The city of Plymouth is the beginning of a journey through the northeastern region of America, referred to as New England, which is where the first European settlers landed in the 17th century after stepping off the Mayflower. The ‘Plimouth Plantation’ is a reconstruction of the Pilgrim Fathers’ original settlement, with ‘settlers’ in original costume going about their daily routine.
In the centre of Boston, Copley Square features the Trinity Church, which contrasts with the modern Hancock Tower that dominates the skyline and Park Street Church was where in 1829, William Garrison gave his first anti-slavery speech. In the adjacent Granary Burial Ground, some of America’s most famous sons are buried, such as John Hancock, Samuel Adams and Paul Revere.
Portsmouth is a quaint little harbor town, at the mouth of the Piscataqua River, in which this fishing harbor still plays an important role. Pretty brick houses are gems of colonial architecture that remain untainted by tourism.
Brunswick is a deceptively small town situated at the mouth of the Casco Bay and the Androscoggin River. The main attraction of this 270 year old town is Bowdoin College, in which theologian Calvin Stowe taught, husband of Harriet Beecher Stowe who wrote Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
The fishing town of Rockland is one of the largest exporters of lobster in the USA. There’s nowhere better to enjoy fresher, tastier and more varied seafood than on this part of the coast. Indeed, three quarters of American lobsters and other fish are prepared here.
Established in 1919, Acadia National Park extends across most of Mount Desert Island and it was private individuals, particularly the billionaire John Rockefeller, who gifted this land to the State. It is now a collection of conservation areas that assures the preservation of this unique East Coast combination of lakes and mountains.
New England is the traditional face of the United States…and the heart of America’s past.