Salem Maritime National Historic Site
September 7, 2015
Our first stop was Salem, Massachusetts. There we visited the Salem Maritime National Historic Site. This nine-acre National Park tell the stories of the sailors,
Revolutionary War privateers, and merchants who brought the riches of
the world to America.
Custom House
After exploring the wharf area and the visitor center, we took the trolley tour to get a better look at the city of Salem. There were souvenir shops and museums capitalizing on the Salem Witch Trials, but other than that the city itself has some beautiful neighborhoods and coastline views.
Saugus Iron Works National Historic Site
September 7, 2015
We visited a second site, the Saugus Iron Works. This park includes working waterwheels, hot forges, mills, an historic 17th century home and a lush river basin.
We visited a second site, the Saugus Iron Works. This park includes working waterwheels, hot forges, mills, an historic 17th century home and a lush river basin.
Lowell National Historical Park
September 8, 2015
This park is unique in that it is an urban National Park. We spent some time in the Visitor Center and decided to sign up for the 2:30 pm trolley tour. We walked down to the Boott Mills Museum. This museum is very well done and tells the story of the textile mills in Lowell and their ultimate demise. One room has multiple looms running, which was loud but very interesting to watch how fabric was made. We took a break to have some lunch and then made our way to the Mill Girls exhibit. The trolley tour was hosted by Ranger Victor and he took us to Wannalancit Mills. Here we could see how water created the power needed to run the mills.
This park is unique in that it is an urban National Park. We spent some time in the Visitor Center and decided to sign up for the 2:30 pm trolley tour. We walked down to the Boott Mills Museum. This museum is very well done and tells the story of the textile mills in Lowell and their ultimate demise. One room has multiple looms running, which was loud but very interesting to watch how fabric was made. We took a break to have some lunch and then made our way to the Mill Girls exhibit. The trolley tour was hosted by Ranger Victor and he took us to Wannalancit Mills. Here we could see how water created the power needed to run the mills.
Acadia National Park
September 9, 2015
The Visitor Center in Acadia National
Park was a complete zoo! We had not expected that it would be so busy,
but Acadia is one of the most visited National Parks. We saw the film and then headed out on the
Park Loop. It was still foggy so being
able to see the coastline was difficult.
The rest of the scenery was truly beautiful. The trees were just beginning to change
colors in some places but for the most part everything was lush and green. We drove up to the top of Cadillac Mountain
and took in some amazing vistas. We drove down to Sand Beach and
I took my shoes off and got in the water a bit.
It was a somewhat cold, but not as chilly as Santa Cruz.
We stopped at Jordan’s Pond and encountered a big crowd. There is a restaurant there where
you can eat outside next to the pond. We
walked to the pond, took some photos and then hit the gift shop before getting back into the car. We ventured off the
main loop and drove along the coast. It
was great to get away from all the crowds to see the “real Maine.” The rocky coast and old houses were what we
had hoped to see and it was exactly as we had imagined.
St. Croix International Park
September 10, 2015
Today we drove north up the Maine Coast to visit two international parks. Our first stop was St. Croix. This is a very small park with a visitor center and an interpretive trail, where you can look toward St. Croix Island. This spot was where the French settled, but they encountered numerous hardships and they ultimately decided to relocate. The drive to this park was filled with great water vistas: bays, coastlines, and rivers. Maine is a water lover’s paradise.
Today we drove north up the Maine Coast to visit two international parks. Our first stop was St. Croix. This is a very small park with a visitor center and an interpretive trail, where you can look toward St. Croix Island. This spot was where the French settled, but they encountered numerous hardships and they ultimately decided to relocate. The drive to this park was filled with great water vistas: bays, coastlines, and rivers. Maine is a water lover’s paradise.
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