| American history doesn't get much older than | | | | combining self-serve dining with normally expensive |
| Plymouth Rock, the pilgrims, and the Mayflower. It all | | | | seafood. Wood's Seafood is an institution. Here's |
| starts in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Peg and I, along | | | | what they have to say about themselves: "During |
| with long time friend Al Burrage, began our own | | | | the prime summer months, we carry fresh bluefish |
| journey from West Dennis on Cape Cod to Plymouth | | | | and striped bass caught locally. Our live lobster tanks |
| on a day in late September.Although the pilgrims | | | | are stocked with a large selection of live lobsters |
| landed first in Provincetown further east on Cape | | | | ranging from 1-10 pounds as well as live rock crabs. |
| Cod, they quickly made their way further inland | | | | Live lobsters are caught by local fishermen from the |
| across Cape Cod Bay to Plymouth. Nothing appears in | | | | clear waters off Cape Cod Bay."On September 2, |
| print about the rock until over one hundred years | | | | 1992, a local lobster trapper brought a huge blue |
| later. The information was passed from father to | | | | lobster into Wood's Seafood Restaurant and Fish |
| son. Elder Faunce at the age of 95 pointed out the | | | | market. Caught off the coast of Martha's Vineyard, |
| actual rock where his father and the other pilgrims | | | | this blue lobster raised a stir accross the nation as |
| landed a hundred and twenty years or so | | | | the story was covered by the APA and United Press |
| earlier.Plymouth Rock has been broken in two, | | | | as well as the local media. Thousands of people |
| moved and chipped at over the years. The two | | | | flocked to Wood's Seafood to get a peek at this |
| broken pieces were reunited in 1880. Only the top | | | | rare find in nature. The odds of finding a blue lobster |
| half is visible. Plymouth Rock is roughly 1/3 to 1/2 its | | | | is approximately 1 in 20 million. Although blue lobsters |
| original size. The visible portion of Plymouth Rock | | | | are rare, lobster cooked just right is not rare at |
| weighs approximately 4 tons. The portion under the | | | | Wood's Seafood.The prices at Wood's were |
| sand weighs approximately 6 tons.Although Plymouth | | | | unbelievable. Peg had the single boiled lobster dinner |
| Rock is placed inside a protective monument, it is still | | | | for $11.95. I chose the twin lobsters for $19.95. I was |
| open to the weather just a few feet from the | | | | not disappointed. Those lobsters were the best |
| lapping waves of Plymouth Harbor. Even in the rainy | | | | lobsters I'v ever had. I skipped the french fries and |
| off season there is a constant stream of visitors. | | | | the cole slaw (I never found any cole slaw in New |
| During the short time we stood inside the monument, | | | | England to my liking, anyway), but added a pound of |
| there were always another four or five people there. | | | | mussels for another $4.95. Both the mussels and the |
| Nearby rough-hewn cabin-size buildings sell books and | | | | lobsters were truly wonderful. Al had the deep fried |
| brochures about Plymouth Rock, the pilgrims, and the | | | | scallops, which he almost drooled over. Although both |
| Mayflower.There was a family visiting Plymouth at | | | | Peg and Al enjoyed their lobster bisque, they felt it |
| the same time we were. I should have asked them | | | | wasn't as good as it could have been. I got Peg's left |
| where they were from. They were dark skinned and | | | | over bisque to which I added my half-filled container |
| looked Indian or Pakistani to me. Such is the draw of | | | | of drawn butter with a few little pieces of lobster. |
| this solid piece of history. If they were visitors to this | | | | Now, that was tasty . . . very tasty.After lunch Al |
| country, they were interested in our history. And if | | | | wanted us to see the first church built in Plymouth. |
| they were citizens, they were taking an active part | | | | He wasn't really sure where it was, but knew it was |
| in teaching their children. The little boy and girl | | | | close. We easily drove past it minutes after leaving |
| strained to see the rock behind the protective barrier. | | | | the restaurant. There was a small driveway. We let |
| Later they ate lunch at the same restaurant we did. | | | | Al out to shoot pictures. Peg and I stayed in the car. |
| The parents had lobster. I think the kids had fish and | | | | Actually, we didn't want to move. Al joined us after I |
| chips.A replica of the Mayflower (Mayflower II), | | | | drove around the driveway a couple of times to |
| which brought the pilgrims from England to America is | | | | accommodate other tourists. Al gleefully showed us |
| birthed only about a hundred yards from Plymouth | | | | his digital images of the church. I think there were |
| Rock. Just a block away from the dock where the | | | | about two dozen photographs . . . maybe more. "Do |
| Mayflower is tied up is the town pier.We never tire | | | | you think I missed any archetectural features," he |
| of looking at visual humor. On the pier Peg stopped | | | | asked. I said, "Yes, I think you missed a stone on the |
| and stared at a skiff perched atop a roof. So, of | | | | right side." He was not amused.The day in Plymouth |
| course she needed a photo of the fisherman and his | | | | was perfect. We saw historical sites and attractions, |
| skiff. Quaint names and signs abound in New England. | | | | met interesting people, and ate great food.Don |
| We always take our humor where we can find it. | | | | Doman is a published author, video producer, and |
| The name of another business came to mind looking | | | | corporate trainer. He owns the business training site |
| at the boat ontop of seafood restaurant, Ketch of | | | | Ideas and Training ( which he says is the home of |
| the Day. There's a million of them.One of the great | | | | the no-hassle "free preview" for business training |
| attractions of New England (for me and many | | | | videos. Don and his wife Peg also travel in the Pacific |
| others) is the low price of lobster. To make the price | | | | Northwest writing of their fun and adventures. |
| even less expensive is the New England practice of | | | | |