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.
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| 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.
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| On the Freedom Trail- The site of the Boston Massacre |
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| 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!
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| Anytime is a great time to relax in Thoreau's Walden Pond! |
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| 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...
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| Kayaking on Dudley Pond, Wayland, MA |
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