Day 7 Freedom Trail

 

The cradle of Liberty….the birthplace of American Independence…Paul Revere’s home and the Old North Church where his lanterns were hung: the very places where our nation began. All of these sites and more were visited by our team. We began at the “common”, America’s oldest park, which is the size of about 15 Andy Pafko parks!!!  We had an individual tour guide which told us about the sites along Boston’s Freedom Trail.  She told us the historical stories of where the patriots gathered and where the revolution began.  Our wonderful guide, dressed in period clothing, explained how the American resistance to the British Crown was born, grew, and flourished…until, eventually, the only alternative was war and independence.

 

The Freedom Trail is marked by a red line on the sidewalk.  We were entranced by the history of our country.  A few places we visited were King’s Chapel, Park Street Church, Granary Burial Ground (final resting place for many famous patriots), Old South Church, Old State House (site of the first reading of the Declaration of Independence), Boston Massacre Site, and Faneuil Hall (the first place people discussed their unrest with the British rule).  We then traveled to North Boston.  We strolled past Paul Revere’s house en route to Old North Church.  Did you know that Paul Revere rode a horse to individual houses and quietly told other patriots that the “Regulars” were coming rather than “The British are coming”?  They were ALL British and he was quiet because he didn’t want the Loyalists (soldiers) to know they were ready to defend their land.  We were in awe of the 14 story steeple on Old North Church on Boston’s oldest standing church.  We saw the window where one lantern was lit to make everyone aware the Regulars were coming by land (as depicted in Longfellow’s poem). Another interesting feature of the church was the paid boxes (with limited pew seating) that families purchased to sit in to hear the worship service.
We bid farewell to our wonderful guide and were able to indulge in an authentic Italian lunch topped off with gelato (Italian frozen dessert equivalent to ice cream).

We ended the evening with an historic tour of the Boston sites on horse and carriage.  We passed the common garden, theater district, china town, and the original site of “Cheers”.  We were within ½ mile of the site of the tragic bombing.  After 13 hours of walking and collecting information, our heads were ready for our pillows.  We apologize for the delayed blog.

Day 6 Answers:

The name of the park is Faneuil Hall. It’s right across from our hotel! Unbelievable historical touring ground!

The Boston Red Sox play in Fenway Park.

Mrs. K’s Massachusetts road adventures were successful because of today’s technology (gps on smartphones) and Mrs. Phillips’ gentle guidance, as she was the team’s navigator instructing Mrs. K where to go.

Day 7 Questions:

What insect was mounted on the Faneuil Hall’s weathervane to represent prosperity and security?

How many children did Paul Revere have?

What were many of the streets in Boston made from that the TCE teachers cautiously walked on?