Essayist
Oliver Wendall Holmes once described Boston as the “hub of the solar system”,
and the Hub it is! This beautiful city on the bay is richly endowed with
landmarks of historical significance and unlimited cultural and entertainment
possibilities. It is a relatively compact city, and most of the major places of
interest are within walking distance of each other.
The
Freedom Trail (also known as the Red Line you see running along Boston's
sidewalks) winds through a path of 16 of the historically significant sites
associated with the beginnings of our Republic. The tour begins at the
meadowlands of Boston Common and ends at the harbor in Charlestown Navy Yard,
winding along the way for 2.5 miles through downtown Boston and the attractive
North End. Sites along the trail include Faneuil Hall, the Old North Church,
and Copp's Hill Burying Ground.
Upon
completing the trail, many pause to try the cannoli at Mike's Pastry on Hanover
Street in the North End. Be prepared to wait in line. This bakeshop is popular
with locals as well as tourists (including Bill Clinton!).
The
Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum and the Museum of Fine Arts house some of the
world's most famous works by such greats as Singer Sargent, Rembrandt, Vermeer
and Botticelli as well as a stunning three story garden atrium. Meanwhile,
Fenway Park, one of the most vaunted in baseball, is home to the no longer
cursed Red Sox, while football's Superbowl Champion Patriots reign supreme in
Foxboro.
Harvard
Square boasts bookstores, cafe chess players, street musicians and some of the
most eclectic shopping in Boston. Harvard Square is where you might sit down for
an afternoon with a cappucino and a thick novel, or where you might just walk
around and let the crowds entertain you. There's no shortage of sights in this
small, entertaining enclosed space.
Don’t miss
visiting Boston Public Garden and the swan boats; Newbury Street with its
boutiques and art galleries; the Italian North End with its old-world ambience;
Beacon Hill, with its gas lamps and Yankee Federal architecture, Louisburg
Square mansions and the gold-domed State House; and the South End, with its
Victorian row houses.
If it's
culinary excellence you desire, make a beeline for the fabulous French fare of
Radius. Or meander through the campus of the country's preeminent university,
Harvard, in Cambridge en route to celebrity chef Jody Adams's Rialto. For a
hometown specialty, dine on fresh chowder at Turner Fisheries, then head to the
Cask 'n' Flagon bar near Fenway for a cold pint and a chat with Boston's finest
feature: its people.
Boston is
a city of dreams and also a city alive and pulsing with energy. At all hours of
the night,
Faneuil
Hall and Harvard Square are well lit and filled with patrons of the many bars
and restaurants. There is dancing, a game of pool here and there, and lots of
music everywhere for every taste. Irish music, sounds of the Middle East,
alternative rock, jazz, salsa, and meringue to name a few.
“Take a
hike” in Boston can mean anything from a romantic stroll on The Charles River
Esplanade to a try at winning the Boston Marathon. Wherever your hike takes
you, there are incredible sights to see: Beacon Hill, with its old brick
sidewalks and Federal bow-front architecture; Cambridge's Brattle Street, which
runs from Harvard Square past stately Tory-era mansions; the Commonwealth Avenue
Mall from the Public Garden to Kenmore Square; and the walking paths through the
Arnold Arboretum.
Boston is
a favorite with families. There is the New England Aquarium with its huge,
two-story-high fish tank; the lowland gorillas at the Franklin Park Zoo; the
interactive exhibits of the Children's Museum; the displays, the giant-screen
Omni Theater, and the planetarium at the Museum of Science. Year round
activities include skiing, snowboarding, and ice skating. Spring and summer
bring white water rafting, mountain climbing, hang gliding, kayaking, surfing,
hiking, and windsurfing. Only a few miles outside Boston are some outstanding
seaside spots that are clean, beautiful, and accessible.
Whether
you are planning a vacation with the entire family, an intensive solo shopping
expedition, a journey into history with a grandchild, an “escape from stress
weekend for two”, or a myriad of other relaxing and enriching opportunities:
Boston is the place to go.
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