We spent almost two days in Boston and the surrounding area. I loved it! I will definitely need to go back, as we were only able to put a very small dent in the list of things I would like to see and do there. It's a beautiful and someone eclectic city with old and new mixed in all around. I will admit though, that my love of American history and the area's influence on our history certainly affected my opinion of the place.
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| The Green Monster |
Monday morning we braved the reputed Boston drivers to tour Fenway Park. I planned this stop more for the boys in the family, but we all absolutely loved it. It was one of my favorites from the trip. The history drips from the place, and you can just sense the baseball passion that fills every corner. The tour started out across the street from the park, and began with an elderly gentleman telling us jokes. They were awful, but he was funny. He came up to Breanna and called her Gabriella and told her that he was Troy (High School musical reference-in case you haven't seen it). He asked us where we were from, when we said Utah, he asked if we were Cougars or Utes. Of course you know our reply. I should have written down some of his jokes, but he was great. Then our tour guide took us in. She told us story after story about the history of the place, about games, and about the curse. I really think she believes it was real. Although I guess I might believe too, or at least believe that it was a punishment for being the stupidest person on the planet. Selling Babe Ruth to the Yankees...and then not putting the money into the team, but instead putting the money into a musical that no one had heard of but me. (Yes I have heard of No, No Nanette and have seen the movie version with Doris Day) We learned about how the Red Sox name came about, although I think it would be more entertaining if they were still called the Red Stockings. Fenway is celebrating 100 years this year. The first game played at Fenway was against the New York Highlanders (now Yankees), and so on the 100 year anniversary they played the Yankees again. Clearly our guide had a pretty intense hatred of the Yankees. She was great, entertaining and informative. The field was being prepared for a Bruce Springsteen concert so a lot of it was covered up, but it was still awesome. We had just learned about Pesky Pole, and then later that evening we learned that Johnny Pesky had passed away that day. Some day when I go back, I want to make sure to go when the Sox are in town so we can go to a game!
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| Red seat that marks the longest home run at Fenway Park hit by Ted Williams of course. |
After Fenway and stocking up on some Red Sox t-shirts, we were driving towards Lexington and saw the temple, so we pulled off and went for a quick visit. The temple is beautiful of course, and it is in a picture perfect neighborhood. So pretty and well taken care of. Soon we were on the road to Lexington again. As we walked around the Battle Green and went through Buckman's Tavern where the minutemen awaited the arrival of the Redcoats. I couldn't help but think of the 77 men who first faced the British. No one knows or will claim who fired the first shot, but it left 8 of the retreating minutemen dead. The rest of the story was better for the colonists as they outnumbered the British and knew they were coming. At the North Bridge in Concord the British fired, which was led by the order from Major John Buttrick to, "Fire, fellow soldiers, for God's sake, fire!" The British continued retreating along what is now known as the Battle Road Trail. They sustained losses, and were only saved by reinforcements sent from Boston. The British seriously underestimated the extent and the strength of the rebellion, but more than that I think the minutemen had something to fight for. They were fighting for liberty, their families, and their homes. The British were just there on assignment. I believe the minutemen and all those who fought in the first and the subsequent battles were supported by a higher power and their desire for freedom.
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| Battle Green |
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| Captain John Parker statue |
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| Buckman Tavern |
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| Inside Hartwell Tavern-check out the low ceilings |
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| The North Bridge |
By the rude bridge that arched the flood,
Their flag to April's breeze unfurled,
Here once the embattled farmers stood,
And fired the shot heard round the world.
-Emerson
We got a few comments while on this trip about the size of our family. In Lexington where we stopped for lunch, the girl helping us commented that it was nice to see, and that you didn't see large families around there. We do have a large family by the world's standard, but I love it. It was so much fun to be all together and build all these memories together. There is nothing better than being together.
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| Sever Hall- We all loved the whisper arch | |
In the evening we went to Cambridge and walked around Harvard. What a beautiful campus! Too bad all the smartness there can't just rub off on you. We finished off the day by walking around Longfellow's home that served as Washington's headquarters during the Revolutionary War. It it spectacular, too bad it was closed while we were there.
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| Longfellow House |
After Fenway and stocking up on some Red Sox t-shirts, we were driving towards Lexington and saw the temple, so we pulled off and went for a quick visit. The temple is beautiful of course, and it is in a picture perfect neighborhood. So pretty and well taken care of. Soon we were on the road to Lexington again. As we walked around the Battle Green and went through Buckman's Tavern where the minutemen awaited the arrival of the Redcoats. I couldn't help but think of the 77 men who first faced the British. No one knows or will claim who fired the first shot, but it left 8 of the retreating minutemen dead. The rest of the story was better for the colonists as they outnumbered the British and knew they were coming. At the North Bridge in Concord the British fired, which was led by the order from Major John Buttrick to, "Fire, fellow soldiers, for God's sake, fire!" The British continued retreating along what is now known as the Battle Road Trail. They sustained losses, and were only saved by reinforcements sent from Boston. The British seriously underestimated the extent and the strength of the rebellion, but more than that I think the minutemen had something to fight for. They were fighting for liberty, their families, and their homes. The British were just there on assignment. I believe the minutemen and all those who fought in the first and the subsequent battles were supported by a higher power and their desire for freedom.
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