Monthly Archives: June 2015

Boston MA, Salem

Salem Witch Trials Memorial

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Over three hundred years ago, the community of Salem Village was swept into hysteria around witchcraft. So convinced that witches were rampant in the community, more than two hundred were accused, twenty were executed, and thirteen others died in prison or while in custody. About 40 minutes north of Boston, if you go to Salem, MA today expecting to find a lot of historical buildings tied to the trials, you are in for some disappointment. In fact, the trials themselves didn’t originate in Salem at all, but in nearby Salem Village, which renamed itself Danvers to escape the shame of the trials. The Governor did eventually establish a special court in Salem to sort out the issue and Salem did eventually hang 19 on Gallows Hill and also press one 71 year old man to death for not admitting to what the courts had accused them of being – witches.

So if you do find yourself in Salem, there is one period home once owned by a judge tied to the trials still standing (although nothing related to the trials actually occurred there) and several museums on the subject to peruse around town. If you are interested in getting personal with the ‘witches’ of Salem, there is a very nice memorial downtown with their names, date, and method of execution.

If you have some extra time, you can drive 20 minutes North West to Danvers to find another monument to the victims. This one sits just across from the actual spot where the madness all began.

SAS Score: 2

Baltimore MA, Gettysburg PA, Harrisburg PA, Washington DC

Gettysburg National Military Park

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This one is off the beaten path for most. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, the nearest ‘big’ city is 40 minutes North, while the more populous Baltimore and Washington D.C. are a bit more than an hour and a half away. Gettysburg National Military Park maintains 6,000 acres of historical ground with the largest collection of outdoor sculptures in the world. There are 1,328 monuments, memorials, and markers highlighting the three day battle, in which over 160,000 soldiers fought. Driving through the park, it’s easy to visualize the struggles that these soldiers would have faced in key areas of the battle. The park service has placed many plaques with pictures taken in the days following the battle in the areas where they were taken.

There are also several structures that survived that battle still around today. The Trossle Farm, includes the home and barn of which still has the hole created by cannon fire during the third day of the battle. Along with many other structures, the homes used as battlefield headquarters by Generals Lee and Meade are still standing.

When asked to write and deliver a ‘few appropriate remarks’ for the dedication of the Union Cemetery in Gettysburg, Abraham Lincoln responded by delivering one of the most best known speeches in American History. At the center of the military cemetery, you will find a plaque dedicated to the speech; however, the spot marked is no longer believed to be the exact location of Lincoln as he delivered the address. Most researchers place him in the public cemetery about 300 yards north of the marker.
As an aside, you can also visit the home in which Lincoln finalized his speech. It can be found in the center of the town of Gettysburg, just outside the park.

The final highlight of the park is visitor center and museum, which houses 12 museum galleries and a cyclorama painting of the battle which is 42 feet high and 377 feet in circumference. It is only one of two cycloramas in the U.S. and was painted between 1883 and 1884. In additional to exhibits, there is a short film providing an overview and the history of Gettysburg and the battle. I do recommend visiting the museum first if you have time, as it will provide a much more comprehensive understanding of the park; just make sure you have time to see the park too as you can get lost for quite a while taking in all the museum has to offer.

Driving the park can take as little as an hour and much longer if you have the time. The museum is definitely worth a stop as well and can take as long or longer given the large size. If you are really into history, make the time visit this great national park and museum.

SAS: 3 (primarily based on proximity to major metro areas)

Atlanta GA, Stone Mountain GA

Stone Mountain Park

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Billed as the largest piece of exposed granite, Stone Mountain Park, about 30 minutes East of Atlanta, hosts the largest bas relief sculpture in the world. The carved surface covers 3 acres and depicts Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, and Jefferson Davis riding their horses. Work began on the carving in 1923 by Gutzon Borgium, but a dispute with the managing association, saw Borgium’s exit and ultimately the carving wasn’t completely finished until 1972. Side note: After leaving this project, Borgium went on to carve another pretty famous site – Mount Rushmore.

Within the park, there are numerous attractions, dining and shopping locations, exhibits, and shows. You could spend a full day here and still not see it all, but for those on a tight timeline, I recommend you take in the carving and a quick trip to the top of the mountain.

For a fantastic view of the surrounding area, there is a Swiss-build cable car that will provide a quick ride to the top. Passing very close to the carving, this is as close as you can get to the memorial without a repelling rope. On the top, you’ll find a lot of stone, stone pools, and great views of the Park and skyline of downtown Atlanta in the distance.

For those with a bit more adventurous side, there are trails allowing you to climb to the top of the granite goliath. Along the way, you will find numerous engravings and etchings from early visitors dating back to the 1800s. The hike is at times very steep and is over a mile in length, so another option is to ride the SkyRide up and walk down the the trail. Be aware however, that parking for the Skyride is not close to the start of the trail, which will result in an additional mile and a half walk (but on much more level ground).

SAS Score: 4

Manchester NH, Merrimack NH

Budweiser Clydesdales

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20 minutes south of Manchester, New Hampshire, you’ll find the Budweiser brewery and one of three homes for their world famous Clydesdale Horse Teams. A key symbol of the beer maker since 1933, the Clydesdales have made an appearance in numerous Super Bowl ads since 1986. The predecessors of these horses delivered the first cases of ‘legal’ beer post prohibition to Franklin Roosevelt at the White House.

While stables are usually open to walk through and allow you a very up close view of the day to day operations, on certain days the horses are dressed up and brought out into the courtyard to interact with the public. And if you are lucky, you might also get the chance to see Bud or Brewer, the Dalmatians that are part of the Budweiser team – a tradition started in the 1950s.

In the stables, you’ll also find memorabilia and exhibits around the Clydesdale’s history, along with the bright red wagons they pull in those commercials.

The tour is free and if you have some extra time, you can also take in a tour of the brewery or a quick visit to the gift shop for all things Clydesdale, Dalmatian, and of course Budweiser.

SAS Score: 4

Dallas TX

Perot Museum of Nature and Science

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A fairly new addition to downtown Dallas, the Perot Museum of Nature and Science boasts a very unique and eco-friendly design. With its roots as far back as 1936, this museum is a combination of several Children’s, Health, Natural History, and Science Museums previously situated across town in Fair Park.

In four stories, the museum packs in dinosaurs, wildlife, minerals, a section on birds, robotics, the science of sports, weather, energy, the universe, and being human. Most areas have hands-on exhibits, there are a few simulators (tornados, earthquakes), a ‘ride’ into a natural gas well to demonstrate fracking, a 1.5 ton geode, robots that can be programmed by the public, a race track that will allow you to size your speed up to a T-Rex or several world class athletes, cross sections of human bodies, and a 298 seat theatre. There is also a Children’s section for the young ones, which most likely won’t be of much use to those travelling on business unless you were lucky enough to bring the family along.

The building itself features LED and natural lighting, off-grid energy generations, solar powered water heating, and a 1 acre green roof consisting of drought resistant grasses and water collection that provides 100% of its irrigation requirements.

Because it is several museums in one, it’s almost too much to pack into one museum and feels like it just lightly touches on each area, However, you shouldn’t be disappointed if you have a couple hours to spend in Dallas and are looking for something interesting to do.

SAS Score: 3 (with your family – SAS Score 4)

Seattle WA

Museum Of Flight

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There are quite a few museums focused on flight, but only a small handful of really great aircraft museums; the Museum of Flight falls into the category of magnificent. With over 150 aircraft in its collection, this museum has a little bit of everything. Their numerous collections include World War I era fighters, World War II era fighters, historically significant aircraft and artifacts, and a grand gallery that will leave you in awe.

Some of the other exhibit highlights allow you to climb into an F/A-18 Hornet or SR-71 Blackbird cockpits, or take an inside tour of a Concorde, a 787 Dreamliner, or walk in the footsteps of Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon in the first ever presidential jet plane (Air Force One).

There is also an entire building devoted to space travel, which includes the 122 foot long Space Shuttle Trainer used for training every shuttle crew over three decades, the trainer is signed by the last group of space shuttle astronauts (STS-135), which used this simulator prior to the program being discontinued in 2011. While the shuttle bay area is open for viewing any time, you can also tour the cockpit and living areas for an extra fee during certain days of the week.

For a bit of extra history, the museum also showcases the original ‘Red Barn’, which was Boeing’s first manufacturing plant. Built in 1909, this section of the museum houses rare artifacts and a re-creation of the inner workings of the factory, highlighting the building of some of America’s first aircraft.

The museum sits on the grounds of King County Airport / Boeing Field, just 10 minutes South of Seattle or 10 minutes North of SEA/TAC and includes it’s own ‘control tower’ view of active aircraft flying in and out of the area. If you are going to be in Seattle for a few days, check out the museum website, they have free admission and extended hours on specific days.

If you love aircraft, are interested in the history of flight, or just like museums, this spot has an SAS Score of 5!