Last Saturday we made the drive up to Plymouth, Massachusetts...home of Plymouth Rock, The Mayflower II and Plimouth Plantation (for some reason they see a need to spell their tourist site differently than the town it resides in...) Its much like Sturbridge Village but much older, much smaller, and just as neat. The people dressed in costume here actually play the part of the 1620's settlers. I recall a trip we took to the Mayflower and Plimouth Plantation with cousins back in the early 90's where we mercilessly teased and goaded the poor players with obnoxious questions like, "What kind of car do you drive? We have a new computer and wow, did you see that airplane?" The man finally got up and walked away from us saying something about his gratitude for being a bachelor.For some reason this last Saturday our kids decided to act like uninterested kids. They played in the dry, dusty dirt and complained every time we walked into a house.
There are signs walking into the Native American Village that warn against using any kind of
derogatory slang or stereotypes for Indians...you can imagine my paranoia as we toured through this part. The people in the Indian Village don't play the part of the time but they are dressed in costume as each is an actual person of Native American Heritage. We made it through without offending anyone but we did see a lot of male American Indian"thigh"...very tan.We ditched the stroller too and traded kids whining about tired legs for not having to push 45 pounds through sandy dirt, uphill.
The views are amazing because of the village's proximity to the shore.
Despite the kids that didn't really want to be there, I enjoyed myself and had fun...especially when the kids were called to weed the corn field.This is Haley and Abby being amazed that they were looking at the actual Plymouth Rock!! Wow, how did they know exactly
where the first Pilgrims stepped? And what a coincidence that the rock happened to say the precise year of their landing...it must have been fate.(A funny side note is the small rock memorial up on the hill from "Plymouth Rock" from the tribe of Wampanoag Indians which displays a plaque explaining the moment of silence at noon on Thanksgiving: in memory of the loss of tribe and genocide of their people from the landing of the Pilgrims. I recall being taught in
elementary school that Thanksgiving was a happy time.)
13 comments:
that looks so interesting and fun! you guys are having so much fun, and if i had to walk up hill in dry dirt, when it is hot i think i would be whining too. ooh and indian thigh, very interesting, lol jk! but i hate tan people, especially the people that are naturally like that, so mia, us and our relationship is OVER! jk lol:)
I love seeing all your adventures. I am sure if I looked around there would be something neat to go do around here, but nothing that compares to the cool places you guys have been going! Keep posting pictures, that's the only way I will ever get to see some of these places!
What a coincidence: I visited Plymouth Rock in the mid '90s too.
Oh yeah--that's when we both lived in MA.
Looks like fun!
Isn't it funny how fickle kids can be?
You are all over the place. YOu should be a commercial for the state of Connecticut. fpr their turist stuff. I can picture it now, all of you smiling and laughing while the makeup and wardrobe cover the rashes and stitches. ha ha Seriously though, I love hearing about your adventures, keep it up!
your kids are going to be the most cultured educated kids ever. what did we do today? we watched a whole lot of tv. you saw pilgrim things, we saw curious george and sesame street. hmmm- maybe i'm doing things wrong!
Why no pictures of the very tan indian thigh? What really is amazing is that Abby and Haley even knew what Plymouth Rock was. If we had been there the conversation between me and my children would have been something like Mom can I climb on the rock? No Madelyn the rock is special, this is where the pilgrims landed. Mom, what is a pilgrim? Never mind Madelyn let's go find another rock you can climb on.
Which one of our friends relieved himself on Plymouth Rock when we lived there?
I got to visit that when I was visiting you too...I think maybe just Carrie went with me, I really can't remember. I loved it there though.
I really am so glad I get to keep in touch with you! I wish we lived closer, it would be so fun to go on adventures with you!
Ugh. I'm trying to find it in me to be really happy for your adventures. And I'm sure the weather was just peachy, to boot! Oh, how I wish I could have been at Plymouth Rock today, just to put my silly little life into perspective, if nothing else!
Your weekend travels make me realize that we need to do more of that as a family! We have stuff here to go and do and see...
I love Plimouth Plantation! I want to go there and gossip with the English goodwives and and ask them what they're drinking. I love that place! You live in such a great place! That's it, I'm coming.
What a great experience for your children--even if they do complain they are still learning something. (You remember your trip ; ) I remember learning the same thing about Thanksigiving in elementary school-everyone was happy together??? In fact, we always had a Thanksgiving re-enactment.
Thanks for the note on my blog. You set my mind at ease.
If only I could see some of that tan Indian thigh, but I can see how asking to take a picture of it would might have been offensive.
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