Day 2 of our vacation officially I suppose, but Day 1 of actually SEEING something. Our hotel is not very far from the airport I guess (I can't quite get acclimated to this city yet, for some reason). So, in order to get to the downtown area of Boston, which is where the "interesting" stuff is located, you have to drive, taxi, or take the train/subway into the area. So, our hotel shuttled us to the "Wonderland" stop of the public transportation subway system for us to ride. You know, I could get used to riding this to work or something if I needed to. Other than having to sometimes wait for a train, although they come fairly often during the daytime hours, it is pretty quick and efficient.
When we got off of the train in the downtown area, we were right across the street from a National Park Service Visitor's Bureau, so it seemed like as good as place as any to start our adventures of looking around Boston. We were a little over a half an hour away from taking the "Freedom Trail Walking Tour" which was scheduled to be about 1 1/2 hours, and we were going to walk the mile and a half portion of the Freedom Trail. There is something like 14 (or more) historic places on the Freedom Trail.
The South Meeting Hall was the first stop on the walking tour. This is where the discontent started prior to the Revolutionary War, where the citizens decided they did not like the taxation without representation, etc., and were getting ready for a 'little tea party."
This is where the first Governor of Massachusetts is buried, John Winthrop.
This is the old like city hall building.
Quincy Market...I don't know if there is any significance about this place, other than it is a huge food court/shopping area...lots and lots of different choices, and lots and lots of different people. I don't know why there were all these people standing out here in front of this building this afternoon. It looked like something special must've been going on; there was a news van to the left of this picture, but we didn't learn anything.
Below is Paul Revere's house....he had two wives, and 16 children; 8 with his first wife who died at the age of 37 from complications in childbirth.
A statue of Paul Revere.
North Church.
This is the bridge leading into the tunnel of "The Big Dig" that made national news a few years ago because it was so over budget and it was a tunnel leading to no where.
The stadium where the Boston Bruins hockey team plays....they won the Stanley Cup a couple of weeks ago.
I just though this was cute...a teapot that actually steamed hanging outside of a Starbucks.
I loved this area...it is the Central Park of Boston: The Boston Commons and the Boston Garden...a really pretty, relaxing, well taken care of park in the city.
A view of the Boston skyline from our bus tour crossing the Charles River I believe.
When in Boston, one of a certain age and generation must visit "Cheers"...We went inside, but it really didn't look like the set did on TV.
My absolutely favorite part of the day!!!! Riding the Swan Boats......
...which are featured also in the classic Children's book "Make Way for Ducklings" by Robert McCloskey, which was written in 1941, and won the Caldecott Award. I have always loved this book, so it was very special to come to Boston, travel to Boston Commons, see the Swan Boats, and then run across this (below) statue(s) of mama duck and baby ducklings from the book. Just WONDERFUL!
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