Boston, part deux.

Thursday: We drove to Cambridge ( I don't recommend driving in Boston, FYI), and walked around the Harvard campus awhile. We mostly stuck to the oldest parts; we saw the statue of John Harvard and figured out its three lies, got Cub a Harvard shirt, and ate a little pastry at Au bon pain at Harvard Square. From there we drove to Lexington and Concord, where the first official actions of the Revolutionary War took place. Sights include Buckman Tavern, where Samuel Adams and John Hancock were staying when Paul Revere made his ride to warn them about the British, and the Old North Bridge, where the "shot heard around the world" was fired. I love early American history, so it was really cool to actually be there. We also saw the Old Manse, where Emerson lived and wrote. We stopped at Thoreau's Walden Pond on the way out--it was really peaceful. We didn't get the chance to walk around much because it was pouring rain, but I still got some good pictures. Oh, on the way to Lex/Con we saw the Boston temple. Built on a hill, like its brothers.


The statue of John Harvard. With a child, apparently.


JD class of 2013?


A quote on one of the campus buildings. Psalms, I think.


Boston Temple.


Buckman Tavern.




I can't remember the name of this house, but it was the only house that Nathaniel Hawthorne ever owned, and Louisa May Alcott (Little Women) lived here.


The Old North Bridge.


Walden Pond.




Friday: We did absolutely nothing. Seriously. Today was the last day of my mom's CPM exam, so we waited until she was done and then went to dinner and a movie. She needed to relax. :)

Saturday: Our last day in Boston we walked the Freedom Trail from Boston Common to the North End (Old North Church). It wasn't that long of a walk, about 2.5 miles winding through the city. The Trail marks all the old important places of the Revolutionary War, such as Paul Revere's house, old meeting halls, the Old North Church (of "One if by land, two if by sea" fame), and so on. We also made it over to Charlestown and checked out Bunker Hill and the Navy yard where Old Ironsides is. It was a good day of history and seeing old parts of Boston.


Massachusetts Hall.


The Old Burying Ground. Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and other revolutionary leaders are buried here.


A statue of Paul Revere outside the Old North Church.


The church itself.

All in all, it was a good trip. I love the east coast and it's always a joy to go back.

Boston.

I'm in the least bloggy mood of all time today, but I finally have an hour to spare so I thought I'd share a little of my trip to Boston. Love that city, no joke. Here is what we did each day (this blog is going to be more picture-y rather than prose-y, sorry):

Sunday: Flew into Boston/Logan International around 8 p.m., mom picked us up (she was on business and flew ahead of us), got to our hotel, crashed into bed.

Monday: My favorite day of all! Derek, dad, and I drove to Salem in the morning. It's only about 20 minutes north of Boston. This is the place of the notorious 17th-century witch trials. It also has importance to the literary minded as the inspiration of many of Nathaniel Hawthorne's (one of my faves) works.

My new pirate friend from Salem.

Dad checking out the creepy old hanging tree. The "witches" weren't burned, but hanged.

Touristy but still informational.

This house was built by one of the first Puritan settlers in 1630-ish.

Old Salem Graveyard.

The house that inspired Hawthorne's book of the same name.

Cool colonial home.

After Salem we drove further north to Ipswich. This place to me is the real New England, and I can't wait to make a return visit in the fall. We ate lunch at the Clam Box, which was really delicious. I had the fried clam mini plate--you'd never know it was the mini by how huge it actually is. Totally non-greasy and the freshest seafood ever. Ipswich is OLD--the oldest house was built in 1633. The amazing thing to me is that people still live in these houses. Talk about history.


My fried clam lunch.

The Clam Box.

A view of Boston from one of the bridges.

Tuesday: After breakfast we took a shuttle to the "T" station and rode into the city. We walked down Beacon Hill, which is the oldest (not counting the North End) and richest part of Boston, and ended up at the Public Garden, where the famous swan boats are. The park was really nice and relatively transient free.


Swan boat at the Public Garden.

From the park we walked a short distance to Copley Square, which is probably my second-favorite place of the trip. The place has Trinity Church, Boston Public Library (which strongly resembles a mini version of the Library of Congress), a farmer's market, and more. Luckily we went on a nice day and could wander around at our leisure.


Dad and Derek looking up our family name in the social science reading room of the library.

From Copley we got back on the T and went two stops west to Kenmore, where Fenway Park is. It's also near Boston University. (Wishful-yet-hinting cough.) The game wasn't to start until 7:00, but my dad is one of those types that likes to arrive at a game fourteen hours before, to "check everything out." Haha...he was cute though. We took a tour of the park, which was awesome because of all that history involved. It's the oldest working baseball park in the US, built in 1912. Love me some Red Sox. We got to sit on top of the Green Monster for a while, then down in the original wood bleacher seats.


Looking towards home plate from the Green Monster.

The game begins!

We ate so much that day. I don't even want to think about it.

Wednesday: Since the weather was supposed to be in the 90s, we decided to make this day our Cape Cod excursion. Derek, dad, and I set out first for Plymouth, the site of Plymouth Rock, Mayflower II, and Plymouth Plantation. Thanks, pilgrims! At the plantation I bought this awesome hand-sketched recipe book filled with local recipes and flavors. I've yet to use it, but there's a clam chowder recipe in there that's just dying to be made. Not to mention the double blueberry pie.


Cute Derek trying to wake up.

Me and Bud at Plimoth Plantation. (Weird spelling is theirs, not mine.)

I couldn't resist taking a picture of this house, which is for sale. In my mind I've already bought it and live in it.

Beautiful Cape Cod.

Mayflower II.

From Plymouth, we drove 60 miles further east/northeast to the very tip of Cape Cod, called Provincetown. Look at map of Massachusetts sometime, and look at Cape Cod. We stood on the very end of that hook! It was such a beautiful day, and we were lucky to get there at early evening.


Derek's crabby friend.





Ok, that's all I have time for right now, but I'll put up the next three days of the trip later. Loves.