There is also a restaurant/bar two levels above which seems like an opportune spot to stop for a coffee.
I then walked back towards the city to Boston Common. Well at least I thought I did. I'm usually pretty good with directions but today I failed as I managed to walk west instead of north and ended up at the Charles River. There is a small lake in Boston Common and I saw water thinking I was heading in the right direction. As I got closer, a bit too much water appeared! It was in fact a good detour none the less as it's a very pretty spot.
After consulting a map to ensure I'd be right this time I then head to Boston Common and book in for the Freedom Trail Walking Tour which goes through some of the history of the British colony here in Boston and the struggle for independence.
The tour is run by the historical society and being a Sunday I had a middle school history teacher as our guide. She was fantastic, very knowledgeable and knew how to work the crowd. It was a mini history lesson as we went with lolly pop prizes for correct answers. Easily the most informative and educational thing I've done in the USA.
We finish up near Quincy Market, a great spot for lunch from yesterday so I walk down the halls and find some more good food to eat.
The wharf is a short walk and I go and catch the ferry over to Bunker Hill. There are a number of harbour cruises and boat rides for tourists. But for $1.70 each way you can catch the MBTA ferry which gives you the same view and it wasn't even busy!
The USS Constitution is just down the dock, the oldest active ship in the US Navy fleet. They say active in a loose sense as I'm pretty sure the war would be over by the time the ship got there.
It is still maintained and free floating in the water. We go on a tour of the boat with one of the active officers assigned to the ship. The conditions are rather cramped below deck with all the canons and sleeping quarters not far away.
Just up the hill from the USS Constitution is the Bunker Hill monument which is surprisingly similar to the Washington Monument in DC. The difference being it's 300 steps rather than a lift.
After getting my exercise for the day by quickly climbing to the top and enjoying the view back across to central Boston I depart on the ferry and train back to home. For dinner I meet up with Vanessa and Tim and head to a place called the Cheesecake Factory. Apart from your usual big American food mains, desert is fantabulous, check out the height of these cheesecakes.
No comments:
Post a Comment