With gentrification on the rise American cities are struggling to keep their culture and history prominent. A good way to avoid this is taking a vacation to the east, or more specifically the northeast. Boston is one of the oldest cities in the United States. With a culture far more developed than most major cities, Boston gives a visitor a look into the past without a visit to the museum.
Started as a Puritan landing, the port quickly became the hub of the British Colonies along with the center of American education and progressive causes. Many American families who’ve been here for generations can trace their ancestry back to “Bean Town”. Other nicknames include “The Hub of the Universe”, “The Cradle of Liberty” and “The Athens of America”. Among the institutions that are still used today include the universities of Harvard and MIT, Berklee College of Music and Fenway Park, the oldest remaining Major League Ballpark still in service. (Circa 1912)
Many of the famous sites in Boston aren’t as desirable as you’d imagine. For example, Fenway Park was built before Americans became 6 feet tall. Therefore, you have no knee room, the fans are a bit intimidating and leaving after the game is a zoo. But if you are a fan of our national past time, I would imagine it is your duty to visit the green monster. Plymouth is a good half hour out of town, but don’t bother. Although it has the historical value of the first colonists that set foot on North America, the entire town has been turned into an outdoor museum. You will feel a bit of role play as everyone will be dressed in Puritan attire while they speak in a heavy boston-english accent. But if you want to show your kids some history that they might actually engage in, it serves as a fairly efficient family field trip.
Although it may seem like we are steering you away from the historically famous sites of Boston, this is not the case. We just feel that as a domestic traveler you will easily be able to find all the information on these staple destinations at the airport, your hotel, or on that internet thing everyone keeps talking about. Therefore, we spent a weekend in Boston making a conscious effort to really soak in the local culture and sites that long time Bostonians actually spend time at.
Ye Olde Union Oyster House is located at 41-43 Union Street. Ye Olde is THE OLDEST restaurant in the United States. It looks as if it’s in mid-sway as you enter the four story colonial building. Originally a textiles business, the site eventually became a restaurant in 1826. There are many interesting facts related to the historical site. Perhaps most surprising, in 1796 Louis Philippe, king of France from 1830-1848, lived in exile on the second floor. He earned his living by teaching French to young ladies before returning to France to become King. Also, America’s first waitress, Rose Carey, worked there starting in the early 1920s. Her picture is on the wall on the stairway up to the 2nd floor. My favorite quirk is the rumor that the toothpick was said to have been popularized by the Oyster House. On another note, don’t forget to visit the Bull & Finch Pub, better known as the site of the television hit “Cheers”. To go along with the old restaurant I’ve picked an old hotel. The Boston Omni Parker House Hotel opened in 1855 and is just one block from the Oyster House.
Another site I recommend visiting is the Samuel Adams Brewery. With Coors being owned by Molson (Canadian), Miller being owned by SABMiller (South African) before merging with Coors, and Anheuser Busch being owned by InBev (Belgium), Sam Adams is now the largest American owned brewery in the country. A free guided tour of the brewery demonstrates each step of the beer making process and ends with a sampling of different varieties.
If you travel to Boston to find some insight into the American Revolution take a trip to Fort Point Channel. Here you will find a museum dedicated to the Boston Tea Party and other revolutionary events. Many of the exhibits are found on a full size replica of the “Beaver” or the boat the Minutemen hurled the infamous tea from. For a good stay near all the historical sites and especially the harbor check out The Langham.
This concludes our tour of Boston; hope you had a fine stay. With all of its history and culture you may now be turned onto spending more of your travel time inside the country. The United States has a very rich gamut of destinations that any traveler should dive into before seeing the globe.
