The Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail was the other "Must See/Do" on the list. The bus tour didn't quite drive by all of the 17 stops. Some of the sites are in areas that are designated as "pedestrian only" so you had to get off the bus and walk, which was okay when the sun was shining, but not so appealing in the rain. I really wanted to get to all 17 stops. We had the map that was provided by the trolley company but it didn't show that much street detail so I had great difficulty following it. (That means anything I found was by dumb luck.)

Faneuil Hall

Our first stop was Faneuil Hall (which is something like stop 12 on the map). Okay, it still looks new and there is a shiny brass grasshopper weather vane on top that I thought was a cricket. Full of shops and eateries, as is the adjacent Quincy Market which apparently has more visitors every year than Disney. I wasn't overcome with a deep sense of history. (Well maybe some TV history when we went to the replica of the Cheers set which is a pub/eatery in Quincy Market.)

Quincy Market

The Old State House

So we set off in search of history. We were able to find the Old State House and the site of the Boston Massacre, which are stops 10 and 11. It's not important to visit the sites in order. But then I had no idea where stop 9, the Old South Meeting House, was. There were a few "walking" tour guides, dressed up in colonial attire, leading small groups of tourists. I was tempted to follow them, or maybe ask to join the group - but they were going the wrong way. I'm much better at following a map in the car. Trying to follow the map on foot (especially when most of the streets shown on the map were unidentified) just proved too much for this old git and tart.  In most European cities, you'll find directional pointers on most street corners for major points of interest. You would think that something as important as "The Freedom Trail" would be clearly marked.

(A quick digression - the architect of the Old State House was Charles Bulfinch, who also designed a number of buildings around Boston. But the original pub that inspired the TV series "Cheers" is really named the Bull and Finch. Coincidence? I think not - just one of those useless trivial facts that I find so interesting.) 

But back to the Freedom Trail. Bottom line - we found some places just wandering around. (What is it they say about a blind hog and an acorn?) But then on Friday (our last day in Boston) the trolley driver mentioned that the Freedom Trail is marked in red and brick. Good heavens! This is like the yellow brick road! Why didn't someone tell us sooner? I'd been looking everywhere except down.  I'd read that it was about a two and a half to three hour walk. It probably is unless you're wandering around aimlessly. But it was easy to follow the red bricks in the sidewalk.

But on Friday the weather was a bit unreliable. We were able to get to many of the remaining stops before the rain defeated us. We managed to see Boston Common from the trolley. It's not unlike the commons that many villages in England have. Except now instead of grazing their livestock, people play with dogs or sit on benches enjoying the park-like atmosphere. We went to two of the three burying grounds. (Really, unless you're looking for a particular headstone, they do look much the same.) But I found the engraving on them to be quite unique. I've never seen anything like it anywhere else.

One if by land, two if by sea...

We went inside several of the churches. The Old North Church is the most historically significant because it's where the lanterns were hung to let people know that the regulars were headed to Lexington and Concord by boat. It was striking how different these old churches are from old churches in Europe.  But then these were built by Puritans, and they were an odd (and mean) bunch.  Imagine sitting in one of those boxes! You had to buy the pew (although some were reserved in the back and in the balcony for people who couldn't afford to buy one. And the prime real estate was up front. I suppose it was more about "seeing and being seen".

It was interesting to learn that the "hill" part of Bunker Hill (and yes, everyone knows that the real battle took place nearby on Breed's Hill) had been removed to fill in areas within the city that had once been under water. 

I think our favorite stop along the Freedom Trail was the USS Constitution. Since it is still a commissioned US Navy ship, the Navy offers tours that are free to the public. High security - but understandable.  It would be fabulous to be in Boston on July 4th when they take her out and sail her. I suspect that is a truly magnificent site.

The guns from outside

Highly polished brass

The guns from inside