Downhome welcome
Met Mom at the airport in Boston and then we took the T back to the hotel. It had little icons on each door so you could remember which was yours. Seemed appropriate that the Hoosier folks should get a tractor.
Freedom Calls
The next morning, we prepare to start the Freedom Trail in the Boston Common. It should be mentioned that I got us there on the T! Epic.
Old South Meeting House--locked
This is where Sam Adams kicked off the American Revolution setting the stage for the Tea Party.
Old State House--locked
From this balcony the Declaration of Independence was first read in public. From where the photo was taken, the Boston Massacre took place.
The Home of Paul Revere
This is the oldest house in Boston still standing--and it is wooden, not brick!
Paul Revere
We saw plenty of Boston Strong signage during our stay. The Old North Church is in the background.
The Old North Church
It is still the tallest steeple in Boston. Would have been fun to go inside...but it was closed, of course
Chopps Hill Burying Ground---Open!!!!
Less famous than the Granary, Chopps Hill has some more interesting trivia: Like patriot Daniel Malcolm's gravestone that was riddled with bullets by the British soldiers
The Constitution's Firepower
Can you imagine how LOUD it must have been with these all firing in this enclosed area?
The Low Ceilings
Our tour guide claimed the term jar head for marines came about because they were always "jarring" their heads on the low ceilings of early ships. I think this is false and that the term came about in WWII because "the high collar on the Marine Dress Blues uniform made a Marine's head look like it was sticking out of the top of a Mason jar." He was still a great guide.
Butterfly Garden at the Science Museum
I don't know why Mom looks so shocked...the place was full of butterflies!
A second visit
Butterfly left, and then settled back down again. Here is a video of the butterfly making its escape.
Pennellville: A bit of Brunswick history
Back in Maine, Mom and I set off on bikes to see the old Pennell family mansions. The Pennells were shipbuilders in the 18th and 19th centuries. The shipyards have vanished, but a number of the seven mansions the family built remain.
James Pennell House
Built in 1837 with a unique "widow's walk" cupola, common in sea-captain houses in Maine
Charles Pennell House
Built in 1843. I think this house has held up the best of all that we saw.
Site of the Pennell Shipyard
Nothing remains but this memorial. Interesting when you think about how this company dominated ship building in this country in its infancy.
Prime Real Estate
All of historic Pennellville is quiet and countrified. And it is really only a mile or so out of Brunswick proper.
Sketching
Mom did a good enough job on the gardening that I let her take a short break to sketch our local scenery.
Midden
Middens are just oyster shells that have were formed by the inhabitants from 200 BC to 1000 AD. They are basically just oyster shell garbage dumps.
A cross section of the Whaleback midden
At its peak, the Whaleback midden was 30 feet high and 1600 feet long.
Not what it once was
Today, the forest has reclaimed much of the midden, and the midden was gutted in the 1870s as a source of feed for chickens.
A real country church
Though not far out of Newcastle, this really is set in the most pastoral of environments.
Inside
Though too small now to host the larger congregation, the church is still active and is kept in great shape. Note the old-fashion "back to the congregation" type altar setup.
Then it was on to the Taste of Maine!
Believe it or not this standard Maine seafood place is one of our favorite vegan stops! It has its own vegan menu!!!
Lunch at the Frontier
While sitting at the window overlooking the Androscoggin River, we noticed people driving up to check out the fishway.
Alewives
Like salmon, alewives head upstream to spawn. For years, allowing alewives to return to their natural spawning areas has been a hotly debated issue in Maine but the newest scientific results seem to be gaining a foothold.
Looking for the eel
I don't think you can see it in this photo, but a morey eel was swimming along with these alewives waiting to get further on upstream.
Giant Rhubarb
At the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens checking out the varies large bunches of rhubarb.
