A Walk Through Beantown: Why Visiting Boston Never Gets Old

I just returned from a trip to Boston with my wife and one of my kids. Boston has always held a natural appeal for me as a city heavily steeped in history. I never get tired visiting the city and I wanted to share a few travel blog entries and pictures. I could not recommend a visit to the city more highly, but give yourself a few days to take in everything that Beantown has to offer.

I spent much of our time around Harvard and stayed in Harvard Square. On our first day, we were surprised by two wild turkeys outside of one of the dorms near

Harvard Law School. They were gorgeous and seemed quite at home on campus.

The campus is always a fun visit since buildings dating to the colonial period, including some used to house revolutionary troops.

I got my history fix by returning to the the Granary Burial Ground. It is hard to believe that as many as 5,000 Bostonians may be buried in the relatively small space. That includes such notables as John Hancock and Paul Revere as well as Samuel Adams.

One of my favorites is James Otis. He is little recognized as a Founder but the lawyer may have coined the expression of “taxation without representation.” He was opposed to the writs of assistance, allowing authorities to search homes without cause as well as British tax policy. He was also in favor of true equality, writing that “the colonists are by the law of nature freeborn, as indeed all men are, white or black.”He may have been bipolar, though many attribute his growing mental instability to a blow that he received to his head from a British tax collector in a pub. He would literally depart with a bang. He has the distinction of being killed by a lightning bolts while stand outside the front door of his lodging on May 23, 1783.

We had the pleasure of visiting the Harvard Art Museum, which is still free to the public. It is a wonderful collection that I strongly recommend. It has an assortment of art and historic exhibits. It also may have the single most creepy depiction of the Christ child and my favorite portrait of St. Peter with the cleaver embedded in his head and knife in the chest. (The martyr seemed perfectly fine with the objects).

I also like the emancipation pottery from before the Civil War that were popular in Boston:

 

 

 

 

 

Here are a few additional pictures:

Lunch was a particular treat on the second day. I had heard that Harvard had what some claimed to be the best burger in the country. The Wall Street Journal had given Bartley’s that distinction as well as citing it for its onion rings. I must admit that I was skeptical. Frankly, I felt that some elite university was a poor location for a great burger joint. However, my visit to Bartley’s shattered any prejudices. If it was not the best burger I have ever had, it is tied for first place. The onion rings were also remarkably good, though I would not necessarily say that they were the best I had ever tasted.  The restaurant itself, founded in 1960s, is a hole-in-the-wall space that has a long list of visiting luminaries. We sat at the table used by Johnny Cash. I loved everything about the place.

Given my family roots, I always make my way to the North End for Little Italy. I often go to Mike’s for the cannolis, but we decided to go to its main competitor (and local favorite) Bova’s. We tried two cannolis: the pistachio and Florentine. I loved the taste of the Florentine (but it shatters upon the first bite leaving you with a hand full of cream filing. The pistachio frankly was awful. The shell was fine but the filling was too sweet and tasted artificial. I remain a greater fan of Mike’s between these two favorite stops, but you should judge for yourself.

We also visited the Revere home in the North End. A ticket is only around $6. It is quite small but worth the visit. I love the space. The staff is very friendly and very, very knowledgeable. It feels cozy and authentic. It is amazing that Revere raised sixteen kids (eight with each of his two wives) in such a small space. While starting as a solidly middle class silversmith, Revere became quite wealthy later in life due to contracts to supply the early American military (including his mortar) with cannon and other enterprises. He later moved to a large home, which was not preserved. Unfortunately, they do not allow photos inside the house, but here are a couple pictures from the outside.

 

We also visited the spectacular Old State House building with its lovely mural and stain glass windows.

Just walking through Boston and taking in the architecture and natural beauty of this city is a treat. It is a city with great food, culture, and sights. It literally never gets old, which is pretty impressive for a city that is approaching its 400th anniversary.