On a summer road trip around New England, we spent a few days exploring the Cape Cod area of Massachusetts. After sitting in World Cup traffic around Boston, we finally crossed the Sagamore Bridge to Cape Cod, where we were staying in the town of Eastham.
We began our first day with donuts from the Hole In One Bakery before driving to the Truro Highlands Historic District to see the Highland Lighthouse. Next, we toured the Province Lands unit of Cape Cod National Seashore, before spending some time on Race Point Beach playing in the sand, watching the seals, and dipping our toes in the Atlantic Ocean. We headed into Provincetown for an amazing lunch at The Mayflower, then rode the glass incline elevator up the hill to the Pilgrim Monument and Provincetown Museum. The monument is 252 feet tall and is the tallest all-granite structure in the United States. We climbed the 116 steps and 60 ramps to the top, took in the views, then came back down and toured the museum. We explored a few shops before leaving Provincetown, then drove south to the Salt Pond unit of Cape Cod National Seashore to hike the Buttonbush Loop Trail. We finished the day with an evening visit to the Nauset Lighthouse (featured on Cape Cod brand potato chip bags) and were fortunate to be able to climb to the top.
The next day we headed west to Fall River to explore the area around Fall River Heritage State Park. After hiking the boardwalk along the Taunton River, we spent a good amount of time riding the Fall River Carousel. The carousel is over 100 years old and both Elizabeth and Miles thoroughly enjoyed their time here. Looking out from the carousel we could see the nearby warships at Battleship Cove, including the impressive Battleship USS Massachusetts, as well as the Destroyer USS Joseph P. Kennedy, Submarine USS Lionfish, and several others.
We visited Lowell National Historical Park where we toured the Boott Cotton Mill, took a scenic walk along the canals, and toured the National Streetcar Museum. We also toured the Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site in the town of Saugus.
In Salem, we toured the House of the Seven Gables, visited the Salem Maritime National Historic Site, toured the Peabody Essex Museum, had a great meal at the Salem Beer Works, and saw the Salem Witch Trials Memorial.
We flew to Boston and drove south to Plymouth where we visited the Pilgrim Memorial State Park (home of the Plymouth Rock) and the National Monument to the Forefathers. In New Bedford we toured the New Bedford Whaling Museum and the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park.
In western Massachusetts we stopped in Springfield and toured the Springfield Armory National Historic Site before driving the Mohawk Trail Scenic Byway east towards Boston. In the Boston area we visited Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historical Site in Cambridge, and we toured the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library on the University of Massachusetts campus.
Benjamin attended a conference in Boston. While there, he walked the Freedom Trail to view the Bunker Hill Monument, the Old North Church, Faneuil Hall and the Quincy Market, Paul Revere's house, the Boston Harbor, the Boston Massacre site, Granary Burying Ground, the Boston Common, and the Massachusetts State House. He also toured the USS Constitution at the Boston Naval Yard.
In Quincy, he toured Adams National Historical Park, which included the birthplaces of both President John Adams and President John Quincy Adams. He visited the Adams home, the Stone Library, and the Tomb of President John Adams and President John Quincy Adams.
He also toured the grounds of Longfellow House Washington's Headquarters National Historic Site and walked the grounds of Harvard University. Finally, he toured the home in Brookline where President Kennedy was born and raised at the John Fitzgerald Kennedy National Historic Site.
Tiffany attended a conference in Boston. While there, she also visited many sites along the Freedom Trail including the Massachusetts State House, Boston Massacre site, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, Paul Revere's house, the Old North Church, Bunker Hill, USS Constitution, the 'Cheers' Bar, and the graves of Benjamin Franklin, Paul Revere, and John Hancock. She also spent time touring the grounds of Harvard University and had a great seafood dinner at the Barking Crab.