Floating Down Swan River, Cape Cod

Cruising down Swan River on Cape Cod, deep enough only for a kayak or a flat bottomed paddle boat. You wind along watching herons, and gulls, and the occasional artist and easel on the green banks.

Marshes, where the critters live, and kids with pails of clams waving to you from a dock, where they live.

You aim for the narrow opening under the bridge that runs under Lower County Road. Eventually, after a few more gentle twists and turns, you are rewarded by the a sight that certainly should not be unexpected, but somehow is…the place where fresh salt breezes smack you in the face and the water becomes wide, and deep, and suddenly choppy. Nantucket Sound. All yours. Or so it seems for a moment.

But you dare not leave the safety of the slow-moving river in your little craft. You have to turn around and go back.

In another minute.

Pres. Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site - Plymouth Notch, Vermont

The boyhood home of President Calvin Coolidge in Plymouth Notch, Vermont, is currently undergoing renovation.

On August 23, 1923, President Warren G. Harding died, and Vice President Coolidge, who was up here at his parents’ home on vacation, received the shocking news from Washington. A few minutes later, Coolidge placed his hand on the family bible. His father, a notary public, administered the oath of office, making his son President of the United States. The simple protocol was undertaken by the light of a kerosene lamp.

This quiet, rural farmhouse entered history. Even “Silent Cal”, looking back on the event, understood the remarkable greatness and poignancy of the moment.

"It seemed a simple and natural thing to do at the time,” he wrote, “but I can now realize something of the dramatic force of the event."

The President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site is comprised of 560 acres and several buildings, all preserved as they were, including a general store, barns, church, and the dance hall that was referred to as the Summer White House of the Coolidge presidency. That one’s a little hard to imagine, isn’t it? You’re just going to have to see for yourself. But not this season, there’s too much work to be done. Put it on your calendar for next year, after they’ve got it all spruced up for you.

For more on the President Calvin Coolidge State Historic Site, have a look at this website.

Rockport Beach Roses

When the Scots poet Robert Burns wrote “My Love is Like a Red, Red, Rose” in 1794, he likely did not envision something as common and prosaic as wild beach roses growing off the rocky coast of Rockport, Massachusetts, pink and white, thriving in the sandy soil, stung by salty breezes.

But, he did mention June, and the seas, and rocks melting with the sun. Close enough.


O my Luve's like a red, red rose
That’s newly sprung in June;
O my Luve's like the melodie
That’s sweetly play'd in tune.

As fair art thou, my bonnie lass,
So deep in luve am I:
And I will luve thee still, my dear,
Till a’ the seas gang dry:

Till a’ the seas gang dry, my dear,
And the rocks melt wi’ the sun:
I will luve thee still, my dear,
While the sands o’ life shall run.

And fare thee weel, my only Luve
And fare thee weel, a while!
And I will come again, my Luve,
Tho’ it were ten thousand mile.

You Are Here: The Pioneer Valley

You are here: driving down Route 5 (that’s “root”) crossing over the state line from Vermont to Massachusetts, and entering that other less official geographic entity of The Pioneer Valley, where the mighty Connecticut River holds court in a wide river basin rimed by blue hills, carved by the last glaciers that pulled out oh, let’s see, some time ago it was. Leaving fertile farmland, and a mess of dinosaur footprints. Have a look at this previous post for more on that.

Sankaty Lighthouse - Nantucket, Massachusetts

Here is Sankaty Head Light, on eastern end of Nantucket. Almost three years ago, it was moved back 405 feet from the eroding edge of the cliff on which it stood for nearly 150 years.

Built in 1850, the brick and granite Sankaty lighthouse (pronounced “sank-ity) was constructed in the village of Siasconset (pronounced “sconsit”), to serve a most perilous stretch of water, where numerous wrecks occurred off Nantucket. It was reportedly the first lighthouse in the U.S. with a Fresnel lens, brought from Paris, and was in its day the most powerful light in New England.

It was converted to electricity in 1933, and the original Fresnel lens removed in 1950, replaced by a modern beacon. (See the original lens on display at the Nantucket Whaling Museum). The light was automated in 1965.

Safely pushed back from the edge of oblivion, now at 250 feet away from the bluff and rather close to the fifth hole at the Sankaty Golf Course, the lighthouse remains an important part of the community, especially to those devoted volunteers who raised money to see their lighthouse safe.

For more information on Sankaty Head Light, have a look here.

And also for more history of this lighthouse, with some great stories about the lighthouse keepers, and a lighthouse ghost, have a look at this website.

This site provides information on the moving of the lighthouse, and also offers a book on the subject.

Note: The photo above was taken when the lighthouse was in its original location, before the move.

Pledge of Allegiance Marker - Westfield, Massachusetts

Monday is Flag Day. Here on the Westfield, Massachusetts town common is the Pledge of Allegiance on a great big plaque in front of the ship’s mast flagpole, just for handy reference.

Brigham's - Springfield, Massachusetts

Here an early 20th century photo of Brigham’s, the downtown Springfield, Massachusetts clothing store. The photo is on display at the new Springfield history museum, now established as the Lyman and Merrie Wood Museum of Springfield History, an excellent museum which we’ll certainly discuss at another time. We visited Brigham’s in this earlier post.

Here, a 1948 ad touting the store as carrying “Apparel and Accessories from Head to Foot.” You can buy your L‘Aiglon dress on the 3rd floor.