If I Were Going...: The Final Leg: Boston

Ahhhh! Boston on a pretty day

Because of the way Icelandair flights work, I thought it would be fun to stop somewhere along the east coast for a few days before returning to Colorado. I chose Boston, a favorite place that we hadn’t visited in awhile.

Charming

I was last there in 2015 with Scott’s mom.

Betty in the Old North Church

Because it was almost October, I was imagining gorgeous fall trees and nippy weather. We got summer’s last hurrah.

But there were signs of fall

During the day (and in crowded restaurants) it was hot and steamy. The evenings and our Whale watch were delightfully cool. The skies were blue with abundant sunshine. It was pretty much the opposite of Iceland.

While I would have liked more fall, it was gorgeous

We have a great relationship with what I consider the USA’s best city. We lived there in the late 90s when I worked for Fidelity Investments right smack in the middle of downtown Boston. In fact, my T stop was in the Old State House and one of my offices (we changed buildings while I was there) was a block from Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market.

Plus, when we were relocating, we spent two months in the North End in a corporate apartment. The North End! During the summer! So, the places we visited on this trip were quite nostalgic.

Just minutes from our apartment

We stayed three nights at the Battery Wharf Hotel, which, as the name explains, is in the wharf area.

Battery Wharf Hotel

Yeah, it was pricey, but Boston is an expensive city, and I didn’t want to waste time and money on transportation from our hotel to the places we wanted to visit. With this hotel, everything was within walking distance.

Passed on an early morning walk

And, walk we did.

The Freedom Trail

One of our main objectives for this trip was to walk the Freedom Trail. And, over the course of two days, I think we did most of it interspersed with other activities and destinations. A 2.5-mile-long marked path through downtown Boston, the Freedom Trail passes 16 significant landmarks from the American Revolution.

Why people come to Boston

The route is marked by a red brick line and takes about two hours to walk if you don’t stop. But, seriously, why would you do it if you weren’t going to stop and enjoy it?

Walking the trail is free, but some sites charge admission. The Freedom Trail Foundation offers daily, costumed guided tours. A free, official audio tour is also available through the National Park Service.

And, there are many commercial tours

We were familiar enough to not need a tour. Instead, we just ambled, soaking up the sunshine and history.

We started in the North End by visiting an “unofficial” site ...

The courtyard of the apartment we lived in during our first summer in Boston

It was very close to the first official sites we visited ...

Paul Revere’s House

The Paul Revere statue with the Old North Church in the background

When we lived there, following the Freedom Trail from the North End to the commercial part of historic Boston involved walking through a somewhat creepy tunnel under the Interstate. Since that time, the “Big Dig,” a major public works project that was in full swing during my stint in Beantown, has been completed.

Now you stroll through beautiful gardens; Photo: 2015

On the other side is Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. Faneuil Hall is sometimes referred to as "the Cradle of Liberty" because it has been the site of many history-shaping events. It is part of Boston National Historical Park and is designated as a National Historic Landmark.

Faneuil Hall

It first opened as a public marketplace and meeting hall in 1742, just ten years after the land upon which it was built was filled to raise it above sea level.

Now, it's a few blocks to the water

The original building burned down in 1761 and was rebuilt over the next decade. It was remodeled and expanded in 1806 and was renovated again in 1827 after the nearby Quincy Market opened.

Quincy Market

The interiors were rebuilt of noncombustible materials in 1898-99 and more renovations were done throughout the 20th century, including cleaning, fireproofing, restoration and accessibility projects. The most significant transformation occurred for the bicentennial in 1976, when the area was closed to vehicles to create a pedestrian-focused destination.

From 2012-18, Boston completed a $4 million renovation that addressed water damage, upgraded mechanical systems, restored woodwork and improved accessibility.

Now, it is in the early stages of a major revitalization effort to transform it from a "tourist trap" back into a destination for local residents. Ideas include more local businesses, outdoor music, nighttime projection shows and themed eatery markets. Sounds like it will still draw tourists.

Faneuil Hall Marketplace; Right: Winthrop Beach Inn & Suites Boston

Over the years, Faneuil Hall has been used for a wide variety of events, including debates, speeches, campaign events, jury trials, celebrations, commemorations, receptions and balls. One newspaper wrote in 1923 that "practically every distinguished American has spoken there," while another said in 1964 that "every issue of great importance has been debated" in the building's halls. In addition to still serving as a meeting venue, Faneuil Hall houses a museum.

Faneuil Hall 1789 and 1845; Drawings: Boston Freedom Trail History

Next to the historic hall are three buildings that comprise Quincy Market, which has dozens of food stalls and specialty shops. The first building was opened in 1826 to accommodate growing trade around Faneuil Hall. While generally a tourist area, it does have great food options.

Two particularly important buildings on Freedom Trail are the Old South Meeting House where the plan for the for the Boston Tea Party was hatched and the Old State House.

Left: Old South Meeting House; Right: Old State House

The Old State House was the site of the Boston Massacre and, as I mentioned, now serves as an exit for the subway (the T), which runs underneath it. The actual Boston Massacre Site is marked by a ring of stones.

Along the path is the site of the Boston Latin School, America’s first public school, which is graced with a statue of Benjamin Franklin.

Left: Mosaic commemorating the Latin School: Right: Ben Franklin statue

There are several cemeteries along the Freedom Trail filled with the graves of famous revolutionary figures and regular citizens. These include the burial ground at King's Chapel, the Granary Burying Ground (the final resting place of Paul Revere and John Hancock) and Copp's Hill Burying Ground.

Lots of souls buried in Boston

Boston is a city of historic churches, including the aforementioned Old North Church and King’s Chapel, plus the Park Street Church (founded in 1809, so not a Revolution landmark).

Steeples everywhere

A 14-foot sculpture called Unbound stands outside King's Chapel to commemorate 219 men, women and children enslaved by past members and ministers of the church.

Left: Unbound; Right: King's Chapel

We passed by but didn’t stop in the Corner Bookstore (I have been there before) and we ended our first day’s foray at Boston Common, America's oldest public park.

A lovely day to be in the park

It covers 50 acres of land bounded by five major Boston streets: Tremont, Park, Beacon, Charles and Boylston.

Immediately to the west is Boston Public Garden; we visited both

During the 1630s, the Common was used by many families as a cow pasture, making it “common” ground for the community. That ended when large herds kept by affluent families overgrazed the land. In 1646, grazing was limited to 70 cows at a time. Cows were banned in 1830 when it became a public park.

Boston Common was used for public hangings until 1817. Initially hangings were from the limb of a large oak, which was replaced with gallows in 1769. The Common was used as a military camp by the British before the Revolutionary War; it was from there that British troops set off for the Battle of Lexington and Concord.

Fountains and statues

The Common and Public Garden were added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. The Common was declared a National Historic Landmark in 1987.

The Frog Pond at the heart of the Common is an ice rink in winter, a reflecting pool in spring and fall and a spray pool in summer.

The children's carousel at the Frog Pond

Scott was disappointed that the Swan Boats had shut down for the year. The boats run from the second weekend of April to the weekend of Labor Day.

Left: Scott on the swan boat dock; Right: On the boat in 1997

Robert Paget created the Swan Boats in 1877 after seeing the opera Lohengrin in which a knight rescues a damsel by riding a swan across a lake. He capitalized on the recent popularity of the bicycle by designing a two-pontooned boat with a wooden swan that concealed a driver who pedaled passengers around the pond.

Considering the warm temperatures the day we were there, they could have done a massive amount of business had the swan boats been open.

The Massachusetts State House is across the street from Boston Common.

The State House and the Customs House tower

The Freedom Trail leaves Boston proper and crosses over the Charles River to Charlestown.

Charlestown

Crossing over to Charlestown

We walked over, planning to tour the USS Constitution, but, it was not open. Cuts to National Park Service budgets are getting more and more noticeable. Fortunately, we could still see it in the Charlestown Navy Yard.

Charlestown Navy Yard

Navy Yard sights

Built as one of the original six frigates of the US Navy, the USS Constitution is still an active-duty vessel, making it the oldest commissioned warship afloat. It earned its nickname, "Old Ironsides," in the War of 1812 when British shot was seen bouncing off its 21-inch-thick oak hull.

Old Ironsides

After looking at (but not touring) Old Ironsides, we continued to our last stop on the Freedom Trail, the Bunker Hill Monument: which commemorates the first major battle of the Revolutionary War on June 17, 1775. The monument primarily consists of a 221-foot-tall granite obelisk flanked by a statue of Colonel William Prescott, who commanded colonial forces during the Battle of Bunker Hill.

Bunker Hill Monument

Prescott is known for his leadership during the siege of Boston, his defense of Breed's Hill and the iconic order, "Do not fire until you see the whites of their eyes." That phrase is variously also attributed to Israel Putnam, John Stark or Richard Gridley, though in actuality, none of them originated it.

Good story, though.

The Battle of Bunker Hill by Howard Pyle, 1897

The Bunker Hill Monument is not actually on Bunker Hill. It was built atop a Continental Army fortification on the summit of Breed's Hill, about 700 yards from Bunker Hill to the north. Bunker Hill is slightly higher than Breed's Hill and is topped by the St. Francis de Sales Church.

The area around Breed's Hill is gorgeous with historic homes that made me really want to move back to Boston.

Beautifully restored and maintained homes

But, of course, I quickly remembered that I couldn't afford to.

At least, their politics are right

Food

As much as we enjoy history, we may enjoy food more. And, Boston delivers on food!

The Union Oyster House is the oldest restaurant in continuous service in the US

A major goal was lobstah! Nowhere in the world has better lobster than New England. We had a shared lobster roll at Quincy Market and then later went to the Union Oyster House for our own tasty sandwiches.

Lef: Union Oyster House; Right: Quincy Market

Plus, we had a fairly good Italian dinner one night in the North End.

Some of the best Italian food in the US can be found in the North End; Left: Boston Globe

We didn’t realize how crowded late September would be with tourists and we had some difficulty getting into a restaurant. Where we ended up was good, but we had much, much better when we lived there and could easily find a table.

Whale Watch

The other goal for this trip was a Whale watch. I had expected to see Whales when in Greenland, but, unfortunately, we didn’t. I had booked a Whale watching trip through the New England Aquarium to hedge my bet.

The New England Aquarium

I have blogged about New England Whale watches before, concentrating on a trip Scott’s mom and I took out of Provincetown rather than Boston.

Our departure point

The departure location isn’t terribly relevant, however, because trips from Boston, Plymouth and Provincetown all go to the same place: the Stellwagen Bank.

It hosts the world’s largest concentration of Humpback Whales during the summer

Now, I know it wasn't summer. But, I figured if the Aquarium was still offering tours, there would probably still be Whales. They weren't abundant, but the two we saw were quite entertaining.

Normally, the Whales you see off Boston are feeding. That means frequent dives, often revealing their tails (AKA flukes).