26th July 2002 : Boston - The Freedom Trail


The Open Group meeting ended at midday on Friday. While waiting for Sue and Chris to arrive much later in the evening, I explored the Freedom Trail, primarily to see whether it was reasonable to try to walk the whole trail on the following day.

I started at Long Wharf and walked back along the Freedom Trail to its starting point on Boston Common


Statues just outside Borders Bookstore

Statues just outside Borders Bookstore

Statues just outside Borders Bookstore

Fountain on Boston Common - detail

Fountain on Boston Common

Frog Pond in Boston Common

Frog Pond in Boston Common

Statue on the edge of Boston Common

Mennanite Church Group

Squirrel on Boston Common

Squirrel on Boston Common

I walked back along the Freedom Trail, through downtown Boston across towards Charlestown. I started to take photographs at places I thought we might not reach on the following day. The section through the centre of Boston is pretty concentrated, with lots of places on interest close together. From North End onwards, there is more walking involved. The first stop in Charlestown was City Square Park.


City Square Park in Charlestown

City Square Park in Charlestown

City Square Park in Charlestown

City Square Park in Charlestown

City Square Park in Charlestown

City Square Park in Charlestown

Freedom Trail

There was a poignant reminder of the events of 9/11.


Poignant banner outside Fire Station

War memorial in Charlestown

Next stop was the Bunker Hill monument. This is not on top of Bunker Hill, but neither was the battle that the monument commemorates, in which the US infantry overcame the British during the War of Independence.


Bunker Hill Monument

St. Mary's Rectory in Charlestown

Bunker Hill Monument

Bunker Hill Monument

Flintlock demonstration

Flintlock demonstration

The end of the Freedom Trail is Charlestown Navy Yard, where the USS Constitution, the oldest commissioned warship in the US Navy, is moored, togethere with a WWII ship, the USS Cassin Young.


Charlestown Navy Yard

Charlestown Navy Yard - Cannon

USS Constitution

USS Constitution

USS Boston Monument

USS Boston Monument

Flag on USS Cassin Young (WWII Destroyer)

USS Cassin Young

USS Cassin Young

The last East Coast steamship under restoration in dry dock

MA Korean War Veterans Memorial

Air ship

Navy yard crane

I used of the many water taxis to get back to the Hyatt Harborside.


Harbor tour boat

Eventually, I met Sue & Chris at Logan Airport. They arrived a few minutes late at 20:56 after a pretty uneventful flight. We took the shuttle to the hotel, had a quick drink in the bar and a got a good night's sleep, to start off the holiday.