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Day two was a huge success with lots of history! We began the day with a quick stop to get water (17 cases!) to keep everyone hydrated as we walk all over Boston! We met up with Cheryl, our tour guide for the day. She was a wonderful guide with a wealth of knowledge and fascinating stories! She really brought history to life as we visited several historic sites and we absorbed her stories and thoroughly enjoyed her humor and wit, of which there was plenty!
Our first stop was at
Christopher Columbus Park in Boston where we got a little bit of background information about the city. After a short walk through Boston's North End, we made a stop at
Paul Revere's House where Cheryl told us a lot about the man made famous by Longfellow's poem, “The Midnight Ride of Paul Revere.” As it turns out, there was a lot more to this famous American than just a Patriotic ride on a horse!
From the Revere house, we made a quick pit stop at
Mike's Pastry in a little Italian neighborhood and the cannolis were incredible! Along the way to and from Mike's, we enjoyed a walking tour of Boston's North End.
Fully energized with sugar and cappuccino, we headed to the famous
Paul Revere Statue where we stopped to hear more about Revere and his famous ride through the countryside to warn the American Colonists about the British Army as they marched to seize Patriot weapons and leaders. After the Revere Statue, we went to the
Old North Church, made famous as the place where Patriot leaders were tipped off by the lanterns in the bell tower (one if by land, two if by sea). Behind the church is a war memorial started by the members of the Old North Church for the soldiers who have died in the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. The memorial was a collection of blank dog tags hanging in a garden behind the church. It is a simple yet very moving reminder of those who have given their lives for our country. After arriving at the war memorial, we made our way into the Old North Church where we sat in the old pew boxes and listened to the story that made the church famous in American history. After a few pictures, we took a few minutes to buy some souvenirs and continued on our tour. We made a stop
at
Copps Hill Burial Ground and learned about some of the older burial practices. After the cemetery we enjoyed a short driving tour of Boston on the way to
Boston Common, the oldest public park in America.
From Boston Common, we continued a driving tour on our way to Cambridge and lunch! Along the way we passed
MIT and learned a lot about the town of Cambridge. Ardie, our Tour Consultant and main contact at Smithsonian Student Travels, joined us for lunch and there were plenty of options! Many of us chose
Mr. Bartley's which is a great burger place and was featured on Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives! After lunch, we enjoyed a fun and informative walking tour of
Harvard's campus, highlighted by the Widener Library and Harvard Statue, which is nicknamed The Statue of Three Lies. Your homework is to look up what the three lies are and bonus points for the irony of it 😊
After Harvard, we began our drive to Lexington, the site of the first battle/skirmish of the American Revolution. Talk about bringing history to life! We stood on the field where the first shots were fired that ended with the birth of our country! As we drove,
Cheryl gave us a wonderful refresher of the events leading up to the events at Lexington and Concord. We also saw several very neat sites and places, including: Ratcliff College, Washington's headquarters during the American Revolution, the Orchard House, and the Old Manse before making a stop at the
Minute Man National Historical Park in Concord. The area is significant because it was there that the Patriots first fired with purpose against their British brethren.
Once we took a few minutes for pictures, we got back on the bus and enjoyed a driving tour of all of the little towns along the way. Back in Boston, we said goodbye to our fantastic tour guide, Cheryl and headed to eat! Tonight's dinner was at Pizzeria Uno and even though we were a bit cramped for space, the food was great!
The next item on the itinerary was the
Prudential Building in downtown Boston. We enjoyed the breathtaking views of Boston from the 50
th floor, including a bird's eye view of
Fenway Park! Of course, we couldn't leave without some shopping, so we had a little time at the mall in the Prudential Building. Before boarding the bus, we stopped for a photo opp at the
Christian Science Center Fountain. The final stop of the day was one of the most significant; the
Old State House, where the Declaration of Independence was first read to the people of Massachusetts, and the site of the
Boston Massacre. It was surreal to stand where such a revolutionary event took place!
Finally and mercifully, we boarded the bus and headed to the hotel. It was an amazing day filled with several hundred pictures and countless memories! We would like to send a huge thank you to our tour director, Danielle; bus driver, Dave; and tour guide, Cheryl for such a great day! We hope you've enjoyed blog number two and look forward to your comments!
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Stacy Stout
non-member comment
What a fun packed day! I was exhausted after reading the blog. Sydney called this evening to inform me that she would be attending Harvard- I think a state school will be just fine!