Friends of Minute Man National Park

Family Bike Ride along the
Minute Man National Historical Park’s Battle Road
Celebrate the Park’s 50th Anniversary by having your kids recreate part of Paul Revere’s Historic ride – by bicycle!

Date: June 21, 2009
Time: 10am (ready to ride, so arrive early) to 1pm
Where: Minute Man National Historic Park Visitor’s Center, Route 2A, Lexington, MA
Note: A bicycle in good working order and a helmet is required for both parents and kids.  Rain will cancel the event (call 800-576-3622 if the weather is questionable).

Parents and their kids are invited to recreate — and finish — Paul Revere’s famous ride from Lexington to Concord along the historic Battle Road by bicycle.  Come experience the Minute Man National Historical Park and enjoy a gentle bike ride with your kids along the scenic and rural dirt path that meanders through Lexington, Lincoln and Concord. The ride will be appropriate for any child who can ride on two-wheels without assistance for at least an hour or so.  The younger riders will ride for 3 miles with frequent stops at various historic sites, including the Hartwell Tavern where they will encounter National Park interpreters in 18th c. costume. The older kids will stop at the Tavern for a tour and continue on to the end of the Battle Road at the Meriam’s Corner, riding a total of 8 miles. Complimentary juice, snacks and souvenirs will be provided to the kids.

This ride is organized by the New England Mountain Bike Association and co-sponsored by the National Park Service and the Friends of Minute Man National Park as part of the 50th anniversary of the Minute Man National Historical Park.

While not mandatory, please register you and your family by calling 800-57-NEMBA.  This gives us an idea of how many ride leaders we’ll need for a fun and safe ride.  At least one parent or guardian must accompany their kids.  A mountain bike is not necessary; however, the ride will be on a dirt path and having slightly fat tires is recommended.  Helmets are required for every rider, young and old.

Directions:
From I-95: Take exit 30B. You will be on Route 2A west. The park is 1-mile west off of the ramp.
From Mass Pike: Take I-95 Exit (exit 14) and follow above directions.
From Route 2: Follow Route 2 to I-95 North. Proceed north one exit to 30B. Follow directions above

For more info, call NEMBA at 800-57-NEMBA or visit www.nemba.org

Sense of History: The Place of the Past in American Life
Date: June 10, 2009
Time: 7:00 PM
Location: Minute Man Visitor Center – Rt 2A, Lexington

Join us as we celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Park with University of Massachusetts Professor David Glassberg. Professor Glassberg’s research concerns the history of popular historical consciousness in America as represented in politics, culture, and the environment. Co-sponsored by Massachusetts Historical Society and the Concord Free Public Library.

For more information, contact the Interpretive Division at (978) 318 – 7825 or visit the Massachusetts Historical Society website.

The Buttrick Gardens at the North Bridge Visitor Center are looking beautiful these days and those that have visited the park recently have been able to see the showy irises at their peak! Park Ranger Maria Cole encouraged me to take a few moments last Sunday to step outside, and boy, was it worth it!

The photos in this slideshow were taken Sunday, May 31st… but there are still plenty more flowers to see. The peonies are now near bursting with their full blooms and the colors are truly spectacular!

Do you have photos you’d like to share? Load them to flickr.com and tag them with ‘friendsofmmnp’ and we’ll try to share them here on the website.  Now get outside, visit the Park, and enjoy the gardens!

P.S. If you are a true garden lover and supporter of the Buttrick Gardens, please contact us at info@friendsofminuteman.org to learn more about volunteer opportunities and a special Garden event on June 18th!

Join us at Hartwell Tavern for the Friends’ Annual Family Day from 12:00 until 3:00 p.m., this Saturday, May 30th. Being held in cooperation with the Lincoln Minute Men, who will be at the Hartwell Tavern from 10:00 – 4:00, the Friends will bring additional special activities, games and refreshments for the afternoon hours, including some 18th century style kites to try flying. Members are encouraged to show their member cards and be treated to special refreshments and the chance to dress-up for a family colonial costume portrait! For more information, contact the Friends at info@friendsofminuteman.org or 978.318.7822. Hartwell Tavern is located on Route 2A in Lincoln, MA. Family Day is free and open to the public. We hope you can join us!

Want to hear what we had to say about Family Day during Lexington’s Discovery Day? In this Youtube video, Membership Director Carrie Midura speaks with a reporter from the Lexington Minuteman newspaper about the Friends and our exciting upcoming event!

On Monday, May 25th, the Minute Man National Historical Park will present The U.S. Air Force Band of Liberty at the North Bridge Visitor Center for a very special Memorial Day concert at 2:00 p.m. Visitors are encouraged to bring blankets and lawn chairs. Come and listen to stirring patriotic music on the day set aside to remember those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for our country. For more information, contact the Park’s Interpretive Division at 978.318.7825.

The Friends of Minute Man National Park will be attending the 30th annual Lexington Discovery Day this Saturday, May 23rd. This fun outdoor event features local retailers, community organizations and municipal representatives in a festive community fair atmosphere. There will be live music, raffles, games and prizes, crafts, and plenty of food! The event runs from 10am to 3pm and will be held in the Muzzey Street/Waltham Street municipal parking lot in Lexington Center.

The Friends will have a small tent and display next to the bandstand with membership information, Park news & event calendars, and crafting fun for all ages. Be sure to stop by and say hello and make your own crafts to enjoy!

Founders: The People Who Brought You a Nation
An evening lecture and book launch with best-selling author Ray Raphael

Date:  Thursday, May 14, 2009
Time:  7:00 PM
Location:  Minute Man Visitor Center – Rt 2A, Lexington

Not until all the stories have been told can we sit back and say: “This is the way it was. This is who we are.” Minute Man National Historical Park, Eastern National, The New Press, and The National Heritage Museum, are pleased to present the launch of the new book by best-selling author, Ray Raphael (A People`s History of the American Revolution, The First Revolution – Before Lexington and Concord, and Founding Myths). Can we now call back a distant time, to view it more fully and accurately? The reality of our nation`s founding has narrowed in the decades and centuries since. Actual events have been simplified, and the truth diminished. In his new book, Founders: The People Who Brought You a Nation, Raphael examines seven lead characters.

• General George Washington
• Joseph Plumb Martin, a private in his army
• Mercy Otis Warren, the most political woman of the Revolutionary generation
• Robert Morris, the most powerful civilian in Revolutionary America, but strangely forgotten
• Timothy Bigelow, a small-town blacksmith who helped engineer the first overthrow of British authority in 1774
• Henry Laurens, South Carolina`s most unlikely rebel
• Thomas Young, a country doctor turned revolutionary

Using each of these unique stories, Raphael leapfrogs past centuries of mythology and filtrations of the historical record to explore the American Revolution as it was known by those who lived it. Please join us for this rare and exciting evening. Copies of Ray`s new book will be available for sale in the Eastern National Bookstore at Minute Man Visitor Center. Ray Raphael will be on hand to sign copies after the lecture.

The spring winds are still blowing about the Park and that means it’s great weather for flying a kite! In keeping with the 18th century spirit of the Park, the Friends of Minute Man National Park will be conducting a colonial kite-making workshop at the Park on Sunday, May 17th from 2 – 4 p.m. Based on 18th century illustrations, these silk and wood kites are as pretty to look at as they are fun to fly! There is a $10 materials fee per kite. For more information or to reserve your space, please email info@friendsofminuteman.org or call 978.318.7822.

And if you can’t join us for the workshop – be sure to save the date for Family Day on May 30th at Hartwell Tavern. We’ll be there with kites for you to try flying yourself!