Plymouth Massachusetts & Vicinity  Map

Traveling in 2020 has gotten a bit more complicated due to COVID-19. We were disappointed to cancel plans for a European trip in September. After months in isolation we decided to take a trip to Plymouth, Massachusetts for mostly family reasons. However, we ended up fitting in some nice day trips and were excited to see the newly restored Mayflower sitting in Plymouth harbor. This year Plymouth is celebrating the 400th Anniversary of the Mayflower voyage across the Atlantic and the founding of Plymouth Colony. It’s a four nation commemoration involving the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, the United States and the Wampanoag Nation. Click here for the official website of the Plymouth 400 commemoration.

Plymouth county was created in 1685. As of the 2010 census, the population was almost half a million and it is the third largest county in Massachusetts by total area. It’s 434 square miles and includes about 42 towns and cities stretching from Hingham to Plymouth and south east to almost the Cape Cod Canal.

Plymouth Colony is one of the first American colonies (1620) preceded by only a few other colonies such as Roanoke (1585), Jamestown (1607), and St. Augustine (1565). The colonial architectural influence in Plymouth is present throughout the town. As I walked from my brothers house, which was built in 1860, down to Plymouth Harbor I wandered by a home that was built in approximately 1664. It’s hard to find buildings this old in the United States and I stopped to appreciate the significance and to think about what life might have been like during that time in the town.

Some Interesting facts about Plymouth

• Plymouth is one of “The 25 Best Beach Towns in New England,” according to Yankee Magazine.
• Although local lore maintains the Plymouth Rock Monument is the very rock where the Pilgrims first set foot, facts suggest otherwise.
• As one of the first settlements in the country and the site of the first Thanksgiving feast, Plymouth is also known as America’s Hometown.
• The Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth is the oldest continually operating public museum in the United States.
• The Mayflower first landed at the tip of Cape Cod, in what is now Provincetown.

The images above show a home we walked by on our way to downtown Plymouth, which was built circa 1664, The other images show my brother’s home which was built in 1860 and has been featured in the local newspaper a few times and opened for a Christmas tour of homes on occasion. When viewing the house from the outside the narrowness of the building strikes me. His home contains two apartments and I love the courtyard in the backyard.

Plymouth provides picturesque views on a clear day and the harbor is typically filled with boats of all types. On the northwest side of the bay, Gurnet Point is located at the end of the peninsula that juts out at the entrance to Plymouth Bay. On the southeast side of the bay, there is another peninsula that is about 5 miles long and provides additional protection to Plymouth harbor making it calm on most days. Long beach is located on that peninsula and those looking for a long walk away from the crowds might consider it. Dogs are allowed on leash.

Plymouth Rock is located at the harbor front along with the Mayflower when it is in port. The harbor front street, called Waterstreet, is lined with shops and restaurants. You can pick up your t-shirts, trinkets and homemade fudge in any number of stores. There is a walking path along the waterfront with benches and places to lounge that are perfect for eating ice cream or that homemade fudge that you just purchased.

 Plymouth Quick History 

Plymouth Colony was founded (in 1620) by a group of Puritan Separatists initially known as the Brownist Emigration, who came to be known as the Pilgrims. It was the second successful colony to be founded by the English in America after Jamestown in Virginia, and it was the first permanent English settlement in the New England region. The colony established a treaty with Wampanoag Chief Massasoit which helped to ensure its success; in this, they were aided by Squanto, a member of the Patuxet tribe. Plymouth played a central role in King Philip's War (1675–1678), one of several Indian Wars, but the colony was ultimately merged with the Massachusetts Bay Colony and other territories in 1691 to form the Province of Massachusetts Bay.

Ellisville Harbor State Park is a seaside park with paths down to the waterfront. If you take the dirt road to the park entrance you can follow the wide path down to the water’s edge. The paths are full of poison ivy so be careful. The beach is littered with driftwood and rocks but there is some sand so you can lay your blanket and spend some time. At low tide you can walk out and go exploring in the rocks and seaweed. Harbor seals swim just off the shore on most days. We rented a VRBO that overlooked the water and had views of the park. Check out the images of the house we stayed in and the stunning views.. Getting to the house was challenging due to the dirt road and large puddles (more like small ponds) but once we were there the views were incredible and we woke each morning to the sound of the seals barking and seagulls crooning.

Because Sandwich is such a pretty village, adjacent to the Cape Cod Canal and it's eastern terminus and contains some nice restaurants - we wound up driving here several times for meals and explorations! Our first trek here, we ate at The Pilot House Restaurant & Lounge - good service, good food and great views. On our next visit, we ate lunch at the Fishermen's View Seafood Market & Restaurant - fantastic view of the marina and the food was excellent.
Both of these restaurants are within a short walk of the Cape Cod Canal as well as the Marina. A nice way to walk off a good lunch and watch canal traffic move back & forth.

Deming Jarves founded the Boston & Sandwich Glass Factory in 1825. Sandwich had proximity to a shallow harbor, was a possible canal site, and had local supplies of timber to fuel the glass furnaces. The glass works primarily made lead glass and was known for its use of color. Jarves received several patents for his improvements in glass mold designs and pressing techniques. The factory declined after the American Civil War due to competition from Ohio, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia companies that produced less expensive pressed soda-lime glass tableware.

The Sandwich boardwalk is a popular place to visit in Sandwich. The boardwalk stretches across the marsh to a beach on the other side. During high tide people jump off of the boardwalk into the beautifully clear water. You can swim, walk, kayak or just relax. Beware that the daily parking rate is twenty dollars as of 2020.
Click here to view a great list of images of the Sandwich Boardwalk on Google.

 Sandwich Quick History 

This is the oldest city on Cape Code, founded in 1637 by a group from Saugus, MA and was named after the English seaport named Sandwich in Kent, England. The town contains the oldest house on the Cape ("Hoxie House") and the oldest grist mill on the Cape ("Dexter's Grist Mill")

 Sandwich Area Links 

• Sandwich Area Google List of Restaurants
• Sandwich Area Google List of Accommodations
• Things to do & see in the Sandwich Area on the 'Trip Buzz' Site
• Sandwich Area Shopping Google List

Falmouth and Woods Hole are also a short drive from Plymouth. Falmouth has a quaint downtown area with a number of shops and restaurants. Click here to visit a page with a list of all the shops & places that you can visit on Main Street.

Falmouth has a number of beaches and Woods Hole has a science aquarium that is worth a visit. You can take a ferry to Martha’s Vineyard from here or you can visit Nobska Point Lighthouse or bike along the shining sea parkway.