Historical Things: Boston Day 2

After a pretty eventful first day we decided to sleep in on day 2 and got a much later start to our sight seeing. My dad had arrived the night before and so I spent day 2 exploring the city with him. Our first stop was breakfast (since the hotel did not have free breakfast–yes, I’m still bitter). We went to Murph’s Place in Norwood, Massachusetts where I had probably the best Egg’s Benedict that I’ve ever had.

Upon discovering that a train would not arrive to take us into the city for another hour and a half, we decided to drive out to Patriot Place to see where the New England Patriots play (Norwood is relatively close by). And let me tell you, that place is impressive; it’s like a small city. There are all kinds of shops and restaurants next to the stadium. The other surprising thing about this stadium is the fact that it’s out in the middle of nowhere. One minute we were driving through these neighborhoods, not understanding why a stadium would be out here, and then BOOM! There’s a stadium. I think that’s just kind of how it is in the Northeast though. We experienced that when my brother was traveling the country for hockey.

Patriot Place: Home of the New England Patriots.

 

Our first stop once we made it into the city was the Freedom Trail walking tour. We had some trouble finding it because Siri gave my dad false information. She made us get off at the wrong train stop and then walk to the tour but once we got there we realized there was a train stop right where the tour started. After the success of the trolley tour on the first day, I found the walking tour to be a bit repetitive. Our tour guide was dressed in period garb, which I appreciate less in my cynical old age. He did take us to the cemetery where Benjamin Franklin’s parents and Paul Revere is buried. Apparently over 18,000 people are buried in this cemetery. I guess they’ve had issues in the past when it rains with limbs and bodies floating up. They had to shut down the street in 2012 because pilgrims were drifting down the street. After the cemetery, we saw the site where the Boston Massacre occurred. Then we ducked out early to go off on other adventures.

For the second day I had one goal: I wanted to eat Boston cream pie. So after our tour we walked to the Omni Parker House. The Omni Parker House is the oldest hotel in the city and has hosted a number of important people. JFK proposed to Jackie at the hotel. And the hotel is where the Boston cream pie was invented. I bought mine from the shop attached to the hotel. It was good and I’m glad I get to say I did it, but I don’t think Boston cream pie is really my thing.

The Omni Parker House’s famous Boston cream pie.

 

After a pit stop in a local pub to restore our energy, we hopped back on a train to go out to Boston University and Boston College. Though I’ve already graduated and have no desire to attend anymore school, I still love going on college visits. There’s just something about being on a college campus. Boston University was nice, bigger than I expected. I wanted a t-shirt but didn’t find any I felt especially attached to so I held out for Boston College. So we hopped on another train and continued out to Boston College. I really loved Boston College’s campus. The buildings were so old and pretty. The campus was so green too–people were out laying around. The other nice thing about the campus was the fact that it was so compact and easily walkable. This was one of the problems I had with Harvard, it wasn’t very walkable. There sure were a lot of stairs on BC’s campus though. I wouldn’t want to walk up those to get to class. We missed the bookstore by 15 minutes so I didn’t get my t-shirt.

On campus at Boston College.

 

We had to wait quite a while for a train out of Boston that night. We waited at the tavern in the station where I spotted a lady with a cat tattoo on the back of her neck, bringing all new meaning to the term “cat lady.” Our reward for a long day of walking and sightseeing? A lobster roll from The Take Away in Norwood. It was pretty good; the Texas toast bun made it though.

Until next time,

Jen