History Comes Alive in Boston

I homeschool the kids, which I’ve mentioned before. Last week we learned about the Revolutionary War for history. Several months ago I took a trip to Boston, I knew I was standing in spots that held historic significance, but, I’m also 13 years out from my last history lesson. So, to read them this information, and know I had stood there just months before was so cool.

I love Boston. We stayed in a small town outside of Boston. I think it was about a 45 minute drive, or train ride into the city. Brad and I shared one car, so, he drove to work, while I took the train into the city. The first day, I decided to take the train, so he dropped me off at the station. I was concerned because this was a 730a train. Brad wouldn’t get off work until 5p, so if I got bored and wanted to come back to the hotel, I was out of luck. I’d have to bring the train home, then walk about 3 miles back to the room.

I didn’t need to worry, I had all day in Boston. I walked 11 miles. I was not bored.

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This is the train station. I got off the train and had no idea what I was doing. Luckily, I like to wander, so I walked a couple blocks, through the Financial District. Then, I came out into a very crowded area, where a red line is painted on the sidewalk, in front of a very old building. This red line is the Freedom Trail, it is 2.5 miles that will take you through 16 different historic sights. I felt like, every time I turned one way to see something, I missed 3 other interesting sights the other way.

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This is the Old State House, this is where the Declaration of Independence was read to the people of Boston for the first time. This was also the site where the Boston Massacre happened. John Adams declared the Revolution began here. This is Boston’s oldest public building, built in 1713. I used this all week to figure out where I was.

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This is the Old South Meeting House. You walk in, and walk where George Washington one stood. Where the colonists prepared for the Boston Tea Party. It was built in 1729, and Benjamin Franklin was baptized here. It was the largest building in all of colonial Boston. FIVE THOUSAND colonists crowded into this building to decide what to do about the ships full of tea in the harbor.

This is the interior, can you even imagine, 5,000 people in here?IMG_5408

Next we have Kings Chapel.

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I loved Kings Chapel, enough I went back every day. I even went to a church service there, and I’m not particularly religious. The church was founded in 1686. When it was time to build a new building, they weren’t able because there was no more land. So, they build this stone building around the old wooden one, in 1749, then carried the wooden one out, piece by piece. The pulpit from the original church remains in the building. Over 30,000 sermons have been preached from this spot. IMG_5238

It was very powerful to kneel at this alter where so many people have been. Where people were worshiping before the United States even existed!

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The history of the pews was very interesting, in my opinion.

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The pews are not in rows, they are in high-walled boxes. You could “buy” a pew, and pay a yearly rent. This allowed the family that owned it to make it fit their needs. The walls kept the area warmer in the winter. These are original pews, from the 1600s. The owners could decide how the seating was set up. This one held the most people. I saw many with a single row, and one with just 2 seats in it. While the upholstery has been redone, the padding is still the original horse-hair! The owners were able to decorate them as they wished until the twentieth century.

I did not go into the bell tower, though I wish I had. in 1772 a bell was shipped for the tower from London. It fractured in 1814 and Paul Revere offered to remake the bell. It was one of the largest bells ever cast in the Revere foundry and it was the last one made by Paul Revere.

That is all for today, if I include everything I’ll be writing for days!

Liebster Award!

I was nominated for the Liebster Award by TravelingSaurus. Her blog is great, I think it is a lot more relatable than many of the luxury or full time travelers blogs. So, thank you so much for the nomination!

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here are the rules for the Liebster Award:

1. Write a blog post thanking the blogger who nominated you for the Liebster Award, and link back to their blog.
2. Answer the 11 questions that your nominator asks you.
3. Nominate 10 bloggers of our own, with under 600 followers, who you think are awesome and deserving of this honor.
4. Create 11 questions for your nominees.
5. Display the Liebster Award logo on your page.
6. List these rules in your post.

Here are my answers for the questions TravelingSaurus asked.

  1. What’s your traveling style? I.e. luxury? Affordable luxury? Backpacking? Glampacking? Your own unique style?

It is my own unique style. Half my trips are following my husband around the country for work, so that style is “don’t be bored or spend a fortune”. When we are on an actual vacation, the style is laid back. We are not huge on tours and the real touristy spots. I like to wander and see where I end up.

2. How do you finance your traveling habit/lifestyle? 

Delta frequent flier miles and hotel rewards. My husband has a job that is full-time travel. So, he gets a lot of rewards/bonuses and that is how I get to travel.

3. What city or town would you move to if you had to pick one?

At this point, I think Kalispell, Montana. It is where we got married, and it is beautiful. Though, I don’t know how many winters I could deal with. So, maybe Boston is a better plan.

4. Do you have one piece of travel gear that you just can’t live without?

No, not really. Well, actually, my spare battery for my phone. I use it to take all the pictures, so I drain batteries like crazy. I may need ANOTHER spare.

5. How many continents have you been to? Do you want to see them all?

Just 1. Yes, I want to see them all.

6. Pick something that makes you nervous when you travel.

Getting lost in dangerous areas.

7. What’s the best local beer you’ve ever had (or wine, if you aren’t a beer drinker)?

I’m not really a drinker at all.

8. What’s your one sentence opinion on selfies in sensitive cultural or historical places?

They are a bit insensitive, but I understand the desire.

9. Do you prefer history museums or art museums?

History museums, definitely.

10. What is your number one dream destination that you haven’t been to (yet)?

Petra, Jordan

11. Are you pretty content with your current blog, or are you always thinking/itching/looking to do a revision, update, or tweak?

My blog is still really, really new. I actually didn’t plan on doing the history posts, but they keep being to interesting, in my opinion, to pass up. I think it is a bit early to decide if I’m happy with it. I’m not happy with my organization.

My nominees:

Backpacks and Babygrows

Chasing Adventure

Wise Monkeys Abroad

Five Fs

Bohemian’s Eye

Simple Travel Our Way

The Lens Less Traveled

John and Debbie RTW Adventure

Questions for the nominees:

1. What do you know now, that you wish you had known when you started traveling?

2. Do you prefer short trips or long ones?

3.  Do you have a family, significant other/children? What has been the hardest to juggle while traveling?

4. Do you collect any one thing from your adventures? Magnets? Post Cards?

5. Mountains, ocean, or city? Or something else?

6.  You have one day to drive, leave from your home and drive for the day, then spend the weekend. Where are you driving to?

7.  What was your most memorable trip?

8. What is one travel experience you’d like to forget?

9. Where have you been you don’t think you could resist going back to, time and time again?

10. Why do you blog?

11. Not really a question, show one of your favorite photos you took during your travels.