Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Scenic Drive in Western Massachusetts

We headed out today for a scenic drive in Western Massachusetts. We really didn't stop anywhere until we reached the Mount Greylock Visitor Center.  Mount Greylock is near the town of Adams.  Mount Greylock is the highest point in Massachusetts at an elevation of 3491'.


Visitor Center

Model of the Region


It is 10 degrees cooler generally at the Summit 
than at the Visitor Center. 

Panorama at the Visitor Center

View from the Visitor Center


Adams Overlook Illustration with various points of interest

Then we headed for the summit and took some pictures when we arrived.










World War I Veterans Memorial for those that perished in the war.  It was dedicated in 1933 before a crowd of 1200 people. It has now become a memorial to the casualties of all wars.



One of the plaques on the base of this memorial states:  "The tower's beacon, possibly the most powerful light in Massachusetts, was intended 'to shine each night, perpetually, to honor the memory of fallen heros and to guide aviators in their lone night-time journeys over the treacherous mountain range.' Except for a few weeks in spring and fall, when the light is dimmed to avoid confusing migrating birds, the beacon continues to shine each night as a memorial to casualties of all wars."








Bascom Lodge

It was pretty chilly at the top so we stopped in for some hot chocolate.





Wind Power

Inside the Lodge

After we left Mount Greylock, we stopped to see the Lee Congregational Church and Courthouse in Lee, Massachusetts.  

Views Along the Road to Lee, Massachusetts

The Courthouse



According to the church website "The congregation laid the cornerstone of the current Lee Congregational Church in the summer of 1857. It is an unusually fine example of Romanesque style of architecture and it is the dominant feature of the green on which it stands. The wooden frame steeple is reputed to be the tallest in New England. A 2,000-pound bell hangs below it in the bell tower, and the Seth Thomas clock system tolls every hour. The clock is still wound weekly by hand"

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