One of the best places to truly understand American Independence History is Boston. I was a solo traveller when I first visited Boston many years ago. I loved the fact that the City of Boston created a “Freedom Trail” that allows visitors to follow a path and visit many significant places in Boston easily. So, when I had an opportunity to take the kids recently, I did not blink once… it was a slam dunk decision.
Our Boston trip was part of the Explore USA mission we were on and we were able to dedicate two full days to exploring the city. Here is what we were able to accomplish in those two days:
Day 0 – Landed in Boston late in the evening and settled in
Day 1 – Old Town Trolley and a bit of exploring
We reached South Station and decided to take a sightseeing tour bus to get a feel of the city. We
picked the “Old Town Trolley” tour option as it went by many sights and had good Hop on/ Hop off options. During the tour, we got off at the Boston Common stop and grabbed lunch. Afterwards, we decided to follow the Freedom Trail on foot. Since we were in the Boston Common area (start of the trail), we decided to follow wholeheartedly. We stepped into the State House and what an amazing start. A tour had just started inside and we were allowed to join in. We had an opportunity to visit the chambers and take in the incredible art inside the State House.
We then followed the trail stopping at the all the markers along the way, reading and understanding history.… it was incredible! When we reached Quincy Market, the kids declared they were tired (especially the younger one), so we decided to call it a day.
Day 2 – The Duck Tour and rest of the Freedom Trail
My older one had read about the duck tour option and together, the kids really wanted to experience the splash towards the end of the tour. So even though it was a crazy decision, we splurged and bought the duck tour tickets also. Boy did they have fun! After the tour ended, we headed back to Quincy Market to continue our Freedom Trail walking tour. This time, we had lunch at Quincy Market and then continued on the walking tour all the way up to Bunker Hill.
At Bunker Hill, we were unable to go to the top due to the large number of school students that were there. Our luck ran out and the USS Constitution tour also had a glitch on that day so we just passed by it.
All was not lost however. We went to the Boston Tea Party Ships and Museum and spent the rest of the afternoon exploring and learning.
At the end of the day, we treated ourselves to the famous Boston cream pie at Omni Parker House before calling it a day.
Day 3 – Travel Day
Thoughts
. Boston is a beautiful, tourist friendly place. It does not matter if you are travelling solo or with family, there is something for everyone. For history buffs, it is heaven!
. We stayed in the suburbs and travelled into Boston each day. The only drawback with it was that we needed to stick to the train schedule. When I travelled solo, I stayed in the city and was able to explore the night life as well.
. There are many beautiful museums in Boston with amazing collections. I do regret not taking the kids to the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston which I had visited and enjoyed during my solo visit.
. Make sure you pay attention to the beautiful architecture and amazing historic street lamps that still work.
Wandering Tales Travel Dreams 