Title: October 18, 2018 - Boston, Going to My Cousin
Hike Info : Description : Background : Extra Photo's
Trail head: Malden,
MA
Hike Info:
Type: City
Description:
I got up at 7:15 and had my
quiet time. Breakfast was cereal. I went to pick up the car while
Sherri packed to go to my cousin. We had ordered a Toyota Camary, but
they upgraded to a Hyundai SUV. We will see how it works out. It does
drive nice.
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| Buckman Tavern |
Sherri is getting used to
using the Maps on my phone. This is outside of her comfort level. In
many ways this is an adventure for her, which isn't that is why we
are here? Just being on the East Coast is a bit outside of our
comfort level, but we are learning how to navigate satisfactory. Of
course, when you don't have a hard and fast itinerary, everyplace is
a viable destination.
We eventually make it to
Lexington.
We park by the Buckman
Tavern.
We look inside at the gift shop, but balk at the $10 entrance fee
into the museum-which even for our prolonged perusal looked like a
dollar per minute. Down a little ways further we go to the village's
visitor center. We spend several minutes looking through and getting
warm-it is a bit cool. They recommend we go over to the Green and
take a guided tour.
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| West view of Lexington Green |
So we make our way to the Green and spy a tour already in progress. We figure we will join in mid-talk. If the guide is good enough, we will catch the start of the next one. The guide was dressed in the Revolutionary War period costume. You could tell that he was both experienced and interested in his material. He went over the formations which both the British and the militiamen used and what the dynamics of the situation were. It sounded like bloodshed could have been avoided here if only the sound of a single gun being fired, from who knows where was heard. That started the killing which carried on to leaving 8 of the militiamen dead. Our guide explained where the militia men ran off and all the confusion which accompanied this. The British regrouped and started on to Concord. We continued on with the guide and heard the start of the tour as well. After we heard the tour, we went to a memorial which our guide noted and saw the names of those who fought, died and the wounded. One thing of interest was yesterday our guide said that there were 250 British who went to Lexington. Today the guide said 800. Maybe the extra were reinforcements.
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| Our Guide at Lexington |
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| Road to Concord |
And now we are off to the
Minute
Man National Historical Park
and maybe Concord. But first, we have to find it. How hard can this
be. Well, if the British were going like how we did, there would not
have been a Revolutionary War. We wandered around and then eventually
found the visitor center. A beautiful walk in, past a pond where the
leaves are reflecting. We get to the visitor center and who greets
us? Alfred! The one whom we met on the Black Heritage Walk on
Tuesday. He is glad to see us and he directs us over to the
presentation which is about to start. This multiple media
presentation called The
Road to Revolution
walks you through the Battles of Lexington and Concord and the
retreat of the soldiers. It talks from the perspective of a Minute
Man who was coming in as a reinforcement to protect the fighters in
Concord and Lexington. He talks about being summoned and what
happened to Paul Revere and Dawes. How the British were pushed back
out of Concord and then back to Lexington, and then back to Boston.
How the militia fought a guerrilla battle the whole way back against
exhausted troops. Very enlightening. It got me to think more about
recent history. Which side would we have been on back then? The
Minute Men definitely were not fighting battles according to the
rules of war for the time.
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| Hartwell Tavern |
Our next stop was a couple of
miles up the road at Hartwell
Tavern.
There were docents on duty explaining what life would have been like
around the time of the Revolutionary War. People must have been
shorter then as I had to stoop in several places or knock my head
against the ceiling. But the main event was the firing of the
muskets. While it was still blanks being fired, it was a pretty
effective demonstration. The park is pretty narrow and there are
houses on each side of it. The interpretive ranger said that the
musket balls could travel about 300 yards, but only about 100’
accurately. All interesting and fun, especially the musket noise and
smoke.
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| British Solder about to fire |
But we needed to leave to get
to my cousins at a reasonable time. So we put it his address into my
phone to get a route. It looks like we have about a three hour trip.
But first, we need to have lunch somewhere. You remember the trial we
had in the beginning with the phone’s GPS? Well, we are at it
again. But we see a Subway on the GPS. After circling around a bit,
we find it. So we have a quick, but filling sandwich and are on our
way again.
We settle down into a long
drive into Connecticut, west of Hartford. The roads seem pretty
good, but not like the 65-70 mph, but a seemingly slow 55mph, at
least slow to this California boy. At one point, we all of a sudden
get onto a turnpike with what looks like no way off-at least ot my
eyes. So we go along for the ride. Which turns out to be quite
lovely. I am sure if this was a journey trip instead of a
destination, I would have slowed down and just enjoyed looking at the
scenery.
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| Farmington River |
I think the GPS must of lead
us through every back road it could find. But we do make it to my
cousin Bob’s house. Sort of feels strange. I have not seen him in
35+ years and had not met Diane his wife before. We have only
recently started communicating through Facebook. But the reception is
good and not stiff or tense. We soon pass by the wondering how this
will work out stage.
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| Bob and Gary |
Bob takes us along a walk
along the Farmington
River.
This is a section where the old mills and factories of the area lay.
When we look at the brickwork, you can only imagine what it was like.
I do not think I would have wanted to work here, but my imagination
sees possibilities for making it pleasing. We are lead along a bike
path which has a gentle slope. Many of these rivers we have seen have
a small dam holding back the river-maybe about 2-3’ high. They do
make pretty pools, but I do not know if that is the reason for them.
It is a good walk, and a good way to get reacquainted with my cousin.
We walked for maybe about 2\two and a half miles total, until it
started getting dark and a bit cool for those recently from
California.
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| Farmington River |
When we got back to Bob’s
house, Diane, Bob’s wife, was there and finishing up getting our
soup dinner. While light, it was enjoyable. This was followed by a
couple of hours of conversation. So good to get reacquainted as
adults-have I said that before. We get to bed after an enjoyable
evening.
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| Gary and Sherri |
Background
Lexington
Green.
First go to the visitor center just to the east of Buckham Tavern
site. Find out if they are running the free tours on the Green. If
so, latch onto one. The guide for our tour was knowledgeable,
experienced and interested in what and how he was presenting the
history surrounding the Battle of Lexington. Well worth the half an
hour we stayed and listened.
Minute
Man National Historical Park.
First go to the visitor’s center and watch their half an hour
presentation called The Road to Revolution. That will give you a good
perspective of the relationship between the area and the events this
park commemorates. Upon the advice of a ranger, we went up the road
to Hartwell Tavern, a few miles up the road. Here we got to see a
musket demonstration with an explanation of how the muskets were
fired. Right by Hartwell Tavern is the road which the British used to
march to Concord and get attacked on the way back. It looks both
interesting and walkable, but unfortunately we did not have the time
to walk it.
Extra Photo's
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| Don't Fire Unless Fired Upon |
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| Tree at west end of Green |
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| Lexington Minute Man Memorial |
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| Lexington Minute Man Memorial-those who fought |
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| Buckman Tavern |
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| Prince Estabrook memorial |
