(Note that I created this post about two weeks ago but completely forgot to finish it. Oops.)
The last weekend of April my dad took a quick business trip to CT, NH and MA and we were able to grab some meals and conversation while he was here.
We also spent the bulk of Saturday together and spent the afternoon at
Minute Man National Historical Park. The park hosts Concord's North Bridge where the
shot heard 'round the world was (mis-?)fired, and several miles of the road along which rebels and redcoats picked each other off.
The main visitor center has a multi-media presentation that helps lay out the events and geography of the night and day that began the Revolution. Our only complaint was the volume of the sound effects... little Ray jumped more than once!
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| Minute Man statue by Daniel Chester French |
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| It all began here |
After you cross the bridge and hike up the hill, you can stand near the place where the militia watched the British troops march from the town they had just shot up and set on fire. They decided to hold them at the bridge and demand their surrender. While facing off on the bridge, a British soldier fired with no order given. That shot instigated the unusual battle that followed along Battle Road as the British fled for safety.
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| North Bridge reconstruction |
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| The Hancock, one of the infamous cannons that instigated the British Army's march to the weapons cache in Concord. Their objective was to recover four cannons and destroy the munitions they discovered. |
Although I'm sure I had learned this history in grade school, I didn't realize how many details I had forgotten. It was good to be reminded and a little more connected to our country's past. Hopefully we will make more of an effort to visit other important sites and continue to appreciate the sacrifices that were made for our freedoms.
Such intense activity meant a lot of good eating! We discovered a tiny cafe in Concord called
Helen's, and we loved it! It was worth the wait (even though I was famished) because the food was excellent.
I made sure to send my dad home with something to remember us by.
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| A sweet birthday treat from NE |
