Saturday, August 4, 2012

Day 8- Touring Boston's Freedom Trail


          Boston is fantastic and is now one of my favorite American cities. Of course, Chicago still tops my list for a variety of reasons, but Boston is a very close second. It has it all: History, character, outdoorsy stuff, great neighborhoods, and access to other great places…like the East Coast! Chicago is great, but its history doesn’t have the depth of Boston’s history. Downtown is clean, vibrant, and the place to be for locals and out-of-towners. Today, this visitor planned to take on the Boston Freedom Trail, the crash-course local history. It was a very special day.
            The freedom trail is a 2.5 mile path that winds around historic Boston and takes you to the front door of “who’s who” in American history. The trail is marked by inlaid red brick in the sidewalk or a painted stripe, as evidenced by the picture below of me at the trail’s beginning point…He’s off!
            The Freedom Trail originates within Boston Common, which dates back to 1634, and is the oldest city park in the United States. As such, a typical day in Boston Common reflects what people usually do in Boston Common: Enjoy the green space.

            My first stop on the trail was the Granary Burying Ground, perhaps the most famous cemetery in Boston. Notable names from the Granary Burying Ground are members of Benjamin Franklin’s family, and the graves of John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Boston Massacre victim Crispus Attucks (the first person to die in the American Revolution). This burying ground is hallowed ground for the people who put everything on the line for the Revolution. It’s quite appropriate that these individuals get the respect they deserve. The Freedom Trail is outstanding. Perhaps one of my favorite stops was the North Park Church, the location where signal lamps were hung to indicate if the British were coming by land or sea.
            After walking around downtown Boston is was time for lunch. The perfect place for lunch, given my morning, would be the oldest tavern in the United States! The Bell-in-Hand Tavern opened in 1796 and continues to serve excellent food to its customers…Please note below a picture of my fish and chips lunch, perhaps the best rendition of this classic dish I’ve hand in a very long time.
Looks good, eh? Fish and Chips at The Bell-in-Hand Tavern

            After lunch I returned to the Freedom Trail to visit the site of the Boston Massacre and the Bunker Hill Monument. The Boston Massacre represents an important change in perception as the skirmish between the British Soldiers and citizens of Boston only increased the clamor of the discontent among citizens. Paul Revere famously used the power of the press, along with liberal interpretations of the event, to sway public opinion in favor of the Patriot cause.
On the Freedom Trail- The site of the Boston Massacre
Bunker Hill Monument
            The Boston adventure continued during the afternoon as I enjoyed visiting other famous sites, including:  Walden Pond, the site and topic of Henry David Thoreau’s book, Walden., the battleground  for the Battles of Lexington and Concord, and the capture of Paul Revere that ended his legendary midnight ride…There is so much to do in Boston!
Anytime is a great time to relax in Thoreau's Walden Pond!
Visiting the capture sight of Paul Revere's midnight ride

            After dinner, I enjoyed reliving the day during an hour-long kayak ride. During this ride, my mind swirled with thoughts and adventures. I hope you enjoyed the day’s retelling...
Kayaking on Dudley Pond, Wayland, MA

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