Maritime - Week 10

Sunday, August 7, 2005 - Day 64

Boston, Ma

Again today, we drove into Boston to visit a few more interesting areas of Boston.  First we drove to the Boston Commons to visit the Garden area.  We hoped that with today being Sunday, we would be able to find an on-street parking space, and luckily we did.  The spot was metered, but free on Sunday.

We wandered through the garden for about an hour.  The floral displays were really very nice, but not very extensive.  Only on fairly small area devoted to colorful floral beds.  Most of the park was just trails through old trees.  There was a nice little duck pond, with lots of ducks and geese.

From there we drove up and around Beacon Hill, a high dollar apartment/condo area, with some very nice stores and restaurants along Charles Street. 

From Beacon Hill, we drove over to an area called North Boston, on a hill between downtown and the Charles River and harbor.  Again we luckily found a parking spot right on Hanover street, the main street for the area.  And right in the middle of a Fiesta and parade. 

We wandered around some, then walked by the house that belonged to Paul Revere.  Then we walked over to Revere Mall, a park area with a statue of Paul Revere on his horse warning of the British Invasion.  At the end of the 'Mall' was Old North Church, the place where the signal was given to Paul to begin his ride that ended in his  arrest in Lexington before he made it to Concord.

After the Sunday service was over, we went in to view the church.  The candle chandeliers are the originals from 1724 when the church was built.  In fact, almost everything in the church is the original, including the collection 'box' from 1724.  While one of the staff gave a short talk about the church, we sat in one of the private boxes, which were used by the congregation.  He explained that the more your family paid to the church, the closer your box was to the front.

Most of the folks around the area seemed to be (and speak) Italian, and this was also the site of the first Catholic Church, donated and built by Italian Immigrants that settled in the area.

After we left Boston, on the way back to the campground, we stopped off at the town of Plymouth.  We walked over to the display of the Mayflower II, a 1955 version of the Mayflower that the original Mayflower on which the Pilgrims came to the New World.  Of course, everyone has heard of the Plymouth Rock, on which the Pilgrims disembarked.  The rock is located near the water, and protected by a covered pavilion, and has the 1620 date inscribed on it.

Maybe the story is true, and maybe not, but in the early 1700's, the folks in the area decided it was true, moved the rock to a park in town, then moved it back to the water in the early 1900's.

Monday, August 8, 2005 - Day 65

Headed Home !!

Not much to report today.  All driving today, 12 hours 45 minutes, 638 miles.  We are spending the night at the West Virginia Welcome Center just inside West Virginia.

Tuesday, August 9, 2006 - Day 66

Still Headed Home !!

Today was much the same as yesterday.  All driving again, 13 1/2 hours and 733 miles.  Actually with us both driving, taking turns on the 'Nap Couch', it's really not that bad.  We could easily go another couple hours, as it's only 7:30 right now.

Wednesday, August 10, 2005 - Day 67

Back Home (For Now)!

We left the rest area on I-55 this morning about 6:30 and arrived home about 4:15.  Scott met us in Nacogdoches with Austin, so he could ride the rest of the way home with us.  Met a bunch of our friends at Charlie's tonight, and it was really great to see everyone.