Historical Trips

[rat1571]

ok im looking for a list of historical trips in the north east. im not too worried about traveling. we have are yearly planning meeting coming up really soon and im looking to offer the boys some historical options. also if there is any additional information reguarding these trip (such as contacts, Where we can stay the weekend, and stuff like that) please feel free so send me a message. also feel free to give as many as you can think of. it would be a great help to me. thank you all very much.

 

YIS

Rob

You can email me at ratboy1571@optonline.net

[CalicoPenn]

The first thing I thought of for historical trips in the Northeast is Boston. There is more accessible history in Boston then just about anywhere else on the planet.

 

Boston National Historic Park is composed of eight historic sites in Boston. 7 of the 8 BNHP sites are located along the Freedom Trail, a 2.5 mile walking tour of 16 historic sites in Boston. Some of the sites on the Freedom Trail are Paul Revere's House; the Old North Church (you know - "One if by land, Two if by sea"); the USS Constitution (and what Scout wouldn't love to explore that old ship); Bunker Hill Monument and the Site of the Boston Massacre.

 

Speaking of history trails in Boston, they have more than just the Freedom Trail. You can do the Black Heritage Trail; Boston Immigrant Trail; Irish Heritage Trail; Jewish Friendship Trail; Boston Women's Heritage Trail; Boston Chinatown Heritage Trail; Literary Trail of Greater Boston (lots of "old" authors come from the area); Innovation Trail and a likely favorite: Boston by Sea - The Maritime Trail.

 

Within 5 miles of Boston National Historic Park are the following National Park Service sites: Boston African American National Historic Site; Longfellow National Historic Site (one of those "old" authors); John F Kennedy National Historic Site (birthplace of); Fredrick Law Olmstead National Historic Site ("founder" of Landscape Architecture and the designer of Central Park in NY City) and Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area.

 

10 to 30 miles from Boston proper are 5 more National Park Service sites: Adams National Historic Park (TWO Presidents in one!); Saugus Ironworks National Historic Site; Salem Maritime National Historic Site; Minuteman National Historic Park ("Shot Heard 'Round the World); and Lowell National Historic Park (preserving the history of the Industrial Revolution). And these are just the National Park Service sites.

 

The Boston Minuteman Council BSA operates a year round camp in Milton, MA which is within 15 miles of downtown Boston. I'm sure the council could point you to other nearby camping opportunities.

 

CalicoPenn

[Greeneagle5]

The Colonial Virginia Triangle comes to mind for 2007 explorations:

Jamestown/Williamsburg/Yorktown. Big celebrations and special programs are scheduled for 2007 (400th anniversity of Jamestown colony settlement , I believe). Lot's of informative/historical self-guided and guided trails ...(Ghost Walk in Williamsburg)..and there is always Busch Gardens, Norfolk Navy Base, etc.

 

Btw- just returned from a trip to Virginia........observed Troop 2 from the Pittsburg area studying the ongoing archeological digs at Jamestown. The Troop was a excedingly fine example of motivated Boy Scouts on tour...interested in their explorations, polite to the public and neat in appearance (100% BSA uniforms)..despite the warm weather !

Well Done, T-2 !!!

 

G5(This message has been edited by Greeneagle5)

[scoutldr]

2007 will be the 400th anniversary of the settlement of Jamestown, Virginia. There will be activities all year long. Pipsico Scout Reservation is directly across the James River in Surry County and is accessible by ferry (camping and cabins available). Known as the "historic triangle", Jamestown, Colonial Williamsburg and Yorktown are all within a few miles' radius of each other. A little further south of there is Norfolk and Virginia Beach. Also the Outer Banks Historical Trail on the outer banks of NC.

 

www.tidewaterbsa.com

www.cvcboyscouts.com

 

Looks like greeneagle and I were typing at the same time. Great minds think alike!(This message has been edited by scoutldr)

[yelruh]

There is also a Youth Hostel in Boston on Hemingway Street, in the Fenway, a couple of blocks from the subway. I know the costs have gone up, but Scout troops pay the "members" rate, if they sign up for the "free" non-profit youth group membership. The advantage for this is they have a kitchen, and bunk beds, so you don't have to pack tents. There are several campgrounds further out, including one in Gloucester on Cape Ann. It's a working sea port.

 

There is also Philadelphia, Valley Forge and Gettysburg. Gettysburg is a distance from the other two, but there are lots of campgrounds in that area very close to the battlefield. Then again the battlefield is large. There are a set of batches that Boy Scouts can earn. I think it's up to four interlocking segments. Two are walks, one north, one south, The Eisenhower farm, and a newer one that covers a walk in downtown Gettysburg.

 

Valley Forge has a lot of area, and a few museum type exhibits without being very overwhelming. It's not really a walk between most places, unless your guys are working on hiking MB. Valley Forge wasn't a battlefield, it was a winter camp, so they spread out a bit. Actually the Cradle of Liberty Council BSA office is almost in the park. Philadelphia has lots of stuff to do, but other than the Youth Hostel, I don't know of other places to stay. I can't think of a close Camp Ground.

 

[ASM416]

The York-Adams area council runs the Gettysburg Heritage Trails Program. My troop did this as a long weekend trip in 1999. It includes visits to Eisenhower's farm, the Gettysburg visitor center and a trail along the Union and Confederate lines. These hikes include trips to little and big round top and the devils den. We ended the trip with a "ghost tour" and a nice dinner.

 

The YAAC has a lot of resources for this including places to camp and a guide book. We had a great time and are thinking about going back again soon.

 

http://www.yaac-bsa.org/activities/gettysburg/gettysburg.htm

[DanKroh]

Thanks for the Boston plug, CalicoPenn. You should get a job with the local tourism board!

 

The one I immediately thought of if you are willing to travel up to this area is the Battleship Massachusetts in Fall River.

 

It is a decommissioned battleship turned into educational museum. However, the really cool thing is that the scouts can sleep overnight on the ship, in what my back agrees are the original bunks used by the sailors.

 

There is also a Russian submarine and a PT boat in the harbor, which I believe can also accomodate sleepovers for smaller groups. Within walking distance are several museums and displays, most of which are free if you are staying at the battleship.

 

Having grown up in the Harrisburg area, I also second Gettysburg and Valley Forge.

[oldsm]

Gettysburg, Pennsylvania.

 

My troop went there about 3 years ago and the boys are still talking about it!

 

You need 3 days to "do" the battlefield. If you do it correctly, you'll walk all over the place on a series of self-guided tours. Day 1 is basically the Confederate side, ending with a chance to "relive" Pickett's Charge. Day 2 is the Union side. Day 3 entails walking the town of Gettysburg (I still remember the local college where the wooden floors are still stained with the blood of the wounded who were taken there). At each stop along the journey, the boys took turns reading the descriptive information from the guide book. One read the Gettysburg Address while standing on the very spot that Abraham Lincoln stood when he delivered it. Heady stuff, this.

 

Dinner the 3rd day was at a tavern, then a home, that used to be a stop on the underground railroad. You could see into the hiding places.

 

If you time it correctly, you can include a trip to the Eisenhower farm (it was the presidential and retirment home of Dwight D. Eisenhower, 34th President of the United States, where he often met with world leaders). We did that at the end of the day. Our boys (in full uniform, of course) were honored by being asked be the color guard to retire the flag.

 

The boys learned history, troop movements, strategy, and more -- much more than they would ever have learned in school. There was an overarching sense of wonderment at the tremendous sacrifices made on both sides, and amazement at just how near the Confederacy came to winning. How might that have changed the course of our history? Considering that many of the dead were not many years older than our own boys were when we visitied...

 

There are commercial campgrounds nearby that offer amenities like swimming pools (much appreciated after miles of walking in hot, hot sun).

 

After three extremely tiring days, the "reward" was a day enjoying the amusements at nearby HersheyPark.

 

Some boys are talking about doing a repeat trip. What they keep coming back to is the battlefield - not the amusements!

 

I think what made this destination so meaningful is that the boys had an intensive experience with a single historical event. It was not "a little of this and a little of that". It wasn't just "go and see"; this was definitely "go and experience". And there were no distractions such as you might get in a more urban setting.

 

The local York-Adams Area Council also has a patch and series of segments that you can earn by completing various requirements at Gettysburg. With advance planning in conjunction with the National Park Service, you can also earn the BSA Historic Trails award. Highly recommended.

 

If you would like more information, please PM me.

[yelruh]

I've thought of a few more things. If you are driving the coast of Conneticut a good rest stop, for bathrooms, stretching legs, eating a picnic lunch is the Nautilus in Groton Conn. It's the first nuclear submarine, kids will never complain about tiny tents, and cramping again, also a small museum, with gift shop..... Also I can't say enough about the State of Conneticut rest stops along Route 84, I've never found them dirty... closed for renovations, and portapotties.... but not dirty.

 

At Gettysburg in the visitor center there is what they call the Electronic map, with a colored lights showing the battle on a topographical map, takes 1/2 hour. Very 1960's, but it really gives a good overview of the battle, and what happened over three days in July. Well worth the app. $3.00, or maybe cheaper with a group discount? The cyclorama painting ISN'T worth the money in my opinion. Better the kids were out walking the battlefield.

 

What is neat in Gettysburg is that if you are there on a weekend or over the summer, you might run into "Registered Battle Field Guides" these are not Park Service employees. They are private contractors with a history going back to shortly after the battle. They are very knowledgable, and often have a wealth of specialized information. It's ok to eavesdrop... but don't ask questions, unless you are paying them. On a family trip we spent a bit of time on Little Round Top, and listened to 5 different ones, and it was interesting to see the various insights, that questions brought to up.

 

There are often reinactors (sp.) on weekends and during the summer. Sometimes they are just wondering around almost like ghosts. It's interesting to talk to them. Many of these groups were used as extra's in Ted Turners film, and have interesting stories to tell. They are fine to talk to ... unless they are leading a tour in period dress.

 

The Eisenhower farm is more interesting to the adults then the kids. Be warned, you can only get there from a bus from the visitors center, so that has to be planned, also there is a cost for this. I gather Eisenhower was a big fan of the Boy Scouts, and would often meet with groups coming to tour the battlefield. But it's a neat patch, that goes with the others. We've gone there once, but done some of the walks for the other patches numerous times.

 

There are some neat fire tower like viewing platforms, 3-4 stories high. These have open wire treads. One of our sons literally can't see the steps coming down, something about the angle and the way his mind processes it, they just disappear. He learned he had to go down backwards to see the steps, turned out in a group of 30, 2 other scouts followed his lead. I never knew their problems, maybe fear of heights, or depth perception problems. This while the other kids where runing down.

[SSScout]

Can Baltimore be included in the "Northeast"?

**Fort McHenry is a great visit. Star Spangle Banner and all. Thr Rangers give a great talk about the forts history, the war of 1812, flag history (when did the flag have 15 stripes?) and such.

**Next, consider a visit to the USS Constellation, the 2nd oldest US warship (bow to the USS Constitution). They have an overnight program that allows Scouts to become "powder monkeys" or "cabin boys" in the US navy of 1855. Escorting adult Scouters sign on as "landsman" or "ordinary" if you have some experience. You sleep in hammocks, hold watch overnight, work a cannon, run rigging, eat period meals ( beef stew and fruit and tack). Thankfully, no holystoning the deck. They fire a cannon in the morning at flag raising. 4pm saturday thru 10am sunday.

**The city Zoo is a neat little place for an afternoon.

**Baltimore and Ohio Railroad Museum is highly reccommended. Work on your Railroading Merit badge...BIG mechanical things to look at and crawl over. Model trains to watch and operate!!

**Accomodations? American International Hostel is available and walking distance from Inner Harbor (USS Constellation). Baltimore Council has several camps you might approach for overnights. Broadcreek is nice. Good luck... YiS

(This message has been edited by SSScout)

[rat1571]

thank you everyone for your reply's. I have another favor to ask though. we also want to have the boys plan a long distance trip maybe somewhere in the country. we only have 1 1st class scout so high adventure is out for the time being. Again thank you very much.

[frankj]

Baltimore/Ft. McHenry is a great suggestion. We lived there when I was in grade school and visited Ft McHenry as a family, a number of times.

 

You might also consider New Jersey for its links to the Revolutionary War.

[frankj]

Baltimore/Ft. McHenry is a great suggestion. We lived there when I was in grade school and visited Ft McHenry as a family, a number of times.

 

You might also consider New Jersey for its links to the Revolutionary War.

[JerseyJohn]

Jockey Hollow Historic Trails

Morristown NJ

http://www.nps.gov/morr/

http://www.nps.gov/morr/pphtml/maps.html

http://www.nps.gov/morr/pphtml/events.html

 

John

 

 

 

 

[JerseyJohn]

Ooops forgot this excellent resource

This is all you really need.

 

http://nationstrails.com/trails/

 

John