Bradshaws Take Boston! (cont.)
Day 3
We started the morning by picking up breakfast at South End Buttery, which was a couple of blocks from our apartment. They had baked goods, little quiches, avocado toast, and other deliciousness, and we returned there for breakfast a few times during our stay in Boston.
With the tank filled, it was off to Old South Meeting House. This building was both a church and a place for town hall gatherings. Just before the Boston Tea Party, roughly 5,000 people packed into this small space to hash out a peaceful response to the Crown's continuing insistence to tax colonists with no Parliamentary representation. For a small entrance fee, you gain access to the inside, where they have cool exhibits and an interactive audio app that takes you through the experience.
Afterwards, we started our march down towards the harbor, just as the patriots would have done on the fateful night of the Boston Tea Party. When we got there, we started with lunch at Abigail's Tea Room. In this charming waterside cafe, we sampled the five historic teas the colonists threw overboard during the Boston Tea Party. (Some of them were quite good!) We also had our fill of scones, soup, and sandwiches. (Birthing a nation is hungry work!)
Sated, it was time to visit the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum, which was one of our favorite attractions of the trip! The interactive, theatrical experience takes you inside the Boston Tea Party. You're given a colonist's identity, and costumed interpreters take you through a reenactment of the Old South Meeting House gathering, onto the ship (where you throw "tea" overboard), and onto the docks. The whole time, you're learning about what motivated the colonists and the delicate balance they were trying to strike. Then, it's inside for exhibits (including one of the original tea chests from that night) and some films.
We all really loved this place. The interaction, the way they make history come alive, the tea room itself. A great, immersive way to learn. So much fun!
We'd originally planned to stroll the Rose Kennedy Greenway afterwards, but the weather was chilly, and the wind was picking up. Instead, we decided to check out Faneuil Hall, and the touristy marketplace. The hall itself was absolutely wonderful (not necessarily the shops on the lower floor, but the meeting space above). What completely made it was the National Park Service guide who gave the free group tour. He was so passionate and well-spoken, and he had such obvious love for the history of the building, Boston, and our country, that our group gave him a standing ovation. Just brilliant. I don't know what we're paying these NPS folks, but it isn't enough.
After such rousing commentary, off we went to check out the marketplace there and at Quincy. We stumbled across a truly talented escape artist, then did some souvenir shopping. So many fun little items! We ended our day here by picking up dinner to go. Some grilled meats and veggies, some pizza, some sweets. We took it all back to the apartment and tucked in there, then put our feet up!
Day 4
After a quick breakfast at the apartment, we set our sights on the Paul Revere House. The figure of Revere looms large in Boston. You see his silver work and hear his name everywhere. So we decided to go to the source and see where he lived. After buying a (pretty cheap) ticket, you can snoop through this property, which is the oldest building in downtown Boston. This is the small wooden home Revere left on the evening of his midnight ride.
You can also see some of his personal possessions and some of the items he made at the Revere House. It's a quick, informative stop, and I recommend it.
Afterwards, the plan was to walk through the green space where the Revere statue is situated to get to Old North Church. Unfortunately, this little park was under complete renovation during our visit. (Think dirt work and heavy machinery. The whole park was roped off.) So though we got a glimpse of the Revere statue, we had to content ourselves with routing around it.
Our next stop was Old North Church, a location I found particularly meaningful. This is the church where signal lights were hung the night of Revere's ride to give colonists a clue about the movements of British troops. We toured the church (I sat in the Revere pew, of course.), took in the courtyard and grounds, and visited Captain Jackson's Historic Chocolate Shop. In the chocolate shop, we tasted samples and had a lovely interaction with an interpreter dressed as Longfellow's son. He discussed Longfellow's "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" poem and Longfellow's life as a Boston poet and scholar.
By this time, we were ready for some lunch. We pointed our feet to the water for some seafood. (Along the way, we stopped at a really nice open-air park where there was a veterans memorial. It was lovely and peaceful, and we spent some time relaxing on the stone benches there and looking up at the sky through the leaves.)
We eventually ended up at Pier 6. I had a HUGE, delicious butter lobster roll as we dined outside, in the sunshine and sea air. The lobster roll was pricey, but I think there was a whole lobster's worth of meat in there. And I was delighted by the butter. No mayo or anything like that. Just wonderful melted butter. I'd never had a lobster roll like that before, and now I am most definitely a convert!) Beautiful food in a beautiful place.
Now nice and full, we headed for the U.S.S. Constitution, also known as "Old Ironsides." The ship is America's oldest commissioned warship still afloat, and it's managed by the navy. Entry is free, and visitors start their tour in the interpretive center. There, you can learn all about the naval history of the area. (Some of the cables and ropes and chains are massive. Really cool to see up close and learn how they are made!)
From there, you board the ship itself. Hubs and little man loved the cannons and the hammocks below deck. The rigging was also fascinating to try and follow close at hand. Once you're onboard, you practically have the run of the ship, though you do need to coordinate with other visitors to move on the ladders between decks. We spent nearly an hour poking around, then disembarked.
Next up was an attraction that was really close by - the Bunker Hill Monument. There are 294 steps up to the top of this 221-foot tall granite obelisk, and we were determined to climb every one of them! There's a visitors desk and some public restrooms at the bottom of the monument, but no water, so come prepared with a bottle of your own. Once we checked in, we were off, and we made it to the top in no time!
If the day is busy, it can get crowded at the summit, as there's very little room to maneuver up there. We took in the views from all sides, patted ourselves on the back, and then started the journey back down. Once we were back on the ground, we lolled in the surrounding park a bit, as it was a beautiful afternoon. The sun was beginning to set, and the shadows were long, even on the hill. We laid on the grass and listened to the birds.
But hunger will strike, as it tends to do. We were close to all the lovely Italian food in the North End, so we trotted by Bricco for an incandescent dinner.
Oh, my. The food here was so veryvery good. Clay and I had amazing pasta that they make in-house, and hubs had a fantastic steak. Glasses of wine and impeccable service made the whole experience that much more enjoyable. When we were finished, we decided that instead of getting dessert there, we'd stop by a bakery and pick up some cannolis to take back to the apartment. A quick visit to Modern Pastry, and we had a box full, which we consumed with relish later that evening.
We slept like logs this night! So much running around will wear a little family out!!
More to come . . .
 |
| Sipping tea in Boston . . . |
With the tank filled, it was off to Old South Meeting House. This building was both a church and a place for town hall gatherings. Just before the Boston Tea Party, roughly 5,000 people packed into this small space to hash out a peaceful response to the Crown's continuing insistence to tax colonists with no Parliamentary representation. For a small entrance fee, you gain access to the inside, where they have cool exhibits and an interactive audio app that takes you through the experience.
Afterwards, we started our march down towards the harbor, just as the patriots would have done on the fateful night of the Boston Tea Party. When we got there, we started with lunch at Abigail's Tea Room. In this charming waterside cafe, we sampled the five historic teas the colonists threw overboard during the Boston Tea Party. (Some of them were quite good!) We also had our fill of scones, soup, and sandwiches. (Birthing a nation is hungry work!)
 |
| I loved the hokey role-playing at the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum! |
We all really loved this place. The interaction, the way they make history come alive, the tea room itself. A great, immersive way to learn. So much fun!
We'd originally planned to stroll the Rose Kennedy Greenway afterwards, but the weather was chilly, and the wind was picking up. Instead, we decided to check out Faneuil Hall, and the touristy marketplace. The hall itself was absolutely wonderful (not necessarily the shops on the lower floor, but the meeting space above). What completely made it was the National Park Service guide who gave the free group tour. He was so passionate and well-spoken, and he had such obvious love for the history of the building, Boston, and our country, that our group gave him a standing ovation. Just brilliant. I don't know what we're paying these NPS folks, but it isn't enough.
 |
| I don't know what we pay National Park Service employees, but it's not enough. |
After such rousing commentary, off we went to check out the marketplace there and at Quincy. We stumbled across a truly talented escape artist, then did some souvenir shopping. So many fun little items! We ended our day here by picking up dinner to go. Some grilled meats and veggies, some pizza, some sweets. We took it all back to the apartment and tucked in there, then put our feet up!
Day 4
After a quick breakfast at the apartment, we set our sights on the Paul Revere House. The figure of Revere looms large in Boston. You see his silver work and hear his name everywhere. So we decided to go to the source and see where he lived. After buying a (pretty cheap) ticket, you can snoop through this property, which is the oldest building in downtown Boston. This is the small wooden home Revere left on the evening of his midnight ride.
You can also see some of his personal possessions and some of the items he made at the Revere House. It's a quick, informative stop, and I recommend it.
 |
| Revere statue and Old North Church steeple |
Our next stop was Old North Church, a location I found particularly meaningful. This is the church where signal lights were hung the night of Revere's ride to give colonists a clue about the movements of British troops. We toured the church (I sat in the Revere pew, of course.), took in the courtyard and grounds, and visited Captain Jackson's Historic Chocolate Shop. In the chocolate shop, we tasted samples and had a lovely interaction with an interpreter dressed as Longfellow's son. He discussed Longfellow's "Midnight Ride of Paul Revere" poem and Longfellow's life as a Boston poet and scholar.
 |
| Cannons at the U.S.S. Constitution |
We eventually ended up at Pier 6. I had a HUGE, delicious butter lobster roll as we dined outside, in the sunshine and sea air. The lobster roll was pricey, but I think there was a whole lobster's worth of meat in there. And I was delighted by the butter. No mayo or anything like that. Just wonderful melted butter. I'd never had a lobster roll like that before, and now I am most definitely a convert!) Beautiful food in a beautiful place.
 |
| We conquered the Bunker Hill Monument! |
From there, you board the ship itself. Hubs and little man loved the cannons and the hammocks below deck. The rigging was also fascinating to try and follow close at hand. Once you're onboard, you practically have the run of the ship, though you do need to coordinate with other visitors to move on the ladders between decks. We spent nearly an hour poking around, then disembarked.
Next up was an attraction that was really close by - the Bunker Hill Monument. There are 294 steps up to the top of this 221-foot tall granite obelisk, and we were determined to climb every one of them! There's a visitors desk and some public restrooms at the bottom of the monument, but no water, so come prepared with a bottle of your own. Once we checked in, we were off, and we made it to the top in no time!
 |
| Cannoli from Modern Pastry was EARNED! |
But hunger will strike, as it tends to do. We were close to all the lovely Italian food in the North End, so we trotted by Bricco for an incandescent dinner.
Oh, my. The food here was so veryvery good. Clay and I had amazing pasta that they make in-house, and hubs had a fantastic steak. Glasses of wine and impeccable service made the whole experience that much more enjoyable. When we were finished, we decided that instead of getting dessert there, we'd stop by a bakery and pick up some cannolis to take back to the apartment. A quick visit to Modern Pastry, and we had a box full, which we consumed with relish later that evening.
We slept like logs this night! So much running around will wear a little family out!!
More to come . . .
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