Day 3: Rhode Island to New Hampshire

 We woke up ready for another day of touristy fun.  The Inn had a small reception area full of every help-yourself breakfast option you could think of.  This meant pop tarts and hot chocolate for both girls!  We loaded up and set out for Plymouth, MA.  Our first stop was The Monument to the Forefathers, which commemorates the Mayflower pilgrims.  It took 30 years to build and is the largest granite monument in the US at 81 feet tall.  We had the place all to ourselves!  

On each side, it listed the passengers of the Mayflower.  My people were a bit frustrated that no adult women's names were listed.  They were referred to as "wife of..."  Children's names were listed, including the girl children, but not the mothers.  Pretty crazy.  I know our world has a long way to go in terms of equality, but we should remember how far we've come.

Next, we drove down to the waterfront to see Plymouth rock.  As we were walking up, we learned that a ranger tour was starting in 15 so we decided to hop on.  We learned that 102 pilgrims and 30 crew sailed 66 days across the Atlantic.  The pilgrims stayed below deck the entire trip.  We also learned that they were not the first Europeans to come to America.  Many explorers, trappers and hunters had already been to the area, so much was already known to them.  He compared it to us going to the moon.  We know a lot about the area, but it would still be a dangerous and scary voyage.  It was also coincidence that they left from Plymouth, England and landed at Plymouth, MA (it had already been named by explorers).  They intended to land in the mouth of the Hudson River.

This is the Mayflower II, which a replica that was gifted to the US in 1957 from England for our help in WWII.

The rock itself is at a third of its original size.  Portions were chiseled by early pioneers to carry with them to new settlements.  Portions have gone to museums and, sadly, portions were chiseled and taken by vandals.  

So this happened on our way to the car...  I couldn't even take pictures of it.

The town of Plymouth was quaint with a lot of personality.  

Our next destination was Salem, MA, but we had to make a quick stop in Boston (thankfully on the way) at the hotel, as I left my Kindle there.  I never would have known except for the e-mail after checkout letting me know it had been found.  Thank goodness - losing my Kindle would be like losing a child.  

Following GPS isn't the easiest in a big, unfamiliar city.  We missed a few turns here and there, but ended up taking some scenic routes, which was just fine with us.  We rode up the coastline and it is fascinating seeing the difference in the beaches compared to our own.  

She can sleep anywhere, anytime.

On the ride (for the part Lily was awake), I told the girls to research places to eat in Salem and pick a lunch spot.  Why have I not thought of this before????   I hate being on google and researching all these places.  They picked a few spots and we chose The Tavern which is located in the Hawthorne Hotel.  It was excellent!  Good job, girlies!  I also had SE GPS us there once we got out of the car.

Lily's wikistix replica of a witch being hung.

We were a bit out of our element in this town.  LOTS of weird...  We walked through the Salem Witch Trials Memorial which was well done.  Lily was fascinated by this, as she read The Crucible in English last year.  

We walked through the Charter Street Cemetery which had some famous people buried there (don't ask, I don't remember who).  We debated several museums, but google was telling us not to go.  We walked down to the Salem Maritime National Historic Site (don't ask, I am still not exactly sure what it was).  

We strolled through some shops, which were mostly weird.   Many had curtains in the back where you could have your fortune read, told, predicted (I don't know).  We walked past "workshops" for witches (maybe learning to read tarot cards, make potions, broom riding tip?)  

I think we were all touristed out at this point.  We grabbed some coffees and headed out of Salem to Hampton, NH.  We did drive by The House of Seven Gables on our way out.  Also, meh.  Before the trip, I tried to read the book and that did not last long.  Hawthorne is not for me.  I find it ironic that for a girl who loves Harry Potter and fantasy novels, this town was just not my thing.

On the way to NH, we listened to a podcast to learn more about the Salem witch trials.  We pulled into our hotel, Lamie's Inn and The Old Salt Tavern around 6.  This place was packed.  Apparently, the restaurant is very popular.  We checked in and discovered that President Eisenhower once stayed in the very same that we're staying in!  Even though we were still full from dinner, we grabbed a bite to eat at the restaurant.  James discovered that Smuttynose Brewing Co. was nearby and closing soon.  He and Lily ran over there for a quick visit, while SE and I opted for showers and rest.  

Goodnight, New Hampshire