Just Another Day in Plymouth

The kids had been begging us to visit the local splash-pad and the beach, so this morning, we decided it was best to oblige and avoid mutiny.

We chose to drive down to the splash pad simply because then we would not have to carry everything from the hotel. It was only half a mile away, but we wanted to take lawn chairs, towels, the camera bag, and extra sunscreen. This proved to be a poor choice since we were unable to find a legal parking spot in the parking lot. We parked illegally next to another car (as many cars had done), unloaded, and walked to the splash pad.

Timo took the kids into the water while I sat in the shade with our stuff and enjoyed the fresh air and peace. When the kids grew tired of the splash pad, Timo and I carried everything over to the beach, where everyone seemed to enjoy themselves even more.

Starting the sand castle



AJ building

Working hard

Enjoying the sand and water

Construction workers

Cutie

 The waves were small, and the water was shallow for a long enough distance that the kids could safely wade without worries. S especially enjoyed sitting at the edge of the water and playing in the sand. The older kids worked on a sandcastle with Timo for a while, then they decided to build a wall in front of the water to keep it from going any farther. That kept them occupied until it was time to leave.

Meanwhile, S grew tired, and he came to me to nurse and fall asleep. I put him down in the stroller and waded into the refreshing water for a while to cool off a bit. It is amazing how much cooler one is when one can merely put one's feet into the water.

Starting the wall

When the sand wall had been completed, I chose to walk back with still-sleeping S so we did not have to wake him up to put him in the car seat. K and AJ chose to walk with me, and Timo took H and most of our gear back to the car. When he arrived, he found a parking ticket waiting for him. Maybe we should have walked there after all.

When we arrived at the apartment, we ate lunch. Then K and I hurried to Burial Hill for a presentation on some of the historical figures from the Revolutionary War. We arrived a little late, but we enjoyed the speech and history lesson we received.

James Warren

James and Mercy Warren -- Apparently, Mercy was quite a gal

When the presentation was over, K and I went off on our own to explore the cemetery. We had learned that William Bradford is buried there, and we wanted to find his grave. Sure enough, we found it. He is buried next to his son of the same name. This is fortunate since they would not have known otherwise where the ex-governor of Plymouth lay since his grave was not originally marked. His son had requested to be buried next to his father. For this reason, we know where the famous Pilgrim found his final resting spot.

Gov. William Bradford's son's grave

Grave marker for William Bradford



Thomas Cushman's grave

We also found Thomas Cushman's grave, but we were unable to find William Brewster's grave. We know he is buried there somewhere, but we were hot and tired. It was time to go home. Before we left, though, we found a sign indicating where the first fort had been built. That was fun as we were able to picture it based on what we had seen at Plimoth Plantation.

This was fun to find

After we returned to the apartment, we cooled down with some ice cream, and got ready to walk to the Pilgrim Hall Museum. This museum houses some of my favorite historical displays. They do not allow pictures, so I started writing down a list of what I saw. William Brewster's sea chest, WIlliam Bradford's Bible, John Alden's Bible, Miles Standish's razor, William Bradford's standing cup, the Pierce Patent from June 1, 1621, the Bradford/Warwick Patent, Edward Winslow's chair, William Brewster's great chair, Mary Chilton's doll, Josiah Winslow's baby shoes, and William Bradford's great chair were just some of the items on display. These items were touched by the people we learn about in the history books, and they serve as a sort of time machine to bring the viewer back to that moment in time, to connect the viewer with the original owner and bring them to life in that wonderful thing we call the imagination.

K and AJ experienced the museum with the aid of a scavenger hunt check-list. The museum provided them age-appropriate lists of items to find as well as questions regarding those items. I have seen more and more museums do this sort of thing, and I think it is fantastic. It provides the children with purpose in what they are seeing, and it enriches their experience.



My sweetie pie

We stayed until the museum closed, and then we walked back to the apartment to figure out our dinner plans.We decided to walk around a little to find a restaurant, and we ended up at one that served Greek food as part of their menu. I ordered some stuffed peppers, which were delicious, but very filling. I was only able to eat half of it. I also got to sit next to my sweet AJ while we ate. Isn't he handsome?

My dinner

After dinner, we walked back to the apartment to pack up our bags so we could be ready to leave in the morning. It was a full trip, but there was still so much we did not see. The Mayflower II was not in port as it is under repair, so we might return after it does. Then, perhaps, we can finish viewing all the sites in this historic city.