Massachusetts

After an exhausting day of travel we slept soundly in the city of Manchester, New Hampshire. One of the activities that I had to do was to go to the top of Mount Washington but the weather was not shaping up to be great on Thursday. So it was decided that we would head to Massachusetts and tour the cities of Salem and Boston. We got in our rental and headed south on I-93 and then turned north on I-95 for Salem.

If you didn’t know already, Salem is known for the Salem Witch Trials which occurred in late 1692 and early 1693. The town of Salem is tougher to get to then you think because it’s located far from the highway near the Massachusetts coast. On the way you pass many small New England cities and luckily you start seeing signs that point towards Salem. My advice is to use your smart phone to guide you in because New England roads are confusing and there are many possible wrong turns that could be taken.

The great thing about Salem is that there is a big garage built for tourists. The bad news about Salem is tourist cause a backlog to get into Salem and while in the city. I felt like Salem could be conquered in a couple of hours and all the major sites that I wanted to see were within walking distance of one another. From Boston and New Hampshire, Salem is only about an hour to an hour and half away, making it the perfect half day trip. The city still retains what you would expect from any New England city and my guess is that Salem is the most popular and festive in the few weeks before Halloween.

The only activity that Roman and I paid for was the Salem Witch Museum that gives a historical account of what really happened in Salem in the winter of 1692 and why Salem became known for witches. From my understanding it was all started from a Caribbean slave who was very good at story telling and then believed by naïve natives. It was mostly hysteria and quit judgement that was never real. I have to say, the day that we were in Salem it was cloudy, misty and rainy, really giving the perfect Autumn and Halloween experience.

My suggestion is to do the Salem Witch Museum and then walk around the city; perhaps also touring the Peabody Essex Museum. Salem is very walk-able and it seems there are several parades and special events during the Halloween season. One of the interesting parts about the city was the city grave. Some of the graves are as old as when the city was founded but at first it feels like a fake grave since the tombstones are so thin and chipped down from years of erosion. We really thought that the city had made a fake grave site because we couldn’t read any of the tombstones but it turns out that it’s completely real!

After about 4 or 5 hours in Salem we got back on the highway and headed south to Boston. For both of us, this was our first time in Boston and really had no expectations of what to do, eat or see. One thing I knew and realized quickly is that Boston is very difficult to drive in and it’s almost guaranteed you’re going to need some sort of GPS. Our first shot to get into the city failed miserable and we ended up somewhere in a tunnel going towards the airport. To get back we had to pay toll! Also parking is a huge issue if you’re traveling by car. We ended up paying 36 dollars to park for around 8 hours in the center of the city.

First stop in Boston was a famous sandwich shop, located in the heart of downtown and near the famous Freedom Trail. Sam la Grassa’s is a high-end, quality sandwich shop that received rave reviews on sites like tripadvisor and yelp. I have to say, the food was very tasty but it was a little expensive for a sandwich. We ended up paying around 25 bucks for 2 people and that was without drinks or a snack. The sandwiches are big though.

To me Boston felt very busy, businesslike and confusing. The city felt like a mish-mash of old and new and honestly I didn’t enjoy the architecture that much. I love when cities have curvy roads but Boston felt too cramped, tired and in some ways ugly. The only redeeming part was the old architecture of Boston and the charming neighborhoods that surround the city. Boston is very old and it’s surprising of how much Boston was apart of early American history.

To experience much of Boston in one day my suggestion is to try the Freedom Trail. It’s a 2.5 mile trail that will take you through the heart of Boston up to the neighboring city of Charlestown and brings you to the most famous sites from the American Revolution. This was very quick and easy activity that I actually really enjoyed and it was a chance to walk among Boston. After walking over 5 miles I felt I actually got to see almost all Boston.

We started on the southern end of the trail, at the famous Boston Common. You can start at the other end, in Charlestown too, and it should be noted, that you don’t need a personal tour guide. If you have an iPhone you can download a Freedom Trail app that will give you details about the trail and even show you where you are on the trail by GPS. At the very least the city has a marked red line path that lines the entire 2.5 mile trail, making it easy to follow.

Boston Common is a public park that is overshadow by the beautiful Massachusetts State House, on land once owned by John Hancock. Many events have happened in this park including, hangings, protests, and campsites during the Revolution and is the oldest park in Boston. For us, this was the perfect opportunity to take pictures of the changing leaves and take shots of the Massachusetts State House on Beacon Hill which is the 2nd site of the trail. The Massachusetts State House is the state capitol and house of government for Massachusetts.

Moving on the trail and near the Boston Common lies Park Street Church and one of the oldest burying grounds in Boston. Park Street Church use to be one of the first buildings that anybody could see when entering Boston. Next door is the cemetery and it’s mind-blowing that famous Revolutionaries are buried here including, Paul Revere, 5 victims of the Boston Massacre, John Hancock and Samuel Adams. The tombs are hard to read thanks to years of erosion and it’s been said many had to be reburied because of the swampy nature of the gravesite.

Nearby is the famous King’s Chapel with the Burying Grounds and was the church that British Loyalist went to when Britain was in control. The interesting part about the church is the inside and the use of box seating instead of benches, which was common in British churches at the time. Next to the chapel, lies the burying grounds and is known as the first Burying Grounds in Boston, established in 1630.

In the heart of downtown Boston lies many Revolutionary historical sites like, Old Corner Bookstore, Old South Meeting House and the Old State House. The Old Corner Bookstore is one of the oldest, best preserved buildings in Boston and it dates back to 1712. The Old South Meeting House was built by the British in 1729 and was the organizing point for the Boston Tea Party in 1773. The Old State House is now Boston’s oldest public building and was built by the British in 1713 as the seat of the Massachusetts General Court. In front of the Old State House is where the Boston Massacre occurred in 1770. Today it is the heart of Boston and serves as a museum.

Moving north and away from downtown the Freedom Trail brings you to Faneuil Hall, a famous Boston marketplace established in 1742. There are shops inside today but the most famous aspect of the hall lies outside on top where a grasshopper weather vane sits. Don’t ask me why a grasshopper weather vane sits on top but I believe it has to do with being a model of a similar weather vane in London.

From here on the sites on the Freedom Trail become stretched. On the trail, we now entered the North End of Boston to see Paul Revere’s house, Old North Church, and the Burying Ground beside the church. What’s amazing is really Paul Revere’s house since it’s so old! Built in 1680, it is the oldest house in Boston and is the best example of house construction during that period.

Old North Church is another British construction and is actually the oldest church in Boston. This church is famous because Paul Revere told two Patriots to hang two laterns inside the steeple to warn Charlestown Patriots on the advancement of the British. Inside the feeling is very similar to the Kings Chapel, with box style seating. Near the Old North Church lies the Copp’s Hill Burying Grounds where remains of revolutionaries and common people from that day are buried.

After the North End, we walked across Washington Street into Charlestown to see the last two sites on the freedom trail. The Battle of Bunker Hill was fought just outside of Boston and was the first major conflict between the British and the Colonist. Today it is marked by a granite obelisk and you can actually reach the top through steps inside.

Finally the ending site on the Freedom Trail is the USS Constitution, launched in 1797, she is the worlds oldest commissioned naval vessel. The ship was once used as a merchant ship during the Quasi-War with France as well as to defeat Barbary pirates in the First Barbary War. She is actually quite impressive in person and she now serves as a museum ship.

Phew, sound exhausting!? It was! All in all we did this tour in about 3 hours with intermittent stops along the way. By the end of the tour I was ready to stop walking and so we decided to get the car from downtown and head back up to Manchester, New Hampshire.

My overall impressions of Massachusetts is very positive. To me Salem felt like that typical New England city that I’ve come to know through pictures and Boston was actually a very great history lesson. It was fun to see, learn and understand things that I previously read about and to feel closer to American History. Overall we had an excellent day and Massachusetts didn’t let us down.