Today we went to Plimouth Plantation (and yes it is spelt with an i, they intentionally used the spelling used by some guy to distinguish it from the town). We started out in the village which wasn't there when Tommy went as a boy. It was really interesting to see the layout of a village and how they constructed their homes and how they farmed versus how the Pilgrims were living.
Tommy asked the Native People questions about what they were cooking and how. One man was working on a new boat which got Tommy asking more questions. We learned that they built their boats from Poplar because it was so fast growing compared to Pine. He also explained that they would strip the bark and use this to build their houses.
We then moved on the settlement and the differences are stark! Not only in appearance but also in how the people interact with you. In the village the Native People are dressed in period clothing but speak to you in a modern tone. In the settlement they are dressed in period clothing and roll play. Tommy looked at everything, how it was built and so on. There weren't many people there who were acting and nothing else was really going on in the village. I was looking forward to seeing candle making and crafts like this but nothing much happened.
After we explored we went to Plymouth to see the Mayflower II, Plymouth Rock, and eat lunch. On the Mayflower II there are workers dressed in period clothes who are role players and their are workers dressed in regular clothes who will answer questions about the ship in modern tone. It was really creepy to imagine so many people crammed onto one boat that seems much bigger than it really is. My mom and I were enjoying the story being told by the Boats Captain and part owner. He was telling us his history and then explaining how the money from a voyage like the Pilgrims came on was divided up among the crew. My mom and I could have stood their all day listening to him because he was doing such a fantastic job. When we were done we departed the Mayflower II and went to lunch across the street.
After lunch we walked up to road a bit to see Plymouth Rock and what a disappointment. In all the textbooks you read and see pictures of you just imagine that it is much bigger than it really is. I couldn't believe how tiny it was and honestly didn't see the big deal with it. But all in all we had a great day and learned a lot.
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