The Last Couple of Days...

It's official! We're heading south.

Our home for the night was in the smallest U.S. state by area, covering about 1,545 square miles. It measures about 48 miles long from north to south and 37 miles wide. But as they say, "Nice things come in small packages".

There are only 144 laundromats throughout the state. When we found this one in North Kingstown, chores had to happen before more play could continue.
Our destination was to stay with new friends in the tiny, peaceful coastal town of Jamestown, situated almost entirely on Conanicut Island in Narragansett Bay. It is the second-largest island in the Bay and is connected by bridges to the mainland and Newport. This was our second time here and we realized it had been far too long.
Since we had arrived earlier that our expected time, we delighted in coffee by the harbor which allowed us to experience 23 mph winds. What fun.

We then meandered about and discovered this amazing masterpiece. Daniel S. Newhall House (The Monitor; The Round House) built in 1888, is attributed to Charles McKim. That name should sound familiar as he is the architect who created the Boston Public Library. Newhall, a Philadelphia client, is responsible for this shingled whimsy. It is sited low, close to the water on a cove, and semi-embowered, embraced by a boatyard. It is uncompromisingly round, 45 feet in diameter, as its successive names suggest. Did the distinguished McKim design it? A contemporary newspaper article says so, and architectural qualities reinforce the possibility. As a Philadelphian, he could have known Newhall personally. McKim, then in the midst of discovering colonial architecture, would have delighted in the opportunity to bend classical and American forms to such playful purpose. What a Jamestown gem. Wow.

Rhode Island is known as the Ocean State because of its 400 miles of coastline.
We connected with Richard and Nancy at my brother's 80th birthday party. An invitation was extended for us to come stay at their lovely home. We arrived in time for a tour of the local historical cemetery followed by a delightfully long, conversational-filled dinner.
What a perfect campsite! We've made yet another wonderful connection. Tim Cahill said it best, “A journey is best measured in friends rather than miles."


Thursday night we boondocked in the borough of Conyingham, PA. Steve chose it because of its brewery.
With a population of only 1,600, it's hard to believe that such an amazing space as Conyingham Brewing Company can be so successful.
We dug its pirate vibe. This was a fun room in which to hang out.
Yes, we're back in Virginia. Tomorrow, our plan is to tour Thomas Jefferson's Monticello.
But first a stop at the world famous Buc-ee's.
For those who don't know, Buc-ee’s is a massive, 24/7 roadside travel center and convenience store chain that is best described as a hybrid of a supersized gas station, a department store, and a highway theme park. This was my second time experience it, Steve's first.
In the last two days we have traveled 568 miles. That doesn't leave a lot of time for doing much but driving. The stops we made were mostly ones of necessity (gas, pee breaks, stretches) but Buc-ee's allowed Steve to finally experience what all the hullabalaloo is about.

Our campsite for the evening is in a little town, off the interstate. The surrounding businesses have closed for the weekend. It's just us and a family of deer. Pretty darn sweet.
"Where we love is home -
home that our feet may leave,
but not our hearts."
— Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.

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Boston in 17,255 Steps

We boarded the Fitchburg Line train heading into Boston at 8:05 AM. We were going to spend the day seeing as much as possible in the time we had there (it turned out to be 8 hours)

It has been a few years since we rode on public transit. We were a bit rusty but the crew was exceptionally helpful and kind.


Our intent was to, and I  quote, "Walk Into History and experience more than 250 years of history on Boston’s iconic Freedom Trail— the 2.5-mile red line leading to 16 nationally significant historic sites, each one an authentic treasure. Preserved and dedicated by the citizens of Boston in 1951, the Freedom Trail is a unique collection of museums, churches, meeting houses, burying grounds, parks, a ship, and historic markers that tell the story of the American Revolution and beyond.  Today the Freedom Trail is a world-renowned, signature tourist experience attracting over 4 million people annually to visit Boston's precious 17th-, 18th- , and 19th-century sites. Follow the footsteps of America’s founding fathers on the Freedom Trail!" We couldn't do it all but we tried.

Stop #1, after coffee, was the Granary Burying Ground, the third burial site in Boston Proper, established in 1660. It is estimated that there are 2,345 grave-markers, while historians estimate that as many as 5,000 people are buried here.

How beautiful is this Egyptian Revival (1840) front gate designed by Solomon Willard / Isaiah Rogers?
I was intrigued by this entrance Memorial Plaque ("Paul Revere Buried in this Ground"). It was erected by the Paul Revere Memorial Association to commemorate the opening of the Paul Revere House at 19 North Square on April 19, 1908 (a place we visited at the end of the day).
His original slate headstone reads: "PAUL REVERE. BORN IN BOSTON. JANUARY 1734: DIED MAY 1818". A taller 19th-century memorial monument and a tomb marker reading "Paul Revere's Tomb 1785" stand directly beside his primary headstone.

Three signers of the Declaration of Independence are interred here including John Hancock, Samuel Adams, and Robert Treat Paine.

It is also the final resting place for the Boston Massacre Victims: Crispus Attucks, Samuel Maverick, James Caldwell, Samuel Gray, and Patrick Carr.
I'm sitting near the FRANKLIN monument. It is to honor Benjamin Franklin's parents (Josiah and Abiah Franklin).

We then strolled through Boston Common,  America's oldest park which was founded in 1634.

Throughout the day, we admired many historic artifacts. This was a bit of a surprise that fully impressed. The North Sea Mine Force Memorial, a World War I monument featuring a real modified Mark VI naval mine, honors the U.S. Navy sailors who laid and swept approximately 56,571 naval mines across a 250-mile barrier in the North Sea between Scotland and Norway from 1917 to 1919 to block German U-boats.



As we continued our stroll, we came to  the Boston Public Garden, a place special because it was established in 1837 as America's first public botanical garden. Unlike its older, more rustic neighbor, Boston Common—which was designed for practical use and militia drills—the Public Garden was created from its inception as a decorative, Victorian-style "gardener's art" showcase.


We were disappointed that the Swan Boats were closed for the season. Operating every Spring/Summer since 1877 by the Paget family, these pedal-powered boats glide around the central 4-to-6-acre lagoon. How classic that would have been!

A very big MUST for me was to experience the Boston Public Library. Established in 1848, it is a pioneer of public library service in America. It was the first large free municipal library in the United States, the first public library to lend books, the first to have a branch library, and the first to have a children’s room. As a City of Boston historic cultural institution, Boston Public Library today features THIS fabulous Central Library and twenty-five neighborhood branches, serving nearly 4 million visitors per year and millions more online.


The Central Library encompasses two buildings, both landmarks. The historic McKim building, designed by architect Charles Follen McKim and opened in 1895, houses the Library’s distinguished research and special collections. Known for its classical serenity and elegance, it features historical artwork by Daniel Chester French, John Singer Sargent, and more, as well as the magnificent Bates Hall reading room.

Walking into this room, I was struck with AWE.
Bates Hall is the original reading room at the Central Library and remains a favorite spot for reading and quiet study. The space spans the entire length of the McKim building and boasts a towering 50-foot barrel vault ceiling. Much of the room is original, including the tables and bookcases, and other features have been restored to match its 1895 appearance, such as the signature green lamps. Busts of authors and other historical figures line the walls. The space is named for Joshua Bates, the library’s first major benefactor.

The Boylston Street Building (formerly called the Johnson Building), designed by Philip Johnson and opened in 1972, underwent an award-winning renovation and reopened in 2016. The transformed 21st century library space features a broadcast studio and innovation center. While gorgeous, I enjoyed the classic original better. Wow.



Built in 1729, the Old South Meeting House was the largest building in colonial Boston and the site of the most stirring mass meetings that led to the American Revolution, including the gathering that led to the Boston Tea Party.
Saved from the wrecking ball in 1876 by “twenty women of Boston,” Old South Meeting House has been a public museum since 1877.
Constructed in 1713, the Old State House was the center of royal government in the Massachusetts Bay Colony and the focal point for many of the Revolution's most dramatic events. It was here that the Boston Massacre occurred in 1770 (the mark in brick behind me). It stands as the oldest surviving public building in Boston.
"Journey through this Freedom Trail museum filled with a vivid collection of Revolution-era artifacts and other one-of-a-kind objects from the past, each one contributing to the amazing story of Revolutionary Boston. Highlights include John Hancock's lavish red velvet coat, arms and ammunition from Revolutionary War battles, and tea salvaged from the Boston Tea Party."



As our day was coming to an end, we were at the place that was quite the opposite of where we began (Paul Revere's grave). This was Paul Revere's home from 1770 to 1800.
As everyone knows by now, on the night of April 18, 1775, silversmith Paul Revere left this small wooden home in Boston’s North End and set out on a journey that ultimately made him a legend. Today that home is still standing at 19 North Square and has become a national historic landmark. It is downtown Boston’s oldest building and one of the few remaining 17th-century dwellings in a large urban area in the United States.




Of course I'd find a Disney tie-in. On display was a copy of Walt Disney’s 1957 live-action film Johnny Tremain which features Paul Revere's ride and the outbreak of the American Revolution. Cool stuff.

Our final history lesson occurred at the Old North Church. On the evening of April 18, 1775, Robert Newman and John Pulling quietly entered Old North and carefully climbed to the top of the church's bell tower. They briefly hung two lanterns near the windows and made their escape. This signal, from the tallest structure in the town of Boston, served as an early warning that a detachment of the British Army was crossing the Charles River and heading west towards the towns of Lexington and Concord. By the end of the next night, the American Revolutionary War had begun.

So much history covered in less than 8 miles of walking. Incredible!
So much of what we discovered over the last few days have left us grateful for those who sacrificed so much. The magnitude of the importance of the events we learned of is so unbelievable. It makes us so truly thankful. What history! What a day!

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