It is not often that one gets to see sights in a city one is visiting on business. So this week, when I found two hours to spare to get to the airport, Kip lead me to the famous Charlestown district in Boston, MA.
We started with the 18 century bunker hill monument built to commemorate the first major conflict between British and Patriotic forces on July 17th 1775.
The monument built in the shape of an obelisk (with granite brought from a quarry in Quincy, MA on barges) at one point in time ran out of funds and had to sell prime real estate property to raise funds to complete the monument. Climbing the 294 steps (221 feet) is as much worth the exercise as the view.
The Boston skyline composite taken from the top of the Bunker Hill Monument.
Launched in 1797 under the eyes of President John Adams, USS Constitution is a three masted heavy frigate commissioned by Henry Knox (yes, HIM) to protect America from the Algiers pirates. The oldest ship afloat, fought the Barbary wars between 1803 -1805 and earned the nickname "Old Ironsides" in the monumental battle with the British frigate HMS Guerriere in 1812 off the coast of Nova Scotia.
The frigate was forgotten and was almost scrapped until Oliver Wendell Holmes wrote the heart wrenching "Old ironsides" which created enough public outcry to bring restore her.
Today she is permanently docked, less than a mile from Bunker Hill, all but her keel replaced.
Proud and tall and beautiful.
To round off the day, we stopped by the Warren tavern, rumored to be the first building to the raised after the battle of Bunker hill in 1775. Founded by Captain Eliphel Newell who participated in the Boston Tea Party, the tavern is quaint, beautifully maintained and expensive.
The photo in the middle shows the well preserved old quarters with breathtaking original frescoes
When character meets age, you don't expect it to be cheap, do you?
Must see!
