Will Murray

This was the first Japanese-style garden I ever visited as a child. It was beautiful, but mostly I remember the small trinkets from the gift shop that my parents bought for me.

The next time I visited was in my early teen years, and I truly appreciated the beauty of the place. I was very interested in gardens at the time (thinking of a career in it in fact), and I marveled at the care and detail that went into the place.

The third and most recent time I visited, part of the garden was undergoing renovation, and the whole area seemed smaller. I’m not sure if it was because of the renovation closing things down, or because my view of the world had grown. Either way, it was still completely gorgeous and worthwhile to visit again.

I was expecting more. I don’t know what exactly, but not this. It’s a pretty regular rock (the photos don’t lie). It sits in a pit with an elevated walkway and fences around it. The whole thing is ensconced in a protective and decorative structure that’s more attractive than the rock itself (how sad). Graffiti was apparently a problem, because pale remains could still be seen. You also wonder why that one rock is thought to be the real Plymouth Rock, when it’s just so darn ordinary. Overall, I’m happy to say that I saw it, but there are many other things I’d rather have seen in the area instead knowing what I now know.

Talk about overcrowded! In 1987, I visited the bar with a high school group (no, we didn’t drink). The place was so crowded we could barely poke our noses through the door. A few people stood in line to buy trinkets, but I was happy with snagging a free bar napkin.