Things to do in Boston

I recently re-wrote an article at Helium. The topic was Boston and the interesting things a visitor or local could do in Spring. I came up with 10 ideas with Spring in mind, but most of these activities can be enjoyed any time of year.

A link to my article is HERE>>>

The T for Tourists in Boston

A common mistake that people make about the "T" in Boston is that it is limited to the subway. In fact, the nick-name "T" (from Massachusetts Bay Transportation Authority), covers all methods of transportation offered by the authority, rail, bus, trackless trolley, subway, and boat.

In regards to the T's usefulness for the average traveler seeking to explore Boston's many sites of interest, the T is not nearly as useful as one might think.

First of all, the best way to get around Boston is by foot. Boston's leading tourist attraction is its Freedom Trail, and it's a strictly pedestrian experience.

Secondly, the stations on Boston's subway lines are deceptively close to each other. In the downtown area that interests tourists the most, subways stations are located one to three blocks from each other! In the five minutes you waste standing on a platform waiting for a subway train, you can probably walk to your destination.

To read my complete article at Helium, click HERE>>>

The Dead of Mt. Auburn

When the old burying grounds in Boston and Cambridge starting closing due to overcrowding, an alternative site for burying the dead was sought and found on what was then the rural outskirts of Cambridge. The tastes of the day called for something more special, however, than a typical burying ground, and as a result, the concept of the "garden cemetery" was born. Opened in 1831, Mt. Auburn Cemetery quickly became the place of choice of the elite of Massachusetts to be interred.

To read my article about ten of the most famous, click HERE>>>

There's a New Duck in Town

There's a new tour in Boston, whose vehicles have just started winding their way through Boston's streets and waterways, and it's called Boston Super Duck Tours. And no, it's no relation to the very popular and well known Boston Duck Tours; it's just yet another tour company that wishes exhibit the city of Boston and share the city's wealth with their visitors while trying to stake a share of the increasing tourist wealth in a city where competition for the tourist dollar has history of getting intense.

READ MORE HERE>>>

10 Fun Things to Do in Boston

From the Freedom Trail and Boston Harbor to the Back Bay, Harvard Square, and Walden Pond, there are plenty of ways to have fun in Boston.

To read about 10 of them, click HERE>>>

My 3 Favorite Beers

These are my three favorite beers, Guinness, Samuel Adams Boston Ale, and Pilsner Urquell.

To read more about them, please click HERE>>>

U.S.S. Cassin Young: WWII History in Boston

Boston, Massachusetts is, of course, full of history, and any casual visitor to Boston can easily find Colonial history, Revolutionary history, as well as history from the Federal and Victorian periods of the 19^th century. But what may surprise you is the fact that Boston also has a strong World War II history, and it is best experienced by visiting the U.S.S. Cassin Young, which is docked at the Charlestown Navy Yard in Boston Harbor.

READ MORE HERE>>>

The Best Tex-Mex in Boston

When you're in downtown Boston, and you're looking for no frills Tex-Mex cuisine at very good prices, there's only one place to go, Fajitas & Ritas, located just one block from the famous Boston Common.

A popular destination for office workers who are not dining on the company expense account, local university students, frugal diners, and aficionados of Tex-Mex cuisine, Fajitas & Ritas doesn't bother with anything that is not important. Diners fill out their own order forms, individual napkins have been replaced by rolls of paper towels. The dining area is a mix of booths and tables that have seen better days. The décor is simple, and the lighting is dark. There is nothing extra.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Searching for Isabella at the Isabella Gardner Museum

The Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, Massachusetts is one of the most unique art museums in the world. The museum, which contains nearly 3000 works of fine art from many of the world masters, was opened in 1903 and doubled as the private residence of Isabella Stewart Gardner, herself. The home was designed by her (with an architect), and each and every work of art was collected by her and located in the museum personally by her. The museum is her very personal gift to the world.

And a fun way to appreciate the personal side of the Isabella Stewart Gardner museum is to go in search of the " Isabellas," and other references to the name Isabella.

READ MORE HERE>>>

Two Churches From Revolutionary Boston

Though sometimes confused by tourists visiting Boston, the Old North Church and the Old South Meeting House, despite their cosmetic similarities, cannot be more different. Their histories, architecture, and the roles these two churches played during the period of the American Revolution offer interesting insights to the conflict that would break out into war in 1775.

READ HERE>>>

Two Boston Churches by H. H. Richardson

Henry Hobson Richardson is, without argument, one of the most important architects in American history, and in Boston, Massachusetts, there are two of his most historically significant churches, the Trinity Church on Copley Square and the nearby First Baptist Church.

You can read about them HERE>>>

10 Things to Do in Boston for Free

Boston is known as one of the most expensive cities in America and for good reason. But there is still a lot a traveler can do in Boston without spending a single dollar. For all the details, look HERE >>>

Boston's Freedom Trail

There are many imitators in many cities all around the world, but Boston's Freedom Trail is the original. Created in 1951, it has evolved from crude signage leaned up again wooden horses to a line on the sidewalk painted red to what it is today, a red brick line. Contrary to popular belief, the Freedom Trail is not an historic path that some historic person traveled. It is instead merely a line on the sidewalks of Boston meant to guide visitors through the city's sometimes confusing streets. The Freedom Trail has sixteen official sites and is two and half miles long. You can read more HERE >>>

Boston's Early Skyscrapers

Boston, Massachusetts, unlike New York or Chicago, is not a city well known for its skyscrapers, which unfortunately means that Boston's skyscrapers go largely unnoticed by both the casual observer and architectural expert. But if one were to take a little time to note some of Boston's early taller buildings, they would be pleasantly surprised by both their architecture and their history. Read more HERE >>>

King's Chapel in Boston

The King’s Chapel is my favorite site on the Freedom Trail in Boston for several reasons. First of all, understanding the conflict surrounding the origins of the church helps one to understand that the American Revolution did not happen as a result of the Boston Tea Party. The divisions within American colonial society were more than a hundred years old before the tea was poured into Boston Harbor. Secondly, I like the King’s Chapel because it was able to rebound after the Revolutionary War and reinvent itself as America’s very first Unitarian Church. Third, I like the church because it was never finished. There’s no steeple on the tower. It’s a perpetual work in progress, much like America. Fourth, I firmly hold that its interior is the most elegant extant colonial era interior in New England. Fifth, the lunch time concert series that the church hosts is wonderful. And sixth, I like the fact that they’ve maintained their Anglican liturgy while pursuing a Christian Unitarian theology.

I’ve written a detailed article about the interior of the King's Chapel here