We decided to start in Boston Common, where the state house (state capital) is located. I personally think the Massachusetts capital building is one of the more beautiful state capitals in the nation. I’ve seen a few in person-- West Virginia, Michigan, Oklahoma, Virginia, and our Nation’s in D.C., but I like the one in Boston the best. Ironically, we encountered a family with a Flat Sydney (Stan’s female counterpart, I’m assuming) across from the capital. Either Mary or Natyra took a picture with my camera, but since the camera is in bad shape, the picture didn’t turn out at all. I was sad, but at least there is the memory. Sydney, like Stan, was also from Kentucky! Very cool. We took a picture with Flat by the Robert Gould Shaw memorial (he led the 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry, which consisted of the first regiment of African-American troops, in the Civil War) and then of course, by the capital.
The Freedom Trail was the chosen path of Flat Stanley on Saturday. This trail, which connects historical sites in Boston (mostly during the Revolutionary era), goes from the Boston Common to the Bunker Hill Monument in Charlestown. It is literally a painted red line that runs through part of the city, really. There are a few cemeteries on the trail (our next stop), but I didn’t take any pictures of Flat and any of the gravestones because I felt this was somewhat disrespectful. However, I did take a few pictures of the headstones themselves. Mary has a fervent interest in old cemeteries and headstones and educated Natyra and me on some of the history of the graveyards and headstones, as well as pointing out the exquisite carvings on the stones. There are many famous people buried in the Granary Burying Ground, next to the Park Street Church, including Benjamin Franklin’s parents, Paul Revere, Samuel Adams (known for more than just beer), John Hancock, and Crispus Attucks (an African-American killed during the Boston Massacre).
Flat had the chance to take a photograph on the memorial site of the Boston Massacre. The place is marked by a small star in the middle of a busy intersection in the city, near the old State House. Then, our crew walked over to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market and took a few pictures of Flat outside. Faneuil Hall has a great meeting room, which has played a significant role in Boston’s history, and Quincy Market is filled with delicious food vendors in an international bazaar setting.
We walked to Boston Harbor and took a few pictures. This is across the bay from Boston’s Logan airport, which is an interesting airport to depart. From there, we walked to the historic North End, which is a lot like Little Italy in New York City. There are a few historical sites in this area, including Paul Revere’s home, the Old North Church (where a tourist exclaimed, “This is where National Treasure was filmed!,” because obviously, that was the most important thing that happened there, for sure), and Copp’s Burying Ground. Flat’s stomach was grumbling, and so were ours, so we took a lunch break at a café in the North End. Mary had pasta, Natyra had eggplant, and I had very fattening but yummy fried calamari.
We then took a walk over to Charlestown, which is across the Charles River from the North End and Boston. First, we went to Bunker Hill, the site of the Bunker Hill monument, an obelisk to commemorate one of the first battles of the Revolutionary War in America (the first were in Concord and Lexington in April, 1775). This battle was fought in June, 1775. Anyway, it was a battle in itself going up the 294 steps of the monument. However, the view of the city from atop the obelisk was breathtaking! My legs hurt for a few days afterwards, but it was well worth it to see that view of Boston. We kept moving though to the U.S.S. Constitution, a ship built in 1797, used for battle and still working today, also referred to as “Old Ironsides,” but actually, the ship is made out of wood. We weren’t able to go aboard the ship, but we did visit the U.S.S. Constitution Museum and gift shop. My grandparents visited the Freedom Trail a long time ago, and my grandfather always commented to me about wanting a hat, so I got him a baseball cap. I also bought a few postcards (as always), a magnet for the fridge collection, and a miniature cross-stitch sampler kit for my mom. Walt, Mom, and I tried to get to Bunker Hill in the fall of 2006, but we ended up getting lost in Charlestown (we did not follow the Red Line) and ended up at one of the Orange Line stations instead.
After our day on the Freedom Trail, we went back to the North End for some delightful goodies at Mike’s Pastry shop. All the food looked beautiful, and I decided on a piece of ricotta pie, a brownie, and tiramisu to bring home. Mary and Natyra bought cannolis and Boston cream pie. Mike’s is good for the soul, bad for diet.
Needless to say, it was an early night for me as everyone was tired from walking. Boston is a great city for walking and first-time tourists should always visit the Freedom Trail for a glimpse at one of the greatest periods of this country’s history. Flat Stanley had an exceptionally grand time!
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