Beautiful Boston

We are surrounded by history here in New England. So much so that I can take for granted the colonial churches and houses, the memorial statues, and monuments that other tourists from all over the world travel to see. And here in Boston, we are at the epicenter of some of the biggest historical moments in the development of America.

For a while now I have wanted to go back to Bunker Hill Monument as my first stop on a historic tour of Boston. If you've ever been on the orange line going toward Malden, you've seen this 221 foot tall phallic memorial. The memorial was erected to honor the fallen soldiers of a battle that once took place on the spot of the memorial. I remembered going there back in fifth grade on a field trip for which my dad was one of the chaperons. Mostly it was the epic number of steps that first came back to mind. I've been feeling a bit sedentary of late. Add to that an almost complete aversion to gyms and organized "working out" and I usually hibernate most of the winter and burst into activity in the Spring. When I remembered Bunker Hill, I knew it was a fun way to get out and see the sights with the added bonus of exercise.

Saturday turned into a beautiful day for walking. The sun was shining, a crisp breeze blew, and the temperatures were reminescent of warmer days to come. And the setting was an ideal place to spend time walking, writing, and taking photos. Charlestown has kept its residential colonial look more so than other parts of Boston. Located just outside the city, a little west of Somerville, it is a great commuter location. I met a woman later on in my travels who told me that Charlestown has become a very diverse and welcoming community. Good to know! On my short tour there I saw oddly shaped houses squeezed together, bright colors on every other house with unique and beautiful doors; I fell in love with the place. The same woman also told me I could probably spit from one end of Charlestown to the other. She said there were basically three streets up and over the hill and a few crossing those, all which composed the town (city?). I liked that about Charlestown. The one downside is its proximity to the highway.

I trekked up the hill and climbed the monument. And as I am writing this the next day, I can tell you I rushed it a bit because my thighs and calves are SORE! There are 291 steps up the monument. In my 360 panoramic view of the city from the top, I saw harbored nearby the tall masts of another historical site of Boston - the USS Constitution. Again, I unintentionally ran down the 291 stairs I'd just ran up, and meandered my way toward where I'd seen the boat at dock.


Most people come out to see this majestic old ship and not the boat on the right, the USS Castin Young. But they are both docked side-by-side, one a relic of the past...and one a relic of the present. The Castin Young is a warship that has never been used. Walking around this harbor area though gave me a really nice view of the backside of the city. Boston never ceases at impressing me with its beauty. I feel stupid saying that a collection of buildings and water and sky could be beautiful, but to me it is. There is something unpretentious and unimposing about Boston and its tall buildings, maybe the fact that the tallest building in the city, the Hancock Tower, has 94 floors in it and is the only one really that gets that high.

For all of us who live in New England, and for those of us who call Boston home, like me, it is fun to remind myself of just why I love this place so much. Not just because it is a small city, close to my family in NH, or has lots of stuff to do. I also love Boston and New England because it has an atmosphere of antiquity that you can't find in just any city. There is a blending of the old with the new that makes a city feel like home to me. I've visited NYC, San Deigo, and Miami and these places are new, glitzy and feel fake with their modern facades. Give me Boston, Charlestown, SC, London England - places that honor the past while moving toward the future.

For my complete photos, go here.