Saturday, 15 September 2012
Thursday, 30 August 2012
Toeing the Red Line, Boston's Freedom Trail
At 3.2 miles long and with an average
elevation gain of 183 feet I wasn’t entirely sure if the kids would be able to manage
Boston’s Freedom Trail in a single day.
In the end they did pull it off and even though we would love to have spent more time at many of the sites along the way it turned out to be a memorable, albeit exhausting, day for all of us.
In the end they did pull it off and even though we would love to have spent more time at many of the sites along the way it turned out to be a memorable, albeit exhausting, day for all of us.
Inner Harbour Ferry
The tour started off with a short ride on the Inner Harbour Ferry. The little, aging, MBTA operated ferry boat snakes in between its larger sisters (Boston Harbour Cruises, Codzilla and Whale Watcher Catamarans) to collect passengers travelling from Long Wharf, home of the New England Aquarium, to the Navy Yard, where Old Ironsides is moored.
Though short, the 15 minute trip provides some stunning views of the Boston skyline.
USS Constitution
After the HMS Victory, the oldest commissioned warship is the USS Constitution, but since Nelson’s Flagship is permanently in dry dock, the Constitution has the honor of being the oldest commissioned warship not only afloat, but still sailing.
Aside from special commemorative sailing
events such as Boston Navy Week the Constitution or “Old Ironsides” is usually
moored at the Charlestown Navy Yard.
If you get there early you should be able
to join a guided tour of the ship, presented by an active-duty sailor, with
only a short wait.
Thankfully for us both the gun and crew decks are pretty large, so if you have excited and chatty kids, keep them occupied at one end of the ship and they shouldn’t be much of a distraction to the tour taking place at the other end.
For a great upper-thigh workout, head to
the 294 steps of the Bunker Hill Monument. Stroller parking is not allowed in
the little building attached, so I ended up lugging the thing all the way up to
the top.Thankfully for us both the gun and crew decks are pretty large, so if you have excited and chatty kids, keep them occupied at one end of the ship and they shouldn’t be much of a distraction to the tour taking place at the other end.
The windows at the top are small, plexiglass and dirty so if it’s views you want head to the Prudential. Climb the obelisk purely for the bragging rights.
After the climb you can use the restrooms
and enjoy the air-conditioning at the Bunker Hill Museum at the foot of the
hill on the corner of High Street and Monument Avenue.
Warren TavernAbout 4 blocks off the Freedom Trail (counting from City Square) on the corner of Pleasant and Main Street is the restored 18th century Warren Tavern. This is a great place to cool off, grab a drink and a bite before heading back out on the Trail.
Look for a more in depth review of this establishment under its own heading.
After the Charlestown Bridge the Trail passes Copp’s Hill Burial Ground (Boston’s oldest after King’s Chapel), the Old North Church, the Paul Revere Mall and the Paul Revere House.
The kids can cool off a bit in the fountains of North End Park before you continue on Hanover Street, past a slew of Irish Pubs and on to Faneuil Hall.
At Faneuil you’ll often spot great street
performers who entertain passersby with feats of acrobatics, juggling, music
and comedy.
A little further up is Quincy market which
consists of three main shopping areas: the historic Quincy Market Building has
an inner promenade of dozens of vendor stalls selling just about every American
and ethnic food variety you can imagine.
Along the outer walls of the Market Building you’ll find carts and stalls selling arts, crafts, jewelry, clothing and souvenirs.
Surrounding the Quincy Market are North and South Market Streets which, in turn, are bordered by more conventional shops, boutiques and offices.
Along the outer walls of the Market Building you’ll find carts and stalls selling arts, crafts, jewelry, clothing and souvenirs.
Surrounding the Quincy Market are North and South Market Streets which, in turn, are bordered by more conventional shops, boutiques and offices.
Downtown
The downtown leg of the Freedom Trail hosts
further sites of historical significance such as the Old South Meeting House, the
Old State House with the Boston Massacre Site and the King’s Chapel and Granary
Burying Grounds.
Unfortunately by this time the kids were getting tired of the long walk and we skipped most of the sites in this area to head to the Boston Common.
Unfortunately by this time the kids were getting tired of the long walk and we skipped most of the sites in this area to head to the Boston Common.
End the day on a high for the kids and spend some time at the Boston Common Frog Pond. There’s a little playground there that is walled off and astro-turfed. It features some water fountains, slides and a bunch of climbing and swinging equipment.
Then head over to the Boston Public Garden and enjoy a relaxing ride on the Swan Paddle Boats. Two adults and two kids will cost you a little over eight dollars for a roughly 15 minute figure-8 tour of the pond.
Wednesday, 29 August 2012
Pleasure Bay, Castle Island & Sullivan's
Having a few hours to kill we decided to
make a circuit around Pleasure Bay, before returning our rental car to Alamo at
Logan Airport.
The rest of the trail swings around Fort Independence, where you can watch the boats cruise in and out of the Charles River Mouth on their way from or to open sea, and onto the Head Island Causeway which in parts is connected by a series of bridges.
Pleasure Bay can be found at the East end
of South Boston, just across from the airport.
Sheltered by the Head Island Causeway the Bay is popular with local swimmers, sunbathers and sail boaters while the Causeway itself is utilized by anglers, walkers, runners and skaters.
The path around Pleasure Bay has been designated a Healthy Heart Trail by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and a full circuit is approximately 4K. (Incidentally I find that Boston is one of the best cities for walking and running).
Sheltered by the Head Island Causeway the Bay is popular with local swimmers, sunbathers and sail boaters while the Causeway itself is utilized by anglers, walkers, runners and skaters.
The path around Pleasure Bay has been designated a Healthy Heart Trail by the Massachusetts Department of Conservation and Recreation and a full circuit is approximately 4K. (Incidentally I find that Boston is one of the best cities for walking and running).
Bear in mind though that apart from few
short stretches on William J. Day Boulevard and around Fort Independence the
trail is pretty much unsheltered and at times when the breeze isn’t blowing it
can get quite hot.
At the North End of the trail, near to the paths up to the Fort, you’ll find Sullivan’s, a fast food joint and a South Boston staple since 1951. Sullivan’s offers the usual New England fare: Lobster Rolls, Fried Seafood and Ice Cream but the quality is good and the service outstanding.
Lines usually extend through the door but orders are taken quickly and efficiently at the three to four registers and the wait is surprisingly short.
At the North End of the trail, near to the paths up to the Fort, you’ll find Sullivan’s, a fast food joint and a South Boston staple since 1951. Sullivan’s offers the usual New England fare: Lobster Rolls, Fried Seafood and Ice Cream but the quality is good and the service outstanding.
Lines usually extend through the door but orders are taken quickly and efficiently at the three to four registers and the wait is surprisingly short.
The Clam Strips, Fried Shrimps, Chicken
Strips and Crinkle Cut Fries were all good, not greasy and are served with
single serve packets of Tartar Sauce upon request. The kids really liked the Vanilla
Soft-Serve which can be ordered with fruit-flavored syrup swirled in. The
Italian Soda was a bit too sweet for my taste but still good. (The best Italian
Soda we had in Boston was the Torani Mango from the Cookie Monstah food truck
on Chinatown Park, right next to the Paifang).
Meals can be eaten on the picnic tables out
front (un-shaded) on the grassy hillside heading up to the Fort or on park
benches in the shade. Since there were a lot of dog owners walking their pets
on the same lawn the picnickers were using we opted for one of the benches.
A little way further is a clean and
well-maintained playground where the kids can run around and blow off
steam. The area is not fenced off
however and since some of the equipment is very large and impossible to see
over or around my wife and I each sat at opposite ends of the playground so that
at least one of us could have an eye on the kids at all times.The rest of the trail swings around Fort Independence, where you can watch the boats cruise in and out of the Charles River Mouth on their way from or to open sea, and onto the Head Island Causeway which in parts is connected by a series of bridges.
Apart from the occasional rumble of jets
taking off from Logan airport the walk around Pleasure Bay is a relaxing and
invigorating experience.
Tuesday, 28 August 2012
Fenway Park
If you’re going to experience one MLB game
in your life, there is probably no better choice than to watch the Red Sox play
at home in historic Fenway Park.
Fenway, which celebrated its centennial in 2012, is the oldest Major League ballpark still in use (the Minor League Rockwood Field in Birmingham, AL dating from 1910 is the oldest in the world) and arguably the most famous sporting venue in the United States.
Located just south of the Charles River
Basin between the Downtown and Brookline areas Fenway shows its age by having no
parking facilities worth mentioning. Drivers can get parking in private garages
and supermarket parking lots for anywhere from $25 to $50 depending on the proximity
to the ballpark.
Fenway, which celebrated its centennial in 2012, is the oldest Major League ballpark still in use (the Minor League Rockwood Field in Birmingham, AL dating from 1910 is the oldest in the world) and arguably the most famous sporting venue in the United States.
Yawkey Way |
We were lucky to get a lift to the corner
of Boylston and Yawkey which is about as close as you’ll get to the stadium on
game-day since all streets adjacent to Fenway are cordoned off for the duration
of the game. Each corner has several lines for ticket and bag checks but they
move pretty rapidly and shouldn’t take more than 5 minutes or so to get
through.
The concession stands outside the park and
inside, below the stands offer a wide range of beverages and snacks. Onion
Rings were good, Fries average but we didn’t much care for the Italian Sausage
which was bland. I’ve been told that Fenway Franks are the way to go and I’m
sorry we didn’t try those instead. Be prepared to pay a premium; Fries, Rings,
Sausages, Bottled Water and a 100 Year Fenway keepsake cup of Soda set us back
nearly 50 bucks.
If you’re a little late getting into the
ballpark and your seat is near one of those support columns that hold up the
upper deck, you might find that the person who booked the spot behind the pole
is occupying your seat (as we did) but you should be able to sort that out with
a minimum of fuss.
It is obvious from the cheers of
encouragement, the roars of approval and the occasional cat-calls directed at
the visiting team that Red Sox spectators are die-hard baseball lovers and it’s
hard not to get caught up in their enthusiasm. Pretty soon you too will be
participating in the Mexican Wave, whistling at an unpopular linesman decision
and yelling for that potential homerun hit to “Get out of here!”
Spectators in the bleachers and on top of
the Green Monster are particularly dedicated, braving 3 hours of scorching heat
while cheering on their teams. It is no surprise that MLB’s cameras which take
time out to zoom in on fans in the stands during the interludes between
innings, pay special attention to those folks out in the sun.
Being from Europe and used to seeing
football fans separated by fences and police I was surprised to notice the
Lighter Blue of the Texas Rangers fans dotted around the stands, surrounded by
a sea of Red, Kelly Green and Navy. Unmolested, even when the game ended with
the Rangers up by one point, opposing team supporters smiled, shook hands and
filed out of the ballpark. True sportsmanship which, unfortunately, seems to be
becoming more and more unique to the fans of baseball.
After the game we initially joined the
shuffling throng bound for Kenmore Station (Green Line) but after a few steps
down the subway stairs we decided to about turn and head for fresh air.
TIP: If you have the time, the weather is
cooperating and you don’t mind hoofing it a bit consider walking to a station
further away from the Stadium to avoid the press. Since we were headed South,
we instead made our way to the Orange Line at Ruggles, a pleasant walk of about
15 minutes.
Monday, 27 August 2012
Amity Island Scavenger Hunt
Intersection in Edgartown. |
I have therefore filed this piece under
Stories and Tips to provide some advice for anyone considering participating in
this event in the future.
Some background info:
In 1972 the movie Jaws burst onto the screen defining the whole concept of the summer blockbuster, becoming the highest grossing movie ever at the time and instantly garnering a cult following. To stage Amity Island from Peter Benchley’s novel, director Steven Spielberg chose a variety of locations on and around the island of Martha’s Vineyard.
Wood's Hole Terminal. |
The biggest of these outfits is the Steamship Authority which operates services between Wood’s Hole (WH) on the mainland and your choice of Vineyard Haven (VH) or Oak Bluffs (OB) on the island. As far as I can tell the S.A. is the only company that carries cars and trucks as well as walk-on passengers.
Since Jaws’ release (and its subsequent
sequels) every summer scores of fans make the pilgrimage to Martha’s Vineyard
to photograph themselves in some of the movie’s iconic filming locations. (In
addition to the Jaws fanatics, there are a growing number of “film location
tourists” who enjoy visiting sites and sets around the world related to their
favorite movies.)
Chappaquiddick or "Chappy" Ferry. |
Since we already had plans to make a trip
to Martha’s Vineyard during our stay in Massachusetts, we decided to have our
visit coincide with the Amity Trivia Hunt so we could combine sight-seeing with
a little movie fandom and a game which might entertain the kids.
However, the Triva Hunt is not Letterboxing
or Geocaching; deciphering the cryptic directions in the game book requires an
intensely geeky knowledge of Jaws, including plot, dialog, character names and
especially the architecture and location of the various buildings (original and
purpose-built) that were depicted in the movie.
Old Sculpin Gallery, the model for Quint's shack. |
1.
Watch the movie at least three
times before attending Jaws Fest, paying special attention to the first half of
the movie (before the protagonists set out on the Orca II). I casually watched
it the night before thinking that would suffice. How wrong I was.
2.
If you own a digital copy
consider taking it along on your mobile device. (No idea if this constitutes
cheating).
3.
Make sure everyone tagging
along is old enough to have watched and appreciated the movie so they can
participate. My 2 and 6 year olds hadn’t a clue what was going on and were
subsequently bored out of their minds.
Sea Shanty Restaurant advertising Jaws Party. |
4.
Make sure everyone in your
party is wearing comfortable shoes and is fully ambulant. A lot of walking is
involved (including on beaches and other rough terrain) as well as hopping on
and off buses. Parking grandma is the shade while you go traipsing about is not
an option.
At 09:00 the parking lots closest to the ferry dock were already full and we were redirected to the Gifford Street lot. Driving there plus waiting on and taking the shuttle bus meant we arrived back at the dock just in time to miss the 09:30 and had to wait until 10:45 for the next service. Close to noon on the Island the traffic from VH to Edgartown was bumper to bumper so it wasn’t until after 1 PM that we finally got to the Dr. Daniel Fischer House to collect the Trivia Bag.
I can’t comment
on the other aspects of Jaws Fest including the VIP meet and greets, the prop
museums, the shark conservation presentations and the reenactments by dedicated
fans since we didn’t have the time to experience any of those.
The website however says that the event was a success and that nearly 1800 people attended the screenings of Jaws in the Park at Vineyard Haven, so I’m guessing there’s a good time to be had with the rest of the program as well.
The website however says that the event was a success and that nearly 1800 people attended the screenings of Jaws in the Park at Vineyard Haven, so I’m guessing there’s a good time to be had with the rest of the program as well.
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