United States of America Travel Guide

California

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/California/TravelGuide-California.html

Florida

http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/North_America/United_States_of_America/Florida/TravelGuide-Florida.html

Comments (3)

riorich55 Mar 20, 2013 at 9:19 AM

As I read a book about America's 6th President, John Quincy Adams, it is interesting to read about his travels at an early age with his father, John Adams, the 2nd President, and by himself. A few quotes and observations from a book by Harlow Giles Unger.

"Foreign travel would also enhance John Quincy's education and accelerate his evolution into the wise and great man his parents expected him to become."

At age 10 he and his father made their first crossing across the Atlantic where they were chased by 3 British frigates who were out to capture the senior John Adams.

On his second voyage at age 12 "savage storms split the ships seams, water seeped aboard and the captain ordered all adults (10 and over) to take turns working the pumps in 4 hour shifts." They did this over the course of many days. When they finally reached land and "after the men stopped pumping 7 feet of water had filled the hull of the ship."

At Age 16 because of his language skills be went to Russia as a secretary/translator with Francis Dana, U.S. minister to the court of Empress Catherine II (who spoke no French). French was then the language of diplomacy. To get from where he and his father were in Holland to St Petersburg he travelled 2000 miles through various countries and kept a daily diary. After his duties there ended he made his way back to Holland via Scandanavia and Germany. He especially enjoyed Sweden where he "plunged into Swedish life for early six rapture-filled weeks." His thoughts about the Swedes at the time were "I believe there is no country in Europe where the people are more hospitable and affable to strangers."

Here's to America's first European travelller, John Quincy Adams.

He would have been a great VT member. Don't you think?