National parks and historic sites are wonderful places to soak up learning while enjoying the beauty of nature and getting a bit of much-needed exercise. One such park -
Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord, Mass. - turned out to be one of the most impressive parks I've ever had the privilege to visit. No escaping history here - it's embedded in every inch of the place.
My husband Jack and I stopped here on the way back home to from a vacation in Boothbay Harbor, Maine, and quickly learned that taking even close to all this park has to offer would require a full day at least. Nearly every inch of the five-mile Battle Road Trail from Concord to Lexington - both historic cities in their own right - is filled with restored buildings and places that bring the story of the American Revolution to life.
If I had to pick a favorite spot, it would be the scenic North Bridge. A highlight is the Minute Man statue, a sculpture by Daniel Chester French honoring the citizen-soldiers of 1775. It was here, at a wooden bridge that spans the Concord River, that the Revolutionary War officially began when British troops fired a volley that killed two "Minute Men" at the other end of the bridge. In retaliation, Maj. John Buttrick of Concord ordered his soldiers to return fire - killing two British soldiers and marking the first time American soldiers had fired on the Redcoats. The significance of that battle was from that time on to be considered, in the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, "The shot heard 'round the world."
The existing bridge is a restoration that was completed in 2005. It replaced one built on the site in 1956, which was the fifth one to be erected since the original was dismantled in 1788.
After spending some time in and around the North Bridge Visitor Center, we drove on to stop at other sites, including the spot where Paul Revere's famous "midnight ride" came to a halt with his capture and the historic Hartwell Tavern.
Hartwell Tavern, by the way, is a must-see. Once the home of Ephraim and Elizabeth Hartwell and their children, it also served as a tavern where folks traveling to and from Boston often stopped. Now fully restored, the tavern and surroundings are picturesque, and costumed park interpreters conduct periodic demonstrations like musket-firing.
Still other sights along the way include Meriam's Corner, Emerson House, the Samuel Brooks House, the Job Brooks House, the Noah Brooks Tavern, and the Olive Stowe House, to name just a few. The Wayside, just west of Meriam's Corner, is where 19th-century authors helped create literature that would keep alive the spirit of the American Revolution. It was here that Louisa May Alcott spent her childhood years, providing inspiration for
Little Women. It was also the only home ever owned by Nathaniel Hawthorne, who gave it its name as well.