New England Saturday - A day at Hampton Beach

I remember when I was a young girl in the 1970's I'd get very excited when my parents told me the family was going to Hampton Beach. Mind you, the New Hampshire coastline is not long, (it's the shortest state coastline in the U.S.) but I think it was the simple ambience of going to the beach that I loved.

My family would leave in the morning after packing picnic/lunches, towels, umbrellas, and sun tan lotion – along with my pails and shovels. What made the day really special though is meeting up with my granny, grandpa, Auntie Sue and the rest of my family. I loved riding the waves (even though the water was always cold!) scouring the rocks for muscles, crabs, and lobsters, building sandcastles, and playing on the playgrounds. Hampton Beach is full of fond memories, so any chance I have to visit, I always try.

Once I left NH and joined the Army, I definitely missed visiting the ocean. There's something about the water that is beautiful and in that beauty, calming and peaceful.

I've been back a handful of times and while the beach hasn't changed much in it's look and appearance, it certainly has gotten busier.

The Hampton Beach Village District formed in 1907 with the goal of providing electricity to the summer tourists.


In 1988, the chamber of commerce organized the Hampton Beach seafood festival. It's held the weekend after Labor Day to extend the summer season. The event helps local non-profits and has earned "One of the top 100 events in North America."

The chamber of commerce also sponsors a sand sculpting competition. Established in 2011, the contest starts 15 June and lasts until 23 June this year.

There's a lot more stuff to do and if you're in the area, you can visit http://www.hamptonbeach.org/ for more info.

The last time I went to Hampton Beach was August 2010. It was bittersweet. My sister and son, Andrew, were with me. Andrew's a California boy, so I think he was a little homesick. He dipped his feet in the Atlantic Ocean, but that was it – he didn't dare to go further. He thought the waves would suck him in. Maybe next time I'll get him on the rocks to go crab hunting.

Question for you: I'd love to hear about your favorite beach. Drop me a line and share your memories. I'll pick one lucky winner to receive a PDF copy of my free read, Moonlight Sonata.

References:
http://www.hamptonbeach.com/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampton_Beach,_New_Hampshire

A look at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library

I love the presidential libraries. They really give you a feel for the man and his times during his presidency. The John F. Kennedy Presidential Library is in Boston, Massachusetts on Columbia Point in the Dorchester neighborhood. The library is easy to find and has a gorgeous view overlooking the Atlantic Ocean. I had an opportunity to visit it in October 2001. However, getting it built was quite a challenge.

Before he died, JFK expressed a desire to build his presidential library "near scholarly resources." A month before he was assassinated, he chose a plot of land facing the Charles River next to Harvard's Graduate School.

In December 1964, Jackie Kennedy picked architect I.M. Pei to design the library. She liked that he had a variety of ideas and that he didn't seem to have just one way to solve a problem.

Unfortunately, the project stalled. The Mass Bay Transit Authority delayed in selling the land. Then Pei needed to study the soil, which took 6 months. In 1971, the school changed its mind. They saw the library as attracting such unsavorys like tourists, fast food franchises, and souvenir shops.


A new (and current location) was chosen, but it was on the site of a landfill. That took time to clear. Pei designed a simple geometric structure with a large glass pavilion. Construction began in June 1977.

In October 1979, President Jimmy Carter dedicated the library. The library highlights the Cuban Missile Crisis and the US Space program along with Kennedy's presidential campaign. Ernest Hemingway's memorial library is also there.

One of the neatest artifacts the museum has is a coconut shell dating from Kennedy's World War II military service as the Commander of PT 109. Kennedy was also fond of scrimshaw and sailing ship models.

The library gives out the Profile in Courage award. Kennedy's intent with his novel, "Profile in Courage" was to show 8 U.S. Senators who risked their carrier by taking principled stands for unpopular positions. The award itself is presented to those public officials who have demonstrated politically courageous leadership.

Has anyone visited the library? I'd love to hear your thoughts. What was your favorite exhibit?

Smiles
Steph

New England Sunday - Old Sturbridge Village

Center Village in Winter Time


I remember my earliest visit to Old Sturbridge, I think I was in the 5th grade. I never forget this place. I next visited when I was in the Army, on leave in the late 1980's, early 1990's. I took my dh here shortly after I got married and shared this special with him.

So what is Old Sturbridge Village? It's a reenactment of a New England town from the 1830's located in Massachusetts. It is more than 200 acres. You can tour the entire town to see what life was like in early New England! The different shops are populated with actors who reenact characters from that time!

It's a great place to go and learn about colonial New England. For me, it was like stepping into history.
A Stagecoach



The Village opened on 8 June 1946. It was the dream of AB Wells and his son George. AB was an antique collector and had collected so many antiques he needed to find a place to do something with them. His son, George, suggested opening up a "living" history exhibit, hence the birth of OSV.

These are the following shops in OSV:

Old Sturbridge Village has over 40 structures, including restored buildings purchased and relocated from across New England and some authentic reconstructions.

The village is divided into three main sections. The Center Village represents the center of town, with the town green as its focal point. Countryside consists of outlying farms and shops. The Mill Neighborhood features various commercial structures that rely upon a millpond for their power.

The Center Village contains the following structures:

Friends Meetinghouse - a meetinghouse of the Religious Society of Friends, also known as Quakers

Center Meetinghouse - churches often served as a location for town meetings, elections, lectures, and political events

Tin Shop - tin, purchased from England was used to make a variety of household goods
Salem Towne House - a prosperous farmer's home

Law Office - a small, free-standing office of a lawyer

Parsonage - the home of a Congregational minister and his family

Asa Knight Store - a country store, transported from its original location in Vermont.

Thompson Bank - a bank that was originally located in Thompson, CT

Fenno House - an historic house with exhibits that highlight domestic textile production

Fitch House - the residence with exhibit elements that highlight children and family life Printing Office




Cider Mill - a horse-powered mill for the production of hard cider

Shoe Shop - an historic ten footer, which was a small backyard shop structure built in the 18th and 19th centuries in New England to serve as a shoemaker's shop.

Town Pound - for the confinement of livestock wandering around town or on other farmer's property

Bullard Tavern - an early 1800s tavern room

Small House - a small home based on those of less affluent families, people of color, newlyweds, and renters

The Stage Coach - On May 23, 2008, a stage coach marked "Hartford & Worcester" started making trips through Center Village. Guests can ride in the stagecoach for $3.00 per rider.


Info for this blog entry came from:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Sturbridge_Village

A bite of New England - The Breakers

It's Sunday again and time for my New England tidbit. This one is a bit personal for me - The Breakers.

The Breakers is a manison in Newport, Rhode Island that was built at the turn of the century by the Vanderbilt's. I discovered The Breakers in 1985 when my American Studies class went there on a field trip. American Studies was an honor level class that combined American lit & English. The Breakers, of course, embody American history.

What do I remember from that field trip? Two things - I was finally gaining acceptance from my classmates. I was never much of a popular kid, and I pretty much stuck to myself, but I found myself making friends with the kids in my class - finally - and I was happy about that. I had someone to sit with on the bus and someone to eat lunch with. I was happy. Simple things, I know, but back then...

The day was overcast, I remember that. It didn't rain. It was April, I believe, but I could be wrong. The Breakers was HUGE. It was square and majestic, and it embodied everything I thought high society was all about. On that first trip, the Breakers left three impressions with me - The Great Hall was magificient - tall, deep, wide, it belonged in a movie. The view from the 2nd floor overlooking the ocean was amazing and it only deepened my love of the sea. The last thing - the Breakers was my favorite Newport mansion. It had an elevator - an elevator at the end of the 1800's. I was impressed. It's a testiment to it's time.

I've been to The Breakers since, but not recently. I took my husband in the early 1990's, because I wanted to show him a place that was beautiful to me. My friends, Idgy & Alyssa went along with my sister and cuzzin' Emmie. What I liked about this trip was the freedom we had to explore. One of my favorite pictures is that of me and Idgy imitating fish statues in the gardens. hehe.

Just a little history:

The Breakers was completed in 1895 by Cornelius Vanderbilt II, but he only lived to enjoy it for 4 years - dying in 1899 of a cerebral hemorrhage caused from a second stroke in 1899 at the age of 55. He left the manison to his wife, Alice.

The previous manison on the property owned by Pierre Lorillard IV burned down in 1892 and Vanderbuilt bought it from him, using the most modern fireproofing at the time.

Vanderbilt's youngest daughter, Countess Gladys Széchenyi (1886-1965), leased the high-maintenance property to the non-profit Preservation Society of Newport County for $1 a year in 1948. The Society bought the Breakers outright in 1972 for $365,000 from Countess Sylvia Szapary, the daughter of Gladys.

Today, an agreement with the Society allows the family to continue to live on the third floor, which is not open to the public.

Countess Sylvia died in 1998, but her children still summer there to this day.

Interesting facts: Although the mansion is owned by the Society, the original furnishings displayed throughout the house are still owned by the family.

It is now the most-visited attraction in Rhode Island with approximately 300,000 visitors annually and is open year-round for tours.

Controversially, in April 2009 the museum stopped offering personalized tours by tour guides due to a decision by management. Patrons now receive standard audio headsets.

The Designer:


The Breakers is also a definitive expression of Beaux-Arts architecture in American domestic design by one of the country's founding fathers of architecture, Richard Morris Hunt. The Breakers is one of the few surviving works of Hunt that has not been demolished in the last century and is therefore valuable for its rarity as well as its architectural excellence. The Breakers was Hunt’s final work, and is the singular house that has withstood the vagaries of time to be remembered as the monument that was the architect’s greatest achievement. The Breakers made Hunt the "dean of American architecture" as well as helping define the era in American life which Hunt helped to shape.

Info for this blog entry was taken from Wikipedia at:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Breakers

If you ever get a chance to visit The Breakers in Rhode Island, I highly recommend it.