A TROLLEY RIDE THROUGH BOSTON

We had our first, of many, rides to shore on one of the covered motor launches, or lifeboats.  Getting on and off when the water was rough could be a real challenge,  But we all managed with the help of the ever friendly and helpful crew.  They were always patient with the old folks who had poor balance.  It was our first time off of the ship since we decided to bypass a visit to Cape Cod.  We had done a bike trip through Cape Cod and Martha's Vineyard a couple of years ago.

 We found our Trolley when we landed ashore and took off on a cloudy, drizzley ,chilly day for a tour of Boston,

I wondered if this was where the ship's chef got the wonderful lobsters we enjoyed for days at sea.

One  of the first treats was the masts of the USS Constitution hidden behind the boats and buildings of the marina. Launched in1797, during the war  of 1812 it fought against the British Fleet.

In what is known as Boston's East End hangs a Golden Teapot over what is now Starbucks. It dates back to 1871 when it hung over the Oriental Tea Company to tell the new immigrants, and all Bostonians where they could buy the finest tea in the city.

                    We passed this sad, colonial dressed man on the street
                    corner.  Perhaps he was as tired of the weather as
                    we were.

The Boston Common, a 50 acre plot dating back to 1634 is the oldest park in the US.  It was originally owned  owned by William Blaxton, the first European settler of Boston, until it was bought from him in 1634 by the Puritan founders of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.  During the 1630s, it was used by many families as a cow pasture. However, this only lasted for a few years, as affluent families bought additional cows, which led to overgrazing, a real-life example of the "tragedy of the commons".   The Common was used as a camp by the British before the American Revolutionary War, from which they left for the Battle of Lexington and Concord. It was used for public hangings up until 1817.
 

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The Old South Meeting House became famous as the location of the meeting that preceded the Tea Party. 
On the night of December 16, 1773,  some 5,000 angry colonists gathered at Old South to protest a tax on tea. When the negotiations failed, disguised men took action and destroyed over 1.5 million dollars worth of tea in today's money.

            The Hampshire House contains the bar featured in the famous TV show "Cheers.
                                                                                    

Boston is a city of contrasts, I think.  Take for example these totally different apartment houses.

And of course there is the famous Fenway Park.  It remains much like it did when it opened
August 20th 1912.  Since 1that time it has been the home for the Boston Red Sox, the city's American League baseball team, and since 1953, its only Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise."The field of dreams".

Our last stop on the tour was the memorial for the Boston Marathon Massacre of April 15, 2013. Two homemade bombs detonated 12 seconds and 210 yards (190 m) apart at 2:49 p.m., near the finish ...killing three spectators and wounding more than 260 other people. 

                Chuck having a final conversation with our very informative give and driver.