Plymouth, Massachusetts. The landing site of the Pilgrims in 1620. While students may have learned about the first Thanksgiving, Squanto, William Bradford, and the Mayflower in their history classes, I am reminded of this history every day. For others, these history lessons were brushed over or quickly touched on in school, but it seems that nobody knows Plymouth's history as well as Plymouth Public School kids. Summers in Plymouth are filled with tourists and gift shops, whale watches, and beach time. I could have touched on all of the significant, useful facts about Plymouth, but instead I chose to focus on the random.

1. "I really love coffee" -Rory Gilmore

Plymouth is home to more than 13 Dunkin' Donuts locations. It is common to find high school students milling near the closest Dunks before, after, or sometimes during school. This caffeinated ritual is imprinted on us at an early age and by children become school age, "Dunks", "Dunkies", and "Dunkin'" become common words in our vocabulary. Some people, like my friends and I, even take the effort to taste test multiple locations to find the "good Dunks". If one is truly dedicated to a single location, the workers tend to know your coffee order and make it the second you walk through the door.

2. "Don't say 'Dollywood.' Please, don't say 'Dollywood'." -Lorelai Gilmore

Few may know that Plymouth was once the prospective building site of 'Hollywood East'. This would put Plymouth on the map as not only America's hometown, but also as the Hollywood of the east coast. While this plan never came into fruition due to funding issues or something else (nobody really knows), we did have a 'Hollywood East' sign on the front lawn of the old court house in downtown Plymouth for a while.

3. "You insulted the chair and the United States of America." -Lane Kim

The Pilgrim Hall Museum has many artifacts including the chairs of John Carver, the first Governor of Plymouth Colony, and William Brewster, the religious leader of the colony. There is also a replica chair you can sit in so you can feel as important as these two men did. I sat in the chair; it is kind of uncomfortable. Growing up in Plymouth, many will realize that we shouldn't even think about insulting any artifacts on display because they probably belonged to somebody important to the founding of America's hometown, and by extension, the USA.

4. "If you pull those pilgrims out of your pocket one more time..." -Luke Danes

Speaking of Pilgrims, it is always Thanksgiving in Plymouth. Always. You can go into a gift shop at any time of the year and there will be pumpkin, pilgrim, or turkey paraphernalia for sale. If you live near Plymouth and have a dire need for a pilgrim hat or a glass pumpkin, come to us. We have a plethora. I work at The Cranberry House gift shop on the waterfront and we have a permanent display dedicated to Thanksgiving. Although we all realize that the first Thanksgiving is important, some of us may be getting a little sick of this one particular holiday.

5. "They just have to repopulate the species, you know?" - Paris Gellar

Plymouth Long Beach is a popular hang out location during the summer months. Most people pack coolers of food and drinks, tubes of sunscreen, and buckets of beach games and arrive early in the morning and stay late in the evening. Cars that are four wheel drive, or all wheel drive capable often travel on the sandy road out to the superior part of the beach with expansive sand and few rocks. Over the years, the amount of space available out at that part of the beach has dwindled significantly due to the endangered Piping Plovers who nest in the sands by the dunes. Much of the area is cordoned off for these birds, and many residents are fed up with their ever-shrinking beach. These Plovers aren't very peaceful creatures either; I have often walked by a nest and have been attacked by swooping birds who have deemed that I am too close. Although we wouldn't want to see a bird population go extinct, some of us feel that our relaxation and tanning are more important than these small, very angry, birds.

6. "There's nothing sexier than a man in tights." -Miss Patty

If you agree with Miss Patty, then Plimoth Plantation is the place for you! Plimoth Plantation is a living history museum where actors are dressed up as pilgrims and Wampanoag Native Americans and interact with guests. While their clothing and accents may not be spot-on, they are always very knowledgable of the history. If you want to see more men in tights, you may want to take a trip to the Mayflower II where you can go aboard the ship and learn history from more pilgrims. However, don't try to get on the Mayflower before 2019 because it has been sent away for repairs in anticipation of our 2020 (400 year!) celebration and won't return until then!

7. "You can't take it in at once. The eyeball is not capable." -Lane Kim

Thousands of tourists flock to Plymouth each summer eager to catch a glimpse of the famous Plymouth Rock. Many expect a magnificent boulder-like structure, and they peer over the railing into the pit which houses the Rock eagerly. If you've ever seen it before, you know that it's nothing special. It's just a rock. However, the portico, or the towering structure surrounding the Rock, is quite impressive. It is not uncommon to walk past the portico on a summer day and hear teens shouting out of car windows, "THE ROCK ISN'T REAL!". We have limited sources of fun in town; what can I say?

8. "Uh, did it involve a rubber ducky?" -Rory Gilmore

The Waterfront Festival is an event held in the middle of August each year on the waterfront. The street is lined with tents, under which are different vendors ranging from handmade dog leashes, to jewelry, to clothing for American Girl Dolls. It always draws a lot of attention and people look forward to it. The street is always packed and the waterfront is bustling. Over in Brewster Gardens, there is always a rubber ducky race where contestants can purchase rubber ducks to race in hopes of winning a prize. The prizes can be large or small; once they had a mini dirt bike prize as well as gift cards to local restaurants. As a token of your participation, you usually get a rubber ducky necklace to proudly wear and display.

9. "Okay, got your lobsters." - Unnamed Delivery Man

As a coastal town, we have many delicious seafood restaurants. In my opinion, Wood's Seafood is the best. Apparently, people come from all over to try our seafood and usually leave satisfied. We have fishing boats and lobster boats that provide us with fresh seafood daily. If you do not like seafood, Plymouth is not the place for you.

10. "The sidewalk is for the common people- the everyman." - Kirk

The locals empathize with Kirk. Plymouth is often overrun with people in the summer which makes walking downtown a painful experience. You will find yourself dodging strollers, dogs, and hoards of tourists who are walking particularly slow in order to see all of the historical landmarks. While tourists are great for our local businesses and economy, they are not great if you are late for work.