Boston
Massachusetts
Hard Rock Café: 22 Clinton St, Boston, MA 02109
Our visits: So far 3 visits in October 2008, October 2010 and October 2013
Tour the city
Description: The capital of Massachusetts is also the largest city in the state. It was founded in 1630 and is one of the most historically important cities in the USA. There is a lot to discover in the city. Below is a small selection:
Boston Tea Party: One of the most important historical events of the city. It denotes the resistance of the population against the colonial policy. On this occasion, on 16.12.1773, Boston citizens dressed as Mohawks threw several hundred boxes of tea from ships lying in the harbor into the dock. This historic event is still reenacted today in the associated museum. Everything you need to know about the museum can be found on the official webpage.
For the GPS: 306 Congress St, Boston, MA 02210
Harvard University: One of the most famous elite private universities in the USA. It is located in Cambridge in the northwest of Boston. You can visit the campus and take a guided tour of the prestigious university. Everything you need to know about a tour can be found on the official webpage of the university.
Famous graduates: Barack Obama, Mark Zuckerberg, Natalie Portman, Al Gore, Matt Damon.
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT): THE technical university for all natural scientists. One of the most important and significant technical universities on earth.
For the GPS: 77 Massachusetts Ave, Cambridge, MA 02139
Fenway Park: The legendary baseball stadium of the Boston Red Sox. The stadium was built in 1912 and is one of the pilgrimage sites for baseball fans in the USA.
For the GPS: 4 Jersey St, Boston, MA 02215
Skywalk Observatory: The observation deck is located in the Prudential Building at a height of more than 656ft. The entrance fee is 21$/person. Everything you need to know about the Skywalk Obersvatory can be found at the official webpage.
For the GPS: 800 Boylston St, Boston, MA 02199
Our rating: Boston is one of our favorite cities in the US. We have found it to be relaxed. We really enjoyed spending time here.
Freedom Trail
Description: The Freedom Trail is an approximately 2.5mi long footpath through the city, which leads along the most important stations of the founding history. The entire trail is marked by plaques and red stripes on the ground, making orientation a breeze. A few of the important stops along the Freedom Trail are:
Boston Common - The beautiful public park directly in front of the Capitol.
Massachusetts State House: The Capitol has served as the seat of state government since it opened in 1798.
Old State House: Built in 1713, the Old State House is the oldest public building in the city and was once the center of public life. On March 5, 1770, the Boston Massacre took place here.
Faneuil Hall: Faneuil Hall was an important gathering place for public speeches at the time North America sought independence from England.
Our rating: A walk along the Freedom Trail is simply part of a visit to Boston. Even if, like us, you don't cover the entire distance, it's worth it. You get a good insight into the history of Boston and the USA in a relatively small area and with little effort.
Tipp: About half way you will find Quincy Market. Here there are lots of small restaurants in a large market hall. There is a lot of delicious food to discover.
Beacon Hill
Description: Beacon Hill is one of Boston's historic neighborhoods. There are several picturesque streets with pretty brick houses in Victorian style. Even in the past, Beacon Hill was considered a district of the rather wealthy population.
Our rating: We really enjoyed a stroll through Beacon Hill. The old houses, cobbled streets and sidewalks, together with the beautiful old trees and plantings, offer lots of great photo opportunities.
Harbor Cruise
Description: There was a boat ride around Boston Harbor in combination with the Hop on Hop off bus ticket that we used in 2013. The start and end point is at Long Wharf directly across from the Marriott Hotel.
Among other things, you pass the USS Constitution and can take a look at the historic sailing ship from the water. You can also pass it from land if you are on the Freedom Trail.
Our rating: The trip through the harbor was fun, because you get many other impressions when you look at the city with a little distance. We also learned a lot about the importance of Boston as a seaport. Even though this is certainly not a must see , we enjoyed the ride quite a lot.
Whale Watching
Description: During our tour of the Northeast in October 2010, we took a whale watching tour with Boston Harbor Cruises. We were on a relatively large boat that was also very well attended. First you leave the harbor and go out to the open ocean. At the beginning you pass all kinds of harbor facilities. The larger part of the trip we were on the open ocean.
Notice: For this tour you should be seaworthy in any case, because as soon as you leave the harbor and go out to the open ocean the boat is really swinging.
Our rating: Unfortunately, the humpback whales offshore were very far from Boston that day, so we went out to sea at full speed for over two hours before we even got close to a whale. In the end, we saw a humpback whale that jumped out of the water a time or two at some distance. This was great, of course, but you had to be on the right side of the boat because there were so many people on the ship that not everyone could see the whale.
From our experience, we would recommend the following: Normally you have to drive several hours from Boston to get to the area where the whales normally live. If the possibility exists, we would therefore make the trip next time not from Boston, but from Provincetown/Cape Cod. There you are much closer to the large marine mammals and do not have to ship forever in a rocking boat over the ocean.
