As one of the oldest cities in the United States, Boston has a tremendous amount of historical attractions to occupy the millions of tourists that visit every year. Last weekend a friend and I met up in Boston and went sightseeing together. She’s Canadian, but we decided to walk the Freedom Trail anyway.
Freedom!
The trail starts at the visitor center in the Boston Common, and winds through the city, taking you to over twenty different historical sites and ending across the Charles River at Bunker Hill. Even though it’s officially only 2.5 miles in length, we made numerous detours, walking around at many of the sites, and ended up walking for a good four hours. Not exactly the most leisurely stroll, but well worth the effort if you are at all interested in history.
I for one found myself wishing I remembered more of high school US history as we continued along the trail. A few of the sites required admission fees, but there were also plenty of free ones. Among them were a bunch of churches of various denominations, and burying grounds containing some familiar names. We were able to find the gravestones of John “City on a Hill” Winthrop, Paul “The British are Coming” Revere, and John “My Name is Bigger Than Yours” Hancock.
The whole Winthrop clan
About halfway through the trail we stopped for lunch at Quincy Market, a large narrow building housing food stalls and restaurants as far as the eye can see. It was a madhouse in there, like going to a Taipei night market on a weekend. One would think every tourist in Boston was there, but for good reason - I counted at least five seafood stalls selling lobster rolls and the famous New England chowder, as well as many others serving items as varied as pad thai and bagel pizzas. Finding seating was a bit of a challenge; we ended up eating at a standing table. All part of the Boston experience, I guess.
Baked clams from Quincy Market
One of the most interesting stops along the Freedom Trail was the Charlestown Navy Yard towards the end of the day, a large harbor area north of the Charles River. Front and center was the USS Constitution “Old Ironsides” herself, open for tourists to walk around on deck free of charge. The USS Constitution Museum was right next door, also with free admission (though accepting donations). I found the museum to be very impressive, with well curated and informative exhibits containing a good amount of interactivity. Unfortunately we got there just 15 minutes before closing, as we definitely could have spent a good amount of time there.
Old Ironsides in for restoration
The next day, some kind friends took me on a tour of Harvard University, actually the first Ivy League school I’ve ever visited. It was suitably impressive, especially the giant pillared main library and the majestic gothic style Memorial Hall towards the middle of campus. Though I think I was most impressed by simply how clean and well maintained all the buildings were. Harvard is one of the oldest universities in the country, but the campus was pristine. Such is the difference between public and private schools.
Looks like Hogwarts
Overall, I enjoyed my first taste of Boston. I really liked how walkable the city was, and how convenient the public transit was to use. Last weekend was a great introduction to the area, and I look forward to my next visit!
- MC 8/4
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