Plimoth Plantation - Dad of Divas

For many that are making the pilgrimage to Plymouth, they are doing it to see Plymouth Rock or to learn about the Plymouth colony. As a part of this you have to take the time to experience the Plimoth Plantation and sites while visiting.

We took the time to go to the Plimoth Plantation while we were in Plymouth and we were very glad that we did. We had the chance to visit this with my friend Drew Bennett from Benspark.com and his family. My youngest daughter and his have been pen pals for a few months now and this was the first time that they met in person and they became fast friends quickly!

We decided to arrive at the Plimoth Plantation right when it opened as we had heard that it could get busy and seeing the size of the parking lot I can bet that it does. When we arrived there were not a lot of guests yet so we were able to go right in.

The area that the Plimoth Plantation is in is beautiful. Tucked away in a well-established forest, you get transported back in time. You first are able to visit a Wampanoag village and interact with people in period garb that will act and answer all questions that you may have about their life. Know that they will act, react and answer your questions in character, so you have to be wary of this and phrase your questions with care! We learned a ton about life in a Wampanoag village and about what they would have to do in different times of the year to live and survive.

As you leave the Wampanoag village at the Plimoth Plantation you will arrive at the craft house which is a fully-functioning artisan facility that has people showing you traditional craft work from the 17^th century. On the day that we were there we saw candle making, pottery, head-dresses being made and rugs on a loom. However, there is a location for bread making too. The artisans are very interactive and are more than willing to interact with you.

You leave the craft facility and enter the Plimoth Plantation 17^th century village. You could spend hours in the 17^th century village if you chose to do so. The people in the village all have personas that they play to a tee and they do not waiver in their portrayal of the characters. Just like in the Wampanoag village you have to figure out how you want to phrase questions or your answers too. They may ask you where you are from and when you tell them, they may answer that they are not aware of such a village, but that there are so many that are being founded or something else like this.

The Plimoth Plantation is very authentic. We truly appreciated the time and attention that everyone apart of this spent to make this a living experience and we learned a ton about life in the 17^th century and the harshness of the land and of living in those times.

I appreciated this more than most as my first ancestors in America came over on one of the first ships to America and was even a member of the church at the Plymouth colony for a number of years. Being able to talk to and experience this gave me some idea of what life would have been like for him and his family.

From the Plimoth Plantation we went to visit the2, the replica ship that gave you an idea of the ship and conditions that the first Pilgrims experienced. We were surprised to see how small the ship was as there were 100 people crammed into the hold where the passengers lived for 70 days. When you see the size of this place you will see why I was surprised that they could have survived the journey. Also, in speaking to one of the people on the ship you learn that they had to eat pre-made food on the ship for 70 days, so no cooking or hot food during all of that time over turbulent seas.

Leaving the Mayflower 2 we walked a short distance to view Plymouth Rock. Unfortunately, it was being worked on by city employees so we could not get too close.

The Plimoth Plantation also has a Grist Mill close to downtown Plymouth that also offers you a very authentic experience too. You can see that this grist mill still is a working mill and you can purchase flour from the mill if you so choose.

If you are going to be visiting Plymouth in the future, you definitely need to make sure to visit the Plimoth Plantation. It is a truly authentic experience that entertains and educates!