As we left Bethlehem, Pennsylvania Wednesday morning we were beginning week three of our 2012 summer road trip. We spent Wednesday night in Groton, Connecticut. The Naval Submarine Base in New London is just up the road from where we stayed. There is a museum next to the base and we go to go onto the first nuclear powered submarine, The Nautilus. The Nautilus is the first vessel to complete a submerged transit beneath the North Pole on August 3, 1958.
Just getting to go onto a submarine was very cool, but seeing the extremely cramped quarters and imagining the pride the sailors who served there must have had was a great experience.
Foxwood and Mehegan Sun, the two biggest Casinos in the U.S. are near Groton too. Of course we had to check them out. I especially liked Mohegan Sun it was beautiful.
On Thursday we headed towards Boston. First we stopped at the capital of Rhode Island to visit the capital building. I learned that the official name of the state of Rhode Island is the State of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations.
From Providence we went to Quincy Massachusetts. I have always wanted to see where John and Abigail Adams, and John Quincy Adams lived. The Adams National Historic Park includes the houses where they were born and the house where they lived in later years. I read and really enjoyed biographies of both Adams presidents and also of Abigail. They are probably my two favorite presidents.
Four generations of Adams lived in the Old House at Peacefield. The last Adams to live there was Brooks Adams, great grandson of John Adams who lived there until 1927 when the houses were turned into a historical park. As a result the houses contain the furniture, paintings and other stuff used by all the Adams. It was amazing to see the desk that Adams used to write the Massachusetts Constitution and all the other things that figured so prominently in our history.
On top of that we had two fantastic guides. Their knowledge and passion about what they were showing us actually brought tears to my eyes as I thought about what this great family did for our Country. If you haven't read John McCullough's biography of Adams or watched the movie you should!
The tour of hte Adams houses and the fantastic library built to house their books were absolute highlights of the trip.
This is the Old House at Peacefield
Our Passionate and knowledgeable tour guide of the house.
The library is the building on the left.
We spent Thursday night with my brother and his wife near Boston. They have a new outdoor pizza ovena and my brother made us really delicious pizza for dinner. It was a wonderful treat to get to spend some time with them and visit with them at their house. On Friday morning Charlie went ot work and Annie took us for a hike in a beautiful park near their house.
Friday morning we went to the New Hampshire state capital in Concord. There was a school group touring when we were there so we learned a lot. The New Hampshire House of Representatives is the largest in the country. They have 400 representatives. When the guide told the fourth graders that the representatives are each paid $100 per year there was a gasp of shock!
Friday night we spent with our friends Marc and Christina who have just moved to White River Junction Vermont. It was fun to visit with them and we got to see the outside of the house they just bought. They don't actually close on it until July.
Saturday we visited another state capital, this time Montpelier, Vermont. It was small but beautiful. Montpelier has the smallest population of any state capital, only about 8,000 people.
Last night we spent the night in Bucksport Maine, A beautiful town right on the coast. We had a fantastic seafood dinner. As soon as i post this blog we are headed up the road into Canada.
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