Massachusetts 2011

This is our "sampler" trip of Massachusetts, to Boston, Cape Cod, and Salem. Donna and I are checking out this part of the country, looking for history, East Coast style, and lobsters!

BOSTON

We arrived in early June, hoping avoid the heat and humidity that the East Coast is known to have in the summer. Ah, early June, it'll be nice weather yet, right? We arrived to 94°s predicted for our first day, and humid it was. Nonetheless, we chose to walk the Freedom Trail to see all of the points of interest connected to the American Revolution.

A good way to start -- with Starbucks iced drinks in hand, we find a beautiful walkway through the center of Boston that takes us to the Boston Commons, a grand park, complete with fountains, wading pools, ponds, and lush greenery.

The swan boats in the Boston Commons.

The Freedom Trail starts here. This is the official seal of the Freedom Trail. For most of the trail, the trail is a red brick path. Where it has not been marked in brick, it's a painted red line. It is 2 1/2 miles long, and we followed about 2 miles of it. Along the way - points like the Old North Church, Paul Revere's house, and the site of the Boston Massacre lay, as well as other noteworthy places.

George Washington - the father of our country, and a Bruin? Yes, it's the Stanley Cup Hockey Finals, and the Boston Bruins are battling the Vancouver Canucks. There's hockey fever here, and George is showing his colors.

And Paul Revere is here, too, proudly wearing his jersey! Go Bruins!

Overheard from a costumed tour guide to a crowd: "The image on the Sam Adams beer label is really a picture of Paul Revere -- why? Because Paul Revere was a STUD, having fathered 16 children! (Nevermind, that he was a hero of the American Revolution...)

NOTE: The Bruins won! I heard the place went nuts with celebrants till 2am - but thankfully, I was holed away in my cave (well-insulated hotel room).

Situated in front of a state house building, this little donkey represented what had been the popular party in office. If you were a Democrat, you'd sit atop the donkey. If you were a Republican, you'd stand in opposition in the bronze footprints positioned in the stone, facing the donkey (they had an elephant design in the footprints).

Flags everywhere, Boston shows it's true colors.

Here's the Boston Meeting House, where the shots of the Boston Massacre rang out - one of the early skirmishes that signified the beginning of the American Revolution.

This is one of Boston's oldest cemeteries, The Old Granary Burying Ground, where Paul Revere and Samuel Adams are buried. Many of the tombs date back to the 1600s and 1700s.

Sort of a creepy headstone. The three main themes you see on the headstones are skulls, weeping willows & urns, and angels. We spent more time at graveyards, as Donna has a thing for them.

In between the modern buildings, the old are nestled in between.

Street side, along the trail...

Along the Freedom Trail, we came across several watering holes, including the Hennessey. where we stopped and had oysters and a martini. A good place to stop and rest from the heat - an Irish pub, complete with an Irish-accented barmaid.

Right around the corner was this cute pub with the Red Coat statue guarding the doorway. Note the real Red Coat costumed person having a pint or two in the window.

We found Starbucks everywhere in Boston, but this one had a giant tea pot, complete with steam coming from it.

Walking around the North End is like being in Italy.

Dinner in the North End, in one of the many good Italian restaurants around. "So whaddya wanna eat?" our waiter asked... We had something delicious!

Late sun on Boston, a city of old and new, all tightly packed, and full of energy.

CAPE COD

After a brief visit with Boston, we're off to see Cape Cod. The weather changed -- with clouds and a thankful drop in temperature. We drive to the Cape, staying in Hyannis, known as the Kennedy's hangout. There's some nice shopping out there!

This is the Atlantic side of the Cape, with white sandy beaches and open vistas. The speck is Donna, off to dunk her toes in the cold waters of the Atlantic.

Provincetown is at the very tip of Cape Cod. It's a cool beach community, filled with the traditional Cape Cod style cottages, well-manicured yards, and interesting shops.

The Cape, in the central part between the coasts, has mostly forest and ponds, with some marshlands. They also have some very persistent mosquitos!

A coast guard station along the coast.

In the town of Dennis, there's a beautiful little church, with a peaceful cemetery next to it, and an all-American gazebo in front.

Reading the headstones, life was short, tragic, and harsh.

Where's the band? Classic Americana!

In the nearby town of Barnstable, this imposing church caught my eye, with it's very tall steeple and simple, symmetrical style. Buildings and homes were either shingled, or wood-sided, but not the stucco we have at home.

On the opposite shore, the bay side, it's just as scenic. This is Sandy Beach, near Barnstable. A fast moving storm was on it's way, and by night, it was an exciting thunder and lightning storm. Weather changes quickly out here.

Yay, our first lobster! Dinner at Captain Parker's, in Yarmouth.

SALEM

Leaving the Cape, we drove north to Salem. Hoping to catch some sense of history, we found a city with some well-preserved homes, churches, and public buildings. Unfortunately, the overcast sky and rain are still hanging around, so picture-taking is limited.

Actually, this was in Plymouth, MA. We stopped along the coast, to see Plymouth Rock, just north of Cape Cod. Raining and raining, I just jumped out for a quick snap of this pretty church. Plymouth had a small but very nice history museum of the Pilgrims. Actual clothing owned and worn by the first settlers was on display. Looked uncomfortable... especially those shoes! Ladies wore hand-made cloth shoes, but to go outside, they tied thick, carved, wooden soles onto their "inside" shoes. I don't think they did much walking about in these!

Salem was historically a busy seaport. During the American Revolution, privateers (pirates) were hired to pillage the English ships, which aided in the cause.

Here I am - waiting for the rain to stop! We are taking a break in Salem. There's a cute downtown area, but with too many witch-themed t-shirt and trinket shops reeking of incense. Despite all of that, the town is quite pretty.

This is a memorial for the victims of the Salem witch trials that took place in 1692. The stone benches have the names of some of those executed. The cemetery just outside contains the grave of the "hanging" judge, John Hathorne, who presided over the trials.

Here's what NOT to do! We got sucked into the allure of seeing this attraction. A local said it was "fun". OK, if your idea of fun is watching a roomful of mannequins with taped music and vocal reenactments of the The Crucible - well then, your money would NOT BE WASTED, like ours' was!!!

BACK TO BOSTON

The weather finally cleared, and the entire city was sparkling. I hopped onto one of the tour bus trolleys, which also included a harbor cruise. A perfect day for sightseeing.

The Boston skyline - from Boston Harbor, where the infamous Tea Party incident occurred.

One of Boston's fireboats, docked nearby.

Newbury Street, in the Back Bay area of Boston, has fashionable shops and cute eateries. One block away, is Copley Square, as well as Trinity Church.

Trinity Church, as seen in the reflection of the John Hancock Tower. The church is currently undergoing some exterior work.

Fenway Park, home of the Red Sox. Didn't really see much of this, only a glimpse from the trolley tour bus, but I liked the colorful banners. These are the retired numbers of past ball players.

Need a good cuppa coffee? Throughout this trip, we couldn't find a decent cup. It seemed that Boston liked their coffee to be more like TEA! Weak, tasteless, and flabby. Finally, I found a real coffee house, Flatblacks, where I had a real and delicious cup of coffee. You just don't know what you're missing, until you don't have it...

It was a warm one today - 88°! I spent the day at the Museum of Fine Arts, in a comfy climate-controlled environment. Better yet - the art was amazing! OK, so most people don't enjoy 19th century American as I do -- but John Singer Sargent, Winslow Homer, and 20th century artists, Andrew Wyeth, Norman Rockwell, and Georgia O'Keefe -- wow! Going back tomorrow.

Saw the famous unfinished portraits of Martha and George Washington, by Gilbert Stuart. (This version of George was used on the $1 bill, later.) It was noted that Martha didn't like her commissioned portrait, so the artist was never paid for it. I guess she hated her picture -- don't we all hate our own pictures?

Stepping out of the "T" (transit, or subway), I came upon this joyful scene -- kids playing in the mini-Bellagio fountain. A great way to stay cool!