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| Plymouth Rock |
All of New England is rich in history. We explored the very heart of it today in Plymouth. We pulled the bus right up to the harbor where Plymouth Rock is located.
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| Be Better Bus at Plymouth Rock |
Just to the right of where we parked was a giant grass hill just beckoning the kids to climb up and roll down. We spent a good 20 minutes playing before we ever made our way over to the sites. This has become far too typical.
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| Rusty, Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, and Choice |
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, and Choice |
Located at the top of the grass incline is a monument built in honor of those who died within the first year of the settlers' arrival.
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| Shiloh, Ryder, Choice, and Tate |
Beside that monument is a statue, resembling the Native Americans who were living on the land prior to the settler's arrival. It is a beautifully troubling and sorrowful depiction of the rift between the two civilizations.
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| Choice, Shiloh, Tate, and Ryder |
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| Tate |
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| Choice, Tate, and Ryder |
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| Tate, Choice, Shiloh, Juliann, and Ryder |
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| Tate, Shiloh, Choice, Juliann, and Ryder |
The extremely short distance between the monuments and Plymouth Rock took way longer than it should have because the kids stopped to play in the leaves half way down.
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| Ryder, Tate, Rusty, Shiloh, and Choice |
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| Ryder, Tate, Choice, and Shiloh |
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| Ryder, Tate, and Shiloh |
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| Ryder, Tate, Choice, and Shiloh |
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| Ryder, Tate, and Shiloh |
When we finally made it to Plymouth Rock, my excitement was probably close to that of the pilgrims who landed here aboard the Mayflower in 1620. It is the site of disembarkation of the Mayflower Pilgrims who founded the Plymouth Colony and is an important symbol in American history.
The kids were amused by it and had many questions to better understand why we traveled all this way to stare at a boulder. Once they had an understanding of this landmark it jarred their memories of the Pilgrims and Indians they learned about in school last Thanksgiving.
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, Choice, and Juliann |
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, Choice, and Juliann |
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, Choice, and Juliann |
We all took a turn seeing who could get closer at landing their Be Better Band on Plymouth Rock. You can see several failed attempts all over the ground around the rock, but the person with the "ringer" was...Tate.
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| Plymouth Rock |
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| Plymouth Rock |
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| Shiloh, Ryder, Tate, Choice, and Juliann |
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| Shiloh, Ryder, Choice, Tate, and Juliann |
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| Jason and Juliann |
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| Jason and Juliann |
The harbor was so stunning that it is hard to describe in words that do it justice. It looked almost fake when photographed, as if we were standing in front of a two dimensional backdrop.
The ship in the photos is the Mayflower II; a replica of the 17th century ship Mayflower, celebrated for transporting the Pilgrims to the New World. The replica was built in England in 1955 in a collaborations between Englishman and an American Museum. The work drew from reconstructed ship blueprints held by the American museum with hand construction by English shipbuilders using traditional methods. On April 20, 1957, recreating the original voyage, Mayflower II was sailed from Plymouth, Devon (England), across the Atlantic Ocean, to Plymouth, Massachusetts.
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| Tate, Choice, Ryder, and Shiloh |
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| Jason, Choice, Ryder, Shiloh, and Tate |
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| Choice, Juliann, Ryder, Tate, and Jason |
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| Tate, Shiloh, Juliann, Ryder, Choice, and Jason |
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| Plymouth |
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| Plymouth |
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| Plymouth |
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| Plymouth |
With that experience under our belt accompanied by a bowl of the most delicious New England Clam Chowder, we sailed over to Boston.
Boston is home to several sites I wanted to try and see. What an eclectic and almost Europe-like feel it has to it there, The cobblestone roads took me back to the feelings I had in Europe. Fancy that...our River Cruise in Europe was a gift from the donors we were coming to visit in Boston. VANTAGE DELUXE TRAVEL. As unbelievable as it may sound, and as tremendous a blessing it is, indeed Vantage Deluxe Travel provided two River Boat Cruises to each of the Granite Mountain Hotshot Families.
The list of ways that this gift has blessed my life is endless. It was definitely a pivotal moment in my healing and my ability to let go of the bitterness and the nightmares that were haunting me. For nearly two weeks, I was surrounded by members of the Granite Mountain Hotshot family who understood exactly what I was going through. It allowed us to converse with each other openly and honestly in a way that public scrutiny and overextended schedules at home didn't allow. We laughed together, we cried together, we celebrated our loved ones together, and we experienced beautiful parts of the world that many of us would have otherwise never had the opportunity to see.
All of this, we were able to do in an intimate and small-group setting which included one of the co-owners of the company, Mrs. Patricia Lewis. There are not enough words in our language to describe the poise, class, grace, kindness, compassion, and love this beautiful woman possesses. She sailed with us, dined with us, toured with us, laughed with us, and embraced us. I felt like I had made a true and lasting friend after spending time with her.
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| Patricia Lewis |
The entire crew of MS River Splendor (shown below) were delightful and added to the overall experience.
Patricia and her husband Hank, owners of Vantage Deluxe Travel, have blessed the lives of so many survivors on what they call their "Hero Cruises". They did the same after the tragedy at the Boston Marathon. On our cruise, in addition to the Granite Mountain 19, there were also several members of families affected by 9/11. If tragedy and hardship befall this country, you will find extraordinary men, women, and organizations, such as Hank and Patricia and Vantage Deluxe Travel, doing whatever they can to assist. These are the unsung heroes. These are the individuals who are actively changing lives for the better on a daily basis.
I was looking forward to seeing Patricia again and hopefully meeting Hank. Unfortunately, a passing in their family and not enough notice by me, didn't allow for us to meet up today. We still stopped by the office to leave our tokens of appreciation for them. God bless you Patricia and Hank. Keep Spreading the Better!
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| Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, Juliann, and Choice |
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| Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, Juliann, and Choice |
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| Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, Juliann, and Choice |
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| Shiloh, Tate, Ryder, Choice, and Juliann |
It feels trivial to talk about anything else after that, but I will share the highlights of the remainder of our day in Boston.
Fenway Park was a must. Particularly special after having gone to Louisville Slugger and having several conversations about these ball players. To be at the oldest operating MLB field, the very field where Babe Ruth played, was quite the experience.
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| Shiloh, Tate, Choice, and Ryder |
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| Choice, Ryder, Shiloh, and Tate |
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| Tate, Juliann, and Choice |
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, and Choice |
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| Choice, Shiloh, Ryder, and Tate |
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| Juliann, Ryder, Tate, and Choice |
While on the topic of Boston sports, we ventured over to the Garden. Being a Magic Johnson fan myself, I had a small inner struggle as to whether or not I should be posing in front of the Celtics home court. The kids had no trouble channeling their inner Larry Bird.
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| Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, and Choice |
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| Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, and Choice |
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| Juliann, Choice, Shiloh, Ryder, and Tate |
We were on foot today as the bus would be nearly impossible to navigate in Boston.
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, Juliann, and Choice |
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| Choice, Ryder, Juliann, Shiloh, and Tate |
So from the Garden we walked over to the next site. While on our way through these tight, architecturally magnificent parts of town, we spotted a bakery!
YUMMMM! The perfect energy boost to continue our journey through Boston.
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| Shiloh, Ryder, Tate, and Choice |
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| Shiloh, Ryder, Tate, and Choice |
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| Boston MA |
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| Choice and Juliann |
Shortly after the bakery pit stop, we arrived at our next destination. If you look at the picture below, far left side, that is Paul Revere's home. The Paul Revere House was built in 1680 and was the colonial home of the American patriot Paul Revere during the time of the American Revolution.
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| Paul Revere's house (bottom left) |
You will recall that in 1774, Paul Revere was employed as an express rider in Boston to carry news, messages, and copies of resolutions as far away as New York and Philadelphia. He became an icon in our history for his courageous ride on the evening of April 18, 1775 when he was instructed to ride to Lexington, Massachusetts to warn Samuel Adams and John Hancock that British troops were marching to arrest them. On the way to Lexington, Revere alarmed the country-side, stopping at each and every house.
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| Paul Revere |
It is the oldest standing home around and they have done a great job preserving it's likeness to the colonial era. I really enjoyed our time there.
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| Ryder, Juliann, Shiloh, Tate, and Choice |
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| Ryder, Choice, Juliann, Shiloh, and Tate |
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| Ryder, Choice, Juliann, Shiloh, and Tate |
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| Paul Revere's House |
The kids were good sports for a few minutes then spent the remainder of the time playing in this open area across the street.
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| Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, and Choice |
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| Choice, Shiloh, Tate, and Ryder |
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, and Choice |
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| Choice, Shiloh, and Tate |
You can still see the house from over there and read about Revere's ride so I chalked it up to educational play time.
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| Juliann |
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| Juliann and Ryder |
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| Tate, Ryder, Shiloh and Choice |
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| Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, and Choice |
They probably enjoyed it just as much as when I had them wishing people a good day while standing on the corner. :-)
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| Ryder, Tate, Choice and Shiloh |
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| Ryder, Tate, Choice, and Shiloh |
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| Tate, Juliann, Shiloh, and Choice |
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| Tate, Juliann, Shiloh, and Choice |
Once we spotted the Harbor through this exquisite archway, we knew we were close to our final site for the day.
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| Choice, Shiloh, Ryder, and Tate |
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| Choice, Shiloh, Ryder, and Tate |
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| Choice, Shiloh, Ryder, and Tate |
| In order for them to better understand why it was that the British were coming to attack America, we were going to reenact the Boston Tea Party. |
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| Tate, Ryder, Shiloh, and Choice |
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| Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, and Choice |
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| Shiloh's face...priceless |
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| Tate, Ryder, Choice, and Shiloh |
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| Tate, Ryder, Choice, and Shiloh |
I would recommend this museum to anyone who visits Boston. It was a fun and interactive tour, loads of information presented in a way to held the kids attention. When you enter the mock "town hall" they give each participant a name card. The name is an actual participant in the Boston Tea Party and you are to "be" that individual while on this mock expedition.
Once you get all fired up about the Taxation Without Representation, you walk from the building down onto a ship full of the English tea. Tea that we were momentarily going to mix with salt water in the Boston Harbor.
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| Tate, Choice, Shiloh, and Ryder |
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| Shiloh, Tate, Ryder, and Jason |
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| Choice, Shiloh, Ryder, and Jason |
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| Boston Tea Party Museum |
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| Tate and Ryder |
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| Ryder |
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| Shiloh, Tate, and Ryder |
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| Shiloh, Tate, and Ryder |
We listened to the actors who were directing the rest of us on this task we were about to perform. We learned that we would be performing treason and that the penalty for treason in New England was DEATH by hanging. We learned about the disguises they used to mask their identity, black soot and a long overcoat. Understanding all of the risks involved, as well as the organized purpose for such an act...they pushed the tea overboard.
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| Ryder, Tate, Choice, and Shiloh throwing the tea into the Boston Harbor |
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| Ryder, Tate, Choice, and Shiloh throwing the tea into the Boston Harbor |
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| Choice and Tate at the Boston Tea Party |
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| Choice and Tate at the Boston Tea Party |
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| Tate and Choice |
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| The tea in the Boston Harbor |
We toured the rest of the ship and witnessed where they kept their tea and their supplies for sailing the open seas.
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| Shiloh and Tate |
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| Shiloh and Jason at the Boston Tea Party |
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| Tate |
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| Choice |
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| Choice, Ryder, and Shiloh on the deck |
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| Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, and Choice |
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| Ryder |
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| Ryder, Tate, Shiloh, and Choice at the Boston Tea Party |
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| Choice |
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| Tate, Shiloh, and Choice |
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| Ryder, Shiloh, Tate, and Choice at the Boston Tea Party |
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| Shiloh, Tate, and Choice |
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| Publications preserved from the day of the event |
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| Choice and Tate |
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| Tate and Choice |
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| Choice and Tate |
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| Tate |
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| Tate and Choice |
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| Boston Harbor |
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| Tate |
With all of that knowledge tucked away in their brains, the kids were anxious to find the names of the men they were acting on behalf of today. Ryder spotted his right away.
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| Ryder and Choice |
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| Jason, Choice, Shiloh, and Ryder |
Today, with respect to the Boston Tea Party and the Revolutionary War, we were acting on behalf of individuals who lived in the 17th century. Individuals who made brilliant statements such as these...
Even though we agree with and admire what they stood for and their actions to achieve change, we have different roles to play in this world. Will we stand for something noble and great? Will our names be revered like theirs are now? Understanding that this doesn't always mean people will like you along the way. All of these men were performing acts of treason and could have been executed for doing so. The critics were angry and their price to pay was high. Yet, they did what they felt compelled to do in their heart. What do we feel compelled to stand for? Will small children read about you in the history books (or iPads, or whatever)? Will they go to museums and receive a small note card with your name on it because YOU were someone worth remembering? YOU did something great. Something noble. Something risky and dangerous and unprecedented. Did YOU endure the scrutiny that almost inevitable comes when living outside of the box in order to change the course of history?
To all of you Paul Revere's, you Abraham Lincoln's, you Mark Twain's, you Rosa Parks, do not be afraid to succeed. You were sent to this Earth at this time to serve a purpose and to write on the pages of our generation's history. Patricia and Hank, God bless you for doing just that. My kids studied your story today and I pray many others will share your story with their families after reading this.
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