New England points of interest?

[flattop44]

Howdy folks, long time lurker, first time poster. The wife and I are taking a road trip through the northeast this fall. We'll be traveling up through Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Rhode Island, Vermont, Massachusetts, Maine and New Hampshire. My wife is a history teacher and I'm a blackpowder/frontier/old west nut. We love to stop at museums, historical sites and I like to find a few gun shops. We planned on visiting the historical sites like Gettysburg and Valley Forge. So far, the only blackpowder utopia I've found to visit is the Log Cabin Shop in Lodi, OH. I'm sure there are others. Modern gun shops are easy to fi nd but blackpowder specialty shops like Log Cabin and Dixie Gun Works are a lot more difficult. We plan a few places we know we want to see but for the most part we like to play it by ear and stop at the places we happen along on the way. Are there other places we need to consider? Help us fill our itinerary. :hatsoff:

 

[R.C.BINGAMAN]

If you are going north on 81 stop at Ft. Chambers just north of the city of Chambersburg Pa.It is off the Scotland exit just north of the city,Jim is a great guy and the shop is always well stocked. Also DIXONS is a great place, near hamberg Pa.New England this time of the year is a nice trip the wife and I have took this trip twice. Hope you have a great time. AN APPALACHIAN HUNTER

 

[bubba.50]

I spent a week in New York one time. towards the end of that week the most interestin' things I saw were the highways headin' south :surrender: . your mileage may vary.

 

[Don Steele]

Massachusetts:
Lexington/Concord...the entire area is an absolute "Must". :thumbsup: :thumbsup:

 

[No Deer]

I highly recommend that you walk the Freedom Trail through Boston, especially since your wife is a history teacher. Follow the line painted on the sidewalk starting at the State house, ending at the U.S.S. Constitution, and Bunker Hill. Lots of great historic sites along the way. :thumbsup:

http://www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/
http://www.ask.com/wiki/Freedom_Trail?o=2801&qsrc=999&ad=doubleDown&an=apn&ap=ask.com

 

[nit wit]

FT:
No utopia in Maine. The Maine state museum in Augusta is small but nice. Kittery trading post has a lot of guns and things for your wife.
Nit Wit

 

[Ken Cormier]

Ray you forgot downtown Canton :rotf: :rotf: :rotf: :rotf:

 

[crockett]

Well, that's a lot of ground to cover and you'll probably have to prioritize some things as you would otherwise have to bounce around too much. The Gettysburg, Valley Forge etc. have already been mentioned. In Northern Virginia you have some of the other Civil War battlegrounds. In the Shenandoah Valley at Leesburg there is VMI and Washington & Lee (all together side by side, plus the final resting spot of R.E. Lee. Richmond has the Museum of the Confederacy with original revolvers and swords of some of the Generals plus the Southern "White House"- right off the Highway about a 3-4 minute drive and takes about an hour to see. In the Philly area besides Valley Forge you might want to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, the Declaration of Independence, etc. In New York, there is some interesting Dutch architecture along the Hudson River (Kingston) and if you go that route you would want to see West Point. There is also a small firearms Museum at West Point. Farther up is Ft. Ticonderoga at Lake George area. There is the Saratoga Battlefield as well. VT and NH- as far as museums, etc. I'm not sure there is that much but the scenery is nice. Connecticut. In Hartford is the State Library. It is the State Library that has the Colt Firearms Collection- I think the most extensive, all the old percussion revolvers, revolving rifles and carbines, etc. Mystic Seaport in Connecticut is good if you like whaling. In New London is the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Eagle training ship. Newport Rhode Island has all the mansions- probably worth a look (I guess). In Massachusetts there is the mentioned Lexington Green and Concord Battlefield (now a park) plus in downtown Boston the Old North Church and the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides) is well worth a look. At Newburyport is a small museum of the China Trade back in the 1840's. In Maine- not many museums I know about, just grab a lobster Dinner.
Worchester Mass has a museum with medieval armor if you like Knights in shining armor.
I should mention, the northeast is a crowded area with lots of houses and roads and people so a lot of what you'll want to see near cities- it will be in crowded surrounding. If you ever went over to Houston to see the San Jacinto Battlefield- surrounded by highways, oil and gas tanks, etc.- some of the Northeast stuff will be similar.
Planning a big trip- that's half the fun. Good luck.
The central part of New York State (Utica- Syracuse) not many museums. Pennsylvania is sort of the same (Wilkes Bare area).
Maybe go up through eastern VA and hit Richmond, Washington, the Civil War Battlefields, then from Wash to go Gettysburg- (or maybe on the way back) then Philly and Connecticut up to Boston and along the shore to ME then across VT and NH to Ft. Ticonderoga and down the Hudson to West Point and then west back to VA or all the way thru PA to OH.
Lots of options.

 

[Alden]

Well, that's a lot of ground to cover and you'll probably have to prioritize some things as you would otherwise have to bounce around too much. The Gettysburg, Valley Forge etc. have already been mentioned. In Northern Virginia you have some of the other Civil War battlegrounds. In the Shenandoah Valley at Leesburg there is VMI and Washington & Lee (all together side by side, plus the final resting spot of R.E. Lee. Richmond has the Museum of the Confederacy with original revolvers and swords of some of the Generals plus the Southern "White House"- right off the Highway about a 3-4 minute drive and takes about an hour to see. In the Philly area besides Valley Forge you might want to see the Liberty Bell and Independence Hall, the Declaration of Independence, etc. In New York, there is some interesting Dutch architecture along the Hudson River (Kingston) and if you go that route you would want to see West Point. There is also a small firearms Museum at West Point. Farther up is Ft. Ticonderoga at Lake George area. There is the Saratoga Battlefield as well. VT and NH- as far as museums, etc. I'm not sure there is that much but the scenery is nice. Connecticut. In Hartford is the State Library. It is the State Library that has the Colt Firearms Collection- I think the most extensive, all the old percussion revolvers, revolving rifles and carbines, etc. Mystic Seaport in Connecticut is good if you like whaling. In New London is the U.S. Coast Guard Academy and the U.S. Eagle training ship. Newport Rhode Island has all the mansions- probably worth a look (I guess). In Massachusetts there is the mentioned Lexington Green and Concord Battlefield (now a park) plus in downtown Boston the Old North Church and the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Constitution (Old Ironsides) is well worth a look. At Newburyport is a small museum of the China Trade back in the 1840's. In Maine- not many museums I know about, just grab a lobster Dinner.
Worchester Mass has a museum with medieval armor if you like Knights in shining armor. This closed last year, did't it -- drawing a blank on name!? I should mention, the northeast is a crowded area with lots of houses and roads and people so a lot of what you'll want to see near cities- it will be in crowded surrounding. If you ever went over to Houston to see the San Jacinto Battlefield- surrounded by highways, oil and gas tanks, etc.- some of the Northeast stuff will be similar.
Planning a big trip- that's half the fun. Good luck.
The central part of New York State (Utica- Syracuse) not many museums. Pennsylvania is sort of the same (Wilkes Bare area).
Maybe go up through eastern VA and hit Richmond, Washington, the Civil War Battlefields, then from Wash to go Gettysburg- (or maybe on the way back) then Philly and Connecticut up to Boston and along the shore to ME then across VT and NH to Ft. Ticonderoga and down the Hudson to West Point and then west back to VA or all the way thru PA to OH.
Lots of options.

Must see would be Springfield Armory Museum in Mass. Get to Frazier Museum in Louisville, KY, before the PC Police destroy it all. Fort Stanwix is NY is amazing. Fort Ticonderoga is a must see at the top of Lake George whilst Lake George Village is a fun touristy town with 1950's-feeling Fort William Henry at the South end. Antietam Battlefield in Maryland if ya can and hit Ft. Frederick at Market Days time if able.

Saratoga Battlefield has nice liitle visitor center and self guided tours over many miles -- nice country. Interesting sites on it. No Yorktown though. Saratoga Springs Park is one of the most beautiful places in the world to me when it's got color and, yes, there are a few springs and even a geyser or two where you can drink or at least taste, the different natural, mostly hard, waters.

 

[crockett]

Well if you go to Antietam then add Harper's Ferry, a really cool place and a big display of Hall's Rifles.
If you do go through central NY there might be something near Utica on the Battle of Oriskany (sic?) plus Remington Museum plus a stockade fort near Syracuse and a really good stone fort at Oswego and then Niagara Falls.

 

[TNGhost]

If you are going north on 81 stop at Ft. Chambers just north of the city of Chambersburg Pa.It is off the Scotland exit just north of the city,Jim is a great guy and the shop is always well stocked. Also DIXONS is a great place, near hamberg Pa.New England this time of the year is a nice trip the wife and I have took this trip twice. Hope you have a great time. AN APPALACHIAN HUNTER

+1 on this one. I stopped there passing through and he had a great selection. If I recall it was convenient, right off the freeway, by a Gander Mountain I think.

You can add Faniel Hall and Paul Revere's house on "The Freedom Trail" to what's in Boston, and, off topic, if you like Italian food, wander around in the North End in Boston. There are many many restaurants to choose from there. May be the best place in the country for Italian food.

Kittery is also worth the stop. Right off I-95, and there's a great little seafood shack on the north side of the parking lot.

If you make it up that far, Acadia National Park is interesting and has a few small historical museums around it. If you go farther there's Campobello Island, on the coast, on the border.

Better hurry if you're going to catch the fall foliage though, and be prepared for yankees, lots and lots of yankees :haha:

Have a safe and enjoyable trip.

 

[Pete44ru]

.

The guided tours @ Fort Ticonderoga & Fort William Henry ( on the North & South tips of Lake George, respectively) are well worth the stop - and there's a slew of good restaurants, loging & shopping available in the village @ Lake George near Ft. Wm Henry.

Rhode Island has many pre & Revolutionary War sites - forts (Newport), primitive "castles", and a King Phillips War battle sight/monument @ the Great Swamp, off Rte 138.

Likewise, the Bunker Hill monument in the northern section of Boston, across Rte 1 from the berth of the USS Constitution (Old Ironsides), should both be on your list.

May the sun shine on your trip, and the wind at your back !




.

 

[Silky921]

Lots of 1812 history in NW Oh along the Maumee river. Stop by Smoke and Fire if you're through there, Turkeyfoot rock, Rouche de Boufe (spelling?), Fort Meigs, Commodore perry statue, History of the Great Lakes museum.

Makes me miss my old stomping grounds. ...

 

[Alden]

Well if you go to Antietam then add Harper's Ferry, a really cool place and a big display of Hall's Rifles.
If you do go through central NY there might be something near Utica on the Battle of Oriskany (sic?) plus Remington Museum plus a stockade fort near Syracuse and a really good stone fort at Oswego and then Niagara Falls.

Oriskany Battlefield is a NY State park. Visitor center. Bloody Creek is it? Where Herkimer made his stand, all Americans, Loyalists and Natives vs. Patriots... It is a stunning place to walk through imagining the hours of hand-to-hand-combat and truly bloody creek. Have reenacted there.

I suppose the whole Fort Stanwix, Barry St. Leger, Oriskany, Bennington Battlefield I just went on a guided tour of three weeks ago (named after Vermont town but took place eight miles West in NY), Hubbardton Battlefield (I toured last year), and Saratoga (which was the turning point of the Revolution) is a vacation all by itself.

Must stop at Crown Point forts too!!! In the neighborhood...
http://www.lakechamplainregion.com/recreation/outdoors/biking/fort-fort

 

[Alden]

Try these...

http://www.starforts.com/ticonderoga.html
http://www.starforts.com/crownpoint.html
http://www.starforts.com/stanwix.html
http://www.starforts.com/williamhenry.html
http://www.starforts.com/adams.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Wadsworth

 

[Alden]

Right...

PS: BYOG (bring your own grits)

; )

Actually, they are to be had, just not out and in some supermarkets they may have mostly instant. There definitely won't be cheese grits. Biscuits and sausage gravy? Maybe at truck-stops along major interstates.

 

[Lorne Johnson]

A lot has already been mentioned. Gettysburg takes some time. The tour guides, who are very good, take a solid half day. They ask what documents and accounts you are familiar with (number of visits), and then plan a trip (usually driving your car, so you can pay attention). It's pretty special.

The big three historical museum sites are, Plymouth Plantation, Sturbridge Village, and Mystic Seaport. Each is very good in its own way.

The Freedom Trail, and Fort Ticonderoga are well done. Fort Knox in Bucksport Maine is also interesting. And I wouldn't miss the Constitution.

There's more at Newport than the "Summer Houses." Peter Harrison, the first American Architect (he own a copy of Palladio's handbook, and used it well) lived there. He designed and built the Truro Synagogue (It wasn't Rogue Island for nothing), Christ Church, and the Redwood Library,all 18th century classics. The Henry Vassal House has both 17th and 18 century elements. Along this line, the Old Ship Church in Hingham Mass is one of the oldest and most interesting churches in Puritan New England.

The MFA in Boston, and the Fogg in Cambridge are exceptional. Harvard College is a history of American Architecture, the good and the bad, but a good history. I love the Peabody Museum of Natural at Harvard, but the Peabody Museum of natural History at Yale (New Haven, CT) has a outstanding collection of dinosaur skeletons. Despite have lost several of its signature pieces to robbery, the Isabel Stuart Gardner museum is a monument to one of the very few American collectors who really knew what she was doing, and its a wonderful reconstruction of an Italian Renaissance palace.

 

[Alden]

Plymouth Plantation and The Rock as well as Mayflower -- good call. I musta been 11. Sturbridge stayed open? OK Mystic -- there last when I was about 5 and fit completely IN a blubber rendering pot on The Charles W. Morgan whaler. Great place then.

OK then, try Old Deerfield in Mass -- there will be living history folk at the Inn Thanksgiving weekend as always and there's a museum and open houses down the historic old main street.

 

[ratfacedmcdougal]

The Shelburne Museum in Shelburne VT. Great all round museum and has Terry Tyler's Vt made gun collection. Shelburne is on the shore of Lake Champlain. Champlain played a huge part in the Revolutionary War. Many historic sites on both the east and west shores.
RFMcD

 

[bjack40]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Popham

I found it very interesting and beautifully situated, and was the first non-stockade fort I had ever seen in person. It's about ten miles south of Bath, Maine, so not far from Route 1.