Day 11 - Boston, Massachusetts and The Freedom Trail

Today we tackled the city of Boston, and took to the Freedom Trail, a path that leads you through all the major historical buildings and sites throughout the city.  Originally, we thought we would take the train in, but decided we would like the flexibility to leave when we were ready. Plus, it was cheaper to park then to pay for everyone to ride the train.  We chose to start the trail at the North end, thinking it would be better to not drive through the city.

We arrived at the USS Constitution and the visitor center to start our day, looking forward to walking around the ship. Unfortunately, the ship was closed on Mondays for maintenance.  That was a bummer, but the museum was open, so we checked it out after we took some pictures and walked around.  The museum was fun, lots to see and do.  Little did we know it was probably the best part of the trail.  Maybe that's why it's at the end.

Bunker Hill Memorial

The trail is a mere 2.5 mile walk and after all the hiking and climbing the kids had been doing last week, we figured this would be a breeze.  Well, we didn't factor in the heat (around 90 degrees), the pavement making it seem even hotter and the excitement factor that old city architecture and burial grounds brings to children of all ages.  Maybe this wasn't a great idea after all!  I think if you asked the kids about the best part of the historical tour (excluding the USS Constitution Museum) they would tell you it was hearing a tour guide say, "this bar is the only place in the world where you can drink a cold Sam Adams while looking at a cold Sam Adams."  Maybe it was a vacation fail, but it didn't quite compare to what happened next.

Our plan was to have dinner at Cheers when we finished the trail.  It was just a short walk from Boston Commons.  The kids were hot and we thought it would be fun to get some appetizers and drinks before we headed back to the camper.  As we approached the restaurant, there was a crowd gathered, not a good sign.  We didn't want to wait.  Turns out a private party rented the place for the evening, so no Cheers for us.  It was a disappointment.  Boston kind of turned out to be a bust for everyone.

What did we learn?  Don't do Boston as a quick stop on a camping trip.  Boston is an awesome city, too much for a day visit (which we knew), and not good for camping (which we didn't know).  I'm looking forward to when we can come back and enjoy.

Andrew and Colin wearing Microsoft World Cup gear.  Freebies for  completing a survey.