Trip To New England-Boston, MA

OK, first, I promise it's back to crafts and cooking in three short days, but something I love as much as crafts, if not more, is travel.  I got back from vacation about a week ago.  I'm packing up again for another vacation (soon) and I just want to document my memories.  I'm taking three days, and about 30,000 post from the stops I made on my trip to New England.  I collected tons of craft and cooking ideas (a few I've already thrown together and will start working on and posting soon).  After this vacation, I can now officially say I've been to all 50 states.  I've been working on this for about 10 years.  No particular reason, just because I can.  I've learned a lot through the adventures, and....I'm thinking of a bigger 'blog' project soon in honor of those fifty states.  BUT.....first, my vacation.  My Mom, cousin and I flew up to Boston.  We spent three days in Boston.  Most of the time it rained, and I wore a jacket.  This is a foreign concept to me in June.  I ended up getting sick by day two and carrying along that souvenir, but it did not diminish some of the really cool things I got to see. 

Boston-wow, much neater than I even anticipated.  The traffic is a little wild.  The streets all seem to merge in something called a 'roundabout'.....we don't have many of these down south.  Highway spokes go off in multiple directions, and it would be a little more frightening if I didn't get to do it at about 4 miles per hour.  Traffic is a bugger, but....the sites are good, so I just enjoyed the ride and the site seeing as I sat in traffic.  Someone told me the streets don't have a lot of rhyme and reason because they are all old carriage routes, so.....they just built the roads where the carriages roamed and called it city planning.  The roads were a little different, but the subway system was great.  It was clean, swift, and it took us to all the major stops.  We spent two days exploring the Freedom Trail.  It's a walking trail in Boston that takes you by some of the historical sites our nation recognizes because some pretty monumental decisions and scenes took place here once upon a time. 

It also takes you down a part of town with a lot of Italian heritage (apparently 'not' called Little Italy), but.....I stopped at a pastry shop called Mike's.  I was apparently not the only one that read about this shop in the guide book either.  The line was out the door the entire time we were there.  The wait staff was a little harried, the line (at least when I was there) didn't exactly do 'first come first serve' (you do NOT want to try 'aggression' as a line standard back where I'm from), but the desserts....the desserts were worth the culture confusion.  Canoli's, cakes, and Boston Cream Pie.....

Not far from this destination is the North Church.  I read many a story about this church and Paul Revere's ride.  Two lanterns were hung in the tower to let him know the warning he was to shout was that the British were come (two if) by sea.  He did.  We fought.  We won.  Assuming I'm referring to the 'we' in my family that was actually residing here at the time. 

Not far from the church was Paul Revere's house. 

 

This in Faneuil Hall.  Lots of shops and history around every corner and in every nook and krannie! 

This is the Old State House where the Boston Massacre occurred (in front of the steps of the domed building). 

So many meeting houses (Old South Meeting house below).  So many decisions made.  So much history. 

After walking around and exploring Boston, we spent the first evening at Revere Beach, America's first public beach.  There was a little site we read about called Kelly's that is famous for it's roast beef.  The best compliment I can give it is that I don't do much red meat and this was so good I had to go back the last night we were in town and eat a second sandwich.  It really was 'that' good.

Another to do item in Boston.....Fenway Park.  I'm a big fan of baseball, so this was a must see. 

Tickets were a bugger to get.  We got in a virtual waiting room the second they went on sale in the spring, but it was a neat experience to be at America's Oldest Ballpark.  It was a quiet ride....the quietest ballpark I've ever been to....and I was a Ranger's fan in the 90's....so...., after staying ahead most of the game, they lost it in the last few innings, but it was fun to sit in the old green seats, be serenaded by organ music and bagpipes.....and just do the baseball/hot dog thing.