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Imagine you wake early, stroll out
the front door of your hotel and over to a huge public commons a few blocks away.
As you walk along, you notice architectural details -- a wrought iron gate here,
a street lamp there – that seem to beckon from another time. Strolling through
this park, where the Puritans once brought their cattle to graze, you try to imagine
what the city must have looked like back then, before there were cobblestone streets
or newspapers in the young colony. Turning a corner you find yourself on State
Street, site of the famous massacre, which galvanized the town's position behind
the Minutemen and against the King and his armies. You are in Boston my friend.
For there is no other place in this country, which carries its history and legacy
quite as proudly and easily as this colonial port. Just book a room at any one
of the wonderful hotels in the downtown area, such as the Millenium Boston, Boston
Milner Hotel, or the Radisson Hotel Boston, and use your front door as a gate
through which to explore Boston's rich and varied history.
A
walk along the Freedom Trail is a great way to familiarize yourself with both
the layout of the city and its history. The Freedom Trail is a three-mile self-guided
tour of Boston's most significant historic sights and structures. The trail begins
at the Boston Commons before heading north to sights around Charlestown. It's
as easy as following the red line painted on the sidewalk. With sights such as
Faneuil Hall, whose meeting hall was dubbed the “Cradle of Liberty” for its role
in our country's earliest political debates, and Paul Revere's original residence,
you'll want to give yourself the better part of a day to do the entire trail.
Those who enjoy walking, but aren't
big history buffs, might enjoy a stroll around the Emerald Necklace, as a leisurely
walk through the city's nine continuous scenic green parks is sure to be relaxing
and energizing, especially if you're hoping to save yourself for a night on the
town. The Boston Public Garden is also the oldest botanical gardens in the country,
and it is famous for the pedal boats that visitors use to cruise around the pond
during the warm months. Each of the
distinct neighborhoods around Boston has its own heritage and contribution to
the larger culture of Beantown (a nickname for the town known as the “town of
the bean and the cod”). For example, many people have heard of Fenway, home to
the famous Boston Red Sox and heavily speculated upon curse of the Bambino, but
this neighborhood is also host to the Boston Museum of Fine Arts and the picturesque
Victory Gardens. Guests at the Howard Johnson Fenway and the Best Western Fenway,
will want to be sure to spend some time touring the ballpark and surrounding areas
before heading off to explore other districts. More-->> |
