DAY 1
I landed in Boston and Kristen and Jill picked me up from the airport and we bagan our touring right away. We followed the "Freedom Trail" (marked by a red line):
The red line takes visitors to important Revolutionary sites, like Paul Revere's House (pictured below) and the Old North Church, which is where the lanterns were hung - one if by land, two if by sea.
Along the way we also passed several Puritan and late Colonial Burial Grounds. The early Puritans were very iconoclastic, and gravestones were one of their only forms of "art." So, I had to take a good look, of course. A lot of famous people were buried in these plots including, John Hancock, Paul Revere, and Mother Goose.
We also made certain to stop for Jill's favorite treat - a cannoli from Mike's pastries.
On our way back from Bunker Hill we stumbled onto a park with a bunch of painted cows. Lots of cities are doing this fun project lately. They get a lot of different artists to paint a statue and then they display them all over the city. During the Olympics Salt Lake displayed Buffalos; a few years ago Lawrence did Jayhawks. I'm not really sure why Boston chose cows - those seem better suited to Kansas City, Chicago, or Texas. What I think would have been really great is if Boston had done Whales or even better Lobsters. Can you imagine stumbling onto a whole park of painted Lobsters?!I did find this cow that was painted just for Nate.
We also saw a Marathon Cow, a Sunflower Cow, and, of course, the obligatory Starry Night Cow.
After our amble along the Road to the Revolution we met Hyrum and Nicole for dinner in the North End (the Italian District.) We certainly weren't disappointed.Here we are riding the T (for Transit) on our way home to Hyrum and Nicole's house. (From left to right Nicole, Me, Kristen, and Jill)
DAY 2
This morning began with a lot of rain and an adventure with Boston's public transportation. In response to the weather, we opted on a trip to the Museum of Fine Arts. I, for one, was not disappointed. The Boston Fine Arts Museum has an exceptional collection of American Art. They have several works by Gilbert Stuart; the artist who painted the portrait of George Washington that is on the dollar bill. And they also have some of the most famous works by John Singleton Copley. Copley painted many of the Revolutionists, such as Paul Revere.
I was also impressed by the museum's collection of more modern American painters.Nicole picked us up from the art museum and we went to see Beacon Hill, one of the fancier places to live in the city. Here we are walking through the gorgeous brownstones.
We then went to Harvard Square, where we miraculously ran into Sarah in one of the souvenir shops. (She's another of our runner pals who was in town for her brother's graduation from Law School.)
After talking to Sarah for an hour we took a quick turn through Harvard's campus. Here are the girls looking studious in front of Harvard's library. I'd say they definetely look like Harvard graduate students!
DAY 3
On the morning of our third day in Boston we visited the Boston Temple. We then headed to Maine and the beach!
On the way home we stopped in New Hampshire and experimented with new poses.
DAY 4
As we got ready for the day Hyrum entertained us with his accordian.
Before church we headed to Walden Pond. Here we are making friends with Thoreau. His tiny cottage is in the background.
Kristen contemplates Thoreau's plea to "simplify, simplify."
In the church parking lot we ran into another old running friend, Emily. She and he husband, Scott, are in the ward that meets just before Hyrum and Nicole's.
After church we took Kristen to the airport to send her back to her family.Day 5
Jill and I headed to Newport, Rhode Island - making this a 4 state trip! Here's Jill eating her lunch at the Breakers - the "cottage" Cornelius Vanderbuilt II had Richard Morris Hunt design and build in 1895. The Breakers is a 70 room house, the dining room table can seat 36, and the ceiling is decorated with 24 carat gold leaf. The music room is decorate with paintings of the Muses on platinum. It was truly palatial.
After our tour through the Breakers, Jill and I strolled along the Cliff Walk and went to see the oldest house in Newport.
We finished the visit with an absolutely enormous hamburger at the Red Parrot, which I'm sorry to report had a shocking lack of pirate paraphernelia.
DAY 6
On our LAST day in Boston Jill and I went to the Boston Public Library. Here I am in the courtyard. It was cold!
There was a really interesting map exhibit at the library, and we spent a lot of time deciphering the John Singer Sargent murals on the third floor. Across the street from the Boston Public Library is Trinity Church, a very influential structure designed by Henry Hobson Richardson in the Romanesque Revival style. The building is absolutely amazing in person. In this shot the church is reflected in the glass of the Hancock Towers.
We then met up with Nicole, and she and Jill were kind enough to help me navigate Boston shopping so that I could find a dress for my sister's wedding. After wading through several shops, loads of people and clothing, and experiencing the strangest dressing room I've ever seen, we finally found a dress!We ended the day and the trip, appropriately, at Dorchester Heights. On a foggy night the revolutionaries dragged all their canons up this hill which overlooks the city and Boston Harbor. In the morning, the British realized they had been beaten and were forced to hastily evacuate Boston. Dorchester Heights still offers an amazing view of the city.
