Saturday, October 06, 2007

Massachusetts

Are you ready Boston? Here we come!!! The plane ride could have been much worse, but I started to worry when I went to get on the plane in I.F. and a "working" dog was sitting in my place. Try sitting with a "working dog" that can't be pet because he's working, and a two year old. Not a good combo! Thankfully they moved Kate and me and she got her own seat that leg of the ride. The flight from Denver to Boston, however, was completely full and she had to sit on my lap the entire time. We were supposed to sit in a middle seat between two men, but luckily the nice man on the edge switched with me. She didn't sleep at all and wanted to RUN up and down the isle, but she didn't cry either. I am dreading the flight back home already. It really wasn't a fun 4 hours. But we made it and have done a lot of really neat things thus far. Here are a few highlights:

Touring the first half of the Freedom Trail. Notice the red line on the ground telling us where to go. The building behind us is the State house. The gold dome, is really 23K gold plated.


Kate at Mother Goose's grave.

The Boston Massacre occurred right in front of this building, the customs house. A Manwaring plays a pivotal (and regrettable) role in this tragedy. This Manwaring was a customs petty officer and in the building at the time of the massacre and possibly responsible for some of the shooting.. Follow this link for more details. You won't hear this family story shared at FHE! To our defence our direct Manwaring line was still in England. :) On a happier note, from the balcony seen above us the Declaration of Independence was publicly read for the first time in Boston on July 18, 1776.


Here we are in front of Fenueil Hall in Boston, MA.


This is the Salem Witch Museum. Salem is a cute little town and being October, was decorated VERY festively. I felt like I was in a make believe Halloween village or something.


A very common view on the highway. The traffic is horrible here, but it's okay since the view is so beautiful. The trees are so thick you can't even tell that there is a city just a few feet away.


Jarom MADE me put this picture in. He says to complete this sentence, "You're all dirty....." (How old is my husband again?)



We stopped at a place called Old Sturbridge Village, and outdoor museum which recreates a town in the 17th century. Many of the buildings are actually from that era, which have been restored and moved to Sturbridge Village. It was so peaceful to walk through the dirt streets with the autumn leaves crunching under our feet. I really enjoyed it there.


Looking into the commons in Old Sturbridge Village.

Going on the boat ride down the Quinabog.



We took a ride on a little river boat down the Quinabog River. The guide told us the Nipmuc Indians harvested lily-pad roots in this very area. It has not been officially verified, but evidence suggests that I have an ancestor from the Nipmuc tribe.


A cute little covered bridge. It was fun to watch the horse-drawn carriages come through the bridge.

Jarom checking out his ancestor, Joshua Harding's grave. Joshua Harding fought in the French and Indian War and also in the Revolutionary War. He died in 1797 when he was 71 years old. Isn't that amazing!
The cemetery in Sturbridge, MA where Joshua is buried is less than a mile away from the area where the Nipmuc Indians main village was. We've had fun wondering if our families knew each other almost 250 years ago. Small world isn't it?

7 comments:

Jonathan & Rachel said...

What a fun trip! You guys are making the rounds with all of your trips! Tell Jarom that I love the "Bunghole" comment..sounds like something Jeremy Manwaring would say! Glad you guys are having a good time. Good luck on the way home!

Jennifer Jamison said...

The "Bunghole" sign photo rules!! Ryan wants to save the photo as his computer wallpaper! :)

LouandAngela said...

Wow! Some interesting sights and speculations! It's neat that you know your geneologies enough to see gravesights and wonder if your families knew each other 250 years ago. I love the picture of Kate on the airplane! She looks so grown up! I bet it's kind of fun being with just one child!

Jennifer P. said...

It looks like you guys are having sooooo much fun! I spent a summer in Boston with my aunt and uncle when I was 14 and we did all the same stuff you're doing. What memories! Hope you enjoy some good Boston pizza while you're there. And concerning the Bungole Liquors, Brad would like you to see if he can build his miniature golf course next door--it's called the Putthole! Have a great trip and may you make it home safely!

Anonymous said...

Is the name Quinabog a Nipmuc name? I think I will start telling people that my name comes from an old family name.

Anonymous said...

What a cool trip! The fall leaves look so beautiful and what great historic sites! Kate really does look so grown up.

I love that there are lots of pictures of you, too-- especially since you're usually behind the camera. How fun!!

The Manwarings said...

So much,history. I'm so jealous. NOt quite as jealous as Justin, though. He's been wanting to move to Boston for years now.