Here are my pictures from Boston. Since I moved, there’s barely been time to do much. When I do get a golden weekend, my plan is to now see the whole New England area. So here’s my first trip to Boston!
As always, my preference is to do a walking tour to get a lay of the land. I chose Guru Tours simply because it was a 2 hour walk and early in the morning.
Travel
You can travel to Boston using the mbTa and within Boston it’s called the T. That’s their subway. It’s fairly regular. You can get a Charlie card or a one time ticket. The subway is pretty clear. Maps everywhere, well, labelled. Hard to miss or go wrong.
Backbay
I started with Backbay because that’s where I got off the train. You have the Copley Place, a large mall and plaza in Backbay. Backbay has some beautiful streets. The Trinity church and Boston Public Library are along the way. We were told it costs $20000 if you want the Boston Public Library as a wedding venue. I would have loved to stop here but was in a rush to get to the tour.
Boston Public Garden
This garden is beautiful. It’s the park where Forrest Gump was shot where Robin Williams tells Matt Damon, “your move, chief!” The garden is filled with people working out, walking their pets, people on pics and dates, stretching and reading. I love the vibe here. The story, “Make Way for Ducklings” is set here and so there are ducklings sculptures were created by the city of Boston for children. Once a year, they do an actual reading where children come dressed up ducklings. It’s so cute!
Boston Common
The Boston Common has a memorial about the Founding of America. The Common is adjacent to the Boston Public Garden. It has more open space. It was where Pope John Paul gave his address on his way to Washington. It’s also the location for the Martin Luther memorial called “Embrace.”
Beacon Hill & Freedom Trail
Beacon Hill is an expensive neighborhood where Ann Whitney’s (sculptor and poet) home and where the first 13 American colonies were established. All the flora here is taken care of by the city of Boston. The cobblestoned street is one of the oldest in Boston.
The Freedom trail has multiple stops. From the gathering of the opposition to the British taxes to the first speech. The burial ground for Benjamin Franklin’s parents, Samuel Adams. On the way there’s the Omni hotel, where the Boston cream pie was created and where JFK proposed to Jackie Kennedy. There’s a memorial of the Irish immigrants and the dedication to the famine. In a way, it embodies the fact that America is made of immigrants. Right across is where the Boston Tea party meeting was held.
There’s also the former official British seat of Parliament with the lion and unicorn atop. Every year the Declaration of Independence is read from the balcony.
North End
The North End is where the Italian immigrants first headed. And there’s signs all over that this is an Italian neighborhood. Lots of bakeries and pastry shops only take cash here. The restaurants were full at lunch. You would have to wait a while. I wanted to eat here but there was not enough time to wait since I needed to catch my show next.
Sports
The TD garden arena is massive. Boston loves its sports. This is a city of champions! The Boston Red Sox, New England Patriots, Boston Bruins, Boston Celtics make their home here. There are lots of stores selling their memorabilia if you’re into it.
Charles Hayden Planetarium
I headed to the planetarium where I booked the afternoon show. There’s a host of them to choose from including one narrated by Dan Brown. So cool!
The planetarium is large. There’s a host of seating. There are also shows with music by Coldplay and Radiohead. I wished I had assigned more time. I honestly would need an entire day here. Maybe next time!
Cathedral of the Holy Cross
I finally ended the day with the evening mass at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross. It was also the feast of the Exaltation of the Cross. How awesome! I couldn’t see the main church as there was a wedding going on there.
Food
There’s plenty to eat. Italian food would have been good but I was rushing to my next stop. Boston has good Italian pizza and coffee. For seafood, the Seaport area is great but it was out of my way. By then I had already done 25000 steps. I was exhausted. Boston also has that European style outdoor patio seating. I chose to eat at Tatte’s a popular bakery and got coffee. After, all Boston is known for its coffee. I even got dessert to go!!!
I really did try to squeeze everything in one trip! I know I have to go back. I loved Boston’s vibe. It was obviously livelier than RI’s. I was told the city sleeps by 7 though. So NYC still has it beat!!! I had so much fun here! I would be glad to come back. However, there are other places to go to. Maine, Vermont and New Hampshire, here I come!!!