Boston Sunday Morning

BOSTON!  I like to say I am well travelled but the east coast has always seemed to elude me.  In an attempt to rectify that we planned a trip to Boston. We flew in Saturday, which we were dreading but Harper was kinda a joy on the plane!  She slept the entire time, it was amazing. It was pretty late when we got in so I sent Brent out to get some peanut M & M's while I got settled in.  When Brent got back he just grabbed hot dogs from a local convenience store.   They were okay but about 5 hours later when I was still awake throwing up I realized they may have been a bad idea. 

FOOD POISONING! 

After a few more hours of sleep I woke up feeling a little better and since we were in Boston there was no time to waste being sick.  So we headed out the door.  We started on the freedom tour which took us through the Commons, which is a giant park area.  There was a little playground so we had to stop and let Harper stretch her little legs.

At the end of the commons was the state house building, which wasn't quite open for tours. This is where we began the freedom trail.  It is the trail that takes you around the main historical sites around Boston. They literally have lines painted on the ground for you to follow.   

We then hit the Park Street Church.  Which is where they stored grain before the revolutionary war.   We tried to go in but they were currently in service so they wouldn't let us in.  Harper was not pleased.

Next to the church was the burying ground. This is where three signers of the declaration of independance are buried, SAmuel Adams, John Hancock, and Robert Treat.

There are over 5600 people buried here but only 2,300 headstones.  Since they were expensive there would usually be one per family. The headstones were also unreadable with most showing no lettering at all.

As usual we had to pick out our headstones.  Harper thought this one suited her well.  It's Ben Franklin's parents.

I chose mother gooses.  We thought that this was the person who wrote all the rhymes but apparently it was the second women the guy married when his first wife (rumored to be mother goose) died and there is some speculation that there really is no mother goose at all.  That was kinda a buzz kill.

Brent wasn't really wanting to pick a headstone so he just squatted down while I took the picture.

Next stop was the first public school in the country.  It was opened in 1635 and started accepting women in 1972.  It is also famous for the statue of Ben Franklin.

This is the actual building.  

This donkey represents the liberal mindset and there was footmarks where another person was intended to stand to represent the elephant symbol of the conservative mindset... 

I didn't really get it but Harper LOVED the donkey!

Next stop was the Old South Meeting House.  This was the site where Benjamin Franklin was baptized, Judge Samuel Sewall apologized for his participation in the Salem witch trails and where the tea party was finalized.

This is the Old Meeting House.  I love how it is surrounded by so many modern buildings but it is still preserved.  Below the American Flag is also where the Boston Massacre occurred. It happened when a wig maker's apprentice got into a fight with a British Sentry.  The commoners started throwing rocks and snowballs at the british and the relief forces came and shot into the crowd killing 5 commoners.

Harper was doing really well in the stroller for the entire time but she had just started walking and needed some time to roam. This is outside of Faneuil Hall. The bottom floor was used as a marketplace back in the day and is continued to be used as a marketplace now. Usually, I love little markets but this one lacked any real originality or heart so we passed through it pretty quickly.

On the second floor was a very famous meeting hall.  This is where "everyone" was welcome to share in the decision making for Boston.  The term "everyone," however, really meant white male landowners.   This term has been expanded and now anyone can rent the meeting hall for speaking events.  This includes school children up to the red dragon from the KKK.

As the tour guide was speaking Harper would not stop talking and she pointed out that Harper was just using this hall as her platform to discuss important events.

They have now added another building to Faneuil Hall called the Quincy Market.  It is more shopping area but once again it lack any real charm.

Our next stop was the Paul Revere House.  It is considered the oldest house in Boston, and it was TINY!  I think there was one official bedroom and they had ten kids and a parent living with them, where did everyone sleep?!

This is probably my favorite picture Brent took.  It is Paul Revere and the Old North Church.

There were no pictures allowed in the church which is a real shame!  Inside instead of pews there were cubbies.  The guide explained that families used to buy their cubby and then would furnish it with their own paint, wallpaper, furniture.  How amazing is that idea?!  I would love to have an enclosed box where I could let Harper run wild and still pay attention.  Have we considered going back to this method?!

I really tried to be a good sport but he had walked about 4 miles at this point and I was still really tired and sick from that dumb hot dog.  There were two more stops, but I told Brent they would have to wait for another time and we found the closest subway to get back to our hotel for a nap time!