Quincy

Goodbye to Concord. I hauled my bags to the depot and took the train back to Boston this morning. The weatherman predicted rain, but it didn't happen.

Since I arrived at my hotel too early to check in, they were happy to hold my bags so that I could do some exploring. I walked back to the subway and took the red line to Quincy Center where the Adams National Historic Park is located. I have to say I have visited many NPS sites, but I really liked this one.

At the visitor's center I paid for my tour, but had to wait for about an hour. There was plenty of time to wander across the street to the United First Parish Church (Unitarian) to see the crypts of John & Abigail Adams and John Quincy & Louisa Catherine Adams.

The trolley takes you out to the birthplaces of both presidents. John Adams was born in this house.

John Quincy Adams in this one.

The trolley then takes you to the Old House, where John & Abigail lived at the end of their lives, and was occupied seasonally by family members until 1926. When it was turned over to the government in 1946, it was left intact by the family.

One of my favorite things about the house was the library. Unfortunately, you can't take photos inside. This was built specifically for John Quincy Adams' books. It's not an "official" presidential library only because the Adams' papers are not stored here. They are at the Massachusetts Historical Society.