People are usually disappointed when they see this

MoBeans

MoBeans

Member
We travel not far from this historic site a couple times a year so we always pay it a visit. It's fun to see people's reactions. I'm sure they have something more majestic in mind because invariably when they first see it they say "Is that all there is?". It marks the 1620 site of the Plymouth colony and is designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Contrary to some people's belief, it isn't where the Pilgrims first landed in America.

But yep that's all there is, of Plymouth Rock.

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Most people are more impressed by the full scale replica of their ship, the Mayflower II which is right next door.

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The Pilgrims actually first landed at Provincetown on Cape Cod and explored the Cape for more than a month before they sailed across the bay to Plymouth harbor. They rejected us mainly because Cape Cod is a big sandbar sticking out into the Atlantic and not a great site for starting a colony. They did find fresh water at Pilgrim Spring (it's all Pilgrim all the time here) and according to their records "of which we were heartily glad and sat us down and drunk our first New England water". We hiked the trail to Pilgrim Spring once and discovered a small dry hole in the ground with a beer can in it. Another great Pilgrim disappointment.

P-Town erected the large Pilgrim Monument that celebrates the first landing. There is small park called Pilgrim's First Landing Park with a small square stone and plaque, in the middle of a roundabout on the outside of town marking where they stepped ashore. I bet hardly anyone visiting P-Town even knows it's there.


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Not interested in the Nor East or West coasts.
Been there, waste of times. Mexico, wasted times too.
Bunch of H____ places. ... :coffee: ...
 
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MoBeans said:
We travel not far from this historic site a couple times a year so we always pay it a visit. It's fun to see people's reactions. I'm sure they have something more majestic in mind because invariably when they first see it they say "Is that all there is?". It marks the 1620 site of the Plymouth colony and is designated a U.S. National Historic Landmark. Contrary to some people's belief, it isn't where the Pilgrims first landed in America.

But yep that's all there is, of Plymouth Rock.

View attachment 442567

Most people are more impressed by the full scale replica of their ship, the Mayflower II which is right next door.

View attachment 442579


The Pilgrims actually first landed at Provincetown on Cape Cod and explored the Cape for more than a month before they sailed across the bay to Plymouth harbor. They rejected us mainly because Cape Cod is a big sandbar sticking out into the Atlantic and not a great site for starting a colony. They did find fresh water at Pilgrim Spring (it's all Pilgrim all the time here) and according to their records "of which we were heartily glad and sat us down and drunk our first New England water". We hiked the trail to Pilgrim Spring once and discovered a small dry hole in the ground with a beer can in it. Another great Pilgrim disappointment.

P-Town erected the large Pilgrim Monument that celebrates the first landing. There is small park called Pilgrim's First Landing Park with a small square stone and plaque, in the middle of a roundabout on the outside of town marking where they stepped ashore. I bet hardly anyone visiting P-Town even knows it's there.


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Thanks for the lovely photos and historical information, @MoBeans! It's always fascinating to see a bit of live history besides what we read in school.
 
The rock is a fake. So not only is it a let down to see but its a representation not an authentic piece of history.

When I visited Plymouth in 2018, the Mayflower 2 was in dry dock at Mystic Seaport Museum getting an overhaul.

Luckily we went Mystic Seaport Museum before going to Plymouth.

Mayflower 2 being brought in for maintenance at Mystic Seaport Museum in CT. My daughter standing near the Mayflower 2 in Mystic Seaport.



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The best thing we did in PLymouth was take the sunset cruise.

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The Old North Bridge in Minuteman National Historical Park, is a replica of the Bridge in the Battle of Concord, but it is known to be not the original bridge crossed in April 1775. "And fired the shot heard round the world".
 
It's literally called Plymouth Rock. I would expect to see a rock.

It's a memorial that's just a rock instead of just a plaque, and it's a shame some people focus on the object instead of what it represents. That's disappointing.


That said, I remember being let down during a trip to the Holy Land with my Jewish mom and Catholic grandma. Our tour guide took us on a hike to see a temple or something (I forget what), and stopped at a little pile of rocks no more than 2-feet across and 8-inches high.

When I asked where the building was, he said "This is what's left of it."

Later, when we paused on a bare spot of dirt and I asked where that temple was, he said "You're standing on it."
It was about 50-feet underground.

To me, that trip was a total waste of time, but I'd done zero research beforehand and, to be honest, had little interest in the history. I was young. I'd look at it much differently today.
 
Murrmurr said:
It's literally called Plymouth Rock. I would expect to see a rock.

It's a memorial that's just a rock instead of just a plaque, and it's a shame some people focus on the object instead of what it represents. That's disappointing.


That said, I remember being let down during a trip to the Holy Land with my Jewish mom and Catholic grandma. Our tour guide took us on a hike to see a temple or something (I forget what), and stopped at a little pile of rocks no more than 2-feet across and 8-inches high.

When I asked where the building was, he said "This is what's left of it."

Later, when we paused on a bare spot of dirt and I asked where that temple was, he said "You're standing on it."
It was about 50-feet underground.

To me, that trip was a total waste of time, but I'd done zero research beforehand and, to be honest, had little interest in the history. I was young. I'd look at it much differently today.
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There is a tremendous historical significance to the area which I can't imagine is lost on people visiting, but virtually everybody that I have seen when they first see Plymouth Rock says "Is that all there is?" or something to the effect.

Rocks come in all sizes. I think people's preconceived mental image of it is something like a huge outcropping with a statue of a guy wearing a Pilgrim hat with an arrow through it stepping ashore carrying a turkey. Actually it was recorded in the 1700's (long after the event), that Mary Chilton was the first passenger to step ashore. She was a 13 year old girl so excited to be there she supposedly jumped out of the boat and waded ashore before anyone else. Who knows, but it makes for a nice legend.
 
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ohioboy said:
The Old North Bridge in Minuteman National Historical Park, is a replica of the Bridge in the Battle of Concord, but it is known to be not the original bridge crossed in April 1775. "And fired the shot heard round the world".
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My seventh great grand uncle and his nephew, my 6th ggf were at Concord. Nathaniel Page at 77 yrs was a Coronet or flag bearer and his nephew Josiah Page was a Minuteman.

My 13th ggf was William Bradford of the Mayflower, and his wife. He was quite a guy.
 
MoBeans said:
... it was recorded in the 1700's (long after the event), that Mary Chilton was the first passenger to step ashore. She was a 13 year old girl so excited to be there she supposedly jumped out of the boat and waded ashore before anyone else. Who knows, but it makes for a nice legend.
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No doubt extremely anxious to get off the freaking boat after months at sea.
 
Murrmurr said:
It's literally called Plymouth Rock. I would expect to see a rock.
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I did expect to see a rock, a huge one like one in my yard. This rock had been talked about so much in elementary school, as certain subjects were beaten to death, that I expected great things.

I see your point about it being a memorial. Wikipedia thinks so too. I do not like how it's touted to be the actual Plymouth Rock. At least no tried to fool people about the Mayflower.
 
I enjoyed going to Plimoth Plantation, before the fire 1992 that killed so many animals that were bred to look like the animals of the Pilgrim's time.
The animals made a big impression on me. My husband and I were standing next to a fence that he could see over, but I could not. I smelled the worst smell ever. So I got on a nearby log to see what it was.

It was a pig, black, with lost of bristles, hair, whatever it's called. I didn't know that. I thought pigs were pink and smooth (I had seen one from a distance once).

For no reason that I can think of, after that fire, it just wasn't the same going there.
 
WheatenLover said:
I did expect to see a rock, a huge one like one in my yard. This rock had been talked about so much in elementary school, as certain subjects were beaten to death, that I expected great things.

I see your point about it being a memorial. Wikipedia thinks so too. I do not like how it's touted to be the actual Plymouth Rock. At least no tried to fool people about the Mayflower.
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I agree 100%. It should be advertised as a memorial representation, and I don't think the number of visitors would drop significantly. People go see it because they're moved by the history, you know? It's a very specific site....about a specific event, I mean, so it appeals to people with that particular interest or curiosity.
 
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