Enjoying Boston Basics with the Boy

Enjoying Boston basics with the boy wonder wasn’t hard at all. Boston inspired us with history, art and food. These are the 3 things that Noah and I always agree on when traveling. We visited for 4 days before we headed to Israel, yet there was so much more time needed to take all of it in. Although, had I eaten anymore food, I wouldn’t fit in any of my clothes. Nor, did I consider that it would still be that hot, that far north by the end of August, but it’s probably good that it was. Because Israel was only hotter.

 

This was one of the last of the 4 main historical cities in America that I still wanted to see. I’ve checked off Washington DC, New York City, NY, and Philadelphia, PA over the past 3 years. It was only fitting to make sure that I made it to Boston, MA. Noah was with me on each of these trips too. Below he is actually making a guest ghost appearance in some of these paragraphs, because his steel trap of a human computer of gray matter can remember more than mine.

Enjoying Boston Basics in History!

The stories wrapped all around The Freedom Trail. Stories of espionage, murder, treason and so much more are draped all through the town, in and out of churches. Wild tales of how our country became all that the founding fathers set forth for it to become. 

The Freedom Trail.

 

Make sure you have your walking shoes and a map before you tackle this. The Freedom Trail takes you through downtown Boston to 16 different sites which all played some role during the Revolutionary War (that’s where its name comes from). We didn’t even make it to all of them. Some sites are more interesting than others depending on your tastes. My two favorites, however, would be the USS Constitution and the Old North Church. The USS Constitution “Old Ironsides” is the oldest ship commissioned into the US Navy that is still floating, and it is absolutely beautiful.

 

Old North Church held my attention more than many of the other spots. 300 years of stories. It is famous for the two lanterns that hung in the steeple on April 18, 1775 and launching the American Revolution. The bells still have a crew of bell-ringers. It is a volunteer position, but it takes practice and training. They sound amazing. You must check out the creepy crypt that holds over 1,100 buried bodies.

 

Here are a few other sights that were along the Freedom Trail. Bunker Hill… to get there was a real commitment by the end of one of our days. The Paul Revere bronze statue is legendary. Paul Revere purchased this house in 1770. It is the home, in which he made his famous historic ride from on April 18-19, 1775. 

 

Enjoying Bostons Basics Art:

Museums and Cemeteries.

 

Forest Hills Cemetery

This was by far one of the cooler places that we went to. Forest Hills Cemetery is absolutely massive. This is one of the places you want to go if you want to see astonishing works of art, whether it is the wide variety of headstones, mausoleums, or just the sculptures that are scattered throughout the cemetery. It is also a very historical place with graves dating back to the 17th-18th centuries, but there are also quite a few newer ones as well.

Even if you aren’t a big cemetery person this is still a place you should try to visit while in Boston just because it is a very calm and relaxing place to go for an afternoon stroll. The gardens and grounds are kept immaculately. The ponds and paths provide a peaceful serene feel, as well as, a challenge to the regular exercisers who we saw running and biking around.

Copp’s Hill Burying Ground.

Copp’s Hill is actually part of the Freedom Trail but it hit our antique art chart, too. Talk about an old cemetery… Wow! Yep, wouldn’t want to be in either of these very late at night, just saying… I’ll let the picture’s tell ya all about it. 

Boston Institute of Contemporary Art.

The ICA was very interesting, to say the least. I now know why I’m not paid the really big bucks for things I make and create. I work way too hard for them to actually look like something, no seriously, we stared at some of these things just trying to figure them out. Needless to say we are better suited at the Met! The nice deck area where the live music was, that looked out at the harbor was delightful, though. The best art that we took in truly was in the Forest Hill Cemetery. I do highly suggest it as a point of interest. 

Enjoying Boston Basics Food.

Saving or should I say savoring the best for last…. LOL

The food was one of the best parts about Boston. We were able to go to some fantastic restaurants while we visited. Two of the places we ate at, you just must go if you are traveling to Boston. The first place is called Modern Pastry, and they have a fantastic selection of any kind of sweets you can think of, but the cannoli’s were to die for.

 

The other place that is a must-go would be Boston Sail Loft for the clam chowder. I’m not much of a clam chowder type of person, but I’ve gotta say that it was the best chowder that I have ever eaten. You won’t regret putting these two places on your list.

There were a couple of good eats just up from our AirBnB, the Savin Hill, Dorchester area, which are worthy mentions: Savin Bar+Kitchen = Amazing French Onion Soup, Honeycomb Cafe for the coffee or sandwiches, McKenna’s Cafe and had a terrific breakfast with a 45-minute wait for Sunday brunch. 

Boston basics for travel side of things.

The airport was very user-friendly. Only 5 terminals that all connected easily for our connecting to and from the international part of our flight. When we arrived, baggage claim was very doable to get to the App pick up area, without much hassle. Traffic is heavier than I thought it would be, not sure why I expected it to be light considering the size of the city. I think Lyft was around $30 to get to our AirBnB. Our AirBnb was comfortable, clean, and very convenient for the metro.

The metro was our choice of transportation for the 4 days. Tickets for 7 days was $21, and it worked for the buses, too. We could have taken it to and from the airport, which would have saved us around $60 for the trip, but we had luggage for the 26 days in Israel. I was NOT hauling all of that on a train. Let me jump back to the AirBnB for a sec. I would not recommend the one we stayed at for a female traveling solo, especially if you might be out after dark. We never felt unsafe, but were told the neighborhood wasn’t what it used to be. Only one block away were all of these great restaurants and public places, so we were fine with our choice. 

Was it worth it?

Was it worth the arriving ahead of time for a month trip overseas? Heck yeah, the food alone deems it worthy. Would I ever go back? In a minute. I can’t say it would out rank some other places, but if we ever get the opportunity I would definitely visit again. Just make sure you have elastic waistbands and great walking shoes! 

 

 

Traveling makes my Rhapsodyville life so fine! Pack a bag, book a trip, and make a memory!

~ Trina