A trip to Uncle Sam’s country (soon becoming Kaka Shyam’s – looking at the number of Indians settled there) seems to be on everyone’s wish list but most like to visit New York, New Jersey, Washington DC, Chicago, San Francisco, Las Vegas, Hollywood and all the big ones. Boston hardly ever features on that list. Maybe because of the lack of glitter and glamour, however according to me it is not lack lustre.
It’s a historic city, an educational hub and is known for its scientists and researchers. It is the home and base of Massachusetts Institute of Technology (Est. 1861) and boasts of many others. Howard, founded here in 1636 was the first college in North America! There are many universities and colleges apart from MIT, Harvard etc. which are across the river in an area called Cambridge. Students come here from all over the world to study and that probably explains the people you come across from different nationalities and backgrounds.
In February 1822 Boston was officially declared a city although it had existed since 1630. Many of the city’s earliest settlers came from a city named Boston in England and simply kept the name.
Boston is historically known as the birthplace of The American Revolution which took place between 1765 and 1775. Because of the Boston Harbour, which was the main port of this region, the British wanted to control it. Due to its strategic location the British even had a Garrison also posted here.
It’s interesting to know about the Boston Tea Party. In fact it’s not a party at all. Because of the events that took place here the place is now maintained as a museum of memorabilia of the revolt. The Boston Tea Party ships and Museum are a piece of history of The American Revolution which has full scale replicas of the 18th century sailing vessels. And there is a tradition of tossing tea into the sea. Of course you can enjoy your cuppa at the Abigail Tea Room, however the visit is a lesson in history you won’t forget in a hurry.
It was a watershed Movement in the struggle for American Independence. One December evening in 1773, in a symbolic act of resistance against the British oppression, a group of die hard patriots known as ‘Sons Of Liberty’, dressed as Mohawk warriors (to conceal their identity) raided three ships belonging to the British East India company at the Boston Harbour…… and threw away huge stocks of 342 chests of tea into the sea water unleashing a torrent of rebellion.
Thus The Boston Tea Party was not only a spillage of tea amounting to revenue loss to the British, it sowed the seeds of a fierce Revolution for freedom leading to the birth of the United States of America.
NOW THERE ARE CRUISE LINERS IN THE HARBOUR BESIDES CARGO SHIPS.
Well, if American History is not your cup of tea there is much more. …
An excellent way to see the city is to take a Duck Tour which takes you from Boston Common through the river Charles. These are interesting American World War II, vintage amphibious vehicles which Cruise down the river and run on city streets. Stopping at over a dozen places of tourist interest. For a $ 60 ticket you can hop off and on en route at any of the stops in case you like to spend more time at any of the spots.
While you drive or cruise through the city you see a lot of heritage buildings with beautiful architecture. Can’t say they belong to any specific style since Boston city is almost 400 years old – the buildings are a fusion of different influences, there are many modern structures and skyscrapers as well. Maps and audio guides are available if you don’t want to take a guided tour however I must warn you, all this is not wheelchair friendly.
Boston being one of the oldest cities in this part of the US, has many firsts.
It had America’s first Subway which was built way back in 1897, and even now it is one of the few cities with an underground railway. THIS IS THE OUTER OF A SUBWAY TRAIN STATION IN THE HEART OF THE CITY.
Around Boston, there are many beaches a drive away, which are very popular. The Revere beach was the country’s first public beach opened in 1896. There are many comfortable resorts now dotting the beach towns. You can get some delicious seafood here.
Since Boston is a port city, Little Brewster Lighthouse was the first one ever to be built in the USA in 1716!
There are big public libraries, gardens and art museums. I was pretty surprised to see many youngsters in the reading rooms of the libraries
The oldest public park known as Boston Common was established way back in 1634, it is still very popular. Among the many Art Museums is one – Isabella Stewart Gardner. It is basically a private collection but became world famous in 1990 when the biggest art heist ever took place here. More than $ 500 million worth of paintings were stolen from its priceless collection.
Bostonians are fond of games too, especially Baseball. They still have game nights when everyone seems headed for the stadiums. The City pretty much comes to a standstill. Fenway Park is the oldest major league Baseball Stadium still in use since it opened in 1912.
The citizens of Boston are fond of eating as well. You can find all kinds of food, maybe due to the ethnic mix of people which contributes to this. Pizzas burgers and varieties of bagels with coke or coffee seems to be the staple with the youngsters. However, I was intrigued to know that the first chocolate factory of the USA was put up in Boston in 1765. The popular Boston Cream Pie originated in a hotel here. Plus there is a famous restaurant chain called the CheeseCake Factory, which apart from fine dine spreads, specialises in a wide range of mouth-watering cheese cakes.
The New England Aquarium is a very interesting place which should not be missed at any cost. It has a tall tank which is called the Great Ocean Tank. It is marvelously designed. You can walk along it on the way up on a circular path while you admire the magnificent aquatic creations of God. You can see the tiniest sea-horses to large fluorescent eels. You can also see the 90 year old green sea turtle. You can see a huge octopus, small sharks, jellyfish, star fish, sting rays and what not. Witness the California sea lions perform tricks and penguins being fed. You can even pet a small Stingray. The tank features coral reefs and hundreds of Caribbean Reef animals like eels, barracuda and many colourful species of reef fish. The tank is made of 3000 sculpted Coral elements handmade and painted. The tank is 40 feet wide and goes down 23 feet and holds roughly 200,000 gallons of saltwater. What a sight and a memorable experience. One can stand there for hours (mind you no arrangement for sitting) watching these awesome creatures glide gracefully and smoothly as they swim around The Great Big tank.
Another wonderful life time experience a little far from Boston is to go Whale Watching. It has now become one of the most sought for Tourist adventures. Driving out of Boston for about an hour takes you to Gloucester and other bays from where you board a small cruise boat and go out into the open sea to spot big humpback whales. The tour takes about 3 hours. And costs anything between $60-70 per head. The guided tour is very informative. They keep you engaged with stories about the different whales and their families spotted earlier in this area. Once you reach the area, the boat is slowed down or veered in a particular direction and viewers are guided to look and observe carefully. It is a breathtaking sight when you first spot one, and memories remain with you forever.
