Pilgrimage to Plymouth: discover a cornucopia of treasures and traditions in southeastern Massachusetts: in November and all year long, thoughts turn to Thanksgiving in Plymouth, "America's Hometown."

Travel America, Sept-Oct, 2003 by Randy Mink

Travelers captivated by the story of our nation's earliest permanent English settlement and the first Thanksgiving carve out time for a pilgrimage to this cozy coastal town, an hour south of Boston. It's one of those places that every history-minded American wants to visit at least once in his lifetime.

Plymouth, compact and very walkable, makes a good day trip from Boston or Cape Cod, the fish hook-shaped peninsula that starts only 15 miles away. Steeped in Pilgrim lore, the tourist--friendly town--loaded with motels and souvenir shops--is especially popular with families.

It was in Plymouth on December 21, 1620, that the Pilgrims, an intrepid group of colonists seeking religious freedom, landed after a long and treacherous crossing from England.

Wrote an early Pilgrim leader, Gov. William Bradford: "... Being thus arrived in a good harbor, and brought safe to land, they fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven who had brought them over the vast and furious ocean, again to set their feet on the firm and stable earth ..."

Along tree-shaded Pilgrim Memorial Park on the downtown waterfront, travelers from around the world come to photograph and toss coins on Plymouth Rock, a four-ton granite boulder on which, tradition says, the first Pilgrims stepped ashore. Embedded deep in the ground, the sacred rock, inscribed "1620" and under glass protection, lies below an elaborate pillared portico built in 1920.

Moored just north of Plymouth Rock is Mayflower II, a full-scale reproduction of the legendary ship that brought the 102 settlers to the New World. Exhibits on the small craft show what life was like during the 66-day voyage. Most visitors are surprised at the cramped quarters. Constructed in England from 1955-57, the ship is owned by Plimoth Plantation living history museum, three miles away.

In the warmer months, a holiday atmosphere prevails along the shore as tourists take harbor cruises, watch fishing vessels bring in their catches and drift between shops. Restaurants offer alfresco dining on waterside terraces. There's a 3.5-mile-long public beach.

Half-day whale-watching cruises, led by marine biologists, set off across Cape Cod Bay to Stellwagen Bank, the feeding ground of the world's largest mammals. Sightings include different kinds of whales, plus dolphins, porpoises and seals. Visitors also can go deep-sea fishing, lay traps from a lobster boat or ride a Splashdown amphibious vehicle that rolls fight into Plymouth Harbor after a drive through the historic district.

Massachusetts is synonymous with fresh seafood, and Plymouth has its share of eateries specializing in lobster, shrimp, clams, scallops, fish and hearty chowders. Fish markets will pack live lobsters to take home or ship anywhere in the country. Curiously, Pilgrims thought lobsters--today's most prized crustacean--were only fit for pigs and would eat them only when food was scarce.

Cranberries, that festive Thanksgiving staple, take the spotlight at Cranberry World, one of many attractions at Edaville USA, a family fun park in South Carver, 10 miles west of Plymouth. Exhibits cover the history and processing of the Bay State's leading agricultural crop. At cooking demonstrations, guests may sample cranberry cookies, breads and other treats.

The Indians mixed cranberries with venison and fat to make a sturdy ration called pemmican. The Pilgrims munched them raw, cooked them with maple syrup and used the cranberry as an accompaniment for wild game. But it wasn't until the 19th century that the tart red berry became widely accepted, thanks to the increased availability of sugar from the West Indies.

In Plymouth County, the state's No. 1 cranberry producer, the cranberry bogs' vast crimson carpets signal harvest time, which begins just after Labor Day and continues through October. On the first two weekends in October, Edaville USA hosts the National Cranberry Festival, with arts and crafts, hayrides and country music. The railroad-themed park has an antique train that steams through a working cranberry bog.

Nearby, Plymouth Colony Winery, a cranberry and fruit wine maker, occupies a renovated cranberry screening house in the middle of a 10-acre cranberry bog. It offers free tastings and tours, as does Plymouth Bay Winery on the downtown waterfront.

In Plymouth, chockful of clapboard and shingled buildings, nuggets of early American history seem to be around every corner. The center of town, encompassing 14 blocks, is custom-made for pedestrians wishing to commune with the past. Many monuments and museums remember the Pilgrims.

On Coles Hill, high above Plymouth Rock, dramatic soundtracks enhance 26 lifelike scenes at Plymouth National Wax Museum. Exhibits portray the Pilgrims' early days in England, the harrowing trip across the ocean, the landing at Plymouth and the first Thanksgiving. Also on Coles Hill is the Massasoit Statue (honoring the Pilgrims' Wampanoag Indian friend) and the Sarcophagus, with bones dating to the first winter, when over half the Pilgrims died of a "general sickness." Chief Massasoit aided the survivors, taught them how to grow corn and celebrated Thanksgiving with them.