In less than three weeks, my mother and I embark on a voyage of great proportions! We are to visit the land of New England!
We're leaving on the evening of August 5th and driving until we're tired, basically. On August 6th, we'll spend the morning in Bristol CT at the New England Carousel Museum to satisfy my obsession, then we'll drive to Newport RI. There's A LOT to see in Newport so we'll be there the afternoon of the 6th and all day on August 7th. On our list to see: Touro Synagogue (oldest surviving synagogue in the United States), Redwood Library (America’s oldest lending library housed in its
original building), Common Burial Ground and Island Cemetery, Great Friends Meeting House (oldest house of worship in Rhode Island), White Horse Tavern (oldest still operating tavern in the United
States) and two of the famous Newport mansions: Marble House and The Breakers, both Vanderbilt mansions. We're going to take a walking tour of the cemetery, which should be awesome. It has great examples of Colonial stone carving and Oliver Hazard Perry is buried there.
Early on August 8th, we're going to leave the Newport area for Plymouth. Be still my genealogy and history loving heart. The morning and at least part of the afternoon will be spent seeing the sites: Pilgrim Hall Museum, Plymouth Rock (of course), Sparrow House (Plymouth's oldest structure), Burial Hill and Coles Hill Burial Ground where my ancestors are buried, First Parish Church (the oldest church congregation in the United States in continuous operation) and the Mayflower Society Museum and Library. Then we'll drive to Salem. We will definitely stop by the Salem Witch Trials Memorial and I would like to see the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, but we may get there too late.
On the 9th, we're going to start our day with fabric shopping in Portsmouth NH before heading across the border into Maine. We're going to Kennebunkport and visiting the Seashore Trolley Museum (to satisfy my other obsession - trains!). Then its off to Concord, NH. If we have time, we'll see the state house (oldest state house where the
legislature still uses their original chambers), if not we'll visit the morning of August 10th before heading to Waterbury VT to tour the Ben and Jerry's Factory. After the ice cream overload, we're headed to Albany, NY so I can see one of my best friends Nicole aka Pepper.
August 11th, we drive home.
