Plymouth Rock…where the pilgrims MIGHT have landed?
Note from PugsleyTonks: Once again, special thanks to Goosebuster for his willingness to contribute another post to the blog. If you are willing to share your weird and unique travel experience, please drop me an email and we will work through it. Now….shall we travel with Goosebuster to the 10 ton boulder where it all started…
I realize I am skating on thin ice when it comes to the blog criteria. Plymouth Rock is not exactly a little known site. But, while everyone has heard of the pilgrims landing at Plymouth Rock…did they really? Besides the Rock, my wife and I also visited the Monument to the Forefathers. So, according to established PugsleyTonks precedent, my wife really liked these monuments…therefore, I write about them.
We are kind of sure the pilgrims landed here…
Last year, I was one of the million visitors to the pilgrims’ landing spot at Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts. In my Plymouth Rock research, I learned some new things. First, the pilgrims actually made landfall on the tip of Cape Cod first..but, then moved on to the safer real estate of Plymouth. Second, it was not until 1741 that they actually discovered the Rock and decided that the Rock was the spot of landfall in 1620. And third…they actually BROKE the Rock. Yes, in 1774, the people of Plymouth decided to move the rock to Town Square and broke it. It has since been glued back together and holds a prominent spot on the shore. As far as damaged, repaired rocks go, it’s a good rock. But it’s just a rock! If you need more meat to your visit, do not miss one of my wife’s favorite statues less than a mile away… the Monument to the Forefathers.
Faith…reportedly was an influence to the much later design of the Statue of Liberty…I can see it
Setting on top of a hill in a quiet little neighborhood, my wife and I observed the world’s largest, solid granite monument called the Monument to the Forefathers, completed in 1888. This awesome 81’ tall monument is positioned to look out over the Plymouth Harbor. On the main pedestal stands “Faith” with her right hand pointing toward heaven and her left hand clutching the Bible. On the four sides of the base, the figures representing Morality, Law, Education, and Liberty are seated. Under each of those figures is another scene depicting the Prophet and Evangelist, Justice and Mercy, Youth and Wisdom, and Tyranny Overthrown and Peace respectively. There is a lot symbolism on the figures and it takes some time, but it’s very interesting to read the panels. The names of the Mayflower passengers are also inscribed on one panel. Some say that this monument holds the recipe for a civilized nation. I wonder if anyone will ever try to use it
Thanks to PugsleyTonks for allowing me to share our visit to Plymouth. Faith and morality are always topics my wife and I like to foster in PugsleyTonks. As stated before, my wife and I do not seek out the popular local watering holes. However, the locals did refer us to the Speedwell Tavern. It’s a short walk from the rock through a very nice park. The food was great, but I have no idea whether PBR was served or not. Goosebuster
