Well, here we are in the big city -- high-speed freeways, high-rise buildings, highly-congested traffic, and high volumes of people. I mentioned to Judi today that throughout the West and Midwest we saw large herds of buffalo and cattle roaming aimlessly over the plains. Today, we were the herds and we were roaming aimlessly. Well, maybe not aimlessly -- we actually followed the famous "Freedom Trail" that wound throughout Boston. But nonetheless, I find the city an unworthy competitor to the wide open plains and forests of the West . . .
The Freedom Trail is a well-marked walking path through the sometimes narrow streets of Boston that covers 2-1/2 miles one way. Key sights included the Old Statehouse Museum (Boston's oldest surviving public building -- see photo above), the site of the Boston Massacre, Paul Revere House, Old North Church ("one if by land, two if by sea"), USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides"), and Bunker Hill ("Don't fire until you see the whites of their eyes!") -- 1400 casualties on June 17, 1775.
The visual history lessons have been great -- we're staying in Concord, just down the road from the North Bridge where the American revolution began. We stood there yesterday evening as the sun was setting . . . visualizing the Minute Men -- farmers and merchants -- opening fire on the red uniformed British troops. And then today we stood at the crest of Bunker Hill where one of the bloodiest battles of the revolution took place.
Today we walked more than 5 miles -- much like our walking tour of Paris last year. But we find that, unlike an organized tour, we see things and touch things and experience things that we might not see, touch, or experience any other way than slowly and methodically walking.
Tomorrow is Sunday and we will attempt to conquer Cape Cod in a day.
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