We explored the USS Constitution, aka “Old Ironsides”, the oldest commissioned ship in the United States Navy. It is operated by the Navy in partnership with Boston National Historical Park.
park
Boston National Historical Park
We visited the Boston National Historical Park in Massachusetts, and walked about half of the Freedom Trail.
An interactive map of our walking route:
Faneuil Hall:
The Freedom Trail:
Irish Famine Memorial:
Ironically a popular place to eat lunch:
Latin School memorial:
Graveyard:
Boston Common:
Massachusetts State House:
MLK sculpture:
Visitor info and the end (or start) of the Freedom Trail:
Back to Faneuil Hall:
Cape Cod National Seashore
We took a drive out to the Cape Cod National Seashore in Massachusetts.
Here’s an interactive map of our route:
Entering Cape Cod:
A small visitor center at a rest area:
Salt Pond Visitor Center:
Map:
Shells:
Other exhibits:
Pond:
Boat:
Highland Lighthouse:
Province Lands Visitor Center:
Three Sisters Lighthouses:
Nauset Light:
Acadia National Park: Schoodic Peninsula
We drove to the Schoodic Peninsula in Acadia National Park in Maine, including the Rockefeller Welcome Center in historic Rockefeller Hall and Schoodic Point.
Here’s an interactive map of our route:
The welcome center in Schoodic Education and Research Center:
Acadia National Park: Cadillac Mountain sunrise
There’s only one part of Acadia National Park that requires a timed entry ticket, and that’s the Cadillac Mountain summit road. It is a popular place to visit, especially for dawn, as it is (for part of the year) the first place in the US to see the sunrise. We managed to snag one of the limited sunrise tickets, and got up at 3 AM to experience it.
Here’s an interactive map of our route:
Acadia National Park: west loop
We drove the west-side loop in Acadia National Park in Maine, including Carroll Family Homestead, the Seawall area, and the iconic Bass Harbor Head Light Station.
Here’s an interactive map of our route, with some alternative stops marked:
Southwest Harbor:
Acadia National Park: east loop
We drove around the main park loop in Acadia National Park in Maine, including the main visitor center, a nature center, Thunder Hole, and Jordan Pond.
Here’s an interactive map of our route:
The Wild Gardens of Acadia:
Thunder Hole Gift Shop:
Thunder Hole:
We went to Jordan Pond House for dinner:
Jordan Pond:
Salem Maritime National Historic Site
We visited the Salem Maritime National Historic Site in Salem, Massachusetts. It was the first National Historic Site in the US, established March 17, 1938.
The Salem Armory Visitor Center:
Custom House:
A couple of neighboring buildings in the park:
Waterfront:
Light:
Fort Williams Park & Portland Head Light
We kinda visited Fort Williams Park & Portland Head Light in Portland, Maine.
I say kinda as we went into the park, but the parking wasn’t cooperating, so we just left again.
An interactive map of the park:
Entrance sign:
Portland Head Light, dimly visible in the marine layer haze:
That’s about it. Would have been nice to explore more, but sometimes it doesn’t work out.
Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park
We briefly visited the Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller National Historical Park in Woodstock, Vermont.
Billings Farm visitor center, which serves as the visitor center for the NHP when its one is closed, as it was when we visited:
The Marsh-Billings-Rockefeller Mansion:
Info sign:
Pool:
The mansion again:
An interesting place.