Boston Day 4: Freedom Trail (Downtown Boston)

I allocated Monday to walking and exploring everything along Boston's walking trail, the Freedom Trail, which winds past many historic sights. I dressed as lightly as I could--it was a warm but still comfortable day--and got going at 11am, much later than I'd hoped. As I walked to the Harvard T stop to take the train to my starting point, I could smell the lack of California vehicle emission standards. (During most of the rest of my visit to Boston, this effect wasn't so noticeable.) I didn't photograph anything while walking through Harvard because I knew I'd be back to explore it properly.

I walked this route along the Freedom Trail, taking these pictures along the way. The rest of this blog post only mentions things not mentioned in photo captions. The captions have much more detail and involve observations more interesting than those mentioned here (that, implicitly, I didn't think worthy of a picture).

Once in Boston Common, the start of the trail, I grabbed a bagel from across the street at Finagle a Bagel. Boston Common is like every city's traditional green open space, though a bit smaller than average. I was surprised that I didn't see people engaging in athletic activities.

The Massachusetts State House, the next stop of the tour, was probably the highlight of the trail. Besides amazing architecture (see the pictures), it has many interesting museum exhibits.

Later on the trail, I passed a store with a sign "Old Money Wanted." I know what they mean, but the second meaning, not inappropriate for the northeast, is amusing.

As I walked, I noticed Boston has a reasonable number of people on the streets, similar in quantity to some towns I was in on Sunday. Admittedly, Boston has more cars on the road than those small towns, yet nowhere near as many as New York or San Francisco.

Around two or three pm, I found myself at Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market. Faneuil Hall, a historic building, is a tourist destination/trap, filled with stores selling kitsch. Quincy Market houses a large food court which surprised me by how decent everything looked. Surrounding Quincy Market are longer buildings with many stores. Despite the high prevalence of chain retailers, the area feels classy. In the market, I spotted Durgin Park, a place I mention because of its sign: "est. before you were born." I also spotted a replica of the Cheers bar. After scouting the food court, I bought lunch--I always planned to get lunch from the market, though my late start delayed my lunch substantially past lunchtime--and walked to a park to eat.

Eventually (see pictures for sights skipped in this narrative), the trail brought me through the North End, a predominately Italian district that my parents would like due to the atmosphere and lack of cars, then lead me across the bridge into Charleston. The pedestrian walkway on the bridge is a simple metal grating, allowing one to see water beneath one's feet.

The USS Constitution Museum in the Charleston Navy Yard is quite cool. Technically it's made for kids, but that just implies the writing is clear and easy to read. Exhibits included diplomacy and war with Tripoli (and the barbary war in general), the war of 1812, assorted other historical events, and the life of a sailor. One placard describes how the USS Constitution had, at one point, a figurehead of Andrew Jackson. It was illegally cut off under the cover of darkness and given to a friend of the person who cut it off. It then disappeared for 166 years, reappeared in France, and is now in the Museum of New York. What a story of provenance.

Also, I like museums with entry by donation. (Yes, I donated.)

At the end of the day, I walked back to Boston and took a train to Cambridge, where I shared some fairly respectable pizzas at Veggie Planet.