Monday, April 27, 2015

Spring Break Field Trip Part 2 - Lexington and Concord, MA

I respectfully ask that you not pin pictures of my children to Pinterest. Thank you!

The next leg of our spring break field trip was farther north in Lexington and Concord, Massachusetts (aka not Boston).
We finished our three days in Philly, checked out of the hotel, and hit the road.

After a 5 1/2 hour car ride, we made it to Lexington, MA.
We started in the Visitor's Center to look around and purchase tickets to see Buckman Tavern. My original plan was to take the Liberty Ride trolley tour but it wasn't open when we traveled. Two of the three historical houses were also closed. (Tip: travel later in April if you go.)
We took the self-guided audio tour of Buckman Tavern which was well-done.
At the end of the tour, you are led upstairs to an exhibit gallery which presents info pertaining to where the Revolutionary War started... Lexington or Concord? They give you the opportunity to cast your vote too.
The winning town? This quote sums it up:
"Whatever was done, Massachusetts did it."

After the tour we headed outside to check out Lexington Green



So you'll see us huddled up and holding umbrellas... that's because it was snowing. In mid-April. Snowing! We hadn't packed clothing for freezing temperatures so we were, well, freezing.
Because it was so cold, we skipped:
the U.S.S. Lexington Memorial (located adjacent to the Visitors Center), the Old Belfry, and the Old Burying Ground.

Next we headed over to Minute Man National Historical Park. They had a great movie presentation in the Visitor's Center along with some exhibits and of course, a gift shop. We didn't stay long because we wanted to get to the Concord visitor center before it closed. They did give us a map of Battle Road Trail. We drove along it as we headed to the North Bridge Visitor Center. There's a free audio tour via cell phone as you drive the route.

We made it to Concord with just enough time to look at the exhibits in the Visitor Center and watch a short informational film. This movie is skippable if you just watched all the other movies at all the other parks and visitor centers. 
A piece of the original Old North Bridge
Last stop on this rainy/snowy day, Sleepy Hollow Cemetery. Along Author's Ridge, the graves of Louisa May Alcott, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry Thoreau, and Nathaniel Hawthorne lie.
Other random bits:
There are lots of free things in the Lexington/Concord area. A full day would probably be enough time. We were rushed because we didn't arrive until after lunch, and most of the sites closed at 5pm.
If you are outdoorsy, the Minute Man Historical Park had beautiful trails to hike and bike. You could walk the Battle Road Trail and see all of the noted buildings.
Oh, and yeah, pretty much everything is outside so don't pick a day when the temperature is only about 25 degrees.

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