Visitors wander into the dark thatched roof huts, stroll among the Puritan’s sad raised gardens, and chat with carefully trained re-enactors. Great thick volumes have been written about this living museum, but nothing beats being there. Backed by enormous scholarly research, every known detail of the early Puritans – from nails, shingles and costumes, to seeds, animals and language – is on display. There are no trash cans or Coke machines to distract the eye. This is as good as reanimated history gets.

In Plimoth Plantation, the actors rigidly adhere to 17^th century rules of dress and manner. They represent authentic "pilgrims", those American founders cloaked in myth and folklore. Kids, especially, are amazed to discover that these are English men and women, newly transported, deeply religious, quirky and earthy folk. William Bradford is there, ready to talk your ear off about politics and religion. Miles Standish still drills his crude little militia. Roosters and goats wander by.

In the reconstructed Wampanoag family settlement nearby the interpreters do not role play. They demonstrate Native skills in authentic garb, but speak freely about their history with white settlers then, and now. We watched a woman grill a cod on an open flame while another family member burned the center of a tree to make a dugout canoe. Inside the bark shelter with its open fire, we found the most comfortable spot on the plantation.

We must go back. But first we need to read up. There are so many questions to ask about the odd courageous people who founded this portion of New England. Other settlers, with different goals and backgrounds founded our New Hampshire coastline. But we know almost nothing about their ways. Here in Plimoth, every Puritan is an expert, and all you have to do is ask. --- JDR

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