Apologies for the delay in the blog posts. Things got busy, time slipped away, and I got tired!
After all, time flies when you’re having fun!
Sunday June, 28
Well, another day, another adventure! Today, we were walking the Boston Freedom Trail back through time.
We woke up, got ready, and headed out about 8:30 toward Boston’s city center.
Once we got there and found some parking for a halfway decent price, it was close to 10:00. We were all hungry, so we headed to McDonald’s for a quick breakfast sandwich before getting moving. On the way, we strolled through Boston Common, the oldest public park in the United States, which was established in 1634. It’s home to the famous Brewer Fountain. This site was where colonial militias mustered, and the British set up camp for a time during their occupation of Boston. Crazy!
Then, at 11:00, we were finally ready to get moving. Our first stop was the Visitors Center for some helpful information and souvenirs. It was definitely too small for the amount of people they see in a day, but they were very helpful and had a great selection!
The first stop on the trail was the historic Park Street Church. It was established in 1809 by 26 people. It actually earned the nickname “Brimstone Corner” because it housed gunpowder in its basement during the War of 1812. How ’bout that for a church building!
We were lucky enough to see an actual church service in the building. They had an outstanding traditional choir that sounded beautiful. It was actually the serving pastor’s last Sunday before moving to Pennsylvania.
Don’t fall out when I say this: I’m very ashamed to say it took me a minute to figure out the hymn book, and I might have closed my eyes a time or two. Look, I’m just being honest here. I think we’ve all been there at some point… Well, most of you probably know how to read a hymn book. I guess I’m just special. I figured you just read it like a book. I was wrong. You live and you learn.
Anyways, after church we headed to the first graveyard. Yes, it sounds boring, but this one was called Granary Burying Ground. Under the shade of huge trees lay the tombstones of early American patriots and thinkers such as John Hancock. Benjamin Franklin’s family is also buried there.
By this time, it was about 12:00, and we had seen like 3 of the 19 sites.
We walked down to King’s Chapel and Burying Ground, which was closed and had pride flags outside, so we continued on. This was New England’s first Anglican church.
Then we saw the classic Benjamin Franklin statue and the site of the former Latin School. This was the first school that would allow girls to attend Latin classes. Many of the significant monuments had cones on their heads thanks to the Scottish World Cup fans. It’s apparently a decades-old prank originating from Glasgow, where locals have topped the Duke of Wellington statue with a cone since the 1980s.
From there we headed further along to the Old Corner Bookstore, which is Boston’s oldest commercial building and was home to the 19th-century publishing giant Ticknor and Fields, publisher of famous literary works such as Thoreau’s Walden, Longfellow’s Paul Revere’s Ride, and Hawthorne’s The Scarlet Letter. Now, it houses a Chipotle.
We stopped by the Old South Meeting House and decided since you had to have extra tickets, we would move on. We ended up coming the next day.
On the way to the Old State House, we stopped by Commonwealth Books, a store selling old books and historic prints. I thought it was neat to look through the old maps.
We also stopped in Tatte Bakery & Café for a quick pick-me-up and pastry. They had good coffee and outstanding pastries! I got a coffee and the raspberry cheesecake cup.
The Old State House was hands down my favorite stop on the Freedom Trail. As the oldest surviving public building in Boston, it features two or three floors of exhibits to explore, a gift shop, and gives you a replicated look at what their meetings would’ve looked like. There were countless neat artifacts in the exhibit, even one on the Liberty Tree!
The best part was seeing the balcony where the Declaration of Independence was first read in Boston.
Right below it was the Boston Massacre site. Talk about history coming to life!
Our last stop before lunch was Faneuil Hall (still don’t know how to pronounce that). This hall played a vital role in the Revolution, hosting America’s first town hall meeting. It’s known as the “Home of Free Speech” and the “Cradle of Liberty.”
The inside had several levels. The bulk of it was made up of vendors selling souvenirs and handmade goods.
However, the top floor was where the real history lay. This was the room that heard countless arguments and civil discourse over some of the ideas that shaped our nation as we know it today. It looked beautiful too!
Directly behind that building was the famous Quincy Market. It was time for some lunch! Talk about a lot of hungry people! There were hundreds of people perusing the line of food vendors, deciding what to eat for lunch. There was everything from BBQ and Asian food to Greek, lobster rolls, sandwiches, and ice cream. You name it, it was there.
We got our lunches and met in the center of the market to eat. I ended up with a Greek gyro, Anna had pasta, my dad had a lobster salad roll, my mom had clam chowder with a lobster roll, and it all tasted great!
After lunch, it was time to keep trucking along. The trail took us through the North End (it’s kind of like NYC’s Little Italy). We decided we would definitely be back for dinner later!
After a few minutes, we reached the Paul Revere House. This was the very place where Revere resided along with his family and 14 children. One thing I found interesting was how they used the master bedroom as a space to entertain guests because it had the nicest furniture. They didn’t allow photos, but I’m sure you could find some good ones on google if you’re interested.
From there, we continued along the trail, stopping for a picture of the Old North Church, Boston’s oldest church. This was the starting point of Paul Revere’s midnight ride on April 18, 1775. Revere instructed church sexton Robert Newman and vestryman John Pulling Jr. to hang two lanterns in the steeple to secretly signal to Charlestown Patriots that British troops were crossing the Charles River by boat. One if by land, two if by sea.
We also stopped by Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, but it was closed. Copp’s Hill is the final resting place of merchants, artisans, and craftspeople who lived in the North End.
We crossed Boston Harbor on the way to our last two Freedom Trail sites. It was definitely hot, and our feet hurt, but there were great views!
We saw Bunker Hill from afar and decided that was good enough. It kind of looks like the Washington Monument.
At last, we had reached the end of the Freedom Trail. It was time to end it with a bang at the USS Constitution, or “Old Ironsides.” She earned this nickname during the War of 1812 when she fought the British frigate HMS Guerriere, withstanding cannon fire. It’s the world’s oldest commissioned warship still afloat and capable of movement under its own power. It was launched in 1797.
I was blown away by the size and durability of the ship itself. We also got to go down into the living quarters. It definitely wasn’t glamorous. They slept in canvas hammocks. The doorways were like 5’4″ because people back then were only about two inches taller than me.
Once we left the ship, we had 30 minutes left in the museum, so there wasn’t really time to see everything, but it looked very interesting.
We raced over to catch the last ferry back to the North End of Boston. It was the perfect time for a quick cruise. Golden hour on the water never gets old!
Once we reached the harbor, it was time to find some good Italian food in Boston’s Little Italy district. After walking past one restaurant after another, we landed on Giacomo’s. While the restaurant was definitely cozy, it just made the atmosphere feel more authentic. As we waited for our food, we watched the people pass by on the sidewalk and the kitchen hastily prepare the meals.
I had the lobster ravioli, and it was delicious! All of our food was good, but I think mine was the best.
After dinner, we (mainly Anna and I) wanted a sweet treat. We were going to go to a place called Mike’s Pastry, but the line was down the block. It’s well-known for its creamy cannolis.
So, we walked to a place that had gelato, but on the inside there was a little bakery selling a whopping 33 flavors of tiramisu. So, my dad and I got tiramisu while Anna and my mom got gelato. Once we had enjoyed our dessert, we called an Uber because none of us wanted to walk the 30 minutes or whatever it was back to the car.
Once we loaded up, we decided to take a scenic drive through Cambridge and Harvard University. Big news, everyone: I’m shipping up to Boston and transferring to Harvard. Just kidding, I think UA is more my speed… and budget.
Jokes aside, the campus was absolutely beautiful. Some of the architecture was so ornate, it was hard to believe someone built that. What really gets me is their dining hall… If you just round up a little, the UA Student Center is basically the same.
We tried to go in, but it was closed. Just take a look at this picture. It’s called Annenberg Hall.
The best part may have been their downtown or, as I know it, the Strip. You could dine at a five-star restaurant and check your investments all in one evening out. How about that for convenience!? Sounds like a wild night to me. Who needs Galettes when you have Charles Schwab, right?
We made it back to our Airbnb, where we did some laundry, I blogged, and we packed up to head out the next morning.
17,000 steps and 6.93 miles later, we had seen the famous Boston Freedom Trail. My favorite place we saw was definitely the Old State House, followed by the USS Constitution as a close second. To see where the Declaration of Independence was first read and stand in what was the epicenter of the colonial government was surreal, to say the least. Some of the most important chapters in our nation’s history were written in that building.
How cool to see what we’ve seen on America’s 250th birthday. What a testament to the early movers, shapers, and thinkers of our nation. Walking in their footsteps gives you another level of respect for each of those individuals.
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