The Great Race, Episode One - Two Hours in Boston

Picking up Matthew from Boston Logan International Airport gave us the opportunity with only a few hours of daylight to explore a city I had always been curious about since I was a kid. Not only does does Boston house the recognized institutes of higher learning such as Harvard and MIT, it also happens to be the place where is recorded the events and the mind set that was fundamental to America, one of self-reliance that seems to mark the people of the region. Mind you we only had two hours or so, but we made the most of it. We didn't have time to be polite, so we searched for a map (we didn't realized these were kind of hard to find) and proceeded to be real tourists (camera in tow), looking down at a map to give us directions and with the audacity of people desperate to see something of note, but without the time to be polite. 

Just the same, the local Bostonians seemed friendly, out of character to the reputation that proceeded them. They were helpful and seemed to almost find it novel that a Californian and Mainer would find themselves in downtown Boston during the off-peak tourist season. Who cares, we were there to see the sights, and Matt was there to do reconnaissance for the future dates he was going to take down here. At least that's what I told him he was supposed to be doing.

We just picked a parking spot, ours just happened to be beneath the North Station of the MBTA.
Which is an acronym for Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority, affectionately known as the T by locals, who use it for public transport around Boston and suburbs.

After wandering around (without a map at first),  we found a statue of this guy named Paul.
After that, the rest was history, so to speak.

The warning lights from that famous ride shown from the steeple of this church.

Humble church that played a role in housing the lights that warned the militia of the British arrival.

Old North Episcopal Church

This seal marks the bricked roads along the Freedom Trail, a path that runs along downtown Boston, visiting 16 significant historical sights of the area - we only got to a few of them.

Matt and I finally found a place that had maps. No longer aimless we now had a way to get our bearings.

Thought not officially on the Freedom Trail, Matt spent a lot of time around the Quincy Market when coming down with his family, so we came here to find some grub.

With a high probability of vegan dishes, we decided on Wagamama.

Several options chosen, Number 38 in the coconut sauce was unanimously voted as the winner.

New England spelling tutorial. Different words over here, who knew?

Fanueil Hall - where rousing speeches were made to encourage the baby nation to become independent of Great Britain.

Sometimes referred to as "the Cradle of Liberty" - we did not have to time to take the tour of historically significant events of the Hall.

Plaque inside Fanueil Hall

My only experience with Samuel Adams, no ID required.

Matt shows the markings of the Freedom Trail. It's a nice addition, because if you think you're lost, look for this red stripe or the brick line similar to this that marks the complete trail.

People movers are the way to get around. And it's still all about the wheels. The guy with the meaty ones gets the girl's number. Sorry rice-rockets, she's looking for the guy with the Big Wheels.

Interview in traditional garb of the day. Must've been a pain to clean.

In a short time, it was still lots of fun. Next time, we're driving to Portland taking the train in, then hitting the T. But now we know a little of our way around, where to eat and what to see. Future plans include the aquarium, Bunker Hill,  MIT, Harvard Square. And a host of others. I'll keep you posted. Don't forget to hit the title for the jump to Wiki.