Day 95
We departed Canterbury and headed back to the Concord Walmart to park the coach. We drove the car into downtown and did a self-guided tour of the State House. The State House is the oldest continuously used legislative chambers in the U.S. having opened in 1819. The Senate has 20 members but the House has 400 and they meet 6 months a year all at an annual salary of $100. When I inquired why such a large House of Representatives, I was informed that it was larger at one time and finally an agreement was reached to reduce it to the 400 which is one representative for every 3,400 citizens. Next we visited the Pierce Manse, the house owned and lived in by Franklin Pierce, our 14th President, from 1842 through 1848. Our own guided tour left us with an appreciation for this President that was lacking before. He was nominated on the 49th ballot in 1852. In 1856, he became the only President not to be re-nominated by his party. This was primarily due the passage of the Kansas Nebraska Act in 1854 which proved very unpopular with both the Northern States and the Southern States. He also was against the civil war and thus, considered by the Northerners to be in favor of slavery. He was so despised by the Northerners that in 1920 when a statue of him was proposed at the State House, there was much opposition. Today, there are several statutes around the State House. We had to hunt for the Pierce statute which is hedged off from the State House in a corner of the lot. We then picked up the coach and drove south about 40 minutes to the Manchester Walmart. A car drive downtown and a walk on the “riverfront”, an ugly 7 minute walk that I wouldn’t want to do at night, resulted in us taking our walk at the New Hampshire Mall near the Walmart.
Tuesday, August 30, 2016, Canterbury, NH
Day 94
We drove the coach about 15 miles north of Concord to the Canterbury Shaker Village, a National Historic Landmark. The Village includes 25 Shaker buildings and 700 acres of forests, fields, gardens and ponds. We had a guided tour by Mary who had known a couple of the Shaker sisters and gave us some first hand knowledge of the Shaker history. Begun in England as part of the Quakers, Ann Lee and 7 others left for the US in 1774 due to the religious persecution experienced in England and founded the Shaker religion. At its peak, there where 19 Shaker communities and 6,000 followers. Their lifestyle was all about duty to the community and giving their all to God so as the get to the Summerland as they called heaven. Giving their all to God meant celibacy. No husbands and wives, only brothers and sisters. Buildings would have 2 separate entrances, one for brothers and one for sisters. The communities were quite successful and invented many things useful today such as the washing machine agitators and the sale of seeds in envelope packages. The communities would take in orphans who would perpetuate the community at least for awhile. Later laws where passed which stopped the flow of orphans and being celibate, the end was near. The Village opened for tours in the 1960's. The last Shaker in this Village died in 1992. We saw demonstrations of corn broom making, printing and weaving. We spent the whole day there and then received permission to spend the night in the parking lot. After dinner, an evening stroll through the village totally alone was very peaceful. A very quiet night was forthcoming.
Monday, August 29, 2016, Concord, NH
Day 93
Departed Portland and stopped in York, ME, at the Stonewall Kitchen Factory a place Rosemary has been anticipating the whole trip. Lots of different goodies to sample and what luck, 10% off the jellies when you buy 4 or more. There was never a doubt about making the discount. We bought 6 of the blueberry jam plus a few other kinds. We then headed to Manchester, NH, and visited the Currier Museum of Art. The museum also had a tour of the nearby Zimmerman House designed by Frank Lloyd Wright. We arrived a little before 11:00 and attempted to buy the joint ticket for the museum and house but were told the house tours that day (11:00 and 2:00) were sold out and that the house is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Our begging went unfulfilled as we were told only 13 people are allowed in the house at a time and there were only 2 tours a day so reservations are required. We have visited several other Wright houses and never was a reservation needed. We viewed the museum which had an impressive collection of art dating from the 1300's to the present. We then drove the car to the house to view the outside just as the 2:00 tour was beginning. Apparently our begging had an impact. The tour guide knew about the Florida couple who wanted the tour but where leaving town before the next tour day of Thursday and asked if that was us. We answered affirmatively and the guide allowed us to join the tour on our promise to return to the museum to pay. No problem since our coach was there anyway. The house was very interesting and similar to the Rosenbaum house we visited in Florence, AL, last year. Aaron Copeland was playing in the background and although there was only one speaker and hidden at that, the sound filled the room (stereo had not yet been invented at the time of the building of the house in 1952). The house cost $55,000 to build when comparably sized houses ran about $20,000 (Wright had a preconstruction estimate of $35,000). At only about 1600 square feet, it felt small even with Wright’s space expanding design. We then drove about a half hour north to the Concord, NH, Walmart for the night.
Sunday, August 28, 2016, Portland, ME
Day 92
Rosemary can stand it no longer! The beard must be trimmed! In case it was not obvious from the photos, I had not trimmed the beard for 3 months. I was not planning on doing it until we got home thinking I would spare Rosemary the mess in the coach but no cigar! The beard was trimmed - I feel naked. A last hike around the waterfront of Bar Harbor and we were off to Portland and Shipyard Brewing for tastings. Shipyard is open until 5:00 pm. We arrived at 4:25 only to be told the tastings end at 4:00 but the gift shop is open until 5:00. Rats! We checked into the Scarborough Walmart where we had stayed in 2014. We walked the nearby Maine Mall and then ate dinner at Pom’s Thai Taste and Noodle House where we had a great meal in 2014 and had another one today. Our first Thai meal on the trip included a five spice noodle soup and choo chee curry - delicious, almost makes us want to stay another night in Portland to eat there again.
Saturday, August 27, 2016, Bar Harbor, ME
Day 91
With Canada in our rearview mirror, we headed west for 2 hours and checked into the Bar Harbor Campground. We visited this area and Acadia National Park 2 years ago but since we were going right by it, Rosemary wanted to see the park again. So in the afternoon we did the loop drive and climbed Cadillac Mountain for some spectacular views on a bright, sunny day. Dinner at Mainely Meat BBQ was a full slab of ribs and a “Real Ale” by the local Atlantic Brewing Co. After dinner, we walked the shops of Bar Harbor and Rosemary got her Maine blueberry jam that she ran out of earlier on the trip and was very happy. Me too since she has been using up my haskap jam.
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