Today being Sunday, time out to give thanks to God.  One of the issues we continue to face while on the road is finding a church to attend on Sunday mornings.  Once again we were unsuccessful, so I turned to a TV service.  While it was stimulating and provided food for thought, it just wasn’t the same as being a part of a worshiping congregation.  Ah well, we’ll continue to look wherever we go.

When we awoke this morning we were undecided as to what to do.  Correction, make that I was undecided.  Barbara wanted to go to Bunker Hill to get her Passport To Your National Park book stamped.  All I kept thinking was another day of driving?  Bottom

line, I am so glad she pushed the issue.  It was another exciting day of discovery.

However, before we get to Bunker Hill, we’re going to go back to Lexington, Concord, and North Bridge.  For this story we went to the Minute Man National Historical Park.  Here we are in the parking lot with the ever-present Benny the Bison.  The Minute Man National Historical Park commemorates the opening battle in the American Revolution.  The park protects 970 acres in and around the towns of Lexington, Lincoln, and Concord.

This is the plaque regarding the visitor center at the beginning of the walkway to the center.

This is the walkway leading to the visitor center.  It is about a 4 to 5 minute walk one way.

This is the actual visitors center which is operated by the National Park Service.

Inside the visitors center there is a theater where a 25-minute multi-media show, Road to Revolution is shown.  This award-winning, multimedia theater program gives an excellent introduction to the historic events of April 19, 1775.  This is a picture of the inside of the theater.

Continuing our story.  After Paul Revere and William Dawes left Lexington, they continued their ride toward Concord to warn the Patriots gathered there.  They were joined before long by Samuel Prescott.  However, they did not get much further before they were stopped by a patrol of British Regulars.

Though the three men were detained by a patrol of British Regulars, Samuel Prescott was able to elude them and continued to Concord to warn the Patriots gathered there.  They, in turn, gathered on the surrounding hillside to watch and observe as the British Regulars entered Concord.  Once in Concord, the British Regulars begin their search for the reported military supplies hidden there.

 

Watching from the hillside and now seeing smoke rising over Concord, the Patriots believe that the British Regulars are in the process of burning Concord to the ground.  They begin their advance on the British Regulars and meet them at North Bridge. This is a painting of the North Bridge that is in the Visitors Center.  And this is the restored

North Bridge as it looks today.  This is where the Revolution really began on this unassuming bridge.

This statue, at the far end of the bridge above, marks where the Patriots stood and faced the British Regulars.

This monument, at the near end of the picture of the bridge, marks the spot where the British Regulars stood.

On this bridge the militia men confront the British Regulars, who fire and kill two colonials.  The militia commander orders his men to return fire.

This is considered an act of treason against the British government and would become known as the shot heard round the world.

The British Regulars regroup and begin their retreat back to the safety of Charlestown along Bay Road.  But the battle is far from over.  As they struggle back to Charlestown militia ambush them time and time again.  By the time the day was over and the British were back in Charlestown the British count 74 dead and 174 wounded soldiers.  Colonists have 49 men dead and 41 wounded.  The war for freedom has begun.

There is so much more that could be told.  Let me encourage you, make time yourself one day to come and visit the various historical sites in Boston and the surrounding area.

I, for one, was overwhelmed as I stood on the North Bridge and pictured in my mind the battle that raged there that day.  Would I have dared to stand in opposition to the British?  Would I have been willing to sacrifice perhaps even my life on the bridge that day?  I would like to think that I would have.  More though then the questions that came to my mind was the overwhelming sense of gratitude and respect that overtook me as I stood there and remembered the sacrifices made there that day for the freedoms that we all too often take for granted today.   Yes, these past days have humbled me and renewed within me in a new sense of patriotism.

So now the day is done and night has come.  Time for dominoes and time to start packing since we are moving out tomorrow.  It’s been a great day as we traveled along again, hand in hand, side by side.  We hope you had a great day as well.  In closing a thought for each of us:

So that’s it for now.  As always,  if you are coming to the end of your day with concerns and worries let me suggest that you turn them over to God.  After all, He is going to be up all night so why not let him handle them for you.

Time now for our evening prayers and some shut-eye.  Till tomorrow.  Thanks again for sharing our day with us.

These are the voyages of  Graybeard and it’s occupants, four paws and two humans.  Our continuing mission: to explore as many new states as possible, to seek out new acquaintances and make new friends, to boldly go where we have not been before