City on a Hill Part 3

Our final day in Boston was bitter sweet because I wanted to stay a bit longer and wasn’t looking forward to the 8 hour drive ahead of us. We got out early regardless and went to visit Fenway Park, also known as the Green Monster, home of the Boston Red Sox. It cost $17 a piece just to walk inside so we opted out of that, but it was still fun to see the stadium. 

There she is. 

Flags lining the years the Red Sox won the World Series. 

Kyle's awesome beard continues to grow and I'm on my tippy toes. Cool.

I snatched myself a Boston t-shirt at the gift shop and we headed back into the city to finish up the rest of the Freedom Trail. We started out at Bunker Hill, where the British forces came forward against the American colonists and where the famous line “Don’t fire until you see the whites of their eyes!” was shouted. We parked right by the hill and walked all the way up to the monument where they told us we needed to walk back DOWN the hill and across the street to grab tickets to walk back UP the hill to go inside the Obelisk. We laughed at how they had set this all up, walked down to grab tickets and once we climbed the 294 steps to the top wondered why we ever thought about going up in the first place. 294 steps in a circular motion is a hard thing to do… after the leg burn and gasping, we were happy and relieved for a break and pretty view at the top.

Some neat guy who did something neat and wore cool colonial clothes while doing it.

294 steps in all it's glory. (The sun was finally coming out at this point which was wonderful).

Yay! We made it to the top. And I married a looker. 

The view of the Boston Haaaahbaaaa.

Next, we went down to see the U.S.S. Constitution which was really neat, it being Memorial Day and all. So neat in fact that they closed down access to the ship because they were going to have a military salute. So not so neat to us but it was still cool to the see the 1797 ship in all her glory. Her nickname ‘Old Ironsides’ was earned in 1812 when she fought another ship who said cannonballs fired at her appeared to bounce off as if made of iron…..aaaaand she’s the oldest warship afloat. I was pretty bummed about not being able to walk on the ship and protested just like Bostonians in the days of old…except no Indian apparel was worn and there was no way my bag would be flying into the harbor. We did go across the way and explored an old 1940’s war ship used during World War II. We walked all the way back to where our car was parked and drove down just in time to hear the salute. They fired some of the cannons along with guns and oh boy, was it loud.

Pretty flags flowing in the wind. 

The back side being held in tightly with this ginormous chain. I felt like she was just fighting to break free. 

"We were merry, in an undertone, at the idea of making so large a cup of tea for the fishes." Joshua Wyeth, member of the Boston Tea Party (that's what I would have been thinking too Joshua)

I am ashamed to admit it, but I made Kyle drive back to Mike’s Pastry (didn’t TECHNICALLY MAKE him...because I think he wanted some just as much as I did). We got some more treats and headed over to ‘The Barking Crab’ for lunch. It was recommended to us for the lobster rolls they serve there. As for me, I’ve never been a seafood fan (links back to a traumatic child experience on the beach). They did have a pretty good pork sandwich with sweet potato fries and I did bravely try a sliver of Kyle’s lobster. It’s all about getting past the texture and fish smell, but then I’m good. After we stuffed our bellies, it was time for the long drive back. The last bit of our trip that is a bit hysterical is that I tried to take us around all the tolls to save some money. We probably lost an hour of our time heading home by doing so and even then, somehow ended up on a toll road and had to pay. That’s one thing about the east coast that I don’t love…having to pay for tolls! We do it regardless and drive around to see really neat historical places. Thanks Kyle and good ol’ Boston for the Best Memorial weekend yet!

Don't mess lobster. Don't mess. 

City on a Hill Part 1

Another place Kyle and I (Kyle most definitely) wanted toqgh visit when we got to the east coast was Boston! I think I was able to see different nerd sides of Kyle come out far more than I ever had before! It was so neat being where so much history was laid and the ground workings of our country was started. It almost got to the point where I wanted so badly to just be transported back to that time period to see what it really looked like and to see the period clothing and people. Something I love about Boston is what they call the 'Freedom Trail' - a little red outlined trail taking you to different places where history took place or structures are still standing that existed back in the day. Boston overall was so charming and the perfect way to learn more about The Revolutionary War and Cradle of Liberty (plus I had the perfect history expert to join me for the ride!

Kyle and I got a late start Friday afternoon heading out on the eight hour car ride up to Boston. We got in to Kyle's friend Adam's place around 3 in the morning :( We were so tired but got up early the next morning and went to the Boston, MA Temple and did sealings and I'm so glad we did! Such a beautiful temple!

Green was the color of the morning.

After the temple, Kyle and I met up for lunch with one of Kyle's old friends from his semester abroad in Jerusalem at a fun gourmet restaurant in Cambridge right next to Harvard. Naturally, we stayed and explored the United States' oldest institution of higher learning. 

Kyle right outside one of the entrances. 

Rubbing the foot of the statue of three lies: 1. It isn't John Harvard. 2. John Harvard wasn't the founder of Harvard University (although he was the first major benefactor, donating half his estate and library). 3. Harvard wasn't founded in 1638, as stated on the statue. But it was still cool to see the rubbed down shoe that's been touched by every nervous pre-exam/first day of school student. 

Annenberg Dining Hall which supposedly Harry Potter's dining hall is based off of....

I love this history buff. 

Kyle contemplating applying for Harvard law...

...he instead decides to be studious on the steps on the Widener Library. Sadly we couldn't go in to feast upon the rough estimate of 3.5 million books housed inside. 

Harvard Sailing Team!!!...Sort of. 

This was Faneuil Hall also known as "The Cradle of Liberty", where they held some of the early speeches and debates on gaining independence from Great Britain. 

And my favorite...Quincy Market! Just basically because it had lots of different types of food and culture...here, Kyle is seen on the hunt for some Boston clam chowder. 

Success! 

Pretty center area with old signs from the market back in the day. 

The north end of the market. 

Kyle got his Boston Red Sox baseball cap and we headed up North to Little Italy to investigate what is known as 'Mike's Pastry's'. We didn't actually discover this treasure of a place until the next day. 

We grabbed dinner at this odd Mexican/Cajun/Tex-Mex Border Cafe and then headed up North to Salem for a ghost tour! This was an extremely frightening and overdone witch museum that thankfully was closed by the time we got up there. 

Kyle got this classy photo of someone of importance to the Salem community where he said a puritan is "a person who has a sneaking suspicious that somebody, somewhere might be having some sort of fun...or that they are a witch." 

This was inside the main store that was decked out in, what else, Harry Potter. Here Kyle and I contemplate what this sight means looking into the Mirror of Erised. 

Store full of wands! 

Our tour...just a normal ghost tour but really interesting to hear stories on the witch trials in the late 1600's. Our classy guide wore a top hat and walked with a cane, reminding us of Dr. Jekyl, Mr. Hyde.

Old Salem Cemetery, the first place set apart for the burial of dead, known as the burying point. A sad story but interesting part of history and insight to what happens when fear combines with heightened stress of a new area and politics. An overall good first day in Boston and Salem, ending the night with a bit of our favorite: frozen yogurt.