Traveling Massachusetts: Plymouth – People, Places, and Things

Friendly People

One of the best things about traveling, is meeting new people. While driving through a neighborhood in Plymouth, we had the good fortune to meet a lovely couple. It happened because I had the idea it would be fun to drive around and photograph some of the saltbox houses. As we slowly drove by, people actually waved to us . This never happens in California.

Then we saw a beautiful red-clapboard saltbox with a man mowing the lawn out front.  I asked him if we could photograph his house; he said yes, and the three of us fell to talking and laughing. Ten minutes later, his wife came bounding across the lawn to meet us. She was so friendly, even inviting us in for wine and cheese. This would never happen in California! We accepted, and 1.5 hours later we parted as friends. A couple nights later they joined us for dinner. We’ve remained in close touch ever since.

Some encounters are lasting, others are brief but still memorable. One night we were talking to our waitress who shared how she got laid off during covid from a job in the medical malpractice field. She decided against “sitting around and collecting unemployment” and “totally changed it up” by getting a job as a waitress. We then got to talking about family and she told us that her brother, who she’d been very close to, had died seventeen years earlier. She showed us a tattoo on her arm that says, “Always on my mind, Forever in my heart.” We all teared up. You learn a lot by listening to people.

Good Restaurants

Speaking of restaurants, we went to a few I want to recommend. We enjoyed having coffee and a light breakfast at Kiskadee Coffee, 18 Main Street, Plymouth.

We had a delicious roast-beef sandwich at Angelo’s Famous Roast Beef and Deli, at 5 Main Street, Plymouth.

And we enjoyed dinner at two places: Mama Mia’s (good pizza and other Italian food) at 122 Water Street, Plymouth, and Tavern on the Wharf at 6 Town Wharf, Plymouth. We really liked Tavern on the Wharf, enjoying crab-cake appetizers and fish and shrimp tacos. I also had a Samuel Adams Harvest Pale Ale in a glass rimmed with sugar and honey. They told me it was a local thing. Pretty good too! For dessert, I had a peanut-butter martini to-die-for. I have to go back someday just to get that drink, even though I rarely drink anything stronger than beer or wine!

Our Lodging

And because food and lodging go together, I’ll mention where we stayed: the John Carver Inn & Spa at 25 Summer Street, Plymouth. It was comfortable and clean. I think kids would really enjoy staying there because of their imaginative pool.

Places To See

For us, the nicest thing about the Inn was its location – walking distance to downtown, and next to a cul-de-sac with a small museum, two beautiful old churches, and a graveyard (by now you know I like old graveyards).

The museum had a display of the old courthouse, along with some cultural artifacts.

Unfortunately the churches are only open during worship hours, but we enjoyed seeing the outside of the buildings.

Up the stone stairs from town square lies Burial Hill, a cemetery dating from the 1620s.  Governor William Bradford is buried there, though his original wooden marker no longer exists. A monument was erected in 1835.

The Rock

Last but not least, I cannot leave this blog without posting a photo of Plymouth Rock:

Despite the disappointing size of the rock, the waterfront park is really nice and there is a great view from above.

We sat on a bench eating a picnic lunch and enjoying the view. We also appreciated this handsome statue of Massasoit, the great sachem leader of the Wampanoags.

Stay tuned for the next blog on the wonderful town of Sandwich, MA. And if you missed my two previous blogs about Plymouth, here they are: Part 1 and Part 2.

Feel free to add your comments below. Thank you for reading!