On the Freedom Trail

      Boston is the city of my childhood.  I grew up just a few miles from the center of the American Revolution, went to college across from the Boston Common and still gravitate to my home city whenever I am able to.  A dear friend of mine had claimed the need to explore Boston, so we planned a 2-day getaway to vacation in our back yard.  We packed up our overnight bags, grabbed the commuter rail and headed to Beantown.  The goal: to take a tour of the freedom trail.

     Considering the rich history in Boston, the tour could have been a very long one.  As a child I had taken a long version of the tour, which began at The Boston Common, went down Tremont Street, onto School Street and headed over to Faneuil Hall.  We then crossed over to the North End, visited Paul Revere’s house and ended at the Old North Church.  However, that was the 1970s and part of a middle school field trip.  This tour was considerably shorter.  Since my feet began to hurt and swell a bit, it might have been for the best that the tour we took this past weekend was abbreviated. 

     There is a sense of joy and appreciation that comes from exploring a familiar place.  One can embrace home again and truly enjoy nuances that escape us during the everyday.  It’s also interesting to see how much things have changed.  Stores I loved as a young teen, such as the Jack & Jill Joke Shoppe, are now but a memory.  Downtown crossing lost its iconic Filenes Bargain Basement where I learned how to successfully find a deal.  Other locations I remember such as The Corner Mall still exist even though the shops inside are not the same houses of fashion from the 1980s.  However, that may be for the best.

     My friend was amazed at the beauty of the Boston Public Garden as well as the general cleanliness of the city.  She loved the flowers and decorated storefronts, commenting on how much nicer Boston is compared to the behemoth that is New York City.  While I contend that there is no comparing the two, Boston won my heart at the tender age of three.  My parents relocated our family from Rhode Island to Massachusetts because my father got a new job.  We moved into the town of Winthrop, which was so close to the heart of Boston that I could hear it calling to me.

     My feet and legs are not as young as they once were and even though the Freedom Trail walk was abbreviated my body ached considerably.  After all, we had walked for 7 hours all together!  We managed to walk back to our hotel and relax for a while before crossing the street to go to dinner.  We were unable to go any further than that.

     I’d like to return and continue to explore the city again.  Next time I believe I’ll wear sneakers instead of sandals and map out other locations to visit.  There are so many things to do and see in the city of Boston, one trip simply isn’t enough. And I love that dirty water…