Reminds me of when we went to Mount Rushmore. Every turn around the mountain I was expecting the sky to open up to this amazing ROCK of presidents and say WOW. You could barely catch a glimpse of it from the parking lot and you walk through this entrance way out to a lookout deck and up in the hill there it is. It seemed so small in comparison to how they portray the photos of it on postcards and in your Rand McCanlly road atlas or something.... so majestic looking with the lights blazing on it at night etc. We walked up to the lookout point and stood there like.......... OK??? LOL I felt like Chevy Chase in the vacation movie where they walked to the Grand Canyon and nodded their heads and turned and walked away. LOL........ but it's when you think of how these icons came to BE....... is what makes it worthwhile. I checked out Plymouth Rock on line when I originally joined this list and was amazed at the size of it myself. I think we are given the impression that it's this massive thing that they climbed upon declaring "We have arrived" What we don't know or realize too is only 1/3 of it is visible and weighing about 4 tons and the bottom which is under the sand is about 6 tons. As the website states the rock as it is today is estimated to be only about 1/3 to 1/2 of it's original size. The top half has been dragged around town, broken, chipped away at by 19th and 19th century souvenir hunters. www.pilgrimhall.org So that's our culture for ya. Let's destroy ancient artifacts so we can have a piece of it. Even out in SD in the Badlands..... you get arrested if found taking rocks from there and the park is wide open for your personal travel and pleasure and full access. But you pick up a rock....... you're done! So I guess it's a blessing we still have at least some of the original Plymouth Rock. Janean

Janean, I remember my first view of "the boys" as we lovingly refer to the Mt. Rushmore inhabitants in my family. We had a beautiful view of them (that picture post-card view) from our very cheap motel at the foot of the Mount. At night they were lit up and it was, simply, breath-taking. I haven't been in probably 30 years, if it's not like that now I don't think I want to go back. I'd much rather keep my very fond memory. Polly Hall-Burley P.S. The size of rocks can be very deceiving when they are partially or mostly hidden below ground. We are currently trying to figure out how to move a 29 ton piece of granite that didn't look like much until we dug it out! On Jun 11, 2008, at 7:37 PM, Janean Ray wrote: > Reminds me of when we went to Mount Rushmore. Every turn around the > mountain I was expecting the sky to open up to this amazing ROCK of > presidents and say WOW. You could barely catch a glimpse of it from > the > parking lot and you walk through this entrance way out to a lookout > deck and > up in the hill there it is. It seemed so small in comparison to how > they > portray the photos of it on postcards and in your Rand McCanlly road > atlas > or something.... so majestic looking with the lights blazing on it at > night > etc. We walked up to the lookout point and stood there like.......... > OK??? > LOL > > I felt like Chevy Chase in the vacation movie where they walked to the > Grand > Canyon and nodded their heads and turned and walked away. LOL........ > but > it's when you think of how these icons came to BE....... is what makes > it > worthwhile. > > I checked out Plymouth Rock on line when I originally joined this list > and > was amazed at the size of it myself. I think we are given the > impression > that it's this massive thing that they climbed upon declaring "We have > arrived" > > What we don't know or realize too is only 1/3 of it is visible and > weighing > about 4 tons and the bottom which is under the sand is about 6 tons. > As the > website states the rock as it is today is estimated to be only about > 1/3 to > 1/2 of it's original size. The top half has been dragged around town, > broken, chipped away at by 19th and 19th century souvenir hunters. > > www.pilgrimhall.org > > So that's our culture for ya. Let's destroy ancient artifacts so we > can > have a piece of it. > > Even out in SD in the Badlands..... you get arrested if found taking > rocks > from there and the park is wide open for your personal travel and > pleasure > and full access. But you pick up a rock....... you're done! So I > guess > it's a blessing we still have at least some of the original Plymouth > Rock. > > Janean > > > Frequently-asked questions may often be answered by visiting the FAQ > page for this list at: http://www.craigrich.net/mayfaq.htm > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > MAYFLOWER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message

The guide speech usually has a line indicating that they don't really know for sure that the pilgrims actually stepped on this particular rock. The fact is that this isn't even the same rock that was there 50 years ago. Yup the rock is so heavily vandalized that every once in a while they haul it away and drag in a new one. In between times they have to do some heavy maintenance on it regularly. The last time in was rotated out was in the 60s that I know of however I haven't been there since the early 80s so t may have had some work done in that time. If a guide is asked why it doesn't look quite like the old post card they have they are told to blame it on the vandals. Don't be shocked. Some things are historical and others are about tourist dollars. Even if some of our traditional symbols are not as real as we would like we can't have one with out the others and on the whole Plymouth is a great destination and the historical aspects far out weigh the commercial. Janean Ray wrote: > Reminds me of when we went to Mount Rushmore. Every turn around the > mountain I was expecting the sky to open up to this amazing ROCK of > presidents and say WOW. You could barely catch a glimpse of it from the > parking lot and you walk through this entrance way out to a lookout deck and > up in the hill there it is. It seemed so small in comparison to how they > portray the photos of it on postcards and in your Rand McCanlly road atlas > or something.... so majestic looking with the lights blazing on it at night > etc. We walked up to the lookout point and stood there like.......... OK??? > LOL > > I felt like Chevy Chase in the vacation movie where they walked to the Grand > Canyon and nodded their heads and turned and walked away. LOL........ but > it's when you think of how these icons came to BE....... is what makes it > worthwhile. > > I checked out Plymouth Rock on line when I originally joined this list and > was amazed at the size of it myself. I think we are given the impression > that it's this massive thing that they climbed upon declaring "We have > arrived" > > What we don't know or realize too is only 1/3 of it is visible and weighing > about 4 tons and the bottom which is under the sand is about 6 tons. As the > website states the rock as it is today is estimated to be only about 1/3 to > 1/2 of it's original size. The top half has been dragged around town, > broken, chipped away at by 19th and 19th century souvenir hunters. > > www.pilgrimhall.org > > So that's our culture for ya. Let's destroy ancient artifacts so we can > have a piece of it. > > Even out in SD in the Badlands..... you get arrested if found taking rocks > from there and the park is wide open for your personal travel and pleasure > and full access. But you pick up a rock....... you're done! So I guess > it's a blessing we still have at least some of the original Plymouth Rock. > > Janean > > > Frequently-asked questions may often be answered by visiting the FAQ page for this list at: http://www.craigrich.net/mayfaq.htm > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to MAYFLOWER-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the quotes in the subject and the body of the message > >