Northeast Trip - Day 14 (Monday, June 19, 2000)
- Shaker Village and Polar Caves -
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| Low clouds seen from Bear Notch. (White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire) |
Driving out of Barlett through Bear Notch, I had to make a stop, for the view was so compelling. Low clouds were hanging over the forested valley, creating a tranquil scene. After that beautiful start, we drove onto the Kancamagus Highway, stopping for a look at a flume on the Swift River and then for a relaxing walk around Lower Falls.
Continuing on, I drove a road that wrapped its way around Lake Winnipesaukee, the largest lake in New Hampshire. Unfortunately, the overcast skies made for a less than scenic view. Once we were west of the lake, we headed south and arrived at the Cantebury Shaker Village.
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| The simple style of a Shaker building. (Cantebury, New Hampshire) |
The Cantebury Shaker Village was an historic collection of original buildings telling the story of the religious utopian society. They believed in celibacy, increasing membership through the conversion and adoption of children, but declined as the lifestyle became less attractive to the younger generations. One of their lasting legacies was their simple and practical furniture. We got on a tour, where the guide, who had grown up with Shakers but was not one himself, told us the story of their way of life.
The tour started with the infirmary, then went to the schoolhouse, where we sat in the school desks and learned more about the Shakers. For instance, I found out they embraced new technologies, adopting them for their own practical use. In other buildings, such as the Syrup Shop and the Laundry with a textile workshop, we saw examples of Shaker industry. The Meeting House showed marks on the floor for dance steps. The Shakers, otherwise known as Shaking Quakers, would dance in their religous worship.
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| Steven climbs under the "Needles Eye" at Polar Caves Park. (Plymouth, New Hampshire) |
The tour finished under a shady tree, and my mom, brother, and I stopped for lunch in the Creamery Restaurant for Shaker food. Particularly good was the spiced grape juice that came with the meal. Afterwards, we explored the rest of the village, visiting the herb and vegetable gardens, a woodworking shop where someone was making crafts, and the gift shop, which had an exhibit of shaker influenced modern furniture. On the way out, we stopped at the barn, which housed horse-drawn vehicles.
We got a little lost, then finally managed to find the interstate and headed north to Plymouth. Just west of town was Polar Caves Park, which featured little caves to crawl through like an obstacle course. My brother enjoyed it, but I was disappointed, finding it too tacky. I probably would have liked it as a little kid. One cave of note, though, was the "Smuggler's Cave," which stated that it was part of the Underground Railroad for slaves going to Canada and also served as storage for alcohol prohibition runners. We returned to our condo once we were done looking around.
Contact me if you have any questions or comments about this trip.
| Document last modified January 06, 2009. Copyright © 1995-2009 Andrew Sawadisavi. All rights reserved. |
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