Live Oak trees dominate the landscape, spreading their limbs for decades on end….
And I was seriously enjoying the all natural Christmas decorations.
How clever is that?
And while I was wreath gazing….
The husband spotted the entrance to a lounge reserved for veterans and their families.
To be honest I dreaded going inside. My husband has the gift of gab every day of the year, but when surrounded by other servicemen and women? I’ve spent half my married life waiting for him to conclude conversations.
But there was free tea, coffee and hot cider…..
And thankfully, a veteran free room.
Of course he spotted the challenge coin cases which started a 45 minute long convo with the staff of volunteers….. but he added a coin of his own, which admittedly was rather nice.
An hour later? More decorations…
More wreaths…
Some cleverly trimmed shrubbery ….
And the silversmith’s shop…
We oohed and aahed and chatted with the man who ran it.
Did you know the phrase “put your money to work” dates from colonial times before the advent of paper currency? You were normally paid in silver, and instead of having bags of the stuff laying around your home…. you took it to the local silversmith who melted it down and made you a fabulous coffee urn or tea set. Your money was “put to work” and you got to flaunt your wealth to visitors. A win, win situation.
Many of his beautiful pieces were for sale in the shop next door…. but the husband wasn’t thrilled with the idea of me spending his hard earned silver to bring some home.
So we strolled.
And were amazed to learn some of these nice little homes were still privately owned.
Who in the world would want to live in the middle of a tourist attraction?
But more importantly…
Where do I find a peacock for next year’s Christmas wreath?
Of the Colonial Seat of English rule in early Virginia.
Our guide led us inside…
Where we were immediately surrounded by a large numbers of weapons.
Weapons.
Everywhere.
I won’t bore you with the long history of the place, if you’re interested…. take a peek here.
I’ll just point out that it was home to the Royal Governor pre revolution, and numerous Virginia Governors like Patrick Henry and Thomas Jefferson post revolution.
It was an impressive place.
With an impressive wood stove.
Amazing decorative detail….
And some pretty brightly colored walls.
There was even a separate room for men to powder their wigs.
Maybe that’s what’s wrong with politics today…
Not enough wigs.
The beds were elaborate.
But the only thing I thought of when I saw the red room…
Complete with fancy dress crib to show off the progeny?
Was this:
It’s in there Rosemary….
Grab your knife.
(Sorry, but I saw that movie when I was 9 and it still creeps the hell out of me)
The final part of the tour was self guided.
And led us around back…
To the cellar.
Which was basically a whole lotta barrels…
And a whole lotta wine….
So… that done, we emerged.
And caught a charming scene.
A horse drawn carriage.
Adding a little something to the atmosphere of days gone by.
As well as making us watch where we walked… because, well. Horse diapers hadn’t been invented yet.
When you visit Williamsburg, Virginia? It’s all about American history. Everywhere you go, everywhere you look… and that was fine with me. I’m a bit of a nerd when it comes to that subject and couldn’t wait to experience it all.
The pinnacle in this area is Colonial Williamsburg. 300 acres of historic sites and museums filled with people in period costumes waiting to tell you their stories…. from an 18th century point of view. Loyalist and patriots, tradesmen and legislators. Is it any wonder this was where I headed on our first full day of vacation?
You enter through the massive visitors center.
Where we learned that Williamsburg is the heart of the Historic Triangle which also includes Jamestown and Yorktown. Tickets can be purchased for all 3, or individually, but we lucked out when a volunteer spotted the husband’s USMC hat and told us it would actually be cheaper to buy a year long Veterans pass for unlimited access, which we did. We also got bright blue stars on our passes which entitled us to 10% off everything.
Sweet!
There’s a shuttle bus that runs every ten minutes taking you all around the site, but it was a beautiful day and we decided to walk.
Back in time….
The walkway was wonderful….
And filled with facts….
That put things in perspective.
The farther back you went?
The more you appreciated what you have now.
Some facts were startling.
Some, hard to imagine.
And then…
We were there.
The first thing we saw?
A windmill…. and the split rail fences we would see numerous times on this trip.
Then… a plantation.
Which wasn’t anywhere near as grand as you’d think.
In the 1700’s?
Things were pretty basic.
First fact learned?
A farm grows multiple crops. A plantation? One.
Yes dear readers, for the next few weeks months? my posts will be filled with colonial factoids.
Try to control your excitement.
But wait, that’s not all we saw at the plantation.
Day 5 of our Cape Cod vacation found us driving to the Outer Cape. About as out as you can get and still be on the Cape actually…
Provincetown.
Or P’town as it’s known to the locals.
I’ve heard it’s the place to be in the summer, but it was November and the wall to wall tourists were long gone. Sadly, so was most of the fun as many places were closed for the season. But we managed to have a good time all the same.
As you draw near, you realize it’s unlike other sections of the Cape.
John F. Kennedy designated a National Seashore here…
And there are miles upon miles of unspoiled beach.
As well as some pretty impressive sand dunes along the road.
But it was cool, foggy and threatening rain so we kept driving… keeping an eye out for this:
Thankfully it’s hard to miss on the skyline. Wanting to climb to the top for the fabulous views, I was unaware of the museum at it’s base.
Never one to pass up a museum, we began strolling.
The first thing you notice? Pilgrims.
And Pilgrim history. Figuring it was because they landed up the coast at Plymouth… I had to admit I was shocked.
Whaaaat? You mean my grade school teachers got it wrong…
And I went all the way to Plymouth to photograph a rock for nothing! Yes ladies and gentlemen, the Pilgrims landed in P’town first. And believe me when I say they take that fact very seriously at the museum.
But it wasn’t all Pilgrims.
The building was filled with maritime history…
And a musk ox, like any good museum should be.
There were recreations of a Captain’s ship board quarters…
Which aside from the chamber pot, looked pretty comfy.
As well as his home on land.
There was an antique fire engine…
And a wreath made of human hair.
Because who doesn’t want one of those hanging on their living room wall?
There were maps of the Cape..
With questionable artwork.
Is it me, or is that Griffon in dire need of a Jane Russell 18 hour bra?
There was some Arctic expedition fashion…
Shoes!
Even a rooster hat…
And a couple of local celebs who clearly knew how to have a good time.
Yes, there was a Mayflower replica…
But it was the antique doll collection that made me want to run screaming from the room.
Holy Hell, those things are creepy.
I mean, come on…
You know this one will be feasting on your flesh long before you’re dead.
So the lovely path through the park brought us to downtown Plymouth and the harbor.
It’s a pretty spot.
And at low tide you get a really good view of the rock retaining wall.
There were more scallop shells…
And piers..
And a statue of the Governor who spelled Plymouth with the ‘i’ that drove me crazy the entire time we were touring the Plantation.
Seriously… it was painful.
But then…
In the distance…
In the middle of what appeared to be a mausoleum…
Surrounded by pillars and wrought iron gates….
And guarded by a Ranger was…
Are you ready for what everyone who visits Plymouth Massachusettshas to see?
Brace yourself.
Here it comes….
The one, the only….
Plymouth Rock!
Yup.
That’s it.
I can’t say I really even knew what I was expecting…. but I’m pretty sure it was more than this.
To be honest, it was a rather bizarre experience. You know you have to find it, you know you have to see it, you know you have to photograph it (though I resisted the selfies some people took) …. but when you finally sidle up to the railing and look down?
Okay, it’s a rock.
And we all know I have a soft spot for rocks, but…
But alas, that’s all there was.
The Ranger told us they had to protect what was left because for years people would come and chip and chisel pieces from it for keepsakes. My first thought was, you should have started sooner.
So there you have it.
We came.
We saw.
We photographed the most famous rock in America.
Plymouth, Massachusetts.
They have a park…. for a rock.
Ya gotta love this country!
And now… for my oh, not so patient food photo people.
Liquid refreshment at the East Bay Grille in Plymouth.
A wonderful restaurant with a view, potent cocktails and seriously good food.
I started with Risotto Balls.
And as balls go? They were top notch.
After a pomegranate martini, I went for the Autumn Punch. It sounds sweet, but the tart cranberry and acidic orange juice cut it perfectly.
The husband went with some kind of saucy fish…. blame the martini, but I don’t remember which…. brown rice and grilled butternut squash.
While I…
Can you guess?
Cognac cream sauce?
Ooh la la!
And yes, of course we had dessert.
New York style cheesecake for the hubs.
And a mouthwatering mountain of Tiramisu for yours truly.
It’s a shame we were only in Plymouth for one day because I could easily have eaten there every night.
Vacation Day 3 officially over.
Only 5 more to go!
No worries, at this rate it will only take a few more weeks worth of posts.
The tickets we purchased at the Plantation were actually in 3 parts. The site itself, a grist mill off site and a replica of the Mayflower down at the harbor. Three different locations for one price, how could we lose?
Apparently very easily as it turns out….because after we bought them, we found out the replica Mayflower wasn’t even in the state, but in Mystic, Connecticut undergoing an overhaul for the 400th year anniversary they’ll be celebrating next year. Thanks for that. It would have been nice knowing before I paid to tour it.
And the grist mill?
While attractive…
Turned out not to be so historic after all.
Yes, the Pilgrims eventually built a mill in 1636 after 10 years of grinding corn by hand. And yes, it was somewhere on Town Brook in Plymouth, though no one knows exactly where.
The mill pictured here was actually built in 1970 with many of it’s parts coming from a salvaged mill near Philly. How’s that for historical accuracy?
But we paid our money so here it is… upstairs, big stones.
And downstairs, big wheel. I won’t bore you with the more technical details on the inner workings.
But I will share the picture and video of this poor girl sifting cornmeal. The mere thought of having to do that all day makes me appreciate the little blue Jiffy box I use to make muffins soooo much more.
And it was even louder in person, trust me.
Naturally I had to visit the gift store and buy some freshly ground meal which is when we passed this:
Feel free to groan.
I did.
Sadly I only caught sight of this book when we were leaving and didn’t have a chance to flip through it. Who knew Yetis brewed beer?
Leaving the grist mill, I spotted a scallop shell.
In Tennessee we saw painted bears, in Vermont painted cows, somewhere I can’t remember painted lighthouses.
Continuing through the English settlement we saw garden plots…
And goats.
Who liked a good chin scratch.
I mean really liked a good chin scratch. This guy followed me the entire length of the fence.
We met a young man chopping firewood…
Who when asked what was in his flask, replied “Beer, of course. The water will make you sick.”
We discovered beer was quite popular in those days.
And if I had to cook all my meals in that contraption behind the women?
I’d drink beer everyday as well.
Colonists popped out at you everywhere…
Some friendly…
Some not.
This woman was the Governor’s wife and therefor had a slightly better home. With wood floors and a proper chimney.
Although the quality of workmanship seemed about the same.
Finished with the colony, we moved on to the museum with it’s eel pot…
It’s sea suit.
And because I knew you’d ask…
And it’s Mayflower provision list.
250 lbs of bacon and 280 lbs of butter… That will hold me for 8 weeks, but what will the rest of you eat?
Though I do have to say, that list seems a little suspect. Considering margarine was invented in 1868 and Rice Krispies in 1927…I highly doubt they were aboard the original ship in 1620.
WTH?
But the museum did have the Mooflower….
And an anatomically correct, trouser wearing, sea going cow vessel?
Makes up for a lot of historical inaccuracies.
Last up was the petting barn where we found…
Yes.
One rabbit…
Apparently the pilgrims ate everyone else before we got there.
But then we saw…
So we met Hyacinth.
And may I just say?
She was a bitch.
I tried to pet her and almost lost a finger. She tried to head butt a few children and looked ready to go 12 rounds with a service dog that walked by.
If you’re approaching that age when you yell at the kids to get off your lawn? Don’t get a shotgun…
Done with the Indian village, we walked through an exhibition hall full of 17th century replica pottery.
It was a bit odd. But there was a still…
And an 8 handed mug…
So that probably explains it. That, and the fact water was often polluted so they drank mostly beer and/or alcohol.
Onward to the colonist’s settlement….
First, the fort which commanded the high ground.
With it’s wonderful old cannons.
Then down into the settlement.
It was explained to us that all the employees would be playing the parts of characters based on the original inhabitants, wearing authentic clothing and speaking in the language of the period. We were encouraged to interact with them as such.
Before visiting here I was under the impression that the Pilgrims came to the new world to escape religious persecution. And while that’s true to an extent, it’s not the whole story. They actually fled to the Netherlands first, which explains all the windmills you see in this part of the country.
The settlers in Plymouth were actually sponsored by England to colonize America. They were given ship’s passage and supplies and were expected to send back goods (mostly furs and pelts) to repay the investment. After 7 years of this, they were granted land… something working class people had no hope of obtaining back home.
Of course nothing went as planned. They were supposed to land in New York, but they landed in Massachusetts. They were supposed to land in September, but they landed in December.
They were supposed to fish for food, but there were no fisherman. They were supposed to build a town, but there were no trained carpenters.
Piss poor planning if you ask me.
Hell, a large percentage of them didn’t even live through the first winter.
But they’d brought some livestock…
And as we know, managed to survive if not yet thrive.
This fellow was trying to frame a window.
On the exterior of this house.
And if you think the Indians had it bad, imagine 15 people living and sleeping in here at a time.
Check out the slight list of the house on the far right. If I didn’t know better, I’d say the husband had a hand in it’s construction.
Personally, I loved the roofs…
Fashioned from rolled reeds, they begged to be petted.
In the next house we found this fellow, and the husband initiated a conversation.
I’m guessing the man had stage experience, because he was seriously deep in character.
(And before you laugh at my incorrect title spelling, it happens to be the old fashioned way Gov. William Bradford referred to the original colony and in order to differentiate it from the town of Plymouth, the museum chose the alternate version for it’s name. So there spelling Nazi’s!)
(And before you food picture screamers start screaming for food, here are the pics from the previous night’s dinner that I forgot to include in the last post.)
Wicked.
A restaurant and wine bar in Mashpee famous for their wood fired pizza.
The first thing I thought of when we walked in was why do they have candy corn lights hanging over the bar?
But then I tasted their fabulous Basil Lemon Fizz…
And couldn’t have cared less.
Since they’re famous for pizza, we had pizza.
Though the menu made me apprehensive about choosing the wrong combination. Who needs that kind of ridicule at the dinner table?
We went with the grilled portabella with spinach, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions, mozzarella, roasted garlic and truffle combo… and in a word? Yum!
The morning of vacation day 3 dawned bright and sunny although cold, so we actually left the Cape Cod proper and headed north to Plymouth.
Yes, that Plymouth. Home of the Rock, the Pilgrims and the first Thanksgiving. We were going to get our history geek on.
And just like Hyannis builds an economy around the Kennedys? Plymouth builds it’s entire town on the Pilgrims landing there first. ( The question is… did they? More on that later.)
Entering through the visitors center, we began our journey back in time to the 17th century. This is a living museum and replicates what life would have been like through interaction with Native American and Colonists. It was a blast!
First up… the Indian Village, where we saw a dug out canoe.
And a live demonstration of how they’re made.
By Native American twins.
No, they weren’t actors. Though their tribe was actually from New York state and not local to Plymouth. They patiently explained the process involved in crafting this sea going canoe and believe me when I tell you it was cold that day. All the tourists were bundled up and these guys were half naked. Which, to be honest…. wasn’t a hardship for me.
😈
This area is right on the water and there was a pretty stiff breeze. Yes, there was a little heat from the fire but not enough to make me strip… nope. Uh uh!
The fascinating part was, when I asked him why he wasn’t cold like the rest of us…. his answer astounded me. Diet, and conditioning. He told us that Indians traditionally pay close attention to nutrition, eating a mostly plant based diet supplemented by light fish and chicken in the summer and red meat only in the winter, when the body requires more fuel to maintain it’s internal temperature. He said the white man’s habit of covering himself in heavy clothing when it’s cold tricks the body to believing it’s summer all year long, therefor not allowing it acclimate naturally.
Seriously, I was shivering in 19 degree wind chill …. and he was bare chested.
Another interesting fact? They were getting ready to submerge all the canoes in the water for the winter so they would freeze and be preserved for next year.
Any guess what this is?
People were guessing hunting blind or something to do with food storage but believe it or not… it’s a jungle gym for children.
There were multiple structures to explore…
And I seriously hoped the husband wasn’t getting any construction ideas.
No, we don’t need one of these at home.
Though the dolls with their own dug out canoe were sweet.
It’s strange, you can read all the books you want…. but walking through the village and experiencing how the original Americans lived first hand? Gives you an entirely new understanding.
This was the winter long house….
Where multiple families spent the colder months.
Traditionally 3 fires would be burning at all times, and yes. It was a wee bit smokey.
The woman in the middle was our guide for this section…
And though in Native dress…
You can tell she didn’t subscribe to the bare chested boys diet regimen. Wool socks and furs for her, even inside.
I can’t imagine 20-30 people living and sleeping in there together for months on end… no less your entire family.
I’d be suicidal in a week.
We sat on these beds/benches and let me tell you….
I don’t care how many animals skins you throw on them…. they were hard as a rock.
Privacy? What’s that. You’d literally be head to toe with Uncle Joe and cousin Sue all winter.
To which I have 3 words….
Where there's only one step from the sublime to the ridiculous.
River's world..... 