Jeff Mills Coastal Vacations Club Blog

For this year’s Thanksgiving vacation, why not trace your way back to the roots of this all-important holiday? Travel to New England and see for yourself where it all began.

The Pilgrim Monument in Stonington, Maine

A lot of people erroneously assume that this well-known historical landmark can be found in Plymouth Massachusetts, home to other and equally famous places which had make its mark in the origins of Thanksgiving. They’d be wrong, of course.

Pilgrim Monument, an all-granite structure standing over 250 feet tall, is located in Stonington, Maine and is the tallest of its kind in the country. It’s right at the edge of Cape Cod and history buffs should know that its location very much has to do with the fact that Pilgrims had considered establishing their residence at Cape Cod once upon a time.

The hours that the Pilgrim Monument is open to public vary during peak and off-peak seasons so make sure you inquire ahead of time. Admissions are free during Sundays from nine in the morning till noon.

As you’ll have to trek sixty ramps and 116 stair steps to reach the top of the monument, make sure you come prepared and dressed for the journey. Don’t forget your water canister!

Pilmoth Plantation in Plymouth, Massachusetts

A living history museum, Pilmoth Plantation offers its guests a rare opportunity to dine with the first English settlers of New England. As these dinners are highly coveted, you’ll need to book your reservations in advance. You have a choice of dining with them in a Victorian Thanksgiving dinner or a Thanksgiving Day buffet. There’s also a post-Thanksgiving dinner scheduled on Friday that you can reserve a seat for.

Plymouth Rock in Plymouth, Massachusetts

If Salisbury Plain, England has Stonehenge then Plymouth, Massachusetts has its very own famous rock in the, err, person of Plymouth Rock. More specifically, you’ll see it in Pilgrim Memorial State Park, the smallest of its kind in the state. Nevertheless, its tiny size doesn’t appear to be any hindrance as almost 1,000,000 people visit the place annually.

Plymouth Rock today is, of course, only a fraction of what it originally was, thanks to well-meaning but failed attempts of early Pilgrims to convey the object of historical interest to another site, souvenir seekers, and a fatal trip to the Pilgrim Hall Museum.

Visiting Plymouth Rock is always free. To get there, you have to go south on Route 3 until you reach Plymouth Route (Route 44). From there, you head east until you reach the waterfront and you’ll finally see Plymouth Rock for yourself.

Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts

As you’re already in the area, a visit to the Pilgrim Hall Museum wouldn’t be amiss. It is the country’s longest continuously-running public museum and houses an unparallel collection of Pilgrim artifacts.

Old Sturbridge Village in Sturbridge Massachusetts

If you’re too late booking a dinner reservation in Plimouth Plantation, try checking out the Thanksgiving celebrations in Old Sturbridge Village. Actors and interpreters in full 19th century costume shall lead the festivities, introducing guests to various Thanksgiving traditions like cooking at an open hearth as well as entertaining them with musical performances, games, story-telling, a Thanksgiving sermon, and a demonstration of table manners in the 1800’s.

While there, make sure to visit the Museum and other parts of the Village.

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Filed under: Jeff Mills, Thanksgiving