East Coast Vacations in Boston, Birthplace of Liberty
November 24, 2009 by jtan
Filed under East Coast Vacations, Featured, Resort Getaways, Top Vacation Spots
The port of Boston is where it all began. The city expanded and grew from that and has continued to grow through the years until today it fills the shoreline of Massachusetts Bay and stretches for miles inland. The neat grids of most American cities, based on the model used by William Penn for Philadelphia, cannot be found here. The streets twist and wind around Boston Common cluster. You’ll need a map or a guide for a splendid east coast vacations as big as Boston. Taking your resort getaways in this city will assure a memorable experience.
The biggest city in America until 1755, it was also the one targeted by the whims and fancies of the British Crown. It’s natural, then, that this is where the opposition and the burning fervor for independence were born. So many of the sites we recognize from the history of the period are preserved and can be visited along the Freedom Trail downtown.
The city was located on a narrow peninsula and was the third busiest port in the British Empire. Very little access could be obtained by land, so the British came on ships. The posh Back Bay residential area was created in the nineteenth century when the marshes from the Charles River were filled in.
Many Americans have complained that Boston lives in the past. Even the upper-class drawl of the wealthy residents called the “Brahmins” is still spoken by the more advantaged Bostonians. More than one hundred universities and colleges claim this city as their homes.
However, Harvard University, the most famous of them all, is actually in Cambridge, which is across the Charles River. You’ll be able to visit this historic institution on your vacation in Boston by means of one of the best subway systems in the country.
The depression of the ‘30s took a larger toll on Boston than on many other parts of the country. In fact, it lingered until the 1950s, the population experiencing major impact. However, after the ‘50s, the city began to come to life.
Many people choose to walk to the various sites; however, public transportation is excellent and inexpensive. There is also a shared van service for ADA members called The Ride that offers door-to-door transportation for $2 each way.
A Boston Duck Tour is an informative and entertaining 90-minute overview. This is a WWII amphibious vehicle that can take you on Boston streets as well as on the Charles River. However, there are also trolley tours. If your hotel is on the trolley’s route, you can get on and off there.
Sea food is wonderful here, so if you’re at all inclined to that cuisine, you’ll have a wonderful visit. However, if sea food is not to your liking, you’ll find extraordinary Yankee food in some of the restaurants as well as a wide range of high-quality east-coast foods, which will make your vacation memorable along with all the sights to be visited here. A favorite time to go is over St. Patrick’s Day although you’ll have an enjoyable visit at other times. It’s wise to plan around the weather, which can become unpleasant during the winter months.
When picking your east coast vacations, choosing Boston will be an opportunity to relive history while enjoying a modern, delightful city and some of the best food in the world.
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