#75 Walk the Freedom Trail in Boston

I LOVE history. It has a way of captivating me and holding me in it's grip almost like a moth is held prisoner to light. Since middle school I have always wanted to visit Boston and see it's historical sites. Part of that is driven from where I live in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. Being located in a northern suburbs of Philadelphia I have grown up with visits to the Liberty Bell, Independence Hall, Betsy Ross house, Washington's Crossing, Valley Forge and although from another period in our history Gettysburg. Getting to go to Boston and walk the Freedom Trail seems like the appropriate way of filling in the gaps to the experiences of my home city besides Boston is an awesome town. So this past week Jim and I found ourselves with some time on our hands so we made the 5 hour trip north to pound the cobblestones and drink our way through the Freedom Trail.

Map of the Boston Freedom Trail

The Freedom Trail is a two and half mile walk highlighted by red bricks and red paint that snakes through the north end of Boston. It officially leads to 16 historically significant sites from the United States Revolution. Unofficially it also winds by other famous Boston landmarks, markets and bars making this an even more fun adventure. Jim and I chose to start our day by booking a two hour walking tour from the visitors center in Boston Common. The tour was given by a witty historical reenactor and took us from Boston Common to Faneuil Hall.

Freelove our awesome tour guide

Heading out of Boston Common to the Park Street Church

We spent a good portion of the beginning of our tour in the Granary Burying Ground. While there we learned about the life and death of James Otis Jr., Paul Revere's life including his two wives and his famous ride to Concord, learned about "King" John Hancock including his relationship to George Washington and his famous large signature, we also learned about the life and contributions of American patriot Sam Adams and in addition to viewing his headstone learned about the victims of the Boston Massacre whom he had interned in his family grave. Our tour guide also spoke about Phillis Wheatley who was a  slave that in addition to being a poet became the first African American woman to publish a book. We also learned about Mary "Mother" Goose. Our tour guide was informative and entertaining and made us constantly laugh out loud. She did a great job keeping everyone's attention and making the time fly by.

Paul Revere's headstone is actually that little one to the right but as our tour guide pointing 

out when you become famous you get a bigger headstone!

Sam Adams headstone with our tour in background

Instead of Where's Waldo...Where's Jimbo?  

Our tour also stopped by the King's Chapel where we learned more about puritans, the governor who had the church built on a puritan cemetery and Jim's favorite part the cat game. Then we headed to the Old State House and the location of the infamous Boston Massacre which is memorialized on the ground by a ring of grey cobblestones. I found it hilarious to hear that the "site" has been moved several times over the years and the actual location of the massacre was across the street of the Old State House in what is now a Bank of America.

Old State House

The so called site of the Boston Massacre

The other side of the Old State House with the Massacre location

And the Bank of America across the street

We continued a bit further up the street to Faneuil Hall where we said goodbye to our tour guide Freelove and set out to explore Quincy Market and have some lunch. I was completely blown away with the amount of food and the selection at Quincy. I hate to say it but I'm pretty sure it blows away the Reading Market in Philadelphia. Jim I took a break here and stuffed our faces with food and booze before continuing on our journey to Paul Revere's House, Old North Church and Copp's Hill Burying Ground. We did make a pit stop on the way at Mike's Pastry and got some gigantic canoli's. 

Paul Revere's house

Old North Church

Copp's Hill Burying Ground

We saved the north part of the Freedom Trail for the following afternoon as we already had evening dinner and theatre plans. So the next day which happened to be the hottest day of the year thus far in 2013 with temperatures over a hundred degrees we did the smartest thing any people could do....we went to the Sam Adams Brewery and drank a shit load of beer before catching a cab back to our hotel and then setting out and walking over the river and up to the monument at Bunker Hill. I pretty much thought we were gonna die so after a quick exploration of the area we set out towards the harbor and to the USS Constitution AKA Old Iron Sides.  I was a little bummed they wouldn't let you get in front of the vessel to take pictures but I did the best I could with the limitations. 

Pitcher per table....but there is just two of us!? No worries! We got this. 

Bunker Hill

USS Constitution

Loved the rigging

I've never seen so many cannons in my life. Not even at Gettysburg! No wonder

 Old Iron Sides never lost a battle! 

We had an amazing time exploring the Freedom Trail and both Jim and I agreed the highlight of our entire Boston trip was the tour with Freelove. It was a blast knocking this off the list at number #75! 

I also knocked off an other item on this same trip. Click the link to read about that adventure: #132 Eating Lobster in Maine. 

#132 Eat Lobster in Maine

Lobstey

Until this past week I had never had the opportunity to travel to Maine but with a little bit of unexpected time on our hands Jim and I commandoed up the coast 6 1/2 hours and spent sometime drinking our way around Portland, Maine. It's quite an impressive little seafaring town. The sites are beautiful, the food scene is excellent, the shopping is fantastic and the lobster is more than plentiful. Jim and I agreed that we didn't want to half ass our Maine lobster experience by simply ordering a pre-made lobster roll or by getting some lobster poutine at a local pub. What we wanted was to catch them ourselves and then eat our bounty so we booked ourselves on a 90 minute tour on a Lucky Catch Cruise lobster boat.

Heading out of Portland into Casco Bay to catch us some lobsters!

Jim all geared up and ready to do some lobstering....chicken wing and all. (He had surgery 

two weeks ago for a torn rotator cuff with bicep tear....fun stuff people).

We stopped at 6 traps that Captain Tom had put out in Casco Bay prior to our departure. After we hauled the traps up we were taught how to measure the lobsters to see if they were keepers, learned how to band their claws, we were shown how to determine the sex, and how to bait traps. Capt Tom and his lovely crew showered us in additional information during the hands on experience including their breeding, molting, life cycle and how they enter the traps. They did a great job of making sure everyone was included and got to participate. 

Lobstey in a trap

Jim baiting the traps with herring with the help of Capt Tom

Measuring our catch (Doesn't it make you want to stick your finger in 

that open claw said no one ever)

Banding the claws which is super important as it keeps the lobsters 

from going all ninja on each other 

Jim's turn banding

We also brought up some crabs in our traps. We didn't get to keep those but it was fun learning about them and the kids on the trip had a blast sending them flying back to the sea. I was a little bummed we didn't pull up any gigantic starfish but watching seals swim around the boat totally made up for that. In addition, one of the other added benefits of taking the Lucky Catch Cruise is it gets you some of the best views of the bay. 

Crab with roe

Back to the sea!

View of Portland Headlight from the boat

Spring Point Ledge Light

You may be thinking going to Maine and eating lobster is like being that guy who goes to a concert and wears the t-shirt of the band he's going to see. Not true....because lobsters aren't t-shirts and they taste amazing. And like most foods the fresher they are the better. Which is why when we finished our cruise we bought two lobsters and then literally walked with them in our hands to The Portland Lobster Company next door and had them cook them for us.

Jim handing his lobster over to the Portland Lobster Company

My amazing lunch. 

Before and after

These lobsters were hands down the most amazing and delicious lobster I have ever feasted on. Let's be honest, lobsters that have spent hours or days in tanks will never compare to fresh caught and prepared lobsters. Not to mention we sat outside on the deck on a beautiful day jamming to music and downing a chilled bottle of wine while tearing apart our lunch. Jim and I both agreed it was the best four hours we spent in Portland and was an awesome way to put #132: Eat Lobster in Maine officially in the books. So if you ever find yourself in Portland, Maine and want to have an awesome time look up Lucky Catch Cruises and book yourself a lobstering experience. I highly doubt you will be disappointed.