YEAR VISITED: 2014 & 2020

FAVORITE CITIES AND EXPERIENCES: Two of my favorite hobbies are history and sports. I love traveling to and experiencing for myself where historical events took place. It is amazing how much more information you retain after visiting a house, battlefield, or historical site rather than simply reading about it. I also love attending collegiate and professional sporting events – particularly games where there is an extra amount of energy or intensity surrounding the contest. In particular, I have always gotten into rivalry games. I consider Duke vs North Carolina in basketball, Michigan vs Ohio State in football, and the Boston Red Sox vs the New York Yankees as the fiercest rivalries in all of sports. In 2014 my wife, who was probably tired of hearing me talk about how cool it would be to attend one of these games, surprised me with Red Sox vs Yankees tickets for my birthday. Needless to say, this was one of the greatest gifts I have ever received.

This also came with a week in Boston. We stayed in East Boston and relied entirely on the “T” (Subway) and taxis to get in and out of the city. Not renting a car proved to be a good decision once we saw traffic up close. While the trip revolved around Fenway Park and the Boston Red Sox, we were able to do quite a lot of sightseeing of Boston as well. A majority of historical sites follow the 2.5 mile long Freedom Trail (pictured below) and is where we started our sightseeing.

One of our first stops was the Old State House. We perused the museum and then examined the area around the outside as well.

In 1770 this was the site of the Boston Massacre, one of the main altercations between the Colonists and Britain that ultimately led to America’s War for Independence.

Other highlights along the Freedom Trail were Faneuil Hall, the Paul Revere House , the Old North Church, the USS Constitution, and the Bunker Hill Monument. Faneuil Hall hosted America’s first town hall style gathering where colonists first advocated for “no taxation without representation.” Today the hall acts as a Marketplace with 10+ restaurants and eateries – there is also a giant Sam Adams statue outside that reminds visitors of the buildings historical significance.

The Paul Revere House, which was built in 1630, is the oldest remaining home in downtown Boston. Today the house of one of America’s patriots acts as a museum and a tribute to this famous Midnight Rider.

The Old North Church was built in 1723 and is Boston’s oldest church. This was the location that famously advertised “One if by land, two if by sea.” We walked through the church, sat in the pews, and shopped at the Visitors Center.

The next stop was the USS Constitution. This war ship was one of the first six ships commissioned for the United States Navy. It first set sail in 1797 and in the War of 1812 earned the nickname “Old Ironsides”. Our last stop on the Freedom Trail was the Bunker Hill Monument. The Battle of Bunker Hill was the first major battle of the Revolutionary War. We climbed the 294 steps to the top of the obelisk and wandered the historic grounds.

From the Freedom Trail we headed to the Union Oyster House for dinner. This is the oldest restaurant in Boston. Revolutionaries used to meet here to discuss growing problems with the British. Interestingly enough the toothpick was first introduced to the United States here and President John F. Kennedy and family used to regularly eat upstairs.

While Boston is best known as the birthplace of the American Revolution, it is also the home of the Kennedy family and the 35th President of the United States. John F. Kennedy is one of my favorite President’s and I was excited to visit his Presidential Museum. The museum is located on Dorchester Bay in South Boston and it did not disappoint. Both my wife and I consider this one of the best Presidential Museum’s we have visited.

Highlights were seeing the Kennedy Oval Office and sections of the Berlin Wall.

I also loved seeing real artifacts from the Cuban Missile Crisis as well as the speech (which was playing on a 1960’s RCA TV) he delivered to the world regarding the embargo of Cuba.

At 790 feet the John Hancock Tower is the tallest skyscraper in Boston. We purchased 60th-floor observation tickets where we gained an even greater appreciation for the beauty of the city. Unfortunately, after we left I have heard rumblings that the observation floor was closing to the public. If still open, I would suggest making this one of your first stops. It’s a great way to get a lay of the land and map out destinations on your list.

We also ventured roughly twenty minutes to the Jamaica Plain neighborhood of Boston to tour the Sam Adams Brewery. The tour lasted an hour where our guide was extremely entertaining. He gave us the history of Sam Adams, the brewery as a whole, as well as the various brewing processes.

Our free tour ticket afforded us multiple beer samples and at the conclusion of the tour we were allowed to keep our glasses.

This was a great afternoon. If you are a beer connoisseur, no trip to Boston is complete without this destination being added to your itinerary.

STADIUMS AND/OR SPORTING EVENTS: Growing up in Washington State I have always been a Seattle Mariners fan. However the combination of the Mariners not making the playoffs since 2001, as well as the fact many of those non-playoff seasons came with disastrous losing records means I routinely adopt a different playoff team to follow and root for. A team I love to cheer for are the Boston Red Sox. I have always been drawn to the blue collar, storied tradition of the club, as well as the passion of Red Sox Fans. My dad and I attended a game in Fenway in 2000 and I loved every minute of the experience. In 2014, my wife and I attended a Red Sox vs Yankees game and the atmosphere was unreal.

Both teams finished towards the bottom in the standings that year, but it didn’t even matter. You can throw the records out the window anytime these two rabid fanbases square off – you would have thought both teams were playing for a World Series title. In my opinion, this is the fiercest rivalry in all of sports. We arrived mid-afternoon for the 7:00 night game (always plan to arrive early as traffic is some of the worst we have encountered anywhere in the country) and headed directly to the Cask ‘n Flagon Sports bar.

It is located on the corner of Lansdowne Street and Brookline Ave adjacent to Fenway Park and has been a Boston staple since 1969. This is a great place to watch a game with friends, enjoy the storied black and white photos on the wall, and simply soak in the Red Sox ambiance. By the time we finished our meal, roughly three hours before first pitch) crowds were beginning to form and you could just feel the energy. Chants of “Beat New York” and “Yankees Suck” echoed down Jersey and Van Ness Street.

We soaked it all in before heading through the turnstiles and ultimately heading towards our seats. We sat down the right field line near “Pesky’s Pole” (right field foul pole).

The outfield fence at Fenway is extremely unique in the fact it jets in and out, is extremely tall in left field, and then short in right field. Infielder Johnny Pesky (1946-1952) used to take advantage of the short porch directly down the right field line by pulling home runs off the foul pole; thus earning the nickname from Fenway Faithful, “Pesky’s Pole.” Somewhere along the line fans began signing the foul pole – Jill signed for the both of us prior to the game.

That night we witnessed a near fight between a Red Sox and Yankee fan, sang Sweet Caroline, and were present for Derek Jeter’s last home run ever hit at Fenway Park. While both fanbases love to hate each other, there is an underlying respect between the two. It was cool to witness the standing ovation given to the longtime Yankee Captain following his home run. Game 2 of the 3 game series we watched from the Bleacher Bar which is situated beneath the center field bleachers. It opened in 2008 and quickly became a fan favorite as you can actually watch the game through the windows above the fence. It is definitely the closest you can get to the action without actually buying a ticket.

The following day we paid for a Fenway Park stadium tour. The Yankees were still in town and there was a charity game being played on the field, which meant we did not gain the standard access to the visitors clubhouse or the dugouts. However, we were able to sit in the press box and wander the historic stadium.

The tour concluded in the Red Sox Museum where an usher, who had been serving the organization for over fifty years, told stories and showed off multiple World Series rings.

Our whole Red Sox experience was an absolute dream.

ADVENTURE(S): Jill and I have visited Boston Common multiple times on our 2014 trip. It is advertised as America’s oldest city park and provides a beautiful natural landscape. While we enjoyed the Common our favorite park was across the street at the Public Garden. This is the home of the famous Swan Boats, which have been in operation since 1877. We of course took the 15 minute ride around the lagoon, which is open from April to September and is a favorite of tourists and locals alike.

The Public Garden is also home to the “Make Way for Ducklings” statues. The duck statues were added in 1987 and celebrate Robert McCloskey’s classic children’s book.

We ventured to Cambridge for an afternoon and toured Harvard University. Harvard was founded in 1636 and is America’s oldest and most prestigious University.

We walked portions of the campus, shopped in Harvard Square, stumbled upon the bookstore, and even wandered out onto the football field.

Following our unofficial tour, we met up with one of Jill’s high school friends, Devon. She has lived in the area for over a decade and proceeded to show us the location where they filmed the “How do you like them apples” scene from the movie Good Will Hunting. In the movie the main character, Matt Damon, brags to a smug Harvard student that he got a girls phone number and proceeds to bang the piece of paper on a window. According to Devon, this is the window.

The address is 1 Bow Street and is a Dunkin Donuts store.

NOTABLE DESTINATIONS & STOPS: Growing up Cheers was one of our favorite sitcoms. Still to this day various friends or family members will spontaneously shout out “Norm” when one of us walks through a door. While the sitcom was filmed in a TV studio in Hollywood, the location was based on the Bull and Finch bar in Boston.

Once the show become a hit and more and more people began searching for the “Cheers bar” the establishment changed it’s name to Cheers. No matter the name, the motto, “everyone knows your name” has remained the same throughout the years. Currently there are two Cheers bars, the original (which is the one we visited) on Beacon Street as well as one in Faneuil Hall. While the inside only vaguely resembles what we all saw on the sitcom, my wife and I felt extremely nostalgic while we enjoyed lunch there.

Mike’s Pastry is located off Hanover Street where it has been serving pastry’s since 1946. Their one-of-a-kind cannoli has put them on the map so with Bostonians as well as tourists from all over the world. The line is regularly out the door as people come from all over to purchase cannoli’s.

In 2020 we spent an afternoon in Salem. This was definitely not enough time and I look forward to someday returning to this quaint bewitched town. The city gained it’s fame from the 1692 Witch Trials where tragically nineteen innocent people were hanged. Today the city has embraced it’s past and the theme of witchcraft, spirits, and the underworld appears to be all around this coastal town of roughly 40,000. I can only imagine the excitement of Halloween in Salem. Our first stop was the Salem Witch Museum.

It is housed in an old Gothic style church that was built in 1844. While there is no question this is an old building, it was built 150 years after the Salem Witch Trails. With the historical events taking place so long ago (17th century) there are very little ‘period pieces’ left to commemorate the events. As a result the bulk of the museum tour revolves around a video retelling the story of the Witch Trials. It was entertaining and I am thankful to have experienced it, but I probably wouldn’t return. Following the museum we quickly walked past the Jonathan Corwin House, or the “Witch House.”

At the time of the Witch Trials this was the home of Judge Corwin and is the only building in Salem with direct ties to the Witch Trials of 1692. Unfortunately, it was closed when we were visiting and therefore were unable to take the tour. Before leaving the area we did explore the downtown streets where we came away impressed with the overall charm of the city.

Again, half a day was simply not long enough and we look forward to returning to Salem.

• OUR LIST TO VISIT OR RETURN TO:
• Salem (would enjoy a full week exploring)
• Salem Historic Cemeteries
• House of the Seven Gables, Salem
• Boston Red Sox
• Minute Man National Historical Park, Concord
• Martha’s Vineyard
• Plymouth Rock, Plymouth
• Adams National Historic Park, Quincy
• Lexington National Historic Site
• Boston Tea Party Ships & Museum