Boston Is History And So Much More

Our second trip into Boston was on the train on a very foggy morning.  Not far from the RV Park is a station.  Pay $4 to park all day.  Pay $10.50  each for a round trip and not long and you are in Boston at the North Station.

By the time we were in the city most of the fog had burned off but Hurricane Jose out there in the Atlantic kept us under cloudy skies for most of the day.

Today we opted to do the Trolley Tour so we could see an overview of greater Boston.  It is a Hop on Hop off tour but we stayed on to see as much as we could.

The New England Law School was originally Portia Law School and founded in 1908 as the only law school in the country exclusively for women.  In 1938 it became coeducational.

The Downtown Crossing area has shopping and history.

Beautiful old buildings house retail, hotels and restaurants.

I love cities.........the people are SO interesting.  Where do you suppose she got that outfit?  

Beautiful architectural masterpiece Church's dot the skyline as we go along. The Old South Church is a perfect example.  That copper clad cupola is surrounded by 12 gothic arched windows. 

This dome tops what is called the Mother Church Extension next to an 11-story structure originally built for the Christian Science Publishing Society.  

Fenway Park was on the route.  The Sox were out of town this week or I am sure we would have tried to snag a couple tickets to a game.

More incredible homes on Charles Street.

 

We were fascinated to hear the tour guide tell us that much of Boston lies on land that was originally underwater.

Boston was originally a small peninsula encircled by the Atlantic Ocean, Charles River, Mystic River, and Chelsea Creek.

Filling in the surrounding mud flats began in the early 1800s, and continued until the early 1900s.

The Back Bay of Boston was literally a bay.....this bay was tidal: the water rose and fell several feet over the course of each day, and at low tide much of the bay's bed was exposed as a marshy flat.  In 1814 a milldam and toll road were constructed.  They were an economic failure and in 1857 a massive project was begun to "make land" by filling the area enclosed by the dam.

Boston began tearing down its hills to make new land.  Beacon Hill used to be 60 feet higher than it is today.

What I find most disturbing is structures built on the landfill are supported by dozens of 30- to 40-foot-long wood pilings, similar to telephone poles, that reach down through the landfill to a harder layer of clay. These pilings sit entirely below the water table, which protects them from microbes that would attack them in dry air, causing rot.  In years of drought foundations beneath the centuries-old homes and new, sometimes many stories tall, buildings are at risk of rotting and crumbling.

The tour guide didn't bring it up but my mind was screaming............what about an earthquake?   It could happen.  Scary! A city built on unstable ground.  And what a beautiful city it is.

We got off the Trolley at the Boston Harbor.

It bustles with people and activities.

First order of business for us was a late lunch at Legal Sea Foods.  Lump Crab Dip with Seafood Crackers!  Yum. 

Then it was on to a boat cruise of the harbor.  The Boston Harbor was the site of the Boston Tea Party and like other parts of the city it has been backfilled.

 

The Lightship Nantucket is berthed in the Boston Harbor.  She was the last serving lightship.  She helped ships navigate the Nantucket Shoals from 1936 to 1975.

 

The waterfront is lined by pricey condos to buy or rent.

We got a nice look at the USS Constitution.  She is the world's oldest commissioned naval vessel afloat and is most noted for her actions during the War of 1812 against the United Kingdom, when she captured numerous merchant ships and defeated five British warships.  Also, being on the water gives a different perspective of the city.  The Bunker Hill Memorial is closer to the water than it appears on land.

 

If you want up close and personal to the harbor be prepared to pay in the millions for the privilege.  

The $140 million super yacht Mayan Queen is docked in the harbor.  It is owned by by Mexican billionaire Alberto Bailleres Gonzales who made his money in the mining industry. 

The Custom House Block along the wharf is a former warehouse that was built in 1848. Today it has been made into office space.

The 1760s Gardiner Building, once home to John Hancock's counting house for his mercantile business is  now a restaurant, and is the wharf's oldest surviving structure.

We very much enjoyed our Harbor Cruise.  The weather was fine and the commentary was interesting.

 

Back to North Station to board the train back to the Navigator.  We are so fortunate to have spent time in the amazing city of Boston.