Boston Part Two

Our day trip to Cape Cod began in Sandwich at the Glass Museum. We watched the demo. That wad going under the press became mine as I was asked to assist and pull the press handle.

The exhibit there is impressive. Much more expensive than we expected. It's a lovely little...may not so little...museum.

We drove to the very tip of the Cape to Provincetown or P-Town to those who are in the know. I loved P-Town!! It's about as *out there* as a town can be. Quintessential beach community. Gay friendly - oh, hell - it defines "gay friendly"! and fun, interesting, and sometimes bizarre shops. It's the most dog friendly town I've ever been around. Every shop had a water bowl out front for Finnegan, and we got stopped every 4 feet by someone who wanted to know what breed he is or to just talk to us about him.

The main street is just one block from the beach and parallel to it.

Everyone had dogs and Finn made lots of new friends.

The National Seashore - also a National Park site - is right at the tip of the Cape. Sort of, turn left to P-Town, turn right to the Shore. The dunes are pristine and beautiful and ever changing with the tides and the winds.

We decided to make it a VERY long day and drove into New Bedford on the return from Cape Cod. We'd been told the Whaling Museum was a must see. And it was!!!

This part of New Bedford is on the National Parks Historical Preservation Program - much like Lowell, MA. As Lowell played a key role in the textile industry, New Bedford played a key role in the fishing industry.

This is the lobby of the New Bedford Whaling Museum.

And this whaling boat is one of the main exhibits.

We were able to crawl all over the boat and then go up to the top level to see all the exhibits around the walkway.

Then there were the galleries, art exhibits, educational exhibits about the industry and the life of the sailor. I photographed one of the Sailors Valentines made out of seashells. We have a smaller one in the Folk Art Museum in Santa Fe.

The carved bone and scrimshaw work is incredible. There are rooms just full of it. When did I ever think of a whale tooth as canvas????

There is, of course, a National Park Service Visitor's Center - in an old bank building. The streets are brick, the old buildings have original signs. We found a woodworker in the meat company building...and I couldn't resist. I walked in and asked, "Where's the beef?" He just laughed and told me it happens many times each day. He showed us his beautiful work. This is the Visitors Center.

A couple streets - brick streets - away is the wharf. It's still a busy place, but the whaling industry is gone.

Gropius House is in Corcord. We didn't tour it, but were invited to walk around the house.

Walter Gropius was the founder of the German school of design called Bauhaus. He taught at Harvard and designed this as his family home. It incorporates all the elements of Bauhaus design - use of industrial material, maximum efficiency of space, simplicity of design. There are glass block walls, chrome bannisters, the circular stairway, straight lines. I couldn't live in it for even five minutes!!!

The front door and exterior stairs:

The U.S.S. Constitution and this destroyer are docked in Charlestown on Boston Harbor.

The Constitution is a tall ship, but the work being done on it has the main masts down.

The weather was lovely and there were lots of boaters out in Boston Harbor that day.

Continuing our well established pattern of Presidential history: Adams was next. John Adams was the first vice president and the second president and his son John Quincy Adams was the sixth president. The birthplaces of both these men and Peace field, the family home of four generations of Adams', are preserved and protected by the National Park Service.

This home is John Adams birthplace. It stand just 75 feet away from another small structure that was his home with his wife Abigail and the birthplace of their son John Quincy Adams.

They purchased this "very genteel dwelling" which Adams named Peace field and and described as "but the farm of a patroit," where they spent their retirement. The home remained in the family for three more generations.

The stone library was once the kitchen. Peace Field has been through many alterations during four generations of Adams. Most of the furniture and artifacts in the home are from the family.

The park ranger told us that this site used to have about 40,000 visitors a year. Since David McCullough's book about the Adams, the visitors now number in the millions! O.K. - now I have to read the book...