A Day In Boston

This morning, we decided to make a trip into Boston.  Now, our campground is about 30 miles from the city.  So, we went down to the campground office to find out how was the best way for us to get there.

The lady in the office, without hesitation, said take the train.  She gave us a map to get from the campground

to the Riverside Terminal.  The trip from the campground to here was about a 45 minute drive.

We parked the car for $5.75 for the day.  After

purchasing our tickets...2 round trip fares for $8.00, it was time for our

train to head to the city.

The ride from Riverside to Park Street took another 45 minutes.

When we arrived at Parkside, we just had to walk right across the street and we were in the middle of the

Boston Commons and right were we needed to be for our walk on the Freedom Trail.  This fellow directed us to the visitor center where we picked up our waking guide and headed out for the 2.5 mile self guided tour.  All we needed to remember was to follow

the red brick stripe.

The Boston Commons was our first stop.  This is

America's oldest park.

Over 1000 Redcoats made camp on the Common during the British occupation of Boston in 1775. It was from the shore of the Charles River, which was then at the southwest corner of the Boston Common, that three brigades of Redcoats embarked on the fateful trip to Lexington and Concord.

The Boston Common was a place for celebration as well. Bonfires and fireworks celebrated the repeal of the Stamp Act and the end of the Revolutionary War. Boston Common continues to be a stage for free speech and public assembly.

From here, we walked up to Beacon Hill to the

the State House  which was completed on January 11, 1798, and widely acclaimed as one of the more magnificent and well-suited buildings in the country. The land for the building was originally used as John Hancock's cow pasture. The State House's golden dome, its most distinct feature, once made of wood was later overlaid with copper by Paul Revere. It was covered with 23 karat gold leaf for the first time in 1874 and painted black during World War II to protect the city from bombing attacks. The State House dome was most recently gilded in 1997.

Next stop, the

 

Park Street Church.

The 217 ft. steeple of this church was once the first landmark travelers saw when approaching Boston. Park Street Church’s lofty architecture reflects an even loftier mission of human rights and social justice. Prison reform began in this church, women’s suffrage was strongly supported here, and some of the first and most impassioned protests against slavery were delivered inside these hallowed walls.

We kept following the red brick stripe in the road.  It crossed streets, went around corners, and took us by 3 cemeteries.  We saw the site of

the oldest pubic school, Boston Latin.  It was founded on April 13, 1635.  On School Street this mosaic and a

statue of noted alumnus Benjamin Franklin marks the location of the original Boston Latin schoolhouse, which was completed in 1645. Four signers of the Declaration of Independence attended Boston Latin: Franklin, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat Paine. But of the four, only three graduated: Ben Franklin, though one of America’s greatest minds, is also one of its most notable high school dropouts.

Back on the trail, we headed for

Faneuil Hall, sometimes referred to as The Cradle of Liberty.  It was built in 1742 as a center of commerce.  The market stalls were on the first floor and the meeting hall on the second floor is the one of greater legacy.

It was at Faneuil Hall in 1764 that Americans first protested against the Sugar Act and the Stamp Act, setting the doctrine that would come to be known as no taxation without representation.

Today, there is lots of commerce going on with

shops and restaurants lining the streets around the hall.  It was here that we choose to have lunch at

Cheer's.  Do you recognize the

bar?  The original Cheers location is on Beacon Street.

Rested and refreshed, we headed back on on our tour.  We walked

on the streets where our forefathers walked, we

sat in the churches where they worshiped, and we made a stop by

the home of Paul Revere.

We saw the

Old North Church, were the two lanterns were hung to warn of the British coming.

And, finally, we made it to

North End and the

harbor.

What a great day in Boston and again stepping back to enjoy and relive a day in our American History.

Time to work our way back to The Boston Commons to catch the afternoon train back to Riverside.  On the way back, I saw this

beautiful side walk cafe getting ready for dinner.  And, we saw the

Parker's Restaurant...birthplace of the Parker House Rolls and Boston Cream Pie.

Boston, is also home of the Union Oyster Bar, the oldest restaurant in America.

Maybe, we will have to make another trip back to the city.

Again...what a great adventure we had today.  And, the train was the only way to go!