In my last post I described the Revolutionary War history that can be seen in almost every nook and cranny of the Boston area, but there is more to see than the Freedom Trail and the Battle Road.

We stayed at the FAMCAMP (Air Force Campground) at Hanscom Air Force Base near Bedford, MA. This is a nice campground, just across the airfield from the base. There are full hook ups available with 30 and 50 amp electrical service. One of the nice aspects about the campground is the community fire circle with firewood stocked for anyone to use. However the best thing about this campground is that it is a short ride to the Minuteman Bicycle Trail.  This is a Rails to Trails bike/pedestrian path that puts you at a ten minute bike ride to the North Bridge in Concord or a fifteen minute ride to Lexington Green. To go into the City of Boston, it is a short twelve mile drive to the Alewife T-Station to take the train into the city. Talk about convenience!

After touring the historical sites in the area we took our kayaks to the Concord River and paddled under the North Bridge. The Concord River is a nice river for paddling as the current is mild enough that you can paddle up and down stream with little effort. Because there has been so much rain in the area, the river was well above its normal level.  It’s always fun to paddle back in the trees.

We stopped by the North Bridge for lunch and found out there was a small concert scheduled nearby that afternoon.  We finished our paddling and drove back to the bridge. We were entertained by two local musicians that played the violin and banjo, but also played a wide variety of unique instruments that I had never seen before. It was a free concert, sponsored by a local group and a great way to spend an afternoon.

On our last day we observed Memorial Day by attending the ceremony in Bedford. While the parade and outdoor events were cancelled due to the poor weather, the ceremony was held in the high school auditorium. I was most impressed by the speaker from Hanscom AFB, a Lieutenant Colonel, who reflected on meeting a veteran while shopping one day. He said the man seemed to need to tell the stories of his fellow vets that had passed away. In closing his presentation the Lieutenant Colonel said that he had once been told that you are only really dead when people don’t say your name anymore. That is why we observe Memorial Day, to speak the names of those who made, in Abraham Lincoln’s words, “that last great act of devotion.”

That evening we had a potluck dinner with our fellow veterans at the campground and Tuesday, May 30th we left for Franconia Notch State Park in New Hampshire.