Pictures: Lyle Such
Camera: Canon 5d Mkiii
After a cold but exciting time in New York we hopped on the train to Boston. Our main goal was to visit Harvard, but as tourists, we had to take the time and see some history.
Freedom Trail
The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile path that visits 16 locations significant to the history of the United States. This turned out to be the perfect way to explore Boston, allowing us to take our time and walk the streets instead of rushing through in a car or on a bus.
After an experience like this, it really felt like we had gotten to know Boston. We even had a little time to watch the newest Fast And Furious movie...featuring Paul Walker’s final appearance in the franchise.
One of the highlights along the Freedom Trail was our short visit to the Granary Burying Ground, Boston’s third-oldest cemetery. Founded in 1660, this iconic graveyard is the final resting place for several notable historic figures including Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and the five victims of the Boston Massacre.
Other notable sites along the Freedom Trail were Boston Common, Paul Revere’s House, Bunker Hill Monument, the USS Constitution, King’s Chapel, the Massachusetts State House, the Old South Meeting House, and the Old North Church.
Harvard University
Nini going to Harvard? Probably not...but it was worth the trip across the Charles River to visit the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States. Their short tour highlighted some of the most interesting buildings around the campus. The Harvard Memorial Church was straight out of Harry Potter, the library was an impressive structure and the oldest library system in the United States, and we learned some of the history and lore surrounding this prestigious Ivy League college.
While we were exploring the campus at Harvard, we had an unexpected surprise that would provide us with years and years worth of entertainment. While engaging in some serious people-watching in Harvard Yard, we spotted a couple of students setting up to blow bubbles. Peaking our interest, we walked over to take a look. They turned out to have a super formula allowing them to blow massive bubbles, the largest we had ever seen. The bubbles also seemed nearly indestructible (as far as bubbles can be indestructible) and would fly far off into the distance without breaking.
Unable to hold back her excitement, Thu ran and played with the colorful floating blobs of soap, unknowingly stealing the joy from the nearby small children who were hoping to have their turn at popping anything that escaped Thu’s evil destructive reach.
We were able to acquire the formula, and have been making bubbles much to our friends’ kids delight for almost a decade now. See, even if we didn’t attend Harvard, we still learned something just by visiting!
Cheers Bar
Walking was our main mode of transportation while in Boston. To finish our trip, we racked up even more miles visiting the original Cheers bar, exploring the Back Bay neighborhood.
Skywalk Observatory
Finally we ended the night with a beautiful sunset at the observation deck on top of the Prudential Center’s highest tower.
Boston really is a wonderful city and was definitely a surprisingly enjoyable place to visit. Often in our travels we bypass urban areas to get straight to the nature, but this was a good reminder that sometimes we need to give more time and attention to experiencing cities as well.
