We woke up to a downpour and decided to hop on one of the many Trolley Tours. Our marina recommended the City View (gray trolley) and had coupons for $20 per person which is about half the price of the other guys. We caught the trolley at the USS Constitution stop and off we went for our city tour.
Our driver, Vinnie, from the North Side was a hoot and very knowledgeable about the city and its history. So why is Boston called “Bean Town”? He said since the city was infiltrated with purists who had to obey the Sabbath, prepared pots and pots of Boston Baked Beans on Saturday so they could focus on going to church and eating on Sunday. He added, “can you imagine all those people going back to church after eating beans all day?…maybe that is where the name Pews comes from”…haha. The sailors who brought in all those supplies of beans actually named the town “Bean Town”.
After doing the full tour we got off at Fanuell Hall and saw the TV show “Cheers” Bar that was replicated from the actual Hollywood set. We had to sit in Norms seat and have a drink.
Next we walked by the place where the Boston Massacre occurred. It is marked by a round stone monument laid into the sidewalk. The massacre started as a snowball fight. The sympathizer whose house they were pelting shot his gun into the crowd killing a 12 year old boy. Eleven days later, on March 5 1770, British troops killed Five (Yes, just five) demonstrators and this was called the Boston Massacre.
The subway here is very easy to use. There are four colored routes and they either go Inbound (into the city) or Outbound. We took the Red line outbound to Harvard.
On the way inbound we stopped at the MGH (Mass. General Hospital) stop to explore Beacon Hill. The Captains father grew up here so we went to find his old home. You gotta love the gas lit lightposts!
By now we were starving so off to Chinatown we went. We had a great authentic lunch!
As we started heading back to the marina, we passed the Old Granary Burial Cemetery, established in 1660. Here are some notables buried here:
John Hancock (1737-1793) The first signer of the Declaration of Independence.
Paul Revere (1734-1818) A very busy man…Engraver, Silversmith, Goldsmith, the “Midnight Rider” out to warn John Hancock and Sam Adams the “British are coming” April 18, 1775. He still had time for two wives, 16 children and 50 grand children.
Sam Adams (1722-1803) Patriot, signer of the Declaration of Independence, Massachusetts Governor, Harvard graduate of 1736
The Boston Massacre victims
Robert Treat Paine – Signer of the Declaration of Independence, Harvard graduate of 1749 and Prosecuting Attorney at the Boston Massacre trial
The parents of Benjamin Franklin
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