Engraved granite park bench, Bath, Maine
June slipped by; July has disappeared, and now we are at the end of our month long stay in Boothbay, Maine. Looking back at all at all of the places we visited and keeping this missive interesting but complete seems a little daunting. Therefore in the spirit of brevity, which we believe is a virtue, we will highlight the things we found most interesting.
When living on the boat, we would anchor in different coves as we traveled. The RV version of anchoring is to stay in a Walmart parking lot. During our Walmart “anchoring,” we were surprised to see how much company we had.
Albany, New York
Albany, New York added another state capital visit to our list. The tour guide exclaimed that the building took 25 years to build and cost more than any capital building in the country, including our nation’s capital. From what we saw during the tour, we believed him. It also has a huge statue of General Phil Sheridan, which Mike insisted be part of our pictures.
Six years ago we traveled the Erie Canal to New York Harbor and then out to sea. It seemed fitting that we should ride our bikes along part of the canal and reminisce, so we attended a Canal Days Festival at Schoharie Crossing Historic Site, which preserves sites from the 1820’s original canal. In addition to the bike ride, the highlight of the festival was a giant $2.00 bowl of the delicious homemade ice cream! We also added President Martin Van Buren to the list of Presidents’ homes and library. Once again, we give thumbs up to the National Park Service.
Portions of the original Erie Canal
Capital Building
Our drive to the next campsite in Gloucester, MA was uneventful until the last 3 miles which was along a very, very narrow road. There was a huge line of cars behind us as we crawled along at 20 miles an hour. Several trees brushed our roof, and the blind hilltops and curves made for some white knuckled driving. We chose Gloucester whose history precedes the Revolutionary War and it is close to Boston. The Kennedy Presidential Library, which overlooks the harbor, was our first Boston destination. It was an exceptionally warm day and the air conditioning in the Library made the visit even more delightful. After leaving the library, we decided to take the “T”, the subway, to Boston’s North End for an Italian dinner. We spoke to several people for recommendations and received the same answer from everyone, “Any place in the North End. If they aren’t good, they go out of business.” They were right.
On our return trip to Boston, we walked the Freedom Trail stepping into buildings and walking the streets that are steeped in the history of our nation. Walking through Boston Common, our country’s oldest park, we spied the Massachusetts State House at the top of Beacon Hill. Another state capital build has been added to our list; this one with a copper dome made by Paul Revere and now covered in gold leaf! We also traveled to another iconic Beacon Hill’s establishment – the famous Cheers. Looking at the sign, we expected to hear the song, “Where everyone knows your name.” Strolling through the streets of Boston, we found ourselves once again in the North End pulled into another Italian restaurant. We needed the long walk back to the car to begin to work off our meal.
On our return trip to Boston, we walked the Freedom Trail stepping into buildings and walking the streets that are steeped in the history of our nation. Walking through Boston Common, our country’s oldest park, we spied the Massachusetts State House at the top of Beacon Hill. Another state capital build has been added to our list; this one with a copper dome made by Paul Revere and now covered in gold leaf! We also traveled to another iconic Beacon Hill’s establishment – the famous Cheers. Looking at the sign, we expected to hear the song, “Where everyone knows your name.” Strolling through the streets of Boston, we found ourselves once again in the North End pulled into another Italian restaurant. We needed the long walk back to the car to begin to work off our meal.
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Old North Church. "One if by land, two if by sea!"
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Gloucester, known as America’s Oldest Seaport, was first settled before 1626; it is not only a historic ship building seaport, but continues to be an important fishing port. The Fisherman's Memorial Monument and the bronze and granite plaques inscribed with the names of over 5,000 fishermen who were lost at sea are very moving.
Under the heading, I Don’t Believe This – we found ourselves visiting a house made of paper – yes paper! In 1922 Elis Stenman started his house of paper. Twenty years and approximately 100,000 copies of Boston newspapers later, the cottage was completed along with all of its furniture. If you are curious and want more information, click on the follow link: http://www.paperhouserockport.com/directions.html.
Another famous seaport, Salem, Massachusetts, is remembered more for it past sins, the witch trials, than for its former accomplishments. Long before the witch trials, Salem was noted as a prosperous seaport. In 1938 to preserve and promote the maritime history of Salem’s historic waterfront, the National Park Service established the Salem Maritime National Historical Site. It was the first of the now many historic site. Important homes and a US Customs House circa 1819 are parts of the site. At one point, young Nathaniel Hawthorne worked at the Customs House, which is just down the street the House of the Seven Gables.
It has been very relaxing staying in one place and developing a routine. Francie has been busy with the political conventions and staying abreast of the news while Mike began wood carving again and is trying to keep all of his digits intact. The shoreline of Maine is a collection of jutting peninsulas with picturesque small town and stunning seascapes. We have taken multiple day trips to see various islands and lighthouses. Our exercise consists of nature hikes, long walks and biking uphill. A highlight of our stay was a boat ride to Cabbage Island for a clam and lobster bake.
We added Augusta, Maine to our list of visited state capitals. Augusta has the warmth and friendliness of a small town. The Capital building, as our guide pointed out, reflects the people of Maine: sturdy, functional, without pretense and well made!
On top of the dome of the Massachesetts State Capital -Lady Wisdom