Celebrate Our National Parks Centennial!

Congress established the National Park Service 100 years ago today!  Congress had great vision - I can't imagine our country without its National Parks.

Blooms & Buds

The grounds of the apple orchid at the Adams Mansion are in full bloom.

Spring Blooms

The grounds of the Adams National Historic Site are not to be missed in the springtime!  Daffodils are a harbinger of spring settling in at Peacefield.

Let It Go!

I like the view of the Adams Mansion from the backside with snow covered grounds.  QDP may pause here for a short time, depending on the success of updating my operating system and photo software.  If all goes well, I will return soon with more spring-like photos from Quincy.

Gray Day

Hopefully the daffodils will be popping up at the Adams Mansion in a couple weeks (even if they have to push through the snow cover).  Happy Monochrome Monday!

Spring At Peacefield

With snowflakes in the air, the second day of spring was very peaceful at the Adams Mansion.   Snow might be melted by opening day in mid-April . . . 

Facelift

The distinctive saltbox house where John Quincy Adams was born is getting a facelift.

Blues Clues

Today's post is a puzzler:
After donning blue surgical booties, and stepping onto this beautiful curved Quincy granite step you will enter this National Historic Landmark.  This country estate, built in 1770, overlooks Quincy Bay and a tour of it's interior will transport you back to the Revolutionary War Era. The puzzler will be revealed in tomorrow's "old house" post.  Got any answers?

Thursday is "This Old House" Day

The forsythia in the foreground helps bring the eye to the yellow painted Beale-Rice House in the background at 181 Adams Street.  This grand Federal style house built in 1792, is set on one of Quincy's few remaining country settings.  It is owned by all of us (USA) and is part of the Adams National Historic Site.

Stone Temple

The "Stone Library" of John Quincy Adams is considered by some to be the first Presidential Library. This building was constructed with granite from local quarries and holds more than 14,000 volumes.

Quiet Beauty

The Adams Homestead possesses very quiet beauty in the wintertime.

Winter Gate

Gate to the Adams Mansion.

Peace at "Peacefield"

The grounds of the Adams Mansion are opened all year long -- even during the National Park shutdown.  Enjoy!

Garden Walk

These tourists from Michigan enjoy a beautiful autumn stroll around the Adams National Historic Site Gardens.  They'll have to plan a tour of the Adams Mansion at a later visit when federal government workers return.  The stone (Quincy granite) doorway takes you to the Adams Library.

Thursday is "This Old House" Day

The most famous "old house" in Quincy is shuttered due to the partial shut-down of government services.   As I approached the front door of the Adams Mansion, I was greeted by two Interior Department Park Rangers who were affixing a sign to the front door at 135 Adams Street.  They didn't want their picture taken because they said it was "too sad".  They were heading home to wait things out and hoping for "the best."

Before they left they greeted some tourists from Michigan who said they had planned their visit to the Adams National Historic Site over a year ago.  At least they got to visit the Adams' beautiful fall gardens. 

You have to wonder what our Founding Father, John Adams & his wife, Abigail and son, John Quincy would think of the recent actions of our Congress and more importantly how they might lead us out of this mess.

The "Old House"

Yesterday's close-up image was taken from the Adams National Historic Site that we are fortunate to have in Quincy.  The grounds and gardens can be visited anytime free of charge. 

Famous Dormer

This dormer is part of a very famous farmhouse in Quincy.  Any guesses?

I was fortunate to capture the last seasonal bloom of this Yorkist Rose Tree set out on the farm grounds by Abigail Adams in 1788.  It is just amazing to me to be looking at this flower that was planted and enjoyed by Abigail Adams and family more than 200 years ago.

Hot Pink

This peony bloom was captured in the garden at the Adams Mansion.

Early Spring At Peacefield

The grounds at the Adams National Historic Site are beginning to green-up.