Boston Things to Do Tips by Rich62

THERE ARE 29 DUCK BOATS (in 2008) taking visitors around town. It is a 90-minute excursion, and you cannot get off until the trip ends, but trust me, those 90 minutes will go by fast. Our driver ("The Great Geribaldi") was fantastic. He was funny, intelligent and informative. Oh, and he was a good driver too! All drivers must be Coast Guard licensed. The trip is not cheap, an adult ticket costs $29.00 (in 2008). Of course there are senior citizen rates, child rates, etc. And don't expect just to walk in and catch the next Duck Boat leaving; you need to plan a bit in advance. The Duck Boats leave from the Museum of Science, which sits by the Charles River in Cambridge. Its in my photo above.

Leave a Comment

Address: The Museum of Science
Directions: On the north shore of the Charles River

ACTUALLY, HARVARD IS IN CAMBRIDGE, which is next door to Boston, but let's not get picky, ok? Anyway it is a stunningly beautiful campus to visit. A stroll through the Harvard campus will surely lower your blood pressure after the hectic Boston streets (or subway or taxi) that got you there.

Leave a Comment

Address: Harvard Square, Cambridge, MA
Directions: North of the Charles River in Cambridge. Just take the blue line subway and get off at the Harvard station.

PREPARE TO BE TAKEN BACK IN TIME at the JFK Library/Museum. JFK would be 91 years old this year (2008) if he had lived and if my math is right.

The most touching area is at the end of the tour when you face a black wall with gold letters that say "November 22, 1963." Then you enter a totally black hallway and confront the images from that day. I remember where I was when I heard the news, do you?

There is also a nice cafeteria in the complex and a gift shop.

Leave a Comment

Phone: 617-514-1550
Address: Columbia Point, Boston, MA 02125
Directions: South of downtown Boston, along the coast, about halfway to Quincy.
Website: http://www.jfklibrary.org/

ANOTHER OF THE GREAT UNIVERSITIES OF THE BOSTON AREA. BU has a long, narrow campus that runs in an east-west direction just on the south side of the Charles River. There are several subway stops at different points of the campus.

WE ATTENDED THE GRADUATION CEREMONY at the College of Business. Each college has its own graduation ceremony at its own location (otherwise the ceremony would probably take 12 hours or so!!!).

Leave a Comment

Address: Commonwealth Ave., Boston, MA
Directions: On the south side of the Charles River

ALTHOUGH I'M NOT A BASEBALL FAN, even I can feel the history and tradition oozing out of the pores of this great old ball park. Just imagine, Babe Ruth played here...in a Red Sox uniform!

Its fun to walk around the stadium and see the taverns and other establishments in the area, and to see the famous "Citgo" sign that is in the background of so many pictures of Fenway. And of course you cannot miss seeing the "Green Monster", that one-of-a-kind outfield wall.

click the photo to see more.

Leave a Comment

Directions: Just south of the Mass Pike (I-90) along Brookline Avenue, Yawkey Way, Van Ness St, Ipswich St and Lansdowne St.

JUST START AT THE BOSTON COMMON and follow the bricks lined along the middle of the sidewalk. Its the greatest self-guided tour in America, in my opinion.

Leave a Comment

Directions: From the Boston Common to Old Ironsides.

THIS IS AN AREA OF GREAT OLD RESIDENTIAL ARCHITECTURE.

Beacon Hill Avenue runs along the north side of the Boston Common; The Beacon Hill Neighborhood lies just to the north of that.

Leave a Comment

Directions: Area bounded by: Storrow Dr., Cambridge St., Beacon St., Bowdoin St. Its roughly 5 blocks by 5 blocks and lies north of the Boston Common.
Website: http://www.beaconhillonline.com/

MANY PEOPLE START THEIR WALK ON THE FREEDOM TRAIL RIGHT HERE.

Leave a Comment

Directions: Bound by Tremont, Beacon, Charles and Boylston Streets.
Website: http://www.cityofboston.gov/freedomtrail/bostoncom

ITS BEEN A LONG TIME SINCE PAUL REVERE ROWED ACROSS THE CHARLES RIVER and stood on the other side awaiting the lantern signal "one if by land, two if by sea."

This is a very friendly, somewhat slower-paced area of Boston that you should enjoy.

click on the photo to see more.

Leave a Comment

Directions: Storrow Drive / Memorial Drive

THIS GREAT HIGH-STEEPLED CHURCH is often confused with the Old North Church. But the Old South Meeting House has plenty of history of its own. Here a group of colonists planned the Boston Tea Party and dressed as Indians before heading down to the wharf. They dressed as Indians not to put the blame on an Indian tribe, but rather to conceal their own individual identities.

Even years before that, a young lad was baptized here, and would go on to be one of the greatest leaders this nation has ever produced. His name was Benjamin Franklin.

Leave a Comment

Directions: Its on the Freedom Trail, on School Street (I think) near Devonshire St.