Los Angeles is rightly nicknamed the City of Angels. From museums to entertainment, L.A has something for everybody.

City Buzz: Things to Remember

• For getting around the Los Angeles tour , renting a car is the best option for transportation.
• While dining out, a tip of 15-20% and a couple of dollar per drink in a pub is routine.
• LA can get quite hot. Carry water especially while going for hiking trip.
• A little advance planning, especially, in reference to restaurants is required.
• For planning Los Angeles trip, use map.

Little Cautions

• Beware of cons approaching you promising a modeling career or anything else.
• While visiting the Venice Beach, keep your eyes open as a precaution.
• Noon gets hot, hence keep away from hiking then.
• ‘Be careful of your belongings’, says the travelers.
• Be careful of buses offering you a tour to star homes. They are often not safe or worth.

Must Visits

• Venice Beach: This beach is rightly called one of the most famous beaches across the world. It has an extensive stretch of golden sand that pave a way for walks, bi-cycle rides, jogging or skating. The beach has a unique market selling usual and usually unusual goods. There are plenty of waterfront dining opportunities for the visitors. There is also a fishing dock at the southern part of the beach for those who would like to catch their own supper.

Venice Beach, Los Angeles, USA by meeshubish

• Santa Monica Beach: Similarly exquisite but more family friendly that the Venice Beach is Santa Monica Beach. Free yoga classes are conducted by an instructor on Saturday mornings at an on and off basis. During fall Fridays, free ‘Front Porch Cinema Nights’ are held.

Santa Monica Beach, Los Angeles, US by Marc Cooper

• Griffin Park and Observatory: Perched on the hilltop, outside the LA city center, is located the Griffith park, which is also the largest state park in California. The park provides astral views of the city. This park boasts the possession of the Zeiss telescope enabling people viewing the moon and planets.

Griffin Park and Observatory, Los Angeles, USA by Noob Photographer

• Hollywood: The Hollywood is synonymous to the film industry and there are very few in the world who does not dream of seeing the picturesque locales of Hollywood. A visit to Hollywood encompasses the following
  • Hollywood Boulevard

Hollywood Boulevard has great shops, museums, and landmarks that warrant a visit from the visitors. This place is dotted with good places to eat. Sparklingly lit corridors with great food make Hollywood Boulevard a great destination for an evening out.

Hollywood Boulevard, Los Angeles, USA Ana Paula Hirama

• The Walk of Fame

The faces that you recognize the most are symbolized by stars and laid in the sidewalk, which runs along the Hollywood Boulevard and the Vine Street.

• TLC Chinese Theatre

Worthy a look for traditional Chinese décor, this theater was built by Sid Grauman in 1927. This section also gives out information about visiting the ‘star homes’.

• Universal Studios Hollywood

A must visit for adventure lovers, the Universal Studios has theme parks, a working studio, a City Walk and also restaurants offering sumptuous meals. The studio tour opens the ‘behind the camera’ scene to the tourists along with a few famous movie sets.

Universal Studios Hollywood, Los Angeles, USA by Davide D’Amico

• J Paul Getty Museum: The list will remain incomplete without the mention of this Museum. Picturesque landscaped gardens, a massive collection of Greek and Roman antiques and contemporary art makes this place a must visit for the art lovers. There are restaurants and cafés serving meals for hungry visitors.

J Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles, USA by Tracie Hall

LA has plenty of other options, especially in terms of museums at traveler’s disposal. A little careful planning and readiness to explore are all one needs to unravel the paradise of the city of angels.

The post What to See in the Land of the Stars – Los Angeles first appeared on Steve's Travel Guide.

The Boston Tea Party Museum is a fun, entertaining, educational, hour-long historical extravaganza. It provides a good overview of Revolutionary-era Boston history, a climb-aboard visit to a recreated tea-ship (complete with simulated tea chest tossing), the chance to see one of two remaining tea chests from the fateful night (pretty cool), holographic-enhanced reenactments of key events and personalities, and a ten minute film of the events of April 18-19th, 1775 (Paul Revere’s Ride, the battles of Lexington & Concord, and the “Shot Heard ‘Round the World”). Good fun, but unless you crave Disney-style entertainment or are purchasing a package that includes the Museum, it is pricey.

Is it worth the time and expense? Does Boston need Disneyesque historical entertainment? Is the Tea Party “The single most important event leading up to the American Revolution?” Read on…

The Visit

Boston Tea Party Museum Identity Card

Once you arrive at the museum and have a ticket, you are invited to join the next available tour queue. Tours run every ½ hour and can be pretty full in the summer, so when it’s busy you may want to arrive ½ hour before your desired start. You are then ushered into the “Meeting House” and given a card by a colonial-garbed actor. The card holds the pseudo-identity of an actual revolutionary-era citizen (you may be asked to read a line from card later). Once the meeting starts, and in great in theatrical fashion, your guides explain events leading up to the Tea Party.

[Note that you are kept moving from station to station – there is not much time to linger or explore; virtually every step is choreographed. The guides are well trained, personable, and happy to answer questions, but they speak quickly; pay attention as it is easy to miss something.]

Boston Tea Party Museum Ramp

Leaving the Meeting House, you proceed down a gangplank to visit one of the replica tea ships. The replicas are close to the actual Tea Party ships and are amazing. On board, you learn more about the ships and their context, then go below deck to experience what life aboard was like – very tight quarters for the eight men who lived aboard, and these must have been awful in rough seas.

Boston Tea Party Museum Ship Deck

(Click for a wonderful Boston Globe video on the recreation of the ships.)

Boston Tea Party Museum Tea Toss

To make it more interactive for the kids, simulated chests of tea are heaved overboard. (A full tea chests weighed well over 300 pounds.)

Boston Tea Party Museum Ship Captains Quarters

On exiting the ships, and while waiting on the dock for your group’s turn to enter the museum, your guide provides additional context to the events and personalities.

Entering the museum, the first stop is a short holographic reenactment of a conversation between two colonial women – one with patriot, and the other with loyalist leanings. The technology is impressive, but the content seems more for show than substance.

The next room houses the Robinson Half Chest. This half chest (a half-chest contained about 100 pounds) was found by teenager John Robinson the morning after the Tea Party. It remained a Robinson family heirloom until it was purchased by the folks who run the museum. After viewing and learning about the chest, visitors turn around and view a holographic-enhanced conversation between the portraits of King George III and Samuel Adams. This is technically innovative and fun, but a little over the top. The pre-recorded reenactors are entertaining, and what they say is true to the history, but a lot is taken out of context.

The last room, the Minuteman Theater, shows a +/- 10 minute film, “Let it Begin Here,” that dramatizes the events of April 18 and 19, 1775. The film wraps around the audience and is complete with air puffs to simulate musket balls flying by. The tie in is that these events were directly as result of the Tea Party. The reenactments are good and historically accurate, the layout and feel of Lexington Green is particularly good; but the portrayal of the participants is overdone and stilted – the actor portraying John Hancock in Lexington is particularly amusing. (Click for an excerpt.)

After the film, you are encouraged to partake in refreshments at Abigail’s Tea Room & Terrace and visit the Gift Shop, which is stocked with every revolutionary-themed tchotchke imaginable. The only thing missing was the chance to purchase a photo of the visitors with a smiling Samuel Adams reenactor.

Historical Accuracy and Quality

Quite good. The Museum provides a solid and largely accurate overview of the events leading up to the Tea Party and the American Revolution as well as useful context of life in this period. The recreation of the tea ships alone is a marvel and worth the visit.

That being said, the events and people are simplified and hyperbolized – both for effect and to pump up the presentation of the Tea Party as “The single most important event leading up to the American Revolution.” No doubt, the Tea Party was a very key event. But it is not the entire story.

I realize that everyone loves a myth with a hero and a villain (Cinderella vs Evil Queen Grimhilde?) – here Samuel Adams vs King George III. But reality is always more nuanced, and the museum makes only anemic attempts to balance their presentation. While this is not necessarily bad, and perhaps even appropriate for a theatrically-themed venue, it is misleading. Suitable for Orlando or Las Vegas, I had hoped Boston might be more thoughtful, or visitors given time to ponder a counterpoint.

Value

Normal admission is $25 for adults, $15 for children – which means a family of four would pay $80 for a one hour show, not including the encouraged refreshments and souvenirs.

Is it worth it? It depends how much you value this type of entertainment. If cash is tight, there are many better values in town – such as the free Freedom Trail Tours run by the National Park Service, a visit and climb through Old Ironsides, the modestly priced visits to the Old State House or Old South Meeting House, or the behind the scenes visits to King’s Chapel or Old North Church, just to name a few.

If you are considering a visit, a much better deal can be found bundled with the purchase of a ticket from the hop-on-off Old Town Trolley (trolleytours.com), which includes admission to the Tea Party Museum. Historic Tours of America owns both the Tea Party Museum and Old Town Trolley, and they also offer packages with admission to the Aquarium, Fenway Park, and other Boston sites that might be on your short list. Check online as tickets are available at a discount.

The Verdict

I had fun and found it worth my time. My visit was fun, participative, educational, and entertaining.

Is it a “must see?” IMHO, it doesn’t fit that category as there are many other places where you will learn and experience more, are more authentic, and are much better values. If I was bringing children, I would weight it a little more positively as its technology and interactivity will hold a child’s attention and memory more than some other sites; but still not in the must see category.

But I had fun, Huzzah!

The post Fun at the Tea Party Museum, or Simba (King George III) and Scar (Samuel Adams) Visit Boston Harbor first appeared on Steve's Travel Guide.

Conseils Pratiques

1. Il n’ya aucune raison historique à faire les Stops du Freedom Trail dans l’ordre – organisez votre temps de manière à visiter ce qui vous passionne le plus. Parcourez les descriptions des Stops afin d’aider à évaluer votre intérêt.
2. Veuillez vérifier afin de confirmer les modifications des heures d’exploitation – il peut y avoir des différences d’accès pendant les vacances, certains stops accueillent des événements spéciaux, ou peuvent être fermés pour rénovation. Voir le lien «Aujourd’hui, dans le parc” dans le Chapitre des Ressources.
3. Bien que seulement 2,5 miles (4 km) de bout en bout, il est difficile de voir l’ensemble du Freedom Trail en une journée – surtout si vous voulez entrer et visiter l’un des Stops.
4. Il ya d’excellents tours gratuits offerts par les rangers en uniforme du National Park Service (NPS). Les visites partent des Centres NPS à Faneuil Hall (Stop 11) ou depuis l’USS Constitution (Stop 15).
5. Boston est une ville à pied, et le Freedom Trail ne fait pas exception. Apportez des chaussures confortables, de l’eau, de la crème solaire etc. Bien que les excellents transports publics de la ville de Boston peut vous emmener à la plupart des Stops du centre-ville (Stops 1-11), ceux de la North End et Charlestown ne sont pas bien déservis.
6. Une façon amusante et peu coûteuse de se rendre ou de partir de Charlestown et du centre ville est la Navette Aquatique. Celle-ce traverse l’arrière-port entre Long Wharf (par l’Aquarium) et le Charlestown Navy Yard (près de l’USS Constitution).
7. Les “Trolley Tours” du genre monte-et-descends sont de bons moyens de se déplacer, mais ils ne naviguent pas dans les rues du North End – vous aurez besoin de marcher vers / depuis la maison de Paul Revere, du Old North Church et Copp’s Hill.
8. Conseils les restaurants: les promos de homard sont souvent disponibles dans le bloc de Blackstone; une aire de restauration est dans le bâtiment principal de Quincy Market (par Faneuil Hall) avec des articles pour tous les goûts; Durgin Park, dans le bâtiment Quincy Market North Market est actif depuis 1827 et sert les mets favoris de la Nouvelle-Angleterre; l’Union Oyster House dans le bloc de Blackstone est le plus ancien restaurant en activité de l’Amérique, depuis 1826; le Chart House à Long Wharf est situé dans ce qui était la maison de comptage de John Hancock, datant de 1760; près de Bunker Hill, le Warren Tavern a été l’un des premiers bâtiments soulevés après que Charlestown ai été brûlée pendant la bataille de Bunker Hill, et a servi à acceuillir Paul Revere, George Washington et Benjamin Franklin; et il y a l’incomparable North End, où vous pouvez trouver n’importe quel type de festin à l’italienne imaginable.

The post Freedom Trail Boston – El Recorrido Más Completo y Guía Histórica first appeared on Steve's Travel Guide.

Conseils Pratiques

1. Il n’ya aucune raison historique à faire les Stops du Freedom Trail dans l’ordre – organisez votre temps de manière à visiter ce qui vous passionne le plus. Parcourez les descriptions des Stops afin d’aider à évaluer votre intérêt.
2. Veuillez vérifier afin de confirmer les modifications des heures d’exploitation – il peut y avoir des différences d’accès pendant les vacances, certains stops accueillent des événements spéciaux, ou peuvent être fermés pour rénovation. Voir le lien «Aujourd’hui, dans le parc” dans le Chapitre des Ressources.
3. Bien que seulement 2,5 miles (4 km) de bout en bout, il est difficile de voir l’ensemble du Freedom Trail en une journée – surtout si vous voulez entrer et visiter l’un des Stops.
4. Il ya d’excellents tours gratuits offerts par les rangers en uniforme du National Park Service (NPS). Les visites partent des Centres NPS à Faneuil Hall (Stop 11) ou depuis l’USS Constitution (Stop 15).
5. Boston est une ville à pied, et le Freedom Trail ne fait pas exception. Apportez des chaussures confortables, de l’eau, de la crème solaire etc. Bien que les excellents transports publics de la ville de Boston peut vous emmener à la plupart des Stops du centre-ville (Stops 1-11), ceux de la North End et Charlestown ne sont pas bien déservis.
6. Une façon amusante et peu coûteuse de se rendre ou de partir de Charlestown et du centre ville est la Navette Aquatique. Celle-ce traverse l’arrière-port entre Long Wharf (par l’Aquarium) et le Charlestown Navy Yard (près de l’USS Constitution).
7. Les “Trolley Tours” du genre monte-et-descends sont de bons moyens de se déplacer, mais ils ne naviguent pas dans les rues du North End – vous aurez besoin de marcher vers / depuis la maison de Paul Revere, du Old North Church et Copp’s Hill.
8. Conseils les restaurants: les promos de homard sont souvent disponibles dans le bloc de Blackstone; une aire de restauration est dans le bâtiment principal de Quincy Market (par Faneuil Hall) avec des articles pour tous les goûts; Durgin Park, dans le bâtiment Quincy Market North Market est actif depuis 1827 et sert les mets favoris de la Nouvelle-Angleterre; l’Union Oyster House dans le bloc de Blackstone est le plus ancien restaurant en activité de l’Amérique, depuis 1826; le Chart House à Long Wharf est situé dans ce qui était la maison de comptage de John Hancock, datant de 1760; près de Bunker Hill, le Warren Tavern a été l’un des premiers bâtiments soulevés après que Charlestown ai été brûlée pendant la bataille de Bunker Hill, et a servi à acceuillir Paul Revere, George Washington et Benjamin Franklin; et il y a l’incomparable North End, où vous pouvez trouver n’importe quel type de festin à l’italienne imaginable.

The post Le Freedom Trail Boston Guide en français first appeared on Steve's Travel Guide.

“… just the right mix of content to make for a terrific tour…” David J. Asher  “Saved me with visitors from the West Coast…”  Steve S.

Download the free Apps – use with the Guide or by themselves when visiting the Freedom Trail!

For the iPhone                 For Android 

The Freedom Trail Boston – Ultimate Tour & History Guide provides everything you need to bring your visit to The Freedom Trail to life. Use it to plan your visit, as a interactive tour guide, or even as a souvenir! Includes FREE STREAMING AUDIO NARRATION – a personal tour guide in your pocket (requires web access)!

The most comprehensive guide available, by far!

• Overview and detailed background information for all 16 Official and >50 Unofficial Freedom Trail Stops
• Side trips to Harvard Square/Cambridge, Lexington, Concord, Adams NHP, & Boston Harbor Islands
• Available in print or ebook formats.
• Print version retains ebook features with QR Code access to auto-translate and web materials
• > 70 photographs, maps and illustrations
• Auto-translate all major book chapters (with web-access) into Spanish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Chinese, Korean and more
• Access to additional free information including an interactive Google Map Tour, an Android app and iPhone/Pad app
• Budget tips including the best free guided-tours, where to find a bargain lobster, historic restaurants, and even a harbor cruise for $3 (children are free)
• Detailed itineraries for an hour, 1/2, full and two day visits. Learn exactly what to visit with your limited time
• Child-friendly and family-oriented tips
• Descriptions of all the events that bring the Freedom Trail to life including the Boston Massacre, the Boston Tea Party, Paul Revere’s Ride, the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and the Battle of Bunker Hill – more than is provided by any other tour guide

The post Ultimate Freedom Trail Tour Guide & Apps – Tips, Secrets & More first appeared on Steve's Travel Guide.

自由之路全长2.7英里

红砖标出的街道连接着

16处重要的历史古迹或“站点”。

它的正式起点是在

波士顿公园，终点在查尔斯顿的

邦克山纪念碑。

在一天之内全部游览完比较困难特别是如果您想参观每个站点。

这里还有许多非正式的

站点 -当您漫步时

您所看到的和您想要了解的。

请记住，这些站点不是按历史顺序排列的，

尽管从地理位置上能看到有些站点很靠近。

大多数的站点是以革命时代主题，但其中一些最受欢宪法号战舰迎的站 还要古

根据您的兴趣和计划，请确定您有足够的时间去参观您想看的。

关于距离，直接从正式的

自由之路起点波士顿

公园到法纳尔大厅大约只有0.6英里(1公里)，

不超过15分钟。

从法纳尔大厅步行到的保罗里维尔故居需要10到15分钟。到查尔斯顿站点还需步行15分钟从考普山墓地和旧北教堂。北边的最后的站点到宪法号战舰和邦克山纪念碑还需要和步行10分钟。

从查尔斯顿回到波士顿，最佳建议之一 – 因为

步行一天之后可能感到很乏味

可以坐水上巴士。它从查尔斯顿的宪法号博物馆后面的

海军船厂开始到水族馆和波士顿万豪酒店旁的

长码头为止。很有趣，价格也不贵(成人只需三美金12岁以下儿童免费)，这是从港口体验波士顿风情的不错的。

方法 –怎么做的呢？

最推荐的是选择

免费的国家公园导游，从法纳尔大厅

开始，特别是参观北边时，

那是波士顿我最喜欢的地方。

我喜欢的站点宪法号战舰，小朋友们也都喜欢的;旧州府

大楼，有奇妙的博物馆，非常不错的解说。

有还优旧北教堂。

说实话，我并不想省略其它站点，但

如果时间非常有限，那些只能是候选。

祝您游览愉快！

请购买从亚马逊或在波士顿购买“波士顿自由之路 – 最终旅游和历史指南”。它包括自动翻译，交互式地图，智能手机应用程序，推荐路线，小提示，除了参观自由之路外，还有哈佛，列克星敦，以及更多！

从iTunes或Google Play下载免费的应用程序。https://www.stevestravelguide.com/?p=1122

The post 波士顿自由之路介绍 – 怎样安排最佳游览路线! first appeared on Steve's Travel Guide.

Enjoy and have a great visit.
[wpdevart_youtube]https://youtu.be/-HRf4CN1Qvs[/wpdevart_youtube]

The post Freedom Trail Boston Visit Planning Video first appeared on Steve's Travel Guide.

Extracted from 1632 Map of North America – source Map reproduction courtesy of the Norman B. Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library

This is Part 2 of a series about the founding of New England. For Part 1, the Native Americans, click here.

In the 1400’s, even before Christopher Columbus’s fabled voyage to “discover” America, Basque fisherman commonly fished for cod in the area around what was to be called Newfoundland. In 1497, under the aegis of English King Henry VII, the Genovese explorer Giovanni Caboto (John Cabot), while searching for a spice route to Asia, noted a land with a vast, rocky coastline teeming with cod. Cabot called this “New Found Land,” and claimed it for England. By the early 1500’s, it was common for English fishing ships to visit and harvest the cod from this area.

In parallel efforts, in 1501 the Portuguese explorer Gaspar Corte-Real reached what is now the state of Maine and abducted over 50 Native Americans; the Native Americans were sold into slavery. In 1523 the Italian Giovanni da Verrazano sailed into Narragansett Bay, near present-day Providence, RI, and spent over two weeks trading as a guest of the Natives. After leaving Narragansett, he sailed north and encountered the Abnacki on the coast of Maine. In 1534, Frenchman Jacques Cartier “discovered” and explored the mouth of the St. Lawrence river, claiming the area for France. (Cartier was later involved in colonization efforts, but these were abandoned in 1543.)

By the end of the 1500’s, European exploration in North America had become common, but was focused on fishing the plentiful cod. Permanent settlements did not exist and the fisherman-explorers went home as winter approached. Universally, the Europeans noted that North America was thickly settled with natives, generally described as handsome and healthy. And, the area seemed ripe for exploitation. European attention began to shift to the more systematic capitalization of North America. This resulted in the emergence of “trading companies” set up to establish permanent settlements to harvest the riches.

In 1602, English explorer Bartholomew Gosnold established a small post on Cuttyhunk Island (in the Elizabethan Islands near Cape Cod and New Bedford), but had to abandon the outpost as the group had inadequate supplies to last the winter.  During this visit, Gosnold is credited with naming “Cape Cod” and discovering Martha’s Vineyard. (In 1607 Gosnold was involved in the founding of Jamestown, the first permanent English settlement in North America.)

In 1605, French explorer Samuel de Champlain, known as the founder of “New France” in North America, helped to found Port-Royal, the first successful French Settlement in North America. In 1605-1606, he visited Cape Cod with plans to establish a French base. This plan was abandoned after skirmishes with the Natives. In 1608, Champlain founded what is now known as Quebec City, on the Saint Lawrence River in Canada.

Englishman Sir Ferdinando Gorges, the “Father of English Colonization in North America”, was planning to develop settlements in Maine – then considered “the Northern Parte of Virginia.”  In 1605, he was part of the sponsoring group for an expedition sent to explore the area of New England under Captain George Waymouth. During his voyage, Waymouth captured  five Native Americans, who he brought back to England. According to some accounts, one of the captured Indians was Squanto – the same Squanto who was to play a key role in helping the Pilgrims survive their first winter in North America.  After 1605, many English voyages carried one or more Native Americans as guides and interpreters.

In 1606, again initiated by Gorges, the Sagadahoc settlement (also known as Popham) at base of Kennebec near modern Portland, Maine became the first English attempt at colonizing New England.  It was abandoned after only one year.

In 1609, sponsored by the Dutch East India Company to seek a northwest spice passage, English explorer Henry Hudson passed by the Atlantic Coast and up the river that was to bear his name. Hudson claimed a good part of the territory between Virginia and New England for the Dutch. Their first settlement, for fur trading, was established near present day Albany, New York, in 1615. Dutch colonization efforts did not start until 1624, with the land that was to become their capitol, New Amsterdam, not purchased from the Native Americans until 1626.

In 1614, the English explorer Captain John Smith was ordered by the future King Charles I to sail to America to assess commercial opportunities. Smith reached land in present-day Maine and made his way south to Cape Cod, making contact with natives and mapping out the coastline. Smith called the region “New England.”

During the mapping, Smith observed the land that was to become Boston. He noted a tri-capped hilly peninsula with an excellent harbor. The harbor was fed by three rivers and connected to the mainland by a narrow neck across a shallow back bay. Called “Shawmut,” it was important to the natives for an excellent freshwater spring.

This all was setting the scene for the first permanent settlement in New England in 1620, the Pilgrim’s voyage to what became Plymouth. But, that is another story.

The post The Coming of the Europeans – Early Exploration of New England first appeared on Steve's Travel Guide.

Rough Locations of Primary New England Native American Tribes

Map © 2008 DeLorme (www.delorme.com) TOPO USA® – Annotations by the Author

By the time white Europeans arrived, New England had been inhabited by Native Americans for over a thousand years. Migrating here after the retreat of the last ice age, by 1500 they had a population likely in excess of 100,000. Originally hunters and gatherers, they had become more agricultural – with extensive fields of corn (maize), beans, and squash.  By this time the tribes were fundamentally stationary, but shifted dwellings several times year based on weather – winter, autumn hunting, and summer.

The New England tribes had a common heritage and belonged to the Algonquian family. Their language was fairly common, and although each tribe had nuances, there was the ability to be understood from Cape Cod to Canada.

Politically, each tribe and sub-tribe had a single primary ruler, called “sachem” or “sagamore”.  These sachem were usually men, but sometimes there were squaw, or female, sachem.  Within the tribal hierarchy, there were sub-sachems for functions such as the military (for war), powwows (medicine), and other functions.

At the time of the white man’s arrival, there were a number of principle tribes, many peaceful, but some warlike and in competition with their neighbors. The names of these tribes have been inherited by many New England towns, rivers and lakes. Those tribes included:

• The Abnaki, also known as the Tarrantine to other tribes, inhabited western Maine, especially the Kennebec Androscoggin & Saco River valleys, as well as portions of neighboring New Hampshire. As this is the colder and more mountainous portion of New England, the Abnaki tended more to hunting than farming. More warlike than their southern neighbors, many tribes, and particularly the Massachusetts, lived in dread of Tarrantine raids. They had a reputation for cruelty and were accused of cannibalism by the English.
• The Penacook inhabited southern and central MA, northeastern MA and southeastern ME, with the principle subdivision around Concord, NH. The Penacook had many subordinate tribes including the Nashua, Piscataqua, and the Winnepesaukee.
• The Massachusett (in Algonquian, “people of the great hills”), from whom the state of Massachusetts got its name, inhabited the eastern area of state, around Boston. Originally one of the more powerful tribes, it was devastated by the plague and wars with the Abnaki. Their population declined from about 3,000 to 500 between 1615 and 1630.
• The Wampanoag inhabited the areas of southeastern Massachusetts near where the Pilgrims landed in current Plymouth. They were also devastated by the plague. Metacom (King Philip of “King Philip’s War”) was Wampanoag.
• The Narragansetts were a powerful tribe that lived in present-day Rhode Island.
• The Niantics were a largely coastal tribe lived on Narragansett Bay, and extended as far west as the Pequot tribe in Connecticut.
• The Pequots, of eastern Connecticut were originally part of the Mahican (known as Mohegan, a corruption of the Mahigan name) a tribe of the of upper Hudson River valley in New York.  They were warlike and aggressive and the primary protagonist in the Pequot War in 1637-1638.
• The Nipmucs who inhabited central MA, were a comparatively weak tribe who frequently paid tribute to their neighbors.
• The Pocumtucks were a loose association of tribes that lived west of the Nipmucks in the areas around Deerfield, MA.
• South of the Pocumtucks along the Connecticut River Valley lived the “River Indians”, another loose association of tribes.
• Bordering the River Indians to the west was the Wappinger Confederacy, which extended from the west bank of the Hudson River as far south as Manhattan and north to Poughkeepsie. Tribes of the Wappinger included the Mattabesic, Quinnipiac, Paugusset, and Tunxis.
• North of the Wappinger Confederacy were the Mahicans, (Mohecan), the parent tribe to the Pequots. They inhabited the western Connecticut and the upper Hudson Valley in New York.
• The Nausets were a smaller tribe that lived on Cape Cod.
• The Montauks inhabited eastern Long Island.
• The Mohawks, who spanned most of eastern New York State, were the easternmost tribe of the Iroquois confederacy, e.g., they were not Algonquin. Extremely warlike, they were formidable and feared by the Algonquin tribes.

Between 1616 and 1619 a plague, or the “Great Dying,” wiped out almost ¾ of the New England Native American population, with the devastation worse in the coastal areas where mortality was as high as 95%. A major effect was that when white settlers began arriving, starting in 1620, they encountered very little of the indigenous population. The Native American’s ability to resist the Europeans was very weak.

For Part 2, the Early Exploration of New England, click here.

Sources and for additional reading:

Bragdon, Kathleen Joan, Native People of Southern New England, 1500-1650.  University of Oklahoma Press, 1996.

Vaughan, Alden T., New England Frontier Puritans and Indians 1620-1675.  Little Brown and Company Boston, 1965.

http://iweb.tntech.edu/kosburn/History-201/Puritans%20&%20Indians.htm

http://www.memorialhall.mass.edu/classroom/curriculum_6th/lesson2/bkgdessay.html

http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/squanto.htm

The post New England Before Europeans – the Native Americans first appeared on Steve's Travel Guide.

View of Boston across the Harbor from Georges Island Artillery Observation Tower

A fantastic trip and relaxing change from Revolutionary Boston is a visit to the Harbor Islands National Recreation Area. At the Islands you can visit a Civil War era fort, swim, picnic, hike, bird watch, camp, enjoy a concert, or just delight on the wonderful, narrated cruise through the Harbor. For the younger visitors there is even a playground with an amazing view of the Boston skyline. The Islands are a cooperative effort between the National Park Service and various Commonwealth, City and private groups.

The park itself features 12 islands and peninsulas, and even the oldest active lighthouse station in the United States (used since 1716, only accessible via a special “Lighthouse Tour”); practically, you can visit a maximum of two Islands per day – visiting a single Island requires at least ½ day, but don’t rush. There is a snack shack with a seafood menu on Georges Island, but the food quality can be variable – so you may want to pack a lunch. There is an expertly-staffed pavilion on the Rose Kennedy Greenway between Quincy Market and Long Wharf to help plan your visit, purchase ferry tickets, etc.

Although ferries run from several suburban locations, most visitors will take the ferry the north side of Long Wharf (by Christopher Columbus Park); the ferries take you to either George’s or Spectacle Island. From George’s Island, during the summer, there are connections to other islands. Fares are: Adults, $15; children 4-11, $9; over 65, $11, inter-island, $3. Regular service runs May through Columbus Day in the fall, but there are various winter visit opportunities. Definitely visit the website for current and detailed visiting and transportation information.

There is a very well done Visitor Center on Georges Island with interpretive exhibits highlighting the Islands’ history, their role in the defense of Boston, the impacts of changing military technology, even the respective diets of enlisted men and officers – fascinating even for the non-military-oriented visitor. Unless you know you want your stop to be Spectacle Island, stop here first, watch the eight minute video and plan the rest of your visit. Rangers are there to help.

There are excellent Ranger-led tours of the Civil War era Fort Warren, which was built between 1833 and 1861 (self-guided tours are also available). During the Civil War, the fort served as a prison for over 1,000 Confederate personnel, the most famous the Confederate Vice President Alexander Stephens. Fort Warren remained active through the Spanish-American War and World War I. During World War II, it was part of the harbor’s defense from German U-boats. Over the years it was modified to accommodate changing cannon technology. It was permanently decommissioned in the 1950’s when guided missiles obsoleted cannon for coastal defense.

A visit is highly recommended and suitable for all ages. Handicap access, however, is limited; please check the website for detailed information.

Useful links for a Boston Harbor Islands visit:

• The official Boston Harbor Islands website.

• National Park Service website.

• National Park Service map of the Islands, download here.

• Boston Harbor Islands YouTube channel, here.

• Ferry website.

• The Boston Harbor Island Alliance website.

Georges Island Visitor Center

The post Boston Harbor Islands – Fantastic Day Trip For All Ages first appeared on Steve's Travel Guide.