Day 10 of #SNEForesTour - The Home Stretch
The final day of the #SNEForesTour had arrived, and the last stops on the schedule were Whole Foods Market in Portland, Maine and a pass through Portsmouth, NH before rounding things up in Boston, MA.
At 10am, the Forester pulled into Whole Foods, and we were warmly welcomed by both the staff and a few friends of ours from Pape Subaru who arrived to get a firsthand look at the new vehicle before it hit the dealerships.
Like we had already experienced at the Whole Foods locations we visited during this tour, a steady flow of people came and went over the course of the hour. And while there were a good amount of non-Subaru drivers that wanted to check out what was going on, this particular parking lot was filled with Subies, which you can see from this pic of a Forester trifecta that came together right next to where we parked!
Mary, the owner of the 2007 Forester seen above, is a diehard Subaru fan and after she finished up her shopping at Whole Foods, met us outside and sported her new pink Subie hat in a picture with us! Thanks Mary!
We had a chance to hang out with dozens of great Portlanders who made our time there very enjoyable with their enthusiasm and excitement, and we’d also like to point out the great work this Whole Foods & their customers have done in donating over $156,000 to Maine non-profits and schools since opening in 2007! Simply amazing!
Before leaving Portland we swung by Hadlock Field, home of the Portland Sea Dogs, a Double A baseball team that has developed some very well known players who’ve made it to the Boston Red Sox roster over the years. Also, a cool feature of this particular field is the “Maine Monster”, which resembles Fenway Park’s “Green Monster”, and earned the Sea Dogs a mention in the Yard Magazine for having one of the most unique outfields in Minor League baseball!
Next, it was off to the historic seaport of Portsmouth, NH, where one can’t help but feel as if they have been transported into a time that “once was” in New England. Shops and offices line the narrow city streets, many with aged wooden signs hanging out front rather than large neon lit ones that make up modern storefronts. Homes of notable figures in New Hampshire’s history are peppered in amongst city greens and intersections, reminding those who visit that this place truly has its roots extending back to the very earliest times of America, 1630 to be exact.
After exploring the main streets of the city, we ventured out to New Castle island, to explore Fort Constitution and the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse.
This site was originally known as Fort William and Mary, and built in 1632 to defend Portsmouth Harbor. In 1774, Paul Revere actually rode from Boston to this very location to warn of British forces heading towards Portsmouth harbor, and members of the New England patriot movement seized the British officers and the arms that had been occupying the fort. In 1791, the state of New Hampshire gave the land to the United states federal government and that is when it was renamed “Fort Constitution”. During the 1800s, there were many renovations and the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard was established here as well. Another notable structure located here is the Portsmouth Harbor Lighthouse, which is still an active navigation aid for the US Coast Guard, which currently has a base here.
The final stop of the day is another symbol deeply rooted in New England’s history, the Massachusetts State House. Designed by architect Charles Bulfinch and built between 1795 and 1798, the land upon which this building sits was once owned by Massachusetts' first elected Governor, John Hancock. Just as Fort Constitution had a connection with Paul Revere, so does the Massachusetts State House, as it originally had a leaky wooden dome that was later covered by sheets of copper provided by Paul Revere’s company. Another neat fact that would make anyone a New England trivia buff – the pine cone that sits on top of the now 23k golden dome, is a symbol of the important role Boston’s lumber industry held in early colonial times, and a tribute to the state of Maine, which was a part of the Massachusetts’ Commonwealth back when the original building was built by Bulfinch.
And with that, as the 2014 Forester made its way through Beacon Hill and back to the Subaru of New England office, history of a different kind was made as this now marked the end of the first #SNEForesTour around New England.
Over the next few days we will be providing some additional highlights from the trek, “from the cutting room floor” if you will, and invite you to stay tuned as we wrap up this two week venture out and about the places, shops, stores, restaurants, landmarks and communities you all call home – the beautiful highways and byways of New England.