A Slice of Boston
Oct. 11th, 2010 05:26 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
bex77I did the family thing today. Our cousins from South Carolina, Judy and Hunter, were in town off a Princess Cruise ship for 5 hours, and asked us to show them around. I can't recall when I last saw them, but it was probably in 1986 around Raleigh when I was visiting my college room mate.
I never know what people are going to want to see around Boston. Visitors have requested everything from the Cheers Bar to the MFA to the ocean, so it's tough to generalize about what people are up for when they roll into town. I used to have a great walking tour starting at the top of the Hancock Tower and ending in the North End four hours later, but the closing of the observation deck and the lack of mobility of many guests these days has put a crimp in that. And much depends on exactly how long they have in town.
I was very pleased when they asked to drive around the distinctive areas of the city and then get a tour of Harvard! I found a way to do that in less than two hours! I want to make notes so I can do it again if anyone else comes to town with similar wishes.
There was absolutely no traffic anywhere today. The timing might be slower on non-holidays.
9:45 am Boston
So we found our way to the Black Falcon Terminal and found them through the magic of mobile phones. I drove up through Downtown Crossing, which is an eyesore these days, past Granary Graveyard, the Boston Common, the Theater District, the Public Garden, the State House, through the streets of Beacon Hill, on to the Back Bay up Comm Ave. and down Newbury Street, then across the Mass Ave bridge. Looking back at Boston at that point, they could see where they'd been.
10:45 am MIT
My older sister works at MIT, so we showed them her office building, the Great Dome, the student center and Kresge, and the carbuncle of the Stata Center. We drove past my sister's condo and then mine.
11:00 am Harvard
I showed them my office in the Science Center, then walked them past Memorial Hall and into The Yard for a photo op with the statue of the three lies, and into the new yard for a look at Widener, Sever and Memorial Church. That took 30 minutes.
11:30 am
Back downtown - point out Boston Garden, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, Post Office Square
12:00 pm
To the Barking Crab to meet my sisters and niece for chowder, lobster rolls and conversation. Hunter paid for lunch! Woot!
We strolled along the harbor front, taking in the new Federal Court House and Logan and the Boston skyline.
1:30 pm
Time to drop them back at the ship.
I never know what people are going to want to see around Boston. Visitors have requested everything from the Cheers Bar to the MFA to the ocean, so it's tough to generalize about what people are up for when they roll into town. I used to have a great walking tour starting at the top of the Hancock Tower and ending in the North End four hours later, but the closing of the observation deck and the lack of mobility of many guests these days has put a crimp in that. And much depends on exactly how long they have in town.
I was very pleased when they asked to drive around the distinctive areas of the city and then get a tour of Harvard! I found a way to do that in less than two hours! I want to make notes so I can do it again if anyone else comes to town with similar wishes.
There was absolutely no traffic anywhere today. The timing might be slower on non-holidays.
9:45 am Boston
So we found our way to the Black Falcon Terminal and found them through the magic of mobile phones. I drove up through Downtown Crossing, which is an eyesore these days, past Granary Graveyard, the Boston Common, the Theater District, the Public Garden, the State House, through the streets of Beacon Hill, on to the Back Bay up Comm Ave. and down Newbury Street, then across the Mass Ave bridge. Looking back at Boston at that point, they could see where they'd been.
10:45 am MIT
My older sister works at MIT, so we showed them her office building, the Great Dome, the student center and Kresge, and the carbuncle of the Stata Center. We drove past my sister's condo and then mine.
11:00 am Harvard
I showed them my office in the Science Center, then walked them past Memorial Hall and into The Yard for a photo op with the statue of the three lies, and into the new yard for a look at Widener, Sever and Memorial Church. That took 30 minutes.
11:30 am
Back downtown - point out Boston Garden, Faneuil Hall, Quincy Market, Post Office Square
12:00 pm
To the Barking Crab to meet my sisters and niece for chowder, lobster rolls and conversation. Hunter paid for lunch! Woot!
We strolled along the harbor front, taking in the new Federal Court House and Logan and the Boston skyline.
1:30 pm
Time to drop them back at the ship.
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Date: 2010-10-11 09:32 pm (UTC)