Came at night during the winter to see the lighthouse so most things surrounding were closed,…read morehowever it was still beautiful. I'm not sure if you can go inside of the light house during its on-season but that would be fun. The drive to the lighthouse takes you through Plum Island which seems like a really cool beach town during the summer months. I'd love to revisit when things are open!

the original plum island lights, the thirteenth lighthouse built in 'murica, went into operation on…read moreApril 14, 1788 coming in at 37 feet above mean sea level at a cost of £266; the current forty-five foot conical structure was built in 1898 for a bit more. the light was electrified in 1927, automated in 1951 and eventually left the coast guard's books in 2003. the lighthouse, now the property of the city of newburyport, is leased to and maintained by the friends of plum island light who open it for tours and the occasional event in warm weather :-)

Pam was amazing! She made our stay wonderful. The view was…read moregorgeous and it was fun watching the boats and water

Fires lights and…read morecoasts The town of Newburyport has a long ship building and nautical history, mostly because of it's location right on the Merrimack River. The river empties in to the sea and is wide enough for some large ships to go into Newburyport. Unfortunately the river can also be very treacherous. Lots of huge storms, fog and currants turns the lovely river into a real killer at times. Many ships have been lost trying to get into Newburyport. So the good people of the town decided that something had to be done to make it safe. At first huge bonfires were lit to help guide the way up the river but that proved less than satisfactory. So in 1873 a lighthouse was construction at the point where the river narrows into the town. In fact two lighthouses were built. Having two lights was once thought to make things easier for ships to judge angles and distances but frequently proved to just makes things more complicated. The idea was to have a small one in front and then a taller one in the back to contrast the first light. With the fog and other variables it never worked quite as well as advertised and the idea soon fell out of use. The front range lighthouse in Newburyport is small, only about 25 feet tall and right next to the river. It originally had a 6th order Fresnel Lens that was later removed. It served it's purpose of guiding ships into the town until it was deactivated in 1961. It still is a very cool looking little light but is frequently neglected and ignored because of the looming presence of the much taller rear range light just a few hundred feet away. The light is now part of the Coast Guard Station and is blocked off by a fence. But nice views can be had if you go right down to the river and peer around the fence. Don't try to actually go on the CG property, I learned the hard way that they don't like that. It's a little light but one that did it's lighthouse duties for decades. Survived all kinds of storms and everything else nature could throw at it. It's no longer is active but still a cool part of the maritime history of Newburyport.

This is one of several mysterious stone chambers in New England, whose provenance and purpose is…read moreunknown. Usually they are square or rectangular in shape, with stone slabbed roofs and soil floors. Archaeologists usually try to claim that they were built by early colonists as 'root cellars' yet they are ill-suited to that task as the floors are soil, which is hardly conducive to dry storage. There is also some documentary evidence from early colonists saying that the chambers were there when they arrived. Other chambers have had very old trees growing out of their walls, evidence that the chamber must be older than the tree. Another theory is that they were sweat lodges used by native Americans, but there is no evidence to show that any native groups built stone sweat lodges. So who did build these things? The closest equivalent in Britain is the souterrains of Scotland or fogous of Cornwall, but these tend to be larger and have curved layouts. The corbelled roof construction is similar to the beehive cells constructed by early monks like the Culdees, but there the similarity ends. Maybe it was early Viking explorers? An earlier megalithic culture that we don't know about? It's a fascinating enigma. Research by antiquarians and earth mystery researchers has shown that many chambers have precise geometric ratios in their construction, and that they are aligned to significant solar events like midwinter solstice, and this Beehive Hut seems no exception. The proportions are almost exactly 2:1 - it is just short of being twice as long as it is wide, and the width and height are the same. The entrance (by my estimation) seems to be aligned to midwinter sunrise (it's hard to be precise because of the tree cover), and is situated part-way up a hillside, which would allow the rising sun to enter the chamber. There are an interesting couple of white quartz stones, one in the back wall and one in the left-hand side wall, which may mark the extremes of the sunrise positions between equinox and winter solstice. But as I'm not resident here I am unable to do the long-term observations that this theory would require to confirm it. Interested locals should get in touch with the New England Antiquities Research Association (NEARA), who will know more about these things.

On our second visit to the Zimmerman House, we were blessed with two docents (guides) from the…read moreCurrier Museum, both were very knowledgeable about Wright and the building. I learned a few new things on this visit, and we also got to walk to the Kalil house just down the street, which the museum has recently taken under its control. That could hardly be more different, yet still recognisably a Wright house.

Not what you might expect to find in Manchester, NH…read more Connected to the Currier Art Museum, they provide tours that are hosted by two volunteers. You can see this home and there is one two blocks away called the Kalili Home. If you appreciate Frank Lloyd Wright, this is a must of you're in Manchester.

Super well maintained memorial area to pay your respects. Each bench has the name of one of the…read moreinnocent who died during the witch trials and their way of death. I visited Witch House before visiting the memorial to become a little bit more knowledgeable about the Witch Trials. I would recommend visiting if you know about the Witch Trials and want to pay your respects

This was such a beautiful memorial, located right next to the old burying point cemetery. If you…read morehave the time it is definitely worth stopping by and seeing. You can look through the whole memorial in about 5 minutes or so stopping at each stone to read what is on them. There are trinkets on each stone which was a great touch. The cemetery is gated, and does apparently close early on Sundays. So I didn't get to do that one today.

Super cool historical experience. If you are a history buff and you are interested in what little…read moreremains of the Salem witch trials, then this is a must see. This is one of the only places still standing with a direct connection to the Salem witch trial. The grounds also hold the only known burial site of one of the victims of the trials. The docents were well informed and were kind enough to stand around answering our "history dork" questions.

If you are looking for a guided tour this isn't it. This is a self guided tour. Absolutely love the…read morehistory of this homestead. I would suggest learning a bit about Rebecca Nurse beforehand. There is a lovely old family cemetery attached as well.

Just can't resist a quickie to pop in and add Tuck-Leavitt Mill in Hampton. Maybe my Moulton…read moreancestors knew this place! This mill was rebuilt in 1897 by the same guy who built Hampton Casino in 1901. Old stones are used for the stairs and the water runs under the building with abandon. Where's the mandated safety?!

In the summer Rockport is mobbed with tourists. Filled with art galleries, touristy shops and…read morerestaurants it makes a pleasant day out. Late Spring/early summer or late summer/early Autumn are less busy times. Parking is on street, and pay at the kiosk. Put your receipt on the dash where it can be seen. Parking is also available in the surrounding neighborhoods for no fee. Just plan to walk a ways to get into town. Rockport has become so popular lately, there is simply not enough parking to support the tourist trade. Pro-tip: when parking in the surrounding neighborhood, either 'pin' your vehicle location to your phone map, or remember which intersection you parked near. We found one woman wandering around looking for a particular street. We know an artist who has a studio here and stopped in to see his work. We also stopped in to other galleries during our stay. We considered staying to walk around and get a bite to eat, but decided in the end to just get back on the road. We visited the Paper House nearby.

It is a pretty town witha lot to see, but I wish Bearskin Neck had more trees and a public…read morerestroom.It gets very hot and tiring walking around there. Some trees and benches would make a big difference

AN ABSOLUTELY MUST DO! A FREE EVENT & FREE PARKING! It's Time to jump into The TimeMobile & scour…read morethe Earth & take you to places from a different time that you won't believe still exist! We have set the dial to 1906 in the town of Groton MA. Located about an hour outside of Boston & perched on top of Gibbet Hill in Groton, are the cryptic ruins of The Bancroft Castle. Many people think that you have to jump the pond & go to Europe & other continents to see castles. Not True. Here in America we have many castles; ironically they just aren't being promoted. This is one of the Secret Hidden Gems of America that most people have never heard about or been to before. THE HISTORY: In 1906 General William Bancroft constructed his castle on top of Gibbet Hill in Groton, Massachusetts. This place was a gift for his wife. It was originally intended to be a bungalow & more additions were going to be added to create a large castle. Unfortunately he didn't have the funds to complete his vision. In 1918 it became a sanitarium & in the 1930's the bungalow became an entertainment venue. On July 4 1932 the fireworks celebration went haywire & the bungalow caught fire. All that remained were the exterior stone walls. Since 2000, The Castle & it's trails became a protected open space for the city of Groton & open to the public. Great News for us! There is free street parking below the Castle on Lowell St . There is NO PARKING from DUSK TO DAWN otherwise you can Park there. There is also a sign with a notice that this is a Tick area. Take all precautions with DEET or other spray, long sleeve shirts & tucking pants into socks & shaking out of clothes etc. You can visit https://www.mass.gov/info-details/tick-borne-disease-prevention for the latest tick guidelines. Also just stay on the main cleared path & with precautions & spray you should be Fine. I wouldn't picnic here because of the ticks even though it's a beautiful spot. It's only a short walk up the hill to The Bancroft Castle. IT'S BEAUTIFUL! You will see meadows, trees, green grass, a beautiful Castle & a white structure in the distance. You can get right up close to the stone structure of Bancroft Castle. It offers a clear open window to the natural setting on all its sides & above too. After your exploring adventure, come on down the hill & it's only a few minutes drive to see that white building. It is The First Parish Meeting House built in 1755 in Groton. Happy Traveling. AND IT'S ALL FREE! It used to be, you had to have Mega Bucks & be really Rich to have the Good Life, not anymore. The Game has changed. You've been Upgraded. Now You Can Live Like a King on a Limited Budget!

Cool little structure to check out if you find yourself in Groton. Easy hike from main road- May…read moreeven see skins wild turkeys and cows