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| Old and new in Boston |
With championship pro-sports franchises, an historic tea party, a famous pie and chowder and the setting for a top television comedy, I wasn’t sure what my focus would be, when I booked a trip to Boston.
Granted, visiting Boston at the end of winter after a month
of record-setting snow storms probably didn’t give me the most positive
impression of the city, but I found a hook for my tour. I made it my mission to
discover the Freedom Trail.
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| The State House |
Billed as a “one-of-a-kind American experience,” the Freedom
Trail links a cluster of buildings and historic sites in downtown Boston that
celebrate the American Revolution.
With the spirited and engaging storytelling by tour guide
Brian of Free Tours by
Foot, I learned about the key activities of more than 200 years ago leading
to America’s independence such as the Boston Massacre in 1770 and the Paul
Revere’s messenger ride in 1775.
The Freedom Trail is a 2.5-mile, red-lined route linking 16
historically significant sites – meeting halls, churches and graveyards.
Promotional material says “every step tells a story.” The red-brick line was a little difficult to
follow at times when it disappeared into a pile of snow.
Other highlights of this trip: great coffee and Italian baked goods in the
North End (Little Italy); a tour of the Samuel Adams brewery; a Celtics basketball game at the TD Garden; a
surprisingly enjoyable Blue Man Group show in the theatre district; a quick walk around the Harvard University Campus and sampling
four bowls of clam chowder. 
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| Old North Church |
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| Bunker Hill Monument |
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| Harvard campus |
Predictably, I did make a stop in the bar that inspired the Cheers TV sitcom. Nobody knew my name.
