Today is our last day here at the Pine Lake RV Park in Sturbridge MA. We headed into town and made a few stops at local stores. We also cruised through Southbridge, the town just to the southeast of Sturbridge. I had a couple places I wanted to go there and the monument above "caught my eye"! OK, sorry, I could not resist that!
So why would there be a pair of glasses in the middle of a park? Well, Southbridge and this area of Massachusetts "has a long history of manufacturing optical products, earning it the unofficial title "Eye of the Commonwealth", in reference to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. American Optical was founded in Southbridge in 1833 and grew to be the largest manufacturer of eyeglasses in the world. Under the Wells family, the American Optical Company ("AO") became the world's largest manufacturer of ophthalmic products, and at its height employed more than 6,000 people around the world." I had no idea!
The Optical Heritage Museum - photo credit: Trip Advisor
There is a museum here, called the Optical Heritage Museum, but unfortunately like many places, they are closed on Mondays, so we could not visit it in person, but we did a drive-by and Doreen checked the door, plus I took a stroll through their online site. Not only was the American Optical company involved with ophthalmic lenses (prescription lenses), they were responsible for important developments in frames, safety (protective) eyewear, fiber optics, instruments such as microscopes and vision testing devices, medical devices including heart pacemaker and defibrillator, Todd-AO movie projection which was used in filming the movie Oklahoma! How about that!
My first recollection of American Optical was with the very first pair of pilot sunglasses I purchased at Lackland Air Force Base and basic training in 1973. From their website, their iconic pilot sunglasses are the "favorite of US military pilots and NASA astronauts from the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions since 1958." 
I am disappointed we could not visit the museum, but there is always next time!
I am disappointed we could not visit the museum, but there is always next time!
So normal routine back at the campsite. Empty and flush tanks, stow hoses, prep the inside for departure in the morning and review the route. We are not in a hurry as tomorrow's trip to Plattekill NY and the New York City North / Newburgh KOA is only about 146 miles. Averaging 50 mph and stopping once, that will take us about 3-1/2 hours. Our Air Force buddy George Lechner lives about 10 miles from the campground.
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