Massachusetts
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Boston
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(must-sees for the 5-days-tourist) We went for a Marriot Hotel on the Long Wharf and isn't far from anywhere in Central Boston which is handy. The King room (the King bit refers to the bed size) was $329.00 per night which while not expensive is not cheap even for Boston. Having said that the hotel is new, the service great and the extras wonderful and I can recommend this hotel and Marriot Hotels in general.Day One
Boston has over 12 million visitors per year and so is really geared up to making their visits pleasurable. I don't know about you but what I like to do when I have just arrived in a city is to get my bearings and happily because Boston is not that large it is easy to walk around. Like most big cities these days Boston has a 'trail.' Boston's trail is called the Freedom Trail which can easily be walked and a couple of hours and takes you to 16 famous sites including the Massachusetts State House, the oddly named Park Street Church and Granary Burying Ground, Paul Revere House, USS Constitution and Charlestown Navy Yard and the Bunker Hill Monument. So in a few hours you have scouted out the city and can explore in depth the places that appeal later. Walking the Freedom Trail makes you hungry and that is excellent if you just happen to finish walking in the area called North End where Paul Revere's House is because that is the Italian area of Boston and we all know that they cook the best food in the world. We managed to get a table in the tiny 24 seat restaurant called the Pomodoro on Hanover Street and the food was wonderful. Expect to pay about $40-60.00 for a great meal in a wonderful atmosphere and as you haven't spent any cash on your tour of the city I think that is a bargain.Day two
Having scouted out the city yesterday we knew exactly where we wanted to go today: USS Constitution and Charlestown Navy Yard. The USS Constitution is the oldest commissioned warship afloat anywhere in the world, I have to say I am always wary of statement like the 'oldest,' 'biggest,' etc., but this boat was launched in 1797, actually the guide book says, "It was first launched in 1797," is there a story there I wondered, did something go wrong and they aren't telling us? Anyway it is old and was ordered by George Washington and in her career put paid to a few enemies here and there, including getting the name 'Old Ironsides' when she sunk for wooden ships, it was hardly a surprise that she managed to sink so many ships because she is made of iron and the cannonballs bounced off her thick hull and of course the name well that was a no brainer, but these were simpler times.The ship and the dockyard are great and there is plenty to see, it is open from 9.00 am to 5.00 pm in the summer and opens an hour later in the winter and closes an hour earlier. The cost of admission to the USS Constitution Museum is by donation. Do be aware that the USS Constitution is undergoing restoration and that from time to time in the two year period of restoration it might not be possible to have access to the ship, but it is still worth a visit. You can get more information at http://www.ussconstitution.navy.mil or http://www.ussconstitutionmuseum.org.
Day three
After all that culture it is always good to have a bit of therapy of the retail variety and Boston is a great place to shop, actually Boston is just a great place and so different to any American city we have been to, it is cosy, quaint and almost cuddly and more like a small British city like Oxford than most places I have been in the states. Whether you are browsing the small odd shops on Newbury Street like the Doggy Bakery and Boutique where you can indulge your pampered pet or going to the Downtown Crossing which rather pompously describes itself as "The Official Shopping Area of Boston" and really only houses the same chains you find all over America such as Macy's or H&M, but for all of that there are some gems if you look for them. What is great about Downtown Crossing is that it is close to Chinatown and of course like most China towns the world over expect to get a well priced meal which is great value although I wish that there were fewer hawkers trying to 'encourage' you to use their restaurant, but then this phenomena is not confined to Boston's China Town it is a worldwide one these days sadly.We fancied a bit of a bop and so slide down to Rain, ok I will stop the brutha stuff. Rain is the latest nightclub in Boston and it is ok you can see here for more http://www.rainnightlife.com, the place sadly has everything that you expect these days - loud hip hop, too many plasma screens, bruthas with attitude, the gate was $30.00 and the drinks cost the rest of the leg and more of the arm. Most taxi drivers know where Broadway Malden is and they wait like large black birds with scraggy necks for the, early I thought - 2.00 am close.
Day four
Like any city break you are most likely to see the city from all sorts of angles and get very used to it over your stay, though hopefully not bored and so I think it important to take a look at the culture of the city so that you get full picture, so far from our trip all we had learned was that Boston was quaint, but there is more! Did you know that Boston has the oldest Major League baseball park in the World - well they don't claim that they claim that Fenway Park is the oldest Baseball park in the US but then don't they play in Baseball a world series and that competition is only for American teams? I rest my case!Actually if you can get tickets to a game it is an interesting experience on a nice warm summer's evening. The Park is rather small and means that the game right up close and personal. The Boston Red Sox are the home team and you may want to book early try their website here http://boston.redsox.mlb.com and enjoy.
Day five
We had been close to Beacon Hill several times but wanted to take a leisurely stroll around the area, it is the Boston you see on the postcards full of cobbles and red brick where gas lamps shine outside of elegant townhouses and was just lovely.NATURE & GEOLOGY
Boston is 19 feet above sea level at Logan International Airport and rises to 330 feet on Bellevue Hill. The area around Boston is coast and through land reclamation Boston has expanded many times this land being reclaimed by using the earth from three of Boston's hills.HISTORY
Boston was founded by Puritan colonists from England in 1630 and grew rapidly. Towards the end of the 18th Century Boston was the centre of American revolution such as the Boston Massacre and the Boston Tea Party.As the conflict grew there were several major battles in the area the Battle of Bunker Hill and the Siege of Boston are the most notable.
After independence Boston because a major shipping and shipbuilding centre. The city is famous for several 'first' in American history including establishing the first public school, Boston Latin School in 1635, and first college, Harvard College in 1636. More recently Boston became the first American city to have its own subway system.
Boston can also boast that it is the oldest fishing port continuously operated in the Western hemisphere.
CULTURE
Boston is a friendly place, known for bars and pubs, and the television series Cheers, but it is better than the sum of those three elements.Boston is the seat of learning in the United States and one of its cultural centres. In addition to the universities which have a great impact on the culture of Boston, there are a large number of theatres, orchestras, the most notable being probably the Boston Symphony Orchestra.
In addition to these institutions there are a number of tradition annual events including the Harborfest and the Italian summer feasts in North End. Irish Americans are a major influence in Boston and you can see that influence in the bars, the politics and some dialects.
POLITICAL
Boston is the capital of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and has a strong mayoral system dating back to the city's origins. The mayor is elected for a four year term.INFRASTRUCTURE
As a modern city the infrastructure for travel is excellent, the subway is probably the best in the US. Crime has dropped since the 1990's high to which is a relief for the millions of tourists who visit the city. Which all means that you can get around reasonably efficiently safely, obviously taking the precautions you would normally take anywhere these days sadly.DOS & DON'TS
Do take care in this city, the crime rate has been reducing since the 1990's but it is still high enough to be concerned about especially at night. Always have a good map with you, especially if you rent a car. Do tell the hawks in Chinatown that you are capable of finding a restaurant on your own thank you!To support us in developing this site please suggest your description or any additional information of Boston to the operator. You are the one to put it in.
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