Posted: 6/8/2013 12:23:19 PM EDT
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The new wifey and I will be visiting Boston. Where should we go that's not on the beaten path? We're both history dorks, and want to see things that aren't in all of the tourist guides.
Any good restaurants that we should go to? We'd love to see Springfield Armory, but it's too far out of town.  We're traveling by train, and don't have wheels.
Any help is greatly appreciated! |
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Most historic sites in Boston are "on" the beaten path. Old Boston was small so historic sites are condensed into a small area.
The Freedom Trail covers most Revolutionary period sites including Paul Revere's house. It's marked by a Red line painted on the sidewalk. From Quincy Market (large open air market behind city hall) you can walk to New England Aquarium, whale watch cruises, USS Constitution, Boston Massacre site, Boston Common, Old State House, current State House, several 1700's cemeteries, Downtown Crossing (shopping), China Town, the Garden, Boston Tea Party ship, North End (lots of Italian restaurants), farmer's market, Columbus Park, etc...plus a lot more. Union Oyster House and Bell in Hand Pub both date back to 1700's. Next to Quincy Market, facing the Holocaust Memorial. A short cab ride to Bunker Hill monument. Climb it. On the far side of Boston Common is the Public Gardens. Swan boats. Chicks like that stuff. The real "Cheers" is called the "Bull and Finch Pub". You can walk there from downtown but probably want to take a cab, it's a long walk. Nothing special about it, but you might be interested. It's a tourist trap now. The Cheers in Quincy Market isn't the real Cheers. You can take a cab or subway to Kenmore Square to see Fenway Park. There's a somewhat hidden bar called the Bleacher Bar that's part of the park. It's on Landsdowne St (runs behind Fenway) and the wall opens up to the outfield. It's open all the time so you can still see the park when there's no game. It's just a green door, no signs, so you have to look for it. Landsdowne St. Is home to a bunch of other bars including House of Blues. That area is all college dorms and frat houses (BU and Northeastern) so lots of partying. The subway also goes to Harvard Square. It's not as exciting as it used to be, Harvard Square used to be a big hangout for the punk scene with a lot of cool little shops (I'm showing my age....1980's Harvard Square). It's more generic now, but Cambridge still has a lot of ethnic restaurants and local bars. Middle East restaurant/bar was my favorite.......lots of local bands play there. JFK Museum - subway, car, or taxi. Castle Island - South Boston. Drive or take a cab. Fort Independence sits here, used to keep the British out of Boston Harbor (it's not an island anymore, they filled it in by hand!). Sits next to the "Sugar Bowl" (Pleasure Bay Causeway). You can walk the beach, the Causeway (a two mile loop), around the Fort, fishing, and good food at Sully's. I learned to sail here as a kid. If you're lucky you can take a tour of the Fort, but hours are inconsistent (tours are run by volunteers). If you have time, take trips to Salem (traffic sucks) and Lexington/Concord. Boston's version of "Rodeo Drive" is Newbury Street. One street over from the Marathon bombings (it runs parallel). Take the subway to Copley. Lot more to do than I listed, but you get the point. Duck Tours are the best tours in Boston..... Have fun. Let us know how it turns out. |
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I forgot......if you have time and want to go for a ride, head down to Battleship Cove in Fall River (on RI border). They have the battleship USS Massachusetts, WWII sub Lionfish, Destroyer John F. Kennedy, and a restored PT boat. You can tour the ships and sub. We used to sleep over on the Massachusetts when I was in the Scouts. Not sure if you're wife would be interested, but it's worth the trip.
Basketball Hall of Fame is in Springfield. Both are a trek from Boston though. |
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Thanks for the info! It's going to be an awesome trip.
We're both history dorks, an starting our honeymoon in D.C., then headed to Philly, and ending the trip in Boston. Plan for Boston is to start with a Duck tour, to acquaint ourselves with the town, then go from there. Thanks again, and I'll post some pictures afterwards! |
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Congrats!
Don't forget to hit the Ben Franklin Museum Philly! There are worthwhile places to hit outside Boston proper but w/o wheels that is difficult at best. e.g. Concord-Lexington Battle Road (etc.), the Adams Houses in Quincy, Plimouth Plantation/Plymouth Rock in Plymouth. |