Northern Vacation- Day 2

After a witchy day spent in Salem, today it was off to Boston.  The initial plan was for me to take the train in to the city and Tiffany would pick me up; Nicole was spending the day with family.  My goal in most travel situations is to NOT look like a tourist; I like to blend.  So the first stop of the day was to Dunkin Donuts for some coffee.  (If you're wondering why I'm fixated on DD and Massachusetts, it's Jim Gaffigan's fault as you can see from this clip.)  Having passed at least three Dunkin Donuts on the 15 minute drive to the station, I thought this would be a perfect way to blend in.  Waiting in line for coffee was an experience.  People always go on about how Starbucks people have their own lingo (venti half calf skim latte) but in that Gloucester Dunkin Donuts, I felt like I was in the belly of the beast.  There was a group ahead of us that was slowing things down and I thought the meat head in front of me was going to blow a fuse.  It's not exactly surprising that they are so edgy when it comes to their coffee, that's an awful lot of caffeine to consume!  I had to bite back a laugh when I saw a mug for sale that said "Massachusetts Runs on Dunkins" because it's not an exaggeration.  I rehearsed my order in my head as the line crawled since I didn't want them to suss me out immediately.  I got the coffee goods without incident and headed back to the train.


As I waited for the train to arrive, I looked around and congratulated myself with the stellar way I had blended in with the locals.  Everyone had a DD cup (that sounds wrong).  A guy walked across the rails (legally, he wasn't high on coffee or anything- well, I guess I can't really confirm that) and I saw in his hand, he had a McDonalds coffee.  HOLY CRAP!  Things are about to get ugly!  As I looked around for the quickest evacuation route, the other commuters took in the site.  And then nothing happened.  Sheesh, I thought for sure people with that much caffeine in their systems would be ready to throw down.  Maybe they all drink decaf.  The train rolled in and I grabbed a seat next to the window.  It was about an hour ride into Boston but the ride took you past some really cute coastal towns.  It reminded me of my European days of hopping on the train and seeing the countryside.  Oh and they had WiFi!  Not long into the trip, Nicole called and told me that plans had changed and she would drive in to meet Tiffany and I and the three of us would do some Boston stuff.  It would be fun to hang out with the two people I travel the most with.

Tiffany picked me up at North Station and we headed south to the JFK Presidential Library.  Somewhere along the way, Tiffany and I started a tradition of visiting presidential stuff, especially the libraries.  We had already been to Jimmy Carter's and LBJ's libraries so we couldn't be in Boston at the same time and not visit the JFK one.  I should point out now that not every president has an official library.  The official ones are run by the National Archives and started with Herbert Hoover's library in West Branch, Iowa.  (You know, I probably typed the same exact thing when I was talking about LBJ's library in February but the reminder can't hurt!)  The JFK Library is located at the edge of Columbia Point just south of Boston.  The building was designed by I.M. Pei, who also designed the glass pyramid outside of the Louvre in Paris, and at first I thought it was a bit too modern; I like my buildings old.  As with most presidential libraries, the visit started out with a video.  The exhibits focused on various aspects from the Kennedy years: the campaign, the presidency and television, the Space Race, JFK's relationship with his Attorney General/brother, life in the White House and, of course, his legacy.  After you come out of the exhibits, you enter a multi-story pavilion that looks out onto the water through the metal framing of the building.  It's so beautiful, I could have spent all day there.


But alas, there is no rest for the touring and soon we were off back into the city.  We got a bit lost on the way to the North End neighborhood and got a taste of the uniquely Boston style of driving.  Nicole had told me that it was insanity but that the "anything goes" style ended up being quite freeing.  She said all you have to do is stick out your hand, wave and then cut off whoever you want.  And you know what, that's exactly how it was!  Everyone up north is so friendly that they just don't mind if you cut them off, just do it with a smile.

The first stop in the North End was to visit Paul Revere's House.  I had no idea that Paul Revere lived in Boston's Little Italy.  But it's pretty much surrounded by Italian restaurants, far as the eye can see.  At least the Reveres ate well!  The house was pretty much what you would expect.  It was built in 1680 on the grounds of a former parsonage.  The parsonage once housed the infamous Puritan ministers Increase and, his son, Cotton Mathers (now those are some names), who are most famous for their connection to the Salem Witch Trials.  But back to Revere.  He bought the house in 1770 and moved him and his family of seven in.  The house was actually a pretty good size for that time.  Out in the garden they had a 900 lb. bell that was made by Paul Revere & Sons.

The bell pulls

Obviously Revolutionary War-related spots are all over the place in Boston.  Boston even has a handy dandy brick-lined (mostly) Freedom Trail to lead visitors to all of the prime spots.  The whole trail is about 2.5 miles and takes you to 17 sites.  Since I'm not necessarily all about the Revolutionary War, I just wanted to go to a few of the sites.  We followed the red line and headed over to the Old North Church, famous for the old "one if by land, and two if by sea" lantern hanging.  The church was built in 1723 and was one of the few Episcopal churches in Colonial Boston; it's also the oldest standing church building in Boston.  If you have the chance and time your visit right, definitely go on the Tower and Crypt tour.  You get to go up to the bell tower and and learn all about the bells, it's quite a production...they have students from MIT ring them, and then you get a tour of the crypt, which is always fun.


After the Old North Church, we met up with Nicole's cousin and figured When In Little Italy, so we had dinner at Limoncello.  Can I just say, that was one of the BEST meals I have had?!  Squid ink pasta with lobster...delicious.  It might be sad to say, but I don't think I've ever had fresh pasta and what a difference it makes.  After a tasty dinner and some bubbly Prosecco, we made one last stop at the Granary Burial Grounds.  Nicole and I got dropped off to make a quick run through the cemetery- though it was a respectful run!  The cemetery is the final resting place of Paul Revere, Sam Adams, John Hancock (or was it Herbie Hancock), Ben Franklin's family, Mother Goose (I had no idea she was a real person) and many others.

Hancock's tomb...I will not
comment on the shape

Paul Revere's original
tombstone

Here lies Mother Goose

 After a full and sweaty day in Boston, we headed back to Gloucester and finished the day on one of the small private beaches nearby.  Pretty nice way to end the last day in Massachusetts.      

Tomorrow:  Off to Portland