People are usually disappointed when they see this

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.


PilgrimMonumentbasrelief.jpg First-Landing-Park.jpg
 

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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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".
 
We made a side trip one time after visiting the big to do in Brimfield Mass. I am so glad we didnt make a special trip.
We toured the museums and ate at Lobster Hut. I was disapointed too but now I can say I saw some rock by the ocean. :D
 
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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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