Summer 2003 Northeastern US Roadtrip

Day 13 - Boston, MA

We begin our walking tour of the Boston Freedom Trail on the Boston Commons downtown. Boston Web Cam

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This Granary Cemetary was unusual. Grave stones were right up against the buildings, leaving no space in between. Did you know there really was a "Mother" Goose? She is buried right here and wrote those nursery rhymes we all love.

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We had to see the place "where everybody knows your name", of course. Originally called the "Bull and Finch" pub. And I loved to stand in opposition! Nice history of how the donkey and the elephant came to be symbols of the political parties.

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Boston labels thei landmarks like their streets. We had to ask someone where the site of the Boston Massacre was. JJ is standing on the circle of cobblestones in the middle of the street that marks the location.

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We had to cross over a bridge that was entirely "see through" to the Charles River below. Venus doesn't like to walk on those grates, so she was in a quandary when we reached this bridge. Across it were the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill which she very much wanted to see. So she grabbed a hold of my shirt, kept her eyes straight ahead and said let's go and we started walking briskly until we reached the concrete portion of the sidewalk, safely across. She breathed a sigh, heavy sigh, of relief and we continued our sightseeing.

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Old Ironsides was one of the original 6 frigates commissioned by George Washington to defend US merchant ships in the Atlantic.

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The Battle of Bunker Hill was actually fought on Breed's Hill nearby. We found the chairs in the "T", Boston subway, to be very original.

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Day 13

Sunday, July 13th Cambridge, MA written 10:00 PM

I've been wondering if they chose the "T" as their logo because of the Boston Tea Party since their name is really MBTA. Took the Red Line from Alewife Station to Park Street downtown Boston on the Commons. We started our Freedom Trail walking tour from the Visitor Center and walked for 5 or 6 hours seeing the sites; including Cheers, where Venus bought me a cap for my birthday. Saw Granary Cemetary right downtown, grave stones are upagainst the buildings there, very odd looking. Is the resting place of Paul Revere, John Hancock, Ben Franklin's parents and siblings, but he lies in Philadelphia and Mary "Mother" Goose. She actually wrote those nursery rhymes and I never knew there was a real life person who went by that name.

The tour took us past the Old North Church, the site of the Boston Massacre, which is a 7-8 foot circle of cobblestones in the middle of the street and completely un-marked! We toured the USS Constitution, Old Ironsides, where they made me give up my pocket knife. It went into a trash can never to be seen again, I guess and finished up at Bunker Hill. I passed on climbing the steps to the top of the monument there. We must have walked five miles at least and my feet were killing me! Was able to get on the T near Bunker Hill and transfer downtown.

We all went swimming at the hotel when we got back and sat in the Jacuzzi. Met a man and his grandsons, I guess, visiting from Ireland at the pool. Ate dinner next door at 99s, the official restaurant of the Boston Red Sox. Am getting a penicillin prescription filled at the local CVS Pharmacy because my teeth have been hurting and abcessing badly.

Next Day

Day 0 Day 1 Day 2 Day 3 Day 4 Day 5 Day 6 Day 7 Day 8 Day 9 Day 10 Day 11 Day 12 Day 13 Day 14 Day 15 Day 16 Day 17 Day 18

We begin our walking tour of the Boston Freedom Trail on the Boston Commons downtown. Boston Web Cam
2008-BostonCommonSign.jpg	2110-BostonFreedomTrailMarker.jpg	2009-BostonHancockGrave.jpg	2010-BostonGranaryCemetary.jpg
This Granary Cemetary was unusual. Grave stones were right up against the buildings, leaving no space in between. Did you know there really was a "Mother" Goose? She is buried right here and wrote those nursery rhymes we all love.
2101-BostonRevereGrave.jpg	2102-BostonMotherGooseGrave.jpg	2103-BostonVenusFranklinGrave.jpg	2104-BostonCheers.jpg
We had to see the place "where everybody knows your name", of course. Originally called the "Bull and Finch" pub. And I loved to stand in opposition! Nice history of how the donkey and the elephant came to be symbols of the political parties.
2105-BostonStanCheers.jpg	2106-BostonCheersInside.jpg	2107-BostonStanDonkey.jpg	2108-BostonDonkeyElephantSign.jpg
Boston labels thei landmarks like their streets. We had to ask someone where the site of the Boston Massacre was. JJ is standing on the circle of cobblestones in the middle of the street that marks the location.
2109-BostonOldSouthMeetingHouse.jpg	2201-BostonVenusJJStateHouse.jpg	2202-BostonJJMassacre.jpg	2203-BostonVenusJJSamAdams.jpg
We had to cross over a bridge that was entirely "see through" to the Charles River below. Venus doesn't like to walk on those grates, so she was in a quandary when we reached this bridge. Across it were the USS Constitution and Bunker Hill which she very much wanted to see. So she grabbed a hold of my shirt, kept her eyes straight ahead and said let's go and we started walking briskly until we reached the concrete portion of the sidewalk, safely across. She breathed a sigh, heavy sigh, of relief and we continued our sightseeing.
2204-BostonPaulReverHome.jpg	2205-BostonVenusJJRevereStatue.jpg	2206-BostonBunkerHillSign.jpg	2207-BostonUSSConstitution.jpg
Old Ironsides was one of the original 6 frigates commissioned by George Washington to defend US merchant ships in the Atlantic.
2208-BostonUSSConstitution.jpg	2209-BostonUSSConstitutionJJStan.jpg	2210-BostonUSSConstitutionJJ.jpg	2302-BostonUSSConstitutionJJ.jpg
The Battle of Bunker Hill was actually fought on Breed's Hill nearby. We found the chairs in the "T", Boston subway, to be very original.
2303-BostonBunkerHillMonument.jpg	2304-BostonBunkerHillMonument.jpg	2305-BostonJJVenusSubway.jpg