Daytripping: 12 Hours in Boston, MA

My boyfriend and I have seem to have mastered the art of the quick vacation. On Valentine's Day we flew to Boston from NYC for a daytrip, and it was a lot easier than we thought it would be. Though we missed the Shepard Fairey exhibit at Institute of Contemporary Art, one of our main reason's for taking the trip, we were able cover a lot of ground. Here's how you, too, can tour Boston in 12 hours.

• From Logan Airport, take the shuttle bus to Boston's subway, the T, to the Aquarium stop and you'll land in Boston Harbor. Our plan landed at 8:30am and we were in Boston Harbor by 9am. Very quick, very easy. Here you can check in the view of the waterfront and visit Faneuil Hall Market (Quincy Market). (We also ended our trip here when we quickly helped ourselves to a bowl of clam chowder before we took the T back to the airport around 7pm.)

• Not far away, the downtown area includes the Old State House and Old South Meeting House, where plans were hatched for the Boston Tea Party. On Tremont Street you'll find the Granary Burying Grounds. This cemetery is final resting place of Paul Revere, several victims of the Boston Massacre including Crispus Attucks and a three signers of the Declaration of Independence: John Hancock, Robert Treat Paine, and Samuel Adams.

• The greenery of Boston Common is a welcoming site after leaving the downtown area. Here you'll have a chance to visit the memorial dedicated to the Civil War's 54th Massachusetts Regiment. The all-black regiment was commanded by Colonel Robert Gould Shaw. (Remember the film Glory?) The memorial was completed May 31, 1897.

•  Beacon Hill is a perfect neighborhood to visit in terms of architecture. This oh so cute area includes the Museum of African-American History which is housed in the African Meeting House (sadly, currently under construction) and the Abiel Smith School, the first public school for African-American's in the United States. Both sites are part of the Black Heritage Trail. This was a major highlight of or trip for me. From there, wander to Newbury Street and do some serious shopping in a charming setting. (Alas, only window shopping for me.)

• Another architectural must is a college tour of sorts through Cambridge. Take the T to Harvard Square and visit Harvard University's campus. Don't miss the Harvard Art Museum. Here you'll find work by Max Beckmann, Auguste-Dominique Ingres, Piscasso, among others. Next, move on to MIT's campus where and check out Frank Gehry's Stata Center.

Rotunda, Harbor Hotel

Above: Zakim Bunker Hill Bridge
Below: Strata Center, MIT

54th Massachucetts Regiment Memorial.

Exhibit at the Museum of African American History in Beacon Hill.
The museum is housed at the Abiel Smith School which is the first
publicly-funded school for educating African-American children.
The African Meeting House was closed for renovations.

Above: George Washington statue at Boston Common
Below: Massachusetts State House

 

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[Dissertation Abstract]

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