Getting what you paid for is usually a good thing. So when I realized that I had a couple of thousand miles left to use on my leased car in a few short days, I had to do something.
A sister called. She and her kids were going to Plymouth, Massachusetts for a week and would hubby and I like to come out for a few days. Ah, I said, there is a possible solution to my issue! Hubby had vacation time coming, so we loaded up the car and hit the road for our 36 hour vacation trip. From where we live it's a four hour drive.
Right before we left we found out we'd be making a pit stop in Mashpee (yes, that is really the name) where some very dear relatives were also vacationing. After dinner and some good laughs we headed to Plymouth. Before we left I looked up lighthouses in the area and found out that there was one near Plymouth called Plymouth Light. I didn't have a lot of time to research but I figured it couldn't be too hard to find. I mean, we were going to Plymouth, it had a lighthouse, and it was on the coast.
Yup.
It was raining when we got there so the romantic walk by the beautiful waters of Plymouth Bay was out. We settled for a crowded hotel room that included a three- and eleven-year-old.
The next morning we headed out to drive around (we did have destinations in mind) and sister and kids went to the beach. Before we left we made plans to take an evening walking tour through the streets of Plymouth, including Burial Hill and two purportedly haunted houses. Details to follow in another post.
We returned from our jaunt around 4 p.m. Hoping to still have time to see the lighthouse, we asked at the front desk if they could give us directions to Plymouth Light as our GPS did not find it anywhere. She happily printed us directions and we were happy to see that it was only 10 minutes away, in a town called Ducksberry. That is exactly how it sounded. Turns out it is spelled Duxbury, but that would not make a difference in the end.
Scenery break. Plymouth Harbor in the evening:
She also told us that the lighthouse was called Bug Light. Interesting, we thought. We dutifully followed the directions with only one misstep and found ourselves in a residential area. Our directions took us down a very narrow dead-end street. This could not be right. We felt like criminals as we crept slowly down a street filled with pretty and pricey homes. And this is what we saw as the GPS chirped: you have reached your destination. (Yes, that is the end of the street.)
We looked left, then right. No lighthouse. I decided to take some pictures with the zoom and all of a sudden I saw it.
My husband stated the obvious. No wonder they call it Bug Light. I zoomed in as far as I could:
As it turns out, this was not Plymouth Light. Bug Light is a local designation for the Duxbury Pier Light. The Bug (another affectionate name) was built in 1871 to warn sailors away from the shoals off Saquish Head in Plymouth Harbor. It is still operational and has withstood efforts at modernization by a group of volunteers. The lighthouse has three levels and an unusual coffeepot shape. Hence the nickname 'Bug Light'.
Or maybe not. It's a mystery to me.
Check out the link above for more information, including the restoration efforts.
Plymouth Light is also known as Gurnet Light. We never made it near this lighthouse, but if you're interested you can read more here.
I'll leave you with more pictures of Plymouth Harbor.
Coming soon - the rocks of Plymouth and Captain Kidd's 9/11 connection.
And, have you ever walked through a graveyard at night? How about one that was established in the 1600s? Yeah, it was scary. More to come. Until then here's a teaser.
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