Fourth of July in Boston

Whoa!!!

There is no other word for it.

You have not experienced a fourth of July until you experience it in Boston, Massachusetts.

My brother in law and his lovely wife moved from Amarillo, TX to Boston, MA in March.  Since I was going to be in New England, I thought this would be an ideal opportunity to visit them.  It just happened that all of my other stopping points allowed me to land in this old city during the 4th of July weekend.  Was that ever a gift!

On Saturday morning, we jumped on the commuter train that took us from Lynn, MA to the center of Boston.  The plan was to walk a bit of the Freedom trail, see some historic sites and then head back to Lynn before it got too crowded.  

We did just that and boy did we ever run into opportunity after opportunity.

As we exited the train station, we happened upon a crowd around State St.  Every now and then we heard cheers, so we walked towards the crowd to get an idea of what we were missing. From the balcony of the Old State House, the Declaration of Independence was being read allowed to the masses.  This is the same location that the original document was read to the masses in 1776.  

We then entered Faneuil Hall, a precursor to Quincy Marketplace.  Little did I know that this hall was the "cradle of liberty."  It was a location in which many an orator inspired audiences to rebellion, reform and protest.  The 1st floor is filled with little shops, but we happened upon a picture of the meeting hall on the 2nd floor.  We took the plunge and went up the elevator to find that a crowd was gathering.  Usually, rangers speak about the building on the half hour, but on the fourth there is a different tradition.  As luck would have it, we were about to witness the assembly of dignitaries, a band and the people.  We sat next to the band and observed the Boston Mayor and a immigrant from Africa touting the wonder of our country.  It was delightful.

After a leisurely lunch, we found the trail again and headed towards Paul Revere's house and the Old North Church.  It was so relaxing to be able to follow a marked trail and not have to pay attention to street signs and intersections.  Boston is definitely a family friendly city.  Open spaces were filled with families enjoying the first sun they had seen in 3 weeks.  Fountains were occupied by little ones and pets relishing the waters.  Once we rounded the corner to the Revere house, we noticed another crowd gathering in the courtyard.  A duet of a flutist and a violinist was playing.  Delbert and I viewed the house and enjoyed a bit of the music before we headed to the Old North Church.

Walking along the North Square was lovely.  The entire town was reminiscent of Europe, just hundreds of years younger.  We soon approached the courtyard that led to the Old North Church, best known for the signal placed in the steeple indicating how the British were leaving Boston.  This steeple was the highest point in Boston and the signal was seen in time for the colonists to prepare for the British.  They weren't offering a bed and breakfast!  At the beginning of the Paul Revere Mall is a statue of Revere's ride.  In the background the Old North Church steeple is visible.

The interior of the Old North Church and the rest of Boston is wonderful as well.  That will have to come at another time.  I have to hit the road.