Boston Post Conference

On Friday after our conference ended, we rented a car and decided to make our way north to South Hamilton to visit Chris and Meredith who had moved there in June. Sightseeing on our way, our first stop was Lexington and Concord. On April 19, 1775, the American Revolution began at Lexington and Concord with a clash of arms known to history as "the shot heard round the world." The Battle Road Trail is a 5.5-mile pathway in Lexington, Lincoln, and Concord that marks the path once trodden by British soldiers on their way from Boston to Concord, where they had marched to seize a supply of arms the colonists had stored. The markers along the path tell the stories of the smaller battles fought, the politics of the time, and the individual stories of people who lived and fought in the area - putting a human face on the tale often told in history books. At Minute Man National Historical Park the opening battle of the Revolution is brought to life as visitors explore the battlefields and witness the American revolutionary spirit through the writings of the Concord authors. We wanted to hike the trail and read all the markers but, alas, we were on a schedule.Minute Man encompasses the story of an evolution of the ideals of freedom and liberty, new notions of cultural independence and citizen responsibility. These ideals led to an American literary revolution the following century, introducing Concord authors, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry David Thoreau, Louisa May Alcott and Ralph Waldo Emerson. The drive was so gorgeous! So many trees along the streets and it was such a treat to come across the homesites of Emerson and Alcott. After eating lunch in Peabody, the next stop was Salem. This photo is a residence in town with a witch on a broom displayed on the siding of the house. We visited the museum, but again, no time to spend in reading the literature, or viewing the video available to visitors.We arrived in So. Hamilton late in the afternoon . Here is the entrance to Gordon Conwell Theological Seminary . Isn't it beautiful? Chris, Mere and the kids live in married housing. I loved the hallway downstairs! Full of strollers and bicycles. The laundry room is right there as well. Everyone was hungry, so we headed to Legal Seafood which had become a favorite restaurant of ours. Because it was Friday, we had to wait for an hour to be seated. The restaurant was in a mall, so we hung out there to pass the time. Sophie enjoyed the coloring at the table. We really enjoyed the time with them and the children were wonderful despite the long time at the restaurant and getting tired. Afterwards, we headed back to the apartment, where Meredith made us lattes. A very fun visit! On our last full day in the area, we headed south of Boston to Plymouth and Cape Cod. The replica of the Mayflower was celebrating it's 50th anniversary. We saw "the rock" and visited the plantation. The traffic to Cape Cod was horrendous! If you hate the 91 freeway commute, you really would detest having to go into Cape Cod! It is beautiful there though. The sand is so white and the beaches so small. There was a crowd of people there. This is a photo of the ferry that goes to Martha's Vineyard. We didn't go because we were dreading the traffic back to Boston and didn't want to get back late as we had a flight out the next morning. Of course, you can't go to the east coast and not take the opportunity to get into the Atlantic ocean! We had a great time in Boston and are so glad to have been able to see that part of our country so rich in history.