Sunday, August 11, 2013

Moved on into Rhode Island and it felt a little pine-ier.  Arrived at the Roger Williams monument just before closing but the kind ranger offered to let me stay and see the film and then talk about the history of Rhode Island.  Roger arrived with the Puritans as one of their ministers and quickly became disenchanted with their heavy-handed dealing of other religions.  Seems they came to the US for the freedom to practice theirs but that freedom didn’t include any others,.  So Roger went in search of a new colony that would be more accepting. Rhode Island has continued that tradition by just passing the marriage equality act.

My first stop in Boston area was the birthplace of JFK in Brookline. A lovely home on a tree-lined street that was re-purchased by the Kennedy family and restored to its 1917 appearance with family possessions.  Most of the information was about Rose Kennedy; her influence on the lives of her children and her work with children with special needs (to honor daughter, Rosemary). She felt a mother’s influence was felt not only by her child but all her child came in contact with - A heavy responsibility.  She and daughter, Eunice were the founders of the Special Olympics. I met JFK during the Wisconsin Primaries in Racine.  He stopped to speak with us in our hotel room and three 16 year-olds from Vernon County put campaign material on everything that didn’t move when we returned home. 

Spent the afternoon at Frederick Law Olmsted’s home, Fairsted, a rambling structure that held his home, studios and a yard that mirrored his park designs, but on a smaller scale – a wooded walkway that opened onto a large open space.  He felt the public park was a microcosm of democracy – an open space to be used and enjoyed by everyone, no matter their circumstances.  Went thru a variety of jobs in his early years and was surprised to hear his first landscaping project was Central Park.

Was going to head down to the Adams National Historic Park but the traffic was so beastly, I turned around and followed Gaby’s (my GPS) lead and headed west. Took all local streets, drove by the Charles River  and finally on a wooded roadway that ended up near Concord.  Took the train the following morning into Boston and conversed with a man who gave me some advice on what to see. When we got off the train he pointed me in the direction of the Old
North Church.  Boston, especially North End, is a maze of streets & alleys.  Preparations were being made for the weekend feast of St. Agrippina with street and building decorations. Also came across a building with windows beautifully painted on the blank brick wall.  Each was different view of the supposed apartment inside the building.  Very striking and colorful .

There’s a Freedom Trail (a red line either painted or made of bricks) to follow to the various historic sights. Began at the Old North Church and moved on to Paul Revere’s House. Paul is famous for sneaking out of locked-down Boston to warn the rest of the area about the British movements. The lantern signals from the church told him how they would be coming so the militia could prepare.  

Took a trolley tour and got to see a wider area of the city.  Especially fun to see some of the legendary sites like Fenway Park and Cheers.  Gave my condolences to our guide when we passed the stadium where the Chicago Blackhawks beat the Boston Bruins for the Stanley Cup. 

The trolley tour included a boat ride over to the Charlestown Navy Yard, home to the USS Constitution - called Old Ironsides because shelling couldn’t penetrate the “steel” hull. Turns out it was very tough oak. It’s the oldest member of the Naval fleet and is taken out once a year to keep it on the active list. Beautiful views of Boston from the boat. Didn’t know that Boston is almost 75% landfill. Was also told about a molasses plant explosion back in the 1800’s that produced a 20’ tidal wave of molasses.  Sounds funny until you hear about the 22 people who were killed in addition to the animals.  Imagine the clean-up.

Was feeling pretty smug about my decision to take the train until I got off at the wrong stop. Stepped off at Concord and Patience was parked in West Concord so had to wait an hour for another train.  Soothed my bruised ego with a double chocolate fudge brownie ice cream cone.

Took the road thru Minuteman Park beginning at the North Bridge. This is where the militia made its stand against the British, driving them back along the trail to Boston.  My next stop was the Hartwell Tavern where a young intern gave presentation on the Minutemen.  The militia were more like our National Guard.  They trained a couple times a year as protection from Indian raids and French from Quebec. The Minuteman had regular training and they AND their equipment had to be ready to go (in a minute).  Drop the plow, grab your gun and knapsack and report.  She also gave a demonstration on the procedure for loading a gun and firing it.  Always wondered why the soldiers were always lined up smartly in rows.  It’s because the guns weren’t very accurate.  It was hoped  lots of firings would produce some hits. 

The main Visitor’s Center had a wonderful film that gave you the feeling you were in the home of a Minuteman standing in his doorway relating the events of the battle on April 18-19, 1775.. Lots of ill will between the people of Mass and Parliament because of unfair taxes and laws.  British General Gage decided it would probably be smart to remove the Colonial arms and ammunition and began a secret plan to carry it out. The secret was leaked and thus began the famous ride of Paul and the equally famous “shot heard round the world” in Lexington.  Wasn’t supposed to be a real battle but sure got things started.

Massachusetts has some lovely driving areas and lots more to see.  The Wayside Inn was closed for repairs so decided I’ll brush up on my reading and come back at another time and do the author/poet tour of Lexington/Concord area. 


No comments:

Post a Comment