Our second day in Boston got to a late start, so after Geries and I split up I set off to break my fast with some lunch. After having browsed some options from an episode of No Reservations, I came across Michael's Deli, which seemed like just the place to get a good sandwich to start the day, and luckily it happened to be located very close to where we were staying. I walked into the small, unassuming delicatessen, ordered a Rachel (a reuben with coleslaw instead of sauerkraut), and was served a heaping pile of steaming corned beef-- Oh, and some bread and coleslaw. The sandwich was delicious, and just what I needed to start the busy day ahead of me.
I started by riding straight to downtown, passing through the parks we visited the previous day, ending at the golden domed State House where I hoped to pick up the "Freedom Trail," a path running through Boston that touches on some of the most interesting historical sights in the city. I had a little difficulty keeping track of where I was on the trail just by using the occasional city maps on street corners, so to find my way to my first stop, the USS Constitution, I instead just headed straight for the harbor and followed the road until I reached it. However, when I had nearly arrived at the ship I noticed a bold red line painted on the ground in the center of the sidewalk. As I continued, it turned to a brick inlay in some areas, then back to paint, and finally I realized that it marked the the path of the Freedom Trail. Feeling stupid, but now confident in my direction, I made good time getting to the Constitution.
The ship was hard to miss even from a distance, with its spiderwebs of rope draped over its tall masts soaring above the other boats in the harbor. When I arrived at its mooring, I took a quick stop in the museum to read about the storied history of the only surviving warship of the original six commissioned for the US Navy in 1794. I fell into line with a group to take a guided tour of the ship led by a seaman dressed in period uniform, and after a short history lesson we stepped onto the boat. Not particularly massive compared to some more modern ships I've seem, Old Ironsides made up for what it lacked in size with the weight of the history behind it, and the beauty of its design. We traveled from the impressive main deck, to the aptly named gun deck which housed dozens of several ton cannons, and finally to the cramped crew deck where hundreds of men tried to sleep in swinging hammocks surrounded by the constant pounding of the ocean and the acrid stench of their brothers in arms. Thankfully my group was only about 80 strong, and not too pungent, so I had a slightly less harrowing time touring the ship. Once I finished checking out the Constitution, I took a quick look at the more modern battleship docked next door before heading out to follow the rest of the trail.
Next up on the trail was the Bunker Hill Monument which was placed on the best location I could imagine: at the crest of Breed's Hill. All joking aside, it's as good a place as any since most of the battle took place there, and the monument would have been equally impressive at any location. Towering 221 feet above the hill is a massive granite obelisk not unlike the Washington Monument in DC. While preparing to ascend the 294 steps to the observation point at the top, I happened to run into Josh, who had just finished the climb up the tower and was a fellow couchsurfer I met while eating lunch at Mr. Bartley's Burgers the previous day (which I forgot to mention in my last post). It was funny chancing to see him again in my wanderings around the city. Even after seeing the sweat dripping from Josh's face and noting his labored breathing from the climb, I still made my way up the steps, and before long found myself at the top taking in an incredible view of Boston and the harbor from small window slits carved through the two foot thick granite. I took a moment to catch my breath and take one last look at the view before making the much easier descent and heading off for the rest of the trail.
Streets began to narrow as I wound my way along the trail passing the Old North Church where the signal was given to warn of the advancing British troops, and then past the home of Paul Revere as well as a graveyard housing people from the time of the revolution. While I followed the trail around cobblestone streets and into the lively Italian neighborhood of the North End I noticed an increasing number of people walking around carrying simple white boxes sealed in twine. Curious about the boxes, I eventually followed them to their source at Mike's Pastry in the heart of the North End. Inside I ordered an incredible cannoli that I wouldn't even have known of if it hadn't been for the distinctive white boxes, despite the fact that Mike's Pastry is apparently a Boston staple (I guess no one told me that).
After the cannoli I wandered a little further on the trail, passing the old state house, the sight of the Boston Massacre, and finally Faneuil Hall before joining up with Geries to grab some dinner before heading back to our hosts' place. We opted to get some of Mr. Bartley's Burgers, since Geries didn't get a chance to try them the previous day. This time I got a simple burger with a sweet and spicy pineapple and jalapeno relish, and before I knew it the burger was gone and we were on our way back to the house.
For me the charm of Boston lays in its rich history, and the seemingly small town feel of what is actually a large and vibrant city. I had a great time losing myself in the streets of such an old and interesting city, and I was excited to explore just a little more the following day. Since our drive to New York was so short we would have time to see just a little more in the morning before saying goodbye to Boston.
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