With lots to see and limited time to see it all, Erin and I were up and out of the hotel by 10:30. We first hit the New England Aquarium which did not disappoint. The setup is very unique, a huge round tank that you can walk around all the way to the top. From there you can look down on all the different species swimming around. Almost as if planned, once we hit the top Mertile, the giant sea turtle, surfaced for air in front of us after her 20 minute nap. Awesome. The aquarium also had an exhibit on jellyfish which blew my mind. How the heck are those things alive??
After the aquarium our plan was to take a water taxi to the USS Constitution and walk back to downtown as Boston is very accessible by foot. With our luck the water taxis were not running that day. We decided on the pricey guided trolley instead. We got off at the USS Constitution and boarded for a walk around. Erin tried to go below deck but was turned away by a sailor. Now she can say she was kicked out of the oldest battleship still afloat in the world.
From there we made our way onto the freedom trail which was the best way to make use of our 36 hours in BeanTown. This red brick and painted line guides tourists to several of Boston’s sights. Such a great idea. The trail took us to the Bunker hill memorial which we climbed the 297 steps for an amazing view of the city. This also presented an eye opener in how out of shape we are. Sad.
Down the hill and back on the trolley, this time for the fill circuit around Boston. This was a good way to get a guided tour and pass by sights like the Boston Massacre, Boston Tea Party, and Paul Reveers house. We came full circle and got off at the aquarium. From there we headed back to the parked as our 24 hour pass was about to expire. We braved Boston traffic and made our way to the second ritzy hotel we booked, this one right next to Boston Common. We dropped off our bags and were back on the freedom trail taking in the sights. We made our way through Boston Common, past the govt house and to the sight of the Boston Massacre. From there we passed various grave sights, most notably Samuel Adams, and then hit Faneuil Market. We could have spent a day touring its various outdoor shops. We stopped to take in some b-boy dancing before moving on. I’m pretty sure one of the guys was from Fat Albert.
Next was the Holocaust Memorial which really put the Holocaust into perspective. The memorial consists of 3 large glass columns, each filled from ground to sky with the ID numbers given to those murdered during the Holocaust.
Felling like we needed a pick me up and a lift of spirits, we headed to where everyone knows your name…sort of. Back through Boston Common and we found ourselves at the Bull and Finch which is famous for being the bar on the opening credits of the show “Cheers.” The inside is nothing like the show but non-the-less, thousands of people flock there every year to “Cheers” in Cheers.
After a pint of tasty Blueberry beer we headed back to the hotel and got ready for a nice seafood dinner.
Even with only a short 36 hours in BeanTown I decided I really liked Boston. This helped: