Do you want to drive a World War II amphibious assault vehicle? Or see the oldest commissioned ship afloat in the world? Or walk in the steps of Paul Revere and other great historical figures? If so, Boston is a great place to go for vacation.
By combining the past with the present, Boston achieves nostalgic atmosphere within the city. For example, amid high rise hotels and upscale businesses lies Colonial Era building such as Old North Church, Faneuil Hall, and Boston Harbor which launched the beginning of the Revolutionary War. All of these reside on the historic Freedom Trail. Be ready to walk a lot on the cobblestone streets. I suggest that you take a tour such as the Duck Boat Tour or a Trolley Tour (we did both) before setting out on the trail. A tour can give you perspective on the layout of the city, and a few laughs along the way from the experienced guides. As a kid you have the opportunity to drive the Duck Boat in the Charles River, if your guide is nice. This will take you around the city on the river and then on land. If you take the Old Town Trolley tour, it will take you through several parts of the Freedom Trail and up the hill to the harbor where the U.S.S. Constitution resides. Sometimes you can stop off and get back on the tour to save walking.
Also stationed at the Boston Navy Yard is the U.S.S. Cassin Young, DD-793 a Fletcher-class Destroyer, one of only four left afloat. It was part of the Fast Carrier Task Force on the Pacific front in WW II and was upgraded in the 1950s with more armaments. When you visit, you can board the destroyer and explore the crew cabins, the various stations, the bridge, and all sorts of weapons on the ship. Across from the Cassin Young stands the U.S.S. Constitution, a Revolutionary Era battleship. It is the oldest commission ship afloat in the world when it was launched for service in 1797. Active U.S. Navy personnel staff the ship with a crew of 55 although the original crew compliment was as high as 450 people. It earned the nickname, "Old Ironsides" when in the War of 1812, a British cannon seemed to bounce off of her sides since the hull is made of more than a foot thick oak. It was a tough ship at the time. It was saved from scrap in 1830 by Oliver Wendall Holmes' famous poem of the same name which turned the public against scrapping it. She stayed commissioned to this day where you can tour her lower decks and see how the sails and cannons and quarters would have looked over 200 years ago.
Sights on the Freedom Trail are places such as Old North Church, Faneuil Hall, the Old State House, the State Capitol, Paul Revere's Statue, King's Chapel, Boston Harbor, the Old South Meeting House, the Old Corner Bookstore, the Old Granary, Burying Ground, and the Bunker Hill Monument. The Old North Church was where they hung the lanterns to warn how the British were coming; 1 if by land, 2 if by sea, so there is a statue to Paul Revere there on a horse, even though he wasn't the only rider, or even the one who completed the journey, but he did organize a lot. The Faneuil Hall Market area includes the Old State House and State Capitol where the patriots planned the Boston Tea Party and public meetings were important there. King's Chapel and others were places of architectural significance and places of meeting. The Paul Revere house is a tour that shows where he and his family lived and worked, and it has gas lanterns that are originally from the time period to see. The climb to the Bunker Hill Monument was a big one, but worth it. It is amazing to be in the same places where our country was founded and the buildings where people planned, worked, and fought are there to walk through.
The Boston Common is a large multi-venue park that is host to many concerts and events. One fun family activity is to ride in the swan pedal-powered boats around the lake in Boston Garden. We also sat on the statues for the book Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey, as well as saw many other famous statues. You can feed the ducks and swans, and run through splash pads. We stayed downtown near the Common at the Boston Plaza Hotel since we had a conference rate, but it was still very expensive, especially with $40 per day parking! However, staying downtown gives you easy access to so many great tourist sites, tours, and shops.
Although our family didn't do it, you can also see professional sports teams like the Boston Celtics basketball team who won the NBA title the year we went or Boston Red Sox play baseball. You can also enjoy the Boston Pops in their outstanding band shell outside for a show. For lots of sites, sounds, and history, Boston is the place to go!
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Cassin_Young_(DD-793)
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