Mayflower II

K and AJ in front of the Mayflower II

During our trip to Plymouth last summer, the Mayflower II was out of commission. Some of the
wood had rotted, and the ship was in need of repair. I was disappointed, but I still held hope that could get out there to see it before we left New England.

When Timo took H and S on a trip recently, my opportunity to visit the replica of the famous vessel arose. Working around my kids' activities, we planned a day trip out to see the ship and to show my mother (who was visiting) parts of Plymouth.

I was somewhat apprehensive about the trip since I was not sure how A would handle that much time in the car, but she did beautifully. We made it out to Plymouth by about lunch time, and we headed to the Mayflower II after eating.

The ship is unbelievably small for having to hold 102 passengers. I could see maybe eight families fitting in there and still getting in each other's way. I cannot imagine how they handled the 66-day voyage and the three months afterwards while waiting for all of the houses to be completed. It gave me a new appreciation for the sacrifices the pilgrims made for a cause in which they so deeply believed.

The shallop they had brought over had been recreated as well, and it was floating next to the Mayflower II to give us an idea of what that would have looked like. I learned they had dismantled it and stored it below deck with the 102 passengers and animals. In fact, some people slept in the pieces, making use of every space they had down there.

I am thrilled that I had the opportunity to visit this fabulous piece of history and share it with my mom,  K, and AJ. (A slept through the whole thing, but I figured that she would not remember it, anyway.) Seeing the historical places in New England really helps bring to life the people and places I would otherwise only know through books.

Pilgrim Breakfast

My breakfast

Our last morning in Plymouth, we participated in the Annual Pilgrim's Breakfast. Set on the back lawn of the historical Harlow House, the atmosphere was enhanced by women spinning yarn and a group of "Pilgrims" singing old songs for the diners Women dressed in traditional Pilgrim clothing served us fishcakes, baked beans, scrambled eggs, thirded bread, and corn muffins. It was a fun way to eat colonial-era food, and it offered us a chance to tour one more historical house before we drove home.



K enjoying her breakfast

Timo and S

Pilgrims serenaded us



A brush for the wool

The old spinning wheel

Some sort of device to wind the yarn

An old horn book

Cookware



Unground flint corn

Corn ground using a mortar and pestle

The huge fireplace





A Day in 1627

Today we ventured out to explore Plimoth Plantation. I was unsure as to why it is spelled differently than the town name, but I learned that they spell it the way that William Bradford spelled the name of the town in order to differentiate between the living history museum and the modern day town of Plymouth.

On our way, we stopped by the National Monument to the Forefathers. It is a large statue that commemorates the Mayflower Pilgrims, but there is not much to do there except look at the statue and take pictures. From there, we drove on to the Plantation.

We arrived at the main building, and commenced our tour with a short video that provided a brief history of Plymouth as well as a brief overview of the grounds. From there, we walked down the trail to the Wampanoag village, where we talked to some of the modern-day Wampanoag people as they explained some historical and modern-day aspects of their people.  We learned that the best time to build their houses was in the springtime when the sap is running.  That would allow the bark to be easily peeled off for the exterior of the houses, the saplings to be easily bent for the frame, and the fibers to tie it all together to be easily pulled off and wound into ropes.  K also got to try out the mortar and pestle to grind the corn into meal.

From the Wampanoag village, we walked down to the craft house for a brief look at the methods used for weaving cloth and furniture making. Then we headed to the 17th century village where actors portrayed the real people living in Plymouth during the year 1627.  They spoke with  both the accent and vocabulary used during that time, and addressed subjects with the viewpoint of the people of that era.

The first part of the village we encountered was a meetinghouse/fort, with several cannons upstairs.  I thought that was pretty cool, and I attempted to photograph the three oldest by one of the cannons. Lets just say that's my kids like to mess around in front of the camera and leave it at that.

The best shot I got with the kids by the cannon

From the fort, we walked down to explore several houses and speak with their "inhabitants". The size of the homes was really very humbling as we realized just how little they survived with, both in space and possessions. We talked to the lady who cooked for William Bradford, and even the house of the governor was very humble. It was fun to walk through the gardens and see the animals grazing in the village.

It was also humorous to listen to another visitor trying to explain that he is an electrical engineer to people pretending to not be familiar with electricity and only understanding an engineer as someone who might build bridges.

It was hot outside, and everyone was hungry and thirsty. We decided to walk back to the main building, where there was a café and bathrooms. More importantly, it was air-conditioned. S fell asleep on the way back, and he slept while the rest of us enjoyed our meals in the cool air. I had ordered a Pilgrim Sampler, but they were out of the peasecod, so I ended up with turkey slices instead. I was sorely disappointed as I like to try new foods, but at least I was fed.

After lunch, we stopped at the Family Center, where there were trunks of Pilgrim clothing for the children to try out. There was also a boat and a little "kitchen" with play food and a fake fire. The kids played there for a while so S could sleep in peace. When he woke up, Timo took him to get some lunch while I got the older kids ready to go.

My Pilgrim sailors

Cooking and cleaning

After S ate, we stopped by the Nye Barn, where we saw some goats. Then we headed back to our apartment. We experienced a relatively quiet evening, with the kids playing in the grass before and after dinner. It was a fun day, but we needed the down time. After all, we still had more to see the next day.

Fourth in Plymouth

This Fourth of July, we took a trip to Plymouth, Massachusetts. I have always wanted to visit this town due to its historical significance, and I was thrilled to have the opportunity to do so on the day we celebrate our country's birth.

We started the day by catching the parade that winds through downtown Plymouth.




The Fire trucks came first

An old ambulance

 

The Hot Wheels Truck was a big hit with my boys

After we had watched the fire trucks pass, we realized that we were not in the right spot for the parade, so we ambled through the streets of Plymouth, pausing on our way to gaze at Plymouth Rock and the statues of William Bradford and Chief Massasoit. Looking out over they bay, I tried to imagine what it would have been like to see the Mayflower approaching on the horizon. Likewise, I looked at the layout of the shore and the town and attempted to picture what's the pilgrims would have seen as they first arrived. We walked up the oldest street in the U.S., and I discovered signs that indicated where some of the first houses were built as well as other historic homes. Then I turned my attention back to the parade.

 

Plymouth Rock



My kids in front of Plymouth Rock

Chief Massasoit

K by the William Bradford statue




 

K and H by William Bradford

The third side of William Bradford -- K insisted on having her picture taken by each side





Joseph Tribble House

We finally settled down to watch the parade with these two churches behind us.

The First Parish Church in Plymouth.
Founded by the Pilgrims in 1620,
 it is now a Unitarian Universalist church.

Church of the Pilgrimage -- a congregational church.




My kids had never really watched a major parade, and they were thrilled when they learned that candy would be thrown their way. Don't get me wrong. The fire trucks, old cars, marching bands, and various floats were all exciting, but I know that they highly anticipated the next person throwing teeth-rotting delicacies their way. They also received small American flags and a copy of the Constitution, which, to their credit, thrilled them just as much as the candy. I finally told them to let the other kids have the candy, and they settled down to watch the rest of the parade.




A trolley shuttle

 

The only float with a blow-up figure



No parade is complete
without Uncle Sam.





The Veterans

The Blue Coats. These guys had the guns
and flags they were spinning around.

When the parade was finally over, we headed back to the apartment where we were staying to hydrate and reapply sunscreen. S fell asleep on the way, so we ended up hanging out in the A/C for a while before heading back out. It also allowed us time to plan our afternoon.

 



The hill where the Pilgrims buried their dead
 that first winter.

Once S woke up, we ventured out again toward the Jenney Grist Mill, a highlight in my book. We stopped for some shaved ice along the way, paused at the hill where the Pilgrims secretly buried their dead to hide their weakness, and meandered through Brewster Gardens as we made our way toward the mill.





Tribute to the immigrant settlers of the area.
At the base of the statue, it reads, "At great personal sacrifice, they established new homes in a new world and by their hard work enriched and transformed this town of their adoption, precious to a grateful posterity is the remembrance of their lives and labors."

Walking through Brewster Gardens

K by the Pilgrim Maiden. The plaque reads, "To those intrepid English Women whose courage, fortitude, and devotion brought a new nation into being, this statue of the Pilgrim Maiden is dedicated."  

Crossing the bridge

Walking alongside the brook that the mill uses to power its mill





The grist mill appealed to my often-neglected inner-engineer. The guide explained how it worked and answered my many questions to my satisfaction. My only disappointment in the whole experience was that I was unable to purchase cornmeal at the end of the tour. Their clutch was under repair, and they had not been able to grind any corn for more than a week. This meant that they were sold out for the time being. Maybe another day....

Back of the mill

Jenney Grist Mill



After the mill, we wandered down to the 1749 Courthouse Museum for a quick peak around. The upstairs houses a reproduction of the courtroom, and my kids enjoyed playing the parts of judges and witnesses in court. By this time, everyone was hungry, so we stopped for dinner before heading back to the apartment for some downtime before the fireworks.

 

 

Old fire engine in the 1749 Courthouse museum

Old handcuffs and legal document

Judge AJ

K tried to be serious in the witness stand...

But it is hard with such a silly brother

Judge H

Panel of Judges

Even Timo took a turn

 

 

Watching the band

When we arrived at the apartment, we met the owners, who told us that there was a band concert that evening before the fireworks. I knew my kids would enjoy the patriotic music, so we decided to stop and listen before settling down in a spot to watch the firework display. I was surprised that S seemed to enjoy the music more than any of my other kids, and he happily clapped along to the various marches that were played. When the band took an intermission, we left to scout out a spot for the much-anticipated fireworks.

The cannons

We thought about watching here, but we decided against it

Waiting for the fireworks



The reflection of the fireworks in
the water added to the thrill of
the event.

The fireworks did not disappoint us. I saw many I had never witnessed before, and the kids seemed to enjoy them as well. The bonus was the firing of the cannons. You've got to love a big boom. After it was all over, we headed back to the apartment for a much-needed night's rest.