HAVING FUN IN NEW ENGLAND

Monday, November 09, 2009

This will be my last post on our trip to New England. I fear becoming like the person who drags out all the slides of family vacations, special days, etc. and has you watch them for hours. Look at these ONLY if you are interested. I hope you are.

We enjoyed visiting the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library and Museum. It is the official memorial to our nation's 35th President. It is situated on a 10-acre park overlooking Boston Harbor.

Sitting in front of the Fishermen's Memorial in Gloucester, MA. I could look out on the water where the boats come in from the sea. This Leonard Craske sculpture is dedicated to the memory of all Gloucester fishermen. It is often called "The Man at the Wheel." Gloucester's beauty and spirit have inspired generations of writers and artists.

This is the famous, much-painted Motif #1 fisherman's shack at Rockport harbor. It is a replica of the 1840's original which was swept into the harbor by a blizzard in 1978. The little seaport village of Rockport was one of my favorite places of all the ones we visited.

I loved the people we met in New England. Traveling through the back roads and by the ocean we stopped a few times to ask directions. Everyone was friendly, polite and helpful. I disturbed one couple who were eating their lunch and looking out at the beautiful waves breaking in on the rocky beach. The man ran to his car, came back with a map and described in glowing terms the places I just "couldn't afford to miss." I apologized to his wife for disturbing their lunch. She said, "he was just sitting here waiting for you to come along and ask for directions." I went into a little country store/restaurant and talked with the owner and a couple of customers and you would have thought that I was their long lost cousin. Great people!!

Here is Charlotte standing in front of a replica of the Mayflower. Mayflower II is a full-scale reproduction of the ship that crossed the Atlantic in 1620. I loved the Plymouth area and could have spent days there.

Here I am walking up to Spangler Hall at the Harvard School of Business. We ate a great lunch there in a huge dining room filled with students and faculty.

If you have never been to New England, I hope you get to go someday. For many years I had the dream of going in my mind but I didn't think I ever would. My dream came true! If you want to go--keep dreaming!! But don't go this time of the year if you can help it. You will see too many signs like the one above.