Six states in three weeks

We've covered some distance over the last few weeks and packed in quite a lot of sightseeing.

First stop - Boston, Massachusetts. The city is very compact and easy to get around on foot.

We took a guided walking tour of the Freedom Trail, a 2.5mile/4km walk covering 16 locations that are significant to the country's history. We started our journey at Boston Common, up to the Massachusetts State House, past the Park Street Church to Granary Burying Ground (where revolutionaries Samuel Adams, John Hancock and Paul Revere are buried) to name just a few. At the site of the Boston Massacre, we learned how 5 (yes, five - the guide said they like to exaggerate here) people were killed by British troops in 1770, and the propaganda that fueled the animosity towards the British authorities.

We also learnt more about the Boston Tea Party, which happened largely as a result of "Taxation without representation" and the colonists believed they were being taxed unfairly by Britain to pay for the war with France and India.  340 chests of British East India Company tea, weighing of 92,000 pounds and aboard 3 ships, were smashed open and dumped into Boston Harbour on the evening of December 16, 1773. It was worth in excess of £9,600, which is approx. $2m today. No-one was hurt and nothing was stolen or looted from the ships. The protest was a very costly blow to the British. As a result, a number of Acts were passed and the American colonists responded with protests and resistance which ultimately led to the American Revolution which began on April 19th 1775.

On the way back from Boston, we stopped at Plymouth where the Pilgrims first stepped ashore in December, 1620. The Mayflower II is a replica of the original and Plymouth Rock was three times larger than the one we now see below.

We also had a wonderful sunset on the way back

Next stop - Nantucket, a small island off Cape Cod. The buildings are clad in clapboard or unpainted cedar-shingles, with many surrounded by manicured hedges. The town of Nantucket has many cobblestoned streets and is very quaint. We took a bus tour narrated by a local and it was very interesting. Famous visitors and residents include Joe Biden (Vice President), Bill and Hilary Clinton, Tommy Hilfiger's ex wife (she got the house), Sharon Stone, Bill Gates and many other 'names'

We saw another glorious sunset from the ferry on our return to the mainland

Another day trip, this time to Martha's Vineyard. This island is larger than Nantucket and is just south of Cape Cod. It's also known as 'Hollywood East' although celebrities come here to enjoy the atmosphere and not to be seen. Many of the country's most affluent families enjoy a century-old tradition of spending their summers here. We bought a bus pass and had a lovely day touring the island on our own. We also had the best Haddock and chips that we've eaten in a long time, from the Vinehaven fish market.

Gay Head Cliffs and lighthouse at the western end of the island

Another day, another trip, this time to Salem, Gloucester and Rockport,

Salem was first settled in 1626 and is considered one of the most significant seaports in Puritan American history. It is also seen as the birthplace of the US National Guard. In 1637, the first muster was held on Salem Common and was the the first time militia had drilled for the common defense of a community.

It is most famous for its witch trials held in 1692, where nearly 200 people in the area were accused of witchcraft and 20 were tried and executed.  

From Salem, we followed the scenic by-way to Manchester-by-the-sea, Gloucester and Rockport, lovely seaside towns. 

From Massachusetts we headed west though Rhode Island to Connecticut. We based ourselves just outside New Haven so we could visit Long Island in the car.

On the way, we called in at Flushing Meadows, Queens. This was the site of the 1939/1940 New York's World's Fair and also hosted the 1964/1965 NY World's Fair. A number of movies have been filmed here, including Men In Black II .

We also got a great view of New York from one of the bridges.

On to Coney Island, well known as a site of amusement parks and a beach resort, all of which were quite empty as we visited during the week and all the kids were back at school.

From here, we continued to Fire Island, a thin barrier island of the southern shore of Long Island. It has protected beaches and the 19th century Fire Island Lighthouse on the western tip.

We decided to take the ferry back to the mainland and passed many vineyards en-route. Unfortunately, we didn't have time to visit any of them. 

The ferry back, MV Cape Henlopen, was previously known as USS LST-510, a tank landing ship that delivered here cargo and disembarked her troops on Omaha Beach, Normandy on D-Day, 5th June 1944.  

Then we started our journey north and spent a few days in Henniker, New Hampshire. From here we visited White Mountain National Forest and Mount Washington. We drove the 8 mile trail up the mountain to the summit, where the highest wind ever observed by man was recorded at 231 miles per hour.  The summit stage office is still chained to the ground. The last half mile was in the clouds and by the time we got to the top (elevation 6,288ft), the ground was frozen, and so was I

The views on the way down were magnificent

Now we're up in Burlington, Vermont (on Lake Champlain)

We've slowed the pace now while we wait and watch the colours change. A visit to Ben and Jerry's ice cream factory, a few creameries for the local cheeses (still more to visit), the local farmers market and a brewery - I could get used to this :-)