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Thursday, August 4, 2011

America's Hometown, Plymouth, Massachusetts, USA

Plymouth Harbor is home of the vessel Mayflower 2, a replica constructed in the mid-1950's of the original Mayflower that carried the Pilgrims from England to the "New World" in 1620.  The replica was built in Devonshire, England by private donations from folks in both countries and sailed to the United States in 1957.
The original Mayflower journey took 66 days with 102 passengers and crew of 25-30 in a vessel approx 100 feet long by 25 feet wide.  They arrived on November 11, remained living on board the ship until spring, and when the winter ended barely half the colony was still alive. Imagine all those people living in those cold New England winter conditions in a space smaller than a tennis court.  Some hearty folk those Pilgrims.  According to the Mayflower Society, there are approx 10 million descendants from that original group.

A few hundred yards south of the Mayflower is the Plymouth Rock Memorial which shelters Plymouth Rock.  About a million tourists annually come from far and wide to gaze at the stone.  Maybe they are all descendants? (I doubt the little dog is though.  If any of his ancestors survived the trip they would probably  have ended up as dinner for hungry Pilgrims.)

The red arrow indicates "Plymouth Rock."  Impressive, right?

And speaking of impressive, who would have guessed that the Tin Man from the Wizard of Oz would have chosen Plymouth to retire.  Since the Scarecrow predeceased him and hid his oilcan however, he has become quite rusty. But in a twist of irony, he now serves as a "scarecrow" in this garden. Bet the great and powerful Oz didn't foresee that happening. It is not known if the Wizard is a descendant of the Pilgrims since he hails from Kansas -  but he could be.

This bee and this flower are not known descendants of the Mayflower - but they could be.

It is suspected that this rock (red arrow) in Bartlett Pond might be the real rock where the Pilgrims landed but was subsequently switched with the other rock by fun loving students during a drunken bender on a bet.  It does not yet have "1620" chiseled into it as does the "real" rock. The kayaker is not a known direct descendant of the Pilgrims - but he could be.

It is not known if the Pilgrims created this road through a typical pine forest in southeastern Massachusetts - but they could have.

It is also not known if any descendants of the Pilgrims have ever stayed in this typical cottage - but they could have.


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