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