Where else do you go to find out about the original history of the country other than…Boston! I think very few places (such as Philadelphia) are as great to learn about American history as Boston! It’s a very fortunate experience.
I woke up early to make sure I wouldn’t be late for my Freedom Trail walk through the city. I was looking forward to seeing some of the most famous sites of American history. I wanted to beat the Masshole drivers as well. I was lucky to arrive early and find parking easily. I walked to Boston Common and immediately fell in love. So many trails, hills, tree colors, people walking and running, and more. It looked like it was right out of a movie!
As I sat and waited for the tour to begin, I called my mom to let her know things were okay. In the midst of the phone call, the squirrels were coming closer. They had no fear of human people. At one point, a squirrel started up my leg, but took off. I started giggling. In Central Texas, the squirrels are terrified of people!
I started making noises to call the squirrels over and snapping my fingers. Twice! Twice, a squirrel jumped onto my lap. It was such an amazing experience. I’ve never seen one so close before in my life. As cheesy as it sounds, it literally made my entire morning. I didn’t care if everything went wrong past that point. I was cheesing like a kid on Halloween who just lucked out discovering the house that serves full pieces of candy!
The tour guide called us over to start. We walked around and listened to the tour guide spout historical facts about each location and Boston’s general history. I never realized how much I listened to my history teachers until he started talking, and I could basically recite word for word his tour. It was odd, but also funny!
We toured John Hancock’s grave, Paul Revere’s grave, Samuel Adams’ grave, other graves you couldn’t see the names on due to their age, and the Boston Massacre victims’ grave. We were able to visit the school and church that Benjamin Franklin attended when he was a child. We saw where the Declaration of Independence was first read aloud, the site of the Boston Massacre, and some other lesser-known sites. I didn’t get to every historical site, but I am extremely grateful for what I did see. The cobblestone alleyways and brick pavements made me feel like I was back in the 1700s. With a few dirt roads still, I could imagine horses and carriages on the roads.
I didn’t spend much time in Boston because I was tired. I’ve walked more in the last 2.5 days than I have in the last month combined. My legs and upper body were sore, and I was just tired. I did find Boston easy to navigate, though.
I stopped by Chicken & Rice Guys for dinner. It was amazing! Similar to a gyro without the wrap, it was seasoned chicken thigh, seasoned rice, lettuce, two pita slices, and creamy garlic sauce. The seasoning of the food was, as Bostonians would say, wicked good and so fulfilling. There was so much food, I was unable to eat it all. I was thoroughly impressed! I did notice there were a ton of pizza places, delis, and seafood spots in both Boston and Salem. It makes sense, but I wanted something different.