After 11 long hours in a car full of six warm bodies, it was nice to walk into our small, air-conditioned Airbnb in South Boston. My family decided to travel to Boston because it is a city none of us have seen before, and my family likes to explore unfamiliar places whenever we have the chance. We were all worn out from traveling the first night, so after getting dinner at a nearby restaurant, we swiftly crashed in our Airbnb.
We only had a few plans for the next day - a Tuesday - so it was nice to have some leniency in our routine. I woke up about 7:15 a.m. and went on a run with my younger brother and my Dad. We were very close to Dorchester Bay in Boston Harbor, so we ran down onto a pier we didn’t know existed prior to our run. It was a beautiful - albeit quite warm - morning, and from the pier was a welcoming view of the Boston skyline. The pier was connected to Castle Island, on which Fort Independence stood. I loved waking up early to run all three days of the trip because it allowed me to experience what a normal Bostonian’s morning might be like, while taking in the beautiful view and cool breeze from the water.
After our run and unhurriedly getting ready for the day, we ordered a Lyft to get into the city. We were then dropped off at Fenway park, where we were to take an hour-long tour. Though baseball does not interest me much, the tour was more fascinating than expected, and knowing my brother, Dad and boyfriend all find the history of baseball fascinating, it was more enjoyable. I was even delighted to learn that the park has a vegetable garden on its roof.
When the tour was finished, we had lunch at by CHLOE, a popular vegan restaurant that sells classic American fare, veganized. It is an eclectic and cute restaurant, which also has locations in New York, London and a few other cities throughout the U.S. I ordered the Tropic Thunder smoothie and the Quinoa Taco salad, which were both exquisitely tasty. Once we were finished with lunch, another Lyft came to chauffer us to the Boston Public Library. We explored the picturesque library, then walked to the Public Garden, where we took a ride on a swan boat. The boat ride was relaxing after having walked around the city in 90 degree heat, and we saw swans and ducks throughout the Lagoon.
However, the boat ride didn’t last long, and we were soon back on our feet to explore more of the city. We walked from the park to the Beacon street neighborhood, which was lined with charming row houses, making it feel as if we were in a European city. We walked until we made it to the Charles River Esplanade - a body of water connected to the Boston Harbor. Here, we took a break on a small dock as we watched sail boats float by.
When we felt we had had enough of a break we decided to head back to South Boston for dinner. We went to the oldest bar in South Boston, Amrheins, where we received amazing service despite it being our waiter’s second day on the job. When we finished dinner we were all exhausted so we decided to watch “Good Will Hunting” which takes place in Boston. We all seemed too tired to keep our eyes open throughout the film, so as soon as it was over we went straight to bed.
The next morning we ordered a Lyft and made our way to the very beginning of the Freedom Trail, on which we were taking a guided tour. The tour was led by a man playing Samuel Prescott, a Patriot who helped in Paul Revere’s “midnight ride” to warn Concord of the nearing British Army during the Revolutionary War. He gave history on each place we went, including the Granary Burying Ground, where Paul Revere and many other Revolutionary War Patriots are buried. It was interesting to learn the history behind the Freedom Trail as we walked, however, the tour did not take us very far, so we had to do the second half of the trail on our own.
We walked to Faneuil Hall, where many shops and restaurants are located, then to the Boston Public Market, where we ate a small lunch of salad and tofu. In the market was a cute bakery called Jennifer Lee’s, an all-vegan bakery that donates five percent of the proceeds to animal shelters. After lunch we continued on the Freedom trail, making our way to each of the 16 sites, including Paul Revere’s house, Copp’s Hill Burying Ground, and finally the Bunker Hill monument. The monument was built between 1825 and 1843 to commemorate the battle of Bunker Hill. We scaled all 294 steps to the top to see some brilliant views of Boston, and once we made it back down to the bottom, we were pretty worn out.
Walking the two and a half miles of the Freedom Trail and then some is cause to be tired, so after making our way back to Faneuil Hall to do some shopping and get dinner, we headed back to the Airbnb. When we arrived back, though exhausted, we decided to walk to the pier on Dorchester Bay to finish off the night. We watched airplanes fly overhead as we strolled onto the pier, and soaked in the sparkling skyline of the small city.
Our trip was short, yet full of new adventures and a great deal of history. I feel like I now have a well-rounded view of Boston and I am glad I was able to get to know a new seaside city along with my family. I will definitely be back to Boston, but until then I will seek out new adventures in different, captivating places.