Plymouth, MA

Yesterday, the folks drove to Plymouth, MA to see Plymouth Rock and Mayflower II.  Before they left, Mom took me on a long walk around the campground.

Come on!

We found a small road to explore.

The folks then drove to Plymouth.  There is a lot of street parking along the waterfront and they paid for four hours of parking.  It was only $4. They really only used a little over two hours.

They visited Mayflower II.  No one knows for sure what happened to the original Mayflower, so another Mayflower was built between 1955 and 1957.  It is a reproduction of the original ship and is the same size.  She sailed from Plymouth, England to Plymouth, MA.

Admission to tour Mayflower II is $12.50.

The Mayflower II

Visitors are allowed to explore the boat.  There are a few workers on board that answer questions.  There was only one in costume when the folks were there and she gave an insight as to what it was like for the passengers.

This is where the passengers actually lived for the 66 days they were on board.  It is below deck .

102 passengers lived here for 66 days.  There were more beds here, of course during that time.

 

The passengers rarely went above this floor because there was not room with the workers. They were basically told to stay below and out of the way.

There was a lot of seasickness during the voyage.  They used "buckets" to relieve themselves and according to the guide, they were not cleaned out often and the smell was really bad.  Can you imagine living there for 66 days with 102 people?

The kitchen which was on the upper deck from the passengers.

This lady showed how to make the bag like the one that is standing.

The Mayflower did not actually reach Plymouth Rock.  The water was not deep enough for that.  Instead, the Mayflower was about two miles from shore.  The pilgrims actually arrived by a small boat.

This is the type of boat they used to get to shore.

After the self-guided tour, the folks walked over to Plymouth Rock.  The folks had read reviews about Plymouth Rock and were prepared for it to be smaller than originally expected.  Mom expected it to be smaller after reading the reviews.

The rock is actually under this area.  It has to be out of  reach because people have chipped away pieces through the years.  It was also split in half at one time and is now cemented back together.

So, the pilgrims did not actually land on Plymouth Rock in the Mayflower and actually, they didn't even land on this rock in the little boat.  Nope, it was a hundred years later that Plymouth Rock was actually named and it is not even known if they stepped on this rock.

The folks then walked to a restaurant for lunch.  It was Dad's birthday, so he chose a seafood platter for lunch.

They ate outside.

Morton Fisherman

 The folks then got the car and tried to find Burial Hill.  They couldn't get in the entrance they planned on because it was closed. They walked a huge hill to get to the top of Burial Hill.  It is said that some of the pilgrims are buried here.  The stones were so old that they had trouble reading them. They didn't stay long because they were worried the car would get a ticket in the place they left it.

The Pilgrims' fort was actually built here and I guess eventually it just became a burial ground. Half of the people died after they arrived here.

Can you see the water in the background?  It is a nice view.

There was a lot more to see and do, but the folks were tired so they came home to me.

Mom said Plymouth probably takes a few days to really explore.

Joey,
The Greyhound Who Is Headed To Pennsylvania