This is a little how we felt when we arrived in Boston! Well Reuben did in any event, at the end of a day of non stop walking in high heat and humidity. Don’t you love it how kids just feel as if they can recline anywhere?
We only had one day to explore Boston, so we set out on a walking tour (with some Uber rides between some sights), to see what we could achieve. This is Reuben again below powering up for the day with some snacks and a stick for possible bear encounters!? Who knows?? (It’s dangerous out there in the urban jungle).
Our first stop (and quite close to our accommodation) was Harvard University. We made a quick stop here to look at the buildings and to check out the medical school, of interest due to Murray being a doctor.
After this we caught an Uber ride to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum. This was the highlight for me, as the museum was excellent, with so many interactive exhibits and skilled actors in period dress who guided you through it all. Visitors were invited to take on a character and participate too. The 1773 protest here over unfair taxes (the Boston Tea Party) set in motion the events leading to the Revolutionary War.
After lunch in the museum we headed off to the Boston Common (America’s oldest public park) to begin our time of walking the Freedom Trail. Adjoining the Boston Common is the beautiful Public Garden where we took some time out to take a ride on the historic pedal powered Swan Boats.
The Freedom Trail, covering four kilometres, is very rich in history and architecture, but I think to truly appreciate it you need a lot more time than we were able to dedicate to it. We used the Lonely Planet Guide for interpretation, but to fully immerse yourself in the experience you would need to have the time to go inside each building. Pictured below are some of the highlights from along the way.
After we’d thoroughly exhausted ourselves, stomping about in the heat (and shopping for an extra suitcase to cart all our souvenirs home), we just had enough energy to venture into the leafy streets of Beacon Hill for a delightful dinner at a small Italian Bar (which was really crowded, but cheerfully seated us, kids and all and suitcase in tow at the bar).
Next stop New York, New York!