Snow in New England is a serious thing. I wrote about snow last year, and as bad as it was in 2013, this year was even worse. Thanksgiving week began with a horrendous storm that knocked the power out through most of the Manchester area including our apartment complex. Fortunately for us, Thanksgiving day was planned to be at Steve and Kim’s where we were able to get cleaned up and enjoy a warm day. We returned to our home that night to find the power still out, and the apartment very cold.

It was obvious that staying home on Friday was out of the picture so an adventure was in order. I love thematic adventures and thought that there was no better Thanksgiving adventure than to visit Plymouth again and see where the holiday began. Last year I toured the Mayflower, but I knew there was more to this town than a ship.

As with many New England towns, the downtown had more than a few antique stores, and other novelty shops.  We always like to look, but now that we’ve downsized to an apartment we rarely buy. Janet had never toured the Mayflower, so we took advantage of the experience. I don’t mind visiting places a second time. After the tour, we found a great bistro on the harbor with a nice view of the ship in the distance for lunch.

After lunch we headed over to the Plimoth Plantation. This is a reconstruction of the colony that was settled by the pilgrims after their voyage in 1620. The plantation is divided into a colonist area, and a native American area. In the colonist portion, actors portray characters who share their experiences with the visitors who tour their homes and work areas.

The native American area contains a longhouse and other structures to visit. The guides are members of tribal people who lived in the area during the time of the pilgrims. They shared information of their heritage, and what life was like at the time. These people were not actors and did not attempt to portray a character.

I found the entire experience to be amazing and so relevant for the holiday. By the time we returned home, the power was back on, and our apartment was once again livable.  I guess I learned today that even when circumstances seem miserable, adventures are just down the road in New England.

“Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller