Looking for info on Boston

[delmar]

I am going to boston the weekend of the 15th and 16th of October.

Is there a ship museum there or close by?

Also

I was told there is a old sailing ship in harbor that you can take a tour on.

I only have half a day friday, and each night after 5pm on sat. and sun.

Does anyone know, and what else might I be missing?

Thanks for any help,

Delmar

[HarborMaster]

Old Ironsides., The U.S.S. Constitution

USS CONSTITUTION

[Black Hearted Pearl]

Suggested Itineraries

If You Have 1 Day

Sample some experiences unique to Boston by touching on several remarkable attractions. Follow part of the Freedom Trail on your own from Boston Common to Faneuil Hall Marketplace. Alternatively, National Park Service rangers lead free 90-minute tours from the visitor center at 15 State St. (tel. 617/242-5642; www.nps.gov/bost) from mid-April to November. The tours start as often as four times a day during busy periods and sometimes run in the winter. They cover the "heart" of the trail, from the Old South Meeting House to the Old North Church. You don't need a reservation, but call for schedules. Boston By Foot (tel. 617/367-3766 for recorded information, or 617/367-2345; www.bostonbyfoot.com) offers a "Heart of the Freedom Trail" tour at 10am Tuesday through Saturday in warm weather. It starts at the Samuel Adams statue on Congress Street at Faneuil Hall. Tickets are $10 for adults, $8 for children 6 to 12, and you don't need reservations.

After your tour, prepare for a picnic with takeout food from Faneuil Hall Marketplace or the North End. Head to the plaza at the end of Long Wharf (pass the Marriott and keep going) or to Christopher Columbus Waterfront Park (across Atlantic Avenue from the marketplace). If you'd rather eat indoors, stay at the marketplace and have lunch at Durgin-Park, or go across the street to Ye Olde Union Oyster House. In the afternoon, complete your independent Freedom Trail foray in the North End and take a sightseeing cruise from Long Wharf or Rowes Wharf. Or explore the New England Aquarium or the Children's Museum. Or skip the afternoon sightseeing altogether and go shopping at Downtown Crossing, home to Filene's Basement, or on Newbury Street.

If You Have 2 Days

On the first day, follow the suggestions for day 1 or pick and choose -- you can spend more time along the Freedom Trail, on a longer harbor cruise, or at another destination. On the second day, branch out a little, again letting your preferences be your guide. Spend the morning at the Museum of Fine Arts, and have lunch there or at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum. Start the afternoon at the Gardner Museum or, if it's a Friday during the season, at the Boston Symphony Orchestra. If art isn't your passion, start the day at the Museum of Science or the John F. Kennedy Library and Museum, followed by lunch at the Prudential Center and a Duck Tour.

Then take a leisurely trek around the Back Bay or a high-intensity shopping trip to Newbury Street. In warm weather, leave time for a Swan Boat ride. If you had a light lunch (or skipped it so you could start shopping earlier), have afternoon tea at the Four Seasons or Ritz-Carlton. On summer weekdays, Boston By Foot (tel. 617/367-3766 for recorded information, or 617/367-2345; www.bostonbyfoot.com) conducts a tour of Beacon Hill ($10 adults, $8 children) that starts at the State House at 5:30pm.

If You Have 3 Days

The suggestions for the first 2 days can easily fill another day, but you'll probably want to branch out. A visit to Cambridge is the logical next step. Ride the MBTA Red Line from downtown or the no. 1 bus from the Back Bay to Harvard Square. Take a walking tour, squeeze in some shopping, or head straight to one of the university's museum complexes. Have lunch in Harvard Square and continue exploring, or visit Mount Auburn Cemetery. You can also venture farther from the city. You might start in Cambridge and have lunch in Concord or Lexington. Spend the afternoon exploring the area, or communing with nature at Walden Pond.

If You Have 4 Days or More

Now you're cooking. Having scratched the surface in the first 3 days, you'll have a better sense of what you want to explore more extensively. Check out other Boston attractions that catch your fancy, perhaps including one or more of the historic house museums, and plan a full day trip to Lexington and Concord, to Plymouth, to Marblehead and Salem, or to Gloucester and Rockport. Visit Museum Wharf, where you'll find the Children's Museum and (if it's open) the Boston Tea Party Ship & Museum. Go on a whale watch or make an unstructured visit to a city neighborhood (see the section "Boston Neighborhoods to Explore" later in this chapter). If you haven't taken a sightseeing cruise or completed the Freedom Trail, visit Charlestown, where you can explore USS Constitution ("Old Ironsides") and Bunker Hill. Take in a large-format film at the Museum of Science or the New England Aquarium, or evaluate Boston's reputation as a great sports town by attending a pro or college event. Then hit one of the restaurants or nightspots that you couldn't fit in earlier, and start planning your next visit to Boston.

[delmar]

I only have half a day friday, and each night after 5pm on sat. and sun.

Thanks

[oderlesseye]

So much history and so little time howevey the USS Constitution is a must see. I just me a 94 yr old man at the San Diego Maritime Museum who served on her in the 30's. She Named the Usf Constitution back the. The"F" stood for frigate.

[Coastie04]

The Constitution is a must. The Boston Tea Party Ship is a wreck and can be skipped without missing much. In fact, it was kind of a sad sight to see, especially with it's potential. There's lots of good history in that town, such as the Old North Church and Breed's Hill (Bunker Hill Monument). I'd also recommend the Black Rose (I think that's what it's called), an Irish pub downtown near Quincy Market. Quincy Market's not a bad place to go if you like streetside entertainers, good food, and lots of tourist crap. That's all I can think of off the top of my head. It's been a while since I was there and it's a good ways around the world from my current location in Hawaii. Have fun.

Coastie

[delmar]

Just wanted to say thanks to those that gave me ideas while I was in Boston. Old iron side was great. I will post pictures when I get home. A lovely wench took some increadable pictures.

Talk soon you coves!

Delmar

Sex, Mead, Swords, and Bow!