Tag: American Revolution

Boston Freedom Trail

On September 17, 2018

In National Parks & Places, Travel, Uncategorized

Faneuil Hall – Boston

When planning our day in Boston, the one thing I knew I wanted to see was the Freedom Trail. Boston’s Freedom Trail is a two and a half mile route throughout the city marked with a red line that leads to 16 sites from the American Revolution. The trail begins at Faneuil Hall where we caught a free walking tour led by the National Park Service. Throughout the years, Faneuil Hall has had many purposes. The lower level is a marketplace. The second floor served as Boston’s Town Meeting Hall (above) and the third floor held the town’s armory (NPS).

U.S.S. Constitution AKA Old Ironsides

Boston Common (bottom right), Old North Church, Old South Meeting House, Paul Revere’s House, the Site of the Boston Massacre, and the U.S.S. Constitute (left) are just a few of the sites along the Freedom Trail. The trail ends at the Bunker Hill Monument which commemorates one of the first battles of the American Revolution. Unfortunately it was closed during our visit due to extreme heat.

Soldiers & Sailors Monument in Boston Common

We were able to tour the U.S.S. Constitution. The U.S.S. Constitution is the oldest commissioned naval vessel still afloat and was named by George Washington. Interestingly, “Old Ironsides” is made entirely of wood. She was given the name during the War of 1812 when British cannonballs seemed to bounce right off of her. The ship’s copper fastenings were made by Paul Revere (Freedom Trail).

If you are planning on visiting Boston, I highly recommend the National Park Service Tours. For one it doesn’t cost anything and the tour guides are highly knowledgeable. Our guide wrote her Doctoral Dissertation on Paul Revere. I’m sure those other tours don’t have guides with that kind of expertise!

There is so much to see and do and Boston and one day is really not enough time to explore it all. Boston is definitely on my list of places to return with more time!

Thanks for stopping by! If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

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Minute Man National Historic Park

By Ashleigh

On September 4, 2018

In National Parks & Places, Road Trip, Travel

Minute Man National Historic Park, located just outside of Boston, is home to many sites of significance of the first battle in the battle for American Independence. There are many sites of important historical significance located inside the park. The Battle Road Trail is a 5 mile trail that connects many of the sites within the park and would be a fun way to explore the park. Since this was our third stop of the day, we didn’t have much time to explore the park before it closed, so we drove between sites to maximize time.

The Old North Bridge, one of the sites in the park, is where the “shot hear round the world” was fired. The Minute Man statue (left) is located near the bridge and interestingly is made from seven cannons that were used in the American Civil War (wiki). A monument at the site of Paul Revere’s Capture can be seen along the Battle Road Trail. Hartwell Tavern is another stop on the trail where costumed re-enactors talk about the home turned tavern and life in Massachusetts in the late 18th century.

Pictured above is the Wayside, which is a home that has housed many famous American authors. Louisa May Alcott lived in the home as a child and it is said that her time at the Wayside inspired many scenes from Little Women. The Alcotts sold the home to Nathaniel Hawthorne (author of the Scarlet Letter and The House of Seven Gables among others) who named it The Wayside because it was so close to the road, he worried it would be mistaken for a coach stop. After Hawthorne’s death, the home was purchased by his son-in-law and author, George Parsons Lanthrop. Four years after that, Boston publisher Daniel Lothrop purchased the home with his wife, Harriet who wrote children’s books under the pen name, Margaret Sidney. In 1963 the home was named a National Landmark and joined Minute Man National park two years later (wiki).

The park is full of history and I recommend you take a trip to visit if you are in the Boston area. For more information, visit the National Park Service. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! You can purchase prints on Etsy and Fine Art America. To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page. For information about our new Guided Photography Tours, visit GuidedPhoto.com.

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Wordless Wednesday: Yorktown Clouds

By Ashleigh

On July 19, 2017

In Travel, Wordless Wednesday

B&B Trip Report: Yorktown Battlefield

By Ashleigh

On July 17, 2017

In National Parks & Places, Road Trip, Travel

Just outside of Williamsburg, on the Colonial Parkway, lies the Yorktown Battlefield. In 1781, The Americans and their French allies surrounded the British by land and sea. The British were significantly outnumbered and after three weeks of battle, General Cornwalis surrendered to General Washington. The Battle of Yorktown marked a major win for the colonists in the American Revolution and was the last of the major battles of the war. The Moore House, above, was where the two sides met to negotiate the terms of surrender. During the surrender, General Washington refused to grant the British the traditional honors of war (marching out with flags flying, bayonets fixed, and bands playing) because a year before the British had denied the Americans the same after the battle of Charleston.

Now that you’ve had your daily dose of American History, lets talk about visiting Yorktown. When you arrive at the visitor center, they tell you about Ranger-led programs, a video you can watch, and other ways you can explore the battlefield and learn about the history. We made the mistake of doing all of it. That may not sound bad, but between the video, the costumed reenactor, and the driving tour I felt like I had heard the story a million times. I really appreciated the costumed reenactor (I believe he was Thomas Nelson, the Governor of Virginia after Thomas Jefferson returned to Monticello) and I feel like I got the most out of that. The driving tour is nice if you want to actually see the sites, but, unless you have a love of cheesy acting, I would skip the movie.

Don’t miss next week’s post where I take you to Jamestowne! Thanks for stopping by! To plan your visit to Yorktown, visit the National Park Service. If you like my photos be sure to “like” my Facebook Page, follow me on Instagram, and Flickr! To see inside my camera bag, check out my Gear Page.

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