Boston,

August 17-19, 2012

We had just finished our 22 hour passage from Maine to Boston at 0900, and sleep was calling.  But the city was also calling and we were SO excited about taking showers and eating food.  So we got our acts together and took the dinghy past all the mega-yachts, “parking” at the marina.

We had an early lunch at Joe’s American and enjoyed chatting with our waiter, EJ.  We then took a trolley ride all around the city.  Our trolley driver, Vinny, was one of those live-outloud characters who create their own personal party wherever they go.  He is a born and bred Bostonian from the Italian North End.  Vinny narrated the tour, showing us all the historic areas of the city, telling funny stories, stopping in the middle of traffic to show us something cool, and pointing out which places were worth checking out and which were just tourist traps.

 

We topped off the day with the requisite visit to Faneuil Hall and Quincy Market.  Though completely ironic, we took advantage of the free boat ride that came with our trolley tickets.  It was a hot day and it was nice to be on the water.  It was funny when the boat went right by Patronus.  We learned about the history of this important harbor port.

We ended the day by relaxing on the boat, rocking in the hammock, doing laundry at the marina, watching all the boats go by in this busy harbor, and eating a light dinner.  The view of the skyline at night was incredible.  We were right in front of the best view of Boston and the music playing at the waterfront bar was the perfect soundtrack.

 

The next day we decided to get back on the trolley and get on and off at the places that Vinny had suggested.  We hit the North End and discovered a traditional street fair for some saint that was getting underway.  We had sausage and peppers from the Italian street vendors, enjoyed the music, and had fresh zeppoles.  This may have been the exact moment when I fell in love with Boston, shocking me to no end, as most cities fill me with anxiety (too much going on) and disgust (too dirty).  Boston is super clean and while there are a lot of people around, they aren’t running around in a frantic rush, like in other unnamed cities twenty minutes from my house.  The boys all got haircuts in a traditional barber shop and Porter grew up in front of our eyes with his big boy hairdo.

We followed the Freedom Trail (a red brick line that traverses the city, leading you to historic sites) and toured Paul Revere’s home, a famous cemetery, and the hill where the British attacked the Americans.  Porter was our official Freedom Trail guide.  He loved following the trail and leading the way.

 

Porter and I hopped back on the trolley while Chris, Bryson, and Reese challenged themselves to the long walk to Charlestown.  We thoroughly enjoyed touring the USS Constitution and the WWII ship there.  We happened to be in Boston for the commemoration of the 100th anniversary of the battle between Old Ironsides and the HMS Guerriere during the War of 1812.  To honor their victory, the USS Constitution would be taken out to the harbor for the second time in almost 100 years to sail under her own power.  The shipyard was a-buzz with Navy soldiers preparing for this special occasion.

We spent a lot of time looking at the ships and I was pretty much done with the learning section of the day, but Chris wanted to go to the USS Constitution museum as well.  I’m so glad we did.  This museum was incredible.  The first floor was well curated and had several areas where the kids could make rope, pull a (pretend) cow up onto the ship using a pulley, and try other aspects of sailing.  But the upstairs was even more amazing.  The kids come up the steps and have to take a test to see if they will be chosen to sail on the Constitution.

In the next room, they have to say goodbye to their loved ones.  In the room after that, they get their job assignments, from cook to deck-scrubber.  They had a room where they could pretend to eat in the mess hall and sleep in hammocks which hung from the ceiling.  At the end, they find out what happens to their “character” after they finish their time on the ship.  All three kids (ages 6, 9, and 11) were engaged and interested the entire time.

 

 

 

After another short trolley ride, I got off to shop in the fancy-schmancy Newbury Street section while Chris and the kids continued on to the waterfront.  I enjoyed seeing all the pretty clothes in the shops but didn’t buy anything since Prada doesn’t seem to carry waterproof evening gowns.  Meanwhile, Chris and the kids approached the end of the trolley line, which is right next to the marina, but there were firetrucks and emergency vehicles everywhere.  They started walking to the marina and discovered that the hoopla was coming from the docks.  Panicked about Patronus and the dinghy, they tried to get closer and found out that a powerboat at the marina was having an engine room fire!  The owners were on board and smelled smoke.  The fire got out of hand quickly and the boat sustained a fair amount of damage.  Scary.

We all met up back at the North End for an authentic Italian dinner.  We were confused by all the restaurant options and found that all the “recommended” restaurants from online had lines out the door.  We finally just picked one and had a great dinner together.  Porter was a little frustrated because he has had a loose tooth for a week and it was painful for him to eat.  While Bryson and Reese have always been beyond excited about losing their teeth and getting a visit from the tooth fairy, Porter’s first lost tooth a month ago was sad and traumatic for him.  He senses that he is done being a baby and that change is on the way.  He wants to hold on to his teeth as a symbol of his being our baby.  He is so in tune with his emotions and has been able to talk to us about his feelings.  He is so sweet and adorable.

I had a feeling that his current loose tooth’s days were seriously numbered.  Sure enough, he took a bite of bread and started screaming (in the really nice italian restaurant).  I took him to the rest room and he somehow allowed me to take it out for him.  I held him as he wept and he eventually worked up some excitement about the tooth fairy coming to visit us on Patronus.

 

 

The next morning, we got ready for our long trip south.  We hoped to make it through the Cape Cod Canal in one day and planned on staying in Onset, MA for the night before heading back to Rhode Island.  But first we had to witness the historic sailing of the USS Constitution.  We motored over to the shipyard and watched as the harbor police, Coast Guard, and tugboats escorted the giant ship out of her berth.  The boat is simply majestic.  She glided slowly through the water.  At one point, she was pointed right at us, at a good distance, and I could imagine what might have gone through a sailor’s mind having to face that ship in battle.

We needed to get underway if we hoped to complete our trip before nightfall, so we watched the USS Constitution slide past the skyline and took our leave from the fleet of spectator boats.  We explained to the kids that they only planned on raising four of its many, many sails and it would probably only sail for about 10 minutes.  Reese was so mad, but not that we were leaving.  She thought it was a “total ripoff” to get all these boats and spectators on land to come out to watch a boat sail for ten minutes.

As we blew our conch shell, saying goodbye to Boston, I thought again about how quickly this lovely, historic, quaint city had captured my heart.  I look forward to coming back to Boston again when our voyage is over and recommend it to anyone looking for a fun weekend away with the kids.  Just make sure you get Vinny as your trolley tour guide, and don’t miss the zeppoles….

YouTube Videos (also available on the conwaysailors channel)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eN5gLybVEtA (USS Constitution)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i_kd_HTdzPA (Porter and the Freedom Trail)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i1zW2fdB0U8 (Porter Reading a letter from the tooth fairy)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQKbW8petbE (Nighttime dinghy ride)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jdFemd26WxA (USS Constitution Museum: folding sails)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rpaYglohxzc (USS Constitution Museum: Swabbing the decks)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z0Yoo6FqNHk (USS Constitution Museum: making rope)