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03/06/2006 01:42:55 PM · #1 |
I'm heading to Boston next week for a short spring break vacation with my family. This is what happens when you wait to the last minute to setup a vacation... look at major cities and decide which one you can afford to go to ;-).
Any suggestions on some interesting sites to visit and photograph in the area?
I found this interesting website that gives me some ideas on paths to take:
//www.photowalks.com/ |
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03/06/2006 01:58:58 PM · #2 |
| Freedom Trail is one of the more popular tours. It is a pretty long walk through the cities historical areas. I have never taken a guided tour myself but they have a red trail painted on the sidewalks that takes you through the entire trail. |
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03/06/2006 02:01:11 PM · #3 |
If you are willing to take a relatively short drive north, Salisbury/Salisbury Beach offer some nice seascapes and scenery.
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03/06/2006 02:12:58 PM · #4 |
| There's plenty of beautiful architecture around Beacon Hill; you might also want to consider some photographs along the Charles River. Find out if you can get a tour of Fenway Park or the TD Banknorth Garden (FleetCenter). Take a trip to the top of the John Hancock Building or the Prudential Tower. You might also want to consider taking one of the boat tours - get the one that has the amphibious cars that allow you to ride through the Boston streets and then drive into the river. |
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03/06/2006 02:56:32 PM · #5 |
Originally posted by Chuck the Writer:
.....Take a trip to the top of the John Hancock Building.... |
Pretty sure this is closed now days - "security" reasons :-/.
- Try the aquarium area. Nice fish [both eating and looking] and also a good view of the city in the evening.
- The MIT side of the river opposite the back bay is good for some shots.
- Freedom trail is okay although a bit of walking. Maybe check out the boat at one end, or the common in the middle.
- Harvard square area is cool for street type photos.
Hope some of this helps.... |
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03/06/2006 03:08:59 PM · #6 |
| What about the restaurant (not particularly good food) that is on top of that hotel shaped like a pyramid on the cambridge side of the river? It used to be a revolving restaurant - you could sit by a window and it took abotu an hour to do a 360 tour of the Boston skyline - very pretty from dusk through sunset. Is that still there? |
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03/06/2006 04:10:39 PM · #7 |
guess first thing to find out is what you like to look for when you go places.
do you like to walk
a car is not an option in Boston...if you dont know the city you wont have it long or wish you didnt
you have the river
you have the ocean
you have a great old city with lots of old stuff :)
how long are you going to be there |
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03/06/2006 06:52:13 PM · #8 |
Thanks all.
As a family we are known to make these kinds of last minute decisions for spring break. One year we decided to drive to Atlanta the week before. This year it is going to be Boston. Mainly because we have a 15 year old son who has some interest in MIT (assuming he gets some scholarships and maintains his A average ;-) ) so we will definitely be going to the MIT area and check out the museum. We also like science museums in general so we will go to the Boston science museum.
But since this is a very historical town we will do the walk or any other walks necessary. I guess I didn't understand that there was a actual walk painted on the sidewalk. I printed out a map from the nation parks website that shows the path... so I guess we need good walking shoes.
We will be there for four full days so we can chop things up a bit. The only thing we have definitely planned out are Blue Man Group tickets for one of the nights.... the rest of the trip is open for us to plan out.
David |
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03/06/2006 07:22:57 PM · #9 |
If you are a member of AAA, pick up a copy of the guidebook for Boston. It will detail what is along the Freedom Trail and you can decide which parts of it to do. Some sights that I personally liked: Old Burying Ground (where the victims of the Boston Massacre are buried, along with other famous notables), Paul Revere's house, and the Old North Church ("one if by land, two if by sea...").
The Freedom Trail starts just outside the Park Street station on the green line, and ends in the North End somewhere close to North Station if I recall correctly. It wanders the city and passes several historical museums along the way, including Fanueil Hall which is more of a market these days. It is a self-guided tour, and you will know that you are on it when you see either red bricks in a line on the sidewalk, or cross-facing cobblestones. You may lose the thread of the bricks due to construction/Big Dig (especially around Government Center), but any local merchant will be able to direct you. It is possible to do the entire tour in one day, but you'll need comfy shoes and a good early start in the morning.
The New England Aquarium has one of the best jellyfish exhibits around, and is reasonably priced for a family. They allow tripods, if I recall correctly. At least we didn't get thrown out when using ours...
Someone mentioned an amphibious boat tour, probably they were thinking of the Duck Tour which is very popular -- there will be leaflets in any hotel for it.
The Prudential Center has a restaurant on the top, but there is a dress code. If you aren't dressed up enough, they'll put you on the side where the view isn't as good. Also, don't go there for dinner without a reservation, or you'll wind up on the crappy side as well. The Pru is mostly a shopping mall, as is Copley Place. Your concierge at your hotel ought to be able to help you with reservations.
There is also a Reflecting Pool at the Scientology center which is kind of neat, especially at night.
Someone also mentioned not needing a car - agree wholeheartedly! If you drive into the city, you'll either pay a fortune to park in a garage or spend hours looking for a spot. If you must drive in, park at a T-station and let the subway be your friend. Incidentally, the "T" or subway is the first of it's kind in the nation.
Newbury Street is also a popular shopping district, and a great place for people watching.
Have fun!
--Laurie |
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