply Philippine roads

Finally, we could not miss visiting the 
Basilica of the National Shrine of the Assumption. Completed in 1821, it was the first Roman Catholic cathedral ever built in the United States, and was the first major religious building constructed in the nation after the adoption of the U.S. Constitution. It is considered the masterpiece of Benjamin Henry Latrobe, the "Father of American Architecture". 

Such is the short trip we made to Maryland. But one is left with a definite sense of the significant role the state had, like Virginia, in the making of the great nation that America is! As a newly naturalized citizen, I am indeed very fortunate to be able to visit such places that bring to life the American story!  More and more I am becoming American...without losing my Filipino roots!

Washington DC...Making Me Tired and Sick! OLA

a different view of the US Capitol...in bloom with azaleas!

the reflecting pool in front of the Washington Monument
is undergoing repairs...

Not politically, that is, and only half-sick in fact! Bill and I spent 2 days at the nation’s capital but I apparently got so tired the first day that the next  day I had to stay at the RV, down with the proverbial hives again (lupus has been eliminated, further tests will be conducted to unravel this chronic condition!)  Thus, half of the story and photos here are Bill’s.  We both agree: a trip to the nation’s capital is an intellectual, political, and spiritual journey.

Day 1, Carol’s Day

the Smithsonian Castle

the Museum of Natural History

The intellectual part is always satisfied by a visit to the Smithsonian Institutes. This trip, however, we focused on the Smithsonian Castle, the headquarters of all the 19 museums, and the premier museum, the Museum of Natural History. The two face each other and, eerily, when you look to the right facing the Cathedral, you will see the Washington Monument and to the left is the Capitol Building.

the Coelacanth, ancient fish back from the dead in African waters

tentacles of the 36-ft preserved giant squid

Some of the new things we saw at the Museum are a replica of the titanoboa, the world's largest ever snake whose fossils were found in Colombia between 2007-2010, the Ocean’s View with a 36-ft. giant squid, the bones of giant whales, and the rare ancient fish, the Coelacanth, and the Egyptian mummies exhibit. But I also could not resist another visit to the Hope Diamond and all the other giant gems, secretly hoping that Bill would notice that my jewelry collection needs upgrading! The largest polished topaz in the world (my birthstone), the American Golden Topaz, is also one of the largest gems period. Hint! Hint!

the only thing Bill needs to get for me
the American Golden Topaz, almost 23,000 carats!

the White House on the right; its veggie garden on the left

Then we went right on to the political aspect of the trip with a visit to the Capitol Building, the Supreme Court and the White House. For the first time I am visiting the grand buildings where the seat of American governance resides…as a US citizen. Did I feel patriotic? Undoubtedly…this and a lot of other  changes that I am starting to feel and whisper to Bill…why and how I think I am becoming an American!

where Lincoln was assassinated...the Ford Theatre

our fave...the Lincoln Memorial!

The spiritual aspect comes from the inspiration that wells when one visits the few great men who led the birth and growth of this great United States of America.  First we went to the Ford Theatre where Lincoln was assassinated and the house across the street where he was taken and died.  I was speechless at the Lincoln Memorial but I was also so tired and so disappointed.The cab driver said it rained the very first day of the Annual Cherry Blossoms Spring Festival and they were slowly went away the following days. Sigh.

and then she got tired...and the following day, sick...

the Basilica of the National Shrine of Immaculate Conception

Day 2, Bill’s Day                                                                                  
The following day, I woke up to another flare-up of hives (the days have turned too cold even for a spring day). So I asked Bill to go on with the visits scheduled for the day so that this post may be complete! And the nice guy that he is, he did!  The next two paragraphs then are courtesy of my co-photographer, traveling companion, now co-writer, and co-conspirator in all things big and small!

the Washington National Cathedral

‘The Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception is one of the top ten Basilicas in the world.  Tour groups arrive throughout the day, admiring the sacred art as well as the magnificent architecture.  I visited the many side chapels, and the holy rooms below, many places to spend time in meditation and prayer.  The Washington National Cathedral, the sixth largest in the world, also has a number of chapels and rooms for prayer. An observation tower on the 7th floor allows visitors a view of the area for miles around. The gothic style cathedral is also where Woodrow Wilson is buried.

the Jefferson Memorial

After these wonderful places of worship, I went on to the memorials we missed the day before. I am a big fan of Thomas Jefferson, and was glad for the opportunity to visit it again. This time I found the area downstairs where more information about the man and his times are on display.  But I still found Jefferson’s masterpiece of a home in Monticello, Virginia to be more interesting. Finding a place to park to visit Grant’s memorial was challenging.  But the view was worth it, looking across the reflecting pool to the Memorial and then to the Capitol Building beyond.’

the Grant Memorial

I surely missed the pilgrimages of the second day…and Bill…whom I thank for writing half this post. I got instantly cured upon reaching the Hershey Campground in Pennsylvania, noticing the fine aroma all around!  But I also enjoyed the Greenbelt Park, a NPS campground in Maryland, which is just 12 miles from Washington DC. What a hidden gem. We will feature more of it in the next post on Baltimore!

the Titanoboa, world's largest ever snake