Boston Area, My Way-Day Five

Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end and this Boston trip was a good thing. We ate our final carbohydrate breakfast, checked out (always check your bill for errors) and decided to do a drive-about around Hull before we spend our final moments having lunch in one of the Pubs in Faneuil Hall. Our flight didn't leave until later that day, so we had plenty of time to check out the Hull and Nantasket area.

There were numerous viewing areas around town that gave you nice views of the bay and ocean. We especially enjoyed the view of downtown Boston from Hull across the Boston Bay.

When I visit Boston again, I might decide to stay in Hull again. It is a nice area not far from the many places to visit in the Boston area.

The trip did not cost us a huge sum of vacation dollars. We saved on food by buying lunches and suppers at local stores and sub shops. We chose our restaurants carefully so that we didn't pay premium dollars for a meal. We saved on souvenirs because we purchased our items at Cuffys in Provincetown. We saved on parking especially on this final day in Boston. We found out that if you park in Faneuil Hall and eat at one of their restaurants, you can get validated thus parking would only cost a few dollars. (Make sure that the establishment you will dine in will validate.) We saved on the hotel, air and car because we booked about 6 months in advance to get better rates.

We would visit Boston again - it's a wonderful city with so much to offer.

Until next time - more dreams of future adventures.

Boston Area-My Way, Day Four

So today is the day we will visit Martha's Vineyard. After our complimentary 'breakfast', we drove down to Woods Hole. Before our arrival, we stopped at a grocery store to purchase sandwiches and small bottles of wine for our lunch today. We went to Woods Hole because here is where we parked the car to catch a bus to the ferry that will take us to Martha's Vineyard.

The ferry company was The Steamship Authority, the only ferry in that area to take passengers and their cars (but you have to have a car reservation for that type of transportation) to Marth's Vineyard. We just bought round trip passenger tickets and decided to rent a car on the island. That actually saved us money. The ferry was a pleasant journey. One can purchase food and drink and though there are bathrooms on board, it would be best to go to the bathroom before you board because the lines do get a bit long. And remember, on those cool days, dress warm or grab an inside seat immediately as you board or you will have to stand. The car rental companies are easily accessed right as you disembark off the ferry. We rented from Budget and were given a complimentary upgrade. We ended up with a jeep. There are numerous private companies that you can take paid tours of the island. We are not ready to do that yet. We still like to go out on our own adventures - saves money, time and then you can do the adventure your way.

Martha's Vineyard was a nice place to visit for a day. There are not many roads to get lost on and if you stick to the main roads, you will easily see most of what there is to see on the Vineyard. We spent most of the time on the beaches. We spent much of our time on Norton's Point, known as South Beach or Katama, a barrier beach that provides surf, swimming a fishing. There is also an opportunity to explore Katama Bay on the other side of the dunes and with the proper vehicle, you can drive the dunes for a fee. This was a beautiful area with a beach that stretches on past the horizon. Then we drove to the other side of the island to visit Gay Head Lighthouse and its surrounding area.

This was very pleasant, picturesque stop because the cliffs that surround the lighthouse are The Aquinnah Cliffs, a national landmark. The brilliant colors of the mile-long expanse of the Aquinnah Cliffs astonish all of those that visit that area. Here is where we also decided to enjoy our picnic lunch. After hiking the area and visiting the small shops that are by the lighthouse, we decided to head back to the ferry to take the sunset ferry back to Woods Hole. It was a beautiful sunset, but very cold going back. There was welcomed relief to be back in our car with the heat on, heading back to the hotel.

For supper this evening, we went the the local grocery store in Hull, purchased a few pizzas and enjoyed eating in our rooms. With a late soak in the hotel's hot tub, we headed off to bed thinking of all our adventures and wondering how this vacation went by so fast. For tomorrow, we head home.

Boston Area-My Way-Day Three

Our adventure today will be downtown Boston and most of what it has to offer. The Freedom Trail, The USS Constitution, Faneuil Hall and Cheers are just a few of the destinations that we hope to do. We left after 10am today from the hotel. The weather for the day was overcast, chance of showers and windy. But, dressing appropriately, the weather would not be a challenge.

It takes about 40 minutes to reach Boston from our hotel. Just have good maps because the expressway changes daily with construction. Parking was not a problem either. Just park under the Boston Commons Area - a huge parking structure is located under that park. We paid $4.00 that day for parking (was a special for some reason). Usually parking there costs about $16.00 for the day. Remember where you parked and what exit you left from to begin your tour of downtown. There are many exits to walk out of the parking structure, so if you forget what exit you left from you might have a problem locating your car when you are done touring the area. The good thing here is that The Freedom Trail starts from the Commons Area. There is an information building located at the beginning of the trail, so stop in and get the basic free map so you know where to go and what to look for.

With map in hand, we were off to trace some of the footsteps our forefathers took as they began to make history in order for us the live in this country we now call the United States. We loved walking the Freedom Trail. If you are lucky, you can stop and listen to the tour guides that are talking about that area you are visiting at the time. But don't walk with them otherwise you might have to pay for that tour. We learned a lot about some of the stops along the trail by doing this.

The trail is very easy to follow. The Freedom Trail is a 2.5 mile red-brick walking trail that leads you to 16 nationally significant historic sites, every one an authentic American treasure. As you walk along the trail, there are "Freedom" circles located on the ground in the red-brick path to help you stay on the trail, especially through the downtown streets. If you keep on this path, you will be going past many of the icons that made this trail one of the best walking tours in the states. The Boston Common The State House Park Street Church Granary Burying Ground King’s Chapel King’ Chapel Burying Ground Benjamin Franklin Statue Old Corner Book Store Old South Meeting House Old State House Site of the Boston Massacre Faneuil Hall Paul Revere House The Old North Church Copp's Hill Burying Ground USS Constitution — “Old Ironsides” & USS Constitution Museum Bunker Hill Monument are among the icons along this trail. Also, as you come upon an icon of the trail, there are signs pointing out exactly where you should look. This made everything easy to find especially if you are doing this walking trail by yourself.

Some of the best points of the Freedom Trail are the old graveyards with some of the famous people buried their. People such as Paul Revere and Samual Adams graves can be found there. Another place along the trail is Faneuil Hall. A great place to shop and eat. This is not a hall as the name states, but a group of buildings (Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, North Market and South Market) containing a variety of entertainment, shops, restaurants and much history. Some of the more famous restaurants are Cheers (though the main one is located on Beacon Street near the Commons Area), Union Oyster House and Durgin Park. We ate at the Cheers Pub for lunch. We had great service there, not much of a wait and the food was tasteful.

The trail takes you over one the the bridges located downtown so you can visit the USS Constitution and finally the Bunker Hill Monument. You have to go through security to visit the Constitution. Again, we chose the self-tour because there really is not a lot to do on the ship except to look around. And there are navy personnel that talk about the ship, so don't be afraid to ask them questions. They would be happy to answer.

And do not ring the bell. We found out that is not allowed.

After our visit to the Constitution and finishing up with the Freedom Trail, opted to visit Faneuil Hall again before we went back to the car. Again, the best way to find places you want to visit is to follow that red-brick trail so you won't get lost. We had a drink and a quick bite to eat in the Irish Pub and headed back to the Commons Area. We had no problem locating our car and headed back to our hotel in Hull. We got back to Hull around 9:30pm. We had quite a busy, fun day and evening in Boston. We did it our way and had a fantastic, memorable time. We spent the last of our evening in the hot tub, talking about our daily adventures so far and about our planned adventure for tomorrow - Martha's Vineyard.